Out of Chances by Shona Husk

Author:Shona Husk
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Australia Pty Ltd

Chapter 10

While he didn’t want to go to family dinner, he didn’t want to upset his mother. There would be no way to avoid his father and he suspected dinner was going be something like getting intimate with a cactus—painful during and painful after as all the thorns were removed.

He parked in the driveway. His sisters were already here. He checked the time but he wasn’t late. It was a few hours, that was all. They couldn’t force him to do anything, only harp on at him. Nothing he hadn’t heard before. All he had to do was bite his tongue and tell them everything was great.

There would be no mentioning he was now late with his rent to Mike—he hoped Lisa was struggling with hers too—or he was contemplating what else he could sell to fund this temporary shortfall.

He’d get by. He always did. Usually because family money was bailing him out. He’d grown far too used to having that parachute without looking hard at the consequences. Now he was close enough to the ground he could see them, but too close to change his course.

He got out of the car and made the short walk to his short stay in hell.

He didn’t have to stay for dessert, even though it would be his favourite.

And he didn’t have to talk to his father.

As soon as he opened the front door he smelled the roast beef. His stomach growled. He’d run out of cereal, then he’d run out of food altogether. He knew he was going to have to buy some, but not today. He could always mooch around Ed’s place for a meal, that was definitely a possibility. Almost a certainty.

‘Hey, Mum,’ he called as he walked in. He could hear his sisters talking. From the sounds of it they’d brought their partners. Great. Maybe he should’ve brought Indigo. Nah, she was spending time with her sister and they weren’t in a meet the parents’ space. Inflicting his on her wouldn’t be fair, plus she’d probably run a mile.

‘Dan. Been a long time, little brother.’ Grace hugged him.

Lauren gave a wave. His mother smiled. His father was nowhere to be seen. Good.

‘You invited everyone, Mum.’ So much for a quiet family dinner.

She nodded but there was a moment of hesitation. Doubt bloomed in his gut. Had he walked into some kind of set-up? If Lisa had been invited, he was walking straight back out.

‘Would you like a drink, beer or wine?’ Grace had the fridge open.

He was about to say yes, but he was okay for the moment. He’d rather wait until his father started up. Pace himself instead of diving in. ‘I’ll just have a water for the moment.’

Plus he hadn’t eaten. He moved closer to the kitchen island where the dips, chips and homemade mini quiches were.

‘Why don’t you take them to the dining table?’ his mother smiled.

No one ate nibbles at the dining table, it was too formal, but he did as he was told and downed three mini quiches on the way.

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