him and joined Nancy in bringing the food to the table.
Beth queried, “Are they always…so…”
“Touch and grabby?” Pierce supplied the rest of the question. “No, but they get carried away sometimes. I’ve gotta get the image of them out of my head.”
Beth patted his shoulder in sympathy and shot me a cursory glance. Cassidy made a production of coming down the stairs, and Mr. Pruitt gazed at her like she was an angel.
“Dinner looks wonderful, as always .” Cassidy trotted towards Mr. Pruitt and gave him an air kiss on his cheek. And then she came around the table again, sitting beside me. Usually Nancy and Pierce sat beside me, but Nancy wasn’t finished serving all of the food. I wanted to switch places with Pierce, but if I did I knew Cassidy might make a show, act like I was ostracizing her.
“How did everything go in Miami, Father?” Cassidy asked Mr. Pruitt like she really cared. The only topic that mattered to her was whether or not he’d keep supporting her while she did nothing all day.
He took a seat beside Mrs. Pruitt, who just finished serving his plate. “We’re getting there. A little behind schedule. Nothing new in construction,” he answered with a sigh. “And I heard today was successful. Not one customer complaint or mishap.”
“Yeah, it’s really unheard of,” Pierce commented as we served ourselves.
“It is,” Mr. Pruitt said.
“Have you spent any time with Bethany?” Mrs. Pruitt changed the subject. “Cassie took her to our bar,” she explained to Mr. Pruitt.
“You should follow Cassidy’s example,” Mr. Pruitt scolded.
“Too bad that Cassidy bounced with some guy and Rylan had to bring her home when she took Beth out. That’s real nice, al l right. ”
Beth swallowed uneasily. “Cassidy asked me if I was fine with Rylan driving me here and Pierce said we’d hang out in town next week,” she interjected.
Mr. Pruitt grimaced at Pierce, and Mrs. Pruitt placed her hand over his. “You need to be careful. Did Pierce even know the guy that you were with?” Mrs. Pruitt asked, the alarm in her voice evident.
“No, I didn’t know who the guy was,” Pierce interjected. “I had a gathering at my penthouse and Cassidy invited all these people I didn’t know.”
“Are you guys done attacking me?” Cassidy dramatically shot up from the chair and stalked off. Even Nancy couldn’t refrain from rolling her eyes.
“Get back here!” Mrs. Pruitt shouted. Beth rested her hand on my thigh. She was trying to be supportive, but she didn’t know yet that it was best for her to stay out of their disagreements. This was the second time I’d seen the Pruitts have an argument. Minutes passed by and Cassidy returned to the table with a sulky expression. “We’ll have a talk later, young lady. And you’re not going out tonight. I don’t care that you’re twenty-two. When you act like a brat in our household, we’ll treat you like one.” She waved her hand at Cassidy’s meal. “Now finish your dinner.”
“Perhaps if you weren’t off with that girl, you would’ve kept an eye on your sister. She ’s older but you’re her brother,” Mr. Pruitt remarked.
“Lay off me, would you?” Pierce stopped eating and pushed his chair back. “I do my best. She needs to be responsible for herself. And while you don’t like Mona —she has a name—I go to work and put in 110 percent. What I do during my free time is my business.” He rose from the table. “Sorry, Mom…Nancy.” He was quiet for a beat. “Dinner was delicious.” He acknowledged Beth and I with a rueful look before he was gone.
“Pierce has a point,” we heard Mrs. Pruitt softly tell her husband, but he wouldn’t hear it.
“Debbie, his point was that he’s not willing to protect his sister while I work my butt off to do right by this family.”
***
Pierce ’s jaw was tight and his usually fair complexion was flushed from frustration and hurt that he’d never acknowledge. I
Beth queried, “Are they always…so…”
“Touch and grabby?” Pierce supplied the rest of the question. “No, but they get carried away sometimes. I’ve gotta get the image of them out of my head.”
Beth patted his shoulder in sympathy and shot me a cursory glance. Cassidy made a production of coming down the stairs, and Mr. Pruitt gazed at her like she was an angel.
“Dinner looks wonderful, as always .” Cassidy trotted towards Mr. Pruitt and gave him an air kiss on his cheek. And then she came around the table again, sitting beside me. Usually Nancy and Pierce sat beside me, but Nancy wasn’t finished serving all of the food. I wanted to switch places with Pierce, but if I did I knew Cassidy might make a show, act like I was ostracizing her.
“How did everything go in Miami, Father?” Cassidy asked Mr. Pruitt like she really cared. The only topic that mattered to her was whether or not he’d keep supporting her while she did nothing all day.
He took a seat beside Mrs. Pruitt, who just finished serving his plate. “We’re getting there. A little behind schedule. Nothing new in construction,” he answered with a sigh. “And I heard today was successful. Not one customer complaint or mishap.”
“Yeah, it’s really unheard of,” Pierce commented as we served ourselves.
“It is,” Mr. Pruitt said.
“Have you spent any time with Bethany?” Mrs. Pruitt changed the subject. “Cassie took her to our bar,” she explained to Mr. Pruitt.
“You should follow Cassidy’s example,” Mr. Pruitt scolded.
“Too bad that Cassidy bounced with some guy and Rylan had to bring her home when she took Beth out. That’s real nice, al l right. ”
Beth swallowed uneasily. “Cassidy asked me if I was fine with Rylan driving me here and Pierce said we’d hang out in town next week,” she interjected.
Mr. Pruitt grimaced at Pierce, and Mrs. Pruitt placed her hand over his. “You need to be careful. Did Pierce even know the guy that you were with?” Mrs. Pruitt asked, the alarm in her voice evident.
“No, I didn’t know who the guy was,” Pierce interjected. “I had a gathering at my penthouse and Cassidy invited all these people I didn’t know.”
“Are you guys done attacking me?” Cassidy dramatically shot up from the chair and stalked off. Even Nancy couldn’t refrain from rolling her eyes.
“Get back here!” Mrs. Pruitt shouted. Beth rested her hand on my thigh. She was trying to be supportive, but she didn’t know yet that it was best for her to stay out of their disagreements. This was the second time I’d seen the Pruitts have an argument. Minutes passed by and Cassidy returned to the table with a sulky expression. “We’ll have a talk later, young lady. And you’re not going out tonight. I don’t care that you’re twenty-two. When you act like a brat in our household, we’ll treat you like one.” She waved her hand at Cassidy’s meal. “Now finish your dinner.”
“Perhaps if you weren’t off with that girl, you would’ve kept an eye on your sister. She ’s older but you’re her brother,” Mr. Pruitt remarked.
“Lay off me, would you?” Pierce stopped eating and pushed his chair back. “I do my best. She needs to be responsible for herself. And while you don’t like Mona —she has a name—I go to work and put in 110 percent. What I do during my free time is my business.” He rose from the table. “Sorry, Mom…Nancy.” He was quiet for a beat. “Dinner was delicious.” He acknowledged Beth and I with a rueful look before he was gone.
“Pierce has a point,” we heard Mrs. Pruitt softly tell her husband, but he wouldn’t hear it.
“Debbie, his point was that he’s not willing to protect his sister while I work my butt off to do right by this family.”
***
Pierce ’s jaw was tight and his usually fair complexion was flushed from frustration and hurt that he’d never acknowledge. I
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