Chapter 47

CHAPTER 47

SPENCER

L ooking at the table, all set and prepped for the feast, I couldn't help but admire Jodie's handiwork. She was a remarkable woman. Rhett and Marlow had no idea how lucky they were to have her as their mother. My mom didn't cook. Well, she tried, but it rarely ended well.

"It looks amazing," I said sincerely.

"Why thank you, Spencer! Everyone, sit."

I sat down next to Marlow with Rhett across from us. Jodie and Klaus sat at the ends of the table. It wasn't long before we were passing dishes and filling our plates with the kind of food that had always made holidays at the Graylan house special. Jodie's baked yams were legendary, and the stuffing was so flavorful it could stand alone as a meal.

I couldn't help but think back to my first Thanksgiving with them when I was fourteen. My mother used to buy a precooked chicken and serve it with baked potatoes. She wasn't much of a cook, and I never judged her for it, but the Graylans turned holidays into something magical. I had never experienced a meal like the one Jodie put on when I was a kid. I was hooked from the get-go.

Klaus poured us all a glass of nice wine, courtesy of Marlow and me. At work on Monday, I asked what I could bring and she suggested we buy a couple of bottles of wine to make the occasion special. I couldn't wait to dig into the sweet potatoes.

I took the first bite and groaned. They melted in my mouth. They were perfectly creamy with the right amount of sweetness dancing on my tongue. Each bite brought back fond memories of Thanksgivings with them. The hint of nutmeg and cinnamon and the crunch of the pecans were all perfect. I couldn't help but audibly moan in pleasure as I savored the first bite, already craving more.

"Jodie, you never fail," I said as I nodded. "I have been thinking about these for years. I've had many, many sweet potato dishes at restaurants and none of them compare to yours."

She lit up. "Thank you, Spencer."

"Yeah, Mom, these are fantastic," Marlow added, reaching over to squeeze her mother's hand.

Klaus raised his glass. "A toast to Jodie, the artist of the kitchen."

We all raised our glasses and clinked them together, echoing Klaus's toast. I took a sip of my wine and returned my attention to my plate. Each mouthful was a delight. I took a bite of the turkey and found myself moaning with pleasure once again. It was moist and tender, with a rich and savory flavor. Usually, I didn't like turkey—it was too dry. But not Jodie's. The herbs and spices she used were the perfect blend. I couldn't resist reaching for another chunk, dumping some of her homemade gravy on top.

After a while, the conversation started to flow. We reminisced about old times and somehow we got on to the subject of dancing.

"I remember when I came home and found you and Rhett trying to learn how to dance for the spring formal." Marlow grinned.

"Me?" I asked.

"Oh yes." She nodded. "Don't try and deny it."

I met Rhett's eyes. He groaned and shook his head. "Oh no."

"I spied on you from my bedroom window," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she told what I thought was something only Rhett and I knew about. "Rhett was the girl, and Spencer kept trying to dip him."

Klaus laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes.

Rhett, who had been a bit withdrawn all day, finally cracked a grin. "Spencer kept stepping on my toes. He was a terrible dance partner."

"That's because you have clown feet," I shot back, and everyone laughed.

Marlow gave me a look that made me feel totally at peace, like I was right where I belonged.

"What about when we caught you having a tea party with your stuffed animals?" Rhett said.

I choked on my wine, sputtering into my glass. The table erupted in laughter and Marlow turned three shades of red.

I grinned. "I forgot about that!"

"Tea party?" Jodie asked, her eyes wide with amusement. "I thought you thought that was silly?"

"Yes." Rhett smirked. "Served them crumpets and everything."

"I was like six!" she protested.

"That doesn't make it any less funny," Rhett retorted.

"And she cried when we interrupted her," I added.

Rhett laughed with Klaus smiling. Marlow looked mortified at first, but then, she broke out into a smile. She tried to glare at us both, but there was no malice in her eyes. In fact, she was loving it.

"You know," she began with a mischievous glint in her eye. "If we're speaking of embarrassing stories, I seem to recall an incident involving Spencer and a certain haunted house."

I choked on my bite of turkey and looked at her wide-eyed. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would." Marlow responded, grinning widely.

"Haunted house?" Klaus asked, arching an eyebrow. "I don't remember this one."

"Yes," Marlow said. "You see, when they were about fourteen, there was a haunted house set up at the school for Halloween. The older kids had put it together and everything was designed to absolutely terrify you."

"Oh no," I groaned, putting my head in my hands.

Marlow continued, reveling in my humiliation. "They told me I couldn't go because I was too young, but I threw a fit and Rhett finally agreed to take me. They were convinced I was going to be scared and they were going to laugh at me. So Spencer here was trying to act all brave, saying it couldn't possibly be that scary. He was boasting about how he wasn't afraid of anything."

"And then?" Klaus urged, taking a bite of his stuffing.

"Well, we barely crossed the threshold of the house before Spencer let out the most high-pitched scream you could ever imagine." Marlow laughed.

Rhett laughed, slapping his hand on his knee.

"You screamed, Spencer?" Jodie asked with surprise.

"It was not a scream," I protested, but even I knew it was futile.

"Oh, it was a scream," Marlow assured everyone. "And it wasn't just any scream, mind you. It was so loud that everyone in the entire haunted house, and those waiting outside, heard it. You should have seen his face, pale as a sheet! He bolted out of there so fast he nearly knocked me over. The best part? Turns out all that had scared him was a plastic skeleton hanging from the ceiling."

The table roared with laughter, and even I found myself chuckling. "It was hanging from a noose and I thought it was reaching out to grab me."

Klaus was practically in tears, and Jodie was trying so hard not to laugh at me. Rhett was shaking his head at me, his laugh filling the room.

"I'll admit it wasn't my finest moment," I said, chuckling.

"That's an understatement," Marlow teased. "You thought I was going to be scared and you were the one that ran out of there."

"It caught me off guard," I said, gently shoving her with my shoulder.

She put her hand on mine. It was natural, but then it was like we both remembered where we were. She snatched it back and was suddenly very interested in her plate of food. I glanced around the table and realized the touch had not gone unnoticed.

Jodie tilted her head, studying us. "So, what's going on between you two?"

Marlow shook her head quickly. "Nothing," she squeaked.

I tried to play innocent. "Work has been going really well."

Rhett's face darkened, and I knew we were in trouble. He looked between us, realization dawning. I tried to come up with a denial he would believe.

"Is there something going on with you and Spencer, Marlow?" Rhett asked, his tone full of accusation.

The guy had a lot of nerve stirring up shit after what he had done.

The table fell silent. Everyone stopped eating. I gulped down the last of the food in my mouth. I felt like we were in a courtroom and Rhett had just pointed to me and declared me to be the guilty party. I looked at Jodie then Klaus. I couldn't read their expressions.

"You've got to be kidding me," Rhett snapped, dropping his fork onto his plate. "Another one of my friends? What's going to happen when this doesn't work out? Are you going to ask me to cut Spencer off too?"

Marlow's face turned red. "This is different."

"Sure it is." Rhett scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just like all the others."

Marlow's eyes blazed. I knew what was coming. She'd been holding back for days, but Rhett had just poked the bear. Under the table, I put my hand on her leg, trying to calm her down. She was the one that said she didn't want her family to know what was going on. I didn't want her to say something in anger that she might regret.

"You let Dakota into my apartment!" Marlow shouted. "I told you I didn't want to talk to him or see him, but you tried to shove him down my throat."

"What happened?" Jodie asked with concern.

"Dakota was at your place?" Klaus asked, clearly not happy.

"Yes!" Marlow shouted, her fist pounding against the table, nearly toppling the glasses of wine. "I let Rhett stay with me and he betrayed me! He went behind my back and brought my psycho stalker ex into my home!"

"Is that true, Rhett?" Jodie asked softly.

He looked away, unable to meet her gaze.

"Yes, it is," Marlow answered. "If it weren't for Spencer, I don't know what would have happened. Dakota trashed my place. He lost his frigging mind. I truly thought he was going to hurt me."

Rhett pushed back, his face contorted with guilt and anger. "I tried to stop him, Marlow! What do you want from me?"

I stepped in, trying to smooth things over. "Guys, let's just ease up?—"

"Stay out of this, Spencer!" Rhett barked. "This is between me and my sister. You've done enough. You're the one that started this ball rolling."

"I didn't invite a dangerous man into her apartment," I corrected. "All I did was make sure Marlow got somewhere safe while you stood there and let your best buddy go on a rampage."

Rhett sneered, his nostrils flaring. "Oh, you're always the hero. Aren't you?"

"Rhett!" Jodie admonished, looking aghast at the situation.

I held Rhett's furious gaze. "Maybe if you'd been more of a brother to her, she wouldn't have had to rely on me. I believed her when she told me he was harassing her. You didn't. You kept trying to get them back together, just because you like hanging out with him."

That hit below the belt and I knew it, but fuck him. Rhett's face turned a furious shade of red.

"Enough!" Klaus shouted, slamming his hand on the table. It worked. Silence fell over the room. He looked between Marlow, Rhett, and me with a stern expression. Klaus stood, towering over the rest of us. "Simmer down, all of you. This is a civilized home and you will act like civilized people."

Rhett stormed out the back door and slammed it behind him. Marlow fled in the opposite direction, for the front door. I turned to Klaus and Jodie, my heart heavy. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. But I made sure her apartment has new locks and an alarm system. She'll be safe if Dakota comes sniffing around again."

"Thank you, Spencer." Jodie shook her head, her eyes soft with understanding. "Now go after her. We'll talk to Rhett."

I nodded and ran out the door, my breath visible in the cool night air. Marlow was standing in the yard, her arms wrapped around herself. She looked so small and vulnerable as she stared up at the sky. It broke my heart.

"Marlow," I called softly as I approached her. She turned to face me, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Why does he always have to ruin everything?" she whispered.

I took her hands in mine, pulling her close. "I don't think he's trying to ruin everything. He does love you. He's just an idiot."

She shook her head. "No, he's just selfish. He's always been like this, thinking everything revolves around him."

I held her tighter, trying to offer some comfort.

"I want to get out of here," she whispered.

"Let's go for a drive," I offered.