Connected: Part 4 of the On The Edge Series

Chapter 5

Sunday dinner should have felt natural. I had learned the names of all the brothers and wives, and even when I got one wrong, they corrected me with little less than a giggle. But the tension between Tim and me clouded the dinner. It wasn't lost on Billy, but he didn't prod. Cards with the girls felt more like home. Even Viv acknowledged my presence a couple of times throughout the afternoon.

"Hey, I have to drop the kids off at Sarah's place. Do you want to come, or do you want me to swing back on my way through?" Billy murmured into my ear as he leaned over my shoulder.

Instinctively, I let a hand slip to his neck to keep him nearby. "With you," I whispered. "Always with you."

He smiled before giving me a gentle kiss. An audible "aw" slipped from a few of the ladies' lips. A flush burned my face at their attention, but Billy soothed it with a soft smile as he pulled away, offering me a hand to his side.

"Too sweet," Abby cooed under her breath.

As we passed her, Billy slightly dipped and murmured, "thank you, Abby." Before straightening. "Ma, I'll call you tonight. Love you all."

"Love you both," Mary called after us.

Viv and Jackson bickered from the back seat as we drove. Billy's hand slipped to its spot on my knee, causing me to smile to myself.

"It happens quickly and should always be enjoyed and protected," Billy murmured, almost to himself.

I leaned into him as his hand lifted from my knee to fall around my shoulders. "What's that?"

"Family." He kissed the top of my head. "Even the fights."

The car pulled to a stop in front of a modern house, reminding me of a realtor I hadn't thought of since her heels clicked away over a decade ago. I wondered if her hair still swayed as one chunk or if she was still showing monstrosities to unsuspecting buyers. I wanted to ask Billy if he remembered her and the cold house she thought would be perfect for him. But instead, he interrupted my thoughts.

"I should say hello," he murmured. "You with me?"

"Always," I murmured.

"You're coming in?" Jackson said in surprise as Billy and I followed him and Viv from the car.

"Just to say hello and merry Christmas," Billy nodded as he took my hand.

"How cordial," Viv groused.

"Hey." Billy dropped my hand and set it on Viv's shoulder. "We'll be up in a minute." Billy nodded to Jackson and me.

"She's afraid," Jackson murmured.

"Afraid of what? I asked.

"That Dad's going to split time between here and Maine," Jackson answered.

"What? No, Jackson, I'm moving here. We're just going to Maine for the holiday because you're with your mom, and Billy would like to say a proper goodbye to my father."

"You're moving here?"

"Yes. This is where your father's life is, and my life is now. He'd never leave you. You know that, right?"

Jackson's eyes dipped.

"Jackson, you realize when he tours, he does it in two-week chunks so he can see you. He wrote that into the custody agreement when you were just a baby. You're his life."

"I know. I just thought with you back."

"I'll do the bending. You keep doing the growing up," I suggested.

Jackson smiled before pushing open the door and allowing a "Ma" to escape his lips and ricochet around the room. It was a valiant Billy impression.

Sarah appeared in the hall, striding towards us with frightening elegance. I had forgotten how intimidating her flawless presentation was.