What the hell?

If this is a glimpse of my future, I’m in big trouble.

“You’re fucking hilarious when you’re mad, Kendra,” Sam says. “Give Lila a chance. She put herself on the line trying to protect us all. You’re not giving her enough credit.”

He grins and hugs me tighter.

“We’re getting married and you can’t stop us. I’m not twelve and don’t need your permission. So will you please listen to what Lila has to say? For me? Give her ten minutes.”

Kendra plops back down in an angry huff and crosses her arms. Flint pulls Josh out from under the table and puts him on his lap for safekeeping. I guess he doesn’t trust Kendra right now any more than I do.

I’m watching Jesse out of the corner of my eye because I know that of everyone in the room, he is by far the most dangerous. He catches my eye and I quickly look away.

Sam pulls out a chair for me and after I double-check the exit routes, I take a seat.

“Okay,” I begin, taking a deep breath. “Here is what’s going on with the investigation.”

***

After explaining everything in detail, I excuse myself from the table to give the group some privacy to discuss the situation. Plus, I need to escape for a minute. The stress is getting to me.

I hurry inside the bathroom, shut the door, and lean back against it.

Safe at last.

I wish I didn’t have to go back out there.

Kendra didn’t hide the fact that she was considering doing me bodily harm, and I know enough about Jesse’s past to be afraid of him too. On the bright side, at least Flint and Trish seem to be a little more calm and accepting of my relationship with Sam. I’ll try to soften them up first. Trish is sweet, so maybe she’ll eventually come around.

Thank goodness Sam didn’t blurt out anything about the baby.

I splash cold water on my face and take a deep breath.

Finally feeling calmer, I open the bathroom door, and walk straight into Trish. She’s standing on the other side with Missy in her arms. She puts a hand on my arm and forces me back into the bathroom before slamming the door behind us. Normally I wouldn’t allow anyone to push me around, but since there’s a baby in her arms, I don’t put up any resistance.

“I need to talk to you,” she says. Her brown eyes are flashing in anger.

Terrific.

So she hates me too. The day keeps getting worse.

“I know what you probably think about me,” she says. “That I’m the nice, easy-going one in the family.”

Actually, I did until just now.