Page 25 of Day Break

“Well, no, not yet,” my uncle said slowly.

“That’s where you come in,” Phillip said, motioning with his wine glass.

“Me?” I asked, once again holding in a groan.

“Sure. Everyone in the family knows that the old man has a soft spot for you. I mean, ever since—”

I felt the table move and heard Phillip grunt as someone, most likely his mother, kicked him under the table.

“He moved back to the island, a recluse,” Phillip continued after a heartbeat. “You’re practically the only one in the family that he talks to.”

That was the truth. I’d witnessed it firsthand. My grandfather ignored everyone else’s phone calls. At least he did when he was around me. I assumed he did the rest of the time as well.

I leaned aside as Lita set my plate down. “Thank you, Lita. This looks amazing,” I told her. She beamed at me, and I wondered if it was the first kind words she’d heard since taking the job. I turned back to my family. “You want me to convince Grandpa to donate to your campaign and then go on several interviews backing your run?” My uncle and cousin nodded at the same time. I laughed and shook my head. “There is no way in hell you could convince me to do that.”

I knew better than to curse, especially at my mother’s table and under my father’s roof. Still, no other statement would have been strong enough to project my disdain for the idea.

“Lane,” my mother warned.

“Son,” my father said at the same time.

“I told you he wouldn’t do it.” Phillip sighed as he took another drink.

In the past year, I had come to wonder if my cousin was drinking too much. Every time I saw him, he was either downing a drink or stumbling away from a drink.

“I don’t see why you won’t just make the call?” my uncle said.

“We’ve all tried,” my aunt Kate added, getting my attention.

“You’ve all…” I broke off, a little disgusted at the idea that they had all tried to convince my grandfather to give them money and help in promoting his youngest son’s bid to remain in the House of Representatives. I knew that two years ago, my grandfather hadn’t agreed, nor had he during my uncle’s first term two years prior to that. “No.” I shook my head. “He has made himself perfectly clear. I won’t bother him.” I picked up my fork and took a bite of the salmon.

“Now, Lane,” my mother said in that tone she always got when she was about to try and convince me that what she wanted would be best for me.

“No, Mother,” I said a little more firmly. I set my fork down. “I don’t think any of you understand just how fragile Grandpa is.”

I watched a few eyebrows raise at this news. The last time anyone at the table had seen him was almost a year before.

I knew for a fact that no one traveled up to the island to visit him. I doubted they even called him unless they wanted something. Usually, money or for him to endorse them during some crazy endeavor.

Besides the lot of us looking like siblings instead of cousins, the only thing we had common was that we had all spent most of our childhood summers on the island.

While I had gone into law like my aunt, Phillip worked with his dad, only because no one else would have him. He was too lazy for any real job. He lied often and wasn’t even good at it. Plus, he was basically the dumbest person in the family. I was convinced his parents had paid for his grades when he’d been enrolled at Washington University.

Phil’s hair was longer than my own and he was about two inches shorter. Other than that, we could have been brothers.

My oldest cousin Derrick was at least a little smarter than Phil and, according to many, the best looking out of the gang. Even if he could never commit to a career, he always had a line of women. He spent most of his time hawking whatever product was trending online. He’d join in the noise online to sell or promote it until things fell through, then he’d change to a new product. He was always looking for the next thing that would make him rich and famous. So far, nothing had. Yet, he always managed to drag most of the family into his scams.

The three of us boys were each a year apart from one another. I was the youngest, which had put a target on my back for the older boys to aim at. I had been thankful when they finally graduated and left me alone.

My youngest cousin Tiffany was the real genius in the group. She’d graduated top of her class and had started medical school, only she’d fallen madly in love with her husband Mark, whom she’d met her first year at college. The pair had quickly married and when she’d found out she was pregnant with Johnny, and she’d dropped out of school to support Mark so he could continue his education. Instead, he’d flunked out of school and sat around playing video games most of the time.

Even though Tiff was beautiful, petite, and easily the nicest one in the family, I suspected Mark was having an affair, possibly many of them. I’d tried to warn Tiffany, but she would always change the subject.

Phillip had been married briefly to Olivia, who had taken almost everything from him. He’d moved back in with his parents, and the divorce was another reason he was now working for his dad.

“Just how fragile is the old man?” Phillip asked.

I glared at him. “Don’t count your inheritance just yet,” I warned.