My heard did an odd little somersault at the thought of kids that were a blend of our looks. Their eyes would almost surely be some shade of green.
“Everything okay?” Mom asked.
“Just tired,” I said.
Mom looked at me with a soft smile. “The air here is good for you,” she said. She reached over and patted my hand once. “You need to sleep.”
“I am.”
“No, I don’t think you are,” she said. “You been running again?”
“I was, but given the way things are right now, I haven’t dared.”
She clicked her tongue. “It really is a shame. These people know us. They know we would never do anything to ruin this place.”
“But I am,” I said. “Or I was. I didn’t see the bigger picture. I really wish they would listen to me when I tell them I didn’t mean them any harm.”
“They will,” she said confidently.
“I don’t know about that. Judd is making things difficult.”
“We’ll handle Judd,” Cody said.
“I could make some calls,” Dad offered.
“Not yet. Let me see if I can dig myself out of this mess.”
“Cody,” Mom said, setting down her tea. “Tell me honestly. How bad was it?”
I looked at my brother and silently begged him not to say anything.
“How bad was what?” I asked.
“The protest,” Dad said. He was leaning back in his chair with his feet up, calm as ever. “We saw the videos. We’re not that old. We know how to use social media.”
I closed my eyes.
“It has a lot of views,” Cody offered helpfully.
“Cody, I swear to God, I will kill you as soon as they leave.”
Mom laughed. She was used to our empty threats.
“I haven’t seen the video and I don’t want to,” I said. “I was there. I remember it all very well.”
“Colt stood up there and just took it. He never even tried to dodge the tomatoes. Or the eggs.”
“Cody,” I warned.
He ignored me completely.
“Where were you?” Mom asked Cody.
“Oh, I stayed quiet,” Cody said. “I am not letting raw egg touch me. Gross.”
“You should have stood up for him,” Dad said.
I smiled at Cody. His little attempt to humiliate me backfired.