Matt put a kettle on to get some water hot and poured milk into a saucepan for her. Her gorgeous man, so protective. He’d always been there when she needed him. Always. A fabulous father, a wonderful husband. It was still hard to believe he was hers. Man, she was lucky.

“I’ve heard you say lots filthier than f**k, Venus.” He winked at her and went back to the telling. “Shane’s glad she’s here. I guess she left the scene, and Nathan and Jacob were pissed and worried about her. Lily said she needed to be left alone. She’ll need to talk to the cops though. But it can wait for now. Carl is under observation and being treated for multiple wounds. I’m gonna say stitches most likely, probably watching for signs of a concussion, that sort of thing. You know Shane’s got to be careful how much he says about anything hospital related. Anyway, he says Carl was pretty messed up. Joe was treated for lacerations. He’s got some bruised ribs, but nothing is broken. He’s still at the hospital with his mom.”

Tate blew out a breath. “Well, I’m glad they’re all okay. But Beth is my main concern. I’ve never seen her like this.” She got up, wiping the counter down just to do something with her hands to keep them from shaking so much. “A control freak, my baby sister. Especially of her emotions. She broke her arm when she was four. Oh f**k that, our father broke her arm. Goddamned piece of shit. She didn’t cry. She just tucked in between me and William, and she held on, even when they were setting it. So stoic.”

Matt moved to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “Venus, you undo me.” He kissed each eyelid. “I love you so much. She came here to you. Tucking up into you just like she did then. She’ll be all right. She’s a strong woman, like her older sister.”

“I hate it when she’s upset. She’s a good woman, Matthew. What did that man do to her?”

“He dumped me.” Beth came down the hall, keeping her voice low. “I hope you don’t mind but I checked on the girls and gave them night-night kisses.”

Tate loved her sister so much. “They’d have been mad if you hadn’t.”

“Meg said she wasn’t going to sleep until you came in anyway.” Matt put the tea and milk out on the coffee table. “Call me if you need me.” He hugged Beth. “We’ll get this set to rights. I’ve never met the man who can resist a Murphy sister.”

Beth gave him a smile—not a big one—but it reached her eyes and that was a step in the right direction.

Tate kissed him. “Thank you.”

“Any time, Venus. I put out pillows and blankets. Do not drive her home yourself if she wants to go home. I’ll do it. I have tomorrow off and I don’t want you out so late.” He took her chin, looking into her eyes. “Okay? Please?”

“She promises. Though I can walk home. It’s not that far.”

He looked around Tate to Beth. “Except no. Jeez, ladies, let me do stuff sometimes, okay? Stay over. Tate’s making waffles and the girls would love to have you. I’m sure they’d even let you watch Mary Poppins a few times. But if you want to go home, come get me. I’m just catching up on all the stuff on the DVR that Tate hates anyway.”

Beth nodded. “All right. Thank you, Matt.”

Beth sat back, tucking her feet beneath her and turning her body toward Tate.

“Take it slow, Matt had a pretty liberal hand with the whiskey in the tea.”

Beth sipped and agreed. But the warmth felt good. The burn took away some of the fear, eased the panic.

“Baby, this is killing me. Tell me so I can fix it.” Tate took her hand and Beth put her head on her sister’s shoulder.

“I guess I know what he’s been skirting all these months. He dumped me.”

“I don’t understand. He broke up with you? You had a date, right?”

“Right on the sidewalk outside the Sands. Covered in blood, a bruise coming up on his cheek. He was so…” Beth closed her eyes as she remembered it all over again. “He was in so much pain. Not physical pain. He was heartsick. And ashamed.”

“Start at the beginning.”

“It was good. The date I mean. Jacob and Trey were there. Nathan and Lily. Royal. Joe. He was affectionate. He said I was his girlfriend. We’d gotten to a new level. I know we did. And then there was all this yelling and Joe got up because it was his dad and then everything happened so fast. It was so loud and people kept trying to help and he was trying to calm his dad down and it was crazy. I was standing on the booth. The one we were all sitting at. I was watching it all unfold and then his dad looked to me and started screaming about how I was part of it. Whatever it was. And then he rushed at me. I didn’t have time to react. Nathan grabbed the back of my sweater. I think he climbed up behind, in the booth behind ours. And then Joe rushed his dad, like to tackle him. And they both sailed right through the glass and I tipped out too. I didn’t get cut too bad. I think Nathan’s grabbing me helped. And Joe of course.”

Beth sipped the tea and tried to calm down. She closed her eyes, but saw it all again.

“Joe wrapped himself around his dad. Even after all that craziness, he tried to protect his father as they went through the window. So there was all this noise and mess and the cops had arrived and Roni handed me a bunch of wet towels to stanch all the bleeding. Joe was so lost. Watching his dad as they tried to treat him. They strapped him down to the gurney and I tried to help him. Joe, I mean. He had a big slice above his eye and it was bleeding pretty bad. But he pushed my hands away and then he broke up with me. Right there. In front of God and everyone he dumped me.”