Janice shook her head. “Your brother deserves a tongue-lashing. Even if he hadn’t married without any of us around, he hasn’t exactly been attentive since he became famous.”

Karen had so many words on her lips but kept them inside her mouth. Janice Gardner may have been a calming effect on her husband, but she wasn’t happy with her son’s lack of contact. Karen just hoped that Sawyer didn’t push Michael away before they unpacked.

Tracey ducked back in the room and returned just as quickly.

“Judy pulled Hannah outside with Eli.”

“Oh, good. I just hope they don’t start shouting and wake the baby.”

“Janice, can I ask you something?” Karen asked.

“Of course, dear.” Her temporary mother-in-law pulled a bag of potatoes from a bin and piled them into the sink before turning on the water.

“How many hours a week does your husband work?”

Janice glanced at the ceiling as if it held the answer to Karen’s question.

“Well, he works plenty of twelve-hour days.”

“And weekends?”

“The store is closed on Sundays.”

“Everything is closed on Sundays,” Rena said with a laugh.

Karen tapped her fingers on the counter. “So he works twelve hours a day, six days a week?” That sounded grueling even to her.

“Not all the time,” Janice defended.

Karen swirled the wine in her glass before taking another drink. “When was the last time you took a vacation?”

As if catching on to Karen’s line of questions, Janice slowed down her answers. “We went to Michael’s first premiere.”

Which meant at least eight years. “Anything since?”

“We go up to the cabin every summer. Take a couple of day trips.”

“One or two days at a time?” Karen asked.

“The store doesn’t run itself.”

Rena poured more wine in Karen’s glass. “You sound like Dad,” Rena told her mother. “The truth is, Karen, my dad doesn’t leave town very often, and he has always worked more hours than anyone I’ve ever known.”

Karen offered a smile, picked up her glass, and stood to leave the room. “That’s what I thought.”

Armed with knowledge, she entered the Gardner battlefield ready to fight.

Chapter Eight

Zach had a strong desire to be drinking whiskey instead of beer. The tension in the room was growing by the second. Joe had taken a spot by the window and made a point of looking outside as if searching for a reason to run away.

“It can take three days to shoot five minutes of film, Dad.” Mike was trying to explain to their father the work schedule he’d been under, but Sawyer wasn’t listening. Not that Zach thought he would. Their father only saw what he wanted to.

“I don’t care if it takes a month. You should have come home before now.”

“I didn’t get where I am by slacking,” Mike told him.

Sawyer’s retort was on his lips when the door from the kitchen opened again.

Zach finished his beer in hopes more was on the way.

Their father glanced beyond them and closed his mouth.

“Don’t stop on my account.” Karen’s voice slid over Zach’s skin. She calmly moved to the edge of the sofa, across the room from Mike and their father. She offered a smile to Joe, who shifted his eyes away.

“I was just explaining to my son how disappointed we are that he hasn’t made time for his family.” Sawyer made no apologies to anyone.

Karen stiffened her spine and crossed her legs before leaning back on the sofa.

“I would think you, of all people, Mr. Gardner, would understand.”

Zach blinked, looked at his father.

“What do you mean?”

“You work hard.”

His eyes narrowed. “I see my family daily.”

“Convenient, seeing as how they all live in the same town.”

“Living a couple of states away isn’t an excuse.”

Mike lifted a hand in the air. “Let it go, Karen. He’ll never understand.”

Karen casually sipped her wine. The only sign of any nerves was in the tapping of her foot against the air. Zach felt himself starting to relax.

“Oh, I don’t know, Michael. I think I might have just realized where you get your drive.”

“What?”

“Your drive? Mr. Gardner, you’ve owned your own business for how long?”

“Over thirty years.”

“You must have sacrificed a lot in those years.” Karen’s eyes never left Sawyer’s.

Zach glanced at Joe, who was sitting closer to Karen than any of them, as admiration filled Joe’s face.

“Anything worth having is worth small sacrifices.”

“Things like long hours, missing weekends, vacations?”

Sawyer caught on and narrowed his eyes.

“Michael works his butt off and he does most of it out of a trailer on a set far away from his own bed. When he does finally come home, he usually drops. Sound familiar?”

Sawyer glanced at Mike.

“Michael is just like you. He works hard every day, pushes himself to his limits, and sometimes forgets about his family. But we’re here now. And my guess is you haven’t arranged any time off to spend with us.”

Zach knew for a fact Sawyer was planning to open the store in the morning. Saturdays were busy.

“I own the store. I can take off anytime I want.”

Mike laughed and said, “When was the last time you did that?”

“Don’t question me.”

The smile on Mike’s face stayed. “That intimidating tone worked when I was seventeen, Dad. But you’re right. I don’t have to question. I already know the answer.”

“Michael cleared his schedule for the next week and a half to spend time with everyone here. He promised me he’d avoid calls from his agent and manager to make sure that time is quality time. How much of it will he see you?” Karen laid out her challenge and sat back.

Every eye in the room swung back to Sawyer.

Zach noticed his father’s fist on the arm of his chair. “I don’t know if I like you.”

“Dad!” Mike yelled.

“I don’t know if I like you either, Mr. Gardner.” Karen bored holes in Sawyer’s head with her stare.

“Maybe we should just go.” Mike set his beer down and stood.

“Oh, screw that!” Zach jumped up. “Dad, you’re out of line. You know Karen has a point or you wouldn’t be so pissed.” He placed a hand on Mike’s arm. “If you wanna stay with me, you can.”