Beau Reed and Steven Russo followed far behind, not daring to go up and get too close.
Last time he'd delayed his own wife from being the first to hold their Great-Grandson, and ever since then she'd been greeting him with a scowl and icy attitude.
He kept thinking of finding a chance to coax her, but she spent practically night and day circling around the two Grandsons, barely sparing him a proper glance.
Beau Reed was even worse off.
Ever since that kid Declan Wolles had shown up at their door, Mary Douglas had been cold and distant to him. On the rare occasions she said a few words to him, he'd stay nervous for ages afterward.
And it was always just necessary daily things. Once she finished, she'd leave, not a single extra word.
Since coming here from B Country, her mind had been almost entirely on her daughter and Grandson; toward him, she was even more indifferent.
In his eyes, it was like he was just some utterly ordinary stranger to her.
