her father said once the three of them were settled at the dinner table. Christmas break had been a nightmare. Her mom had stayed locked in her room most of the time, EJ had practically camped out at the ridge, and her father had growled at everyone to try and at least act like human beings. She wasn’t surprised that he wanted to get the heck out of that house during the next break, but she’d be damned if she was going to let him play head of household as if he’d never left. She stared at her plate, trying to wrap her head around the fact that her father was back and her brother was gone forever. And her mother… Well, her mother was present, though only in the physical sense. She glanced over at where her mom sat with slumped shoulders meticulously moving vegetables around on her plate. “Ella Jane? I asked you a question.” Her father’s glare was firmly attached to her. Ella Jane took a deep breath and met his eyes.
