Silence stretched between them.


    Again.


    And again.


    And again.


    Isaac couldn''t help ncing back and forth between the two.


    "What''s going on with you guys?"


    He''d known them for years, but this was the first time it looked like they might actually throw punches.


    Marcus red at Curtis. "Take your hand off my race car model."


    The model had originally been a gift from Victoria to Max, but Marcus had had other ideas. Suddenly, he didn''t want anything Victoria had touched ending up in anyone else''s hands-not even his nephew''s.


    Later, Marcus had swung by a collectibles shop and picked out a bigger, shier car model for Max, lying that it was from Victoria. The real gift from her? Marcus kept it for himself, tucked away in his room.


    Curtis was having none of it. "That model car is something I gave to a friend. You''re telling me someone else gave it to you? Which friend? Your girlfriend? I don''t buy it."


    No matter what, Curtis couldn''t picture Victoria and Marcus being involved.


    Even if Victoria had actually given Marcus that race car model, there was just no way those two would ever be a thing.


    Victoria was married. Curtis wanted to pursue her, but he''d never make a move until she was single, after all the paperwork was done. He wasn''t the kind of guy to cause her trouble.


    But if Marcus tried to cut the line-if he broke the rules-there''d be hell to pay.


    Marcus had never seemed like the type to cross those lines. When did he get so shameless as to chase after a married woman?


    The two of them were both gripping the race car model, neither willing to let go.


    Isaac strolled up, grinning, trying to diffuse the tension. "Come on, guys. We''re all friends here. It''s just a stupid toy car, not worth fighting over. What''s the big deal?"


    Curtis and Marcus shot him matching res.


    "Get lost."


    "Buzz off."


    Isaac raised his hands and backed away.


    McNeil watched the spectacle from the sidelines, making no move to step in.


    Violet leaned toward him. "What do we do?"


    McNeil shrugged. "Looks like the wine isn''t finished yet."


    Violet fell silent.


    Only McNeil and Violet knew what Curtis and Marcus were really fighting about.


    Watching the two men squabble over a gift from Victoria left Violet with a sour taste in her mouth. Why did that airhead get all the attention?


    Suddenly, McNeil felt a tug on his sleeve. He nced down to see Gwh looking up at him, her eyes wide and pleading.


    "Daddy, the race car model on Mr. Green''s wall is the same one I saw in Mommy''s car. Can he give it to me?"


    McNeil''s face darkened instantly, his expression turning icy.


    "You''re sure?"


    Victoria had given that model to Marcus? Gwh had told him before that the model was a gift for another child. But there wasn''t a kid in the world as big and clueless as Marcus.


    Gwh nodded, her eyes filling with tears. She just couldn''t understand why Mommy would give a toy car to a grown-up. Did this mean Mommy was going to be Max''s aunt someday?


    The thought made her sniffle. Max was nice to her, sure, but if Mommy ended up with Max''s uncle, she''d almost never get to see her anymore.


    After she and Violet had moved out, her visits with Mommy had be rare. If Mommy moved in with Max''s family, it''d be even worse-Mommy would be spending all her time with Max.


    Max nced at the two men, then suddenly lunged forward, snatching the model car out of their hands and pushing it into Gwh''s.


    "Uncle Marcus, let''s just give it to Gwyn. Why do you two grown-ups want to y with it, anyway?"