Colin felt a bit blindsided and grumbled, "I just said something off the cuff, and you're jumping to conclusions? You don't even care about your old uncle."

Eliana realized she went a bit overboard and quickly softened her tone, saying, "I'm just worried you'll say the same thing in front of him, bruising his ego. He strikes me as someone who's all about strength and reputation. If you push his buttons, he might come at me later!"

Colin saw her point and let it slide.

After ...