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I looked up at my friend’s brother. “Thanks!”
“You’re welcome.” He saluted me with the greasy spatula and went back to work.
“Evelyn. What is all over your arms?” Irv studied his youngest child.
She heaved a dramatic sigh. “Charlie drew all over me.”
“Why did he have a marker?” Irv’s eyes narrowed.
“Oh. Um.” Evie twisted her lips, trying to look innocent. “I may have left it out.”
“Who’s Charlie?” I looked around the table in confusion.
Evan smiled at me. “Miranda’s little one.”
All the air left my body, and I felt deflated. “I … I … didn’t knowshe had a baby.”
“Da!” Dillon threw a fry at me.
“Sorry, buddy.” I broke off a small piece of my burger and blew on it to cool it down for him.
“You really screwed the pooch with her.” Gene shook his head.
“Tell me about it.” I sighed. “I wouldn’t change having Dillon, but I wish I could change who his mother is.”
Irv looked between my dad and Evan. “Tell me more about this divorce?”
I took a bite of my burger and moaned from the taste. “This is so good.”
Irv chuckled. “Rumor is Judy and Margaret have been working together.”
“That makes sense.” My dad shook his head. “Marge is a master of manipulation.”
“Well, so is Aunt Judy.” I shrugged. “Sorry, Mr. York.”
“Son, you boys are grown. I think you can call me Evan.”
“You said you had a plan.” Dad lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Don’t leave us sitting on the sidelines.”
“Phew, I’m so glad my Irene is nothing like that gaggle of women.”
“Tell me about it.” Dad laughed. “Speaking of women. Henry? What did you do to the sweet waitress?”
I dropped my head back and groaned while Gene laughed. “He was dumb.”
“I slept with her and then told her I got what I wanted from her.”
My dad’s eyebrows went into his hairline. “You did what?”
“But wait!” Gene lifted his hands. “There’s more!”
He set his burger down, wiped his face, and sat forward. “I may have been a drunk, but I know I raised you better than to treatanyonethat way.”
Before I could answer, my friend took over. “Yeah, but Victoria was making her life hell, so Henry made a deal with the devil to protect Miranda.”
“That’s…” Evan’s face screwed up. “Fucked up.”
“Tell me about it.” I played with the fries on my plate. “At the end of the year bashafterI broke up with Victoria, I tried to tell Miranda the truth and that didn’t go well.”
