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Hobbs followed along on Tabitha’s other side, George still against his chest. “How’s your week been? I haven’t seen you at the gym.”
“I’ve been too busy finishing up school for the semester.”
“How’s that going?”
“Well, let’s see,” Tabitha said. “For midterm practicals we had to pick a body part at random from a bag to massage on the instructor. I drew the hip and accidentally exposed Joy’s gluteal cleft.”
“Are those fancy words forbutt crack?”
“You got it.”
They laughed together. “And how has your week been?” Tabitha squeezed Hannah’s shoulder to include her.
“It’s been a wild week,” Hobbs said, glancing over at his sister. “But they’re coming along. Gracie is learning to walk on a leash and George is...” Hobbs paused to sigh. “Learning to walk on a leash.”
“Really? That’s amazing.”
“Yeah. He’s quite the character. Unfortunately, Gracie likes my bed. So I wake up to her licking my face most mornings. And where Gracie goes, George goes. So I wake up to puppy breath and the first thing I see when I open my eyes is this hairless cat, in one of his various sweaters, staring at me like something out of a horror movie.”
Tabitha burst into laughter just as they hit the kitchen. Now she faced a hungry crowd, waiting for the famous spread Tabitha had talked up all week. “I hate to break this to you guys,” she said, once everyone had gone quiet. “But my aunt isn’t feeling that great, and the food didn’t get made.”
“Nonsense,” Reverend Stokes piped in. He went to the stove and lit the flame beneath the cast-iron pan. “Grilled cheese is food. And Tabitha has been working on these grilled cheese sandwiches all morning.”
“Grilled cheese?” Nora took the cigarette from behind her ear and stuck it between her lips. “I came for meat. I came to get away from grilled cheese.” She gave a pointed look in her daughter’s direction.
“I could throw some lunch meat on yours,” Tabitha suggested.
Delaney glared at her mother, then rubbed her hands together and grinned. “Grilled cheese? Now you’re speaking my language. Thank you, Steele. I couldn’t ask for more.”
“Grilled cheese is great,” Sean added. “I eat it all the time at her house.” He pointed at Delaney, who gave him a smack on the arm.
“Sounds great, Tabby,” Hobbs said. “Sorry to hear about your auntie. Can I help?”
Tabitha gave him a grateful smile. Hobbs sidled up next to her at the stove and started handing over the buttered sandwiches, which Tabitha transferred to the skillet. The butter soon sizzled and gave off a rich, toasty smell. As delicious as it was, Tabitha couldn’t help but prefer the warm scent of buy-one-get-one-free lilac bodywash coming from Hobbs’s direction.
“What’s wrong with your auntie?” Hobbs said as the cheese oozed out the thick-cut brioche and started to caramelize inside the melting butter.
“I’m not sure yet.” Tabitha’s stomach got a little knotted as she was reminded of Auntie El. “But I’m going to find out.” She scooped up a sandwich with her spatula and transferred it to a plate. Two more followed.
“I’m sure you will.” Hobbs lifted the plate and carried it to the buffet table, where Reverend Stokes was opening a bag of chips he’d taken from the pantry and Delaney was pouring glasses of wine.
Grilled cheese, potato chips and wine. Tabitha shook her head. If Auntie El were here to witness this, she’d have a coronary.
Once everyone had food, Tabitha got Trinity settled in her dog bed. Wyatt sat nearby, not actually relaxing but not running all over the house with a toy, either. Gracie, much younger than either of the other two dogs, was more insistent. She brought the shattered raccoon to Trinity and dropped it by her paws, begging for her to take the bait. Trinity reacted like one of the royal palace guards—stiffly on duty, now that Tabitha had made her settle. She could see you, but there was no way you could make her flinch. Gracie turned to Wyatt, desperate. Wyatt started to lean into his front legs, rump in the air, tail wagging, but Delaney snapped her fingers and said, “Wyatt, come,” in a voice that made everyone in the room sit straighter. Wyatt obeyed, went to Delaney’s side and settled on the floor near Delaney’s chair. Gracie was left alone, one ear flipped back and the shredded toy hanging from her mouth like roadkill.
Hannah turned to Delaney. “Will you teach me that?” She nodded at Wyatt.
“Sure, hon.” Delaney patted her hand.
Gracie trotted over to Hobbs, who once again held George in his lap, and slumped near his chair. George immediately slunk from Hobbs’s lap and curled into Gracie’s middle.
“Well, I never,” Nora said. “The hairless dude thinks he’s a dog.”
“Actually, it’s the dog who thinks she’s a cat,” Hobbs said. “She keeps trying to get into the covered litter box and she grooms George just like he grooms her.”
“Well, I never,” Nora repeated. She took a bite of her sandwich, then chased it with a slug of water, the only person not drinking wine.
Tabitha shifted her attention to Hannah, who sat on her other side, quietly pecking at her food while everyone else chatted. “How are you settling in?”
