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“He’s…He’s April’s boyfriend.”
April’s eyes snapped as she gestured toward the dining room. “I hope you’re joining us for dinner.”
Blue snorted. “Like you could keep her away.”
“I don’t mind if I do. Give me your arm, Riley, so I don’t fall again.”
“Mrs. Garrison thinks Riley is stupid,” Riley announced to no one in particular.
“I don’t think you’re stupid,” Nita said “Only your name, and that’s hardly your fault, now is it.” She aimed an accusatory look at Jack.
“It was her mother’s idea,” he said. “I wanted to name her Rachel.”
“Jennifer is better.” Nita pushed Riley ahead of her into the dining room.
Jack turned to Blue. “Who the hell is that?”
“Some call her Satan. Others Beelzebub. She goes by many names.”
Dean smiled. “She’s Blue’s employer.”
“She’s my employer.” Blue slapped a drumstick on the platter.
“Lucky you,” Jack said.
Blue pulled a pan of roasted asparagus from the oven. They all began carrying in the serving dishes. Blue’s eyes narrowed when she saw that Nita had positioned herself at the head of the table. Riley sat to her immediate left. Dean quickly set down the biscuit basket and grabbed a side chair at the opposite end, as far away from the old lady as he could get. Jack got rid of the bowl of warm potato salad nearly as quickly and hurried to sit next to Riley in the place across from Dean. April and Blue realized at the same time that only two empty chairs remained, one at the foot of the table and one directly to Nita’s right. They both made a dash for the foot of the table. April had a head start, but Blue played dirty and hip-bumped her. As April lost her rhythm, Blue threw herself into the chair. “Touchdown…”
“You cheated,” April hissed under her breath.
“Children…,” Jack said.
April tossed her hair and marched to take her seat next to Nita, who was complaining to Riley about Blue’s bossiness and missed the whole thing. April now sat to Dean’s immediate left. They began to pass the food. After April filled her plate, Dean was surprised to see her bow her head over her meal for a few moments. When had that happened?
“Only one biscuit,” Nita said to Riley, taking two herself. “Any more will make you fat again.”
Blue opened her mouth to jump to Riley’s defense, but Riley handled it herself. “I know. I don’t get as hungry as I used to.”
As Dean gazed around the table, he saw a travesty of the American family. It was like Norman Rockwell on crack. A grandma who wasn’t a grandma. Parents who weren’t parents. Blue, who didn’t fit into any definable role, except as Mad Jack’s suck-up. She made sure Jack got the biggest piece of chicken and ran to fetch him a clean fork when he accidentally dropped his. Dean remembered sitting around his friends’ dinner tables while he was growing up and longing for a family of his own. He should have been more careful what he wished for.
Everyone complimented Blue on her cooking except Nita, who complained that the asparagus needed butter. The chicken was crispy and moist. A salty crunch of crumbled bacon topped the warm potato salad, which had a tangy dressing. Blue wasn’t happy with the biscuits, but the rest of them had several.
“Mrs. Garrison used to teach ballroom dancing,” Riley announced.
“We know,” Dean and Blue said in unison.
Nita eyed Jack. “You look familiar.”
“Do I?” Jack wiped his mouth with his napkin.
“What’s your name again?”
“Ron Weasley,” Riley said into her milk glass.
She was developing some good street smarts, and Dean gave her a surreptitious wink. He just hoped Nita wasn’t too familiar with Harry Potter.
He waited for Nita to resume her interrogation, but she didn’t. “Shoulders,” she said, and Riley immediately sat straighter in her chair. Nita shifted her eyes between April and Dean. “You two look alike.”
“You think so?” April helped herself to another spear of roasted asparagus.
