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“What’s RPG?” Faith asked.
“Role playing game,” Pru said blithely. “Professor Snape and McGonagall.” She gave a lurid wink.
“Harry Potter?You’re ruiningHarry Potter?” Faith yelped. “Is nothing sacred anymore?”
“Not ruining anything,” Pru said. “Enhancing.”
“I just threw up in my mouth,” Faith said.
“Have fun, Pru,” Colleen said as Pru, married for twenty-some-odd years, sauntered off. “You have to admire the creativity,” she added.
“I admire nothing,” Faith said. “So. You and Lucas. Spill. Why didn’t you take his call?”
“I’m mad at him.”
“Why?”
Colleen didn’t answer right away. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I just...I wonder if we’re only sleeping together because we’re in the same town. Because it’s convenient. His ex-wife’s in town, and I understand that she was part of his family for years, and he was part of hers, but I’m still seething with jealousy. Oh, and she’s engaged and pregnant, but she and Lucas are still best friends forever, apparently. She’s staying at his apartment.”
“Oh, dear,” Faith said.
“Exactly. That’s bad, right?”
“No, I was just murmuring over the seething part.” She paused. “Why is she staying with him?”
“Because the Black Swan double-booked.”
“Oh, yeah. They did that in January, when Liza and Mike came out for the wedding, remember? Anyway.” She took a sip of water. “Is he staying here after Joe...passes away?”
“No.” The thought of him leaving made her throat clamp shut.
“Would you move to—”
“No.” She took a shaky breath. “Not that he’s asked. I mean, we haven’t talked about it, because...well, shit, Faith, I don’t know. I’m afraid. The truth is, I’m ridiculously inexperienced with serious relationships. Tell me what to do.”
“Me? I’ve had two relationships, and they’re sitting in that booth over there.”
“Well, what do I know?” Colleen whispered. “I’m the queen of flirting but I haven’t had a boyfriend in years. I’ve fixed up dozens of people, and I give out advice like Dr. Phil, and what has that ever gotten me? I’m thirty-one years old, I’ve been in love once, and I’m utterly terrified that Lucas is going to break my heart, same as last time.”
And much to her surprise, Colleen burst into tears.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“UNCLEJOE,YOUhandsome devil.” Stephanie bent down and gave Joe a big hug, then kissed his cheek and wiped off the red lip imprint. “Girls, remember Uncle Joe?”
The older girls gave out hugs with good-natured duty. Chloe, on the other hand, stared him down. “I’m sorry you’re dying,” she said solemnly.
Didi looked as though she’d just stepped in a Rufus-sized pile of dog shit. Joe, on the other hand, laughed. “Thanks, honey. For a minute, I thought I’d already died, because you girls are as pretty as angels. You, too, Stephie!”
Lucas’s sister and kids—and Frank and Grace Forbes—had flown in that morning and taken a limo from the airport straight here, to the park by the lake, where you could reserve picnic areas and grills.
“Frank, Grace, I would’ve beenhappyto have had this at our house,” Didi simpered, shooting Lucas a death glare. “If only I’d known you were coming. Of course, our place is nothing like yours, but we think it’s sweet, and I would’velovedto have had you.” That hadn’t been the case when Didi thought it was just going to be the Campbells, of course, and Lucas had taken a small modicum of pleasure in denying his aunt the opportunity to kiss up to his former in-laws.
“This is perfect,” Grace said. “Ellen, honey, sit down and drink something.”
The girls ran and splashed; Lucas had bought some little balsa-wood boats at the hardware store, and in the face of good old-fashioned fun, the electronic devices were cheerfully forgotten. Didi cooed over Ellen and tried to act rich, mentioning her Coach bag and how you had to pay for nice things, of course Grace knew all about that, no, it wasn’t as if Didi and Joe were anywhere nearly as comfortable as Grace and Frank, of course not, but they did all right, not that she was bragging, but New York wasn’t a cheap place to live, and she was smart with her finances, not Forbes-smart, of course not, no, but she admired quality. Ellen caught his eye and gave the slightest grin; both she and her mother were too polite to do anything more than that.
Frank and Joe talked and laughed, Joe doing his best to act robust. He’d sleep like the dead after this.
