AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Cynthia and Charlotte both started laughing too, hiding their heads in their hands.
Roger blinked, as if coming out of a trance. “Huh?”
His girls laughed louder.
“Daddy, you’re acting weird.”
“Weird?” Roger blinked some more, focusing on Charlotte as he swept her up. She shrieked, laughing as he flung her in the air, letting her go and then catching her.
Lo gasped as her head came an inch from the ceiling. “Roger!”
“Relax. I know what I’m doing.” But he took her outside, and we could hear another shriek. The other girls scrambled to join in.
Vicky motioned to the food sitting across the stovetop. “I figure you’re famished after helping us win that game today. We’re going to do buffet style. You’re the guest of honor, so you can go first, or you can have Billie lead the way. Whichever you feel the most comfortable with. You can sit wherever you’d like. We already had the more formal meal today, so this one is more relaxed.”
He nodded. “Appreciate it, ma’am.”
Vicky’s eyes widened. A soft laugh left her. “Vicky. Call me Vicky.”
“And you call me Howard,” Howard’s voice boomed.
The corner of Brett’s mouth curved up. “Appreciate that also.”
“Good.” Howard was smiling broadly, standing close behind Vicky.
Brett glanced to me, a question in his eyes, but Lo cleared her throat, moving past me. Her hand extended toward him. “Hello. I’m Elowin, Vicky and Howard’s daughter. Uh…”
Brett caught her hand, giving it a shake as she paused in her introduction, looking down at their hands as if she’d forgotten what she was saying. “Uh. Yeah. Hi. Billie’s still tentative in claiming us as her family, but we are. She’s my sister. I love her like a sister. So, yeah…” She trailed off, staring at me a moment before shaking her head. “It’s nice to meet you. My mom’s chili is the absolute best. She’s won the tri-county chili cook-off three years in a row.”
“Uh, Lo.”
Lo looked at the dishes behind us. “When she makes it, you’ll have to come back and try it.” She remembered me, and added quickly, “If you and Billie are still seeing each other by then, I mean.”
“Lo!” Vicky snapped.
“What? He won’t be coming if they’re not still seeing each other, obviously.”
Brett had reached around me, slowly pushing me in front of him until we were turned to the food. “I’d love to, either way. I’ve not had chili in a long while.”
Vicky continued glaring at her daughter.
I could hear Lo muttering under her breath. “I was just saying. I’m not trying to be rude.”
Brett’s chest shook again in silent laughter behind me, which settled some of my irritation. He wanted me to take the lead, so I picked up a plate and glanced over my shoulder to him. That stopped me in my tracks.
A sense of wonderment had washed over his features as he looked at the food. I caught a brief glimpse of a little boy before he blinked and pushed it away. He flashed me a grin. “It looks amazing.”
His tone sounded fine. Warm even. But his smile didn’t reach his eyes. Why was he faking? Had it been Lo?
“Billie, the man’s probably starving, honey.”
I started forward at Vicky’s gentle prompt, reaching for the mashed potatoes first.
18
BILLIE
Brett didn’t look tense. He didn’t sound tense either.
