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“Womanizer, more like.” Her voice is slightly icy.
“When you spend as much time in the public eye as I do, you’ve got to develop a thick skin,” I say simply. “I can’t pay too much attention to what other people say about me or I’d lose my mind, Lacy.”
“Hm, makes sense,” she says thoughtfully.
“So, what about you?” I ask, giving her a grin.
“What about me?”
“Your vice! We agreed, everyone has one.”
She stares at me long and hard before answering. “I think my vice is best kept a secret.”
“Aw, come on, that’s no fun! What is it… Booze? Food? Trash TV?”
“Well, wine is definitely one,” she finally answers after a long pause. As she speaks, she reaches for a bottle that’s out on the counter. “Want a glass?”
“Yes, please,” I give her a nod. “We’ve got some time to kill before those enchiladas are ready.”
“I still can’t believe you can actually cook,” Lacy says with a smile as she pours us two glasses of wine.
“Hey, you’re about to see for yourself. I’m so much more than just arock star,” I say, emphasizing the last word to tease her.
“You are so full of it,” she says with an eye roll, but she’s giggling. “Still can’t believe my old step-bro is now some famous rocker.”
“Believe it, baby,” I say with a wink as we cheers glasses.
“Ugh, I hope you don’t talk to your many dates like that.”
“Hey!” I swat at her with the dishtowel in my hand, but I’m laughing. It feels good to laugh with Lacy. I’ve enjoyed my solitude at Rose Manor, yes, but I’ve also been lonely. I’m only realizing it now as I come out of my cocoon. Even though her hustling and bustling around the house has kind of been driving me nuts, it’s also good to have someone to talk to and laugh with. Who would’ve thought that Lacy and I would connect so well after all these years?
“So, what did you think?” I ask, leaning back in my chair.
“Ugh, I hate to admit it, but those enchiladas reallywereamazing,” Lacy says, exhaling slowly. “I’m stuffed.”
“Glad I convinced you of my culinary prowess. You want to have another glass of wine on the porch with me? We can watch the lightning bugs come out.”
“Actually, I have a writing group to get to.”
“A what?”
“A writing group. We meet virtually once a week to critique one another’s work and keep each other motivated.”
“That’s kinda cool.”
“It’s definitely helpful. Anyway, I’m gonna camp out in the living room if you don’t mind. It seems like it’s got the best Wi-Fi in the house.”
“Sure, I’ll clean up here.”
“Thanks, Ben.”
I watch as Lacy walks off to the living room, leaving me sitting at the dining room table solo. I’m so full, I unbutton the top of my jeans, so the waistband isn’t cutting into my stomach.
Damn, I ate way too much. I’d had such a good time talking and laughing with Lacy over dinner, I just hoovered in those enchiladas.
As I start clearing up in the kitchen, I can hear Lacy talking in the other room. Other voices come in, chattering and laughing. I smile to myself. It reminds me of when we used to live here as a family. Elliot loved to entertain, and Nanette was bored in the countryside, so they were always having guests over for dinner.
Rose Manor was full of voices then, too. And man, did I love living here. I was already in my teens when mom met Elliot, but he filled a void in my life I didn’t realize had been lacking. My biological dad—a famous musician—had died of an overdose when I was four or five, not that my mom told me that at the time, so I’d never really known a father figure. Elliot had showered me with gifts, welcomed me to Rose Manor, and tried to make a home for all of us to share.
