“The artist only goes by Coleman. He’s unknown, but I love him. I buy everything of his I can find.”
“Oh.” I couldn’t come up with anything else to put off what I needed to say, so I blurted out, “I didn’t come over here to talk about your decorations.”
“You don’t say?” he said in mock surprise. He paused his game and turned on the couch to face me. “What do you want, Ellie?”
“I want to apologize. Wes told me about Penny.”
The color drained out of Arch’s face. “He shouldn’t have.”
“Maybe not. But, I understand why you got upset. And I’m sorry I came down hard on you. Knowing what you’ve been through, I don’t blame you at all for panicking.” I wanted to hug and comfort him.
“I didn’t panic.” His gaze shifted to his couch, and he began to pick absently at a string.
“You were pretty anxious by the time you got to my apartment.”To say the least.
“I was worried. Don’t I have a right to be concerned for a friend? Would you have gotten mad if it had been Todd upset?”
“Todd and I have been friends—family—for a whole lotta years. He’searnedthe right to know where I am at any given moment.” I sat down on the couch beside him. “And, Arch, I’m not saying we won’t get to that point. We might, whether it’s as friends or something more.” I touched his hand so he’d look at me. “But, right now, we aren’t there. However, now I know what you’ve been through, I can definitely make allowances. I’ll be more aware of my phone and check it more often.”
“I’ll never not love her.” He caught my gaze and held it. His expression and tone of voice was defiant. He expected me to argue.
“I’d never expect you to stop, no matter what happens between the two of us. Any woman worth building a relationship with would never ask you to stop caring for Penny.” I took his hand. “I like you, Arch. I’m pretty sure you like me. I won’t ask you to talk about Penny. You don’t ever have to, but if you’d like to, I’m here to listen. Again, I’m sorry I got upset earlier. I didn’t know.”
“I’ve never talked about her to anyone but people who knew her. No other woman in my life has ever even heard her name.” He squeezed my hand as he pondered the situation. “I guess I’m glad you know. I don’t know if I’ll want to talk, but I’m relieved it’s not something I have to go through recounting it myself. One day I’ll tell you, in my own words.”
I smiled; glad he made peace with me knowing. “I made dinner for Wes and me. Would you please come join us?”
“I don’t want to intrude.”
“I already talked to him about it, and it would be no intrusion. Please, come over.”
“What’re we having?” He narrowed his eyes, my answer the deciding factor if he’d eat at home or at my place.
“Salad, lasagna, and garlic bread.”
His eyes lit up. He jumped up and pulled me by our still-joined hands toward the food at my place. “I love lasagna. It’s my favorite.”
Chapter Nine
Dinner was a hit. They loved the lasagna enough to call Gray over to eat with us. His first bite, accompanied with a long moan, made me feel like a million bucks.
Wes finished last and ate more than anyone else. Even Gray beat him after getting a late start. When he ate his last bite, he leaned back as far as his chair would allow and sighed. “Ellie, if you keep cooking for us, we’ll all have to spend more time in the gym.”
“Hey! Not true. I don’t cook like this all the time. Since you three came into my life, I’ve eaten fattier foods in larger volumes than I have in years.” I stood and started clearing the dishes. “You three will causemeto gain weight!”
“You look great from where I’m standing.” Gray’s words were smooth, and I blushed.
“Stop, you’re going to give me a big head.” I walked into the kitchen to escape the compliment lingering in the air. The three men were dead silent. Curiosity got the better of me, and I peeked out. They were determinedly looking away from each other. Each one appeared to be fighting off laughter. “What’s with you guys?” The humor of the situation flew over my head.
The roar of laughter that met my question left me confused. I opted not to push it anymore and chalked it up to the inside jokes of a long-term friendship. The only guy I’d ever known who wasn’t confusing was Todd, but he was more feminine than I was.
Once the laughter died down a bit, I continued clearing the table. Gray took the plates from my hands. “You cooked a wonderful dinner, Hermosa. Let us do the cleanup.”
“Stop. The host cleans, that’s how it is. Wearestill in the South, aren’t we?”
“Hush.” Arch chided me. “That’s not howwework. Our families all had the same rule: The cook doesn’t clean. You cooked, we clean.”
Three sets of eyes stared me down until I relinquished the plates. “Okay, okay!” I laughed. “You win. Enjoy the chores. Rubber gloves and dish soap are under the sink if you need to hand wash anything. Dishwasher detergent is in the cabinet above the dishwasher. Good luck figuring out where all my clean dishes go.”
