The woman giggles like a schoolgirl. “I’d love to.”
We begin a slow waltz. “Seems like you’re getting around well after your knee replacement,” I tell her. “You’ve had both of them done now, right?”
“Yes, the first one was about a year and a half ago.”
“And you stayed with Mom then, correct?”
Lorraine smiles fondly. “I did, at her insistence. She’s such a dear lady. And she welcomed my niece with open arms.”
I tilt my head to the side, trying to remember what Phoenix has told me about Lorraine. “I didn’t realize you had family nearby besides your son.”
“Well, I had a sister, but we were estranged for many years. She died a few years back, and her daughter was reluctant to reach out because her mother asked her not to.” Her lips press together into a disapproving line. “My sister was the most stubborn woman in existence. I loved her and tried to smooth things over after our disagreement, but Ciara wasn’t having any of it, which meant I lost years with my niece as well.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. What made your niece finally reach out?”
“Kind of a weird coincidence, I guess. She said my name popped up on her ‘suggested friends’ list on Facebook, and she clicked on it. Then she saw my post about recovering from knee surgery, so she sent me a friend request and offered to come visit.”
“That’s fantastic. I’m glad you reconnected with…”
“Mindy,” she replies. “She came over to your mother’s house while I was still recovering there. We sat on the front porch and ate cookies and drank lemonade. Mindy makes the most delicious cookies I’ve ever eaten in my life. Your mother and I must have gained five pounds each after her visit.”
I smile as we move around the dance floor. “And you’re still in touch with Mindy?”
“Oh yes. We talk several times a week now, and when I had my second knee surgery, she insisted on coming up to stay with me for a whole week to take care of me. She lives down in Galveston with her husband, Roger.”
Something about the way Lorraine says the husband’s name has me curious. “Do you like her husband?”
Her nose wrinkles a little. “I’m not sure about him. To be honest, he seems like a bit of a mama’s boy.”
“Ah, one of those,” I say with a chuckle.
“Mindy never says a bad word about him, but… I don’t know. I can’t pinpoint anything specific, though her light dims a little when she talks about him, and that worries me.” Lorraine shakes her head as the song ends and I walk her over to the punch table, arms linked. “I’m probably blowing it out of proportion, but I feel like a woman’s face should light up when she talks about her husband, don’t you? Especially when they’ve only been married less than three years.”
“Ideally, yes,” I agree, signaling the punch lady to pour two glasses. “Have you talked to her about it?”
“No. I don’t feel it’s my place since we’re only recently rebuilding our relationship, but I have told her I’ll always be there for her, no matter what.”
“I guess that’s all you can do,” I tell her, accepting the cut crystal glasses and handing one to Lorraine. We both take a sip. It’s delicious, fruity, and kind of slushy.
I follow Lorraine’s line of sight to see Phoenix coming back into the ballroom and rushing over to Jordie like he just returned from war after a year away. He picks up his bride and twirls her around in a circle. They’re both smiling so big I’m surprised their faces don’t hurt.
“See? That’s how a couple should look at each other,” Lorraine says, nodding toward the couple. “Especially as newlyweds.”
My chest tightens because I don’t think anyone will ever look at me like Jordie is looking at my brother.
“I guess it’s not meant to be for some people,” I comment, and even I can hear the bitterness in my tone.
Lorraine’s gaze burns a curious hole in the side of my face, and I finally look down, giving her an apologetic smile.
“Mark my words, Remington Hale. One day, you’ll find your special lady. She’ll march into your life and flip your world upside down.”
Her prediction sends a shiver down my spine, and I have no idea why.
A couple hours later, I drop Serena off at her apartment and return to my car. I gave Antonio the evening off, so I drove my McLaren 750S Spider tonight. I fucking love this car. It’s black, sleek, and fast as hell. Letting the top down, I inhale the April night air and decide I’m not quite ready to go home.
Shrugging out of my jacket, I roll up my shirtsleeves and toss my bow tie into the passenger’s seat. Then I take off, driving the streets of downtown Houston with the radio blaring some old eighties hair metal as my hands thump to the beat on the steering wheel. When I pull over, I realize where I am.
They fixed the sign so it now readsWaffle Houseinstead ofWaffle Ho.I’ll be honest, I was a little disappointed to see that when I came here a couple years ago. It’s like the appearance of those extra letters stole some of the magic from our place.
