Page 122 of Fierce-Zander

He wasn’t sure he’d have the balls to do that to his parents.

Then he had to remind himself that not only was this Regan’s professional training but that she was also much stronger than he’d given her credit for.

The ache in his back this morning was testimony of that too.

“Scott and I had the same ten-year plan and goals,” Lori said. “But it was after that that things changed.”

He was lucky he could plan out groceries each week. “I don’t think it makes a difference what Lori and Scott’s differences were,” Dennis said.

“You’re right,” Regan said. “How about you and Mom? Did your ten-year plans not work out? Oh wait, had to be twenty-year plans. You made it past the fifteen-year mark.”

“What is this about?” Dennis asked. “Your mother and I did the best we could and decided it was time to move on. We were there for you and Kellen the whole time. I believe we handled the situation better than most families do.”

“You’re right,” she said. “You handled it so well that other than you leaving after dinner a few nights a week, for a while we had no idea you were splitting.”

This was news to him.

“Maybe talking about this wasn’t the best thing or timing,” Lori said. “Why don’t you tell us how work is going, Regan? I know you can’t give specifics, but how is the new office? I hope you didn’t lose any clients.”

Regan drained her glass. “The office is great. I didn’t lose any clients and have picked up fifty percent more. Mainly from being in the building alone.”

“That’s wonderful,” Lori said. “I hope you don’t burn out. You’re too young for that. There has to be a balance between work and your personal life.”

Zander couldn’t believe this conversation. Nothing like this ever happened in his family.

Their talks could be explosive, but everyone normally got the answers to their questions and then moved on.

It’s no wonder Regan was confused as a child. He was confused as an adult listening to this.

“We’ve got it all figured out,” she said. “Zander works just as much or more than me, but we find time to talk daily, even if it’s lunch together.”

“Sometimes too much contact in the beginning isn’t great either,” Dennis said.

Zander downed his whiskey. He wasn’t sure what to say to this. There was no logical sequence to the questions.

“Regan and I have a great relationship. An open one where we talk about everything important to us. Yes, it’s only been a few months and conversations like children haven’t come up, yet. When they do, we’ll figure it out. For now, we are in a great place and it’s working.”

“Sounds like it’s all going well,” Dennis said. “Tell us about some of your hobbies.”

“I’ll get you some more whiskey,” Regan said. “I need more wine while I’m at it.”

He handed over his glass while she walked out of the room and he got comfortable on the couch trying to come up with any way he could to pass the time and get the hell out of there.

“I don’t think even if you warned me I could have been prepared for that,” he said two hours later when they were driving back to her place. “But the roast beef was good.”

“Lori is a good cook,” Regan said. She started to laugh in his SUV. “My mother is too. I told you they are clones of each other. Even down to the meals my father likes and the way it’s cooked.”

“How is that?”

“My father likes his roast beef a step above pink in the middle. Lori nailed it. He has to have mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots and cornbread as sides.”

He grinned. “Every single time?”

“Every single time,” she said. “If I knew we were eating roast beef, I would have been able to tell you what else would be served. The lemon cake and cool whip topping too. Which my father says my mother tried one day on their third date and he loved it and wanted it all the time.”

He laughed. “And he has his new wife making it?”

“Just like Lori is now buying the same whiskey for my father as she did for her first husband.”

---