Page 20 of Housebroke

She clinked her glass with his. “Honestly, I try to fix healthy food for myself. So I’ll fix it for you as well. But indulging in a treat now and then isn’t harmful.”

“That’s what I say. But Stefanie—that’s my ex—she was a personal trainer. And was religious about eating, to the point where she’d scream at me if I ate a piece of chocolate, as if I were personally attacking her.”

She stabbed a potato and slid it into her mouth, nodding asshe chewed. “A little chocolate never hurt anyone. My ex wouldn’t let me eat carbs. He said they’d make my thighs huge and then he wouldn’t want to fuck me.”

“Your ex sounds like a grade A asshole.”

“Yes, he was. It just took me longer than it should have to see the light.”

He took a long swallow of water. “I think it’s normal to want to believe we’ve made the right choice in a partner. And maybe we don’t want to admit we were wrong.”

“You’re probably right. I was living in oblivion for way too long. Long enough for him to run off with all our money. Wasn’t I clueless.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe you just didn’t want to see it.”

“You’re being very nice. It’s okay to say I was a dumbass for not seeing what was right in front of me for so long.”

He shrugged. “Sometimes the most valuable lessons learned are the most painful ones. I’d say you’ve had yours, and you’ll never make the same mistake again.”

“Thanks for saying that. My mother and my sister have always told me I’m too trusting. They warned me Andrew was all wrong for me, though they could never pinpoint why. But then after he jetted off for parts unknown with all the money, they said they knew it all along. Which they didn’t. But that didn’t stop them from saying, ‘I told you so.’ ”

“Family.” He shoved his plate to the side. “They always have an opinion, and it’s usually wrong.”

“Tell me about yours.”

“My opinion?”

She laughed. “No, your family.”

“Oh. My dad died five years ago. As I mentioned earlier, my mom is a high school history teacher. I have two brothers, Warren and Eugene, also named after historical figures.”

“I’m sorry about your dad.”

“Thanks. It was sudden, and a shock to all of us. But Mom is the epitome of strength and resilience. She’s the glue that holds the family together.”

“I’m sure it helps that she had you and your brothers to support her through it.”

“We did our best, but she’s strong enough not to need any of us.”

“She sounds like an amazing woman.”

“She is.” He paused, then asked, “What about your family?”

“My dad died my second year in college. My mom remarried a few years later. My stepdad is a great guy. Mom is a loan officer. My older sister, Natalie, is married to a radiologist and they have two kids. Natalie used to be an interior designer, though not so much these days. Now she’s into perfecting her family life and getting into my business as often as she can.”

“Sorry about your dad. Something we have in common that really sucks.”

“It does. I feel his absence all the time.”

“Same. I mean, Mom is awesome and all, but not having a dad leaves that gap, ya know?”

She nodded. “I do. My dad was a calming presence, especially with my mom, who has a tendency to be a little scattered. Andshe’s a lot like my sister, wanting to get into my personal life. Dad had always run interference on that, reminding them both to mind their own business. After he was gone they made it their personal mission to”—she held up her fingers to make air quotes—“take care of me.”

Linc grimaced. “That couldn’t have been fun.”

“It wasn’t. At the beginning it was okay because I was missing my dad and he was my comfort, so I felt surrounded by their love and concern. But then it never stopped.”

“They still do it?”

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