Page 57 of Housebroke

Mom just smiled.

“You look... tan.” Warren gave him the once-over. “How’s construction life?”

“It’s good. You look like you could use some sun. You should get out of the office more often. You, too, Eugene. You look great as always, Joe.”

Joe laughed. “Thanks, man.”

“I get out plenty,” Eugene said. “I was just down at Big Sur last week.”

“For what?”

“What else?” Warren said with a shrug. “A girl.”

Linc arched a brow at Eugene. “You have a girlfriend?”

“No. I had a date. The word ‘girlfriend’ sounds too... committed.”

“Yeah, God forbid you should attach yourself to anything. Or anyone.”

Eugene obviously wasn’t at all insulted, since he grinned. “That’s right. I’ve got things to do and places to go. Unlike you, I guess, whose relationship status has changed to... what, exactly?”

Linc wasn’t about to tell them anything about Hazel. Besides, it wasn’t really a relationship and she wasn’t his girlfriend. They were just sharing a house. And having sex. And fun together.

Wait. No, he wasn’t going to label what they were doing, and especially not tonight when he needed his wits about him. “Again, none of your business.”

“You look good,” Joe said. “Obviously something”—he looked over at Hazel—“or someone is making you happy.”

“Thanks. I feel good.” He reached under the table to squeezeHazel’s hand, hoping like hell that bringing her here hadn’t been a huge mistake. But she seemed relaxed, sipping her wine and smiling.

“Boys,” Mom said, “there’s some knocking noise in my car. Would you mind taking a look at it?”

“Sure, Mom,” Warren said, then looked over at his brothers and Joe. “Let’s go.”

Linc looked over at Hazel. “I’ll be right back.”

“Your mom and I will be just fine.”

The door to the garage closed, and Lisa started getting things out of the fridge. Hazel got up and went to the sink to wash her hands, drying them on a paper towel.

“What can I help with?”

“I’m making tacos and Spanish rice, so how about you get the rice in the cooker while I get the meat started?”

“You got it.”

She found the rice cooker and got everything prepped there, then began to slice lettuce and tomatoes.

“Tell me about yourself, Hazel.”

“I foster dogs, I love to cook, I recently got out of a disastrous marriage where my ex took everything including the house and left me completely without money and also homeless, so that wasn’t fun, but I’m managing to put my life back together.”

“Ouch. That must have been rough.”

That had probably been way too much information. But now it was out there, and Lisa hadn’t looked at her weird, so onward she went. “It wasn’t fun, that’s for sure. But it was a valuable life lesson.”

“And what life lesson is that?”

“That I’m stronger than I thought I was, and that I’m more independent than I ever gave myself credit for.”

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