Page 63 of Manny

Woah, was that a half-assed attempt at a joke? Lightning may strike him down at any moment.

Lace leans over the table to squeeze Bandit’s arm. “You are an amazing Dad,” she says, her eyes softening. “And Eli is the best.”

“After Jill died…”

“Wait, what?” Lace grips his arm harder. “Jill was your?—”

“Wife.” His voice is low. “She was my wife.”

I had no clue that Lace didn’t know. Then again, she is new to the club. I thought she would’ve heard through the grapevine, then again, they’ve been sneaking around so nobody would have any reason to gossip about Bandit to her.

Silence hangs between us. “You don’t have to talk about it,” I say. I know because of Indigo, the night she was really upset and told me everything. She’d been close with Jill.

He palms the back of his neck, his bicep bulging.He’s broken.I know that look anywhere, it’s a look that I’m sure I wear myself at times. His eyes glaze over, his bottom lip trembles a little, and my heart constricts.He really is suffering.

“She was my world. I loved her. She was carrying Eli at the time, but by some miracle, they managed to save him.” He looks up at Lace, who now has tears streaming down her face. “She was killed by a drunk driver.”

“Oh, my God!” Lace links her fingers with his and his face softens. He doesn’t look at me.

“So that’s my sad little story.” He smiles without humor.

“Jonah, that’s awful. I’m so sorry…”

“She would’ve been proud of you, of how you’ve raised Eli.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “And gotten this far.”

He glances at me. “I thought I was an asshole.”

“You are.” I shrug. “But I can’t deny the facts.”

His shoulders shake, and for the first time, I see him relax. It’s good when he smiles. He looks ten times better when he smiles instead of frowning.

“I’m sure we all have a sad story to tell,” he goes on. “If we scratch the surface.”

I nod. “My stepdad used to beat the living shit out of me, and he raped his own daughter, something I found out after I ran away from home. She was older than me. My mom didn’t care,even when I was bullied in high school. That’s how I met Shep.” I don’t know why I blurt that out, but for some reason, something resembling comfort has suddenly spread over the group.

“Holy shit,” Lace whispers. “What the fuck, Manny?”

I shrug. “Shitty childhood. I ran away from home the second I had enough money. When Shep got into college, he helped me get a place, but I had so many issues. I didn’t want to be a charity case, ya know? And I didn’t think I was worthy of a friend like him. He saved my life in lots of ways,” I go on. “Then I sorta went off the rails again, ended up here, met Stella at an art class and got talking to Harlem. That’s how I got the job at the clubhouse, they needed a cook, and I’ve always been able to cook good food.”

“You really do make mouthwatering food,” Lace adds, her other hand moving over mine. She has both of our hands in hers.

“Well, thanks. It helps when I have a well-stocked pantry and can buy anything I like.” I peek a glance at Bandit, he’s watching our joined hands. His eyes flick to mine and I swallow hard. This got heavy fast.

“Still, you have to have the skills to make stuff taste good,” Bandit offers. What’s this? An olive branch perhaps?

Lace strokes her fingers over my knuckles. “He does. He makes everything better.”

My eyes almost sting with tears. “That’s sweet of you, Lace. I do make a mean gumbo.”

She smiles softly. She’s so pretty. “So if you two have finished arguing, we should take off. It’s late.”

I want to ask about where we go from here. Is this it? Is she choosing? Am I gonna be left out in the cold? Judging by the way she holds both our hands, I’m sensing that’s not the case.

“But I never got to tell Bandit that I think he’s alright, under that tough exterior.” I purposely stare at Lace.

Her eyebrows raise slightly. “Did you come up with anything else?”

I shrug. “He’s super hot when he’s not being a jackass.”

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