Page 51 of Sticking Out

“Mom,” Dani says. “Dad.” She toys with the stem of her wine glass. “Conner and I are dating. I know this is confusing, and maybe?—”

“It’s wonderful,” Beverly gushes, a wide smile splitting her lips as she pulls her daughter in for a hug, tears filling her eyes.

“You’re okay with this?”

“More than okay with this,” Calvin answers, as he too leans in to hug her. My gaze slides to Jared, and he lifts his beer bottle in salute.

He grins as he tips it toward me. “About time, dude.”

I take in Dani’s family, who’ve always been like family to me too. I’d hoped they’d be okay with us dating, but I hadn’t expected them all to be looking at us like they know something we don’t. Wait, do they?

19

Dani

“Missed a spot,” I point out when I step into the living room. I take a moment to admire Conner’s body as he stretches the paint roller above his head.

“Where,” he asks, and I dip the brush I’d been using to edge the trim in the dining room to the pan, and tap his nose with it when he looks my way.

“Hey.” He swipes at his nose. “You’re going to pay for that.”

I just laugh at that, because Conner never really gets mad at anything when it comes to me. There were so many times Alec was short with me, or annoyed about the littlest things. I chalked it up to his busy job, and just tried to be careful around him. It’s nice not to have to walk on eggshells all the time.

We haven’t talked much more about the box he found in my closet. There were times I could tell he was thinking about it, but unless he brings it up, I’m going to let him work it out himself. Besides, I don’t know what to say. I can’t understand his brother’s actions, and have no explanation for them.

“I did a thing.” I set the paint brush down, and blow my hair from my forehead.

“Oh, did you?”

“I painted your portrait.” I lift my chin an inch, everything about me full of mischief. “It’s not half bad.”

“When did you do that?”

I gesture with a nod to the dining room. “On the wall. I had no idea I was such a talented painter.” He cocks his head, his eyes full of doubt.

“We were in art class together in high school, Dani, so I know it’s not half bad, it’s all bad.”

“Hey.” I feign hurt, but can’t stifle the chuckle bubbling up inside me. “That’s just rude.”

“Okay, show me this masterpiece.”

I skip away, my heart full and happy as he follows me into the dining room.

“Jesus,” he mumbles when he sees the horrible picture on the wall—a life-size painting of his naked body.

“Fantastic, right?”

“You’re a regular Van Gogh.”

I arch a brow, biting back a grin at the horrified look on his face. “You think?” He’s wrong, I’m no Van Gogh.

“Yeah. If only you’d done this on a canvas we could put it away somewhere. My parents will be here later, we can’t have them seeing this.” At the mention of his parents, I consider the way mine reacted to the news. It was a surprise to say the least. “Sorry, but I have to do this.” Conner lifts his roller and paints over my masterpiece.

I gasp. “Do you have any idea how much time I spent on that?”

“Five seconds.”

“At least ten. Hmph.” I begin to walk away, only to come to a fast stop as he captures me and drags me to him.

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