Page 16 of Sinful Like Us
Farrow almost chokes on a bite of Lo Mein.
Maximoff laughs like he just beat his fiancé at Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.
The best (and quite frankly, sexiest) part: Thatcher is unperturbed and unflustered by the tiny grenade I flung. “No,” he tells me. “I wasn’t scared.”
I help him fill water bowls for the cats. “You think it went well then?” I wonder.
He glances at me, before wiping up a small spill. “Better than I thought it would.”
But he’s still not invited to Wednesday Night Dinner, and I can only hope my family welcomes him into the fold. I don’t want my boyfriend to feel ostracized.
“Jane,” Farrow says after a swig of water. “Maximoff has something to ask you.”
“You do?” I cap a water jug near the unlit fireplace.
Moffy gives him a tough look. “I thought you said after dinner?”
“Now’s good too.” Farrow is completely at ease.
And Maximoff is a rigid statue.
Farrow lifts his brows. “See, that’s called changing your mind.”
He shakes his head. “No idea what you’re talking about. Changing your mind? Is that like a thing people do?”
Farrow smiles from cheek-to-cheek. “Okay, smartass.”
Maximoff tightens the towel around his waist and runs a hand through his thick hair. I’m more concerned that this isbadnews, and I hug the water jug.
“Do I need to sit?” I wonder.
He swallows. “No—sure. Maybe. I don’t know.”
Farrow looks him over. “Take a breath, wolf scout.”
Maximoff glares instead.
Farrow almost laughs. “That’s not how you breathe, but nice try.”
“I’ll sit.” I lower on the rocking chair, swaying a little when my butt hits the seat.
Thatcher almost steals my full attention. He’sbrushingOphelia, and my white cat is absolute mush on the floor.
Yes, Ophelia, he has that affect on me too.I know the feeling deeply well.
“Janie,” Moffy calls.
I realize that Thatcher did indeed stealallof my attention. I flush and focus on my best friend. “Yes, old chap.”
“I trust you with my whole life,” Maximoff tells me.
The fact warms me completely, but I’m also on the edge of a cliff. “I trust you with mine too.”
He licks his lips. “As you know, I’m getting married, and the amount of people I trust to have their hands in the wedding is pretty much…not a lot. And when I think about who I want to remember being involved in this whole process, I always think of you first.”
I start to smile.
“So…what I’m trying to ask… is if you could…would you want to…?” He stumbles on his words, and it isn’t often that he does.
