Queen Bee (Lowcountry Tales #12)(30)

“I’ll drink to that! Cheers!”

The edges of our glasses clinked, and we took a sip.

“Cheese?” he said.

“Sure!” I said. “Let me fix some for you.”

“Thanks.”

We stood there eating rock-hard cold Brie and making polite conversation for a bit until I checked on the garlic bread and decided it was ready. I took it out of the oven, put the salad in a bowl, and fixed two plates of food.

“This looks amazing,” he said. “It smells really good.”

“Darlin’, the Jensen girls know how to put the hurt on a bird.”

“They sure do!”

He refilled our glasses and we sat down to eat.

“Bon appétit!” I said.

“You are so right. Bon appétit!” he said, and our glasses touched again.

We took a bite and he said, “This is really delicious.”

To which I answered, “I know, right? Here’s a piece of unsolicited advice for you, Archie. Never fall in love with a woman who can’t cook.”

“Really? Why is that?”

“Because if they don’t cook, they can’t nurture. A nonnurturing woman ain’t got no soul.”

I realized the wine was quickly going right to my head. I decided to let him talk for a while and I’d just eat.

“Is that a fact?” he said, and he was smirking at me. “How did you and Holly learn to cook as well as you do?”

“It was a matter of self-defense. You probably know our mother is the worst cook on earth.”

“I think Holly mentioned that.”

“No, for real. She is. But I want to hear about you, Archie. Tell me what’s happening.”

He sat back and exhaled long and slow.

“Well, it’s been almost a year since we lost Carin.”

“She was awesome.”

“Thanks. We all thought so. And learning to live without her hasn’t been easy for me or for the boys.”

“Of course.”

“Is there more chicken parm? I shouldn’t, but I’d really like to have some more.”

“Please! I’m flattered! Let me get it for you.”

“Thanks. Anyway, we’ve been moping along, trying to get through the holidays and so on. Your sister has been as good as gold to us. I mean, I don’t know what we would’ve done without her. She picks up the kids from school if the weather is bad, she’s helped with homework, made snacks, dinners, and anything she could think of.”

“Holly’s a rock. And she adores Tyler and Hunter like they’re her own blood.”

“Yes. I know. And they feel the same way about her. Really, having her with them and us, well, she’s been a godsend.”

I refilled his plate and put it in front of him. Then I took a bold chance and let my hand rest on his shoulder for a moment before I sat down in my chair again. I could feel him flinch and I thought, Uh-oh, game over.

“Leslie? I feel like I should tell you something.”

I smelled bad news, but I pretended to be as serene as Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina.

“Lay it on me, brother.”

“I’ve met someone.”

“I know. Holly told me. That’s so wonderful. The boys mentioned it, too. Sharon, isn’t it?”

He breathed a tiny sigh of relief.

“Yes. She’s a dentist with a specialty in cosmetic work. She takes athletes and all kinds of wreck victims and rebuilds their mouths. She’s very talented.”

“That kind of work has to be painstaking and meticulous. I wouldn’t be a dentist for all the money in this world.”

“Really? Why’s that?”

“Well, I think you’d have to have a very exacting personality, which I don’t. You know, like a perfectionist, which is a curse, if you ask me. And the thought of getting into other people’s germy mouths all day long is unappealing to me. I’m not a fan of blood, either.” I shuddered for emphasis.

“Well, she makes me happy. And I guess that’s all that matters, right?”

“Um, I’m less sure than you are about that,” I said.

“What do you mean?”

His voice had a slight defensive tone, so I softened my response.

“Archie, there’s an old saying: marry in haste, repent at leisure.”

“I’ve heard it all my life. There’s probably some truth to it. For young people, it makes a ton of sense. But by the time you’re my age, you know when something is right.”

“Well, in my case, I could’ve dated Charlie for ten years and not known what he was up to.”

“What was he up to? If I may ask.”

I looked at him, wondering if I should just tell the truth, and then I started to laugh, and I couldn’t stop. He started laughing, too. Finally, he gave me a glass of water and I drank it, calming down at last.

“It was that funny of a breakup?” he said.

“Okay, try this one on for size and tell me what you think. Charlie, who now prefers to be called Charlene, likes to dress up in women’s clothes. He’s moved to Las Vegas hoping to be hired in a revue of female impersonators.”

“You’re shitting me.”

“Nope. And here’s the killer: he doesn’t see why that should have any impact on our marriage.”