Love Handles (Oakland Hills #1)(37)

“Just like Mom,” April said. He stared back at her, seeing he’d finally made his point. Their mother was everything sweet and light and wonderful and had deserved better than their domineering father, yet she’d loved him with her huge heart and still mourned him. April took another swig of her beer, dropped her gaze. “At least you’re getting rid of Paige.”

“Don’t tell Mom yet. I think she kind of liked her.”

“Are you kidding? Paige ordered veal.”

“Ah, right. Of course.”

“Then didn’t touch it. Insult to injury.”

He found a box of protein-rich pasta in the cabinet. “I don’t think I ever did see her eat. We were too busy, you know, doing other things.”

“Ugh, spare me. I refuse to believe a woman who doesn’t eat could be any good in bed. Totally wrong personality profile.”

Liam stared off into space, reflecting. He had no intention of telling his sister about the sordid details of his love life, even—or especially—when she was right. “Do you want any pasta?”

“So you’re not even going to call her?”

“What, you’re on her side now?”

“I’m on womankind’s side.” She came over and picked up the box of pasta. “This stuff organic?”

He took it from her and waited for the water to boil. “I’ll call her.” But only to say goodbye. They’d been seeing each other for two months, which was longer than he’d expected. She’d liked his money and his job and his family’s house in the Oakland Hills, but Liam?—not so much.

“Please wash my sheets. I’ll grill you some portobellos.”

She slapped her forehead. “Crap, I forgot. Mom invited us over tonight.”

“Again?”

“Some lovesick guy went to Alaska and brought her a ton of halibut.”

“So I have to scare away a guy who wants to sleep with my mother?” he said. “Again?” The women in his family were much too popular with men.

“No, he won’t be there. Just the fish.”

He looked down into the pot of tepid water. Alaskan halibut sounded pretty good. He wondered what Bev was doing tonight, all alone in Ed’s empty house on Friday night. How had the rest of her week gone? Had Ellen changed the locks again?

He twisted off the burners. If he was thinking about Bev, his mother certainly was. And Trixie Johnson had already tagged her. Released her into the wild—for now—but standing by to recapture her for future and ongoing study. Perhaps over a slab of white fish.

Liam dumped the pot in the sink and went down the hallway to his sister. “Come on.”

April was tearing the sheets off his bed. “You told me to put these in the wash.”

“Forget it. Let’s go.”

“Make up your mind. Jeez.” She shrugged and followed him down to the car.

With the Friday night traffic the drive over the Bay Bridge to Oakland took them almost an hour. A strange old Honda was in their mother’s driveway, and when they walked in and saw the dining table was set and glowing with candles, Liam was afraid the lonely fisherman was lurking nearby.

But it was their brother Mark sitting there, eating a deviled egg off a napkin. “Hi, guys.”

April ran over and threw her arms around him. “When did you get back? Mom said you wouldn’t be able to visit this summer!”

Mark’s light brown hair was shaggy and uncombed, his nose was sunburned and peeling and his ill-fitting khakis exposed orange and yellow argyle socks at his ankles. “Couple hours ago. Like the car? I just bought it. Got almost fifty miles to the gallon on the drive out. It’s not a hybrid either. At least, not when I bought it. I did a few modifications.”

Liam went over and squeezed his little brother’s shoulder—though he was hardly little, just over six feet tall, and still had a few muscles left from Liam’s reign as his personal trainer before he moved away a few years before. “Great to see you.”

Trixie came into the dining room with a shit-eating grin. “He’s staying. He’s staying.”

“Those kids in Milwaukee don’t need you anymore?” Liam asked.

Mark opened his mouth, but his mother spoke. “He’s applying for a job at Lawrence Hall of Science. Math camps and stuff,” she said. “He’s back to stay!”

“Dude, that’s great.” Liam smiled at him, curious to hear more, but his brother had a pained look in his eye that he recognized. “So, you watching the A’s this year?”

Trixie came over and poked Liam in the arm. “Don’t change the subject. Ask him why.”

“I’m sure he’ll tell me when he feels like it,” Liam said.

“He quit. He got sick of being so far from home, so he quit.” Trixie snaked an arm around his waist and rested her cheek on Mark’s broad shoulder.

Liam met Mark’s eyes and raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Trixie frowned at him. “Don’t say it like that. Of course he did.”

“I bet there was a girl,” April said.

“I wish,” Mark muttered, and they all laughed. Mark wasn’t much of a ladies’ man.

Letting out a deep, noisy sigh, Trixie squeezed Mark so hard he flinched. “I am bursting with joy. Bursting!”