Page 52 of Let It Breathe
Space-wise, anyway. The meal wasn’t exactly comfortable. The dining surface was glass, which meant every time he reached for the breadbasket, he was treated to a view of June caressing Jed’s knee under the table. Not that there was anything inappropriate about it, but he could tell it was making Reese uncomfortable.
Among other things.
Reaching for the bread, Clay grazed Reese’s arm with his and watched her bolt right out of her chair.
“More scampi, anyone?” she asked in a shout.
Clay drew his arm back, not sure if it was the kiss the other night or something else making things so tense between them. He settled for smiling and holding out his plate.
“Sure, I’ll take more—unless anyone else wants it?”
“There’s plenty,” Reese said. “Stop being so polite.”
Larissa snorted. “Bet that’s not something you ever thought you’d say to Clay.”
Clay forced his smile to stay steady and tried to keep his eyes on his food. The sound of ice sloshing drew his attention to the chill bucket at the center of the table, where Reese was replacing the empty Pinot Gris bottle with the Sauvignon Blanc Larissa had brought.
“More wine, anyone?” she asked.
Eric hoisted his glass, putting it right at eye level for Clay. Clay looked at it and swallowed hard as the pale liquid sloshed onto the table. He stared at the droplets for a second, then forked a shrimp into his mouth.
“How’s Leon holding up?” he asked Reese.
“Good,” she said. “I just checked on him. He seems pretty much like his normal self.”
Jed nodded and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Went right for my nuts when I came up the walk. I blocked him with the cobbler.”
Clay grimaced and made a mental note to avoid the cobbler.
“I’m glad Leon is okay,” June said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do with your grandfather.”
“Um, how about dismantling his medical marijuana operation?” Reese suggested.
“He insists it’s legal. There’s no arguing with him. As long as it doesn’t get out of hand?—”
“Out of hand?” Reese asked. “Have you ever known anything with Axl not to get out of hand?”
“Could you pass the bread, Clay?” Eric said.
Clay nodded and handed it over. He studied his old pal for a moment, curious why he seemed so quiet.
“You okay?” Clay asked.
“Sure, why?”
“You’re not talking much.”
Eric shrugged. “It’s nothing. Just got into it with Sheila on the phone earlier, no big deal.”
Reese frowned. “Everything’s okay, right?”
“Of course,” Eric grumbled. “She’s just been nagging about moving back to New York to be closer to her family. She got a job offer from some big nursing outfit there. Says she has a lead on a job for me.”
Everyone stopped talking at once.
“What?” Larissa snapped. “You might be moving?”
“Of course not,” Eric said around a mouthful of bread. “It’s just this wild hair Sheila had. She’ll get over it.”
