Page 27 of A Family Affair: The Vow
Tiny pricks of guilt stabbed Rae as she recalled how she’d almost stayed home. “Of course, I came.” Rae handed Lily a gift bag. “Happy housewarming and congratulations on your new place.”
“Thank you!” Lily accepted the gift, studied it. “It’s not too heavy. Hmm... I don’t have any idea what it is. Ilovesurprises.”
Surprises?Rae didn’t like them at all, but then she didn’t possess Lily’s innocence or her openness to life. And she didn’t—
“Hey, Lily.” Vic appeared, placed a hand on Lily’s shoulder, smiled down at her. “Nice party.”
Lily’s dark head bobbed up and down, her pink headband sparkling under the lights. “It’s the best, Vic. The very best. Thank you so much for helping get everything ready. I’m going to put my present on the gift table and then do you want to come with us while I show Rae my apartment?”
The slightest hesitation before he answered, “Sure, but why don’t I get Rae a drink and something to eat first?”
“Okay. I’ll see you later.” And then she was gone, head bobbing to the music, and was she singing as she slid and danced her way to the gift table?
“If you’re ever in a bad mood, just hang around Lily. She’ll change it fast.” Vic’s expression filled with humor. “And if you’re ‘sad-sacking,’ as Lily calls it, she’ll pester you for reasons why and then she’ll start telling jokes. Donotlet that happen.”
The joke disclosure made Rae laugh. “I’ll remember that, not that I’meverin a bad mood.”
Vic raised a brow. “No, not Rachel Darlington.”
The smile she gave him was relaxed and real. “And don’t forget it. Now how about that drink?”
He pointed to an area lined with coolers and a medium-sized table containing several different types of wine, a few bourbons, and two scotches. “What would you like? We’ve got all sorts of spirits...your choice.” Vic opened a cooler, poked around. “If you want a beer, we’ve got IPAs, lagers, wheat. Soft drinks in the next cooler, water in the other, and white wine in the last one. Hard stuff and red wine are on the table.”
“White wine would be great.”
“Got it.” He removed a plastic cup from the stack, poured a healthy amount into it, and handed Rae the cup. “Enjoy.” Vic lifted his beer, clinked it with her cup. “To Lily Desantro and her new home. May she find all of her dreams and never lose her magic.”
“To Lily.”
Vic sipped his beer, studied her. “I wasn’t sure you’d come. This doesn’t seem like your kind of thing.”
“Do you mean because it’s not at an elaborate showplace, or because I’m drinking from a plastic cup?”
He shrugged. “Both.”
“How can anyone turn down Lily?”
The smile said he agreed. “No matter how much I don’t want to do whatever she might ask, I always find myself agreeing and then afterward, realize it wasn’t so bad. In fact, sometimes I’m happy about it. Crazy, right?”
His blue eyes sparkled when he talked about Lily and her convincing ways. The man definitely had a soft spot for her, but she guessed most of the town did. Who wouldn’t? Lily was pure goodness with an innocent sweetness and joy about her that shone through in her words, her actions, everything. Why couldn’t more people be like Lily? Why couldn’t Rae be like her instead of always questioning, criticizing, judging…herself and others? “We could learn a lot from her.” She glanced across the room, spotted Lily talking to Harry and Greta Blacksworth, arms flying about in animation and excitement.
“Sometimes the best teachers are the ones who don’t know they’re teaching.” He pointed toward the stairs that led to Lily’s apartment. “I’m not sure if Josh told you or not, but he was involved in a lot of the work on Lily’s apartment. He did a great job.”
“He hasn’t really mentioned it, and I’d like to see.”
Vic grinned. “He might not have told you because he’s afraid you’re going to give him a list of chores, or he could just be shy about it…unless it has to do with fixing a car.Thathe’ll talk about, but not everyone wants to spout off lists of their accomplishments and good deeds. They’d rather keep their work private.”
“Are we talking about Josh here, or you?” She wasn’t trying to be sarcastic; she really did want to know. It seemed Vic Tramont was involved in all sorts of things that were not about personal gain or money. Phyllis had shared the story of the woman he’d driven to Renova to see her granddaughter’s new baby. And Betty Rafferty had spilled about the groceries Vic left on a single mother’s front steps once a month.Don’t tell, she’d said.He wouldn’t want anyone to know.
Vic’s response was a non-response followed by a casual “I’m not hiding anything, but I also don’t need shout-outs or ‘good job’ cheers. When I see something that needs fixing or someone who needs help, I try to do it. Do I hit everyone on my list? No, but I’m not the only one who helps out. It’s no big deal. Really. Don’t make me out to be an angel because I’m not.”
An angel?No, the man might offer goodwill and help others but an angel wouldn’t have ignored her or blown up at her...or tried to weasel out of working with her. An angel would not have called her out for being selfish and self-serving. “You, Vic Tramont, are no angel.”
His laughter circled her, pulled her in, stole two breaths. “And don’t forget it.”
“Not likely.” They chatted a bit more, decided they were both hungry and made their way to the food tables where they loaded their plates with all sorts of goodies that were not calorie- or carb-friendly. Oh, but the rigatoni smelled delicious, and how could she ignore the lasagna? Rae planned to enjoy all of it. She and Vic found two unoccupied chairs next to each other and while they worked their way through their food, Vic engaged in conversation with everyone at the table, especially Ben and Gina Reed. Rae answered a few questions, concentrated on her food, and spent too much time trying to ignore Vic’s closeness and the occasional brush of his thigh against hers.
An angel? No, an angel would not create a burn in her belly or steal the thoughts in her head. The man was too darn tempting, and if she weren’t careful, that voice would pull her in and then he’d show her why he was no angel.
