Page 112 of Lone Star Longing
“Are you hungry? Did you eat? We can go over to the diner and catch up,” Lacey said, standing. “That, unfortunately, is exactly the same as when you left.”
Her mother made a face. “Not a lot of options here, still, I see.”
“No. Marianne offered to cook for y’all, but we decided to do that tomorrow night instead, let it just be us tonight.”
“Who’s Marianne, again?”
“I told you. Dad’s girlfriend. Retired teacher. She’s one of the hostesses for the shower. But we thought maybe you could meet before the shower, so that’s why dinner tomorrow night at our house.”
“Ah. She’s comfortable enough to host a dinner at your house?”
“I don't know. I mean, I just found out about everything a couple of months ago. I think they were dating before that.”
“And keeping it from you?”
“I think there was so much going on in my life, Dad didn't want to pile on.”
“Hm. Maybe. Is she nice?” Tanya asked.
“Of course. Really down-to-earth, and they seem to read each other pretty well. Which is why I think it was going on for longer than he’s saying.”
“That’s nice for him. He’s been alone a long time,” Tanya said. “I mean, he has, right? You would have told me if he was dating anyone?”
“He hasn’t been, until now. They’re both on the town council, and both lonely, I guess. But now they aren’t.” She glanced at her mother to see how she was taking the news. “What about Andrew? Didn't he come with you?”
“Andrew had work, and your brothers decided they couldn't make it either, though I think they’ll be shocked when they see pictures of how big you are!”
That was just what Lacey wanted to hear over and over, how huge she was. She supposed she should get used to it.
“Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
She wasn't sure how happy Janine was to be invaded by a party of six, though she should be grateful for business. Lacey had debated taking them to The Wheel House instead, but decided since the shower would be there, her family would see it then.
“Janine, good to see you,” Lacey’s mother said to the hostess/owner who had had the diner for at least twenty years, since Lacey’s family had been there.
Janine looked blankly from her mother to Lacey, then her face softened in recognition. Not a smile, exactly, but her expression was friendlier.
“Joyce. It’s good to see you after all these years. Here in town for the shower, I guess?”
“Yes, I’m very excited to be adding two more grandkids.”
“How many do you have?”
“Five already. My son Dalton has three, my son Luke is still single, and Tanya has two.”
Lacey waited for someone to point out that she was also still single, but no one did.
The teenaged waitstaff pushed together two laminate tables and pulled the chairs that had seen better days around it. The menus were faded and—why was Lacey seeing all the faults in the town through her mother’s eyes? Yes, her mother had left the place years ago, but Lacey didn't have to judge it the same way. She would just enjoy having her family here.
Her niece, she discovered, talked just as much as Tanya did, and had opinions on everything, especially the long drive from Houston.
“I watched three movies in the car. Three!”
“She watched the same one three times,” her father chimed in. “Three times.”
“What did you do on the drive?” Lacey asked Leo, who was two years older than his five-year-old sister.
“I played games, until we didn't have internet, which was a long time. Everything looked the same out the window, which is what Grandma said for me to do while I waited to get internet again. But Grandma told us to leave our phones in the room while we visited with you because she said it isn’t polite to be on the phone during dinner, and when you haven't seen someone in a long time. Do you play games on your phone?”
