“Honestly, it’ll be fine. There’ll be a ton of people there and . . .” she gave me a sly look. “There’ll be loads of food. Aunt Lydia is a really great cook: turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie. I always eat so much that I have to undo the button on my pants at the dinner table. What’s not to like?”
My stomach growled appreciatively, and Laney laughed.
“At least part of you agrees. Good, that’s decided.”
I guess I was going to meet the in-laws.
Laney
I’d arranged to meet Ash right from the theater, and then we were driving out to my Uncle Paul and Aunt Lydia’s, an hour outside the city.
Even though most places let people leave early on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, the rehearsal schedule hadn’t stopped, and from what Ash said, the director begrudged everyone their long weekend.
The area near the theater was busy and I’d had to park a few blocks away. People were already getting into a holiday mood, and the shops were as full as the bars with people rushing around for last minute shopping.
Ash had told me the entry code for the artists’ entrance at the side of the theater, but I hesitated, feeling awkward encroaching on his work space.
My breath misted in the frigid air as I tried to decide what to do. The alley was a little creepy and that made up my mind.
Just as I started to tap in the number, the door flew open and Sarah breezed out, followed by several of the other dancers.
“Laney! Where the bloody hell have you been hiding?” she yelled at full volume. “I must have asked Ash a gazillion times for you to meet us . . . oh my God!”
“What?”
Her stunned expression made me check over my shoulder, but no—her wide-eyed stare was pinned to me.
“You’re . . . walking!”
“Oh, yeah,” I laughed self-consciously. “I only use the chair on bad days. I’m mostly pretty mobile.”
She stared, then blinked and seemed to come back to herself.
“Wow! I mean, wow!”
Sarah was still staring when Ash walked out of the theater. His hesitation was brief as he saw us together, but then he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into a kiss that warmed me to the tips of my toes.
I don’t think friends kiss with tongues, but I guess he was putting on a good show for his work colleagues.
I could smell mint shower gel that he used at the theater, along with a hint of cigarette smoke that I’d definitely be asking him about later.
“Hello, my wife,” he said with a wide grin as I slid down his hard body.
“Hi,” I squeaked back.
“God, you guys,” Sarah snorted, shaking her head. “Laney, you and I are totally doing drinks next week. Don’t blow me off, luv!”
She marched away, waving her hand in the air.
“Is she always like that?”
Ash shrugged. “Yeah. I like her.”
“Me, too.”
I paused, noticing for the first time that he was dressed in the chinos he’d gotten married in, with his heavy army coat hanging open.
“Ready to meet your in-laws?” I teased.
His eyes crinkled in a smile. “Mothers love me,” he said with a wink.
“Have you met many of them?”
He shrugged carelessly.
“All my partners’ parents.” Then he glanced at me, still smiling. “Dance partners.”
“So, you never took a girlfriend home to meet your parents? I mean, your father?”
His face turned grim. “No.”
Yep, there I went again—turning his good mood to bad in less than ten seconds.
We were nearly run off the sidewalk by three men who were staggering and reeked of alcohol.
Ash dropped his gym bag and caught me as I teetered. He opened his mouth to yell at them, but something distracted him.
I did the yelling for him. “Hey!”
The men turned and one of them pointed at me laughingly.
“Sorry, shorty. Didn’t see ya standing there.”
“Jerk,” I muttered.
Ash still hadn’t said anything, but seemed to be gazing right at them.
“What are you looking at, pretty boy?”
Ash didn’t speak, but he didn’t stop staring, and I was afraid it would turn into something if we didn’t leave. I tugged on his sleeve and whispered his name.
He seemed in a daze, but then he shook his head quickly and picked up his gym bag, ignoring the men.
“Faggot!”
Another of them shouted at Ash, and they all laughed. I felt him stiffen at my side, but he kept walking and didn’t turn around.
“What a pussy.”
Ash rolled his eyes and muttered something I couldn’t hear. I hoped that we were far enough away from them that there wouldn’t be any trouble.
But then the leader yelled again.
“Yeah, he can suck my dick!”
I saw the change in Ash instantly: the light went out and a darkness filled him. He dropped the gym bag again and ran toward the men.
They seemed taken aback but were too drunk to move.
I watched in horror as Ash skidded up to the first man and punched him in the face without saying a word. Bam! Bam! Bam!
Blood spurted from the man’s nose and his arms windmilled as he fell in slow motion.