"It's brought a lot of changes for me too," Sam answered coolly, shaking his arm free.
"Yeah, but you don't have the baggage that girl does. Give her space and a little time."
Nodding, Sam walked out the door. He knew Raleigh was right, but it still made him uncomfortable to think that someone else read Emma better than he did. Then again, Raleigh was married, he was older, and he'd seen a lot of recovering addicts. Maybe a lot of the women went through the same thing.
"I don't want to lose her," he murmured to Raleigh as they went downstairs.
"You won't. She loves you, too."
Sam wondered how Raleigh could tell. Even he wasn't sure of that.
They walked in the kitchen, only to be shunted off to wash up before going to the dining room. The table was set, the food in serving dishes in the center of a long, wide table. A cheerful tablecloth, cloth napkins and centerpiece made it look like a restaurant. There were even name cards at each place. Sam jealously noticed that the wasn't sitting next to Emma. She was seated between Tim and Glenn. He was seated across from her next to Vera and Cory.
"They need to bring more babes," Benji remarked, bouncing nervously in his chair. "Balance the table some."
"Preferably some who aren't already taken," Glenn added. "Cory's the only single girl here. She can't stand any of us, so we're screwed."
"Who said I can't?" She raised an eyebrow at Glenn.
"Vera did the other day."
Cory giggled, tossing her head. "Well, since when do you trust a thing she says? She's inordinately unreliable."
"Not to mention a terrible tease," Vera said. "Cory doesn't hate you guys. She thinks you're all hot, especially Carlos." She winked across the table at the gay man.
"Well, there's a waste!" Carlos replied, blowing her a kiss. "But honey, if I liked girls, I'd totally be all over you."
Cory laughed louder, returning the kiss. "I wish you did like girls, Carlos. You're smokin' hot, baby."
The other men at the table looked somewhat offended. Glenn, who was used to the attention of women—lots of women, was especially annoyed.
"I guess the rest of us don't rate on the smokin' scale?"
"Did I say that? Molly, can I be blatantly honest for a moment?"
"Are you going to swear?"
"No, ma'am. I can say it all without a curse word, but I might dangle on the edge of inappropriate."
Molly smirked. "Go ahead. You have my permission to dangle."
"Thank you. Starting then with Glenn. You're so hot, your clothing is on fire. You're buff, jacked, chiseled and seriously sexy. You're the kind of man my mama warned me about, but told me would be a hell of a good ride."
Glenn didn't know whether to be offended or flattered, so sat there with his mouth hanging open.
"Tim, you're gorgeous, but you're taken. Shelby, if you ever get tired of him, send him my way, cause—da-yam!"
Her attention turned to Sam. "Sam, repeat of what I said to Tim. Emma, ditto."
Sam and Emma laughed, loving Cory's honesty. The others were still trying to catch up with the fact that she was talking so much. Normally very quiet, this was the most they had ever heard her say at one time.
"Benji, ADHD has treatments that don't require illegal drugs. Look into them, dear, then call me. Freddie, you need to lighten up. No one hates you, you just hate yourself. When you can get past that, we'll talk. You and Benji are cute as all get out, but personalities to drive a woman to drink. Since I'm trying really hard to shake that, we can never be. Sorry."
Benji and Freddie looked terribly disappointed.
©2020 Dellani Oakes
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