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His ers felt fragile, obvious to the touch "Hi, Anne I’m Lori And this is Neil We’re so happy to meet you"

"Hi, Lori Nice to meet you too"

Pleasantries done with, I slid into the booth, Mal following close behind th ofaround in one with a navy knit dress and ankle boots A touch of conservative ood measure Maybe it’d been a poor choice What did I know about the families of rock stars? Neil wore a dress shirt and tie, Lori a white linen top and pants I hadn’t exactly expected piercings and leather, but white linen? I’d have spilled soiven the waycloser

I definitely didn’t want to fk this up, but a heavy lureat with e to charm his? My hands were clammy, sticky with sweat Honestly, put me in a stressful situation and I could rival a rhino for perspiration issues Assu rhino’s had perspiration issues

Mal laid a gentle kiss beneath ave hiood" He looked around, held out a hand A waiter rushed over "Hi Can you get her a … look, whatever you’ve got that’s potent, okay?"

"How about Rocket Fuel, sir?"

Mal clapped his hands together "Why, that sounds delightful! Excellent, Rocket Fuel it is Make it a double"

The waiter’s eyes ide "Uh, yes, sir"

Photos had been spread across the table, a veritable sea of blond-haired babies Chubby faces and starfish hands were abundant Lori gave randchildren"

"I didn’t realize Mal was an uncle"

"Eight ti out faces, na names Given his three sisters were such prolific breeders I made a mental note to stock up on condoms Wherever he and I were at, we definitely weren’t ready for Mal Junior, despite his joking I didn’t even know if I wanted to have children They fell firmly under the ‘maybe sorandchildren saw us right through ordering and dinner She talked while we all ate Sips of Rocket Fuel loosened me up considerably So far as I could taste, it consisted of every kind of white liquor with a dash of leal or set on fire to burn off so it for Mal He stole from my plate and sipped froetherness It probably was just plain old thievery but the way he did it, fake distracting ame hile

I was so easy for him

"So you have three older sisters," I said "You know, I can definitely see you as the youngest child"

His hed big It spoke well of Mal’s childhood The adoration in her eyes when she looked at her son just backed it up I couldn’t even re

"Why?" Mal asked, glaring atI’m loud and immature? Because it’s just plain rude to point that shit out, pumpkin"

His

Mal sat with his arm stretched across the back of our bench He’d put on a black Henley to cover his tats, and a dry pair of Chucks I tried not to look at hi crazy eyed in front of his parents Meotten up to in the bath simmered too near the surface

"Explain yourself," he ordered

"All I’ is that you’re a natural perforest"

"Right" He cocked a brow, his gaze shifting to his folks His hand, however, shifted higher on rabbed hold of his fingers, squeezing the important Only a quirk of his smile betrayed him "Anne’s the oldest You should see how she is with her sister, Moirl isn’t bubble wrapped"

His mother smothered a smile

"I am not overly protective," I said "She’s twenty She’s an adult now I respect that"

"Do you?" Daaze "Ben said he was afraid for his life when you caught hi if he needed to protect the fa noise at the ed on "He said you looked ready to annihilate him"

This information I liked much less

"He talked about Lizzy?" My eyes narrowed, all good huone I didn’t even want Ben Nicholson to know she existed "She’s too young for hi on school"

"Relax,the back ofme instantly Christ, his hands As , drawn-out dinner Short and sas the way to go Mal and I had things to do

"We’ll keep Benny boy away from your baby sister," he promised quietly "Don’t worry"

"What about your mother, Anne?" asked Lori "Where is she?"

I flinched and Mal’s fingers paused againstme What I needed was to move the conversation onward and upward "She’s, um … she’s back in So Cal She’s fine"

"And your father?"

"He left Many years ago" It was better than saying "Fuck knows" And why sugarcoat it, right? Facts were facts I picked up h bread, nibbled at the crust It was nice but I was full We needed so neutral to talk about but the now-empty dinner plate offered no inspiration My brain wouldn’t cough up a da for the first few tour dates?" asked Mal I could have kissed his feet for the save

"We’ll see," said his dad

"Of course ill At least the first," Lori corrected "We love seeing you and the boys play How are they all? Jiood, Moood Davie wants to introduce you to Ev as soon as possible"

His hed "I would love to meet her I always knew David would settle down first He’s such a sensitive soul, more so than the rest of you"

"I’ ball of mushy sensitive stuff inside Tell her, pumpkin"