Page 151 of Until the Last Star Fades

“Thanks! I’ll be just a sec.” She ducked out of the kitchen and hit accept.

Ben appeared with an equally wide smile, his right hand—cast marked up with colorful doodles—running through his hair. “Riles! I just got in.” He was clean-shaven and wearing a blue sweater Riley hadn’t seen before.

Ben now owns TWO sweaters! She giggled. “Did you see my photos? Sorry I sent so many…”

“I loved them! Balloon-a-palooza! Fuck me, now that’s what you call a parade. I wish I could’ve been there.” Ben sipped a steaming mug of tea. In London, it was around 8 P.M.

“You would’ve loved it! They had star balloons and a turtle!” She stepped over the sweeping tail of the family’s chubby cat. “We’re at Casey’s now.”

“Nice! Who’s there, then?”

“A few aunts, uncles, and cousins are coming. I swear, they’re making enough food to feed all of the Bronx. Mom’s on cloud nine, cooking up a storm.” She swerved around Carrie in a rush to stuff tamales and sat down at the dining table just as the doorbell rang. Casey’s adopted Pomeranian went into full-on guard dog mode, barking its fuzzy face off.

Ben sat up straight. “Oh. Do you need to go?”

“Uh…” Riley looked over her phone.

Chastity shooed the dog away and opened the door. She hugged a man who looked like Frank’s twin and then another middle-aged guy, a woman, and three teenage boys. “No, I can talk for a few minutes. If Case’s dad needs me, he’ll holler. When he heard Mom and I were doing Thanksgiving on our own, he insisted we come.”

“That’s really nice. Can I can say hi to Maggie?”

“Yeah, sure!” Riley craned her neck. “Oh…she’s…still busy with Casey’s sister right now, making tamales. His dad’s recipe is to die for, sooo good.”

“I’m glad Maggie’s feeling well.”

“Yeah, she looks so much healthier. She’s even started to put feelers out for marketing jobs. It’s twelve weeks next Tuesday, Ben—three months since surgery.” Laughter rose in the kitchen and Riley glanced up, catching Casey mid-eye roll walking to the bathroom with a ‘Families, huh?’ grimace.

Ben dunked a cookie into his tea. “I’m looking forward to my last checkup—well, last one for a few months anyway.”

Riley smiled at him, biting into his shortbread. “And you can have a pint next week to celebrate.”

“No. I learned my lesson on Halloween.”

Every time we talk, he apologizes. “Ben, I know you’re dying for a pint. It’s okay to have one or two.” An irritating laugh pulled her attention away. What? “Shit!” Riley lowered her voice. “He’s in the kitchen.”

Ben tilted his head. “Uh, who…?”

“Casey’s uncle with the hyena laugh. His dad wants to set Mom up with him.”

“Yeah? Is Maggie keen?”

“No! Mom hasn’t dated for…I dunno, five years? And this guy, he’s all octopus hands and cheesy lines, from what Casey’s told me. She might need rescuing.”

Ben leaned in. “Oh, but before you go, I’ve got news—and a surprise!”

“What, another role?” Riley leaned over to pet the dog. “I can’t wait for Lairds! Piper freaked when I told her! She was like, ‘Holy shit, Ben’s in a kilt?!’”

“No, no kilts this time. I have to wear undercrackers at this gig.” His grin grew, twinkling his eyes. “Riles, I got hired by Waterstones, the huge one on Piccadilly!”

“The bookstore? That’s terrific!”

“I know! Finally, full-time hours, a regular pay packet. I’ll be on the third floor where the theater and film books are. I think my drama degree helped me land this one. I’m really chuffed!”

“You should be! You’ll be amazing there.”

“Yeah, and Spencer’s only a floor down in the young adult section, so I’ll have a friend from day one.”

He lives with her, works with her—when isn’t he with Spencer? “Oh, did she put in a good word for you?”