Page 112 of Rastor

With a little laugh, Loretta glanced around the table and added, "We were just about to send out the cavalry." She looked to Chloe's dad and said, "Weren't we, Dick?"

Dick. Yeah, the name fit.

Within five minutes of walking in the door, I had Chloe's dad pegged for the loser that he was. From what I'd seen so far, he was a pompous blowhard who liked to pretend he was someone important. Too bad he wasn't. The way I saw it, any guy who treated his daughter like garbage was a nobody, no matter where he lived or how much money he made.

As for Loretta, she'd apparently decided that I was the real deal and worth sucking up to. Already, my ass had been kissed so many times, it was a miracle I could sit at all.

At the head of the table, Chloe's dad was nodding like his wife had just said something brilliant. In a big, booming voice, he said, "Anything for our little Chloe." He gave me a man-to-man smile and said, "It sure wouldn't be a family dinner without her."

What an asshole.

Just ten minutes earlier, he'd been willing to lock out his daughter for being one minute late. And now, he was acting like dad-of-the-year? I wasn't buying it. But I couldn’t exactly call him on it, so I kept my thoughts to myself and hoped like hell that the look on my face didn't match what I was thinking.

Next to me, Lauren Jane reached out and ran a finger along my forearm. "I like your tattoos," she said. "Do you have more?"

Yeah. But she wasn't gonna see them.

I was spared the trouble of answering when Chloe jumped up and blurted out, "Who's ready for salad?"

The table was packed with plates, bowls and silverware, but no actual food. Apparently, we were eating the meal in courses. What those courses were, I had no idea, because everything edible was laid out on a sideboard against the dining room wall.

Each dish was covered with a big silver lid. It was like hotel room service, without the wheeled cart. I glanced over at Loretta, wondering if she'd be expecting a tip for this.

Ihad a tip for her.Stop being shitty to your step-kids.

Chloe hurried to the sideboard and snagged the salad. She carried the bowl over to Loretta and held it out, as if waiting for Loretta to serve herself some.

Loretta was frowning. "Where's the rest of it?"

Chloe bit her lip. "Well, you see, on the way here–"

"I ate it," I said.

Loretta turned toward me and said, "Pardon?"

"I thought it was a snack." I shrugged. "Sorry."

Loretta's gaze narrowed. Chloe was still holding the bowl. Loretta looked up and asked Chloe, "Is that true?"

But it wasn't Chloe who answered. It was Lauren Jane who said, "Oh Mom, of course it's true." When I turned to look, Lauren Jane was licking her lips. "I mean," she continued, "just look at this guy."

She gave me a long, lingering look that started at my pecs and ended at my abs. Probably, it would've gone lower if it weren't for the tablecloth that hid most of my lap. She licked her lips again and said, "You don't get a body like that on cheeseburgers."

Chloe choked back a laugh. I knew why. As far as I was concerned, cheeseburgers were one of the three basic food groups, right between steak and French fries.

Loretta gave Chloe an annoyed look. "Is something funny?"

Chloe shook her head. "Nope. Sorry."

With a little sniff, Loretta finally took the bowl from Chloe's hands and started serving herself some salad. She nodded toward Chloe's chair and said, "Sit. Please." With a stiff smile, Loretta added, "We'll just pass the courses around, family style." She looked around and said, "Now, isn't this nice?"

I felt a warm hand on my bicep. "Mmm…it sure is," Lauren Jane said in a low, husky voice. I'd been taking a drink of my wine, and had to stop in mid-motion to keep from spilling it. Lauren Jane tightened her grip. "You must work out like crazy. Just how muchcanyou lift, anyway?"

On the other side of me, Josh spoke up. "Wait, I know this. Three-hundred pounds."

Everyone turned to look.

Josh shrugged. "I read it on the internet."