Page 54 of This Time Around

“Mom, a lot of men prefer jock straps for convenience.”

“Convenience for what? Do they worry they’ll take a knee to the groin or something?”

“They don’t tuck a cup in their jock, Mom. They just… Never mind.”

“Anyway,” she said cheerfully, “this guy was in town asking questions about Bliss House. I can’t wait to talk to Maegan about it tonight.”

“Where in town? When?”

“Books and Brew, of course. It was last night when I stopped in to pick up the books you ordered for me. He said he was in town doing some recon for a television show he produces. He has a friend who lives in town, and he’d mentioned possibly featuring Bliss House on his show. Something about ghosts and whispering.”

“Paranormal Whisperer,” I said into the phone. I couldn’t keep the smirk off my face when Memphis nearly fainted at my table. He wanted to be the guy’s cock whisperer.

“Mom, did you tell him that your daughter is in the process of buying that house and could grant him access once the closing is final?” By this time, Maegan and Elijah are just as alert as Memphis for different reasons. My sister wants to solve the Anthony Bliss mystery, and Elijah doesn’t want any man around my sister. “He’s unapologetically gay, E,” I assured him.

“Yes, he is,” Memphis sighed. I was pretty sure he came in his pants.

“Mom, why didn’t you call Mae so she could come down to the bookstore to talk to him?”

“He was just passing through, so I showed him some books on the history of the town, which he bought, thank you. He seemed to be really interested after talking to his friend and looking at the books. He said he’d email Mae this upcoming week because, of course, I told him myamazingdaughter was buying that house.”

“What’s she saying, Milo?” Maegan asked, coming to stand beside me.

“Here, you talk to her. See you tonight, Mom.”

“Bye, darling.”

I turned my attention back to frying eggs in the cast iron skillet. “Okay, so frying eggs in the leftover bacon grease isn’t healthy, but it tastes so damn good.”

“Bring it on,” Andy said bravely.

I half listened to Mae’s side of the conversation with Mom. She sounded so excited that she might be able to solve Anthony Bliss’s disappearance. “I just know he never left the property alive. It’s his ghost in the house.”

“I think I should be jealous,” Elijah said. “She was looking at old photos and fussing over how handsome he was.”

“You can’t be jealous of a ghost,” Andy reasoned with him. “What could he possibly give Maegan that you can’t?”

“Mystery and adventure?” Elijah asked with a shrug. “We’re going to have big problems if he starts showing up during sexy times. All I need is a ghost who falls in love with Maegan and tries to knock me down the steps or some shit.”

“Sounds to me like your problem could be solved really soon,” I told him. “Maybe before you even move in.”

Elijah raised crossed fingers up in the air.

Maegan’s conversation with Mom didn’t last long, and I fried eggs to order while the biscuits baked to golden perfection. We all sat around my kitchen table that was large enough for six people. I couldn’t help but wish there was a sixth person there because I wanted Memphis happy. He deserved it. I knew he was attracted to leather and tattoos, but that didn’t mean the guy with the bad boy exterior couldn’t possess a kind heart.

After breakfast, everyone went home except for Andy. He pulled me onto his lap and kissed me soundly.

“What are our plans?” he asked.

“Besides a whole lot more of that?” I asked. Andy nodded. “Um, I have some boring-ass laundry to do. I’m set on groceries until Wednesday. I was going to lie around and read until dinnertime at my folks. Is there something you want to do?”

“I try not to do a lot of anything on Sunday,” Andy replied. “I usually watch baseball or racing.”

“You can do that while I read.”

The afternoon that followed was the most relaxing and peaceful one I’d had since… I couldn’t say. I cuddled with Andy on the couch and read Chaz’s latest book while he flipped back and forth between the Braves and racing. Of course, I made sure Andy knew how disappointed I was that he still chose the Braves over the Reds.

“Go back to reading,” he teased, nipping my ear. “Ouch!”