Page 70 of This Time Around

“And did he accept?” I wasn’t as big of a fan of the show as Milo and Memphis, but Lyric came across as a loner on the episodes I watched. I expected Maegan to say that he politely turned her down.

“He did.”

“Wow,” I said.

“I was surprised also, but I’m telling you, Andy, the guy needs to be around people right now.”

“Then he’ll be around people,” I told her. “Probably more people than he can stomach.” I chuckled then asked, “You are inviting Memphis, right?”

“He is baulking at the idea, but I know he won’t be able to resist meeting Lyric.”

“You mean Milo wouldn’t allow him to miss the opportunity.”

“That too,” she agreed.

“Is there anything you want us to bring for dinner?” Years of watching my mom taught me you didn’t show up to dinner without asking if the host wanted you to bring something.

“I can’t think of anything, but I’ll let you know.”

“Why don’t you let me pick up a couple of pies from the diner at least,” I suggested.

“Perfect. See you guys tonight.”

I glanced sideways at Milo when we pulled into Maegan’s driveway. He’d spent an extraordinary amount of time getting ready to meet Memphis’s dream lover. One could argue that he didn’t put that much effort into getting ready for our dates or even work for that matter.

“Is that shirt new?” I asked.

Milo looked down at the short-sleeved, button-up shirt in a navy-blue color that matched his midnight eyes. I hadn’t seen those snug, white jeans before either. “Maegan got it for me for my birthday last year. I think this is the first time I’ve worn it though.” Just how far had he dug in the closet to find the perfect thing to wear. At least he hadn’t worn the leather pants.

“Your hair looks nice,” I said.

“What’s going on?” he asked suspiciously. “You never comment on my clothes or hair. I wasn’t sure you ever noticed.”

“I’m pretty sure I notice that you wear clothes since I strip them off you as often as I can.”

“You can’t be worried about me meeting Lyric.”

Actually, I wasn’t worried, because I knew that I had Milo’s heart. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t work him a little. “I’ve seen the expression on your face sometimes when the dude does something you feel is brave or exciting.”

“That’s sheer terror,” Milo replied with an exaggerated eye roll. “I don’t think he’s brave; I think he’s freaking nuts.”

“I’m just yanking your leg,” I told him.

“Save your energy to yank on something else later, will you?”

“I’ll always have energy for that, Peach.”

Everyone had arrived by the time we got there, but we got held up at the diner during dinner rush. Luckily, the weather cleared enough for us to have a barbecue and enjoy the backyard. Lyric was sitting at the patio table with Maegan, looking through the album of remodeling photos when we stepped onto the veranda.

There was something substantially different about Lyric when Maegan introduced me as the contractor who handled the renovations and her brother’s boyfriend. I was proudest of the last part.

“It’s good to meet you, Andy,” Lyric said, shaking my hand. “You did a phenomenal job on this house.”

“Thank you. It was truly a labor of love.”

Maegan’s assessment about the man was right. I recognized a man who was trying to outrun demons when I looked into his gray eyes. As empathetic as I felt toward his struggle, I wanted to be sure the people I cared about weren’t caught up in the aftermath of his battle.

Elijah manned the grill while the rest of us talked about our experiences at the house. Lyric felt it was important to document what was happening in the house when the paranormal activity occurred.