recliner across from her. “Val and my brother already left with their two.”
“Oh! I’m sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye.”
She could barely see him in the scant light eking from the hallway, but the slump to his shoulders as he sat forward in the chair made her heart ache. Especially since she figured his obvious exhaustion wasn’t only physical. “Val knew you were in here with Liam. She said not to bother you, she’ll catch you later.” He paused. “I can tell, she really likes you.”
“The feeling’s mutual.” In fact, it was almost startling, how quickly she and Val had become friends. Almost as easily as Zach’s mother and hers, chattering away in the kitchen. Her intuition had been dead-on, that Mama needed more human interaction than only hanging out with her daughter 24/7. Could be why she’d taken poor little Edgar to the vet so often, simply to get out of the house. What Mallory hadn’t realized, though, was that Mama wasn’t the only one craving companionship, that maybe Mallory wasn’t as much of a hermit as she’d thought. Then she thought she heard Zach chuckle.
“I don’t blame you for hiding out, though. We definitely get a little loud when we’re all together.”
Zach excepted, Mallory thought, even as she pushed out a little laugh. “Okay, you got me. Don’t get me wrong, I love people. And your family...they’re great. Really. It’s been a long time since I enjoyed myself that much. But I’ve never been much for parties.”
“Not even fancy Hollywood ones?”
“Especially those. Well, except maybe for getting to dress up. That was fun. But it’s one thing to be ‘on’ when you’re in front of the camera, another thing entirely when you’re not. One of the things I do not miss, believe me. Since I’m one of those people who needs to recharge every couple of hours. For both my sake and everyone’s around me.” She looked around. “So this is the house Granville Blake gave your folks after your dad retired?”
She heard Zach release a breath, as though grateful for the subject change. “Yeah. It’s small, but adequate. Mom’s not much of a decorator, but she as least added some color to it. Lots of this stuff clients gave her over the years. And she finds a perfect spot for every gift.”
“I can tell. It’s adorable. And very homey. In fact, it gives me some ideas for my own place, see if I can make it feel more...welcoming.” The little one stirred in her lap; she raked her hand through his silky curls. “Did he get this red hair from his mother?”
A second’s hesitation preceded, “Hers was darker. More...auburn, I guess. Her grandmother had the really red hair.” He smiled. “Good Irish stock. What about you? Or is that...?”
“My true color? It was at one time. Now it has help. And don’t look too closely, I haven’t had a chance yet to find a decent local colorist. If there is such a thing.”
His mouth twitched. “I wouldn’t’ve pegged you to care about stuff like that.”
“You’ve met my mother, what do you think?” she said, and he smiled, then nodded toward the toddler. “How on earth did that happen?”
Mallory angled her head to look down at that angelic little face, smeared with barbecue sauce and ice cream. His mouth open, he released a shuddering little sigh and sagged back into sleep, and her chest cramped. “He wanted a ride on the ‘car chair,’ he called it. So I obliged. I’d forgotten how quickly little kids can pass out, though. One minute we were having quite the conversation and the next—silence.”
“I’m sorry, the kid weighs a ton—”
“I can’t really feel him, Zach,” she said gently. “Not on my legs, anyway.”
“Oh. Right. Sorry.”
“No worries, I’m used to—”
“Idiots being insensitive?”
“You’re hardly insensitive. And you’re definitely not an idiot. And anyway, most people aren’t that way on purpose. They simply don’t know. I sure didn’t before it
“Oh! I’m sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye.”
She could barely see him in the scant light eking from the hallway, but the slump to his shoulders as he sat forward in the chair made her heart ache. Especially since she figured his obvious exhaustion wasn’t only physical. “Val knew you were in here with Liam. She said not to bother you, she’ll catch you later.” He paused. “I can tell, she really likes you.”
“The feeling’s mutual.” In fact, it was almost startling, how quickly she and Val had become friends. Almost as easily as Zach’s mother and hers, chattering away in the kitchen. Her intuition had been dead-on, that Mama needed more human interaction than only hanging out with her daughter 24/7. Could be why she’d taken poor little Edgar to the vet so often, simply to get out of the house. What Mallory hadn’t realized, though, was that Mama wasn’t the only one craving companionship, that maybe Mallory wasn’t as much of a hermit as she’d thought. Then she thought she heard Zach chuckle.
“I don’t blame you for hiding out, though. We definitely get a little loud when we’re all together.”
Zach excepted, Mallory thought, even as she pushed out a little laugh. “Okay, you got me. Don’t get me wrong, I love people. And your family...they’re great. Really. It’s been a long time since I enjoyed myself that much. But I’ve never been much for parties.”
“Not even fancy Hollywood ones?”
“Especially those. Well, except maybe for getting to dress up. That was fun. But it’s one thing to be ‘on’ when you’re in front of the camera, another thing entirely when you’re not. One of the things I do not miss, believe me. Since I’m one of those people who needs to recharge every couple of hours. For both my sake and everyone’s around me.” She looked around. “So this is the house Granville Blake gave your folks after your dad retired?”
She heard Zach release a breath, as though grateful for the subject change. “Yeah. It’s small, but adequate. Mom’s not much of a decorator, but she as least added some color to it. Lots of this stuff clients gave her over the years. And she finds a perfect spot for every gift.”
“I can tell. It’s adorable. And very homey. In fact, it gives me some ideas for my own place, see if I can make it feel more...welcoming.” The little one stirred in her lap; she raked her hand through his silky curls. “Did he get this red hair from his mother?”
A second’s hesitation preceded, “Hers was darker. More...auburn, I guess. Her grandmother had the really red hair.” He smiled. “Good Irish stock. What about you? Or is that...?”
“My true color? It was at one time. Now it has help. And don’t look too closely, I haven’t had a chance yet to find a decent local colorist. If there is such a thing.”
His mouth twitched. “I wouldn’t’ve pegged you to care about stuff like that.”
“You’ve met my mother, what do you think?” she said, and he smiled, then nodded toward the toddler. “How on earth did that happen?”
Mallory angled her head to look down at that angelic little face, smeared with barbecue sauce and ice cream. His mouth open, he released a shuddering little sigh and sagged back into sleep, and her chest cramped. “He wanted a ride on the ‘car chair,’ he called it. So I obliged. I’d forgotten how quickly little kids can pass out, though. One minute we were having quite the conversation and the next—silence.”
“I’m sorry, the kid weighs a ton—”
“I can’t really feel him, Zach,” she said gently. “Not on my legs, anyway.”
“Oh. Right. Sorry.”
“No worries, I’m used to—”
“Idiots being insensitive?”
“You’re hardly insensitive. And you’re definitely not an idiot. And anyway, most people aren’t that way on purpose. They simply don’t know. I sure didn’t before it
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