"Mmm…it sure is," Lauren Jane said in a low, husky voice.
I looked over and spotted Lauren Jane's hand wrapped around Lawton's right bicep. The way it looked, she'd caught him in mid-motion of sipping from his wine glass.
The glass, still poised at his lips, was nearly full. This wasn't good. A few more minutes of this, and he'd be needing the whole bottle.
Matter of fact, I should've gotten him drunk on the way. Better yet, I should've gotten myself drunk. Lawton was driving, after all.
Lauren Jane gave the bicep another squeeze. "You must work out like crazy," she told him. "Just how muchcanyou lift, anyway?"
"Wait," Josh said, "I know this. Three-hundred pounds."
We all turned to look at him.
He shrugged. "I read it on the internet."
"Chloe dear," Loretta said, "Will you be taking your seat any time soon?"
I looked around the table. Was I still standing there? Oh crap. I was.
Silently, I returned to my seat. I watched as the salad was handed from person to person around the table. When it got to Lawton, he passed it along without taking any.
"You don't want any?" Josh said.
"Nah. I'm good," Lawton said. "Since I already ate half on the way." He made a show of lowering his voice. "Don't tell anyone, but there was also this chocolate cake."
Josh's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
"Yeah," Lawton said. "And a side of beef, couple of hams." He shrugged. "A pie. A dozen donuts. After that, I lost track."
"Oh, you," Lauren Jane said with a playful pat on his arm. "Stop teasing that boy. He'll believe anything."
"No I won't," Josh said.
"Josh," Loretta said, "don't sass your sister. It's not polite."
Josh looked to his plate. "Sorry."
Lawton leaned over and said something in Josh's ear. Josh grinned.
Loretta cleared her throat. "Lawton? Care to share with the rest of us?"
"You mean salad?" Lawton glanced down at his empty plate. "Sorry, I didn't take any." He turned to Lauren Jane. "How about you? Got any spare salad for your mom?"
Frowning, Lauren Jane looked down at her salad plate. She gave it a worried look. "There's not that much here," she said.
Loretta pursed her lips. "That's not necessary. I wasn't referring to–" She made a little huffing sound. "Oh, never mind."
When the salad reached me, I took two small pieces of lettuce. Then I stood to return the bowl to the sideboard, located just behind Lawton. On the sideboard were silver platters covered with big, domed silver lids.
Loretta thought it looked upscale. Personally, I thought it looked like room service for twelve.
But I'd gotten almost used to it. Just like dressing for dinner, Loretta liked things a certain way. If things weren't always so tense, it might've actually been fun. But itwastense, and fun was a word I never associated with this house.
Walking back toward the table, I looked down and spotted Lauren Jane's bare knee rubbing against Lawton's leg. Either Lawton didn't notice, or he was choosing not to react.
I had a reaction, alright, but nothing I could act on. If sassing was rude, stabbing Lauren Jane in the leg with my fork was definitely off-limits.
So, with a stupid smile plastered to my face, I returned to my seat and glanced in Lawton's direction. With his muscles, tattoos, and T-shirt, he looked completely out of place, but somehow, it only made him look better, at least to me, anyway.
