Free The Pajama Affair by Vanessa Gray Bartal Page B

know anyone who is his type,” Liza answered honestly.
    Mrs. Xavier nodded. “Probably not. He’s always been the wild one of the two. Dirk has always been the stable one who wanted a family and commitment.”
    Liza choked on her reply. Dirk? A family? Commitment? If he wanted either of those things, it was news to her. In five years he had never once hinted at their future together. He seemed content with their casual status quo. Maybe all mothers preferred to think of their sons as family men.
    “You want children someday, don’t you, Liza?”
    Liza coughed again. Could this evening get more odd and awkward? “Yes,” she said at last. “A lot.”
    Mrs. Xavier smiled happily. Her dreamy expression told Liza she was most likely picturing Dirk’s face on a swarm of kids, but Liza suddenly felt inexplicably sad. Was she simply putting in her time with Dirk in order to one day hand him off to the true mother of his children?
    “What can I help you with?” she asked to cover the unbidden lump in her throat. Thankfully there were a few things left to do in order to finish supper and she was able to throw herself into her work.
    While they worked they made small talk. Mrs. Xavier probed gently into her life, but Liza didn’t mind the intrusion. She had always gotten along well with Dirk’s parents, and she knew they approved of her. Once, a few years ago, Mrs. Xavier commented that Liza was a better choice for Dirk than Scarlet. That comment had earned her Liza’s lifelong love and devotion.
    “Liza,” Milt Xavier said as soon as she entered the dining room. “You look incredible. What did you do?”
    “Milt,” his wife snapped. “Liza always looks pretty.”
    “Yes, but now she looks…” He trailed off when his wife shot him a silencing look. He cleared his throat. “Yes, well, supper looks delicious.”
    Dirk caught Liza’s eyes and smiled before holding out her chair for her. “Liza is always full of surprises,” he said. He glanced at her hair, probably remembering when it was the color of the sun.
    She wrinkled her nose at him and he laughed. Across from them Sal watched with a benevolent smile.
    “I think I’ve been missing out by not getting to know Liza better before now,” he said. “I guess I’ll have more time now that I’m single.”
    Liza smiled as if this was good news, but in reality Sal made her nervous and always had. She still had the sense his newly accepting mood was an act. It felt more patronizing than approving. Maybe recent events were making her paranoid. After all, what possible motivation could Dirk’s cousin have for not wanting her to be with Dirk?
    If she was lukewarm about Sal’s company, Dirk was ecstatic. “You should spend some time with us. Liza is an amazing cook. We’ll have you over and she can cook something impressive.”
    “Sounds very domestic,” Sal said. She couldn’t be sure if his tone was sarcastic, but Dirk didn’t seem to think so. He smiled happily at Liza and tucked into his food.
    “Liza is a wonderful cook,” Dirk’s father agreed. “Much better than that other girl. The famous one. What’s her name?”
    An awkward silence fell over the table.
    “Scarlet,” Sal supplied at last. “Although her cooking must have improved because she has a cookbook coming out.”
    Part of Scarlet’s fame had come from her learning process. People were fascinated by the new bride’s stories as she went from novice to expert in nearly every subject, including cooking. She even learned how to do car repairs that, though simple, were light years over Liza’s head. There was seemingly nothing she couldn’t do.
    “Scarlet’s a marvel,” Liza muttered, and meant it. She didn’t dare glance at Dirk. She didn’t want to read love or regret or anything else on his face.
    Thankfully Mrs. Xavier moved on to a new, innocuous topic. Liza concentrated on her food until she felt someone’s eyes on her. She wasn’t surprised to see Sal studying her