He came after making her come once more and grabbed some clean towels from the basket. “You don’t have to wash your hair this time either, but no condoms is messier. Plus I want to rub soap on your tits.”

She hugged him after he’d taken his pants off and they headed into the shower and then snuggled down into his bed.

“I’m sorry about your dad.”

She sighed, snuggling closer. “No more tonight.”

“All right. You’ve earned it. I love you.”

“Love you too.” She closed her eyes and only let herself think about the design she planned to do on a motorcycle that next day.

Chapter Twenty-seven

PJ took a deep breath as they walked up the front steps.

Asa put his arm around her. “Gonna be just fine. No matter what, I’m here.”

She knocked and it was Shawn who opened up. He smiled at his sister, pulling her into a hug. “Come on in.”

He shook Asa’s hand and they walked through what Asa had imagined would be a cold, sterile mansion but was really a lovely but comfortable house. Clearly Lenore kept it up to entertain in frequently. Her touch was evident everywhere.

He definitely hadn’t expected a fully set table on a wooden back deck with lit candles in hanging multicolored glass containers.

“Wow.”

“I wasn’t exaggerating when I said everyone accepts an invite to dinner at Lenore’s.”

He was impressed but also wondered why Lenore put more energy into candles and flowers and table settings than reining in her jerk of a husband.

“This is beautiful, Mrs. Colman.”

She smiled at Asa, but hugged PJ first. “Thank you. I’m glad you’re both here. Julie just ran to the store to get some Parmesan. I can’t believe I forgot. Would either of you like a drink? We’ve got red and white wine, beer, soda, juice, those fizzy waters Jay likes so much…”

“I’ll get us both a beer.” PJ headed to one of the ice-filled buckets on a nearby table in the large open kitchen overlooking the deck and manicured back yard.

Jay came to join them, greeting PJ and Asa as he poured himself a glass of wine.

Lenore looked the deck over from her place near the stove. “It’s chilly tonight, but I have the heaters out so that should keep everyone comfortable.” Her mother moved around, adjusting, stirring, pouring. Occasionally she’d give an order for a child to do something, but mainly she knew what she wanted to do and everyone kept out of her way.

Julie returned with the cheese, which she then curled over the top of salads before taking them to the table.

But what Asa really wanted to know was where the hell Howard was. They’d been there about half an hour already and he hadn’t shown himself.

Finally, he came out from what appeared to be a home office.

Lenore looked up, smiling. “Oh, there you are. I was beginning to think I was going to have to send an expedition into your office to find you. Dinner is ready.”

The look on PJ’s face broke Asa’s heart. She wanted her dad to be proud of her. To see her as different, and wonderful for it.

Howard looked at Asa and for a moment, he attempted to pull some posturing, dick measuring bullshit. But the lion didn’t give any thought to the concerns of the sheep, as his sister liked to say. Asa was an alpha dog, and soon enough Howard turned away.

“Penelope.”

She nodded. “Dad. You remember Asa, don’t you?”

Howard jerked his head and mumbled a yes. He didn’t offer his hand to shake, which was fine with Asa, though he felt bad for everyone else who was clearly embarrassed.

“Let’s all sit down.” Lenore cut between Howard and PJ, taking her daughter’s arm and heading outside. Julie hung back with Asa.

“Is she okay?” Julie asked him.

“She’s been quiet. But she had a lot of work yesterday and today, so I’m hoping she hasn’t had a lot of time to think about it.”

“We’re meeting tomorrow morning, so whatever he does tonight will have an impact on that. I wish it could play out otherwise, but I just don’t see it at this point.”

“Stop whispering and get out here,” Lenore called to them.

Asa sat next to PJ, placing himself between her and her dad but far enough away that he was out of punching distance, which was probably for the best. PJ might not forgive him if he broke her dad’s jaw.

Food was passed around as everyone attempted to make small talk.

Shawn refilled his wineglass. “Asa, I saw a motorcycle you built for my friend Ernie Patterson. Really excellent work.”

“Ernie is a big guy; he needed that big fat back end.”

“You have a Softail, don’t you?” Jay asked, and they talked bikes and then shifted to cars and racing. Asa hoped Jay stepped up and took care of this thing with his dad like he’d promised, because he could see himself hanging out with Jay. He was a little stiff, but he wasn’t a bad guy.

“Motorcycles are dangerous,” Howard finally said.

No denying it. Asa nodded. “They are. I’ve known plenty of guys who’ve ended up in the hospital after getting into accidents.”

“But you do it to look cool? Is that it?”

Asa wondered if Howard had always been like this, or if he’d started off all right and ended up an asshole.

“I do it because I like it. I try to make it safer, but I do it knowing and accepting it is an inherently dangerous activity. Some things you do despite the risks.” He wanted to say more, but he kept his tongue. For PJ’s sake.

“That makes you a bad bet for my daughter, doesn’t it?”

“Dad. You’re being rude,” Shawn said.

“How am I being rude? It’s a valid question.”

Asa was pretty done with this piece of shit. “Mr. Colman, your daughter would be too good for any man. I’m a grease monkey. I bang out dents for a living. But I’m an honest man doing an honest day’s work for what turns out to be a very comfortable living. For whatever reason, Penelope loves me, and of the two of us, I think I’m the one who understands how special that is. I have no plans to mess that up.”

“How about you?” Shawn asked their dad. “Can you say the same? That you have no plans to mess up how much PJ loves you? Because I don’t think you can right now.”

Howard’s face darkened. “You shut your mouth, Shawn. This is none of your concern. You think I haven’t noticed how you’ve all started to challenge my authority? And how it all coincides with this thing insinuating himself into Penelope’s life? And she’s such a goddamn needy woman she’s got to let him latch on.”

Asa stood up and PJ did as well, holding her hand out. “Asa, please.”

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to apologize to your daughter for that ugly accusation.”

“Get the hell out of my house. He’s common. Trash! Trying to get at our money through her thighs.”

But it wasn’t Asa who dealt with that insult, but Lenore, who slapped her husband’s face.

“How dare you say such a vulgar, cruel thing to our daughter?”

Red faced, a hand on his cheek, Howard replied, “It’s true. Look at her. She tarts up her natural good looks with crazy hair colors and all those tattoos. She consorts with these people.” Howard indicated Asa. “She dropped out of college. She quit the job we gave her after that failure and this, the biggest failure of all, this creature who is clearly using her and she’s too stupid to see it. Pretty fades, Penelope; what will you do then?”

PJ had gone totally pale. Asa helped her away from the table and back into the house. Shawn had intervened between his parents and Jay was telling everyone to stop talking and calm down.

Julie came in and pulled PJ into a hug. PJ tried not to cry, but Asa saw the strain and knew it was only a matter of time.

“I’m so sorry he said that,” Julie said. “He’s such an asshole. He’s wrong, PJ. You are smart and strong and you are successful. Don’t let him make you doubt that. You’re coming tomorrow, right?”