Elizabeth shook her head. “I don’t know how you manage it. I would be a mess without the support of my family.”
“I was for a while,” Ricky admitted as he shouldered open the door. “It was really tough at first, but I was able to build a new family—a family of my own choosing.”
“A family by choice.” Elizabeth echoed. “I like that idea.”
“Although it appears that some of my biological family will come through for me as well.” His smile was so genuine that Elizabeth was happy for Will’s presence in his life. Not every guy would be so welcoming of a long-lost transgender cousin. She had to give Will credit.
Speaking of… “Have you seen Will recently?” She strove to keep her tone casual, otherwise he might guess that she’d been haunting the internet for information on the guy.
Ricky regarded her with a raised eyebrow before transferring another container of spaghetti from one hand to the other so he could pull open the kitchen door. “Yeah, I had dinner with him last night. He’s been great, really welcoming me to the family.” He set the container on the stainless-steel counter, a smile quirked around his lips. What was that all about?
Elizabeth dropped her burden on the counter with a thump. “Did his parents apologize?”
“No. Apparently Darcy’s father doesn’t believe in apologizing, although just having me in their house was an apology of a kind. They seemed embarrassed that they didn’t help me before. They kept asking if there was anything I needed.”
They headed toward the front entrance to grab more food. “How was Will when you saw him?” That sounded casual, right?
“Good. He’s going abroad soon.” Elizabeth nodded. Variety had reported that he’d be in Vietnam to shoot a new movie. “But he promised to keep in touch.”
“That’s nice.”
“I didn’t know what to expect. His parents are…well, they’re not the most empathetic people. I’m sure they give money to charity and stuff, but they’ve lived in such a rarified environment all their lives that they often don’t get what it’s like for people who’ve had to struggle.”
Elizabeth pushed open the door. “I actually think that’s a good description of Will.”
“Really? Huh.”
“Empathy isn’t his strong suit.”
“It’s hard to shed a lifetime of habits, particularly when you’ve been raised with specific ways of thinking. But Will is really trying.”
She could see that. At times the newer Darcy seemed to be fighting the impulses and traditio
ns of the old Darcy.
Ricky added, “He genuinely wants me to be part of his life. I get the feeling he doesn’t have many close friends.”
Damn. Darcy could put her off balance even when he wasn’t in the room. Now that she thought about it, he did seem rather isolated. Was he lonely? He was an international super-star and a billionaire; it had never occurred to her to ask that simple question. Maybe his invitation to her was less random and more sincere than she had originally thought.
Ricky continued to speak, oblivious to Elizabeth’s internal monologue. “I hadn’t seen Georgiana since she was pretty young. She seems to be doing well, although I get the feeling she needed some help from Will.”
Elizabeth would have said it was hard to imagine Will taking care of anyone, but now she could picture him as a doting, protective older brother.
With a container of spaghetti sauce on her hip, Jane was waiting outside with the remainder of the food. Elizabeth grabbed the last container of spaghetti, and Ricky took the green beans, balancing the bread on top.
“I’m so glad you guys could join me,” Ricky said to Jane as they lugged everything into the shelter. Viewing him through her lashes, Elizabeth’s sister gave him one of her shy Jane smiles. Huh. I don’t notice Jane getting shy very often; it usually only happens when she likes… Oh. As she followed the others into the shelter, Elizabeth observed their body language in a whole new light.
Lynn, the director of the shelter, was waiting for them in the lobby. Ricky gave her a quick one-armed hug. “The kids will be so happy to see you!” she told him. “Even the ones who weren’t mentored can’t stop talking about visiting the In the Shadows set.”
The words filled Elizabeth with warmth. She’d gotten to know many of the mentees and was excited to see them again. “Is Jeannie here?”
“Yes. I made her finish her homework, but she’ll be down for dinner. And Maya has been asking about you and Jane all day.”
“What about Garrett?” She didn’t know Will’s mentee as well as she knew some of the others, but he seemed like a nice guy.
Lynn chewed on a fingernail. “Huh. I don’t think he’s home yet. I’m sure he’ll be here soon. He never misses dinner. The way that boy can eat!”
“How many teens are in the shelter?” Jane asked as they carried the food down the hall.