Light Her Fire (Private Pleasures 2)

ned amusement flowing in from the kitchen. Melody secretly sighed. They seemed so happy. She took another sip of her second glass of wine and let the mood carry her.

“Sounds like he does. But let’s back up a second, because I’m still getting over the part where your boss walked in on you while Chief Bradley was, shall we say, putting out your fire.”

She cringed at the memory. “Yeah. I’m still getting over it, too. The good news is I remain employed. Ellie pretty much laughed the whole thing off.”

“You know, it’s a small world. We ran into her last night, too.”

Roger bustled in from the kitchen and placed a tray of cheese and crackers on the coffee table. He cleared his throat, and nodded. “Yes. In Lexington. Her and Tyler.”

“Ellie seemed very sweet.”

“She is very sweet, and after last night, I’d add incredibly understanding. Which brings me to another topic.”

She sipped her wine and waited while Roger settled himself on the sofa next to her. The last golden rays of sun slanted through the big, rippling panes of the living room window and bathed him in light. He looked like a poorly disguised angel—glowing skin, neatly trimmed blond hair nearly gilt around the edges, and deep blue eyes full of secrets.

His secrets, unfortunately, were her current problem. She put down her glass and faced him. “You need to talk to Ellie.”

He gave her a guarded look. “I talk to Ellie all the time. Spoke to her this morning at Jiffy Java, in fact.”

“I know. You invited her on a date. Why would you do that?”

His brows shot up. “I didn’t. I mean, it wasn’t a date. I invited her over for dinner tonight.”

“Were you clear it was a group dinner? Because I don’t think she caught that part.”

Now his surprise turned guilty. “I don’t know. We were standing in the middle of the coffee shop, and I was trying to be quick and discreet. Anyway, she couldn’t make it tonight, so she invited me over to her place for dinner after I get back from vacation.”

“Why, why, why the sudden interest in socializing with Ellie? If you’re using her to make people around here think you’re straight—”

“He’s doing damage control,” Doug explained.

She shifted her gaze from Roger, who’d paled at her accusation, and focused on Doug. “Damage control?”

The dark-haired man smiled, but she caught a hint of an edge to it, directed at Roger. “We ran into Ellie and Tyler last night at the Slap N’ Tickle. We all exchanged the obligatory lie about being there to buy stuff for a bachelor party, but Roger’s worried she’s going to tell everyone in Bluelick she caught him and his astoundingly gorgeous ‘friend’ shopping in the Hardy Boys section of Lexington’s largest adult toy store. And then sun—”

“My father would have a stroke and my mother would blame me for killing him.”

Melody waved her hand, batting the comment away. “Sweetie, your father survived a year in Vietnam. You mother survived an emergency appendectomy. I highly doubt an honest discussion about your sexual orientation is going to cause either of them to stroke out.”

“They’d be hurt and disappointed.”

“No more so than they are now, by the wall you keep between them and you. Don’t you think they can feel the distance? They know you’re not happy, they just can’t figure out why. You don’t give them enough credit.”

The sunbeams had shifted to the space on the sofa between them, and Roger sat in his shadowed corner, staring at the floor, looking miserable and alone. All her indignation on behalf of his parents, and Ellie, and, if she were honest, herself, faded. She felt like a big bully. An apology sprang to her lips, but Doug caught her eye and shook his head.

“Something to consider,” he said.

“I am considering it,” Roger shot back. “I do consider it. Constantly. Do you think I like this lie I’m living? You think I don’t feel like fraud, and a jerk? I do. About the only thing I know is I can’t handle feeling any worse.”

As much as she hated to push him, she circled back to her original point. “Can you handle coming out to Ellie? If you can’t, will you let me tell her?”

“Mel, there’s no way she doesn’t already know. She saw us…” He looked at Doug for confirmation.

“She might not have picked up on the implications. Tyler? Yes. Ellie? I’m not so sure.”

“She didn’t,” Melody insisted. “She thinks you two have a date when you get back.”

“Fine. Okay.” Roger scrubbed a hand over his face. “I know you’re both wrong, but when I see her next, I’ll talk to her. I’ll just”—he made a sweeping motion with his hands—“come right out and say it, so there are no misunderstandings. Then I’ll beg her to keep it to herself.”