Chapter 21
“ M eep!”
The tiny squeak from behind Dexter alerted them to the fact that Lainey was there and had heard her brother’s pronouncement. The three men turned to face her in unison, and she took a step back.
“Lainey,” Murphy said in that way only brothers can, with full accusation and shaming.
Dexter, unable to stand the stark panic in her expression, held out his hand to her, inviting her to take a step closer and reach out. She did so, letting out a breath as she tucked her hand firmly in his.
“This guy says he’s your husband,” Murphy added. Now his tone demanded Lainey tell him it was all a big joke.
“Well, the thing is, um, he, um, is,” Lainey said, purposely not looking at Ian. She didn’t have to look to hear the sound he’d just made, as if all the air was suddenly sucked from his body.
“What the…” Murphy began, but Dexter interrupted. Belatedly he realized he was hovering protectively and that protectiveness wasn’t helping diffuse the tense situation. He stepped aside.
“Maybe you should come in,” he invited.
“Oh, gee, thanks for the invite, total stranger,” Murphy said, full sarcasm.
“Murphy, please,” Lainey said.
“Please what, Lainey? You are married and you didn’t tell your family? Did you know?” He faced Ian who shook his head still looking dazed. He tried to catch Lainey’s eyes, but she was still successfully dodging him.
“Does anyone want candy? I could arrange a plate.” Lainey’s gaze traveled helplessly toward the kitchen.
“Candy will not solve this,” Murphy declared.
“Candy solves everything,” Dexter said, giving Lainey’s hand an encouraging squeeze. He could practically feel the blood draining from it, from her, and it set his already heightened emotions to “percolate.” But he needed to be careful, to make a good impression on the brother she adored. Or rather try to salvage the poor impression he’d already made. Currently the two men were looking at him like he was the suspicious grifter, as if he wasn’t the one who had been here every single day the last few weeks, watching Lainey struggle alone. If they were so vested, where had they been? And who was the other guy, the silent one whose gobsmacked expression looked like he’d been bashed in the face by a large frying pan?
Lainey laughed weakly and shot Dexter a helpless plea. What did she want from him in this situation? To play the husband or explain the truth? For that matter, what was the truth? Every day the water became a bit muddier.
Murphy and the other guy, whose name Dexter would soon learn was Ian, came in and closed the door. And then Murphy faced his sister, arms crossed. “You have some explaining to do.”
“Well,” Lainey began, shooting Dexter another of those looks so that even though he told himself not to interfere, he felt himself take a breath to do exactly that.
“Did we know you were coming?” Dexter blurted.
Murphy and Ian scowled at him. “What?” Murphy said.
“Did Lainey know you were coming? You live in Florida, right? Seems far away for a drop by visit.”
“Oh, so you do know about me,” Murphy said.
“Of course I do. Lainey talks about you a lot. I think maybe you’re her favorite person,” Dexter said, tossing Lainey a smile. “Which makes it all the odder that we had no idea you were coming.”
“I decided to surprise her,” Murphy said.
“Surprise,” Lainey said weakly, waving her free arm in what might have been a failed attempt at jazz hands, a thing she did when she felt nervous or awkward.
“It’s just that if she knew you were coming, I’m sure she would have tried to prepare you for this,” Dexter said, raising his hand where it was joined to Lainey’s.
Lainey nodded her frantic agreement. “Yes. I would have…tried…to…explain and prepare. Are we sure no one wants candy?” Her eyes shot hopefully to the kitchen again. Dexter wasn’t certain if she truly believed candy would redeem the situation or if she was merely desperate for escape. Perhaps she was planning to shimmy out the tiny window over the kitchen sink.
“Try now,” Murphy demanded. “I’m listening.”
Lainey took a breath. “Well, Dexter was my neighbor.” She pointed behind them to Dexter’s shared wall. “And we both had these…there was a jar of cherries…I needed…The Russians…The Party…and now there are Hungarians. You know?”
Far from looking befuddled, Murphy and Ian stared at her as if this was par for the course with Lainey. Of course she would offer a baffling explanation of an even more baffling event. Dexter did not like that look, not one bit, because how dare they find Lainey anything but an adorable delight? Yes, she spoke in riddles, but in the best possible way and from an overflowing heart. So once again Dexter found himself about to provide a reprieve.
“It was one of those things,” Dexter said. “Kismet.” He brought their still joined hands to his lips and kissed Lainey’s knuckles and she blushed, playing her part well. Or maybe she wasn’t playing anymore. Who knew? Not him.
“You married a stranger and didn’t tell us,” Murphy said slowly, angrily.
Lainey let go of Dexter’s hand to toss up both her hands in frustration. “When would I have told you, Murphy? When you were dodging my calls? Not returning them? Letting them go to voicemail? Did you want me to leave you a message? Hi, it’s your sister. I met the best guy, and I’m marrying him because no one else wants me. ” Her voice broke.
“Lainey,” Ian finally spoke, his first word since the initial “what.” He reached out a beseeching hand. Lainey pivoted away from him and swiped her eyes, taking a shaky breath.
Dexter remained in the center of it, calculating how best to diffuse the tension. This was what he did, and he was pretty good at it, if he did say so. He took a breath and aimed for a friendly tone, one that wasn’t much of a reach, “Have you guys eaten? Because Lainey and I are starved, and we were about to get food. Why don’t I order some barbecue and we can sit down and talk.”
Ian still looked tense and miserable and—guilty? What was that about? But Murphy softened his stance, if only a little.
“I could go for some food,” he murmured.
“Good,” Dexter said with a nod. “Lainey and I found a good place, a hole in the wall, and they deliver. I’ll call it in and then for dessert we could, I don’t know, eat chocolate perhaps. My wife makes a stellar makeup ant.”
Lainey snorted a little laugh, as he knew she would. It was wobbly, but it would get better, he’d see to it. He gave her shoulder a squeeze. She tossed him a warm smile in return, and he reached for his phone.
A s the night wore on, Murphy became less suspicious, more relaxed, more willing to give Dexter a chance. And Dexter was killing it, if he did say so himself, at least with Murphy. Murphy was impressed by his job and his manner, probably thinking the calmness made a good foil for Lainey’s high passion. Dexter thought so, too, an unforeseen and happy circumstance of their sham marriage. They actually were good together, exceptional, really, and he vowed to circle back and think about that fact later. But not now, not when there was still so much to be done to smooth the rough and awkward night.
In the end most of the awkwardness had stemmed from Ian, and Dexter didn’t understand. Was he that protective of his best friend’s little sister? Did he believe Murphy was being blinded by Dexter? Or was it something else? Did Ian have a crush on Lainey? Had he believed he would end up with her and saw Dexter as a rival?
He put that away to think about later, too.
The food arrived. It smelled good and tasted delicious and for a while they ate, Lainey and Murphy making pleasant small talk about their family. Murphy and his dad were hard at work on their latest venture, an alligator farm, and Dexter had a lot of questions about that. Ian was a local firefighter, but his stoic expression and angry silence didn’t invite questions, so Dexter asked him none.
By the end of the evening, everyone but Ian had mellowed considerably. Dexter liked Murphy and thought he loved Lainey as much as she loved him. But they were different, vastly so. Murphy was more reserved with his affection, emotions, and words. He wasn’t a phone guy; he was a show up in person and demand answers guy. Now that he’d received them, he seemed satisfied. And Lainey seemed happy that her brother had an actual interest in her life.
The evening began to wind down to a natural close. We did it, Dexter congratulated himself. They had successfully convinced Lainey’s brother and friend that they were a happily married couple. Then, as always, he realized he was premature in his self-congratulatory conceit when Murphy stood, stretched, yawned, and spoke.
“Is it okay if I stay here?”
“Yes,” Lainey gushed, full enthusiasm as always. “You’re always welcome here, you know that.”
“I knew it when you were single, not so sure about now,” Murphy said. His eyes traveled questioningly to Dexter. Lainey’s eyes traveled to him in panic as realization hit: if Murphy stayed, they’d have to continue the charade that their marriage was real, that Dexter didn’t go to his own apartment at the end of the night.
“Absolutely,” Dexter said. “Always welcome.” He gave Lainey’s back a little pat, trying to push the panic out of her eyes. It would be fine. They’d been married for weeks. Surely they could safely cohabitate for one night. Couldn’t they?