“It was.”

And Liz could tell Sonja was uncomfortable.

“Hey, how come the guys never help with the dishes?” Liz asked, sliding off the bar stool. “Sonja, let’s go track down Nathan and my husband and find out where they’re lurking.”

“Sure. If you all don’t need me in here.”

“We’re fine. We’re just about done anyway,” Tara said.

As Liz led Sonja down the long hall toward the back of the house, Sonja turned to her. “Thanks for that.”

“For what?”

“For pulling me out of that conversation. I miss my dad for sure. But I just don’t like to talk about it.”

“Understood. Especially with a bunch of people you don’t really know.”

She smiled. “Right. Not that I don’t like all of you. You’re all . . . great.”

“Hey, you don’t have to sell me. I get it. We’re all pushy and nosy and overprotective, and we’ll ask you a million questions if you let us. So don’t let us and feel free to tell us to back off.”

“Oh, I’d never do that. But I might have to ease my way in. Things with Nathan and I are just getting started. And we both have our priorities, which are school and career first.”

The more she talked to Sonja, the more she liked her. “Those are good priorities to have.”

“Yeah, I mean we’re just eighteen. Plenty of time for all that romance later.”

Liz laughed. “Yes. Much later.”

***

Give a guy a game room, and the world is a happy place. At least a guy’s world is a happy place. There was pinball, pool, video games and even a foosball table, which reminded Gavin of college and of old times in their family basement, when he and Mick would go at it for hours. Gavin, of course, was the Riley foosball champion.

Mick, on the other hand, remembered it differently, claiming he consistently kicked Gavin’s butt. So they had to have a rematch.

Gavin won. Until Ty joined in and kicked his ass. And then Nathan took over and trounced all of them one by one.

Damned kids.

He sat back drinking a beer and watched Nathan and his girlfriend Sonja flipping the handles as they faced off against each other. She was pretty good at it, and Nathan didn’t let up just because Sonja was a girl. It was a pretty fierce competition, but in the end, Nathan won again.

Garrett rubbed his hands together. “I’m going to take you down this time, kid.”

“You’d like to think so, wouldn’t you?” Nathan asked with a gleam in his eye.

Sonja sat at the bar with a soda and grinned as Nathan took Garrett down easily. And then the women came in and started their own tournament. Tara faced off with Liz, and then Sonja hopped in. It was clear that Sonja and Nathan were going to be the foosball champions tonight.

“She’s cute,” Gavin said to Mick as they watched.

“Who? Your wife? She’s all right, but I’d have to say I prefer my own.”