you care? It’s not your body.”
So, Ryan was right. Renée was deliberately trying to embarrass him into agreeing to a tattoo. Relief flooded through her, though she didn’t approve of his name-calling. Though some parents didn’t realize they were cussing, she wasn’t one of them.
The waiter brought their drinks to the table. Grateful for the break in round one, she waited until the waiter left before speaking. “So, what kind of tattoo were you thinking of? I’ve seen some that are true works of art.”
This got Renée’s attention. Easy enough, Anna thought.
“I’m not sure yet. I just know that I want one,” Renée said, finally speaking directly to Anna.
“So maybe you could search for something meaningful to you? Put some real thought into your choice before making a commitment,” Anna suggested, feeling the tension ease.
“I suppose I should since it’s gonna be like a forever thing.” Renée took a drink of her Coke. “Do you have any tattoos, Anna?”
“No, I was always too afraid of the needles, though my dad had a tattoo, a blue marlin. It had a symbolic meaning for him.”
“Really?” she piped up, then turned to her dad. “See, it’s not just white trash who get tattoos.”
Patrick laughed.
“Renée, you know what I meant when I said that. I think Anna is right. Maybe you should put a bit of effort in what you’ll be living with for the rest of your life.”
Finally, Anna relaxed. Renée was a belligerent teenager, pissed at her dad. Patrick seemed to enjoy watching them argue. Nothing that couldn’t be worked out with a little bit of patience and common sense.
“Can we go this weekend? To the tattoo parlor?” Renée asked her dad. “Just to get an idea?”
Ryan laughed, the relief showing on his handsome face. “I suppose we could, but I want you to calm down. Let’s enjoy dinner. You wanted to come here to meet Anna. I hope she’ll consider going out with us a second time,” he said, turning to her.
Would she? “Yes, I will. I think we should have dinner at my place. I’ll barbecue Labor Day weekend if you want. We can swim in the pool and make a day of it.”
“You’ve got a swimming pool?” Patrick asked.
Finally, she thought, they’re opening up to me. “Yes, it is hardly ever used. I would love it if you all would come to the house. Christina will be thrilled, as well as Mona and Jeb.” She hadn’t talked too much about her hodgepodge family but felt it was time Ryan and his kids got to know them. They adored kids, especially teenagers. With the diner being so close to the college campus, it was only natural that they’d befriended all the strays who spent hours there. She should know. She had been one of them.
“Aren’t they the couple that takes care of your lawn?” Ryan asked.
Slighted somewhat, she answered, “Jeb does, but they’re like family. They live in the guesthouse most of the time. They have a home of their own in Idalou. I like having them nearby, especially when Mandy isn’t around.”
“Who’s Mandy?” Renée asked.
“She’s my best friend, and she works with me. You’ll get to meet her, too,” Anna said. “She’s the brains behind The Simple Life.”
“Cool. So like, why did you start a YouTube channel? You’re kind of old for that.” Renée looked at her, then backpedaled. “I mean, most YouTubers are kids, younger people.”
Anna laughed. “It’s okay. I do lifestyle videos, cooking, and decorating. Sometimes I do beauty videos, hair and makeup, which is truly not my area of expertise, but it’s fun to break the mold once in a while. Do you have any favorites you watch?”
“I like Jaclyn Hill,” Renée said. “She’s a makeup guru.”
“Yes, I know who you’re talking about. She has quite the following. Christina watches her. She does amazing stuff with makeup.” She smiled at Renée.
The waiter returned to the table and took their orders. Ryan hadn’t said much, but she got the feeling he liked that she was able to carry on a conversation with his daughter. She had only been a baby when her mother died. It was natural that she would open up to a woman. Anna felt bad for her and made a mental note to see if Ryan would allow her to hang out with her and the girls, Christina and Mandy. Mona, too.
Out of the blue, Patrick asked, “How big is your pool?”
Anna took this as a good sign. Maybe he was a swimmer. “It’s