Rose Addams: A Novel by Margie Taylor

Author:Margie Taylor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: NeWest Press
Published: 2023-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

25.

It was beginning to look as if this was going to be one of those rare dinners where things went relatively smoothly. No one, so far, had mentioned the Hindley book, and nobody was pressing Ryan for personal details. Maybe they were being polite. Or maybe they were more interested in finding out more about Richard and the mysterious Bev. Rose certainly was.

“How did you two meet?” she asked him, trying not to sound as desperately curious as she was.

Before he could answer, Lauren suddenly stood up, gripping the table. “Oh, god, I’m sorry, I’m doing it again. Excuse me.” Rose got up to accompany her but Lauren waved her off. “It’s okay, Rose, I know where the bathroom is.”

Ryan turned to Garnet. “Is your daughter sick?”

“My daughter? I have no idea. I haven’t seen her in more than a year. As far as I know, she’s as healthy as a horse.”

Managing, just barely, to control her amusement, Marie informed Ryan that Lauren was Garnet’s partner, not his daughter.

“Oh, like in business,” he said. “I get it.”

“Well, no . . .” Marie began, but an indignant Garnet interrupted.

“That adorable young woman is my betrothed. My inamorata. My paramour.”

Feeling the need to interpret, Rose added, “They’re together.”

“Really? Wow.”

“You might well say ‘Wow’ young man. And she’s having my child. So stick that in your pipe and smoke it.”

There was an uncomfortable silence.

“So Ryan,” Morgan said, trying to ease the tension, “where are you living these days? Are you on the North Shore?”

“I have a tent. It’s quiet and I like it.” He took a sip of water— Rose noticed he hadn’t touched his wine—and added, “I’m kind of a loner, you know? I spent three years in Nepal and I got used to being on my own.”

“Nepal?” Rose said. “You were in Nepal?”

“Oh my god,” exclaimed Morgan, “that’s so exciting. What were you doing there?”

“Learning the language. I wanted to go to Tibet but I met a monk when I was in India and he was headed to Kathmandu. I ended up travelling with him and staying with him in Pokhara. That’s, like, the second largest city in Nepal.”

Morgan was transfixed. “Did you stay in a hostel?”

“We stayed in a monastery,” Ryan said.

Jason wanted to know if he thought about becoming a monk, and Ryan rather shyly confessed that he did, for a while. “But it wasn’t for me. I mean, they were great and I learned a lot but, I don’t know, I guess I wasn’t ready.”

“What did your parents think?” Marie asked. “About you maybe becoming a monk? Did you talk to them about it?”

“I wouldn’t,” Lee interjected. “If I was making a life decision, like, the last thing I’d do is talk to my parents.”

“Maybe,” Rose said, “it depends on the kind of parents you have.” She turned to her son. “You’d talk to us, wouldn’t you, if you were thinking of becoming a monk?”

Jason laughed. “I promise you, Mom, if I ever decide to give it all up and go into a monastery, you’ll be the first to know.

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