Fringe Benefits by Sandy James

first Thanksgiving with Mark?”
    A smile spread over Nate’s face. “Forget that fiasco? Never.”
    “What happened?” Dani asked.
    Since he hadn’t seen her come up behind him, he jumped at her question.
    Her hand settled gently on his arm for a quick moment, and she offered him a sweet smile. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
    He tossed her a wink in return. “No worries.”
    “So tell me about Thanksgiving.”
    Jackie folded her arms under her breasts as her eyes shot daggers at her sons. “Hasn’t that story grown stale by now?”
    “Not in the least,” Patrick replied before glancing at Dani. “She set the turkey on fire. Nate had to jerk the smoke detector off the wall to get it to stop blaring at us.”
    “We ended up eating side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner,” Nate added. “And my stepfather wasn’t even scared away by it. He actually proposed to her that day.”
    “The man’s obviously a glutton for punishment,” Patrick said before Jackie playfully punched his upper arm.
    Had his mother not been standing right there, Nate had no doubt that Dani would have burst out laughing. As it was, she was pursing her lips tightly, and her eyes were bright. In the time he’d spent with her, he’d enjoyed her sense of humor. Hopefully his mother would learn to enjoy it as well, because he planned on seeing exactly where his attraction to Dani might lead.
    He just had to convince Dani to give him a chance first.
    “We should get this downstairs so we can get the bed next,” Nate said. “I need a place to sleep tonight that doesn’t have as many lumps as Mom’s mashed potatoes.”
    Jackie let out an indignant gasp. “Who decided this was pick-on-Jackie day?”
    “Didn’t you hear?” Patrick asked, tossing a wink to Dani. “Congress passed a resolution that every Saturday is pick-on-Jackie day!” He hefted up his end of the dresser. “Let’s go. You’re slacking, little brother.”
    With a grunt, Nate lifted his end. At least the dresser was the only truly heavy piece of furniture. The rest would be easy. Not that there was a lot to move anyway. The basement had great furniture, and he almost felt guilty that he was going to be the one to break it all in.
    There had been a small quarrel between him and Dani over the rent. What she’d proposed had seemed ludicrously low, and Nate, wanting to be fair, told her what he thought he should pay. They finally settled on a price somewhere near the middle.
    He was getting the better end of the deal, and he damn well knew it. He also appreciated that she clearly remembered how difficult it was living on a first-year-teacher’s salary. The price was more than reasonable, especially for a furnished suite in such a great house.
    After they set the dresser in the bedroom, Nate waited while Patrick bounded back up the stairs. His mother stayed downstairs, a familiar expression fixed on her face that said she needed to dispense what she always thought was worldly wisdom. Nate would let her have her say; then he’d probably set her opinion aside.
    Although Jackie Brennan was a very intelligent woman, she often let that intelligence get overrun by her emotions, especially where her sons were concerned. What she had to remember was that Nate and Patrick weren’t children anymore. It was no longer necessary for her to protect them; she needed to let go.
    “You really think this is a good idea, Nate?” his mother asked.
    At least Dani had remained upstairs and didn’t have to hear the worry in Jackie’s voice. He sure didn’t want her to think his mother’s concern was personal. “Yes, Mom, I do. A
very
good idea. I’ll be able to save enough money to consider buying a house in the near future instead of pouring money down the crapper of some shitty apartment or rental house.”
    “I know that extended-stay hotel wasn’t great, but there have to be other alternatives.”
    “You do realize how small Cloverleaf is, don’t you?” he asked.
    “Of