Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 2

smothered in thick, red barbeque sauce, a plate of grilled vegetables on skewers and a big bowl of potato salad. Thick slices of watermelon were in a large dish on the side. Rico nodded approvingly.
    Rico grabbed several pieces of chicken and sat next to his uncle at the table. Dan brought a pitcher of sweet tea to the table and three glasses of ice. Rico thanked him and grabbed a leg off his plate.
    The chicken was delicious, the sauce both sweet and hot and he quickly reduced everything to a small pile of bones. Scraping the bones into the trash, he went back for a serving of potato salad. It was creamy and garlicky with the potato chunks melting on his tongue, lovely.
    Finished with his potato salad, Rico took a couple skewers of vegetables for his plate and bent to enjoy them. He looked up to see Dan watching him with a funny expression on his face.
    "What?"
    "Nothing," Dan smiled at him. "Just watching you eat."
    Rico always got self-conscious when he was watched. "It's not like the fajitas, which are supposed to be mixed together. These tastes are distinct and I don't like it when the flavors get contaminated," he said defensively.
    "Rico, it's fine. There are places in the world where people commonly eat like you do. You just don't see it as much here in the States."
    Rico sat for a moment. "Have you traveled to a lot of different places?" He was curious. Most people would poke fun at his eating habits.
    "A few," Dan shrugged, his demeanor becoming more subdued.
    They finished their meal in relative quiet.
    Rico rinsed his plate and stacked it in the sink. He remembered their conversation from last night and he wanted to break the silence he had caused.
    Lacking other ideas, he blurted, "I forgot to ask for your phone number yesterday."
    He wasn't terribly comfortable in social situations. He never got the jokes everybody else laughed at. Innuendo and subtle hints were completely wasted on him. Rico needed clarity; blunt, direct communication. He especially didn't know how to react when emotions were involved.
    "I realized that this afternoon. I would have called, but Salty mentioned that you work a lot of hours this time of year and I didn't want to bother you at work."
    "Taking care of my uncle is not a bother." Rico said heatedly.
    "I know that Rico. I also knew that we would see each other soon, so it didn't seem urgent. I'm sorry if you were stressed about your uncle's move."
    Dan's tone was reasonable and soothing. Rico could feel some of the tension leaving his shoulders. He picked up his glass of sweet tea and sipped it as he gazed around.
    The floor plan of the house was open and inviting. The decorating was eclectic. Large and small masks from various countries hung on the walls. Extensive shelving held quite a few books and some carvings. Dragons and mythical creatures off all sizes and types were interspersed with Buddhas, shadow puppets and small Asian paintings of birds. A few bits of colorful pottery and some delicately painted gourds completed a unique décor that somehow fit together.
    Rico was startled when his uncle declared it was his bedtime. He got up and gave the old man a hug and held him for a moment. Salty gave him an awkward pat. "Don't worry about stuff so much kiddo. Things will turn out how they turn out."
    Salty nodded at Dan and went off to his room.
    Silence was their only companion for several minutes. Rico turned to Dan. "Do you mind if I look around a little?"
    "Not at all. Would you like to see the backyard?"
    Rico nodded and followed Dan outside.
    The sun had set and solar lights in pale blue followed the vegetation in twisting patterns. There were a couple of wooden benches and a small table and chairs set that looked like it had been carved from large knotty stumps of wood. A gas barbeque grill was off to one side. Like the front yard, the backyard gave Rico a sense of peace, home.
    "If you hand me your cell, I'll program my numbers in." Dan held his hand out and Rico gave him the cell phone.
    "I have an unfair advantage over you Rico." Dan continued. "Salty has talked about you a lot, so you are familiar to me. I'm certain he never mentioned me though."
    Rico shook his head. "When I first saw Uncle Russell putting money in your account, I assumed you were involved with those weird projects he's always got going on."
    "In a way, I am." Dan answered. "I told you about my history with Salty. From what I've seen so far, aside from his charity work, he is still bringing in