Nic smiled, and her joy made him hurt all the worse, because she should have been having a conversation with her husband, not his sorry ass. “Funny.”
“I mean it though. The part about you going out and finding someone to love. You’re so special, you and Amanda and Jane.” John’s baby girl, now four or five, if he recalled. “You’re the best of them,” he said, his voice breaking. He stood and paced.Gotta keep it together, man. Stop. Now they’re crying harder.“Sorry.”
“Oh, Gavin. I miss him so much.” Nic went to hug him, and he threatened to break into tiny pieces. Then Amanda hugged him too, all three of them locked in a crying, snotty embrace.
“If you wipe your nose on my shirt, I’ll slug you,” Amanda said, breaking the mood.
Thank God.
He chuckled and went to grab the tissues, passing them around.
“Okay, Gavin. I’ll go out and get laid right away,” Nic said and hiccupped, now smiling through her tears.
“Good. You do that.”
“You volunteering?”
He must have looked as horrified as he felt, because both ladies started laughing hysterically.
“Oh my God, your face,” Amanda said.
“Shut up.” This time he did wipe his nose on a sleeve—his own.
“I was kidding, Gavin. Ew. That would be like sleeping with my brother.” Nic made a face. “But maybe you should take some of our own advice. Find a nice girl.” She narrowed her eyes. “Or have you?”
He felt his cheeks heat. “There’s someone special. I like her a lot, but, well…” He shrugged. “She can do a lot better than me.”
Amanda frowned. “Is this where we’re supposed to chime in and list all your good qualities?”
“Hell no.”
“Because no one as handsome, strong, kind, and funny as you should ever have a girlfriend,” Nic teased.
“Yeah, those fine manners and that protective streak that any woman would kill to have are so yesterday,” Amanda said.
“Stop.” He wiped a hand over his mouth.
“And those gray eyes, that firm chin, that—”
A baby’s cry saved him.
“Thank God.”
Nic and Amanda snickered while Nic went to grab her baby.
“Seriously, Gavin. Let yourself find happiness.” Amanda socked him in the arm. “Because if I can get over my brother—the last member of my family standing—being gone, then you can too. How’s hunky Landon, by the way?”
He told her about his brother and Ava, about Hope and Theo. She laughed at Theo’s orange mohawk.
He glanced around. “What is taking her so damn long?” He was itching to leave, because he felt drained. As much as he loved seeing his friends’ family looking happy and living life, he needed to decompress from the tightness in his chest.
“Here I am. Had to settle him down.” She came out carrying a little blond boy. “This is little Mick. I call him Mikey.”
“Oh man. He’s so cute.”Mick, dude, your kid is incredible.
The boy saw Gavin and stilled. Big, brown eyes looked him over, and Mikey reached out a hand.
Gavin gave him a finger to grab onto. “Strong grip.”
