The full force of her blazing blue eyes turned back on him. It didn’t matter that he was her only grandson; she would never let him get away with what she perceived as a wrong. And obviously, not supporting his baby sister and his best friend as a couple was wrong.
“No one has the right to tell anyone who they should or shouldn’t love. Maybe one day you’ll fall in love again, and the person won’t be someone we would’ve expected.” When she slipped her arm inside the crook of his elbow, only then could he tell by the shaking of her slight frame how emotionally overwrought his grandmother was.
“It’s all right, Nana; I’m sorry. Don’t get so upset.”
“Don’t treat me like a china doll. I’m more aware of what goes on in this world than you think.” With her free hand she beckoned Rachel to come stand by her. Mike rubbed her shoulders and whispered in her ear. Rachel nodded and came over to them. “Sweetheart, tell your brother how you feel.” Nana withdrew her arm from his and shooed out Jordan and Ash. “Come, boys. Let’s leave them alone now.”
Ash leaned over and kissed Nana’s cheek. “Actually, Esther, I’m going to head out. I have a case I need to prepare for.” He made his good-byes and left.
Shocked over Ash’s precipitous leave-taking, Drew nevertheless concentrated his full attention where it belonged. On Rachel and Mike. “So. How long have you two, you know…?” Shrugging he couldn’t go on. What was he supposed to ask—how long his sister and best friend had been sleeping together? Um. No, thank you.
“Look, Rach, forget it. Nana’s right. It’s none of my business. I wish you could’ve told me sooner. But I understand why you thought I might freak out.” Their gazes caught, and they both burst into laughter at the same time. “I love you, sweetie pie. If you want to be with Mike, it’s fine, but God only knows why when there are so many better men in the city.”
“Douche bag.” Mike snorted.
“Hey.” Rachel hugged him tight. “Thank you.”
“Love you, Rachey.”
“Love you too, D.”
Now to deal with his friend. “Levin, come here.” He folded his arms across his chest, glowering at Mike, who gave back as good as he got. For the first time in a while Drew looked at Mike as someone who might be his brother one day. Tall, brawny, and blond, Mike Levin had never lacked for female companionship, despite the loss of almost all the hearing in his left ear. Now that Drew thought about it, recently Mike had been quieter, more settled than he’d ever been in the past.
When they were face-to-face, Drew poked him in the chest. “If you ever hurt her, I’ll kill you.”
“If I ever hurt her, I’ll let you do it. But I won’t, D.” He threw a loving glance at Rachel. “I never saw it coming, but she’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
And that was that. Nothing else mattered, did it? Anyone with half a brain could see the chemistry between Mike and Rachel now that he was aware of it. The man couldn’t take his eyes off her. That’s the way it should be, and once again Drew was reminded of his own failure of a marriage and lack of a love life.
“Well, all right, man. Be good to her.”
“Promise, D.”
The three of them hugged, but it was Mike she stayed with now, her face glowing and Mike’s arm remaining in a possessive hold over her. Drew heard a sniffle and glanced over his shoulder. Nana stood in the doorway, wiped her eyes and smiled.
“I’m glad that’s settled. Drew, will you help me heat up the food, please?” With neat, precise movements she put on her apron and pulled out the foam plates they would eat the Chinese food on. “Why don’t the rest of you go outside and enjoy the nice weather?” After shooting each other quizzical looks, Jordan, Mike, and Rachel headed out to the backyard.
Obviously, his grandmother had something on her mind she wanted to speak to him about. He took out multiple boxes of food and set them on the counter. “Can I ask you something, Nana?”
Her hands stilled on the door of the microwave. “You aren’t still angry about Rachel and Michael, are you?”
“What? No.” He shook his head. “I get it, and I’m fine with it.” Jordan and Mike tossed a football around in the backyard with Rachel in the middle, laughing and screeching at them to let her catch it once. A smile crossed his lips. Maybe it was inevitable that Mike and Rachel would fall in love.
And as usual, he was the odd man out. Jordan had Keith, and now Mike had Rachel. Not that Drew missed Jackie, at all. What he missed was someone to wake up with, to hold and to hold him.
He hated being alone. Even as a child, he’d beg to go wherever his parents went, even if it was only to the supermarket. It was part of the reason he’d gotten the cat after his marriage broke up. But as much as he loved Domino, it wasn’t the same as having someone to share his bed and his body with.
“What happened with Ash when I went to get the food? Everything was fine until you said you wanted to talk. The next thing I know, he looked miserable and hightailed it out of here as fast as he could.”
For the first time his grandmother looked disconcerted. “We spoke, and I told him of my past, in the camps.” A tear rolled down her face, and in an instant, he went to her, holding her close. “That poor boy has seen so much pain in his life. I never knew his trouble ran so deep.”
A current of unease ran through him. “What are you talking about?”
Nana’s head tipped back to look into his eyes. “You mean you and he have never talked?” Her voice rang with surprise. “I thought you two were very close.”
For a few moments he studied her face. He spoke sharper than usual. “What does that mean? Very close?” Jesus, he’d never acted this rude to his grandmother before. Biting back another harsh retort, he managed to control his temper. “Why would I be close with him? You don’t know him very well, Nana, but he isn’t a nice person. He sleeps around, he has few friends, and he doesn’t really care about anybody except himself. There’s a reason he’s alone. He likes it that way.”
But even as he spoke, Drew recalled those unguarded moments when he’d seen Ash in a different light. The time he’d bolted from the table at the restaurant, wild-eyed and sweating. And today, when Drew had held Ash, trembling in his arms. The ugly past Ash tried so hard to silence and bury under an arrogant, uncaring facade was too strong and ran too deep to hide forever. Drew’s conscience pricked at him, as if to chide him for his own mean-spiritedness.
