“A couple of promising ones.” He shrugged, averting his eyes. He wiped the excess paint off the wooden stick and set it on the lid.
“You just missed your Mommy.” Evan teased him. Dare huffed and shook his head, rolling his eyes as he poured paint into the three waiting trays.
“That’s not it. I didn’t realize how stifling it was in the city.” He replied, still not looking up from his task. Once the paint had been poured, he stood and wiped his hands on his Amiri jeans, grey paint coming off the tips of his fingers.
He stared at the stain on his jeans for a minute, not seeming to really see it. Jarring back into motion, he grabbed a roller.
“Yeah…” Evan’s usually joyful light-heartedness seemed to ebb for a moment, his brows drawing in just a little. “I do miss partying with you fellas and hanging out every day.”
I glanced at Dare, arching a brow. I’d assumed they had spent any time I wasn’t with them together, since for the last nine years we’d done just that. Spent every waking moment hanging out, writing music, or touring or sitting on the same bus.
It was hard to detect beneath his blond scruffier than usual beard, but Dare was blushing.
“Does this have anything to do with your lady guest you had the other night?” I joked. Dare’s expression shuttered, and he frowned.
“No.” he looked away, his jaw clicking with tension at the lie.
“Speaking of mommies, Daddy…when will we get to meet this kid of yours?” Evan chirped, this time teasing me.
“I was going to invite you guys to his birthday party, but I’m reconsidering.”
“Aww! Come on. I love parties!” Evan exclaimed, his voice bordering on a whine.
“It’s not that kind of party,” I replied as he moved the step ladder over to the other side of the window. He paused before climbing it, tossing me a scowling look over his shoulder.
“It’s a kid’s party. I’ll be on my best behaviour.”
“I doubt it.” I snorted, and Dare laughed in agreement. Pushing my roller through the paint tray, I arched a brow at the crestfallen expression on Evan’s face. “Obviously, you’re still coming. I told my kid he would get to meet his weird uncles.”
“Aww, we’re uncles, Dare!” Evan chortled, his eyes animated as he moved over to the living room window and set it up. He climbed the ladder, a roll of tape in hand to edge the molding around the window.
“Honorary—subject to revocation depending on how much you embarrass me.”
“Yeah, yeah. Best behaviour. Message received.” Evan said, taping around the edge of the window. “Where’s the party?”
“At the bookstore, next Saturday night. It starts at six-thirty.”
Evan shivered, as if I’d listed a cemetery as the venue. He hadn’t picked up a book since high school, and he struggled the most in school, especially academically. Evan had ADHD, and on top of that—he was dyslexic. In the third grade, his mom put him in drum lessons, hoping it would boost his confidence and hold his attention—and it did. Evan discovered he was naturally talented at something, and that gave him the drive to want to be even better at it. His ceaseless energy finally had a place of focus.
“Are your parents going?” Dare asked.
I nodded, my jaw tightening. “Haven’t spoken to the old man since that fight yet, but I bet Mom won’t let him miss it—even if he’d prefer to…even if I’d prefer him to.”
“Do you really not want him there?” Dare, the more serious of my two friends, sent a prying look my way, his arms still working the roller and applying paint in the centre of the wall.
I looked away and shook my head, processing my thoughts. I wanted him to treat me like he treated Connor, but there were eons of this…pattern. My father was a stubborn old man that had never yielded to anything, because he’d never had to.
“I want to give him a chance to be there,” I said, and we left it at that.
We got to it, rollers working quickly to cover the burnt orange terra cotta walls. With the three of us working diligently, we were able to finish the first coat in the living room, dining room, and kitchen before the sun started to sink. Although it still needed a second coat, I could breathe a little easier with the affronted colour covered.
My stomach rumbled—I was starving. A quick peek at my watch had revealed that it was nearly five o’clock. Before I could open my mouth to suggest ordering pizza for dinner, the front door opened.
My brows furrowed together as I turned, heart hoping like hell it was a certain brunette that kept creeping into my thoughts with our little boy in tow, even though I knew she was running the signing event at the shop. Asher had gone to see Jack and Caroline—something that had been prearranged before I’d walked back into the picture. His piano was housed at Harper’s parent’s place, and he needed to practice before his lesson tomorrow.
“Knock knock!” Mom called out, as she and Connor stepped into the foyer, both of their arms laden down with various bags. I crossed over, quickly taking some of them from my mother. Before I could grab a few off of Connor, Dare beat me to it. He reached out and took several bags from her hands. Connor smiled tightly and averted her eyes, looking past him to examine things.
I headed into the kitchen, Dare on my heels, and set the bags down on the counter, before turning to rejoin them. They had moved from the foyer to the living room.
