“I promise…” Keaton crouched and held out his pinky. “No cool stuff without my best assistant.”
Luke’s chest tightened, watching them seal the pinky promise. He caught Jenna’s knowing smile and Jules’s soft expression as they witnessed this side of Keaton.
“All right, crew!” Drew called from near the sink. “Break’s over. Let’s get these cabinets secured before our supervisor falls asleep in his chair.”
“I heard that,” Luke grumbled good-naturedly. “And I’m wide awake, thank you very much.”
The kitchen returned to its previous rhythm of work and conversation. Through it all, Luke kept one eye on Keaton and Jules, noting the way they moved around each other with careful awareness.
“Stop matchmaking,” Noah murmured in his ear. “Let them figure it out on their own.”
“Like we did?” Luke caught Noah’s hand, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “Sometimes people need a little push.”
“And sometimes”—Noah’s voice held fond exasperation—“they need space to discover things naturally.”
Before Luke could argue, Eli appeared with his backpack and suitcase. “Ready, Mom! But can we say goodbye to everyone first?”
“Of course, baby.” Jenna’s smile was warm as she watched Eli make his rounds, hugging everyone who would pause long enough.
Luke’s throat felt tight when Eli reached him, careful of his injuries as he wrapped small arms around Luke’s waist. “Love you, Uncle Luke. Take care of Dad while I’m gone?”
“Promise.” Luke pressed a kiss to Eli’s hair. “Have fun with your mom, okay? We’ll be here when you get back.”
“Ready, buddy?” Jenna held out her hand. “We’ve got a big day planned.”
Luke watched Noah wave them off, noting the tension in his shoulders. But instead of anxiety, Noah’s expression heldquiet acceptance. He’d have to work on keeping Noah’s mind otherwise occupied, so he didn’t worry about Eli while he was gone.
“I think we’re just about ready to place the countertop. Luke, you want to come over here and tell me what we screwed up?” Keaton teased. Luke doubted there was anything wrong with the installation, but he appreciated that Keaton still wanted him to give his okay.
“Yeah.” Luke squeezed Noah’s hand one final time before turning back to the renovation. “Show me what you’ve got.”
“Thanks again for today,”Luke said as the last of the crew filed out. The kitchen, while not completely finished, had been transformed. He was looking forward to a quiet night in with Noah preparing dinner now that the kitchen was more of a sanctuary than a prison.
“Don’t mention it.” Keaton paused in the doorway, his expression softening. “Really and truly. Because if word gets out that I’m getting soft in my old age…”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” Luke promised, sharing a grin with his oldest friend. “Even if you don’t know how to say no to a kid. I’m surprised you didn’t let him run the saw.”
“Yeah, well.” Keaton shrugged, but his smile was genuine. “He’s a good kid. Speaking of which…” He hesitated, then added quietly, “Jules mentioned something about maybe helping with the community center renovation next month. With you being laid up, I was thinking maybe you could put together someideas before I meet up with them. It’s not going to be anything massive, but they’re hoping to spruce the place up a bit ahead of this year’s Halloween jamboree.”
Luke bit back a knowing smile. “Is that so?”
This wasn’t so much a case of Keaton getting soft in his old age as him wanting to spend time with Jules in a “safe” way. But Luke wasn’t about to point that out to him. Keaton was a bit like an octopus. If Luke pushed him toward Jules, he’d back away. The best path forward was to sit back and watch as Keaton tripped over himself while trying to make the enigmatic server smile.
“Shut up.” But Keaton’s ears had turned pink. “Get some rest. We’ll finish tomorrow.”
After Keaton left, Luke found himself alone in the kitchen for the first time since moving in. The silence felt different now—peaceful rather than empty.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Noah’s voice was soft as he appeared in the doorway, fresh from his shower. His hair was still damp, and he wore one of Luke’s old T-shirts that had somehow migrated to his dresser weeks ago. He jerked his head towards the living room. “Let’s sit for a few minutes.”
“Just thinking about how far we’ve come.” Luke followed Noah into the living room. “I was irritated with Rachel when she asked me to help you. We had so much going on at work that I knew I didn’t have time to take on even more. But I was a goner the first time I pulled into your driveway.”
Noah laughed. Instead of sitting on the couch next to Luke, he kneeled between his legs. Luke’s heart raced and his dick twitched in his shorts. Noah had been serious about them not doing anything until he was healed, but Luke wasn’t sure hecould wait any longer. Unfortunately, Noah seemed more than content to keep talking. “When she gave me your info, I wasn’t sure you’d be up to the job. And I owe you an apology for that. I was thinking about the flighty little brother you used to be. I almost swallowed my tongue when I opened the door and you were standing there with a T-shirt so tight it should be illegal.”
“Is that so?” Luke tugged Noah closer, letting his hand slip under the hem of his borrowed shirt. “You should have said something sooner.”
“I’m sure you’ve realized by now I have a tendency to get into my own head.” Noah’s fingers traced Luke’s jaw, careful of the lingering bruises. “I was trying so hard to focus on being a good father, on not letting anything complicate Eli’s life. And there you were, making me want things I thought I couldn’t have. And when you add in the fact that you’re a guy and I’d only been with women in the past…”
Luke’s throat felt tight with emotion. “And now?”
