I pondered her answer and had to agree with her. If I didn’t work at Caldwell & Crest or did what I did for a job, Brendan wouldn’t have been my first choice. He was what others referred to as a bro. His boys came first, after the dollars in his billfold. Yes, he said he loved me, and we spent quality time together. He was generous, flirtatious, and a catch. But if one of his frat brothers called with a tee time in Miami, Brendan was on the next plane out of Logan.
Although, I’d done the same thing for Miriam.
Friendships were important, but so were relationships, and Brendan had never done me wrong. So, yes, he was in my world, and we fit.
“He’s a great guy, Miri.”
She smiled softly and turned toward the window. Outside, Nova laughed, and my mom rocked in the chair. Every so often, we heard the power saw, followed by hammering and the nail gun.
“How come you never pursued things with Weston?”
Miri chuckled. “Never even gave him a thought.”
“Really? Why the hell not? Have you looked at him? Clearly, he likes you.”
“Because it’s not me he’s interested in,” she said as she gave me a pointed look. I shook my head slightly, and she nodded. “I can see it in the way he looks at you.”
There was no way he liked me. We’d just met.
As if on cue, Weston stood in the front window with his back to us. I had to admit, he had a nice backside and was ruggedly handsome.
“I was shocked to find out he used to be a professional baseball player. You never told me.”
Miri lifted one shoulder. “I didn’t think it mattered. He rarely talks about it, and no one in town really bothers him about it. Unless it’s during baseball season, and then everyone will go on and on about how Wes played in the majors.”
“Wes?”
She nodded. “That’s what he goes by.”
“Huh, he introduced himself to me as Weston.” I stood and went to the window. As soon as Nova saw me, she waved and motioned for me to come outside.
“Sort of how you didn’t tell him to call you Toni.” Miri smirked.
Hadn’t I? I kind of liked how Weston called me Antonia.
“Do you want to go outside?” I asked Miri, needing to change the subject, although going outside to where Weston was working was exactly the way to accomplish the task.
She shook her head no. “I’m comfortable and enjoying the quiet.”
I laughed because things definitely weren’t quiet. Not with the table saw and hammering. “All right. I’ll be back in a minute.” I opened the door and carefully stepped outside. If my mom and Nova were still on the porch, it must have been safe.
I glanced toward Cutter and Weston (or Wes, whatever he preferred to be called), who had their heads together, and Weston pointed to something on the wood. He’d taken off his long-sleeved flannel, and each time his arm moved, his bicep flexed. I should’ve looked away and put everything Miri said out of my mind because it seemed like nonsense.
“He’s teaching him the basics,” Mom said as she motioned toward them when I glanced her way. Had she caught me staring? “What he’s learning now, he’ll be able to use in the future. This was very kind of Wes to come do this.”
So, he’d introduced himself as Wes to my mom as well. I wasn’t sure why this bothered me, but for some reason, it did. Unless there was a more intimate meaning behind it?
I sat down next to my mom, and Nova switched laps. She leaned back against me and rested her head on my collarbone.
“Do you have to go home tomorrow?” she asked, used to me leaving on Sundays whenever I came to visit.
“No, I’m not going home for a bit.”
“Because Mommy is sick?”
Hearing Miri’s daughter say those words made my throat seize. I nodded, unable to find my voice.
“Are you going to live with us?”
