He tore his eyes from Janie and looked toward the sound of the cough to see Jared standing by his door. “Hey, glad you made it. I wasn’t expecting you for another hour.”
“Obviously.” Jared’s stared at Janie and Evan’s joined hands.
Sensing his displeasure, Evan discreetly freed his hand.
Janie gave Jared a hug. “Someone got a tan while away.”
“That’s what happens when you’re out in the hot sun all day.” Jared’s gaze switched warily from Janie to Evan. “What’s going on here?”
The bite of Jared’s initial reaction didn’t bode well for the announcement.
“Let’s go inside and talk.” He pulled his keys from his pants pockets and unlocked the door, pushed it open.
The sweet aroma of a brown sugar ham greeted them. He’d prepared it in his newly purchased slow cooker this morning using a recipe that claimed to beno fail.
Jared dragged a chair from under the table and sat down—another sign of his displeasure. They always sat in the living area, whether eating, hanging out, or doing anything else. The table never got used. Today would be the first time Evan could think of that it was used for eating purposes.
Janie shot him an uneasy glance.
“It will be okay,” he whispered, praying that was the truth.
He pulled out a chair for Janie then sat beside her, across from Jared. He didn’t know any way to tell Jared except directly. “Janie and I are dating.”
“How long’s this been going on?” Jared’s cheek twitched.
“Since March.” Now that the cat was officially out of the bag, he reached for Janie’s hand under the table. Her fingers trembled against his.
“Why am I just now finding out about it?”
“You were gone, and didn’t have a phone.” Janie’s soft response was calmer than the one on the tip of his tongue.
Leaning against the backrest, Jared crossed his arms. “I’ve been home since Thursday.”
“We wanted to tell you together and in person.” Evan followed Janie’s protocol and didn’t snap like he wanted to.
“Does Wyatt know?” Jared clenched his jaw.
Evan hesitated to answer. “Yes.”
“Of course.” A derisive snort came from Jared. “I’m the black sheep of this little group, aren’t I?”
“Not at all.” Janie stretched her free arm across the table and touched Jared’s arm. “The only reason Wyatt knows before you is because you were unreachable. Had you been here, we would have told you right away.”
Jared snickered. “Are you sure about that?”
“Completely.” Janie’s hand shook harder under the table. “Can you be happy for us? Please?”
“No.” After uncrossing an arm, Jared waved a finger back and forth between them. “This—you two—shouldn’t happen. It’s a slap in the face to Mike. How could you do this to your husband?”
Evan lost his patience. He pressed his hands against the table and stood. “That was uncalled for. Apologize to her now.”
“It’s okay.” Janie removed her hand from his and pressed it against his bicep. “He’s speaking out of anger.”
“It’s not okay.” He glared at Jared. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately. Drinking, insulting friends, and I’ve heard rumors about you going home with women from bars. You feel guilty, I get that. We’ve all fought it on some level, but that doesn’t give you the right to be a jerk.”
Jared rolled his eyes. “That’s classic, coming from the man dating his best friend’s wife.”
Clenching a fist, he had to consciously will himself not to punch Jared. He hadn’t been in a fistfight since junior high, and he didn’t want to break that streak now. “Mike’s gone, and he’s not coming back. Do you think Janie and I haven’t discussed it? There’s nothing wrong with us falling for each other and don’t you ever try to make it sound tawdry again.”
