“But then you would need to be within breathing distance of Leo,” I remind her, because those two in the same room is pure hell sometimes.
“Trust me. That thought crossed my mind, but the alcohol is working wonders for my Zen,” she explains before pivoting away.
Lucas looks at me with a smile, and his signature dimple comes out. There’s a pause as we both admittedly let our eyes roam to shamelessly check the other out.
I amnotimagining this.
“Did you buy your expensive bottle of scotch for your parents yet? Or are you still waiting to see if the dog takes a turn for the worse? You might owe them more than just a bottle of the expensive stuff,” I have to tease him a little.
He gives me a look of feigned shock. “Whoa, I am for sure praying for Brownie’s survival. May even stop by the church to pray—just don’t think the priest would let me step foot in there.”
I have to laugh as I play with my wine glass stem. Lucas, Leo, and Max got into a lot of trouble growing up, and the town wasn’t safe when they hit their teenage years. It was parties thrown when parents were away, pranks at school, and cars racing on dirt roads. Everyone knew that if something went haywire that it was most likely those three culprits. The priest was no exception.
“Admit it. It drives you insane, that dog,” I press him for the truth.
His hands go up in surrender as he sits on the stool next to me. “Okay, you got me. It’s insane the way my mother makes us all move off the sofa, so the mutt has a spot. But Theo loves the guy, so I really do need Brownie to survive, because I don’t want to explain to a four-year-old why the dog died from a Paw Patrol toy that he left lying around and why his father—a doctor—couldn’t cure the dog. I have an image to maintain.”
A chuckle escapes me because his response is cute. “How long are you babysitting Brownie?”
Lucas takes a swig of his whiskey and lets a hum escape as the liquid flows down his throat. “Actually, I’m staying at their place until my house is ready as it needs some renovations. But now my parents are at their place in Arizona for the winter anyhow.”
“Wow, must feel kind of…”
“Strange. Or surreal that I am in my thirties and crashing at my mom and dad’s?” he offers with a smile.
“Yeah, both. But I get it. What kind of doctor are you again?”
“Family doctor. Took over the practice from Old Man Cohen. Seems you and I have a thing for timing with retired people.”
“I guess so. It’s good for our business, though.” I let my tongue circle inside my mouth as I’m enjoying the flow of this natural conversation.
He takes another sip of his drink as his eyes stay on me. “How are your folks and brother?”
I twirl on the barstool, angling my body more towards him. “Good. They went down to Florida for the winter. My brother is in Austin working for some tech company that builds apps. I would ask about your folks, but I run into them all the time. Your mom is still the best. So kind and still seems like the life of a party. Does she still try and speak French with you?” I ask because his mother is French, and I remember how she always tried to get Lucas to speak her language.
He chuckles. “My French is still rusty. A shame, but it just never took. I still remember when she cried at my parent teacher meeting when I was sixteen because I took French as an elective and the teacher said I was getting a B.”
“Sounds about right. And your son? How is he?”
Lucas’s face beams. “Theo is great considering all that has gone down in the last year. For now, he’s just happy when he visits here as my parents have a pool that they heat in the winter.”
Lucas pulls his phone out of his pocket and quickly swipes the screen, then turns it towards me. Looking, I see a sweet-looking kid with curly brown hair, and he’s sitting on the floor building with Lego.
I smile, “He’s adorable. I can see the resemblance.”
“Oh, so I’m adorable?” Lucas gives me a cheeky look.
I roll my eyes and move on. “He lives with his mom?”
Lucas gently nods, “Yeah, we split custody. Not my ideal, but that is a story for another time.”
Without hesitation, my fingers reach out and touch his arm to give him reassurance and comfort. His lips twitch with my touch. I’m really trying to be a normal friend, but my sensors pick up on his hard muscles underneath his shirt and it’s apparent that I’m feeling something that I shouldn’t feel for just a friend—attraction.
“And you? Ex-husband a nightmare? New boyfriend a prince?”
My eyes flick up to meet his, and a wry smile forms on my mouth. “Well. Ex-husband and I don’t speak, we don’t have a need to. I consider myself lucky in that we both just knew it was for the best. And… no boyfriend.”
Lucas licks his lips, and it seems he’s trying to hide a grin. There’s a pause between us as we just look at each other and his eyes are just like I saw earlier today on a Labrador puppy, except these eyes have a tint of sexiness to it. Maybe it’s wishful thinking that he seems satisfied with my answer.
