Their waitress, Candy Siler, who’d been a few years ahead of them in school, sauntered over. “Okay, you two. What’re you having?”
They ordered steak sandwiches and talked about beef and lumber prices till the food came. Joe stuck a fry in his mouth and then picked up his sandwich. For a few minutes, they ate in silence.
Finally, Joe spoke. “So tell me, Joshy. What’s on your mind?” Joe grinned across the table as he waited to be called Joey. It was a running joke between them. They both hated their childhood nicknames, so whenever they got together, they razzed each other with them.
But Josh wasn’t in the mood for kidding around. He pitched his voice low. “Riley’s pregnant. It’s mine. And you are officially sworn to secrecy about this until I tell you otherwise.”
Joe’s grin got smugger. “I know already. Macy told me. I didn’t say anything because she said if I did she might have to kill me.”
“Can’t say I’m surprised.” Riley and Macy told each other everything.
“So then, cousin. You getting married again?”
“You think she’ll have me?”
“Oh, hell yeah. You got a successful business, your boys are joined at the hip, and the two of you are always together. And you’ve known each other forever. You’ve got trust with each other, am I right?”
“We do. Yeah.”
Joe gave him a long, thoughtful look. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
Josh set down his fork and sat back in his chair.In love…
He’d married Lenore because she was pregnant and it had seemed like the right thing to do. And he’d tried, he really had, to make it work. But it hadn’t worked. After it was over, he’d promised himself that next time he would have what his parents had. Next time, he would marry for love.
Across the table, Joe ate his steak sandwich and waited for Josh to answer.
Washe in love with Riley? Could he be? He asked his cousin, “How did you know that Macy was the one?”
Joe drank more beer. “Are you kidding? I had no clue. Not for a long, long time. Not for years. Not till after I married her, which I talked her into because she’s my best friend. Then I almost lost her because I refused to see the light and admit how I really felt. Don’t be like me, Joshy. Life’s too damn short to tell yourself lies about what’s in your heart.”
* * *
An hour later, back at the office, Josh called his mom.
Abby Heller Bravo had an accounting degree from the University of Colorado. She was the numbers person at Cash Enterprises, the company his dad and his older brother, Ty, owned and ran.
“Mom. I have a great idea. How about if I come over for dinner tonight?”
“Can’t wait to see you,” his mom replied. “I’ll need to order the meal. What are you in the mood for?” Abby was the best mom ever, bar none. But she never cooked, not if she could help it.
“Mom, you know me. I like everything. Just order whatever you’re in the mood for.”
“All right, then. I’m thinking takeout from Carmelita’s.” The cozy Mexican restaurant had been a fixture in town for as long as Josh could remember.
“Sounds great,” he said.
“Six?”
“I’ll be there.”
When he arrived at the big, gray-shingled house on North Street, his mother grabbed him in a hug right there at the door. Then she stepped back. “Come in, come in.”
His dad was waiting in the big living room with its vaulted ceiling and gorgeous slate fireplace. They drank margaritas and shared an appetizer of chips and salsa as they talked business in a general sort of way. For the meal, they sat at the small table in the kitchen rather than the impressive mahogany one in the formal dining room.
As they ate delicious carne asada, his mom talked about the party at Lenore’s. She and his dad had dropped by there with Shane’s gift.
“We had space station cake,” she said with a grin. “The kids were adorable—and only a little bit out of control. You know how they get on a sugar high.”
