“Interning,” Callum repeats. “That’s a polite word for working for free.”
“It is unpaid,” I confirm. “But the experience is invaluable.”
“And you’re living off what?” Callum’s eyebrow lifts. “Your sparkling personality?”
“Callum,” Ben warns. “Give her a break. She’s a kid.”
I am not a kid, but I let it go. I can’t very well argue that I am an independent woman while we are discussing how my brother is paying all my bills.
“What? It’s a reasonable question.” Callum shrugs.
I meet his eyes. “Ben covers my expenses while I’m building my resume.”
Callum lifts his beer. “Must be nice having a multimillionaire brother.”
“It is.” I smile at my brother. “I’m so proud of what he’s accomplished since college.”
Silas glances up from the cutting board. “It’s practical, Callum. Internships as prestigious as hers are how you gain experience and build connections. Not everyone has that option.”
“Fuck, relax, Silas. I’m just saying she’s lucky.”
They pick up right where they left off, giving each other shit and throwing around inside jokes that I half-remember.
I stay near the counter, peeling the label from my beer bottle into damp curls, watching more than speaking. Trying to match these men to the boys I remember.
Silas catches me looking at him while he’s chopping vegetables for dinner.
I don’t look away fast enough.
His gaze holds mine for a beat. Then he turns back to the peppers.
I take a long drink.
By the time dinner’s ready, the sky has gone dark. Evan loads plates, and we each grab our own plate before following him outside to a deck strung with lights. The lake stretches out in front of us, black and still.
Dinner looks and tastes delicious—salmon and roasted vegetables.
The conversation flows easily. Ben relaxes in a way I haven’t seen in months, and watching him laugh with them reminds me why he’s stayed friends with these guys for more than twenty years.
“So, what’s the plan for the weekend?” Ben asks between bites.
“The plan is to relax.” Evan stretches. “No schedules.”
Callum raises his bottle. “Drinking.”
Silas cuts into his salmon. “Avoiding reality.”
Ben glances at him. “The inheritance thing still hanging over you?”
Silas sets down his fork. “It’s handled.”
“Oh, yeah?” Evan laughs. “Handled how?”
Silas blows out a breath. “We’re working on it.”
Callum snorts. “Working on it. That’s optimistic.”
My curiosity spikes. “What inheritance thing?”
