One week later
Thursday, March 11, 2021
They’d been at the coast for nearlya week. Five days to be exact. They’d made the trek on Sunday and would be leaving on Saturday, which as far as Trey was concerned was both not long enough and too long at the same time.
Oh, it had nothing to do with the relaxation. That had been incredible. Five days of nothing to do but sit down by the water, catch a nap in the warm breeze, or walk along the beach. That had been pretty much all he’d done, having promised himself he would unplug from the real world, just like his brother requested.
It had been just what the doctor ordered.
And the company wasn’t half bad either.
Trey reclined in one of the many lounge chairs they’d scattered over the sand, beer in hand. Baz, JJ, Charlie, Reese, Brantley, Holly, and Luca were sitting around the campfire, laughing at the stories they’d coaxed out of him.
It was Brantley’s fault. If his brother didn’t react so dramatically, Trey wouldn’t find so much amusement in telling them.
“Then there was this one guy,” he continued, locking eyes with Brantley.
“Do not go there,” Brantley growled.
“I don’t even remember the dude’s name,” he lied. No way could Trey forget Danny Musket, but it was more enjoyable this way. “Somethin’ like mustard, or muscle.”
“Musket,” Brantley grumbled.
“Yes!” Trey lifted his beer in a mock toast.
“Danny Musket!” JJ shouted. “Oh, my God! I forgot about him. Y’all were all up in each other’s business.”
“We were not,” Brantley denied.
“Oh, they were,” Trey confirmed. “One night, I was on duty—”
“Fuckin’ mall security,” Brantley hissed. “Not a cop.”
“Anyway. I stopped in at E-Z’s for a cup of coffee—”
“Pork rinds and Dr. Pepper,” Brantley corrected, exactly as he always did.
Trey grinned. He loved how easily Brantley denied but always made the proper adjustments to the tale.
“—when what did I stumble upon?” Trey laughed. “There I was, mindin’ my own business, strollin’ through the parkin’ lot—”
“Checkin’ out the beer delivery guy,” Brantley noted.
Yes, yes, he had been checking out that guy. Never did get anywhere but Trey had found him rather impressive. Tall and layered with muscle. Yum.
“—when somethin’ caught my attention.”
“It was Danny’s Toyota truck,” Brantley said quickly. “You claim it was rockin’, but I call bullshit.”
“My story…”
“Your lies,” Brantley groused, taking a pull on his beer.
“Wait,” JJ interjected. “Danny worked at the convenience store, right?”
“He did.” Trey glanced around at all the faces. “And that particular night he was gettin’ some action—exactly his words—while on his break.”
“He did not say that,” Brantley huffed.
