They wouldn’t see the blue jeans and boots hidden beneath the desk. He could only conform so far.
He’d once considered Bo an annoying rookie. Oh, how wrong he’d been.
“Lucky?” Bo waved a hand in front of his face.
When had Bo crossed the floor? “Oh, yeah. Sorry.” Lucky stood, stretched, and kissed his man.
They made their way down deserted corridors. At least Bo doing paperwork late meant the roads wouldn’t be so crowded.
They rode the elevator to the parking garage, thetap, tap, tapof Bo’s dress shoes echoing in the nearly empty space. They crawled into Bo’s SUV and buckled in.
Sooner or later they’d have to buy Ty a car of his own to drive to school, but Lucky didn’t mind carpooling nearly as much as he let on, loaning Ty his Rav-4.
He collapsed against the seat. “It’s gonna be weird, ain’t it?”
Bo nodded, glancing over and patting Lucky’s leg. “Yeah. I still want to knock every time I go to my office.” He shook his head. “Gonna be strange not having Walter there, but he’ll be around, doing consulting for a while.”
“He’s been with the SNB ever since there was an SNB.” Yet Walter lived to retire, and didn’t wind up on the SNB memorial page. “Ya think he suspects anything?”
“As many times as he’s been to the house in the past few months?” Bo started the vehicle and drove out of the parking garage. “As far as he knows, he’s coming to a cookout and to see the kids. He takes that whole Grandpa thing seriously.”
Yes, he did. As Mrs. Smith did being Grandma.
“He’s gotta know we wouldn’t let him ride off into the sunset without some kind of sendoff.” Lucky’s stomach rumbled. Had he forgotten lunch today? “And cake. Don’t forget cake.”
Bo chuckled. “Yes. I’m told his wife will allow him a reasonably-sized piece.”
“He’ll like that.” Walter gave up so much to be healthier. He should live it up occasionally.
They remained quiet for a few miles. Finally, Bo spoke up. “Charlotte asked me again this morning when we plan to set a date.”
Lucky barked a laugh. “She asked me last night.”
“Have you seen the latest wedding brochures she left on the coffee table?”
The new coffee table they’d had to buy, thanks to Fuckwad O’Donoghue.Lucky reached across the console and laced his fingers with Bo’s. Now that so many important matters were finally settled, yeah, they needed to follow through on their promises to each other.
“I’ve seen ‘em. Everything from a Las Vegas package to wedding on the beach.” Better than Charlotte’s original plan of a huge wedding.
So not Lucky’s thing, but if Bo wanted… “What do you want?”
Bo remained quiet for a few miles. “I’d like our family and friends to be there, but to be honest, all I really need is you and the kids.”
Lucky shuddered. “I dare you to try leaving Rett and Charlotte out.” They’d remind Bo and Lucky of the slight every chance they got.
“True.”
He wanted Walter there, and his parents, even if they barely spoke to each other. Maybe they could patch up their differences enough to celebrate Bo and Lucky’s big day. Bo’s aunt, uncle and brother should be there too, and Lucky’s nephews. Maybe a brother or two.
Bo stopped by a bakery, and Lucky ran in for the cake Charlotte ordered: chocolate cake with fudge frosting, and “Happy Retirement Walter” written in blue, with a rough drawing in yellow of Walter’s SNB badge. Perfect.
Few gifts, though. The work betting pool chipped in and bought a week’s cruise to the Bahamas for Walter and his wife.
Times changed. Bo the boss. Ty about to be a senior in high school, planning to join his brother at Clemson University once he graduated. Yeah, they’d definitely have to get the kid a car soon.
He still dated Keith’s daughter Chelsea. Good thing she was nothing like her father, whose asshole quotient kinda evened out over the years. He and Lucky weren’t friends, might never be, but they no longer seemed enemies.
Lucky held Bo’s hand the rest of the way home, and the community gate moved out of the way without giving them a hassle.
