"I'll have that table ready for you in just a sec," Hannah said and she went off.
It turned out that Mrs. Del Rio was the owner of the café and also a former Vegas showgirl whose photos decorated the walls of the café. While they waited and chatted with Mrs. Del Rio, Julian kept checking to make sure Danny was doing OK, but as long as he stayed by his big brother's side, it was all good.
Once they were seated, Danny got his own menu to look at. He disappeared behind it while Rob and Julian smiled at each other.
"Did you find something good?" Rob asked Danny.
"I don't know," Danny said quietly. "Julian is gonna help me."
"Of course I will," Julian said. "I see some chicken I think you'll like." That turned out to be chicken tenders breaded with panco and parmesan. Rob was tempted to have that himself. Plenty of things on the menu tempted him, but he kept it simple and got a bacon burger.
Danny leaned over the table to tell him, "I like burgers too."
"We're burger buddies," Rob told him then they both looked at Julian.
"I like them as well," Julian said after they peer pressured him. But in the end he ordered mushroom ravioli.
Hannah brought their order. Setting Danny's food in front of him, she told him, "Those are real good. Enjoy."
Rob noticed that any time someone spoke to Danny, Julian watched him closely to make sure he wasn't upset. So far, Danny only got shy but he wasn't too scared. Seeing that he was reacting so well put a bright expression on Julian's face that made him look much younger and more gorgeous of course.
"How old are you anyway?" Rob blurted out before he could stop himself. "Sorry. I spoke without thinking."
"I'm twenty-five," Julian told him with a faint smile.
"I'm a year older than you," Rob said. Glancing over at Danny, Rob noticed he was holding up three fingers. "Oh, sorry. Are you three?" Rob asked him.
Danny nodded.
"You're practically a young man," Rob told him but Danny shook his head.
"I'm little," he said.
"Right. A little brother," Rob said and Danny looked both pleased and shy. It must still be new to him and he was proud to be called that.
Rob smiled, but inside he was brooding a little. It made him feel bad that he was temping and Julian had a serious and lucrative career.
"It's nice to be born into money," Julian said. Did he know what Rob was thinking and he wanted to make him feel better? He must have.
"I'm sure you accomplished plenty on your own," Rob said and he meant it.
"I could afford to fast track my way through college with a heavy class load. But without money and connections, I would be working from a cubicle like others my age," Julian said.
Rob doubted it, but obviously Julian didn't feel he deserved his own success. "So no partying at college for you?"
Julian first looked over at Danny, saw that his little brother was busy with his food, but he still lowered his voice. "I had a bad time at school. I didn't expect college to be any better."
"Too bad. I overdid the partying and never finished," Rob confessed.
"I envy you," Julian said, but Rob didn't see how that was possible.
At the end of their meal, Mrs. Del Rio brought over a peach pie with whipped cream for Danny. It wasn't something they ordered. It was a special treat for Danny.
"Two pies in one day?" Rob said and Julian made a face.
Rob could have guessed he wouldn't approve of too many sweets, but there was no saying no to Mrs. Del Rio, so he just thanked her. Then he told Danny, "That's because today is special. Our first day in Peach Tree."
They watched him eat and get whipped cream on his face. Then it was time for some quick shopping. By the time they headed back to the house, the sun was starting to set behind the hill. It made for an amazing sight as they drove that way.
Rob pointed it out to Danny. "The sun is going to the same place we are. The sun is going home to bed."
As Rob said that, the words came back to him in his mother's voice. It was something she used to tell him and his sister when they were little. Then she would add, "Soon it will be your bedtime too."
Spending time with Julian and Danny made Rob think of her and miss her.
"You OK, Rob?" Julian asked him. He must have noticed his sad expression in the rearview mirror.
"Sure. Maybe I'm just a little sleepy," Rob said for Danny's benefit. The little guy would be going to bed soon, but Rob didn't expect to sleep very well with all these memories of his mom coming back to him.
