“If you go, I’ll go, too, and we can stick together since I won’t know anyone but you guys,” I offered.
Hawk’s gaze flew to mine, and I felt the weight of Knox’s stare on me, as well.
“There’ll be lots of pretty girls there,” Drew observed apropos of nothing.
Hawk frowned. “I’m gay, Uncle Drew.”
“I’m well aware, Hawk,” Drew confirmed gently. “I’m just mentioning it in case Gage is interested.”
“Oh. Thanks.” I shrugged and smiled. “But I’m not. At all.”
Drew smirked down at his burger, like he wasn’t surprised to hear it.
“If Gage and Uncle Hawk are going, I’m going also,” Aiden announced, licking burger juice off the side of his hand. I picked up his napkin and casually handed it to him. “My teacher Mr. Williams says boys can dance.”
“They can, for sure, but you’re not coming this time, bub,” Webb said. “You’re staying home with Uncle Drew.”
Aiden looked like he might argue, but Drew cut in. “My ankle’s still awful sore, so I need a babysitter, and Marco tries, but he doesn’t know how to make Sunday Sundaes the right way. He always gets the ratio of peanut butter to pretzels and chocolate sauce wrong.” He shook his head sadly. “I’ve only taught my secret recipe toyou.”
“This is true,” Marco said in a voice that made it sound like there was an unspoken “…thank God” at the end of the sentence.
“Mr. Williams says it’s important to help people with a happy heart or not at all.” Aiden sighed. “So I’m happy to help you, Uncle Drew… I guess.”
I pressed my lips together against a smile.
“Wonder if Jack’ll be there,” Webb asked the table at large, but based on the way everyone darted glances at Knox’s face, somehow it felt like he was speaking mostly to his older brother.
Knox must’ve thought so, too, because he swallowed his bite of burger and scowled. “You’d know better than I would. He’syourbest friend. Or ask Hawk. Hawk works for him every day.”
“Oryou boys could head over to the diner tomorrow and ask him yourselves,” Marco suggested.
Webb gasped like he’d never heard such an amazing idea. “Yes. Yes, we should. Hawk is working, so Knox and I can go grab a bite for lunch and visit.”
Knox made the discontented grumbling noise he usually reserved for me. “You’re as transparent as glass, Thomas Webb Sunday.”
Aiden leaned toward me and giggled. “Oooh, Daddy just got middle-named.”
“Don’t know what you mean,” Webb said breezily. As breezily as a man built like a mountain and with a voice like a bass drum could, anyway.
“Imean,” Knox said, setting his burger precisely in the center of his plate, “I won’t be conforming to your fraternal expectation that I, as a single bisexual male, am ripe for a setup with someone simply because he is also a single male. That would be massively unfair to Jack, since I hardly know the man. And furthermore, I have neither the time nor the inclination to date anyone right now, male or female, since I’m busy trying to sort out the orchard’s finances and my time is valuable.” He paused for a beat, and then his lips tipped up slowly. “Truth is, you can’t afford to set me up, Webb.”
The whole table collapsed into laughter, even Aiden, who pretty obviously didn’t get the joke. Webb ran his tongue over his front teeth and dipped his head in silent acknowledgement.
And Knox…
Knox grinnedthatgrin. The happy-go-lucky one. The one that had made me weak-kneed. The one that made me do stupid things. It was twenty times as powerful in person, and I foundmyself staring at him, even though I tried to make myself look away.
Then Knox’s gaze clipped mine, and his smile died just as suddenly as it had been born.
Ouch.
Toby was seriously theworstat advice. I had no idea why I ever listened to him.
He cleared his throat. “I’ll go out to lunch with you tomorrow, though, Webb,” Knox volunteered. “It’d be good to get to know Jack, since he’s your friend and all.”
Webb grinned conspiratorially. “Excellent.”
“Maybe…” Hawk began suddenly. “You know, maybe Iwillgo to the fundraiser tomorrow night. You sure you’re up for it, Gage?”
