Page 51 of Living at 40

“Hey. I’m glad to see you’re up. Want you guys to take a drive with me.” Mason claps me on the shoulder, and I point over it in the direction of Autumn’s room.

“I was just—”

“Listen, loverboy, you can give it a rest for a few hours. Just a drive. I have something I want to show you guys.” Mason’s voice rises softly, but it’s full of excitement. A touch of anxiety also underlies his tone. He’s nervous but eager to show me whatever is so damn important it can’t wait.

“Zack’s already up, and I told him he could bring the boys. Ben is meeting us downstairs.”

It appears plans have been made without me. I’m not certain I’m intended to be included in Mason’s little sightseeing venture, but I grumble my consent and follow him.

As we enter the kitchen, coffee is brewed, and pastries are set on a plate on the island. My diet has been dismantled on this trip with the additional sweets and too much alcohol. These are some of the reasons I need to wear an insulin pump. Then I consider the incredible sex I’ve had the past few days and assume I’ve burned some calories with the rigorous activity.

Fuck, I really need to apologize to Autumn.

Instead, I gladly take the coffee offered as I need to caffeinate and follow Mason outside with a to-go cup in hand.

“We aren’t all going to fit in your tiny Barbie mobile,” I mock, noting Mason’s sporty little BMW in the driveway. For a tall man, he drives a squat car, and I sometimes wonder if it’s a direct reflection of his anatomy. Then again, the man gets a lot of tail, which doesn’t happen without a big dick.

“We can take Anna’s SUV,” Ben states, stepping onto the drive.

“I wanna ride with the top down,” little Oliver admits, and Mason high-fives him.

“Well, there isn’t room for six either way,” I snap, feeling petulant and pissy this morning. I really should have stayed the night with Autumn. “Where are we going again?”

“It’s a surprise,” Mason states, wiggling his brows at a bouncing Oliver. “I’ll put the top down. You grandpas follow in the SUV.”

Ben and I look at one another. “Grandpas?” I snort.

“He’s implying we’re old.” Ben laughs.

“Is that even funny?” I bark, worried about Ben’s emotional state and the fact forty isn’t old. In fact, Ben isn’t going to reach old age. He isn’t going to be a grandfather either. Mason is a fucking prick for being so insensitive.

“It’s hilarious,” Ben states, giving me a reassuring smile that says he isn’t offended by Mason. “Don’t be awkward.” The warning is clear. He wants me to treat him as I usually would, but I can’t. I don’t know how to react to my friend dying. I should be used to death. I lost my father when I was too young to remember him. Then I lost my mother before I went off to college, leaving me an orphan throughout my university years. I couch hopped during holidays and summers until finally landing an internship with an Indianapolis architectural firm. I’ve worked for them ever since.

Ben and I climb into Anna’s SUV, and we follow Mason.

“Do you know where we’re going?” I ask, trying to calm myself.

“Not a clue, but Mason was rather adamant we all join him.”

“I missed the memo,” I mock, sipping my coffee while Ben drives.

“He brought it up after you left the room last night.”

“Are you certain I’m included then?” My voice falters with the possibility, and disappointment strikes. Maybe I’m an afterthought in Mason’s scheme.

“Absolutely.” Ben shifts his head a second to look at me. “What’s going on with you this morning? Don’t be weird.”

I snort. Don’t be weird that my best friend is dying. Don’t be weird that I fucked his sister. Don’t be weird that I’ve been trying to get her pregnant for the past ten days.

“It’s already weird.”

“The fact you’re sleeping with my sister?” Ben admits.

“Among many things,” I mutter, taking another sip of my coffee.

“How’s that going, by the way?”

I choke before peering over at him. “You want to know how sleeping with your sister is going?”