AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The guys were on him the minute she closed the door, demanding to know all about her.
Daniel tried to play it down for Tasha’s sake. She wouldn’t appreciate his friends making something out of her being at his breakfast table. “She’s my neighbor. I let her borrow some tools and helped her out with the puppies, and when her roof was leaking last night, it made sense for them to come here.” Evan didn’t look convinced, but before he could say anything, Daniel asked, “So how did your better halves all agree to let you go on a holiday weekend?”
Will pulled over a beanbag and plopped into it, eyebrows raised. “You suck at changing the subject. Especially since we’re not going to leave you alone until you tell us what we want to know.”
Daniel stopped fighting the inevitable. These were his best friends in all the world. They’d been through hell and back together. They’d each gotten out too, just the way they’d sworn they would, every one of them hitting the big time without forgetting their past or how much Susan and Bob had helped them. When the money started rolling in, the first thing the Mavericks had done was buy his mom and dad a new house in a decent neighborhood. Daniel hadn’t needed to ask any of them to pitch in and help; that came naturally. And, of course, when they each found the woman of their dreams, he’d cheered for them.
He pulled up one of the folding chairs and sat. “Here’s what I know so far: Tasha has been living in that run-down shack for three months, almost completely unplugged from the world. She’s not afraid of hard work—you should see what she’s done to her cabin so far, even installing the toilet completely by herself, just from watching do-it-yourself videos.”
“We should have known you’d fall for a woman who gets breathless over your tool belt,” Sebastian said on a laugh.
Daniel laughed too, but didn’t say aloud that her tool belt actually made him hot. “She’s putty in those puppies’ paws and would have done absolutely anything to save them. And…” He looked at his best friends, knowing they’d understand better than anyone, even if it was something he was still trying to wrap his own head around. “She makes me feel something.” He knocked his fist into his chest. “Here.”
“Finally,” Sebastian said. “We’ve been wondering when you were going to meet someone worthy of you.” Matt and Will grinned and nodded their agreement.
Only Evan held out, asking, “But is she really what you need?”
“Hell, yes,” Daniel said, immediately defensive on her behalf. Though he still hadn’t learned nearly enough about her, he realized that he’d already discovered everything that counted.
She was sweet and strong and caring and determined.
On top of it all, she made his heart race and his palms sweat—and every cell in his body crave.
“I want to believe you,” Evan said, “but what do you really know about her?” He looked at the empty puppy box. “Apart from how much she likes dogs and how great she is at installing toilets. Sounds to me like she’s hiding out from something.”
“Don’t listen to anything that guy says.” Sebastian jerked a thumb at Evan. “He’s still gun-shy after Whitney. Always looking for the catch.”
“Paige should have broken you of that habit by now,” Will said to Evan. “You’ve got a good woman, so you can start looking on the bright side.”
“I know exactly how good I’ve got it,” Evan agreed. “But I’m still going to keep looking out for my friends.”
Of them all, Evan had experienced the very worst where relationships were concerned. With Matt a close second. Thankfully, they’d both
finally found incredible women they loved and who loved them back with equal fervor.
Will chimed in with his vote of confidence. “I’ll bet Mom will love Tasha.” Susan Spencer’s approval was everyone’s litmus test. “Can you believe it’s been a year since our last Memorial Day barbecue?”
A year since Will had brought Harper and her brother, Jeremy, into their group, and six months since they’d married. Memorial Day had been the beginning of the truly big changes in their lives. Daniel suspected it had also been the day Evan started to see his now ex-wife, Whitney, for what she truly was, after she’d gone ballistic when Jeremy spilled a margarita on her. Susan, of course, had been instrumental in the positive changes for her sons.
Daniel was tempted to ask his foster brothers if his mother had said anything to any of them about bumps. But he knew they saw his parents’ marriage exactly as he did—as the one truly perfect, honest relationship out there, with total commitment, never doubting each other. And he didn’t want to darken that perfection for any of the guys. Especially if his mom hadn’t actually meant anything by her strange comment.
“It’s been a good year,” Daniel finally said. “But where’s Jeremy? Why didn’t you bring him along?”
“He’s going to camp.” Will put his hands behind his head and scooched deeper into the beanbag. “He’s been dying to go, and it starts tomorrow. Otherwise, he’d have loved to come with us.”
Jeremy was eighteen, but he’d had a bicycle accident when he was a kid—hit by a car—and now had the cognitive ability of a seven-year-old. He was a great person, and he adored Will like an older brother. Will felt exactly the same about him.
“Ari’s got a ton of fun things planned for Noah while we’re gone.” Like a man totally besotted, Matt smiled from his spot on one of the beanbags. “Mommy and son time. She couldn’t wait to have Noah all to herself.” Ari would soon be Noah’s stepmom, and the little guy loved her like a mother.
“Bro-cation, here we come,” Sebastian said.
Daniel wasn’t fooled. “Charlie kicked you out so she could have some peace and quiet to finish her latest masterpiece, didn’t she?”
Charlie was a fantastic artist, her medium being metal, and had created the work of art adorning the center lobby of Sebastian’s San Francisco headquarters. She’d also helped Sebastian appreciate his own artistic talents.
Sebastian confessed, “She did suggest that a few days with the guys would get me the hell out of her hair.”
Their laughter rang through the open rafters.
