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“After the toast, I’m going to go get a pitcher of ice water,” He announced to no one in particular.
Aroostine swallowed a mouthful of the cake and nodded. “Good idea.”
“So, are we ready for the toast or what? Grady, you do the honors,” Chance said, eyeing his drink thirstily.
Paul worked his jaw but held his silence. Leo sensed that he was hurt he hadn’t been asked to make the toast.
Grady sighed heavily but stood and lifted his glass. The others mimicked the motion.
“To Rex. He wasn’t always kind. He wasn’t always right. But he was always there. And you always knew where you stood with him. He was larger than life, and our lives will be smaller for his absence.”
Annette sniffled.
Grady paused to gather himself before going on, “There were times when he drove me crazy. There were times when I didn’t like him very much. I think we can all say there were times when we didn’t like him very much. But I always loved him like a brother.”
Annette was sobbing freely now.
“To Rex,” Chance said and knocked back his drink.
“To Rex,” they chorused.
“Good job on the sours, man,” Paul said to Grady.
Grady smiled with satisfaction and sipped his drink. Leo took a cautious sip as well. He had to hand it to Grady; the cocktail was delicious. It still wasn’t water, though, so he eased his way toward the door.
CHAPTER19
Sasha tasted her amaretto sour as Connelly slipped out of the room for water.
Grady took a swig of his drink and said, “It’s a tragedy that Rex had to go out this way. So young, at the pinnacle of his career, and on the cusp of fatherhood. He just found out.”
Tessa frowned. “Rex was going to be a father?”
Grady paused dramatically. “Hewasa father.”
Sasha placed her glass on the table and leaned forward to gauge the reactions to this bombshell. Grady took another drink of his cocktail, reveling in the shocked murmurs of his friends.
“What are you talking about?” Annette demanded.
Grady gagged and dropped his glass onto the table with a clumsy gesture. He gasped and clawed at his throat.
“Grady?” Joy yelled. “Is he choking?”
Sasha pushed her chair back. It did seem as if Grady was having trouble breathing. His dark skin was flushed. He staggered back and opened his mouth. His eyes widened, and he began to convulse. He stumbled away from the table, hit the wall, and screamed—a guttural, animal sound. Then he slumped to the floor, writhing and frothing at the mouth.
The room exploded with a cacophony of shouting, yelling, and wailing.
Bodhi jumped up and ran around the table to attend to the fallen man. Sasha raced to his side. He looked up at her and shook his head. A trickle of blood foamed out of Grady’s mouth.
“My God,” she whispered.
Leo burst back into the room. “What happened?”
“He collapsed,” Hank told him.
“He’s dead,” Bodhi announced.
Tessa shrieked.
