AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ah, Jesus.” I wasn’t even mad. It didn’t matter, since I was already wet. I kicked off the boots and grabbed one of the ragged towels, holding it open. “Come here.”
Gary jumped forward and I started the ritual of drying him off, paying special attention to his muddy feet. I kept a stack of old towels next to the door to be used only by Gary and his paws. Gary gave a happy moan in his throat as I rubbed, and gamely let me pick up his paws one by one. I was squishing the towel against the toes of his front left paw when the laundry room door opened.
“What’s going on in here?” Alistair asked. Then, as Gary licked my face in bliss, “Do you two need a moment alone?”
“Very funny,” I said, not looking up. “He’s muddy. You’ll thank me in a minute.”
“You’re not muddy,” Alistair said to Gary, mischief in his voice. “You’re a good boy who deserves a treat.”
At the sound of the T word, Gary barked, escaped my grip with a mighty squirm, and raced past Alistair into the house.
I straightened. “Well, now you’ve done it,” I said, shrugging off my fleece-lined plaid jacket and dropping it on top of the washing machine.
“Where were you?” Alistair asked.
“Out walking. It wasn’t raining when we left. Hey, I forgot to ask you. Do you want a free dog?”
“You’ll never part with him,” Alistair said. “You two are practically married.” He smiled as I approached the door. “Hello, by the way.”
“Hello.” My voice was rough. “I see you let yourself in and made yourself at home.”
He didn’t dignify that with an answer. Ever since Dad got sick five years ago and moved in with me, Alistair had had his own key.
Gary was in the kitchen, turning in an excited circle next to the cupboard that held the dog treats. Smears of mud appeared on the kitchen floor beneath his feet.
“He’s your problem,” I said to Alistair. I picked up the kettle and held it under the kitchen tap.
We were quiet for a moment, Alistair tossing treats to Gary and me heating water so I could warm myself with tea. I felt the familiar, companiable silence that was always how I felt with my brother. We hadn’t been close as kids, but as adults, even though our lives were different, we’d been through so much together that I couldn’t imagine life without him.
“How are you?” Alistair asked.
I grunted and flipped off the kettle when it started to whistle. “I’m fine.”
“You always say that. I noticed this.”
I turned to see him lift the spiral day planner I kept on the counter next to the fridge, flipped open to show an appointment. I didn’t have to read my own handwriting—slanted and sloppy—to know what it was.
I had the fleeting urge to snatch the planner out of his hand, but there was nothing in there that Alistair didn’t already know, or at least guess.
He put the day planner back down, and as I made tea, I snuck a glance at him. Alistair’s dyed hair and gelled haircut were long gone now, as was his eyebrow ring. He wasn’t the guy who worked at a restaurant, lived in his brother’s mansion, and had no plans. At thirty-four, he had a business degree, a staid haircut, and a wardrobe of short-sleeved button-down shirts. He had filled out a bit, but he was still trim.
Alistair looked like a dad now, but he was the dad who would play in the pool with all of the kids, lifting them out of the water and tossing them, making them screech with laughter. He was the dad all the kids hoped would coach baseball this year, the dad all the kids wanted to come on the field trip. He was handsome and confident and still had the swagger of a twenty-year-old. He was just cool.
Not hating him was the best decision I’d ever made.
“How’s the wedding planning going?” I asked. The treats were over, and Gary left the kitchen to go pass out in his dog bed in the living room.
“I think you know exactly how it’s going.” Alistair’s tone was dry and amused. “I know you’re copied on all the emails.”
“Seattle next weekend for the fitting.” I nodded. “I’m in.”
When Alistair and Vicki had decided to finally get married, it was supposed to be a small affair. They had talked about a ceremony with ten people there at most, followed by dinner. No dresses, no tuxes. The kids would be in bed by ten.
Alistair had asked me to be his best man, and I’d agreed. I had figured I’d hang out with the family for the day, pose for a few pictures, and go home. I also assumed that Juliet would be there. Despite our orbits being so close, our paths hadn’t crossed since that long-ago night, and I wondered what it would be like to see her. If she would even want to talk to me.
But somehow, the wedding had expanded beyond what the bride and groom had planned. Vicki had asked Juliet to be her maid of honor, but she had also asked her best friend to be a second bridesmaid so she wasn’t excluded. That led to other bridesmaids, and their dates, and then more guests who had plus ones, and then Vicki’s mom had invited her boss, which meant that the venue had to be upgraded to make a good impression. The food had to be upgraded. There needed to be flowers. That led to dresses and, finally, tuxes for Alistair and me.
Alistair shook his head. “I know it’s crazy. And I know you hate public appearances. I swear, it wasn’t a circus when I asked you to come. I don’t blame you if you want to bail.”
