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CHAPTER ONE
Robby
The smell of fresh pepperoni pizza mingled with the new-construction scents of drywall and sawdust as Robby set the delivery boxes onto the just-installed island in the nearly finished kitchen area. The countertops wouldn’t come in for a couple of days, so a piece of heavy plywood served as a flat surface in the meantime.
His buddy, Kane, sniffed out the food first. “Hot damn. What did we do to deserve this?” Pizza was usually a treat reserved for the beginning or end of a build, not a random weekday lunch.
Robby grinned. “You can thank your wife for this one. Something about it being your birthday?” He tore open the top box and held it up. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
With a careless shrug, Kane plucked a piece from the offered pie. “Birthdays were never really a big deal in my family.”
Brick, Robby’s best friend and surrogate older brother, pulled out two pieces at once and folded them together with his big hands. “Not sure I’d advertise being born on April Fools’ Day either.” He winked as he took an enormous bite.
“Whatever. You’re just jealous because my lady takes such good care of me.” Kane punctuated the pronouncement with his own hefty bite, the movement pulling the shiny scar taut across his cheek.
“Don’t get too ahead of yourself. Not only does my beautiful wife take care of me, she’s looking out for your dumb ass too. She’s cooking a big dinner again, and she wants to make a birthday party out of it.”
Kane stopped chewing and swallowed, shuffling his feet.
“What?” Robby laughed. “Haven’t you ever had a birthday party before?”
Brick gave Kane an appraising look. “I don’t think he has,” he murmured. He flashed a small smile. “Can’t say I’ve ever had one either, but Olivia’s real big on celebrating. First time we ever met was at a birthday party she threw for Will.”
Robby let Brick’s words sink in. “You guys have never had birthday parties?” No matter how bad his final memories of home were, his childhood had been full of laughter and love.
A birthday never passed unremarked in the Jordan home. His mom had always said each of her children was a miracle worthy of rejoicing. Of course, those were the days before his father kicked him out. But still, the idea no one had ever celebrated the birth of his friends…it was all kinds of wrong.
The strange thing was, neither Brick nor Kane seemed bothered by it. Kane shrugged. “Don’t sweat it, brother. We just didn’t do things like that.” He paused. “Well, we did stuff for my dad, but for Dad it was different. I guess it’s hard to miss something you’ve never had.”
Robby instantly saw the statement for the lie it was. He’d never had a real relationship, and he sure as heck missed having one.
John didn’t count. If the man had ever loved him, he would have never…No. He wasn’t going there.
Still, he understood what made Kane want to ignore the hurt, so he didn’t call him out for the fib. “Maybe you didn’t celebrate with your old family, but this year, things will be different. I, for one, am very happy you were born, and I’m going to be at this dinner with bells on.” He turned to Brick. “Who else will be there?”
“I was just going to invite the guys from the crew. I already texted Will, Cy, and Evan. They’re coming. Xander can’t make it; he’s got something at his kid’s school. Which leaves Matt.” Brick kept his voice free of any inflection.
Kane wasn’t quite so considerate. “Matt, huh?”
Robby scrunched up his face. “Stop teasing me over my stupid crush. I’m more than aware he doesn’t feel the same way.”
“C’mon, Robby.” Brick wiped his mouth with the bandana he always carried in his back pocket. “You can’t control how someone else feels.”
Kane rolled his eyes. “Yeah, if you’re gonna feel stupid, maybe it should be because you’ve convinced yourself you’re in love with a man you barely even know.”
Pfft. What did Kane know about how he felt? Robby looked to Brick for some backup, but the big man wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“Look,” Kane softened his voice, “I’m not trying to bust your balls, but really, whatdoyou know about the guy? What makes him laugh? Is this his dream job? What did he want to be growing up? Hell, do you even know his kid’s name?” He sighed. “I get it. He lights your fire. I’m just saying, maybe get to know him before you decide he’s the man who hung the moon.”
Robby wracked his brain, hoping to find the answers to any of Kane’s questions. Surely, he knew the little boy’s name.
Nope.
He had to knowsomethingabout Matt.
Quiet. Kind of shy. Lean and muscular with dark brown skin Robby had dreamed countless times of touching. His black hair was neat and trimmed tight to his scalp, and it was just one of a dozen ways he always looked put together. Always clean shaven, always in khakis and a polo shirt. About the same age as Robby, the guy looked like he belonged more on a college campus than a construction site.
So, the sum total of Robby’s knowledge: Matt was reserved…and hot.
