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Brick chuckled. “We got it, brother. When is it due?”
“What?” Kane’s eyes focused on his friend. “Um, October. Looks like we had a shotgun wedding, and we didn’t even know it.” He froze. “She got a tattoo. Christ. That’s bad, right?” Without waiting for an answer, he rushed past Robby, back into the house.
It was hard to imagine Kane as a father. Granted, he was usually more together than this, but it had only been a few months since he was all grungy and snarly. Still, the guy had offered him the gift of friendship—of family—which was no small thing. Maybe he could help out and babysit every once in a while. He loved kids.
“I think the news is going to take some time to sink in.” Brick smirked. “We’d better get out there before he trusses her up in bubble wrap.”
In the kitchen, Kane’s wife, Amanda, read aloud from her phone about the risks involved with pregnancies and tattoos. Apparently, there was a small chance of Hepatitis or HIV infection but only if the needles weren’t sterile.
Kane nodded, lost in his thoughts. “I trust Gerry. He’s been my ink guy for years. But you should talk to your doctor.” He looked at her like she was the sun. “Nothing is more important than your health and our baby.”
Setting her phone on the counter, Ms. Griffin wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder.
Robby shook his head. Not Ms. Griffin. Yes, she kept her maiden name, but he was supposed to call her Amanda now. It was hard for him to think of her outside the parameters of being his boss.
She ran Cooper Construction with her step-brother, Mike, and for a while, she’d been a lot more hands-on with Xander’s crew. But since Mike was back from medical leave, Robby only saw her in social situations like this one.
It was still a little awkward.
Tonight, Amanda wore nice jeans and a pink sweater, which helped separate her from the pencil skirts and silky tops she usually wore on the job. She had her red hair in a ponytail and showed no sign of the pinched expression she wore when heads were about to roll.
Despite Amanda’s more casual appearance, he was far more comfortable with Liv and her perpetual smile.
She flashed one now as she linked arms with the other woman. “I’m so happy for you both. The baby, the wedding. You both waited so long to be together. I know how amazing it is to wake up every morning next to the love of your life.”
Brick covered the hand she had resting on the counter with his own.
Nodding, Amanda glanced at Kane. Her face took on a dreamy quality. “There’s nothing else like it. You couldn’t pay me to be single again. It was so lonely. I made work into my whole life. It was empty.” She shrugged. “Life is meant to be shared, you know?”
Oh, yeah. Robby knew. How many nights had he borne witness to their domestic bliss? Burned with shameful jealousy over it? He wanted the same kind of life for himself more than Midas wanted gold.
But wanting someone to share his life with had never been a problem. The problem had always been finding someone who wanted him back.
Not for sex. Finding sex had always been easy. In the early days, it was the only thing that kept him clothed and fed.
But those men didn’t want the real Robby. They never knew him.
No one did.
Chapter TWO
Matt
Matt stared at his feet as he knocked on the door at the familiar house where Brick and his wife lived. It had been their team’s work site for months. He knew every nook and cranny of the place like the back of his hand, and now it was someone’s home.
Weird.
With a deep breath, he shook off his discomfort—or at least he tried. He was an invited guest, after all. If it got too awkward, he could just focus on the food then get the hell out of there.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
It still kind of surprised him Brick had issued the invitation. He had never been part of the inner circle the big man maintained with Kane and Robby. But the crazy thing was, they really seemed like they wanted him to come. He couldn’t ignore this kind of opportunity. Not when his only friend these days had yet to master potty training.
Screwing up his courage, he rapped twice on the door, and it opened before his nerves could get any worse. Brick’s wife—Will’s sister—greeted him with a warm smile. “Matt! I’m so glad you made it.” She motioned him inside. “We missed you at Christmas.”
Right. They’d invited the whole crew for the holiday. He’d shared a small turkey breast with his mother and his son, Jimmy. Mumbling, he thanked her for the invitation, and in a cheery voice, she chattered charmingly about how her door was always open and something about how any friend of her husband was a friend of hers.
They passed through the foyer with its shiny wood floor into the family room where Will lounged on the sofa beside Cyrus and Evan, watching ESPN. All three held longnecks.
