“You guys are cynics. Cynics without a cause.” She set her glass down with a smack. “I have reason to doubt being in a relationship. Good reasons. You two are just pessimists.”
“Hey. I have my reasons,” Fiona said. “Guy number eight asking me if I liked sensual oils is a great reason.”
Wes laughed. “One woman asked if I was into Kama Sutra.”
“That’s not so bad,” Hailey said, her expression suggesting otherwise.
He pinned her with his gaze. “She asked how flexible I was.”
Both women laughed.
The waitress came around so they ordered a plate of nachos to share and another round of drinks.
“How flexible are you?” Fiona asked when she left.
“He won’t do yoga with me,” Hailey said.
Wes pointed at Fiona. “You have her for that. I’m your grocery, video game, movie night friend. She can be the rest.”
“Hey,” Fiona said. “I bet I could beat you at Mario Kart. I’ll have you know, I play with my nephew every weekend.”
“Challenge accepted,” Wes said.
“Can we agree, for now, speed dating was a bust?” Hailey asked.
“No way,” Fiona said. “I’ve got wicked ideas brewing for an article. Oh, I should try out my newest quiz on you two.”
“Since I’m not a twelve-year-old girl or Chris, I’m going to pass on the quiz.”
Hailey nudged him with her hand. “Be nice.” She turned to Fiona. “What’s the quiz?”
Fiona snickered. “What kind of friend are you?”
Wes groaned, lifted his hand. “Check, please.”
19
Wes didn’t love crowds of strangers but when so many of the people he cared for were in one large group, it was a different story. Noah’s house rang with activity. Music pumped, people laughed and talked, delicious food scents teased them along with the ocean breeze. He tried to imagine what it would be like even five years down the road. Would he have nieces and nephews running around? He smiled, pretty sure the answer was yes.
“What the hell are you smiling about?” Noah set a beer in front of Wes, passed one to Chris.
They were out on the back porch discussing their father’s lawsuit. Wes was pissed off about it too, but it was hard to hang on to a bad mood with the women laughing from the grass where they played bocci.
“I’m happy. Is that okay?” Wes took a long drink of his beer, enjoying the crisp, cold flavor.
“You’re happy our dad is a dickhead?” Noah glared at him.
“I think he might be referring to the scene on the lawn. Makes me pretty damn happy, too.” Chris’s grin went all dopey when Everly looked his way.
Grace, Hailey, and Fiona were on one team with Tara, Everly, and Tilly on the other. Morty was napping in the house. Or, as he called it, preparing himself for the Thanksgiving feast.
Noah moved to the railing and set his beer down, looking out, past the grass, toward the beach. It was usually Wes tied in knots.
“You get that even though he isn’t going to win, he can drag this out, tie up our portfolio with red tape.”
He didn’t want to feel guilty for living in the moment. “We do. I do. I’m sorry. I had a moment of being grateful. What a weird thing on a day like today, huh?”
“Stop. Both of you. We all know what’s at stake. We have lawyers to deal with this shit and deflect it. Dad wants to get in our heads, under our skin. I say we don’t let him.”
Wes opened his laptop, pulled up his files on Squishy Cat. “To that end, I’ve instructed our lawyer to go ahead and file a no-contact order. He won’t be able to stop himself from doing that so we can slap back at him. Every time he violates the court order, it’ll weaken his case.”
Chris and Noah looked at him. Wes felt the heat of their stares. He looked up. “What?”
“You don’t have to make those decisions on your own,” Chris said. Sometimes Wes wished Chris was the oldest but then remembered what it had been like growing up and didn’t want that for his brother. “It’s an excellent step. I have a meeting next week to interview some candidates for a board of directors for the community center.”
“Stop working,” Grace hollered at them. “You’re wrecking our game.”
Noah’s smile was instantaneous. “Sure, Gracie. It’s our fault.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, making him smile wider. Grabbing his beer, he took a seat next to Chris, across from Wes.