Page 69 of Honor

Since he’s been sending me text messages all day that I have yet to respond to, I’m not shocked that he’s here.

“Reid!” he calls out as soon as he spots me glancing in his direction. “Hey, buddy. How are you?”

I can’t help but smile. Thebuddyendearment was born on a baseball diamond when we were kids. It was a shared nickname we came up with to show solidarity because we were stuck on different teams.

I was a pitcher who lacked the skill to strike out anyone. Randall couldn’t hit a ball worth shit, but we loved the game.

“Hey, buddy,” I say back, testing how the words feel after all these years.

I can’t say I mind it.

That lures a big smile to his face. “It’s great, right?”

“What’s great?” I glance to the right and the steady stream of pedestrians on the sidewalk.

“This city.” He follows my lead and looks in the same direction I just did. “This life. Our friendship.”

It was neglected for so long that it felt like we were distant acquaintances when we reconnected the day he asked me to be his best man.

“It’s all great,” I agree with a brisk nod. “Are you here because I’ve been ignoring you all day?”

“Have you?” He feigns being shocked. “I just thought you were busy juggling a client or five.”

“Or six.” I chuckle. “I’ve got time for a coffee. There’s a café around the corner that’s more than decent.”

He glances at his watch. “I’m free for an hour or so. That’s enough time to discuss why I chased you down today.”

I motion in the direction we’re headed so he’ll start walking. I’m hopeful the discussion will center on Azelius and his desire to offload it to a successful nationwide spa chain.

It would be premature to reach out to any of my contacts within that industry, but I have their phone numbers ready for the moment he tosses the idea of a possible sale at me.

“Remember that time you subbed in as a catcher, and that kid slammed the bat into your face?” He shakes his head. “You ended up with two black eyes, and how many stitches across your nose?”

I rub the spot on the bridge of my nose where the baseball bat connected. “Just one.”

I was supposed to be wearing a catcher’s mask, but I couldn’t see clearly, so in all my infinite little kid wisdom, I tore it off my face just as the ball was racing toward me. The kid at bat swung and missed the ball. I got the hell out of the way of that, but thebat hit me square between the eyes when he tossed it to the side in frustration.

It was my first and last time in the position of catcher.

“Those were great times.” He chuckles.

“For you, maybe.” I pat his shoulder.

“Look at us now.” He glances at my suit before dropping his gaze to the gray one he’s wearing. “We’ve come a long way, Reid.”

It’s a fact, so I nod. “We have.”

“That’s what I want to talk to you about today,” he says as we approach the corner.

“About how far we’ve come?”

“And where we’re going.” He winks. “I’ll reveal all after you buy me a coffee and a sandwich.”

“Done,” I say as we approach the café.

It’s a paltry price to pay to handle the upcoming sale of his company. The future is looking brighter and brighter for me with every second that passes.

“You trackedme down today to tell me we’re going to East Hampton next weekend?” Disappointment drips from every word, but Randall is too giddy to notice.

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