Page 6 of Inked Devotion

I was excited to see how everything would look by the end of the project, and how closely it would match what was in my head. Most of the time, it matched near perfect, but sometimes things surprised me. Usually, I liked those surprises, other times not so much. However, I had to hope for good things with this one because while we were a bit closed-off in terms of what we were allowed to do because of the client’s wishes, the client had great ideas and I didn’t mind working with them. As long as we didn’t have to deal with smelly trees.

“Didn’t you say you have some big lunch or something?” Timothy asked as he frowned down at his phone.

I pulled mine out of my pocket and shrugged. “I’ve got an hour.”

Kennedy came up to his side and raised a brow. They shook their head. “Yet look at the dirt on your knees and your hands. You’re going to have to clean up before you meet with Laura.” They wiggled their brows, and I sighed.

“I’m having lunch with Laura and her wife. This isn’t a get-back-together thing. It’s just having lunch with my ex because she said she wanted to meet me.”

“I see,” Kennedy said as they looked over at Timothy. Timothy just rolled his eyes.

“I don’t see,” Timothy added. “Then again, while I end up as friends with my exes, I don’t usually go out to lunch with them and their new significant others.”

“Yes, you do. You make sure you bring whoever you’re currently dating at the time,” Kennedy added.

“As is only just. Because while I appreciate the fact that my exes are moving on and having wonderful lives, I have to show that I too am having a wonderful life.”

“If I show up to lunch without a date, it’s saying I don’t have a wonderful life?” I asked, deadpan.

“That’s not what we’re saying,” Kennedy said, their hands outstretched. “I mean, you’re doing wonderful. You have us.”

I looked between Kennedy and Timothy and shook my head. “That makes me feel so good about myself,” I said with a laugh.

“Ouch,” Timothy added.

“Well, you deserve it. Maybe. Okay, I guess I will go at least head home and change my pants.” I looked down at my knees and winced. “Yeah, I should probably change.”

“Don’t you have a pair of pants in your truck?” Kennedy asked, frowning.

“I always have a change of clothes in my truck, but since my place is in between here and the restaurant, I’ll just head over there. This is nothing,” I said. “Whenever Laura and Michelle are in town, I meet with them. They’re good people.”

“And you’re good people.” Timothy wrapped his arm around Kennedy, and Kennedy just rolled their eyes. “We just love you, and we want you to be happy.”

“You’re starting to sound like my mother and the matchmaking schemes. My siblings are all the ones in loving and serious relationships. I’m doing just fine on my own.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s what they embroider on the singles’ napkins.”

“So what if it is? I’m allowed to be on my own. Neither of you are dating anyone.”

The two gave each other looks, and I held back a chuckle. I knew that they were dating, and had been for a while, but because they worked together, they were doing their best to pretend that they weren’t. I didn’t mind, they did their work well, and it had been six months after all. If things got sketchy, I’d have to deal with the fallout, but I also knew that both of them treated their exes well. The two worked together, and not just at work. They fit.

I was the single one out again, but I didn’t mind.

“Let’s finish this up, and then I’ll head home and get ready,” I said, pushing thoughts of relationships out of my mind. Laura had asked to meet, and I was going to go. I didn’t have a date, or even a fake date to bring, and it didn’t matter. I had eaten with the two of them before, and it hadn’t been a big deal. I had introduced Michelle to Laura about a year after Laura and I had broken up, and I had figured the two would hit it off. I had been in their wedding, for damn’s sake. I was their friend. And even though they didn’t live here anymore, I saw them any chance I could.

That didn’t mean I was lonely. I was just going to be the only true single uncle in the Montgomerys, which was just fine with me.

Why was I talking to myself as if I was trying to reassure myself that I was happy being alone? I had been alone for a while, as Laura had been my last serious relationship. I didn’t need anybody else. I was used to this. I was good at it. Even though I knew that my mother and probably my sisters kept looking at me, wondering when I was going to settle down. I didn’t see that happening any time soon.

We finished up the job for the day, and I left Timothy and Kennedy working on the final setups that we would complete tomorrow. We had other projects scheduled for the afternoon, so I felt comfortable giving them the responsibility.

After lunch, I had a break in my schedule, which meant I had planning and meetings if I wanted, or I could take a break if I wanted. Sometimes I scheduled that for myself, and usually, I filled it with more work. I couldn’t help it, I was good at what I did, and I liked it.

I headed home, took a quick shower, pulled on a new pair of jeans and a T-shirt. We weren’t going to somewhere fancy, and I wanted to be comfortable. I put different boots on this time, not my stained work boots, and called that dressing up.

The café we were meeting at was only down the block from my house, so I walked, enjoying the fresh air. I worked outdoors every day, my skin a little tanner than my twin’s these days since Beckett tended to work more inside buildings, since he had Clay working for him on the outside.

I turned the corner and crossed the street to where the café stood.

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