Page 15 of (Un)Spoken

I glanced at the man, noting his ever-present frown still in place. “How can you tell?”

“He fidgets with his wedding ring when he’s feeling confident.”

I smiled at Theo as he sat across from me, watching him twirl the silver band three times. It was a subtle movement, but it was there. I couldn’t believe Adam even noticed.

“I fold,” I said as it reached my bet, tossing the cards back toward Curt.

We watched as the rest of the hand played on, leaving Gray and Theo battling it out until the end. As Theo flipped his cards, Gray cursed, dropping his own back on the pile. “This is bullshit. I swear, the man has no tells.”

Adam turned and winked at me. A lightning bolt struck my core, almost making me bite my lip. I would never admit this to her, but maybe Hadley was right. This little crush was probably just because I’d been single for so long. Blowing off some steam was definitely in order if a wink could knock me off my axis.

“As my loving wife would say, it’s because I am part robot.”

“Only part?” Javi chuckled.

Theo smiled. “She claims she had a new heart installed with the wedding ring. Makes me more friendly and open to people.”

As the rest of the table teased Theo endlessly, I couldn’t help but smile. I loved that he was a softie—a lot like my brother in that way. They were both gone for their partners, and everyone at the table had no problem calling them out on it.

“Don’t be jealous, Gray,” Theo chuckled. “One day, one of those girls you sneak around with will steal your heart, and you’ll be just as fucked as the rest of us.”

“Gray’s already got one,” Curt said, smiling to himself as he shuffled the cards. “The best thing that’s ever happened to him.”

“You do?” Cole asked. “You’ve been holding out on us?”

“No,” Gray said, leaning back in his chair.

“Are you lying to them about that girl of yours?” Curt shook his head. “You need to tell her how you feel. It’s time, kid. She’s gonna go to prom with someone else if you don’t own up to it soon, and we both know you don’t want that.”

“Enough,” Gray snapped, all our eyes on the pair. He looked at the rest of us, silently daring us to ask about what the man just said. But while the rest of the guys seemed to be stuck on the girl, I was held up by Curt’s mention of the prom, as if it was coming up instead of years earlier.

“Sorry, Pops,” Gray whispered, placing his hand on his father’s arm. “Just don’t like to talk about that.” He took the cards, placing them back in the assigned box. “Cole, if you don’t mind, we’re gonna head out. Got a busy day tomorrow.”

“Yeah, of course, man.” Cole stood to go with them. “I’ll lock up for you.”

As they moved to the front of the bar, everyone else shifted in their seats, not sure how to process what had just happened. Theo eventually excused himself to use the bathroom, and Javi stood up as well.

“I’ve got to check in at home,” Javi said, checking his phone. “Drew’s having a meltdown because our home study is coming up soon. When I left, he was convinced we needed to secure all the furniture and tape off any sharp edges.”

“How’s everything going with that?” Adam asked, standing to join him. “Any word about when you’ll get to start fostering?”

“You’re a foster parent?” I asked.

“Not yet,” Javi chuckled. “But hopefully in the next month or so. We’re finishing up our certification course, and Drew wants us to take a few more workshops to make sure we’re prepared, but our case worker says everything looks good. Once she signs off on our home visit, we’re one giant step closer.”

“That’s amazing,” I said quietly. Even though we’d just met, I could tell any child would be lucky to be in Javi’scare. The man was incredibly warm and welcoming. He made me feel like I belonged without even trying.

Adam and Javi continued their conversation as they walked toward the exit, Cole and Gray talking outside. When Theo returned, he instantly pulled his phone out of his pocket, texting a million a minute. With no one to talk to, I decided to explore the bar, starting with the line of pictures that caught my eye when we arrived.

At least fifty photographs were posted in small, black plastic frames, all with varying signs of aging. The ones in the middle were of Marta and Curt, both holding up a small boy I could only assume was Gray. They stood in front of the restaurant, beaming at the camera. The same photo was taken over the years, Gray standing on his own in the later ones.

Dozens of smiling faces were on the wall, all patrons who had found a place at the Lost Tavern. At the very end were Cole, Alex, and a bunch of other people standing around the front of Fox Creek, holding up a sold sign. While the rest of the crowd were looking at the camera, Cole was staring at Alex, only having eyes for her.

“That was a good day.”

Adam’s voice broke me out of my trance. I held my hand to my heart as I turned to him, trying to hide my embarrassment. “You’re making that a nasty habit.”

“Sorry, Tor, thought you heard me coming.” He leaned in to look closer at the image. “That was the day Cole told Alex about the lodge. She’d gotten screwed over in a business deal, and he rallied all of us to help her out.”

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