Page 16 of Feels Like Home

A laugh bubbles out of me unexpectedly. He does the change in subject thing amazingly well. “He has it bad, doesn’the?”

“Sounds that way, though I haven’t spent much time with the guy. But, of course, Josh and Barrett talk about it all the time like a couple of highschoolers.”

I burst out laughing. “They’re sonosey.”

He smiles my way, and Iknow.

The boys are going to be justfine.

Because Andy is going to be justfine.

Better thanfine.

Andhopefully.

Oneday.

He’ll be happyagain.

6

Andy

“Say what now?”Iask, choking back alaugh.

I’m out to dinner with the guys — Barrett, Josh, and James. Tonight’s dinner has been a good distraction from life in general. But when James informs us that the owner of El Charro, the local Mexican restaurant in town, just called to inform him that his sister and her friends are three sheets to the wind drunk, my ears perkup.

“Well, boys, looks like we have a rescuemission.”

“Oh boy, now the whole Captain America thing is going to your head.” Barrett lightly shoves James, and we alllaugh.

Of course, I hope that Christine is included in that group of friends because I want to see her. Any chance I can get anymore, it seems. A week ago, I was in a bad way and all I could think wasI need Christine.And she was there. Immediately. No questionsasked.

I can’t get her out of my head. Not for a while now but especially not since her scent overwhelmed the cab of my pickup as she listened to me ramble on. She’s everything Heather was not, which is onlypartof theappeal.

The next morning after our talk at the docks, I walked in to Dreamin’ Beans for a coffee, and the smile she shot my way nearly buckled myknees.

That afternoon, I just so happened to offer to get coffee for mycrew.

Such a burden having to see her twice in aday.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” I slap Josh on the back, and hechuckles.

A few minutes into our dinner tonight I may have let it slip that Christine and I had been talking, and there’s no way this nosey group of buggers didn’t pick up on it. In fact, they promised me we would be coming back to that conversationlater.

Luckily, their plan was thwarted by learning that Tess and her friends are making a scene at a Mexicanrestaurant.

When I pull into the parking lot of El Charro, I look around for Christine’s car, pleasantly surprised to see it sitting there. But when we get inside? That’s a horse of a different color. Surprise doesn’t even begin to express what I’mseeing.

Tess and Lauren, Josh’s wife, are slow dancing together while Christine has her phone in the air, swaying back and forth with a blissful smile on her face, encouraging every odd moment that’s happening. Carly has her head on the table, looking like she’s well past her limit. The four of us stand there, staring at the odd performance in front of us, before we individually jump intoaction.

Tess is in Barrett’s arms in aflash.

Lauren runs to Josh just as quickly but trips over her own two feet along the way and face plants into hischest.

James moves to Carly’s side, his head bent toward hers as she mumbles something. But me? My sole focus is on the curvy, petite, dark-haired beauty beforeme.

“So. How’s your night?” I ask, a teasing smile on mylips.

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