Page 131 of The Shots You Take

“I took him to the beach this morning,” Adam said. “He gave us a crab shell for our anniversary.”

“Aw. Thanks, Lucky.”

“Okay, I really am leaving now,” Mom said. Then, without budging, she said, “My god, I drove by the Anchor on the way here—or whatever they’re calling it now—and the people! Jam-packed on the patio, and there wasn’t a parking spot. Cars were parked along the street! Imagine.”

“It’s popular,” Riley agreed. The Dropped Anchor had been sold a couple of years ago to a couple who’d turned it into the Avery River Brewing Company. The locals had been wary of the change—especially since the new owners were fromHalifax—but were quickly won over by exciting new features like clean floors, good beer, edible food, and windows.

The one thing that hadn’t changed was that Riley and Adam’s jerseys still hung beside each other on one wall. Riley had insisted it wasn’t necessary to display them if they didn’t match the new vibe, but the town—and the new owners—had very strong opinions about keeping them. Avery River was proud of Riley, and of the town’s adopted son, Adam.

“What are you up to tonight, Mom?”

“Oh. I don’t know.” She blushed slightly, which probably meant she’d be spending time with Lyle from pickleball. “We’ll see.”

After she left, Adam said, “Lyle issoher boyfriend.”

“I know. It’s cute.” Lyle was a nice man and a widower, so he had that in common with Mom. Riley liked him because he made Mom very happy, even if she seemed to be embarrassed about it.

“I was thinking we could go to the brewery for dinner,” Adam said. “But it sounds like there’d be a wait.”

Riley took him in his arms. “What if…” He kissed his neck. “Your husband took you to the finest restaurant in town?”

“Paula’s?”

“Of course.”

Adam laughed, then kissed him. “Am I dressed up enough for Paula’s?”

“I don’t know. They’ve got a pretty strict dress code. Do you have anything in Mossy Oak?”

“I have a T-shirt with paint stains on it.”

“Perfect.” Riley kissed him again. “Are you hungry?”

“Always. But, um, kiss me like that some more and I may forget about food for a while.”

Riley kissed his nose. “Later. Let’s eat.”

After they’d both finished off Paula’s deluxe fried seafood platters—hey, they were celebrating—Riley said, “I have a surprise.”

Adam’s face lit up. “Yeah?”

Riley glanced out the window beside their table. The sun was setting, but he’d like it to be darker. “Let’s go for a walk first.”

They walked down Main Street, greeting anyone they passed. The shops were all closed for the night, but plenty of people were out for a stroll. They did end up at the brewery, but the only available table happened to be, to Riley’s mortification, the one directly under their jerseys.

“Did you plan this?” Adam teased.

“Definitely not.”

“Hey! It’s the real guys!” Dustin, one of the owners, said cheerfully as he approached the table.

“Business is good, I see,” Adam said.

“It’s nuts,” Dustin agreed with a huge smile. “We’ve got a new nonalcoholic Belgian wheat beer on tap.”

“Sounds good,” Riley said.

“Make it two,” Adam added. He didn’t abstain from alcohol completely, but he rarely drank these days.

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