Page 66 of Truth or Spare

Dewey offered to show Matteo around, suspecting that Theo’s brother was hoping for a chance to get better acquainted.

“This is the workshop,” Dewey said as they came around the wall at the end of the lanes and gestured at the row of pinsetters.

“Look at that!” Matteo said excitedly, but his posture was elegant yet nonchalant as he strolled with his hands in hispockets. “And so many tools,” he noted with an appropriate nod, then spun and crossed his arms over his chest. “I know people. Very dangerous people.”

Dewey drew back and his brow furrowed. “Okay… Do you need help with these dangerous people?” he asked.

“What?” Matteo blinked for several moments, then shook his head. “No, I’m warning you not to hurt my brother. I don’t know how much of this was planned or if you’re manipulating Theo into staying, but I will destroy you if you hurt him,” he stated slowly and clearly.

A loud cackle erupted from Dewey as he bent forward and grabbed his knees, insensate at the thought of anyone—let alonehim—manipulating Theo. “That’s the dumbest fuckin’ thing I’ve ever heard!” he said, wheezing as he wiped the tears from his eyes. “You think I planned forthat?” He tossed a hand in the direction of the front desk as he recalled the day Theo first walked into the bowling alley. “Lord almighty, if you had any idea what kind of chaos he’s caused and how close we were to giving his ass the boot.”

“Chaos?” Matteo drew back, looking surprised. He gave his head a shake. “Theo’s the smart one and everyone’s favorite. He’s the fixer. Our problem solver.”

“The fixer?” Dewey had to grab the workbench as he was caught up in another wave of laughter. “He can’t fix shit!” he said as he tossed a hand at the pinsetters. “Can you picture him back here working on one of these?” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the bench next to him.

A snorting giggle burst from Matteo. “Theo, back here? With all of this?” he confirmed and shook his head quickly. “No, no, no… We don’t know how to do actual work. Theo usually fixes things with his brain or money,” he said, wrinkling his nose.

Dewey nodded. “I could tell and he tried, but I’m not interested in your brother’s money. Thelastthing I wasexpecting was for him to be a prince. I knew something was up but I thought he was on the run and trying to sneak into Canada. You could have knocked me over with a feather when he finally told us.”

“You thought you were aiding and abetting a criminal?” Matteo verified.

“Why not?” Dewey shrugged, his gaze dropping to Matteo’s black patent Oxfords. They were probably handmade like Theo’s. “I didn’t have much else to do and it was gettin’ too quiet around here.”

He jumped when Matteo laughed and hugged him. “That’s brilliant! Welcome to the family,DoobieBrooks. I can’t wait to tell Eli and Leo and for them to see this place,” he said, gripping Dewey’s shoulders and leaning back. “I can see why Theo didn’t want to be found. They certainly weren’t kidding when they said everything was bigger upstate.” He gave Dewey’s arm a playful punch, but the compliment and Matteo’s acceptance had stunned him. Dewey was lightheaded as he staggered back and into the workbench. “Careful!” Matteo grabbed his elbow and helped him onto a stool.

“I’m fine.” Dewey took a deep breath and rested on his elbow, waiting for his head to clear. He laughed softly, realizing that for the first time in a very long time, that it was true. “I have an autoimmune disorder and I get tired and dizzy pretty quickly,” he admitted without any shame. “But I’m fine now. My brother’s back so I’ve got an extra set ofsteadierhands to help out around here. Our bowling alley’s going to be just fine and my nephew’s going to have everything I ever wanted for him. And I’ve got Theo. Which makes me the luckiest man in the world, the way I see it.”

“It certainly does,” Matteo said with a pleased sigh. He held onto Dewey’s arm, watching him closely, still looking concerned. “But I get the feeling you deserve someone as goodas mybrother. You might beexactlywhat Theo deserves, the more I think about it, and I can tell he’s going to be very happy here.”

Dewey was with Matteo until the end. “Here?” he made a dubious sound. “That part still blows my mind and I’m waiting for Theo to wake up and realize he’s in the wrong Oslo.”

“I don’t think he will. Theo has always been more of what you call a…homebody, I believe. He’s been more restless since Eli went to school but I had hoped that coming to America might cheer him up,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I should have anticipated he’d flee Manhattan, though. Theo’s never been that fond of cities.”

“Whatever. I’d like to keep him for as long as I can,” Dewey said with a hopeful lift of his brows. “If you think you and your brothers would approve. Do I need to ask Leopold for permission if I wanted to…?” He rolled a hand vaguely, too much of a chicken to actually say it.

“I think I’m qualified to act in Leo’s place, in this instance, and that my permission will suffice,” Matteo said seriously, then laughed and hugged Dewey again. “You don’t need our permission but you have my approval. I’m sure Leo and Elio will agree when they’ve had a chance to meet you.”

Dewey was dizzy again at the thought of Theo’s older brother,the Margrave, in Oslo. “Um… That won’t happen any time soon, right? We’re still getting used to Theo and half the town’s about to turn up, once word gets out that there’sanother princein the bowling alley.”

There was a sympathetic hum and a wince as Matteo canted toward Dewey. “We do draw a lot of unnecessary attention. But you won’t have to worry about Leo for a while. He has his obligations as Margrave and is too obsessed with Jonathon to leave Schönbühel. And that is exactly where we want him,” he said with an impish grin. Like Theo, it was obvious that Matteowas devoted to his brothers. “Eli’s too busy playing mad scientist and does his best to stay out of his brothers’ love lives.”

“Very smart,” Dewey pointed out and Matteo snorted.

“Too smart. It’s made him…” Matteo tapped his temple and crossed his eyes. “Did you see that movie… The one about the brilliant mathematician who worked until he made himself sick?”

“A Beautiful Mind?” Dewey guessed. He hadn’t seen it, but that sounded like the plot. Sort of.

“Yes!” Matteo clapped Dewey on the back. He talked a lot with his hands and was a toucher, like Theo.

“Is that an Italian thing?” he wondered under his breath.

“Ja! That’s the movie! Except Eli’s covered himself in equations and piercings and scars. Never saw a building he couldn’t climb or a rail he couldn’t slide down with his skateboard. Pfui.” Matteo crossed himself and said a prayer. “Der Rotzlöffel, but he’s busy at Cambridge these days. Thank goodness.”

“Cambridge?” Dewey threw him a hard look. “Theo said Elio was a genius and that he was studying in the UK, but he didn’t say he was at Cambridge.” Even Dewey knew that was a pretty prestigious school.

“For some time now,” Matteo said. “He’s decided he wants to be a professor and we have seen tremendous improvement in his behavior. No explosions and no broken limbs or calls from the police for months!” He held up two sets of crossed fingers and cheered.

“Sorry we won’t be seeing him for a while,” Dewey said dryly.

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