Page 54 of Truth or Spare

Special touches were Mable Brooks’ specialty. She’d cut the sandwiches for Dewey’s and Roddy’s lunches into hearts and baked cookies with their favorite jams on them. Their birthday cakes were always amazing, with sculpted fondant characters and colorful sprinkles, and their birthday parties at the bowling alley were the events of the year.

Mable showed her love for her husband and her family with personal gestures and Dewey vowed he’d carry on the tradition with Theo. There were even apple slices for Walter because Dewey wanted the sweet, old basset hound to feel loved and welcomed to stay as well. Walter was spread out on the rug on Theo’s side of the bed and happily snoring when Dewey carried the tray into the room.

“That looks delicious!” Theo sounded surprised as he smoothed the covers over his lap.

“I make a lot of omelettes. They’re fast and easy, when I’m in a hurry in the morning or after I get in late at night.”

“In Italy, we have frittatas. I used to make them for my brothers on busy evenings because they were so easy and I could leave den Speck out of Leo’s—if he was with us—or die Pilze out of Eli’s.”

“Speck and Pilz?” Dewey was slowly learning German and which English words Theo had trouble remembering.

Most of them were things like foods and clothing items because who could learn them all inthreelanguages? And Dewey found it fascinating that Theo’s primary, internal language was German, but he found the most comfort in his Italian upbringing. He and his brothers generally spoke English, Dewey had learned, because they had been educated in posh British schools where being “poor and foreign” was frowned upon.

“Pardon. Bacon and mushrooms,” Theo said between bites and held up one of the slices of toast. “This bread is lovely. Did Cassie make it?”

“Obviously,” Dewey said, helping himself to a bite from Theo’s other slice. “She drops off a loaf twice a week, along with a basket of whatever else she’s made.”

“That’s very lucky for you!”

“Don’t I know it. I can’t remember the last time I had to buy bread. But she handles most of my groceries for me, while she’s buying hers,” Dewey explained. “I just hand her some cash and my pantry stays full. Half the time, there’s a plate in the microwave when I get home and I just have to reheat my dinner.”

“She really is an angel.”

That made Dewey snicker. “She’s an angel, alright. But she’d test God’s patience with the way she harps.”

“Quatsch. She is an angel,” Theo insisted. “Does she enjoy her work at the salon?” Theo asked and Dewey shook his head.

“Nah. It was just something she could do for steady work when Bryce was little and in school. Her dad was killed in an accident, working at Jed Smith’s farm, while she was in high school. And her mom got sick the year Cassie graduated. Cassie took care of her pretty much full time until she passed.”

“Wie traurig! I had no idea. She’s never said a word about what happened to them,” Theo said sadly, earning a weary sigh from Dewey.

“She’ll tell you all about Roddy leaving her because none of that hurts Cassie anymore. But it breaks her heart almost every day, losing her mom and dad before she had Bryce.”

“Verdammte Scheiße!” Theo whispered, his hand spreading over his sternum as he shook his head. “Life can be so cruel. You really can’t take anything for granted.”

“Life’s been extra cruel to Cass,” Dewey said with a sneer. “Her first job was at Brooks and our dad’s passing hit her hard. He was her backup dad. Then, Roddy left her right after she had the baby. But she’s always been a bright girl and a hard worker and she never gives up.”

“What do you think she would have done, if she hadn’t lost her parents and Roddy hadn’t left?” Theo asked.

“That’s easy,” Dewey said, laughing wryly. “Cassie can bakeanythingand she used to dream of going to culinary school and having a little place of her own. But there weren’t many options for her around here other than working at one of the salons. She’s pretty damn good at it, though.”

“But she doesn’t want to do that,” Theo murmured, more to himself.

“She doesn’t but Cassie says it’s almost like feeding people. She makes everyone feel like a million bucks when they’re eating one of her sandwiches or sitting in her chair.”

“Nein…” Theo considered his slice of toast and frowned. “I know you don’t want me to fix your problems with my money, but what if we could do something for Cassie?”

Just that little spark of an idea made Dewey’s eyes sting and start to water. “For Cassie?” he croaked and had to clear his throat, he was immediately overcome and wanted whatever Theo was envisioning. “What are you talking about?”

“What if we built her a kitchen at the bowling alley?” Theo said, his lips twisting and his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “She could start with a small sandwich menu—or whatever she wants to feed me—and if she wants to, she can add more items or serve dinner as well… But she would have her own business and we could help her, the way she helps us on league nights,” Theo said with a vague wave. “I haven’t really thought this through yet, but something like that. Jein?” He humphed thoughtfully and took a bite from his toast, nodding as he chewed. “We have all the space and empty tables in the afternoon. Who wouldn’t want to stop in for a meatloaf sandwich and a quick game on their lunch break?”

He might not have thought it through, but Theo was describinga dreamand it would change Cassie’s life. “Yes!” Dewey caught Theo’s other hand and pulled it to his lips. “Please!” He was crying and his heart was racing as he imagined them doing it for her. “I don’t ever want you to use your money or your title for me, butplease,do itallfor Cassie. Please, give hereverything.”

Theo gasped and brightened, suddenly alert. “Wirklich? You will let me?”

“Yeah.” Dewey nodded firmly. “It would have made more sense ifsheended up with the handsome prince, but there was no way Cass was gonna let me blow this. Now, I have you so I don’t need another fairy tale or any more magic, thanks to Cassie. It’s her turn and Dad would love this and he’d want it for her too.” He could practically hear his father telling him to get to work because she was part of the Brooks family and belonged at the bowling alley with them.

“Wunderbar!” Theo pumped his other fist and Dewey could tell that he was already making arrangements in his head.

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