Page 78 of Diamonds & Deception

“Tell these shitheads I’m your best friend.”

“Done,” I say immediately.

“What the fuck, man? I was friends with Drake first. I introduced you two,” Ryder complains.

Trey chuckles and picks up a donut.

“And one more thing.” Now Nolan reaches for a donut and takes a leisurely bite from the cruller.

“I wish I had popcorn for this.” Trey leans back in his chair and props his feet up on the table.

An hour ago, the mood was thick and somber. I’m glad to see the guys relaxed and back to their natural state again. My problems have carried over to them, and I hate that I’ve put them in the middle of all this.

“I get to be best man at your wedding.”

“Oh, low blow, Jones. That’s fucking low.” Ryder points a finger at Nolan.

Trey’s deep chuckle has me grinning as well until it dons on me what Nolan has implied.

“You could be waiting ten or fifteen years for that to happen.”

“Yeah, right.” The three goons cough out laughs at the same time.

“Ten bucks says you’re either engaged or Nora’s knocked up before the end of the year.” Ryder takes out a ten-dollar bill and chucks it into the middle of the table.

“My bet is on Thanksgiving.” Nolan takes out a bill and smacks it over Ryder’s.

“Ignorant fools.” Trey puts a twenty in the pot. “I see your bet and raise you. Before Halloween.”

“That’s a month away,” I needlessly point out.

“Too far?” Trey’s brow lifts, as does the corner of his mouth.

I’m thankful for their forgiveness in dragging them down my pit of despair last week, and grateful they accept Nora and aren’t holding her lies over her head. It’s important to me to have the approval of the three men I honor and respect more than anyone.

“Get your asses back to work. You’ve been lazing off too much lately.”

We’ve all put in more than our fair share of twenty-plus hour shifts, but it’s not platitudes they’d want. Nolan squeezes my shoulder before he leaves.

“We’ve got your back.”

I stay in my office and work on catching up with the conference calls, reports, and odds and ends I’ve put off over the past week. It will take me days to get back on track. Nancy pokes her head in at six to say good night, and I remember Daisy will need to be walked soon.

Going home to a woman and dog, even if our circumstances are unconventional, makes closing my laptop and saying no to late-night meetings easy. There’s no place I’d rather be than with Nora.

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