Page 23 of Love You
“Hey, dipshit.” Josh threw a tortilla chip at him. “Grab a cold one and pull up a seat.”
Win got a beer from the cooler, strolled over to see what Colt was massacring on the barbecue, then found an empty chair next to Delaney.
“TJ says you’re married now.” Josh let out a laugh. “Poor Darcy.”
He should’ve known that TJ would blab. The guy, like the rest of his brothers, couldn’t keep his mouth shut. At least their significant others were more discreet. “She’s damned lucky to have me. I’m a loyal hound.”
“You’re a hound all right,” Colt called from the grill. “But loyal isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.”
Right, he was a player, a ne’er-do-well, a miscreant. He’d heard it all before.
“Seriously, what are you guys talking about?” Hannah asked.
Win told her the whole story, starting with Geneva’s poor treatment of Darcy. “It pissed me off. Darcy’s sensitive enough as it is.” Though lately she’d been a real ballbuster, at least where he was concerned.
“That was so sweet of you to lie to her mother,” Delaney said. Now that she was married to Colt she’d become too damned sarcastic. And cynical.
“I’m really disappointed in the way you’ve let Colt turn you into a sour, bitter person,” Win said. “You’re better than that, Delaney.”
Another corn chip beaned him in the head. This time from Colt.
“Watch how you talk to my wife.”
TJ and Deb came out with their big-ass bowl of guacamole. Deb set it on the edge of the fire pit, grabbed a beer, and made herself comfortable on the bench next to Hannah.
“I hear you’ve been telling stories again,” she said to Win, then turned to the others and made the cuckoo sign with her finger.
“What kind of shit was that?” TJ wanted to know. “You really put me on the spot there.”
Win took a long drag of his beer and eyed his brother over the bottle. “You seemed to catch on quick enough.”
“Next time a little heads-up would be good. WTF, Win, you don’t mess with people’s parents that way. I didn’t know if Darcy wanted me to play along or beat the crap out of you.”
“She definitely wanted to be married to me.” Not exactly, but she wanted to sleep with him. Or at least she did a few days ago. “As for beating the crap out of me, in your dreams, Thomas Jefferson.”
TJ flipped him the bird, grabbed a handful of chips, and stuffed them in his mouth. Win gazed out over the lake as the late afternoon sun shimmered off the water. Except for a few boats and a couple of paddleboarders it was quiet. Come the weekend, it would be Grand Central Station. Between the townies, the tourists, and the weekenders, the lake was a mob scene, though Win would take it in a heartbeat. Homes right on the waterfront were highly coveted, despite the crowds.
TJ, like with most of his dealings, had finagled his way into this one and made it a dream home. Thanks to their wives, both Colt and Josh had great houses, too. Only Win lived in a one-room rental. It used to be more than sufficient, just a place to sleep and keep his sports gear. Lately, though, he’d been thinking about buying a place, putting down roots.
“Burgers are ready,” Colt shouted.
“What’s taking Mom and Dad so long?” Josh asked.
TJ reached over, grabbed a stack of plates from the picnic table, and handed them out. “They’re probably having a nooner.”
“Ew.” Win punched him. “Seriously?”
“Yeah,” Josh said. “I could’ve done without that visual. Besides, it’s a little late for a nooner.”
A few minutes later, Mary and Gray Garner showed up with Lucy and Ricky. The labs were getting up there in age but his parents still took them everywhere. The dogs ran to the edge of the lake and stuck their noses in the water. Win found a stick and tossed it across the lawn and watched as the dogs streaked across the grass to fetch it. Lucy brought it back to him covered in slobber. He did it a few more times before going inside to wash up.
While he was in there, he checked his phone in case Darcy had changed her mind or had gotten done early with Geneva and wanted to swing by. Nothing from Darcy but a woman he’d met kayaking over the weekend left a message, inviting him to join her for drinks at Old Glory.
He hit the delete button and returned to the party, filling his plate. TJ sidled up to him.
“You and Darcy hammer out this weekend?” TJ couldn’t enjoy himself unless he was talking shop. Win knew it was that kind of drive that made his brother so successful but it was annoying as hell. The guy could never just let go.
“Yep. Rather, she did. I had that bouldering group today, so she came up with a plan.” As he’d told her repeatedly, he wanted to get a feel for the group before he decided on what activities to throw at them. But like TJ, she was anal.
