Page 64 of Boston
“I told you he was hot and cold,” Boston said, his voice and demeanor and personality a much more muted one than Harry’s. He told himself he wasn’t on a country music stage, and he didn’t have to hog the spotlight tonight.
“I was just headed out to help with the fire,” he said.
“Bryce and Codi just got here,” Boston said. “And someone else was pulling up to the curb, but I didn’t recognize the car.”
“Was it a car or a truck?” Harry asked, moving into the office where Adam worked, and peering out the window. “Oh, that’s Lynnie and Matthew.” They didn’t live in Coral Canyon, but they had come for a visit.
“Wow, she’s gotten big,” Harry said, and he looked over to Boston. “When is she due again?”
“I think in November,” Boston said. “November fifth.”
“I don’t know how you remember that, brother.” Harry grinned at him, nodded at Cora, and then went back out the front door.
“Hey, guys,” he called just as Matthew took Lynnie’s hand and they started up the front walk. “You found Adam’s house.”
“It’s enormous,” Lynnie said. “How could we miss it?”
Harry grinned at them. “I don’t know, but people have.”
“Oh, no one has.” Lynnie laughed as she jogged up the steps to Harry and hugged him. She didn’t have a big belly, but she was definitely showing, and Harry put his hand on her baby bump. “How you doing? You look so good.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I’m feeling good.”
“Do we know if this is a boy or a girl?” Harry asked. He looked over to Matthew, and then stepped into him and hugged him. “How you doing, brother?”
“Good,” Matthew said. “It’s good to see you, Harry.”
“You too.”
“We don’t know yet,” Lynnie said, and she shot a glance over to Matthew. Harry suspected they did, but simply weren’t telling, and he didn’t press the issue.
“You can come inside, or I guess some of us are heading around back to help with the fire,” he said, though at this point, it would already be lit and no one would need Harry’s help.
“Howdy-ho,” Bryce called, and Harry looked toward the corner of the driveway where he found the man he loved most coming toward him. Bryce carried his little boy in his arms, and Harry wanted to run to both of them. He settled for laughing and going down the steps and cutting across the lawn diagonally to get to them quicker.
“Hey, man, you made it,” he said.
“Finally,” Bryce said.
“We got two Matthews.” He took Bryce’s son from him and gave the little boy kisses all over his cheeks and neck until he started to giggle.
“Oh, so you’ll laugh for Uncle Harry,” Codi said. “I see how it is.”
Bryce put his arm around Codi and grinned at Harry. “She’s been trying to get him to laugh, and he won’t. He just stares at her like she’s an alien.” Bryce chuckled. “I walk in the door and neigh like a horse and he’s giggling for the rest of the night.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Miss Codi,” Harry said, though he grinned and had never felt happier in his life than when holding Bryce’s baby. “I won’t make him laugh.”
“Yeah, see that you don’t,” Codi said. She stepped away from them and said, “Lynnie, come tell me everything about your pregnancy.”
They all went inside, leaving Harry with Bryce on the front lawn. “I’m headed around back,” he said.
“You are?” Bryce raised his eyebrows. “You’re not gonna stay out here and be the Welcome Wagon?”
“What does that mean?” Harry asked.
“Oh, come on, brother,” Bryce said with a chuckle. “These little events wouldn’t exist without you, and you work like a dog to make sure everyone knows how welcome they are.” Bryce bumped him with his hip. “Tell me you don’t.”
Harry couldn’t really deny it, but he also didn’t see the problem with anything he did.
