Page 3 of The One

Life was passing him by and he was done with living that way. He was done losing his best friend in the process of all of this and carrying some guilt that maybe he shouldn’t have pushed for the sale.

“If you need any help,” Robin said, “I love to shop.”

“I know you do,” he said. “You never used to.”

Which was funny. Robin had been married before and divorced. Her ex-husband was the heir to a convenience store empire, and in the divorce, Robin got millions in a settlement. One she didn’t want but was given for her silence. She’d never even shopped or spent money much until she’d married Alex and he’d encouraged her.

All his sister cared about was that she’d been hurt and she was ready to move on and start over. She’d done that with her divorce attorney years later.

It was always going to bother Rick that he wasn’t here for her when she needed him. Maybe if he’d been here, he would have seen Alex for who he was. What he was. How he treated his sister.

Maybe he could have spared her that heartbreak.

Then he told himself things happened for a reason. He wouldn’t have the cutie in his arms if that were the case.

“Where is the birthday girl?”

He turned when his parents walked in the door. His mother came right to him and snatched Harper out of his arms.

“Rick,” his mother said. “You are finally putting some weight back on.”

“Thanks,” he said. “Robin brings me food all the time. It saves me from cooking.”

“You don’t cook,” his father said. “You never did. I’m surprised you got as thin as you did with all the takeout you eat.”

“I cook,” he said. “The grill is my friend.”

But he couldn’t always grill at his apartment. He had to go to the shared space for it and that was a pain in the ass. Now he could grill when he wanted, but he hadn’t yet. He just bought his grill this week and put it together and planned on trying it out soon.

Burgers and steaks for days were what he was thinking. It was better than the sandwiches he’d been living on recently.

Thankfully, Robin was dropping things off and keeping him fed better than microwave meals. He’d gotten to be a pro at them too with the number of hours he was working in the past year.

This new job should change his life. Change his lifestyle. He hoped.

“Says all men,” Meena Walker said, coming in the door. Meena was Brian’s sister, who was followed by her husband, Troy, carrying their daughter, Amiah. Amiah turned one a few months ago.

The two girls were reaching for each other so he watched as they were set on the floor to play.

“You like when I cook,” Troy said. Rick knew Troy and Brian were best friends too. Everything was nice and close and buttoned up in his sister’s life and her extended family. Maybe he could find some of that too.

“Because I taught you to,” Meena said. “Brian wasn’t too bad.”

“Brian is a great cook,” Robin said. “But he’s even better now.”

“I am,” Brian said. “Mom would be proud of me. I made sauce and meatballs last weekend.”

“Really?” Rick asked. “I thought Robin made them. They were great.”

“Thank you very much,” Brian said.

“How is your new job going?” his mother asked him.

“So far, so good. It’s been more video calls than anything, but I’m starting to get to work on a few projects.”

“You said the company is based out of Richmond?” his father asked. “Do you have to go there much?”

“They are,” he said. “The CEO lives part time there but is mostly in Lake Placid with his wife.”

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