Page 20 of A Little Twist

“The same night?” He nods, and I’m quiet a moment, wondering if he has already had the thought I’m having. “Do you think it might not have been an accident?”

His best friend Rex died in a shocking, fiery accident after his motorcycle slammed into a light pole on the highway between Eureka and Hilton Head. State Troopers theorized he’d been clipped by a car, but it was impossible to know for sure from the wreckage.

Aiden’s lips tighten, and he looks down.

Adam shakes his head, studying his glass. “I don’t know.”

“Did he know you had a thing for her?” Blue eyes cut to mine, and I hold up both hands. “Sorry, just asking. It’s clear on your face you have feelings for her.”

My youngest brother’s jaw clenches, and guilt laces his response. “I don’t know.”

Reaching over, Aiden clasps his shoulder. “It’s not a crime. It’s been nine years. You should test those waters.”

“Hell, yeah. You’ve already got a head start. Ryan adores you.”

Piper’s son is the same age as Owen, and they’ve been best friends since preschool.

“Piper can do so much better than me.” Adam rests his elbow on the bar, pinching his lips between his fingers. “I was such a fuckup after all that happened, doing drugs, taking chances. I had to go away to try and get straight.”

Adam did spiral after his friend died, but if you didn’t know him, you’d think he was just a free-spirited surfer dude, living life on the edge, only caring about the moment, the rush. We knew him better. We knew he was hurting.

“Whatever happened to Rex, accident or otherwise, it’s not your fault.” Aiden’s low voice is a comfort.

Their seven-year age difference made it easier for him to step into Dad’s role for Adam, but we were too close in age. I had always gone to Pop when I needed someone to hear me, and I’d lost them both in the space of two years. It wasn’t my style to spiral, but it’s a time I hope never to relive.

Pushing off the bar, I grab the special reserve bourbon I’d been saving. “While I appreciate this moment of brotherly bonding, it’s not the vibe we’re going for tonight. It’s your last night as a free man. We’ve got to liven this shit up.”

“Hell, I haven’t been a free man in a year.” That light is still in my older brother’s eyes.

“I got this.” Adam hops off his barstool, pointing at me as he heads for the sleek jukebox in the back corner of the room.

I take down three fresh tumblers and pour us each two fingers from the new bottle. “I’ve been saving this one. It’s my newest batch. No one’s tasted it yet, and I’m pretty sure it's going to knock that fucking Pappy Van Winkle off its perch.”

Blink 182’s “All the Small Things” blasts through the room, and while I’m not the biggest fan of Adam’s LA surf punk, it definitely shifts the mood to something more bachelor-party oriented.

He joins us, and we sample my newest blend as our conversation shifts. Seeing Aiden embracing life again renews my sense of optimism that after a decade of heartache, maybe the three of us are moving into a new phase of our lives. One with more positive outcomes.

The song changes to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ version of “Higher Ground,” and I concede. “Good one.”

Aiden smiles in agreement before lifting his chin at me. “What are you going to do with Pinky next month?”

My brow furrows, and I glance up at him. “What do you mean?”

“Are you kidding?” Adam laughs. “Mom’s been talking about her trip to Lake Como every Sunday for weeks.”

I’m still frowning as Aiden explains. “She and Aunt Paige are taking Aunt Pearl to Italy to celebrate her 70th birthday. They rented a villa for the month.”

“A month?” My throat tightens. “Why is this the first I’m hearing about it?”

“Because you don’t pay attention? They’re leaving right after the wedding.”

“What the fuck?” My voice rises. “You’d think she’d have warned me.”

Adam leans on the bar, chuckling. “It’s almost like she expects you to pay attention when she speaks.”

“I pay attention, but things have changed a lot in the last year.” Since Britt and Aiden got engaged, Britt’s mother Gwen and grandmother Edna have joined the Sunday lunch crew, and occasionally Cass and Piper show up. “It’s not as easy to keep up in the crowd.”

“Because you like things quiet and sneak off before dessert is served.”

---