Luke slapped his hands together and rubbed them. “Good. Because we’re going fishing.”
Tucker eyed the to-do list open beside him. “Maybe.”
“Come on,” Luke said. “I know you’re busy, but someone really smart recently made a comment about making sure we took the time to do the things that are important. Which means if Ashton’s been doing the job of two men, you need to think about hiring somebody else as an assistant.”
“Damn if I want to look as if I can’t keep up this close to the beginning,” Tucker complained.
“Bro, you put in full days. You’re allowed to take some time off.” Luke dropped the joking and spoke far more seriously, which cut through Tucker’s wavering.
“You’re right.”
Luke winked. “Finish up. I’ll pack what we need.”
“I’m game, but I don’t want to go anywhere too far into the bush or be gone overnight,” Tucker insisted. He was determined to see Ginny today, even if he had to burn the midnight oil to make it happen.
“Fishing right in our backyard.” Luke gestured out the window where the sunlight reflected on the frozen surface of the lake. “We’ll drill a few holes and drop in a line.”
Perfect. “You’re on. I need half an hour to finish here, then I’ll bring the whiskey.”
Luke slapped him on the shoulder. “Good man.”
Ice fishing less than ten minutes from home seemed a decadent experience but one that Tucker could fully get on board with. The ice was thick enough Luke hauled out a fishing tent and a heater, and two comfortable camping chairs were lined up at the edge of the hole.
Luke held his coffee mug forward and waited until Tucker poured a healthy measure of whiskey into it. “There we go. By the way, Ginny calls ice fishing Canadian Pong. You know, that drinking game when you try to get ping-pong balls into red solo cups?”
Tucker snickered. “How on earth does she connect the two?”
Luke thrust his coffee cup in the air. “The less luck you have bouncing balls, the more you drink. The less luck you have catching fish, the more you drink. Canadian Pong.”
A laugh escaped. “She’s a hoot.”
“She is. I’m glad she’s back,” Luke said seriously. “Something didn’t feel right when she was gone. Even though she’s never done a lot with the livestock, she’s always somehow been in the middle of every major event.”
Because she’s always taking care of everyone. The thought came instantly.
It was time to change the topic off Ginny before Tucker said something he shouldn’t. “You plan to finish the basement of your house anytime soon?”
Luke eased back in his chair, gaze fixed on the bobber floating in the hole in front of them. “Definitely. I hired Dustin and Shim to pound some nails over the next while. Figured if they got the framing done, I can hire someone to do the drywall and mudding—hate those parts of the task.”
“What’s the story with Shim?” Tucker asked. It was a question that had constantly slipped his mind as he dealt with everything else.
“Dustin had him as a pen pal during high school, if you can believe it. His parents are both college professors. Sounds as if they’re rather horrified that their son is spending time daily dealing with manure.”
Tucker raised his cup in the air. Professors and researchers had a lot in common, it seemed. “To parents who have no clue.”
Luke blinked. “That’s right. And it’s not that I forgot, but it’s just that you never talk about them. Are your parents still as out of touch as they were when you were growing up?”
“More,” Tucker admitted. “Only now it’s fine. I think they’ve decided the experiment of having a child has been completed. They raised a fairly productive member of society, so now it’s on to the next thing.”
His friend frowned. “That sucks.”
“No, really, it’s fine. If they’d been more attentive while I was growing up, I wouldn’t have gotten to spend as much time with you. Getting to hang out with Uncle Ashton, and your parents, made a huge difference in my life, and I appreciate it so much. Heck, for years your parents phoned me while I was at home to check in with me. I probably talked to Walter as much as I talked to my father some months.”
“I remember you telling me that,” Luke said. He offered a wry smile. “I remember Dad sometimes knowing what you were up to before I talked to you. Just made him more God-like and know it all.”
Tucker smiled at that. “He was a good, good man. I think about him and Deb often, and the things they taught me. Makes me even more appreciative that my parents don’t try and interfere in my life now.”
“Your folks still kind of suck,” Luke insisted.
Tucker chuckled. “Fine. They kind of suck.”
Luke narrowed his eyes. “Are you managing me?”
“Heaven forbid.”
“Because I don’t need to be managed,” Luke said, amusement rising. “You’re such a jackass.”
“Okay. If that’s what you think.” Tucker hid his smile behind his cup.
“Damn, I’ve missed this.” Luke eyed Tucker. “Not the part where you’re being a jackass.”
“Definitely not that part.”
“Stop it,” Luke said before allowing his grin to fade to serious. “It’s funny. I’ve always had my brothers around. But Walker was out on the circuit for a while, and Dustin’s a good kid, but he’s still young. Caleb had his head full of all the things he needed to worry about.” Luke made eye contact. “You’re like a brother and a best friend all rolled into one. Something was off when you weren’t here.”
Tucker took the comment at face value. “I’m sorry.”
Luke shook his head. “Not your fault. You had to get on with the things you needed to do. I probably didn’t help, getting tangled up with Penny for a while.”
Yeah, that hadn’t helped at all. Luke’s ex-fiancée hadn’t felt right to Tucker. “I never liked her,” he confessed.
“So you told me,” Luke said dryly.
Well, shit. “I did? I don’t remember that.”
“I think I raved about her at some point in the beginning, and you pretty much told me to take a second look.” Luke looked away. “You’re a smart man, Tucker Stewart. In retrospect, I now know that any time you poke me about something, I should listen.”
It was quite a compliment. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out, but I am damn glad you’re with Kelli. She’s awesome.”
“She’s the best.” He eyed Tucker speculatively. “Now we need to find someone for you.”
Hell, no. Or, more like hell, yes, but Luke wasn’t ready for that revelation yet, and Tucker couldn’t say anything until Ginny agreed.
Luke probably would’ve pushed it and said something else but at that moment, his bobber jumped into action and the two of them had to grab for their lines.
For a while the fish arrived. Every time they dropped a hook into the water, they had a strike, so the relaxing was over and the fishing had begun.
After they’d caught their limit, Tucker got out a fillet knife and cleaned while Luke packed up their gear and loaded it onto the back of the snowmobile.