“Fletcher, Burke, Seth, Byron, and me.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Seth is playing?”
“Sure, there’s nothing wrong with it.”
I scratch my chin and nod. Obviously, he doesn’t know that Seth isn’t allowed to play poker. I wonder if Burke is setting him up to lose his shirt.
“This is going to be interesting,” I say, grabbing one of the bottles from him.
We walk toward the game room. Seth is unpacking his cue from the case. It’s obvious he’s here to play pool and not poker. Byron is by the bar, opening a bottle of Clase Azul Tequila. Fletcher is setting the balls in the billiard rack.
“I thought Kingston said poker.”
Seth grins. “Burke told him I’m not allowed to play.”
Fletcher shrugs a shoulder. “I was hoping to see him cry for his shirt, but Burke ruined it.”
“He has his personalized cue. The guy is a shark. We shouldn’t let him play anything,” Kingston stares at Seth. “I bet he’s a shark.”
“Next time, invite his sister along. Those two playing against each other is fun to watch,” Byron, who is best friends with Seth’s sister, says. He then turns to look at me. “How are you?”
“Fine.”
“You should come over to Luna Harbor.”
“Is it still a ghost town?”
He grins. “You’ll have to come and see, but for now, let’s play.”
This isn’t what I expected from my night, but it’s good to spend time with my brothers. We haven’t hung out like this in months. I wish Myles was in town, but maybe we can do this again. It’s around midnight when I receive a text. When I check my phone, I grin.
Autumn: Thank you for the presents.
Zach: Did she really like them?
Autumn: She did, though you shouldn’t have done it. She went to bed with the elephants.
Zach: Her face was priceless. If you let me, I can get us a tour around a zoo.
Autumn: Thank you for the offer, but she’s fine with the certificate.
Zach: I take it you didn’t tell your brother that we spent last weekend together.
Autumn: No. I’ve been busy.
Zach: He wasn’t too happy to see me.
Autumn: You might want to take that up with him. You two were close. What happened?
Zach: Life, college…
Autumn: Those three dots tell me there’s more.
Zach: No. They mean, I don’t know. I’ll probably call him next week or after the holidays.
Autumn: You should.
Zach: When are you going to send me your ideas for the Café Fusion merchandise?
Autumn: Probably next year. The holidays tend to be hectic around the house. I work extra hours since Matilda can stay with Mom.
Zach: Where do you work?
Autumn: At a bar.
Zach: Why a bar?
Autumn: It’s an easy job. The tips are good. My bosses are understanding.
Zach: You should tell me where you work so I can visit you.
I stare at the phone, hoping she’ll answer. A loud voice drags me out of my hypnotic state.
“Zachary, are you going to play?” Seth’s voice echoes through the room.
I look up to find him handing me a cue. “Your brothers are playing poker.”
“They aren’t letting you play?”
“Nope. I’m not drunk enough.”
I laugh, looking at my phone one last time before I put it away.
“Who were you texting with?” he asks, leaning against the table and taking the first shot.
Looking around, I say, “Autumn Wickerton.”
He arches a brow. “You contacted her, huh?”
“Not exactly.”
“That’s exactly what you did.”
Instead of arguing with him, I brief him.
“So, you went to see her brother, and you ended up hanging out with her for an entire day and then going to her daughter’s party.” He rubs his chin. “Interesting.”
“It makes sense.”
He shrugs one shoulder. He doesn’t believe me.
“We’re just friends.”
That’s when his gaze finally finds mine. “That’s a dangerous road you’re walking, Zachary.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She’s a single mom. We don’t fuck with single moms. They’re a different, special species. You treat them with nothing but white gloves and love. If you’re going to get close to one, it’s because you understand that you’re wooing a family. You’re getting a family, not just a one-night stand. Can you handle that?”
I swallow hard. My phone buzzes at that moment. I pull out my phone since it’s the best way to divert this conversation while it sinks in.
Autumn: You want to visit me at work?
Zach: Yes.
Autumn: Do people visit you at work?
Zach: No, but it’s different.
Autumn: Why? Because it’s a bar, I’m a woman, or…please explain.
Zach: Because I’m bored, and you’re fun to be around.
“Are you texting her?” Seth asks.
I glare at him.
He lifts his hands in surrender. “We’re touchy.”
“She’s just my friend.”
“Sure, and pigs fly. I just want you to be careful. You can’t go from behaving like a fucking monk to dating Autumn. There has to be something in between.”
“I’m not trying to date her.”
“It’s midnight. You’re texting. That screams, ‘I’m interested.’”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about. When was the last time you went steady with anyone? I was married once.”
“Being married doesn’t guarantee happiness. The point isn’t your marital status. In my opinion, either you walk away before you fuck up, or you go to therapy and fix your shit.”
I grab the bottle of Clase Azul and take a few gulps. Why do I feel like I’m starting to come out of the haze? Yet, I feel like I’m fucking drowning, and no one is willing to toss me a life jacket.
My phone buzzes again, and this time I ignore it. Seth is right. I’m too fucked up to try to rescue someone else.
I already did my part. Autumn is doing well, her daughter had a nice birthday, and I have other people to watch over.
Chapter Nineteen
Zach
I spend the holidays with my family. Even though my siblings always complain about my relationship with the Brassard family, we all go to Costa Rica for New Year’s Day. I think deep down, they enjoy hanging out with the Chadwick-Brassard-Sierra family. We also use the excuse to avoid my father’s annual party and his new girlfriend.
Mom is on a singles’ cruise. According to Teddy, she’s looking for her next boyfriend.
At times, my parents have some kind of competition. When one of them is single and learns that the other is in a relationship, they do the impossible to meet a new person.
While in Costa Rica, Burke finds a new love. Winemaking. Once we’re back in Seattle, he spends his free time searching for vineyards. I don’t understand his obsession, but I have to support his schemes just as he supports mine.
He lets me live in his house while I drift around the world. So far, I haven’t bought a house. I’m on a couple of waiting lists to get a dog. The latter might be a bad idea. Why would I want to bring an animal into my nomadic lifestyle? A puppy needs love and attention. I should call the breeders and cancel. I don’t care about losing the deposit. The only reason I reached out to them was because of Autumn and Matilda.