Chapter 37

thirty-seven

ANDREW

As I looked around the dinner table, I felt blessed. I had kind and generous friends who’d always be there for each other, no matter what happened.

And then there was Jacob. When I was with him, I knew everything would be all right. He calmed my overactive mind, made me smile at the silliest of things, and filled my life with joy.

He handed me a bowl of beans. “You look happy.”

“I was thinking about everyone who’s sitting around the table. We’re more like brothers and sisters than friends.”

Dylan smiled. “We’re better than family. If you had to spend a lot of time with my family, you’d go crazy.”

Paul frowned. “Are they still thinking about moving to Sunrise Bay?”

Dylan sighed. “Don’t remind me. I’ll have to take an extended vacation to get away from them.”

Shane passed a plate of sliced ham to Jonathon. “I’d settle for going on our honeymoon.”

Jonathon smiled. “I’ll second that. We must have worked close to ninety hours last week.”

I had a feeling they’d worked a lot more than that. Easter must have added ten times the amount of work to Jonathon’s schedule at Candy Lane. “When are you flying to Vancouver?”

“On Tuesday morning,” Jonathon replied. “Shane and I wanted to stay for the official opening of the tiny home village.”

For the last few weeks, the contractors had worked overtime to make sure the first two tiny houses were finished. Yesterday, I’d dropped off some cushions and couldn’t believe the transformation. “The communal living spaces are finished, too. It’ll make the tenants’ lives so much easier having all the facilities available.”

Liam raised his glass of wine. “And thanks to Jacob, they’ll be able to see a doctor whenever they need one.”

Paul touched the rim of his glass to his husband’s. “I’ll second that.”

Jacob looked thoughtfully at Paul. “I’m hoping the clinic won’t take too long to get up and running. The hospital provided most of the equipment that’s there now, but I’d like to add a few things.”

“Call Pastor Adam if you have trouble finding something. He has contacts all over the place.”

Jonathon placed his knife and fork on either side of his plate. “If you need a good family therapist, Dylan’s brother would be perfect.”

Dylan choked. “Don’t tell Jacob about Steve. If he starts working here, my other brother, Luke will move heaven and earth to join him. I’ll be doomed.”

Jacob laughed. “Where does Steve work at the moment?”

Dylan sent Jonathon an evil glare. “At the hospital in Boulder. Before that, he worked at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.”

“I’m impressed.”

“He knows what he’s doing. And even though I said he was crazy, he’s not that bad. It’s Luke who makes everyone’s life complicated.”

I smiled. I’d heard the stories about what had happened before Dylan married Alex. Between the bachelor’s Murder in the Museum night and a runaway groom, it had been an eventful wedding.

Amy tugged at Paul’s arm. “Can I tell everyone what happened to Mr. Socks?”

Paul’s smile was instant. “Okay.”

“I’ve got news.” Amy waited until everyone was looking at her. “You know Mr. Socks, my black and white cat? Well, he hasn’t been very happy, so we took him to the vet. And guess what? Mr. Socks is having kittens. Isn’t that amazing?”

“It’s incredible,” Dylan said with a grin. “When are Mr. Socks’ babies arriving?”

“Any day now. Uncle Paul and Liam said I can help look after them for a little while, but they’ll need to find new forever families.”

I grinned at the excited look Amy sent me. She knew I adored cats and that it was only because I was so busy that I didn’t have one. Or two. Or possibly three if I was being really hopeful.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Jacob whispered. “Just remember, a puppy is equally cute.”

I sighed. “But a kitten is much easier to look after.”

“You could have both.”

After our last discussion about pets, I’d been considering the same thing. “You’re a bad influence on me.”

Jacob gently kissed me. “That’s what boyfriends are for.”

I sent him a contented smile.

The most important things in life weren’t what you owned or what you did. It was the people around you, the friends who laughed and cried with you, and the ones who stayed in your heart long after they were gone.

And if two kittens and possibly a puppy became part of my future, I wouldn’t complain.