When Jeremy got home, dropped off by another mother after soccer practice, I took him and his sister out for dinner so that Theresa and Paul could talk. It might have been the trauma, but Theresa had not let go of Paul’s hand, and since all he had ever wanted was for my sister to give him another chance to prove he could be a great husband, since even she admitted he was already the best father any kid could ever have, he was sort of in heaven. When I left, she was watching him install the garage door opener.
4
I had to go home and change and wash my face and talk to Jeremy about how he should not blame himself that his mom got hurt. He was eight, so his guilt was acute.
“But if I had been there, I could have protected her.”
“You did,” I told him. “Who taught Mandy to call your dad if things were scary?”
“Me.”
“See.” I tousled his hair. “It’s okay.”
He nodded, leaned into me, and wrapped his arms and around my waist. “I love you, Uncle Leo.”
“I love you back,” I told him as I picked him up off his feet and lifted him over my head upside down. Immediately the giggling started, and Amanda called for her turn.
I took them for pizza at my favorite place, which was loud and noisy and had great food while also being completely kid-friendly. You had to love a restaurant where you didn’t have to worry about the decibel level as well as seeing people dressed up like cartoon characters. I was sitting on one side, Amanda and Jeremy on the other, when I turned, thinking it was the waitress, and found Ethan Hill.
What the hell? “Hey.” I smiled up at him.
He stood there, staring, as another man joined him with a hand on his back.
“Hi,” I greeted him, sliding out of the booth and standing, suddenly very pleased to be taller than both of them.
The stranger stuck out his hand. “Hi. I’m Aidan Ramsey, Ethan’s fiancé. And you are?”
Ethan hadn’t even told the man who I was. Nice. “Leo Foster.” I took his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
“And you, Leo. How do you know Ethan?”
“Old friends.” I forced a smile, stepping sideways so Aidan could see the table. “This is my nephew, Jeremy, and my niece, Amanda. Wave,” I ordered them.
They waved like the good little trained seals they were.
“So what brings you to Easton?” I asked him.
“Oh, we’re getting married. We’re having the ceremony in Vermont in a couple of months, and I wanted to fly out and personally invite his parents, get their blessing and all that. I’m a romantic at heart.”
“Are they here with you?”
“Yes.” He beamed at me. “Apparently Ethan’s father loves this place, though I can’t for the life of me understand why,” he finished, rolling his eyes.
I could tell he didn’t like the restaurant. It was easy to read on his face that it was a little too working-class for him.
“They should be right along.”
Super.
I turned to Ethan and realized that his eyes were a mess.
“You didn’t call. I left a message with Paul, but—”
“I didn’t figure it was important,” I managed to breathe. “And it doesn’t sound like it was. Congratulations on your wedding.”
His jaw tightened, his eyes narrowed, and I saw how red they were.
“Oh, Leo!”
Ethan’s mother, Tiffany Hill, appeared at Aidan’s elbow, all big smile and immaculate makeup. She was gorgeous—anyone could see where Ethan got his looks from—and she had never, ever, warmed up to me. Much like the restaurant, I was too working-class for her.
“Did you meet my soon-to-be son-in-law?” Her smile went nuclear. “He’s a corporate tax attorney in New York. He and Ethan met at a bachelor auction. Isn’t that romantic?”
I nodded, taking a step back to lean around Aidan to take the hand of Ethan’s father, Mitch. Mitchell Hill had always liked me. He was an architect, I was a builder, and we had enjoyed our time together.
“Nice to see you, Leo.” He smiled, reaching up to pat my face with the hand that wasn’t grasping mine.
“And you, sir.”
“I heard you and Paul got the contract to build the new gym at the high school. Very nice.”
“Even better, we won the bid on your library project for the college. Nice atrium, by the way.”
“Oh, you liked that?” He chuckled. “It’s a little more whimsical than I normally do, but I enjoyed it.”
“I look forward to making it a reality for you.”
“And you’ll do a great job. You always do.”
Coming from him, it meant a lot.
“Please give me a call next week. I have some smaller projects I’d love to get your input on, and I’m thinking of finally putting in that that pool house you suggested to me a hundred years ago.”
“I would like that.”