He grinned back at me. “Nah. Finn and I are already friends, and Amber loves me! I used her earlier for some arm curls—she’s perfect!” He threw Mandy a wink. “And once the fair Mandy agrees to marry me, I am all set!”
The image of Amber clutching his arm while he chatted with Finn and lifted her up and down made me laugh. Only Chris.
“You were supposed to arrive tomorrow.”
“I made good time.”
“You did.” I slapped his shoulder, grimacing at the solid piece of granite under my palm. “I’ll call Maggie and let her know you’ve arrived. She’s coming over later.”
He smiled so widely, his dimples had dimples in them. “I can hardly wait to meet her.”
Amber piped up as she came out of the kitchen. “You can use her for your other arm, Chris.”
He beamed. “Perfect!”
It was a lively crew that hung around the bar that night. Patrick and Eleanor came over with Maggie, and they sat around with Chris until closing. Once we could join them, we all relaxed, drinking, eating, and talking. I looked around, feeling a sense of rightness. Patrick and Eleanor were like proud parents, smiling at all of us. Finn had Amber tucked beside him, laughing at something she said, Chris was charming Mandy, who was being unusually giggly, and Maggie was quiet but happy as she gazed at everyone. I caught her gaze and bent low, brushing a kiss across her cheek to her ear.
“Feels like we’ve created our own family, yes?”
She nodded.
Eleanor spoke up. “Chris, your room is all set, so you can follow us back to the house when you’re ready.”
“You’re too kind.”
I laughed. “She has a list of jobs for you, trust me. The one thing that doesn’t ever change in Eleanor’s house is the list of changes she wants to make!”
Everyone chuckled, even as she cuffed the back of my head. “Careful, Sebastian. Chris might become my favorite.”
Chris cracked his knuckles. “No might about it. I will be for sure!”
There was more laughter and lots of good-natured ribbing before we broke up for the night. When we arrived home, Maggie went inside, while I went across the street and helped Chris carry his bags up to his room. He looked around with a low whistle.
“This is bigger than my whole apartment in Toronto.”
“I know. It’s on Eleanor’s list—she wants to fix it up more, but you’ll be comfortable. And she’s a fantastic cook.”
“I can’t stay here for nothing, Sebastian.” He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “You know what I eat.”
“I’ll leave that between you and Eleanor. I’m sure you’ll work it out.”
“So, he’s your uncle, eh?”
“Half uncle, yes. I’d call him a friend first, I think.”
He became serious for a moment. “Thank you for this, Sebastian. When I was laid off, I had no idea what I was going to do. Jobs are hard to find right now.”
“I know. I have more work here than I can handle, and we have worked so well together in the past. I think you’ll like it here.”
“I think I will. So, Mandy… She isn’t taken, is she?”
“No. She had a bad experience, and she’s pretty gun-shy, apparently. She was married, and the divorce was nasty. He was some piece of work from what I gather.”
“He still around?”
“No, he moved. Once people found out how he treated her and they rallied around her, he was pretty quick to take off.”
“Asshole.”
“Yep. But she is great. She and Maggie have been getting closer. She’s cautious, though.”
He nodded. “I can work with that. She’s spectacular.” He winked at me. “So is your little airport angel.”
“That is an understatement. Maggie is…everything.”
“You look happy.”
“I am—more than I ever expected to be.”
“Have you heard from your dad?”
I felt a small twinge of sadness. “No. I wrote him twice, but he hasn’t written back. He ignores my voice mails too. His secretary just says he’s unavailable when I call.”
“Sorry, man.”
I shrugged. “His choice, not mine. I found something here, Chris. I feel as if this is where I was meant to be. I enjoy working, I get to play in the bar, I have new friends, Patrick, Eleanor, and…” My voice trailed off, my throat becoming thick for some reason.
“Maggie,” he finished for me, nodding. “She’s perfect for you.”
“She is.”
“You found your life.”
I held out my hand. “I hope you find yours here, too.”
He ignored my hand, dragging me in for another one of his bear hugs. “Me too.”
The next few days were crazy—and awesome. Between the bar and the list of people waiting for jobs to be done, I was constantly on the go. Chris and I picked up our relationship both personally and professionally without a hitch. Maggie was a wonder, working on our schedules and looking after invoices. During dinner at Eleanor’s on Wednesday, I looked over the calendar she had done up.