“I understand. I found this counselor, someone experienced with situations like yours. I’ll call her if you want to talk to her and—”
“No. I’m not so much confused about this world, just my place in it. If I’m no longer a farmer or a husband, what am I supposed to do? I have enough money to last the rest of my life, according to Agent Waters. But I have no purpose. I worried about that…until I realized the twins don’t, either. At least not that I’ve seen.”
No wonder Zach was confused. “Unlike Messiah City, few students here go to school year-round.”
“They explained that they were on summer break.” But he still seemed perplexed about what that meant.
“Seth says the twins are planning to get jobs while they’re here this summer.”
“They told me.” Zach frowned. “But so far, their top priorities have been drink, women, and baseball.”
“Then, yeah.” Beck smiled. “That makes them pretty normal for their age.”
“Don’t they want more out of life?”
Of course Zach had never seen behavior like this. Hedonism and idleness had never been tolerated in Messiah City, but the fact he wasn’t outright rejecting Jack and Connor or their behavior said that his mind was opening. “The thing about out here is that most people mind their own business. As long as you’re not breaking laws—you know, killing or stealing and the like—there’s no right or wrong way to do life. You just do what gets you where you want to go, whatever makes you happy. Have the twins brought women here?”
Zach nodded. “Both the night they arrived and last night.”
Jesus, they’d been here two days and they’d gotten laid twice? Good for them, but…confusing as hell for Zach. “Are you uncomfortable?”
“I was at first. Now I’m…curious.”
Three weeks ago, Zach had admitted that he’d been without his late wife’s “comfort” for weeks. If he’d been horny then, how desperate must he be now? “And that’s okay. There’s no value judgment here if you find a woman to spend the night with. Make sure she’s over eighteen.”
Zach grimaced. “I’d like to spend time with someone closer to my age.”
The fact his brother didn’t want to get naked with a female the law had recently considered a child was fantastic in Beck’s book. “Then do that. You’ll find plenty of women in their twenties who are single and fun and…”
“Not expecting a man to marry her in order to have sex with her?”
That was a change in Zach’s vernacular, which must be the twins’ doing. “Exactly.”
His brother nodded. “I drank a beer last night.”
Wow, Jack and Connor really were having an influence on him. “And?”
“I didn’t hate it. If I drank another tonight…”
“No one would think anything of it.” And from everything Beck was hearing, the twins just might be perfect for showing Zach how to do life in the outside world. “Whatever makes you happy.”
Zach sighed, seeming to consider his options. “It’s that simple?”
“Pretty much.”
The opening of the apartment door, followed by a female giggle, brought Beck’s head snapping around. It wasn’t long before the twins appeared at the end of the foyer, a twelve-pack in one hand and a pair of clinging ladies by their sides who looked more like Instagram models than college students. Then again, Jack and Connor were dead ringers for their older brother, and Seth had always been popular with the ladies.
The twins stopped short when they spotted him.
“Shit. You must be Zach’s brother,” said one, setting the beer down to offer his hand. “Hi, I’m Jack.”
Beck shook the guy’s hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m—”
“Seth’s friend. Dr. Beckman, right?”
Since the twins had no idea he and their brother shared Heavenly, that was probably the safest answer. “Yeah, but just call me Beck.”
“Cool. That’s Connor.” He pointed to his twin, who waved. “This is Lacey and Katie.”