As if approving of the attention, Cash sat and leaned his head on Xander’s knee. If only life was as simple as it was for a dog.
Jason grinned as Matt Knight elbowed him in the ribs.
“Jason might have referred to you as new meat,” Matt said. “Fletcher? You in this hand or not?”
“Yeah, yeah.” Fletcher Bradley, Luke’s second in command, waved him off as he finished his phone call. “Sweetheart, I promise we’ll hit the beach tomorrow. Yes, I know what a promise is. How about I pick you up from school and we’ll get to go seashell hunting together. Just the two of us. Yeah. Okay. Yes, I’ll come in and say good-night when I get home. I love you. Not one word,” he said to the testosterone-filled table after he hung up. “Luke, I need tomorrow afternoon off so I can take Charlie shell-hunting.”
“Got you covered,” Luke said. “Or rather Ozzy does.”
“Man, I swear we are one phone call away from becoming a knitting group,” Ozzy muttered as Fletcher grabbed a plate and piled on the sandwiches Jason had provided, then made up a second plate of fresh veggies to bring to Ozzy, who had been on a self-imposed diet as of late. Cash abandoned Xander for fuller meat pastures and walked around to bug Fletcher.
“Glad to be out of that phase and into grandfather-dom.” Jake Campbell, former sheriff and Luke’s father-in-law, raised the bet then leaned over to check Simon’s hand. “How you doing, Simon?”
“I should bet, right?” Simon asked.
“I would,” Jake said in a way that made Xander glad he’d folded.
“Charlie’s got a head full of sandcastles now that Calliope’s agreed to supervise,” Fletcher said as he sat down, checked his cards and folded immediately. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s great and all, but this holiday season might be the death of me. You do not even want to know the list of assembly-required gifts she’s getting this year. I won’t sleep until New Year’s.”
Xander smirked. That besotted expression on Fletcher’s face told everyone in the room how crazy he was about his new daughter.
“What’s Charlie going to do with seashells?” Simon asked from his seat between his father and grandfather.
“That’s none of your business,” Luke said as Jason dealt new cards to Luke, Jake, Ozzy and himself. “You gave up that right when you ditched her.”
“Because her ideas won’t work! They don’t know what they’re doing.” Simon insisted. “Kyle does. He thinks like me.”
“Scary prospect.” Matt grinned across the table at his soon-to-be son.
“Keep me out of this.” Kyle shook his head and flinched.
“Doesn’t make what you did right, Simon,” Luke said. “You hurt her feelings. Now you’ll have to deal with the consequences.”
“We don’t have an adult to help anyway,” Simon grumbled.
“Should have thought about that sooner,” Luke told him. “You could be working with her and the other girls instead of being left out.”
Xander admired how Luke spoke to his son. There was respect there, affection. Along with the gentle guidance that was needed when a boy made a mistake.
“I’ll fix it. Not sure she’ll forgive me though.” Simon looked forlorn, there was uncertainty in his eyes.
“Who needs a refill?” Xander pushed out of his chair and collected the empty beer, water and root beer bottles.
“I’m good,” Luke said as the others chimed in. “Wouldn’t mind one of those brownies, though. Holly hasn’t been able to stomach chocolate since she got pregnant.”
“Coming up.” Xander thought back to Alethea’s comments in the diner and had to agree about the welcome he’d received in town. After only a few days he considered Jason a friend and by extension that meant he’d been included in this group of men. Decompressing like this, getting away from thoughts of business and drawings and deadlines and...Calliope. Xander dropped half the bottles before he reached the recycler. “Sorry. Brain blip.” He scooped them into the bin and wiped his hands on his slacks.
“I’ve had those blips. Mine’s named Lori.” Matt reached for the water bottle he’d been nursing for the last hour. “Who’s yours?”