Rowe’s smile grew and he loudly clapped Andrei on the back before looking over at Snow. “I like this plan.”
“Of course, you do. It’s mayhem and chaos.” Jude snickered.
Noah slung an arm around Rowe, drawing him close. “Can I ask a question?” he said, lifting his hand as if in school. “Before we go storming the castle, can we eat first? Because that turkey smells really fucking good.”
Ian blushed while the others finally laughed, the tension finally breaking in the room. He turned back toward the stove when something crunched under his feet. “Oh fuck.”
“What?” Snow demanded, his hand landing on Ian’s shoulder.
“That was my favorite platter,” Ian said softly, looking at the broken fragments scattered across the kitchen floor.
Snow hugged him close, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “I’ll get Lucas to buy you the most expensive platter you can find.”
“He’s gonna have to do something to make up for not being here today.”###
Tiny snowflakes swirled in front of the headlights as Rowe drove himself and Noah home from Ian’s. It was too early for snow in Cincinnati and while it hadn’t been particularly warm recently, the white stuff wasn’t going to stick. But it was a sign. This was going to be a bad winter. Which only reminded him of that line Noah had been repeating endlessly since he finally got Rowe to start watching Game of Thrones with him. He snickered softly to himself, flipping on the high beams as they headed farther from the city lights and into the winding countryside.
“What was that for?” Noah asked, breaking the silence for the first time since they’d gotten into the truck. He’d been too quiet since leaving Ian’s. At first, Rowe had thought he might just be slipping into a food coma, but this felt different, heavier.
“Just thinking about the snow and winter.”
“You know, I never asked, but…how bad are the winters here?”
Rowe snorted. “Thinking about heading back to Alabama now?”
“Nope, just wondering if I should invest in more long johns.”
“It wouldn’t hurt. Some are mild. Lots of rain and little snow.”
“And others?”
“Shit-ton of ice with a nice layer of snow.”
“Lovely,” Noah mumbled and then fell silent again.
Rowe opened his mouth to ask about Alabama winters when they came around a turn to find a small herd of deer standing at the side of the road and coming down out of the woods. As he pressed the brakes, his right hand automatically shot out, pressing to Noah’s chest to hold him back in his seat. Even through the sweater Noah was wearing, he could feel the brisk thump of his heart under his fingertips, the warmth of his body. As the car stopped, the deer shot across the road and into the woods on the other side.
Noah’s slightly chilled fingers slid across the top of his hand, dragging his gaze from the deer as they disappeared in the darkness. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“I’m sorry that Mel wasn’t there today.”
A crooked smile drifted across Rowe’s lips for a second and he patted his hand on Noah’s chest before returning it to the wheel. He resumed their drive back home, his speed a little slower after being reminded that the deer were out.
“I miss her, but it was a good day. And if there’s a life after this, I think she would have been at dinner, watching over us, laughing too.”
Rowe glanced over to see Noah staring out the window, his face reflected in the black glass to reveal a grim expression. This wasn’t like Noah, but then Lucas’s absence and Jagger’s shadow had created a somber tone today. More than once Rowe had caught Snow watching Andrei and muttering that he planned to beat some sense into Lucas. He was pretty sure each of them had snuck off at some time in the evening and tried to call Lucas, but he was willing to bet they all got the same answer that he’d gotten—silence.
“Sometimes I feel guilty…for being happy with you.”
Rowe nearly slammed on the brakes, but he caught himself in time. He’d never expected to hear those words. “Why?”
“If she hadn’t died, we wouldn’t be together. I wouldn’t be happy like this. Never would have had a shot. But she did…and it just doesn’t seem fair.”
Rowe almost breathed a sigh of relief as he turned into their subdivision. He couldn’t have this conversation with Noah while he was stuck driving. He remained silent another minute as they rode down the street and finally pulled into the driveway. Throwing the truck into park, Rowe immediately turned in his seat so that he could face the man who had brought him back to life.
“No, it’s not fair, but life isn’t fair. If Mel were here right now, I know that she’d smack you for being an idiot and then kiss you for making me so damn happy.” Rowe reached up and cupped the side of Noah’s face, smiling. “I wish you could have met her. She would have loved you.”