Page 68 of Late to Love

With a jerk of my head, I make eye contact with my brother. “Ox.”

He smirks. “I should make you call me Chief.”

“The fuck you will,” I grumble.

He laughs. “You started making plans for the celebration?”

“No.”

“Of course you haven’t. You need to at least make sure Harrison knows.”

“Knows what?” Harrison appears at the end of the bar.

“About our parents’ wedding anniversary-slash-Dad’s-retirement-party that we’re having.”

His head swivels to me. “And you didn’t think to mention this?”

I shrug. “Haven’t gotten around to it.”

His jaw ticks.

Ox laughs. “It’s August 25th.”

Immediately, Harrison pulls the iPad open and consults it, then heaves a sigh of relief. “We’re good. Nothing’s booked.”

“We’re not having it here,” I bark.

Harrison raises an eyebrow at me. “Okay.”

With a glare at Ox, I say, “Which is why it wasn’t a big deal that I mention it to you.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he muses, rubbing his chin, “You not being here all dayissomething I’d need to know.”

I roll my eyes. “I admit that you do a bunch more around here than I give you credit for, and suddenly you’re giving me attitude?”

He grumbles something under his breath, then leaves.

Ox watches him go, then turns back to me. “Okay, spill it. What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit. You’re mopeyer than usual.”

“That’s not a word.”

“You know what I mean, asshole. Answer the question.”

“I liked it better when I could put you in a headlock.” I tilt my head, considering. “I bet I still could.”

Ox crosses his arms and glares at me. “And I bet I’d arrest you for assaulting a police officer.”

“It might be worth it.”

He chuckles. “Seriously. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Nothing you can help me with.”

Ox wedges himself against the bar, leaning onto his elbows and getting as close to me as possible. “Anthony. Quit being a grumpy-ass grump and tell me what’s wrong. You should know that I’m like a dog with a bone, man. Tell me.”

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