Page 12 of Stolen Kisses
He pulled on a clean T-shirt and pair of jeans, then climbed in his Jeep to meet his middle brother. Jack had said he needed to discuss something with him. Last time he’d said that, Jack had sprung the news that he was leaving the fishing business. He’d been co-captain with Noah since he was eighteen years old. That was pretty big news. Noah couldn’t fathom what tonight’s news would be.
He walked into the bar, his senses on overdrive for a second. The loud music, dim lights, smell of peanut shells and beer flooding him. He stood in place for a moment and glanced around. There were a couple people at the bar. The after-work crowd would be joining them any time now. A few of the tables were occupied with friends and couples having the infamous Wednesday barbecue wings that Castaways offered. Noah’s gaze landed on Jack in the corner. He already had a beer in front of him and one as a place-marker for Noah. He lifted his hand and waved Noah over.
“Hey, bro.” Noah pulled out a chair and plopped down. His muscles were sore from the day. He’d worked hard and it’d paid off. He felt great.
Jack smiled back at him. If Noah didn’t know better, he’d say his middle brother was happier than he’d ever seen him. Love looked good on him. “How was the catch today?” he asked in lieu of a hello.
Noah pulled his beer to his mouth and took a long swig before responding. “Awesome. Joey Nelson is going to work out just fine. He feels kind of like another brother.”
“You always said Krista was like a sister, so why not?”
A waitress came to the table and looked between the two. Noah knew her as one of Grace’s friends. Tina. “Hey, guys. Wednesday Wings for you two?” she asked.
They both nodded.
“You got it.” Tina turned and walked away.
Noah trained his eyes back on Jack. “So, you said you have something you want to talk about. Last time you said that, I lost my co-captain. I’m a little eager to jump to the punch.”
Jack grinned.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t bad news, judging from his relaxed demeanor.
“How many of those have you had already?” Noah asked.
Jack looked at the bottle. “Only half.”
“So it’s Grace that’s got you all worked up? Don’t tell me you two did another round in the office shower. I swear, I’ll never be able to shower off at the Sawyer Seafood office again.”
Jack laughed. Usually Noah’s comments made him bristle a little, but not tonight.
“So spill. I have to ditch you for Krista at six-thirty if I want to stay off her shit list. Which I do.”
“All right.” Jack set his bottle down. “Jumping to the punch then. I’m getting married.”
Noah blinked. “Yeah. I know. I was there when you popped the question, remember?”
“Let me rephrase. I’m getting married next month.”
“What?” Noah pushed his head forward. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope.” Jack held out a finger. “And before you ask, no, it’s not because Grace is pregnant. She’s not. We’re not. We’re just eager. We’ve known each other since we were kids. I’d marry her tonight if I could.”
Noah nodded. “This is great news, man. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. It’s going to be a whirlwind pulling it off.”
“Well, you know I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
Jack leaned back in his chair. “I was hoping you’d say that because we’ll need help.”
“That’s what family is for.” Noah shook his head. “Damn. This is great news.”
“I know.” Jack tipped his bottle back and took a healthy swig.
There was a chilled-out look of pure happiness on his brother’s face. For a second, Noah felt a little envious. He shrugged off the feeling, though. The only thing he’d ever committed to longer than a year was fishing. He hadn’t even made it through his first year of college.
Noah checked his watch. Six-thirty. He glanced toward the door and saw Krista step inside. He adjusted his track record of commitment. The only thing he’d ever fully committed to was fishing and his best friend.
