Page 39 of Bountiful
“I’ll bet.” He crossed his arms, rocking back on his heels. “Come around back and have a beer on the house.We’lltalk.”
“Hey!” Alecargued.
His brother turned on him. “You really want to start off like that? I know you’re pissed off for your little sister, but she wouldn’t want you to be such an ass to the father of herchild.”
Father. The word sent a fresh chill down myspine.
“Do we really know how Zara feels?” Alec challenged. “Maybe she hateshisguts.”
Benito rolled his eyes. “The evidence suggests she liked him at onepoint.”
Alec clenched his fists andgrowled.
“Go back to your customers.” Benito pointed at the door. “I’m going to sit on the deck and ask Mr. Beringer a fewquestions.”
Without another word, Alec stomped backinside.
“Well,” Ben said, holding out a hand to O’Doul. “I’m Benito Rossi. You’ve met mybrotherAlec.”
“And it was a pleasure,” O’Doul saiddrily.
Benito shook everyone’s hands. Then he waved us around the side of the building toward the deck. “I’ll be right out to sit with you,” he said before following his brotherinside.
“He’s loading the shotgun and calling the minister,” Trevi joked as we walked towardthedeck.
“What’s your ring size?” Castroteased.
O’Doul just chuckled. “And to think we almost stayed hometonight.”
I said nothing. We all took a seat at a round table with a hurricane candle on it. The air was cool and the frogs were singing their tune. I’d forgotten about thefrogs.
“Nice place when people aren’t trying to kick your ass,”Trevisaid.
“Be nicer if I hadn’t abandoned my beer,” Castrocomplained.
“So go inside and order a round,” O’Doul suggested. “I’m runningatab.”
But before Castro could make it through the sliding glass doors leading into the bar, Benito emerged with a tray, a full pitcher, and five glasses. He sat down with us and began to pour. “So what do you all do for aliving?”
“Hockey,”Isaid.
Benito handed me the first glass with a thoughtful frown. “How’sthat?”
“We play hockey,” I said. “For the Brooklyn Bruisers. I playleftwing.”
Benito looked around the table. “Professional hockeyplayers?”
“Yup,”O’Doulsaid.
Benito snorted and shook his head. Then he raised his eyes up to the sky. “Oh, Zara.Really?”
“She didn’t tell you?” I asked, and then I realized. “Shedidn’tknow.”
Ben shook his headslowly.
“She didn’tknow?” Castro yelped. “What did you tell her you did for aliving?”
“I didn’teversay.”
