Chapter 88

Josh wasn’t the only one to notice how fine Billy Bob was looking.

Jan went to join him, an exaggerated sway to her hips, and linked her arm through his.

Even from where they stood, they could see Billy Bob’s stunned expression. She hadn’t paid any attention to him, even after the wedding they’d gone to up in Atlanta. It seemed seeing Billy Bob stripped down had piqued her interest. And when she led him to the table where the food was laid out, he followed her willingly.

“Like a lamb to the slaughter,” Jack groused. “Mopp’s a damn good worker. I just hope that girl doesn’t ruin him.”

“We’ve all had someone in our lives like that, I guess,” Josh murmured.

“Don’t worry, buddy.” Tom felt awful. He patted his friend’s shoulder, wishing there was something he could do for him. “You’ll find someone soon.”

“I know.” His next words were so low, Tom wouldn’t have heard them if he hadn’t been standing beside the man. “But when?” 33

It had been a good summer. Jack had added another addition to the ranch, which had to be the ugliest house in their complex. Not that it mattered. The important thing was it was home.

Tom had done a bit of adding to the ranch himself, only this had been in the way of a young woman and her little boy, who were trying to get away from her abusive ex. Miz Babe and Denny had been with them for a few months now, but they were settling in well. As a matter of fact, Tom was looking forward to taking Denny trick-or-treating in a few weeks.

Josh had come over for one of their movie nights, and the conversation had turned to the Halloween party Tom and Jack planned to host.

* * * *

Tom rubbed Josh’s arm. “We’re gonna have a ball. I hope you have your costume, because they become scarce as hen’s teeth by this time in October.”

“Yes, I thought I’d—”

“What’s scarce as hen’s teeth?” Jack had returned from the kitchen with a couple of bowls of popcorn. He handed one to his son and joined Tom and Josh. He draped a possessive arm over Tom’s shoulders, and Tom was tempted to roll his eyes. Here they went again.

“Halloween costumes.”

“This is true. Do you have one, Cooper?”

“I thought I’d go in my leathers.”

Jack started to choke. “No, you can’t.”

Tom pounded his back, grinning.

“Why not?” Josh asked innocently.

“That’s Tom’s costume.”

“Doesn’t mean there can’t be two biker dudes. What are you going as, Jackson?”

“Table for Two.”

“Huh?”

Tom couldn’t help laughing. “Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Someone mind explaining that to me?”

“When Thaddeus and Rebecca were younger, their mother wouldn’t allow them to have store bought Halloween costumes.”

“And I didn’t feel I could go against her wishes,” Jack concluded.

“So Jack came up with the idea of them going as a table and chair.” Tom could remember how hard Jack had fought to keep that marriage going, and how lost he’d been when he finally realized he couldn’t. “He cut out a circular piece of cardboard, put a hole in the middle for Rebecca’s head, then draped it with an old tablecloth and glued some of the plastic teacups and dishes from her dollhouse on it.”

Jack’s face was lit with the pleasure of that memory. “She got such a kick out of it. She even found an old flower arrangement of my Momma’s and put it on her head as the centerpiece.”

“And you fixed up more cardboard to make Thaddeus into a chair.”

“Very clever, Jackson.”

He blushed and shrugged a shoulder. “It made them happy.”

* * * *

But the thing that made the family happiest was that Thaddeus and Rush had become engaged late in the summer. They made such a perfect couple. They planned to get married here at the ranch, and Tom had already talked to his friend Daniel, who, as a rabbi, could perform the ceremony.

The thought of his baby boy getting married still made Jack misty. And perhaps, one day, Thaddeus and Rush would consider adopting. Tom had always hated the thought of growing old, but for some reason, the idea of being a grandpa tickled him.

The door slammed, and living in a house filled with young people, he’d grown used to hearing doors slam. Normally Tom wouldn’t bother looking up from the list of things they’d need for the wedding: invitations had already gone out, but they had to get folding chairs, flowers, favors.

But this wasn’t the usual, “I’m hungry, let me at the food,” or “Get out of the way, I’m heading for the bathroom,” or even, “That professor is such an asshole!” slam.