A Convenient Arrangement(20)

“Wow, spoken like a true Travati,” Leo said and grinned. “You think Anthony is the same?”

“Are you kidding? I know Anthony is the same. Did you see that stupid grin on his face New Year’s Day? He couldn’t take his eyes off Shelly. He might as well take time off, because he’s going to be pretty damn worthless until he gets over her moving in. Seriously, he didn’t even come in until after lunch today.”

“Can’t explain it until it happens to you. One day you’re cruising along, minding your own business and then there’s this woman who’s front and center in your mind. Not like when you’re in the chase, this is completely different. This one is under your skin and in your bones…you start to think about the future and kids and family, and then it hits you like a fucking bag of wet cement how lost you’d be if she were to leave. How you can’t imagine being without her. Then you get scared that she’ll figure out that you don’t deserve her.” Justin smiled and shook his head. “Scares your ass so bad that you’ll do nearly anything to make sure she never ever discovers how unworthy you are of her love. And that includes being the best damn husband that you can ever be.”

Leo shuddered. “Sounds like my version of hell.”

Justin laughed. “Mine too, brother, mine too, until I found Aubrey again. And now, it’s simply the best kind of paradise I could ever imagine.” He stood.

“If you say so.” His brothers were whipped beyond redemption. Leo could tell Justin and Anthony were happy beyond belief, but he definitely didn’t want to follow them into their newfound coupled-up bliss. “Speaking of, Aubrey and the baby are good, right?”

Justin’s face grew somber. “She had a doctor’s appointment today. Bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy, or at least until it’s safe for her to deliver.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Wish I was.” He looked gravely serious, in a way that hit Leo in the chest. “She’s been doing too much with the holidays and the traveling. My fault—I should have been helping more. But she seemed so happy, like she was handling it and—”

“What? She’s a grown-up. She would have asked if she needed your help.”

Justin shook his head. “No, that’s where you’re wrong. They don’t ask when they need your help. They want you to offer.”

“We’re not mind readers.”

“No, but I love her, and she feels loved when I offer to help. It’s how she knows I’m keyed into our life.” Justin looked down at the floor, then back up to meet Leo’s eyes. “She means everything to me, Max and her and the…” He took a deep breath and a muscle in his jaw flinched. His eyes were red. What the fuck—was his brother about to cry?

Wow. His brother was madly in love with his wife. And worried. Justin didn’t really worry, he simply fixed the problem. He took care of business. He got things done.

A sudden thought occurred to Leo. He couldn’t fix this for Justin, but there was a way he could help. “Hey, so Gwen is running point for the launch party. I know Aubrey offered to help, but I’m thinking me and Gwen, we’ve got it covered.”

A smile cut across Justin’s face. “Thanks for that. One less thing for her to worry about. I appreciate it.”

Leo nodded. The least he could do, really. Seemed like the Travati family dynamic was changing and would continue to change. Even if he was going to be the confirmed bachelor of the group, he’d still have to buckle down and help from time to time. Hell, he didn’t mind being the cool single uncle to his nephew and whatever the heck this baby was going to be.

“Gwen’s running point, make sure you call her.” Justin walked toward the door. “You know, if you can figure out how to leave a voicemail.”

“Ha!” Leo retorted. But hey, at least now he had more than one reason to talk to Gwen.





Chapter 6




“Aubrey, I don’t think the space is right.” Gwen walked around the open room in the building Todd and Ilko, the Convenient Arrangement app designers, had suggested, FaceTiming with Aubrey on her phone. How were they this much behind schedule? Because one venue had canceled, another had burned to the ground over the holidays, and all the upscale venues she’d suggested had been shot down by Hipster 1 and Hipster 2 for being too mainstream, too boring, and not nearly edgy enough for the launch party.

The room was in an old club that housed obscure bands with overly precious names and small followings on the weekends. The entire place reeked of beer and stale cigarettes. “The vibe in here—” Gwen held her phone so Aubrey could see the dank basement room they were dealing with. “Your thoughts?”