“I’m grateful for the opportunity to do what I love.” A wistful expression passed over his face. “And who could ask for a better boss?”
“We’ll see if you’re still saying that in a month,” Colby teased, grateful that he acknowledged that she was, in fact, his boss, not his partner. Although, in a parallel universe, she could imagine a partnership with him being satisfying.
Alec’s heart had taken a lot of beatings thanks to his dad’s antagonism, but apparently his rib cage had absorbed the blows without puncturing the resilient little muscle. Alec might not be considered a tough man by other people’s standards, but those folks weren’t using the right measure.
“I need to run, but it’s nice to see you again.” Alec shoved his now-empty hands in his pockets, like always. His nervous tell.
“Say hello to your mom from me.” Her mom turned uncharacteristically serious. “She’s over the moon to have you back home.”
A hush settled over the yard as Joe’s ghost floated among them, right where they’d all played so often. She could almost hear the giggles and shrieks coming back to life as nostalgia grabbed hold. Now her mother, Alec, and she stood there waiting for something, or some words, that never came.
“See you tomorrow.” Alec nodded at Colby and then disappeared around the corner.
“Let’s eat these fresh tarts now.” Her mom waved her over. “Alec looks much better than I remember. Such a gangly teen, and then so gaunt after Joe died. Guess I never paid enough attention to that one.”
Neither did I, Colby absently thought, glancing over her shoulder toward the Morgans’ house.
“That was excellent, Mom.” Alec loaded his dish into the dishwasher. “Nice and tender.”
“I learned from the best,” she said, teasing him.
He smiled and slung his arm over her shoulder. Her brown hair had grayed substantially, but her green eyes still sparkled with gold, like his. He also shared her Eastern European square jaw and high cheekbones, her long neck, and her introverted personality.
If Joe had been his father’s favorite, then Alec had been his mother’s. Thank God, because he’d needed someone on his side. Someone who’d encouraged his passion rather than disparaged it. His desire for his family to heal was complicated by his dad’s disposition, but Alec could swallow his pride—act more like Joe to make his father happier—if it’d save his family. He owed that much to his mom, anyway.
“My best student.” He crossed his arms. “And my best teacher.”
She sighed. “You look happy. Things must be going well with Colby.”
Colby. Even muddied and sweaty from working in her mother’s garden, she’d looked sweeter than his croustades.
Her grateful expression tonight had made him feel better than when he’d won his James Beard Award. As far as amends went, his tiny gesture with her mom wasn’t much. It would take hundreds of those efforts, but eventually the cumulative effect would make Colby’s life better.
Sadly, nothing could make up for everything his silence had stolen from her.
“So far, so good.” He sat at the kitchen table where he’d grown up, and stretched out his legs. He’d left here at eighteen, still such a boy. Life since then had hardened him into a man. “Leslie asked me to say hello, by the way.”
“I rarely run into her, now that all you kids are grown and out of the house.” His mom folded the dishrag over the sink and stared blankly out the kitchen window. Like earlier this evening, Joe’s specter danced in the shadows.
Being in this house had been tough for Alec ever since his brother died. Photographs and memorabilia were scattered everywhere. The oldest ones showcased two close brothers with their arms slung over each other’s shoulders, or Joe sitting on his shoulders. But as they’d grown up, they were more often photographed sitting across from each other—always separated by some invisible force field—the pictures reflecting a new reality. Those photos taunted him, reminding him of how much time they’d wasted on one-upmanship.
“A lot has changed since then,” his mom continued. She turned, her expression contemplative. “I’m grateful you’re staying in town, but it’s awkward to feel indebted to the Cabots. Are you okay with it?”
“I’m fine.” Colby reminded him of Joe and Mark, but not in the way his mother presumed. She had no idea of the guilt Alec carried around like a pack mule.
Her aging eyes took on a cloudy, faraway look, something he noticed with more frequency since Joe died. His brother’s death had been a tragedy, but for his mom, Alec’s leaving had dealt another blow. She’d been stuck here with no one to turn to for comfort, because her husband sure couldn’t offer any. Anger and bitterness had made that man’s already-insensitive nature as impenetrable as a coat of armor.