“Hey you,” Will said to Grant. He steppedback from his dad who was smiling that crooked grin that Will knewwas the mirror of his own.
Bill Brandt bellowed, “Roxie, will you knockit off!” before turning to Will once more. “How was your trip?”
Will didn’t have a chance to answer becauseGrant was pounding his back in greeting, and Will was trying not towince as Grant’s affectionate blows landed on his assortedbruises.
“It’s about time, monsieur!” Grantwas laughing. It had been over a year since Will had seen him last.Grant was twenty-five now, a little shorter and a little stockierthan his big brother, pumped to physical peak from basic training,but really not so different from the enthusiastic kid Will hadhelped move into his college dorm what seemed like such a shorttime ago.
Will thumped Grant in return. “So it’s true.The Corps will take anybody now!” He turned to Taylor, who hadjoined them. “This is Taylor.” He added self-consciously, “Mypartner.” But then it belatedly occurred to him that “partner”could be taken a couple of different ways. They would all becorrect, of course. He should have figured out ahead of time how hewould make this introduction, but the fact was, he hadn’t wanted tothink about it. Had postponed thinking about it.
His dad put his big, work-roughened hand outto Taylor. “Nice to meet you, Taylor.”
“Sir,” Taylor said, shaking hands.
Bill Brand studied Taylor shrewdly for asecond or two. His navy eyes crinkled in his tanned face. Hesmiled. “Call me Bill, son.”
Will’s heart lifted as his dad’s gaze methis own. Yes, it was okay. His dad knew, understood. He grinned atTaylor, feeling a surge of possessive pride in him. Why wouldn’this dad approve? MacAllister was everything a prospectivefather-in-law ought to wish for. Smart, strong, and an excellentshot.
Taylor offered a half smile in return,looking uncharacteristically serious. Almost grave. Will had beenso busy worrying about his father and brother’s reactions, hehadn’t really stopped to consider whether Taylor might find this alittle stressful. He wanted to put his arm around him, reassurehim, show his solidarity, but not only did he not know how Taylorwould feel about being hugged openly — they were sparing in theirpublic demonstrations of affection — his own family wasn’t much forphysical gestures of affection either.
“Taylor? So you were in the marines?” Grantasked, glancing from Will to Taylor.
“Huh?” Will said. But then memory clickedinto place. Hell. Grant was thinking of Bob Taylor. Which waspretty damned disconcerting given that Grant had been a kid whenWill and Bob —
Will’s thoughts broke off as Taylor glancedhis way curiously, offering his hand to Grant. “Sorry. WrongTaylor.”
“Friend of mine from the Corps,” Will saidby way of explanation.
“Aw. Too bad,” Grant said, Grant not beingthe most tactful member of the Brandt clan. He shook Taylor’s handanyway.
“Taylor’s my partner, you knucklehead,” Willsaid. This time he meant the other kind of partner. Or maybe hedidn’t. Even he wasn’t sure anymore. He just knew he didn’twant Taylor, fresh from the David Bradley debacle, wondering aboutBob Taylor.
“Oh. MacAllister,” Grant said. “TheDSS one. Will said you like to fish. I thought you liked deep seafishing, though.”
“I like fishing period.”
Taylor’s amused gaze met Will’s, and Willopened his mouth, but was this the right moment for a dramaticannouncement? His father had the rear door of the SUV open and hewas handing their fishing poles to Grant who was saying, “You cameto the right place for fishing. Best fishing in the state. In thecountry.”
Taylor gave a laugh under his breath andwent to grab his bag, and Will followed suit.
They went up the fieldstone walk, everyonetalking at once, and even so, their voices sounding small in thevast emptiness of the surrounding silence of trees and mountainsand endless sky. The damp air was cold and smelled of distant snow,pine trees and woodsmoke.
“It’s beautiful,” Taylor said, staring atthe snowcapped peaks. “Do you get snow this time of year?”
“Sometimes. Not usually,” Bill said. “It’snot going to snow in the next day or two.”
“How did you like San Diego?” Will askedGrant, who had completed his training at Camp Pendleton.
“I’d have liked it better if you hadn’t beenin France.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Will said, hiseyes meeting Taylor’s.
Taylor gave a derisive shake of hishead.
They walked up the log steps on the eastside of the house and trooped inside the enormous front room withits hand-hewn cathedral ceiling. Golden evening poured through thewall of picture windows, bathing the log ceiling rafters and tallfieldstone fireplace in a warm light. Colorful Indian rugs coveredthe floors. The furniture was comfortable and man-sized. A fireglowed in the fireplace grate and the house smelled of somethinggood cooking. Chili, probably.
Which always gave Taylor indigestion. Chiliand salsa.
A slender, bald-headed, bearded man sat atthe rough-carved dining table. He nodded politely in greeting, hisbrown eyes watchful.
“And if anyone asks, that’s your cousinDennis,” Bill said.
Will, who knew perfectly well he didn’t havea Cousin Dennis, said, “Is someone liable to ask?”
His father shrugged. “You never know.”
“Got it.” Will met Taylor’s gaze. Taylorraised his eyebrows.
“So,” Bill went on, “we’ve got a full housethis weekend. Dennis is in the loft, but we can —”
“Taylor’s fine with me.”
“I figured,” Bill said easily. “Supper’sready. You may as well give Taylor the grand tour, and then we cansit down to eat. Grant, since when do you leave fishing poles inthe living room?”
Grant was making his protests as Will ledthe way through the open kitchen, past the large downstairsbathroom, which they’d be sharing with Grant, down the hall linedwith family photos to his bedroom on the north side of thehouse.
The room looked mostly unchanged. Theposters and sports pennants were gone along with the school booksand scattered dirty clothes. The handmade navy blue quilt was thesame one Will had slept beneath growing up.
“Double bed,” Will said. “It’s a good thingyou’re such a little guy.”
“So funny,” Taylor returned, dropping hisbag on the floor beside the bed. “So what’s the deal with CousinDennis?”
Will grimaced. “Occasionally
