“Do you know you’re the only one of us that calls us the Heartbreak Brothers?” Gray said, shaking his head. “I thought we left that shit behind when we left high school.”
“By the time I started high school, it was part of the local lexicon.” Tanner shrugged. “It’s not my fault we’re handsome bastards.”
Cam choked on a mouthful of beer. The youngest of the four at twenty-nine, Tanner was the wackiest, too. The family clown who always made them smile. Gray was the protective older brother. Logan, the one who always talked things out. And Cam? He’d always been the strong and silent type. The one who quietly got things done. It was only on the football field that he’d stood out.
Of course, that had changed over the years. It was impossible not to have a certain amount of confidence when you were the star safety of your team. That self-belief was critical to succeeding in his career.
Logan tipped his head to the side, a smile playing on his lips. “I hear you’ve started going to Lainey’s beauty salon to get your nails done,” he said to Tanner.
“Yeah. So what?” Tanner shrugged. “A man’s hands are important. When I shake on a deal I want to look successful. Maybe you should go. I hate to say it, but you’re starting to smell of farm.”
Logan blinked. “Farm? Get out of here. I shower every day.” He took a swig of beer, then surreptitiously lifted his hand to his nose to sniff it. “Farm,” he muttered. “Asshole.”
Gray lifted his beer to Cam. “Welcome back. I bet you’re happy to be here talking about beauty salons and pig shit. Beats being in Boston on a Friday night, am I right?”
Cam raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Yep. Just how I wanted to spend my Friday night. If I wanted to talk nail colors, we could have gone to Chairs.”
Tanner shuddered. “Don’t talk about Chairs. I hate it. I swear it should be declared a form of torture in the Geneva Convention.”
“Didn’t you propose to Van at Chairs?” Gray asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, yeah.” Tanner’s brows knitted together. “But that doesn’t count. It’s still the ninth circle of hell on any night I’m not proposing.”
“It’s just a Friday night get together,” Cam murmured, shaking his head. “How bad can it be?” Chairs had been part of Hartson’s Creek’s weekly tradition for as long as Cam could remember. It took place every Friday night from spring to fall. The townsfolk would drive to the grassy shore along the creek, bringing their own chairs and baked goods, along with pitchers of lemonade and ice tea for them all to share. And of course there was gossip. A whole pile of it.
When Cam was a kid, they’d go with their Aunt Gina and set up games of flag football in the fields. But he hadn’t been to Chairs for years.
Thank God.
“It’s not just a get together,” Tanner grumbled to Cam. “It’s a chance for the whole town to look at you and judge. You can bet you’re the topic of conversation right now. They’re probably all planning on pushing their eligible daughters on you as we speak. Before you know it, there’ll be a crowd of them standing outside your house with torches, chanting for you to come out.
“This is Hartson’s Creek, not Salem,” Logan pointed out. “And won’t they be more likely to talk about you?” he asked Tanner. “I hear you and Van are thinking about starting a family. She’s probably describing it in intimate detail to everybody there. Stamina, fertility, and everything else.”
Even in the gloom of the bar, Cam could see Tanner blanch. “How do you know we’re trying for a baby?”
“Van told Courtney. She wanted some tips.” Logan grinned. “I guess some of us have it and some of us don’t.”
“Why didn’t you come to me?” Gray asked. “I’ve got two kids.”
“Because we don’t want twins,” Tanner told him, his face serious. “One is enough.”
“I don’t think you get the choice,” Cam pointed out, his eyes meeting Logan’s. “And what’s wrong with twins? I like being a twin.”
“Changing the subject, Logan told us you’re thinking of retiring,” Gray said, his tone turning serious. “Is that right?”
Cam shrugged. “I’m thinking about a lot of things. Not getting many answers though.”
Gray’s smile was full of sympathy. He’d had to make a few career changing decisions himself. Moving from L.A. back to Hartson’s Creek to be with Maddie Clark hadn’t exactly been a boost to his career. And yet Cam knew his brother was the happiest he’d ever been, surrounded by his family and running a recording studio on the grounds of his home. “You’ll get there,” Gray said, his eyes soft. “Just remember that your health always comes first.”
“Yeah, I know.” Cam returned his smile. “It’s factoring into my thoughts.”
“It should be your only thought,” Logan muttered.
“I think we’re ready for another round,” Cam said, pushing his chair back with his iron calves and standing. He didn’t want to talk about his injuries. Not tonight. This evening was about his brothers. About spending time with the people who really knew him. “Four more beers?”
“Works for me.” Gray drained his bottle. “Cheers.”
Cam strode toward the bar, weaving around the tables. A couple of customers greeted him, and he gave his usual smile and wave. People around here were typically cool with him. He’d grown up with half of them, after all. And it was Gray who got most of the stares, particularly from his teenage fans. Cam bit down a smile as he remembered Gray’s fiancée Maddie, telling them about the time Gray was cornered in the church, unable to escape from a hoard of girls banging on the door.
“Hey,” Sam, the bar owner, gave him a half smile. “You boys okay? Nobody bothering you?”
“We’re good.” Cam smiled back, because Sam always had their backs. Apart from when they tried to sneak in for some underage drinking many years
