Page 41 of Just This Once (Stone Family #2)

W ith how nice the early spring weather has been, Cuppa Jo has put a few tables and chairs outside, so my brothers and I have forgone our usual booth inside to park ourselves in the sunshine. Up and down Aster Street, people mill around, window-shopping and chatting.

It’s been a few months since Dante and I officially became a couple, but only a few weeks since he broke off and started his own renovation business.

All it took for the word to spread about him and his work was a few well-placed recommendations by Clara and Marianne, and his calendar became booked out through the summer.

And wouldn’t you know it, suddenly Robert Moretti started trying to become friends with the son he always mistreated.

Too bad he couldn’t appreciate what a good thing he had going.

Now, he’s got to find a project manager with the same people skills who will work for less money and more hours, like Dante did.

“How’s everything going at The Nest?” Griffin asks, and I recross my legs, tilting my head back to feel more of the sun .

“Great. We’re doing more business than ever.”

“Proud of you,” he says with a knock of his knuckles on the table.

I’ve been working on accepting compliments lately, so instead of ignoring it, I nod. “Thank you.”

“I talked to Roman last night,” Ian says, and both Griffin and I turn to him.

I huff. “We’ve been sitting here for ten minutes, and you didn’t lead with that?”

“I figured you two wouldn’t care all that much.”

Griffin shakes his head. “Well, that makes us sound like assholes.”

“You are assholes.”

“As if you aren’t,” I say, balling up my napkin to throw at Ian.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re all grouchy motherfuckers. But he was asking about our house.”

“Our house?” Griffin and I parrot in surprise.

“Wanted to know whatever happened to it.”

All three of us go quiet. We were raised in a little ranch house with a stone fireplace and marks on the kitchen doorframe that showed our heights every year.

I don’t remember a lot from that house, other than the shag carpet in the living room and Mom’s smile as she had us line up every year on our birthdays.

Mom had to sell it when Dad left for good.

After that, we moved to an apartment that was too small for the five of us, but it was all she could afford on her teacher’s salary.

“I’m not sure who lives there now,” I say, and Griffin shrugs, pretending like the question doesn’t affect him. But since he’s been with Andi, he’s become easier to read, and Griffin is not as hard-hearted as he hopes people believe.

Ian finishes his coffee and sets the cup down on the table, rolling it side to side on its edge. “Yeah, I’m not sure what made him so curious all of a sudden, but it sounds like he’s doing well.”

Griffin and I nod. Not that I’ve completely forgiven Roman for ghosting our entire family, but I’ve softened on him a bit in the last few months from his occasional texts. Ian’s right. It does sound like he’s doing well, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.

While he might be a fuckup, he’s still my brother. My baby brother who got a shit end of the stick.

“So, I was thinking,” Ian starts, only to be interrupted by Clara, who strolls up to our table with a big smile and even bigger sunglasses on her face.

“Well, well, well, look what we have here. My former best friend hanging out with her brothers.”

I wrench back. “Former best friend?”

Marianne sighs when she catches up. A sound I know I’ve made every day since I met Dante. They’re dramatic, Clara and Dante. The two of them missed their calling in the theater.

“Whenever I text you to hang out with us, you’re busy with your man. Like he’s got you chained up to your bed.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Griffin mutters, dropping his chin while Ian slaps his palm over his eyes.

“Jesus. I didn’t need that picture in my head.”

“I am not chained to the bed. Obviously.”

“So you’ll hang out with your brothers but not us?”

“You literally saw her two weeks ago,” Marianne says and holds out her hand for my coffee, which I share with her.

“Yeah, for like a minute. We haven’t been able to go to Tabby Cat for wine and whine.”

I toss my hand up. “Because we’re working on the house.”

Dante convinced me to renovate, making his former apartment a third floor with two bedrooms, another bathroom, and a big walk-in closet that would give us a lot of extra storage space.

When we aren’t at work or with the kids, all of our waking hours are spent ripping out old kitchen appliances and putting up walls.

I have no idea what I’m doing, but watching Dante do his thing is a sight to behold.

If Clara were attracted to men, she’d want to watch him drywall too.

“A likely excuse,” she says and points at my cell phone on the table. “Put it in your calendar. Drinks on Friday.”

Following her orders, I type in the new event on my calendar, knowing Dante will receive the alert since we shared our calendars, along with the kids. All four of us are connected.

I’m still waiting on my day in family court for full custody, but the kids have yet to go back to Craig’s house.

Although he hasn’t pushed me or them about it.

I honestly think he wants to give up the little custody that he has because he doesn’t actually enjoy being a parent.

It’s a chore to him, and I would rather he—really, all of us—realize that and work through to more friendly terms when the kids can maybe come to a place where they might call him when they’d like to see him.

Instead of everyone being forced into something they don’t want to do.

With Dante’s help and the support of my family, I am more than capable of providing for Maddie and Jake, and they are much happier for it.

“So what are you two up to besides being a pain in my ass?” I ask Clara, and she tips her head back down the street in the direction they came from.

“We were at Chapter and Verse, and Nicole’s husband was there.”

Ian actually spins around in his chair as she goes on.

“He’s such a dick. It seemed like they were in the middle of an argument, and she was trying to make him leave. I mean, Marianne and I were standing right there. That’s her place of work, and he was, like…”

“Talking down to her,” Marianne fills in, and Griffin folds his arms over his chest.

“She doesn’t deserve that.”

“I always got a weird vibe from him,” I say, and Marianne nods.

“Condescending nerd.”

“The worst kind of nerd,” I agree.

Ian doesn’t add to the conversation, but he’s turned back around in his seat so I can see the set of his jaw. The way he’s brooding.

He doesn’t abide anyone being mistreated, especially women, and I know he has a soft spot for the mousy bookseller next door to his tattoo shop.

Clara, oblivious to the tension, slaps Ian’s shoulder. “Oh hey, by the way. We needed a few more volunteers to run the cleanup, so I added your name.”

Ian’s eyes widen in surprise. “You what ?”

Clara grins, unfazed by his reaction. “You’re super scary-looking. If anyone can make people pick up trash, it’s you.”

Ian rolls his eyes, but Clara continues, undeterred. “Nicole’s the other group director, so you can play good cop, bad cop.”

His reaction to that news is minuscule, but I notice it. The rigidity of his posture, the rise and fall of his Adam’s apple when he swallows. I would bet my entire I Love Lucy collection that he’s got a thing for her, but he would never act on it. Not while she’s married.

My phone buzzes on the table, and I glance down to see a text from Dante.

It’s a picture of him and Frankie on the floor next to Tortellini munching on lettuce.

It took an hour of Dante edging me in the bedroom for me to finally give up the ghost and allow him to set up Tortellini’s terrarium in the living room.

Dante

are you coming home soon?

Dante

we all require pets

I can’t help the giggle that escapes my lips, and everyone—my brothers and best friends—all shoot their attention to me as if they’ve never heard me laugh before.

Griffin raises his brows in silent question. Since when do you giggle?

I don’t giggle. At least, I didn’t before Dante. Now, laughter seems to come easy, bubbling up from a place inside me that I thought had dried up long ago.

“What’s so funny?” Clara asks, trying to peek at my phone.

I angle the screen, showing her the picture, and she goes all gooey. “Aww, that’s adorable. You two are sickeningly cute, you know that?”

I feel the heat rise in my cheeks, but I can’t wipe the smile off my face. “I know.”

Ian clears his throat, bringing the conversation back to the present. “So, about this cleanup…”

As they discuss the details, I find my mind drifting back to Dante, to the life we’re building together.

Who would’ve thought just this once would turn into for always ?

Definitely not me.

But Dante? He always knew.

Famous last words.