Free This Thing Called Love by Miranda Liasson Page B

immersed in number crunching that he barely noticed his brother Tom drop his large muscle-bound cop frame into the chair opposite him.
    “It’s made of some superstrong material that’s fifty times more durable than wood and guaranteed to last forever,” Brad answered.
    “I’m not talking about flooring.”
    “Isn’t that why you’re here? To help me with the deck?”
    “Yes, but you’ve been working way too hard if you have no clue what I’m talking about.”
    “So what the hell are you talking about?”
    “Erika. Peters. You know .” Tom gestured by placing his hands up to his chest in the universal boobs sign.
    Around them, late afternoon sun glistened off waves that slapped against the sides of the deck. Seabirds dipped in and out of the deep blue water. It would have been a perfect, tranquil scene except for the pounding of hammers and the whir of a saw.
    “Our first date is tonight,” Brad said, trying to sound more enthused than he felt. Around them, workers milled about, carrying long planks. Two shuffled by, sharing the weight of an industrial-sized sink bowl. The smell of fresh cut wood carried on the slightly fishy-in-a-good-way breeze. Brad loved it—the smell of progress.
    “Thought you’d be more excited. You’ve been talking about this date for weeks now. And I’m looking forward to hearing some details.”
    He had been excited. But now . . . not so much. Maybe he was getting too obsessed over this remodel. “I never tell you details. Alex would never forgive me.”
    “I’m a happily married man but I consider it my duty to know everything so I can counsel you. You know, so you can experience marital bliss one day, too.”
    “I don’t need your counsel. I’m the big brother, remember?”
    “And I’m the one married with three kids, four and under.”
    “You just want me to sympathize with your sex- and sleep-deprived state. How is everyone, by the way?”
    “The kids miss not having Annabelle around, but I must admit we’re getting a little more sleep.”
    Annabelle. Brad tapped his fingers on the table. “Actually, I wanted to ask you—”
    One of the workers called out. “Hey, Brad, we’re going to leave this pile of lumber out here for the night. That okay?”
    Brad pointed to the far end of the new deck. “As long as it’s stored in the new section. We aren’t letting anyone eat there till the fencing’s up.”
    Tom looked around. “The place is looking good, bro. Who’d have thought old Mr. Saunders’s crab shack would turn into this?”
    A feeling of pride bloomed in Brad’s chest. The expansion doubled the seating capacity, and it was all directly on the lake. Boats could now pull up to the dock and anchor there. Reflections had become a destination restaurant and that was great for him and for his town.
    His brother Kevin had conceived of the deck. He’d always had a great head for business, better than Brad did in some ways. “Make your restaurant the one everyone wants to come to,” he’d said. “And make it accessible by water and land. People love to eat on the water.” If only he could be here to see it now.
    That same loss hit Brad, an empty void that snuck up on him no matter how busy he was.But a more urgent matter tugged on his mind . Annabelle’s future . Tom and Alex were terrific parents. And they loved Annabelle. If they took her, she would grow up with other kids in a loving family. It was the perfect arrangement. He was pretty certain Tom would agree.
    He was still baffled Trish and Kevin had named Olivia the baby’s guardian. What were they thinking? Not that she wasn’t loving or kindhearted, but her life was a roller coaster that never stopped.
    Brad didn’t take it personally they hadn’t named him. He didn’t think Kevin had held it against him that he was a tough older brother who demanded that all his siblings toe the line. Maybe Kevin knew in his heart what Brad feared the most—that he’d done a botch job, learning by