to high school together, so he suggested we all head
over to Jimmy’s so they could catch up.” He didn’t think Victoria spent much
time catching up with her old friend once Mike set his sights on her.
“Wonderful,” Ashley said, smiling. “Tell
me, what’s she like?”
Jay didn’t think it was wonderful, quite
the opposite, in fact, but if he said as much, his mother would assume he was
jealous. He was, but the whole world didn’t need to know. “She’s great.” He
tried to keep his tone neutral when he said, “Too damn good for Mike.”
“Don’t say that about your brother. He’s a
wonderful man. Any woman would be lucky to have him.”
Jay turned to Derek and rolled his eyes.
“Would you please tell my mother she’s delusional?”
Derek laughed as he held his hands up. “I
decided a long time ago to let your mother hold on to her illusions where you
boys are concerned.”
“Quit trying to change the subject, Jay. I
want to know more about this new girl my son is dating.”
Thinking of Victoria as Mike’s potential
girlfriend was a bitter pill for Jay to swallow. He didn’t know how he’d handle
seeing them as a couple, if it came to that. “Like I said, Vic’s great. She’s a
second degree black belt, majored in business with a minor in marketing. She
volunteers in her spare time. She’s sweet, beautiful…” The more time he spent
listing her attributes, the more pissed off he got thinking about her spending
the night with his brother. “Like I said, she’s too damn good for Mike.”
Ashley was practically bouncing up and down
in her seat when she said, “Are you kidding? She sounds perfect for him.”
No, she sounded perfect for Jay, not Mike.
They shared a passion for martial arts Mike would never appreciate, but since
she was off limits to him, he couldn’t very well point it out. “You’re gettin’
ahead of yourself. They haven’t even been out on one date. How do you know she
won’t hate his guts once she gets to know him?” He could only hope.
Ashley frowned. “Why wouldn’t she like
him?”
“Hell, I don’t know. He’s selfish,
arrogant, opinionated…” He knew he was being hard on his twin. Mike wasn’t that bad, but jealousy did strange things to a normally sane and logical man.
“You know that’s not true,” Ashley said,
pushing her chair back and folding her arms. “Michael is just misunderstood.”
Jay laughed. “Trust me, no one understands him
better than I do.” He pushed his chair back and stood up. “Thanks for lunch,
guys, but I gotta get back to the studio now.”
Derek and Ashley stood to walk him to the
door.
“Don’t forget, Lexi and Josh are having a
birthday party for Brianna on Friday night.”
The night before his grand opening was
bound to be hectic, but he wouldn’t disappoint his little sister for anything.
“I’ll be there.”
Ashley pulled her son into her arms and
stood on her toes to press a kiss to his bristly cheek. “I’m sorry if I gave
you a hard time, sweetheart. I just want you to be happy…” She glanced out at
the motorcycle parked in the driveway. “And safe. Safe and happy, in that
order.”
Jay laughed before kissing her cheek.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” He shook Derek’s hand. “Thanks again for lunch,
guys. See ya on Friday night.”
Ashley leaned into her husband’s arms as
she watched her son walk down the driveway to his ride. “Don’t forget to wear
your helmet.”
Jay grinned as he picked the black helmet
up and strapped it on. He gave her a thumbs up sign as he straddled the bike.
He hoped like hell his mother never met
Victoria. She’d be ordering the wedding invitations before Mike could utter a
protest.
Victoria drew a deep breath before stepping
into the mixed martial arts studio that had been her second home for the past
ten years. When Carl owned the studio, it felt like home. Now it served as a bitter
reminder she’d never really had a home or family
over to Jimmy’s so they could catch up.” He didn’t think Victoria spent much
time catching up with her old friend once Mike set his sights on her.
“Wonderful,” Ashley said, smiling. “Tell
me, what’s she like?”
Jay didn’t think it was wonderful, quite
the opposite, in fact, but if he said as much, his mother would assume he was
jealous. He was, but the whole world didn’t need to know. “She’s great.” He
tried to keep his tone neutral when he said, “Too damn good for Mike.”
“Don’t say that about your brother. He’s a
wonderful man. Any woman would be lucky to have him.”
Jay turned to Derek and rolled his eyes.
“Would you please tell my mother she’s delusional?”
Derek laughed as he held his hands up. “I
decided a long time ago to let your mother hold on to her illusions where you
boys are concerned.”
“Quit trying to change the subject, Jay. I
want to know more about this new girl my son is dating.”
Thinking of Victoria as Mike’s potential
girlfriend was a bitter pill for Jay to swallow. He didn’t know how he’d handle
seeing them as a couple, if it came to that. “Like I said, Vic’s great. She’s a
second degree black belt, majored in business with a minor in marketing. She
volunteers in her spare time. She’s sweet, beautiful…” The more time he spent
listing her attributes, the more pissed off he got thinking about her spending
the night with his brother. “Like I said, she’s too damn good for Mike.”
Ashley was practically bouncing up and down
in her seat when she said, “Are you kidding? She sounds perfect for him.”
No, she sounded perfect for Jay, not Mike.
They shared a passion for martial arts Mike would never appreciate, but since
she was off limits to him, he couldn’t very well point it out. “You’re gettin’
ahead of yourself. They haven’t even been out on one date. How do you know she
won’t hate his guts once she gets to know him?” He could only hope.
Ashley frowned. “Why wouldn’t she like
him?”
“Hell, I don’t know. He’s selfish,
arrogant, opinionated…” He knew he was being hard on his twin. Mike wasn’t that bad, but jealousy did strange things to a normally sane and logical man.
“You know that’s not true,” Ashley said,
pushing her chair back and folding her arms. “Michael is just misunderstood.”
Jay laughed. “Trust me, no one understands him
better than I do.” He pushed his chair back and stood up. “Thanks for lunch,
guys, but I gotta get back to the studio now.”
Derek and Ashley stood to walk him to the
door.
“Don’t forget, Lexi and Josh are having a
birthday party for Brianna on Friday night.”
The night before his grand opening was
bound to be hectic, but he wouldn’t disappoint his little sister for anything.
“I’ll be there.”
Ashley pulled her son into her arms and
stood on her toes to press a kiss to his bristly cheek. “I’m sorry if I gave
you a hard time, sweetheart. I just want you to be happy…” She glanced out at
the motorcycle parked in the driveway. “And safe. Safe and happy, in that
order.”
Jay laughed before kissing her cheek.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” He shook Derek’s hand. “Thanks again for lunch,
guys. See ya on Friday night.”
Ashley leaned into her husband’s arms as
she watched her son walk down the driveway to his ride. “Don’t forget to wear
your helmet.”
Jay grinned as he picked the black helmet
up and strapped it on. He gave her a thumbs up sign as he straddled the bike.
He hoped like hell his mother never met
Victoria. She’d be ordering the wedding invitations before Mike could utter a
protest.
Victoria drew a deep breath before stepping
into the mixed martial arts studio that had been her second home for the past
ten years. When Carl owned the studio, it felt like home. Now it served as a bitter
reminder she’d never really had a home or family
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