Chapter 26
26
“They’re smiling,” Joe muttered from his spot in the doorway, his eyes fixed on the dining room where Ethan and Frankie sat together. “What do you suppose they’re talking about?”
Chris, leaning against the wall next to him, smirked. “Tell me you’ve fallen for your high school sweetheart again without telling me you’ve fallen for her again.”
Joe scoffed, shaking his head slightly. “Fallen? Nah. It isn’t like that.”
Nick, stirring something at the stove but clearly listening in, chimed in with a grin, “He hasn’t figured it out yet.”
Chris gave a mock sigh of disappointment. “Then it’s worse than we all thought.”
Joe’s brow furrowed as he shifted his stance. “All?”
“It’s pretty obvious, brother. To all of us,” Chris said, nudging him lightly with his elbow.
“Again... all?” Joe echoed, sounding a little more defensive now.
Nick glanced over his shoulder from the stove, raising an eyebrow. “Those of us who spend the most time with you. It was bound to happen. You and Frankie were always meant to be.”
Joe straightened up, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was heading. “Whoa. You guys are getting carried away. I’m just concerned. What if she’s in on this plan?”
Frankie's laugh rang out in the dining room, a warm and genuine sound that seemed to brighten the entire space. Her smile stretched easily across her face as she leaned in toward Ethan, clearly entertained by whatever he’d said. From his spot by the kitchen door, Joe’s frown deepened, a knot of unease twisting tighter in his chest.
Chris followed Joe’s gaze, then chuckled. “You think that’s why she’s laughing? Because of some business plan?”
Joe let out a breath. “You thought that too, huh?”
“No. Not at all. Frankie is team King and always has been. She’s one of us — part of the family,” Chris replied confidently.
“She’s not part of the family,” Joe countered, his voice tight. “Not officially. And she hasn’t been for years.”
Sensing Joe’s growing tension, Nick leaned in from the kitchen, an amused grin on his face. “Says the guy who booked a sleigh ride with her tonight.”
Chris’s eyebrows shot up. “You did?”
Joe looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “She’s been wanting to go on one, and it’s been booked solid, so I pulled the owner card.”
“Well, hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Chris said, his tone light, “but Ethan booked one too.”
Nick gave a low whistle. “You better get out in front of this. He’s trying to steal your girl back.”
Joe’s jaw clenched, but he held his ground. “One, she’s not my girl. And two, if she falls for that... she was never going to be my girl to begin with.”
Without another word, Joe pivoted and marched out, leaving behind an air of frustration that lingered like the fading scent of pine. Chris and Nick exchanged knowing glances, the unspoken truth between them clear as day. Before they could say anything, Abe and Gloria swept into the kitchen, immediately sensing the leftover tension swirling around.
Abe raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”
Gloria, ever perceptive, glanced toward the dining room and nodded sagely. “Let me guess. Three-piece suit and shiny shoes?”
Chris stifled a laugh and gestured toward the dining area where Ethan, with his polished exterior, sat across from Frankie. “No, I’m great,” Chris joked before catching sight of Ethan holding Frankie’s hand. He quickly added, “Oh. Right.”
Gloria’s face twisted into a knowing frown as she took in the scene. “The other three-piece suit.”
Nick, always ready with a jab, leaned in with a grin. “I think Big Brother’s jealous.”
“It’s about time,” Gloria said, with an almost mischievous glint in her eye.
Chris, Nick, and Abe shared a surprised look, processing her words, realizing Gloria might know a lot more than she was letting on.