Page 35 of In at the Deep End
“I remember that smile,” Gray murmured.
Owen looked up. “I’ve hired the young guy from next door to work on my garden. Plus, he’s a damn sight more practical than I am.” He chuckled. “I’m still surrounded by boxes.”
Adam’s eyes lit up. “How young?”
Owen had to laugh. “I swear, you haven’t changed a bit in twelve years. And I don’t think he sits on our side of the church.”
Gray snickered. “You’d be amazed who ends up on our side, if the money is right.”
Adam ignored him. “Answer the question.”
Owen rolled his eyes. “Fine. He’s twenty-five.”
Adam let out a low whistle. “And?”
He frowned. “And what?”
“Is he cute?”
Owen opened his mouth to dismiss the question… then stopped.
Matt’s easy smile flashed through his mind. Dark brown hair. Those thoughtful hazel eyes. The beginnings of a beard. Broad shoulders earned from what had to be hours spent in the gym.
He shrugged. “I suppose most people would say he is.”
Adam barked a laugh. “Translation?”
Before Owen could get a word in, Gray grinned. “What you really mean is, ‘Yes, but I’m pretending I haven’t noticed.’”
Owen rolled his eyes again. “I’m nearing sixty.”
Adam snorted. “You’re fifty-two. There’s a difference.”
“And did you miss the part where I said he’s twenty-five?”
He held up both hands. “Relax. I didn’t ask whether you were planning to seduce him. I asked if he was attractive.”
Owen sighed. “Yes, he’s attractive.”
Adam gave a satisfied nod. “See? That wasn’t so hard.”
He could be honest. Matt was attractive, but that wasn’t what lingered in Owen’s mind.
It was Matt’s laughter. His enthusiasm, his curiosity. The way he could spend ten minutes talking about plants, or places, or the best place to put a water feature, and somehow make Owen care about it too.
The kid had a gift for making ordinary things interesting, and somehow, every conversation with him left Owen looking forward to the next one.
Owen smiled to himself. Tomorrow there’d be shelves to build, boxes to unpack…
…and Matt would be there.
Chapter Nine
June
The minute Matt stepped into the kitchen, he knew something was wrong.
Mum and Dad were seated at the table, except neither of them was on their phones. Instead, they stared into their mugs.
