Page 81 of Except You
“Beau made this yesterday and it’s amazing,” I tell him, holding up a container of pasta. “Want me to warm it up?”
He shrugs. “Could eat anything. So, sure.”
“Yeah, okay, give me a minute.”
I eyeball the container and then Sem before deciding to warm the entire thing up. A few minutes later, I meet Sem outside. Doggo is in his lap, sitting like he’s found his best friend, apparently not getting the sense that this man is dangerous in any way. Sem has his face burrowed in the dog’s fur, whispering things to him. Seems both of them made a new friend.
“Here,” I say, shooing Doggo off Sem’s lap. He gets off with a small bark and then lies at Sem’s feet. Sem grabs the bowl of pasta from me, sniffs it, and then shovels it into his mouth.
It’s amazing what he can stuff in there, and to be honest, he looks a bit barbaric as he does it. He’d look natural with a large turkey leg and a wooden mug of ale, but I don’t comment on any of that. I don’t want my face smashed in again. Once was enough. And if I got hit again, I’m sure I’d end up with a concussion.
“Tastes good,” he grunts, and I nod, taking a sip of my beer absently. It sits oddly in my stomach, and I feel a bit nauseous, so I set it down between my knees and stare out into the backyard, looking at the two half-dug holes that I worked on the other day. I’m determined to plant some trees there. They’ll start small, but one day, they’ll grow big enough that a hammock can be stretched between them. But for now, they’re just saplings, struggling to take root. Kind of like me at the moment.
Trying to figure out who I am.
“Spill,” Sem says gruffly, and I jump slightly, torn from my own thoughts.
“Oh, um, well, my brother came over unexpectedly. He insulted Beau, and we got in a fight.”
Sem stops shoveling food into his mouth and peers over at me. “Good man.”
I feel my cheeks heat at his compliment. “Yeah. It really bothered me. What was said.” I swallow and run a hand over my mouth. “It was stuff I would have said a year ago, but now it’s just foul. I’m sorry, Sem. For what happened that day.”
Sem sets his bowl on his lap, and Doggo comes over and sniffs at it. “It was wrong. I can’t stand people messing with my man.”
I nod. “I know. I know what you mean.”
Just as I say that, Beau comes in the front door, and Doggo darts from Sem into the house. “Max! I’m home.”
Sem’s eyebrows rise, and he cranes his neck over his shoulder to see who it is.
“That’s, um…that’s my Beau.”
Sem’s eyes meet mine, and I see a sparkle in those blue depths. “I see.”
I nod and stand up just as Beau walks out onto the porch, his eyes widening when he takes in Sem.
“Um, Beau, this is my brother-in-law, Sem.”
Sem stands up, dwarfing us both, and Beau looks up at him with a tentative smile.
“Oh my, you are a tall one,” he says, and Sem nods, taking Beau’s hand when he holds it out to him.
So different than Matt. So different from how my family would react.
“Nice to meet you, Beau.”
“I’ve heard all about you. Max talks nonstop about his brother.”
Sem peers over at me, and I feel my cheeks redden.
“Hm, well, I just came over to threaten him.” Beau lets out a horrified laugh at the honesty spilling from Sem’s mouth. “But it seems Max is alright. I think Maggie would like it if you came over for dinner.”
My heart leaps at that. “Yeah?” I say, and Sem nods.
“I’ll talk to him about it, and he’ll call you.”
I nod, and he claps me on the back roughly. “See you later.”