“Well, and now that Liv is pregnant, it’s like blood in the water. Women not only throwing themselves at me but wanting to talk about babies too.”

“Let yourself be caught then,” Kyle said, grabbing one of the beers that’d been sent over.

“Hey, I will when it’s the right woman.”

“The right woman isn’t gonna send over a beer and lean over so you can see her hoo ha,” Shane grumbled.

Marc laughed. “What was that Daddy said back last year? Something about cookies? You hang out much at the Honey Bear lately?”

“Hardy har har. Speaking of cookies, do any of you know Tate Murphy?”

“Tim was in my year. Nice enough, I think. He was out a lot. He’s a plumber here in town now. Damned good one. You know those roots on that oak in our backyard? Totally screwed up our laundry room plumbing. He came in and fixed it all. Nathan, he’s one of the younger ones, he teaches at the high school with Maggie. You should ask Momma, she knows all that stuff.” Kyle studied the table before taking a shot.

“Why?” Shane looked at his brother across the table.

“You know I helped out the other day when Charlie hit her? She sent me some cookies and I went in to thank her today. She’s sweet. I was just wondering about her. Seems silly that in a small town I don’t know someone so close to my age.”

“I doubt she moves in the same circles.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Marc?”

Marc drew back, surprised at the edge in Matt’s voice. “Nothing. She’s just not at the Tonk that I’ve ever seen, or here. Never seen her at the places we seem to hang out. So it’s not a stretch to think she moves in different circles. What’s your problem? She do or say something to upset you?”

“No. No, I’m sorry. I just took it the wrong way.”

“Like how?” Marc leaned on his cue.

“She’s, well she’s sort of heavyset and if I remember correctly, Tim always had messed up clothes and was working on the side.”

“You thought I meant since she was fat and poor she wasn’t our kind?” Marc narrowed his eyes at his brother and Kyle put a hand on Marc’s arm.

“No, I think Matt likes her and is feeling protective of her. Like you’d be of any one of your friends. Right?” Kyle asked Matt.

Matt nodded. “And she’s not fat. Don’t say that.”

“I was being sarcastic.” Marc sent him an agitated glare.

Matt put his cue away. “Whatever. I need to go. I’ll see you all on Sunday.”

Shane frowned and motioned to Kyle and Marc to stay back while he followed Matt out the door.

“Hey, ass**le, wait up,” Shane called out and Matt stopped, his shoulders drooping.

“I want to go home. Why are you pestering me?”

“Take your attitude down a notch or five or I’ll have to kick your punky ass, Matt. What’s going on with you? You’re all over Marc tonight.”

“I’m just—I don’t know what I am. I suppose I just felt bad for them all the sudden. The Murphys. Anyway, it’s been a long week. I’m going to go talk to Momma and then go home. I’ll see you later. I’m all right, really.”

“You know where I am if you need me, okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Shane.”

Shane squeezed his brother’s shoulder and let him walk away.

Matt drove over to his parents’ house. The lights were on so they were still up. He tapped on the back door and his mother looked out the window, frowning as she opened it.

“Well come on in, boy. Why did you knock?”

He kissed her cheek and waved to his father, who sat in the breakfast nook, a steaming cup of tea at his right hand and the newspaper spread on the table before him.

“I didn’t want to barge in and wake the baby up. It’s after nine.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sit down. I just made some tea and got Nicky down. He loves being with his Nanna and Pops.” She smiled at the mention of her grandson, who’d be turning a year old in just a few short months.

“Pretty soon you’ll have another one to spoil.” He grinned and she did too. His father chuckled as he put the newspaper aside to drink his tea and visit with his son.

“It’s a happy time around here, isn’t it? What brings you to my kitchen?” She poured him some tea and put a slice of coffee cake in front of him.

“Momma, do you know much about the Murphy family? Tate?”

She smiled, the way she did when she thought of someone she liked, and relief settled into him. “Tate’s a sweetie pie. She was just telling me you and Shane helped her the other day after Charlie whacked her with his car. I tell you, I know it’s a sin but I was relieved it was someone else’s bad driving that got them in trouble for a change.”

Wisely, Matt avoided his father’s gaze so neither man would laugh. He knew his mother would pick up the story so he ate the cake and waited.

“Anyway, Tate and her sisters own the salon where I get my hair done. Liv goes there regularly and Maggie from time to time too. Anne, the sister, she does my hair but Tate does all that newfangled razor cut stuff and the color jobby with the aluminum foil strips.” Polly shrugged. “She’s a nice girl. All those kids turned out so well. Especially considering what they came from.”

Edward sighed and patted his wife’s hand.

“What do you mean?”