Extrait

I turned to the beautiful African American woman who smiled warmly at me. “I don’t think we’ve formally met. I’m Emory Jackson.” I extended my hand to her which she used to pull me into a hug.

“I’m Meredith Richmond,” she told me, pulling out of the embrace. “I’m happy you’re joining us today.”

The doorbell rang again, and Gabe went back downstairs to answer the door. I noticed the various expressions on the faces around me. Chaz looked nervous and rubbed his hands against the thighs of his jeans while Josh and Meredith looked hopeful. Just who the hell were they expecting? It was obvious by everyone’s reaction that he wasn’t the person they anticipated. Well, Josh’s huge smile and laughing eyes told me he knew it was a possibility and enjoyed watching Chaz and Meredith’s surprise. I wasn’t that curious about the newcomer until I saw their reactions.

My eyes widened slightly in surprise when I saw the dark-haired man with piercing blue eyes standing awkwardly next to Gabe with a bottle of wine in his hand. The guy wore dark jeans and an impeccably pressed, white dress shirt that was open enough to get a glimpse of dark chest hair. What stuck out to me the most wasn’t the clothes he wore, but the expression on his face. He looked wary, cynical, and a little lost—all things that I understood well. I felt a tiny little sliver of recognition and chalked it up to the fact that it appeared we both were going through a tough time in our lives.

“Guys, this is Jonathon Silver,” Gabe said. “He’s Nate’s twin brother. Jonathon Silver, this is Meredith, Chaz, and Emory.”