“I’m sure gonna try not to.” Dylan went for honesty. It was an honesty kind of moment from where he was sitting. One of those moments you shared with people you never shared moments with again.

Joe came out laughing with his arm draped around his little brother. The closeness was obvious and made the longing inside Dylan deepen. Suddenly he wanted that with his siblings. Needed to have a connection to somewhere and someone. Either that, or he needed to get the hell out of Ryker.

“I’ll deny it if you say it out loud, but those two guys are pretty much the best friends I’ve ever had.”

“I always wanted a brother,” Dylan said softly.

“Brothers, friends, they can be the same thing, Dylan. The secret is letting people in. It took me a while to realize that, and a few beatings from Joe, but I got round to it in the end.”

“Nice,”

“It really is.”

Conversation stopped as Joe opened the door and climbed in.

“Nice ride, bud.”

“Thanks. I actually had no intention of going to pool night, but your brothers kidnapped me.”

Joe laughed.

“I like your place, Joe.”

“Me too. You come back sometime and I’ll give you the tour, and you can point out all the things you could have done better.”

Dylan snorted.

“What does an FBI Profiler know about building?” Luke asked the question.

“Building was his first love,” Joe said. “Do you still play with wood, Dylan?”

“All the time. I went with Piper to see that house, and have to say it made my fingers itch.”

Dylan listened as the brothers grumbled about her plans to leave them but didn’t question why he’d been with her, which he thought was interesting.

“It’s ten minutes tops from you, and that’s walking, so lighten up.” He laughed. “Seriously, she needs this challenge, especially now she has Grace.”

They neither agreed or disagreed, which he also found interesting.

“So,” Luke said, “we have a cabinet that needs work. Any time you’re free, we’d appreciate it.”

Chapter 30

The Trainers got into each other in that way Dylan knew brothers did on the drive to the lodge, and he listened and laughed.

“Shelby Parkes said you turned out to be a real letdown in bed, Jack,” Luke said. “I told her that they saved the best for last when it came to Trainers.”

“No way would she buy such obvious BS, little boy. We all know you haven’t reached your full height yet... anywhere.”

And on it went. Joe chipped in with the odd comment. It was like breathing to them, Dylan realized, and intriguing to watch. They were insulting each other, but no one took offense; it was just how they communicated.