The group went quiet, and I knew that Tommy and Scott were exchanging one of those tense looks. I’d seen those looks more than once when they were younger. The group of young men gathered on the bottom floor piazza all called themselves friends, but it was clear who they were loyal to — Jared. My son had always been the center of the group, the one that brought all of them together. The four of them — Jared, Matthew, Carter, and Scott — all came from money. They met in preschool and remained friends all the way into adulthood. Tommy was the outsider, and Matthew, Carter, and Scott treated him that way. They hated that he and Jared were so close. Maybe that was why I always looked out for Tommy when he was around. Treated him special. Hell, part of me wanted to go down there and get between them now. End this petty disagreement and take Tommy into the kitchen for some cookies. But that was the exact reason why they were teasing him, wasn’t it? My preferential treatment.

“You’re fucking disrespectful,” Tommy said in a low, dangerous voice. “I thought you would have grown out of that, but I guess not.”

I heard the scrape of the chair as he stood up, and a few moments later, I watched Tommy’s broad, muscular back stalk toward the pool and dive in.

Quietly, I stepped back inside and closed the piazza doors. They were grown men now. They could sort out their problems without me getting involved.

I took a quick shower, pulled on my favorite silk robe, poured myself another drink, and went back onto the piazza. Tired but still too wired to sleep, I decided to read until I was sleepy enough to climb into bed. The boys weren’t arguing anymore. They’d taken to reminiscing in low voices, which I was glad of as I turned on my Kindle and cued up my latest steamy read.

The self-proclaimed bad boy millionaire had just told the pretty postulant that he’d wanted to fuck her since the moment he saw her when I heard it.

Retching.

Dropping my Kindle on the chaise cushion, I stood and leaned over the railing of the piazza, scanning my yard to find Matthew bent over my knockout roses, throwing up his whole life.

“Goddamnit, Matt!” I cursed. “Not my goddamn rose bushes!”

Cinching my robe tighter around my waist, I ran down to the side yard. Jared was snoring on one of the chaise lounges. I gave him a smack as I passed. Tommy was in the pool but swam to the edge and levered himself out of the water the moment he saw me.

“I thought you had this under control, Tommy?”