“What if I’m just not ready for this? I mean, what if I get to some date with some woman and I’m just...lost? Or thinking about Cora.”

Tyler swept a hand out. “Then you get there and you’re lost and thinking about Cora, and you come home. And then I come over, and we have a beer.”

“I used to be good at this.”

“I remember. Used to steal chicks out from under me all the time. I was relieved when you got married.”

Sebastian scoffed. Tyler had not been relieved when he’d gotten married. He’d actively lobbied against it. He’d never particularly gotten along with Cora. Cora was a perfectionist who had planned out every single second of her days; Tyler was a contrarian who enjoyed throwing everyone’s rhythm off. Not exactly a match made in friendship heaven.

More than that, though, Tyler had never understood why Sebastian’s response to Cora’s unexpected pregnancy was marriage. In fact, he’d thought it was downright batshit. “Father and husband don’t have to go hand in hand, Seb,” he’d pleaded. “Come on, man. You’ll be a good dad no matter what. Don’t walk the plank!”

Sebastian hadn’t seen another way. He figured life moved at a breakneck pace whether you were there for it or not. He was determined to be there for it. So, he and Cora had gotten hitched, barely knowing one another. Seb figured that they’d muddled their way through well enough.

Even if things between Ty and Cora were always relatively tense, it was definitely true that Tyler’s luck with women had increased once Sebastian was off the market.

“I just don’t want to go online shopping for a woman,” Sebastian said as he clicked back into the app to scroll through a few more profiles. He tossed the phone back over to Tyler. “I just met Cora and liked her. And that was that. None of this swiping left or right bullshit.”

“Seb, you gotta try something. You never leave your house long enough to meet anyone. You’re either in your workshop or at Matty’s school, or you’re right here in your damn living room. Not exactly a swinging singles scene.”

That was true. Unfortunately. He played his last card. “I like things just me and Matty. Why complicate it?”

“Because as much as I enjoy being your platonic life partner, I am a wolf, and you, my friend, are a swan.”

Sebastian laughed, swinging his head to one side to eye his friend. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means I prefer to operate alone, taking a mate on a seasonal basis. But you? You mate for life. Like a damn swan.”

“And you really think I’m gonna find a lady swan on that hookup app?”

Tyler rolled his eyes. “No, I think you’re gonna find a hookup on this hookup app. It’ll just be a little dessert to tide you over while you wait for your lady swan.”

Sebastian laughed and groaned at the same time. “Just delete it.”