wanted Alan to be in the wedding, would he be Tim's best man? Cold fury filled Alan's chest.
“What d'you say?” Tim asked. “You plan on keeping me in suspense?”
“You asked her to marry you and she said yes?”
“No,” Tim said, his eyes sharp and bright. “We're walking down the aisle for a joke. What's wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” Alan said, his blood racing.
“Bullshit. I know you.” Tim exhaled as if he had the north wind inside him. He began to pace around Alan's office.
“It's pretty quick, isn't it?” Alan asked. “I mean, you hardly know her.”
“I know her fine. Listen, this isn't because you used to go out with her, is it? Because I've been under the impression there was nothing much between you. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought you had only one date.”
“Yeah,” Alan said. “One date.”
“So what's the problem?”
The problem was, Alan hadn't been fast enough. The world could change in the course of one date, and when he'd been out with Dianne, he had known he had met someone amazing. He had felt a deep connection looking into her eyes and kissing her in the car, and he could have sworn she had felt it too. But then he had worked some late nights at the hospital, called Dianne at the wrong time, and lost his chance to see whether the connection was real or just a dream.
“So what's the problem?” Tim asked again.
“You're going to marry her and settle down?”
“Yep.”
“Really settle down?” Alan asked, making himself a disapproving jerk so Tim wouldn't detect the fact he was being eaten alive by jealousy.
“As much as I can,” Tim said. “She knows about the boat, the lobster license, the fact I work offshore. I don't think it bothers her.”
“She hasn't watched you come and go,” Alan said. “For the last ten years.”
“Hey, you had your chance. You could have been an oceanographer. You're the one who nailed yourself to a medical practice.”
“I know.”
“Dianne has no problem with my work,” Tim said. He grinned, showing his broken front tooth. Trying to pull pots in a high sea six winters before, he'd gotten smacked in the face with the winch handle. It pissed Alan off that Tim wouldn't go to the dentist and get it capped. It was almost as if he had decided to live a role, play a part.
“She likes the maverick lobsterman,” Alan said. “That it?”
“Yeah, she likes it.”
“The renegade home from the sea.”
“Hey …” Tim said, picking up on the sarcastic tone.
“Hope she likes it as much when you're not home from the sea,” Alan said. “When you decide to head into Newport instead of back to Hawthorne.”
“Those days are over,” Tim said. He grinned again, and there was something of a brother-to-brother wink in his eye. Alan felt the jealousy surge again, and he wanted to knock his brother flat on his back. Tim was right: Alan had dated Dianne onlyonce. But whether he liked it or not, Alan still felt the connection. Alan knew his brother, and he didn't want him hurting her. Taking a step forward, he stood toe to toe with Tim.
“They'd better be,” Alan said.
Tim stared him down, his eyes lit up and ready to fight. Neither brother had forgotten their last fight up in Cambridge, and Alan could almost feel the heat pouring off Tim's skin. They were each waiting for the other to throw the first punch.
“She's different than we are,” Alan said. “She comes from a family where they look out for each other. You hear what I'm saying?”
“You warning me?” Tim asked, jabbing Alan's chest with his index finger. “About my own wife-to-be?”
“I'm warning you to be good to her,” Alan said.
“Don't worry.”
“Her parents stick around,” Alan said. “For each other and for her. Not like Mom and Dad. Not like what happened after Neil died.”
“I was there for Neil,” Tim said, head up, chin out.
Alan stared, harsh challenge in his eyes, unable to contradict something his brother held as gospel truth. But thinking back all those
“What d'you say?” Tim asked. “You plan on keeping me in suspense?”
“You asked her to marry you and she said yes?”
“No,” Tim said, his eyes sharp and bright. “We're walking down the aisle for a joke. What's wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” Alan said, his blood racing.
“Bullshit. I know you.” Tim exhaled as if he had the north wind inside him. He began to pace around Alan's office.
“It's pretty quick, isn't it?” Alan asked. “I mean, you hardly know her.”
“I know her fine. Listen, this isn't because you used to go out with her, is it? Because I've been under the impression there was nothing much between you. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought you had only one date.”
“Yeah,” Alan said. “One date.”
“So what's the problem?”
The problem was, Alan hadn't been fast enough. The world could change in the course of one date, and when he'd been out with Dianne, he had known he had met someone amazing. He had felt a deep connection looking into her eyes and kissing her in the car, and he could have sworn she had felt it too. But then he had worked some late nights at the hospital, called Dianne at the wrong time, and lost his chance to see whether the connection was real or just a dream.
“So what's the problem?” Tim asked again.
“You're going to marry her and settle down?”
“Yep.”
“Really settle down?” Alan asked, making himself a disapproving jerk so Tim wouldn't detect the fact he was being eaten alive by jealousy.
“As much as I can,” Tim said. “She knows about the boat, the lobster license, the fact I work offshore. I don't think it bothers her.”
“She hasn't watched you come and go,” Alan said. “For the last ten years.”
“Hey, you had your chance. You could have been an oceanographer. You're the one who nailed yourself to a medical practice.”
“I know.”
“Dianne has no problem with my work,” Tim said. He grinned, showing his broken front tooth. Trying to pull pots in a high sea six winters before, he'd gotten smacked in the face with the winch handle. It pissed Alan off that Tim wouldn't go to the dentist and get it capped. It was almost as if he had decided to live a role, play a part.
“She likes the maverick lobsterman,” Alan said. “That it?”
“Yeah, she likes it.”
“The renegade home from the sea.”
“Hey …” Tim said, picking up on the sarcastic tone.
“Hope she likes it as much when you're not home from the sea,” Alan said. “When you decide to head into Newport instead of back to Hawthorne.”
“Those days are over,” Tim said. He grinned again, and there was something of a brother-to-brother wink in his eye. Alan felt the jealousy surge again, and he wanted to knock his brother flat on his back. Tim was right: Alan had dated Dianne onlyonce. But whether he liked it or not, Alan still felt the connection. Alan knew his brother, and he didn't want him hurting her. Taking a step forward, he stood toe to toe with Tim.
“They'd better be,” Alan said.
Tim stared him down, his eyes lit up and ready to fight. Neither brother had forgotten their last fight up in Cambridge, and Alan could almost feel the heat pouring off Tim's skin. They were each waiting for the other to throw the first punch.
“She's different than we are,” Alan said. “She comes from a family where they look out for each other. You hear what I'm saying?”
“You warning me?” Tim asked, jabbing Alan's chest with his index finger. “About my own wife-to-be?”
“I'm warning you to be good to her,” Alan said.
“Don't worry.”
“Her parents stick around,” Alan said. “For each other and for her. Not like Mom and Dad. Not like what happened after Neil died.”
“I was there for Neil,” Tim said, head up, chin out.
Alan stared, harsh challenge in his eyes, unable to contradict something his brother held as gospel truth. But thinking back all those
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