Christopher said. He’d only been away a couple of months and he felt like a stranger.
“We’re opening The Hollows Cantina next month. In fact, my wife, Wendy, and I are in the process of packing up and moving there with our daughter, MaryAnne.” Marcos paused, a thoughtful look washing over his face. He turned to Christopher. “So if you and Toby are brothers, that means Liam Fortune Jones is your brother, too?”
Christopher nodded.
Marcos smiled. “I’ve hired his fiancée, Julia Tierney, to be the assistant manager at the restaurant.”
Christopher forced a smile.
“I had no idea that you were leaving Red Rock, or that Julia would be working for you,” Christopher said.
“I kept it on the down low until I was sure that everything would pan out,” said Marcos. “This is a great opportunity for my family, and having my own restaurant will be a dream come true. Really, we owe this happy decision to Julia. She is the one who talked us into opening a place in Horseback Hollow. Your future sister-in-law should work for the Horseback Hollow Chamber of Commerce—she can’t say enough good about the place.”
“Congratulations,” said Angie. “We will be sure to come in after the Cantina opens.”
“I have your contact information,” said Marcos, “and I will make sure that the two of you are invited to the grand opening. The Fortunes are like family, and family always sticks together.”
Toby shot Christopher a knowing look. “Yes, they do.”
“In fact, Fortune,” Marcos said to Christopher, “I’d better see you at the grand opening celebration, too. Especially now that I know that you’re a native son of Horseback Hollow.”
Christopher gave a wry smile. “Yeah, well, don’t go spreading that around.”
Everybody laughed, unaware or ignoring the fact that Christopher wasn’t kidding.
“I need to get back to work,” Marcos said. “So please excuse me and enjoy your lunch.”
The men shook hands again and Marcos planted another kiss on Angie’s cheek before he moved on to greet the next table of guests.
“When are Julia and Liam getting married?” asked Christopher.
“That remains to be seen,” said Toby. “It’s a big step that he’s committed to one woman. Julia is good for him. She gets him, but doesn’t let him get away with squat. I think she’s about the only woman who could make an honest man out of him.”
Nodding, Christopher gave the menu a cursory glance. He wanted to hear the day’s specials, but it would take something extra appealing to sway him away from his favorite beef brisket enchiladas.
Toby looked up from his menu. “It looks like the marriage bug is infesting our family. I just heard that our cousin Amelia Chesterfield Fortune has gotten engaged to some British aristocrat.”
“That just seems so odd,” mused Angie. “She was dancing with Quinn Drummond at our wedding. It was the way they were looking at each other... The two of them seemed so happy. In fact, I would’ve wagered that something was blossoming between them. I just can’t imagine that there’s another man in the picture.”
“Yeah, but I heard the news from Mama and she usually gets things right.” Toby shook his head as if trying to reconcile the idea.
Their server was a woman named DeeDee. Christopher had seen her socially one time, but he hadn’t called her again. He hadn’t realized that she worked at Red. Within the first hour of their date, he’d realized DeeDee was after a whole lot more relationship than he was able to give. No sense in stringing her along, even if she was nice. The world was full of nice women and he needed to get to know a lot more of them before he settled down. He found his gaze sliding over to Kinsley’s table yet again. It looked as if they were finishing up with their meals. “Well, if it isn’t Christopher Fortune as I live and breathe,” DeeDee said, a teasing note in her voice. She twisted a strand of her long red hair around her finger as she talked. “It’s been so long since I heard from you, I thought maybe you’d fallen off the face of the earth or maybe you moved to some exotic, faraway land.”
Christopher laughed, keeping things light. “It’s good to see you, DeeDee. How long have you been working here?”
“It’s only my second day.”
“Which explains why I’ve never seen you here,” said Christopher.
After a little more playful banter, DeeDee flipped her hair off her shoulder with a swift swipe of her hand and took their drink orders. Next, she described the day’s specials, which didn’t tempt Christopher’s taste buds away from his usual order. After she left to get their drinks, Christopher recommended some of his favorites from the menu to Toby and Angie.
A few minutes later DeeDee returned with a bottle of champagne and three flutes. “This is for the newlyweds, compliments of Mr. Mendoza and the staff at Red.”
“Oh, my goodness,” said Angie. “Champagne in the middle of the day. How decadent. And how absolutely lovely. Thank you.”
“Well, the way I see it,” said Toby, “I’m only getting married once, and it’s an occasion to celebrate. Right, little brother?”
Toby didn’t wait for Christopher to answer. He put his arm around his bride and leaned in, placing a sound kiss on Angie’s lips. If DeeDee hadn’t been standing there, Christopher might have joked and told them to get a room. But really, it was nice to see Toby and Angie so happy.
“So this is your brother and sister-in-law?” asked DeeDee after she popped the cork and filled the glasses with the bubbly.
Christopher didn’t want to be rude, but he didn’t want to get too personal. “Yes,” he said. “They’re visiting, but I’m on my lunch hour so we should place our orders now.”
“Of course,” said DeeDee, snapping into professional mode. She wrote down their selections and headed toward the kitchen.
After she left, Christopher said, “I just can’t get over the fact that you’re married. But it suits you. It really does.”
Toby gave Angie a little squeeze.
“Where do the adoption proceedings stand?” Christopher asked. Seven months ago, Toby had taken in the Hemings children: eleven-year-old Brian, eight-year-old Justin and seven-year-old Kylie. The kids had had nowhere to turn and faced possible separation when their aunt was ordered into rehab for a drinking problem and child neglect. Both Christopher and Toby had known the kids from the Vicker’s Corners YMCA where they had worked as coaches. Most people would’ve run from that kind of responsibility—Christopher knew he certainly couldn’t have handled it—but Toby hadn’t thought twice before agreeing to take them in.
Unfortunately, the kids’ aunt, who obviously didn’t have the children’s best interests at heart, had decided to try and take the kids from Toby and send them into another unstable situation in California. Her reasoning was the kids should be with relatives. Never mind that the relative she’d chosen was out of work and on parole.
That’s
