Turning the Page Read Online Free Page B

too much, misunderstandings, buying a home together… and so much else—for him to just let him go.
    Once he was ready, Malcolm joined Peter downstairs and got their coats. It was going to get very cold, and Peter didn’t have this kind of cold in Virginia, so Malcolm loaned him a heavier coat, not telling him that it had been David’s, and they left the house.
    The streetlights were already on, and a few stars shone in the sky. That meant it was going to get bitterly cold. They took Peter’s rental since it was already warmed up, and Peter drove, with the aid of GPS, to the restaurant he’d chosen.
    It was a trendy and loud Mexican restaurant. The bar was nearly full, and the tables were packed with small groups and couples eating and talking. The place smelled amazing, though, with peppers, spices, and even chocolate layering over each other. Malcolm’s stomach rumbled, and he realized it had been quite a while since his hurried lunch.
    “Grab that table there, and I’ll check in with the hostess,” Peter told him, and Malcolm threaded through the crowd and sat down. He turned to see where Peter was, and his view was blocked by a large man. He lifted his gaze and was greeted with a smile.
    “I thought that was you.”
    “Hans,” Malcolm said, tamping down the flutter in his belly and extending his hand to Hans. “How are you?”
    “Much better thanks to you,” Hans said with a grin as he held Malcolm’s hand a little longer than was necessary. “I sent off the check with the revised paperwork, and I hope all that is behind me.”
    “It should be.”
    Peter approached and stood next to Hans.
    “Hans, this is my brother, Peter. He’s here in town for a few days. Hans Erickson.”
    “Your brother helped me with a tax issue.”
    “That’s what Malcolm does.” They shook hands. “What brings you here?” Peter asked.
    “I was supposed to meet someone for a blind date, but that was half an hour ago, and it seems I’ve been stood up.” Hans looked around the bar once again, and then his shoulders slumped. “Nothing like being dumped by someone you’ve never met before.”
    “There’s an extra seat here. Come join us,” Peter said as he pulled out the chair across the table.
    Malcolm wasn’t sure this was a good idea, but he wasn’t going to counter Peter’s invitation. Instead he nodded, and Hans sat down in the third chair.
    “What do you do?”
    “Hans is a writer of adventure stories. I’ve read some of his books.” Malcolm smiled. In fact, he was feeling a little starstruck. He’d met a lot of people, but he’d never had drinks with a best-selling author before. It was kind of exciting.
    Peter glanced at him and then back to Hans. “That’s pretty cool. My reading is pretty much confined to food and wine.”
    “Peter works for a national wine and beer distributor. His interest has always been wine. I could tell you stories, but Peter would get huffy if I did.” Malcolm grinned at Peter’s growl. “See?”
    Hans laughed warmly, and it disarmed Peter within seconds. That was amazing. Peter could be a force unto himself.
    “Where are you from?”
    “Virginia, outside Richmond.”
    “He and his wife, Susan, have the best daughter ever, Anabelle. She’s incredible. She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger.”
    “She really does.”
    “What about you?” Hans asked, looking at Malcolm, whose throat chose that moment to close up.
    “I was married for twenty years.”
    “Divorced?” Hans asked.
    Malcolm shook his head. He could do this. “David passed away thirteen months ago after a battle with cancer.” He breathed a sigh of relief. He’d actually been able to get the words out without falling to pieces.
    Hans nodded, and Malcolm saw that same shadow in Hans’s eyes that greeted him every time he looked in the mirror.
    “My little brother.” He put a hand over the floor to show his size. “He had leukemia. He fought for two years. He lasted until he was