Page 40 of Just One More Thing

“Of course. Two sugars.”

He takes his cup and squats to Hank. “Morning, sunshine. Did you have good sleeps?” Hank stretches on his back legs and gives Ryan a hug, which knocks Ryan straight back on his ass.

“Damn,” Ryan says from the carpet. “We need Hank on our defensive line.”

“You seen Sleeping Beauty yet?” I ask.

“No. Heard him snoring through drywall all night though.”

“Still rock-paper-scissors for who shares a room with him?”

“Rookies got him last season. Initiation.”

We laugh, and it’s immediate, the kind of familiarity that only comes from too many years of knowing exactly what kind of idiots your friends are.

Ryan takes a sip of coffee and studies me over the lid. “You sleep any?”

I shrug. “Tossed and turned.”

“That new?”

I give myself a second before answering. “Since she came back.”

Ryan just looks at me.

“Buddy,” he says after a beat, “that started when she left.”

“Yeah.” I sigh. “Probably.”

The truth of that settles between us without either of us messing with it.

“We still fishing today?” he asks.

“That’s the plan.”

“Good.” He steps back and jerks his chin toward the hallway. “Let’s wake him.”

An hour later—after Wayne fluffs, puffs, moisturizes, and contemplates at least three shirt options—we head back toward The Point.

“Doughnuts,” Wayne announces, already halfway through the Holey Moley door before the sentence is out of his mouth.

Ryan looks at me.

I nod. “I’ll be fine.” He gives me a look that says he doesn’t fully believe that but respects the lie anyway. “I’ll grab sandwiches next door,” he says.

Inside, Wayne is already charming Maddy. Old man Humphrey’s at his usual corner table. Mrs. Kravitz is stationed by the window, pretending not to listen while clearly listening to everything. Frank is boxing doughnuts, with powdered sugar on his shirt and guilt nowhere on his face.

Mo looks up from the kitchen.

For a flash, I’m sixteen again. She’s dusted in flour before sunrise, arguing with Maddy about cinnamon ratios and laughing at something I missed because I was too busy looking at her.

“Good morning, Jake,” Maddy says, eyes flicking between me and Mo.

“Morning.”

“What are you boys up to today?”

“Fishing.”