Read A Forever Kind of Guy: The Braddock Brotherhood, Book 2 for Free Online Page A

figures , she thought. The picture was a head shot of a slightly younger Ray, maybe five or six years ago, and a woman with pretty, delicate features and wispy, strawberry-blonde hair. She was posed behind him, her arms draped around his shoulders. His hands grasped her wrists. She had a chunky diamond ring on her left ring finger, and his sported a plain gold wedding band. The ex, no doubt.
    Hayley put the picture back where she’d found it, thinking at least she and Ray had something in common. In the photograph, the two of them looked happy and in love. Once upon a time, she and Trey had posed together for similar pictures. She took a gulp of wine, hoping it would banish her bitter thoughts.
    Other than the coffee table, where Molly and Fletcher were still engrossed in their game, the room held end tables, matching lamps and little else.
    Hayley wandered back to the kitchen. She looked out to see Ray standing near the smoking grill, gazing off into the distance, his empty beer bottle dangling from his fingers.
    Ignoring her earlier warnings to herself, she grabbed another beer from the refrigerator and opened the sliding door. Ray turned and watched her advance toward him. She held out the beer and he took it, setting the empty bottle on an old wooden picnic table which sat squarely in the middle of the concrete pad.
    “Need any help?” She nodded toward the grill.
    “Nah, I’d hate to have to call in the fire department.” He poked her playfully in the ribs, and she laughed. She sat down on the top of the picnic table and propped her feet on the bench seat. “You looked like you were deep in thought. I decided you needed more alcohol.”
    Ray shrugged and joined her at the table. “No point in thinking about things you can’t change, I guess.” He took a swig of beer. He held the bottle up to eye level. “Two’s about my limit. Otherwise I get—well, it’s a sad and depressing sight if I have more.”
    Hayley held up her wineglass. “Me too. I allow myself one glass in the evening. If I have two, I tend to babble about things I shouldn’t.”
    “Like what?”
    “The story of my life to date. I don’t come out looking too good as the star of my own show.”
    “Me neither, if it makes you feel any better.”
    “You’ve got an ex, huh? I saw the picture of the two of you on the shelf in there.” Hayley didn’t care if she was invading his privacy. She wanted to know what had happened between him and the woman in the picture.
    Ray coughed and stood, leaving his beer on the table. “She died.”
    “Oh!” She’d assumed if Ray was single he’d been divorced, not widowed. "I’m sorry,” Hayley told him, recovering her manners.
    “Me too.” He lifted the lid on the grill and poked at the hot dogs. Satisfied, he transferred them onto a plate he’d brought out earlier. “These steaks are going to need a few more minutes.” He closed the lid and handed her the plate. “Want to take these in and get the salad and stuff ready? I’ll be in in a minute.”
    She stood. “Sure.” She escaped back into the house. Great, Hayley. The first time he invites you over and what do you do? Ask about his dead wife. Brilliant.
    “How’s the game going over there?” she asked Molly and Fletcher. “Are you about ready to eat?”
    “Yes,” Molly replied. “Fletcher won. He’s good at Candyland.”
    Fletcher glanced at Hayley as if he wasn’t quite sure about the accuracy of that statement.
    “You guys want to go wash your hands?”
    “Okay. Come on, Fletcher. Uncle Ray has soap that smells like the ocean. I’ll show you.”
    Fletcher followed Molly to the bathroom. Hayley removed the salad from the refrigerator and set it on the table. Ray had used red placemats and plain white ceramic plates. White paper napkins.
    Hayley rescued the potatoes from the microwave. Apparently they’d survived the trip.
    Ray came in with the steaks on a plate. “Ready?” he asked.
    “As ready as I’m going to