Darn Knit All (EBOOK)

I strode into the bar, my gaze scanning the room for a familiar dark-brown head and spotted Theo waving frantically from his seat at the bar. I lifted my chin in acknowledgement, rolling my eyes and grinning at his exuberance as I began to make my way through the tables to him. 

If anyone had asked me how to describe Theo, I’d have been at a loss. Sure, I could describe the way his dark hair flopped over his green eyes, or the fact he often made me feel small and protected thanks to his height and muscular build. I could comment on how he always wore plaid and jeans, with the right leg of his pants cut off at the knee for easy access to his prosthetic. I could describe how he—unlike his twin—was always ready with a smile, laughing his way through life. 

But all of that was superficial. The beauty of Theo wasn’t in his looks; his beauty came from the way he made you feel. He reminded me of a hug, or the first sunny day after a bitter winter—sweet and desperately needed. 

Theo had to be the very definition of a golden-retriever-type personality. Hyperactive, adorably awkward, passionately protective, lovingly loyal and hilariously friendly. When you became one of his people, he did whatever he could to make you happy. 

Which is why I’d changed out of PJs and pulled on a bra to haul myself down to the local bar on a Wednesday night to comfort him. 

These were sacrifices I made for friends. 

“What happened this time?” I asked, sliding into the seat beside his. 

He held up his phone for me to see. “Ghosted. She texted right up until fifteen minutes after the date had been due to start then said, ‘can’t come’ and blocked me on the app.”

“Rude.” I leaned over to swipe a fry from the basket in front of him. “Your bad luck with potential partners is becoming legendary.”

Theo slumped on the barstool. “Tell me about it. At this rate I’m going to end up dying alone.”

I raised my hand, flagging down the bartender. “At least you’re trying. My dating life is dryer than the Sahara Desert.”

“She arrived,” the cute bartender said, grinning at Theo. 

“No, this is my friend, Mai. Mai meet Aiden. He’s been keeping me company for the last two hours.”

Aiden reached across the bar to shake my hand. “Pleasure.”

I eyed him, sizing him up as a potential date for Theo. “Lovely to meet you, Aiden. Do you happen to be single?” I jerked my thumb at Theo. “’Cause this big guy is looking.”

He chuckled. “Alas no. I also happen to be about to leave the Cove. But if all of that ever falls apart—” He winked at Theo. “—I’ll give you a call.”

“See?” Theo said with a dramatic sigh. “I’m cursed.”

“You’re not cursed.” I tilted my head to one side as I considered the selection of non-alcoholic beverages available to me. “Apple cider, please.”

“Good choice.” Aiden pulled a bottle free, cracking open the lid. “This one’s local. It’s from Red Dog Brewery, and the apples are grown at the 4H Farm.”  

I sipped, enjoying the tart sweetness. “Oh, it’s good.”

Aiden grinned. “Call when you want a refill.”

He left us to serve another customer. 

Theo reached for a chicken wing. “Sorry for dragging you out here.”

I shrugged. “I was watching reruns of Astipia’s Next Top Model. I think you’ve saved me from myself.” 

Red flags began to wave when he didn’t even smile. 

“Hey.” I touched a hand to his leg. “You okay?” 

“Sorry, just in a shitty mood.”

“Because whoever she is stood you up?”

He nodded then shook his head then huffed. “I don’t know. It’s just… never mind.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

“No.” He hesitated. “Maybe? No. Definitely not.”

He dropped the uneaten chicken wing on his napkin. Warning bells began to wail, for Theo was a man who devoured everything within sight. For him not to be eating? The situation had to be serious. 

“Come on,” I coaxed. “I’ll be your sounding board.” 

For the umpteenth time since I’d sat down, Theo huffed and sighed and huffed again. 

“I’m just being ungrateful.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I need to get over myself.” 

I waved a dismissive hand. “Stop putting yourself down. Let it out.”  

“I’ve got a good home. A good job. A great family.” He stopped, making a frustrated noise. 

“But?” I prompted when he didn’t continue. 

“But. That’s a good question. I should be grateful but… Linc and Annie are the brains behind the business, I’m just the supervisor helping them toward their vision. I live in a rental. My family is primarily their family. I don’t know, sometimes I just feel….” He shrugged. 

“Like you’re a third wheel in your own life?”

“Oof! Right in the feels there, Mai.” He rubbed his chest. 

“You know, you’re not the only one who feels like that sometimes.” I tossed a fry in my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. “Or maybe more than sometimes.” 

“Try all the time.”

I frowned. “That doesn’t seem healthy.”

“I know.” He shuffled on his seat, one hand dropping to absently rub at the liner covering his right knee. I knew some of his story. He’d been in a car crash over a decade ago that had pinned him in the vehicle. They’d had to perform a transtibial amputation—removing his leg from below the knee—in order to free him. 

I’d known of Theo before the accident but only in the way I knew of most people in this small town. We hadn’t been friends or even closely acquainted. At some point over the last decade, he and my brother, Ren, had become friends, and through Ren I’d begun to know Theo. But it hadn’t been until the last few years that we’d gotten close.  

“I guess the question becomes, what are you going to do about it?” I asked, slicking another fry through some ketchup. 

“I don’t know. How do you deal with it?”

I chuckled. “I don’t. I just avoid thinking too hard about the details.” 

A drop of sauce slipped from my fry on the journey to my mouth, splattering on my jean leg. 

“Damn.” I slid from the stool, grabbing some napkins. “I’ll be right back. Let me clean this off before it stains.”  

I washed the stain in the bathroom and returned to find Theo bent over his phone. 

I slid back onto the stool beside him. “Miss me?”

His head jerked up, his eyes dancing. “I’ve figured it out.”

I arched one eyebrow. 

“How we’re gonna start living! No more third wheel in our own lives. To kick us off, I’m sending in your application for this.” He handed me his phone. 

I glanced down to find it opened to a website—PerfectFitContest.com. 

“What is this?”

“It’s a fashion competition.” He bounced in his chair. “They’re searching for up-and-coming designers to profile on their reality TV show. The prize is your own show and a shit-ton of money.”

I scrolled through the page, shaking my head. “I can’t. I’m not good enough for something like this.”

“Psh.” Theo plucked the phone out of my hand. “I’m entering you.”

“Theo!”

“Too late,” he said, his thumbs flying over the screen. “This is your challenge.”

“I’ll never get in.”

“Then there’s nothing to lose.”

I couldn’t argue with his logic. 

He glanced up, seeing my expression. “You’re an incredible designer, Mai. You deserve to at least try.”

He held the phone out to me. “Yes or no?”

The submit button stared out at me from the screen, taunting me. 

“Fuck it.” I hit it then shoved his hand away. “Now drop it before I start overthinking this.”

He chuckled. “You’re going to overthink it anyway.”

I poked my tongue out at him, then waggled a finger in his direction. “What about you? You’ve thrown me under a bus, how are you going to challenge yourself?”

He chuckled, spreading his arms wide. “I’ll leave that in your capable hands. If we can’t kick-start our own lives, why not kick-start each other’s?”

“You like to live dangerously.”

He grinned, ruffling my hair. “Bring it on.”