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Bernie’s cheek.
    Bernie snapped his teeth at Alex. Alex laughed, then flopped down on Harper’s lap. Harper stiffened.
    “Now, now. Don’t get all stiff on me. It’s good seeing you again, Harper. You just disappeared after Karl died. That’s no way to treat people,” Alex stated.
    “Butt out.” Harper glared.
    “Nope. You need to stop being the antisocial ass and let your friends in.”
    “Alex,” Bernie said.
    “Hush, Bernie.” Alex’s eyes had that stubborn look Bernie had become familiar with.
    Bernie leaned back, knowing it was useless trying to stop him.
    Alex turned his attention back to Harper. He shifted, straddling Harper’s lap.
    “Cutting yourself off from those who love you is not the way,” Alex said.
    “Mind your business. What do you know about it?” Harper snarled.
    “I know more than you will ever know,” Alex said softly.
    Bernie glanced at him sharply. There was a sad look on Alex’s face and in his pale gray eyes. Harper studied Alex, and something seemed to pass between them. Bernie opened his mouth to ask, but changed his mind. Harper pulled Alex into his arms. The two men held each other. Harsh sobs racked Harper. Alex looked at Bernie, his eyes looking lost. Bernie scooted over to them and hugged them both. They both sighed. Alex moved over Bernie onto his left side, cuddling in. Harper pressed against Bernie’s right side. He put his arms around both men. Music started to play. Harper cursed and reached for his phone. Bernie snatched it out of his hand. He pressed it on.
    “Fuck off, Ramirez. Harper is with me,” Bernie growled.
    “Bernie?” Ramirez sounded shocked.
    “Yeah. Leave Harper alone. He doesn’t need you hovering,” Bernie snapped.
    “What the fuck? How did he end up with you?” Ramirez said furiously.
    “Don’t worry about it. Don’t call again.” Bernie hung up the phone.
    “Oh, man. I can imagine Gerald’s face.” Harper laughed.
    “He woke the sleeping Bernie, the one who gets all protective, stubborn, and pissy. Boy, he doesn’t have a clue what he did.” Alex chuckled.
    The phone started to ring again. Bernie glanced at the number, then answered it.
    “Fuck off,” Bernie snapped and hung up. He glanced at Alex, then Harper. “So… movie, cuddling on the couch, and whatever food Alex brought.”
    The two men looked at each other, and then started to laugh. Bernie joined them, hugging them.
     
     
    T OMAS pulled in behind Ramirez’s already-parked car, and then got out of his truck and jogged up the driveway. After Ramirez’s statement about Bernie, he had filled Tomas in on what had happened. Tomas wasn’t sure how Bernie and Harper had ended up together at the condo. He didn’t even know why Bernie had supposedly cursed Ramirez out when he called Harper’s phone. He thought Ramirez was mistaken about Bernie cursing him. The Bernie they all knew wasn’t one for confrontations, which was what he’d told Ramirez.
    He’d been able to convince Ramirez to go and have dinner with him so they could talk. Over the dinner, it had become obvious Ramirez was being overprotective—bordering on smothering—of Harper. Tomas had understood Ramirez, in his way, was looking out for Harper. Provenza and Ramirez had been extremely close. They’d hung out together often. Provenza being gone had to be hard on Ramirez. In Tomas’s opinion, Ramirez was behaving how a friend would act when trying to help out a friend’s spouse when they died, except he was being extreme with it. Eventually, as the night wore on, Ramirez had become more and more agitated until finally he said he was going to Bernie’s with or without him. Tomas had agreed to go to the condo to keep the peace. Tomas caught Ramirez’s raised fist just before he pounded on the door. Ramirez jerked his arm away.
    “Calm down, Ramirez.”
    “He cursed at me. Then that little fucker hung up on me. Eight times,” Ramirez growled.
    “Well, did you ever think to stop calling?” Tomas