Chapter 69

“I’m

not saying I had anything to do with the decision, you know? And I wasn’t

expecting you to put up the money yourself.” Phiz sounded slightly amazed. “But

I was right about you. At heart, you know what’s right, too, not just for you.

And you do it.” He dipped his head, as if the almost empty bowl was the most

interesting thing in the world at that moment. “That’s what I like about you. Really

like.”

The

door jangled as a group of teenage tourists came in, chattering in Italian.

Bryan took the moment to gather his wits. “You do the same, Phiz,” he said.

“Hah,

me? I’m just a clumsy loser most of the time, aren’t I?”

“No!”

Bryan snapped. “Why do you do that?”

“What?”

“You

question yourself all the time.” He’d noticed it since the first day they met.

“If

I don’t, someone else always jumps in to do it, right?”

“No.

Not right.” Bryan shook his head in frustration. “You end most descriptions of

yourself with a question. Stop that right now.”