Real World, page 15
“You are a prince among men.”
“Nah, I can’t leave anyone in a lurch longer than ten hours. I’m so sorry, dude.”
“It’s mostly dug out. It’ll be clear before you get here.”
“Thanks. See you soon.”
“Yeah.” He ran out to the workshop and got lights set up so Pete had a chance to get this done. His lower back was screaming, grumpy as hell. He wanted a nap and a massage, but he had to get supper going.
Maybe the kids could just eat Cheerios. They’d love that. Or ravioli from a can. God knew, he had a metric fuckton of that in the pantry.
Jakob was in the kitchen marshaling troops when Weldon went in to wash up. “Are you buttering, Maddie? The garlic bread will go good with the chicken and salad.”
“Maddie? You not going to spend the night?”
“Nah. I can totally do it tomorrow. No big.”
“Oh, y’all rock. I swear to rethink my selling you to the gypsies plan.” Weldon stared, because they were all being decent and helping—even the two at the far end were picking out cherry tomatoes for their salad.
Caleb chortled. “Gypsies!”
“Yep.” He dropped a kiss on his baby boy’s head. “Y’all make me proud. Thank you. Pete’s on his way, and Mr. Audie’s digging.”
“I know you’re pooped, Dad.” Jakob turned a smile vaguely his way.
“Yeah. I’m wearing down some. Okay, I’m going to go help again. Y’all keep on keeping on.”
“Daddy, have a snack.” Maddie handed him a piece of cheese wrapped in some ham.
“Oh, yum.” He snapped it up, the cheese so sharp his eyes crossed for a second.
“See? You needed some food.” She winked at him.
The sound of a truck pulling up made him tilt his head. No way could Pete get here that fast. “I did. Y’all stay in. It’s a train wreck out there.”
Then he headed out to see what was up—probably either Tom or Jack curious about the work lights in the yard.
Three guys piled out of the truck, all wearing gimme caps and work boots. They headed to the back of the truck and began pulling out pipes and tools and shovels.
“Hey, there. Where’s Audie?” one of the men asked.
“In the back here.” He held one hand out. “Weldon. This is my place.”
“Doug. That’s Stan and Kasey.” The other two nodded at him. “We hear you got a leak.”
“Broken pipe. I got Pete Nethers coming with his stuff, but the frozen ground….”
“I hear you. Come on, guys. We’re fresh.”
“I—thank you.” What else could he say?
“No problem. Audie says you got kiddos. They need running water.”
Yeah. Yeah, they did. “Come on, y’all. I’ll show you where to go.”
He said a little prayer of thanks for Audie Barrack and the good old boy network. God knew, Weldon knew a lot of artists and decorators and shit, but Pete was the only plumber.
He led them back where Audie had churned up more earth in half an hour than Weldon had in the last two. His hands were shaking a little, he was so fucking tired now.
“Y’all! This stubborn bastard’s been battering at froze ground for hours. Help a man out.” Audie’s grin was pure happy.
Silly redneck cowboy did love to do some work.
Doug pursed his lips. “Okay, Stan, you get out toward the main line. Kasey, you take the small shit right around the pipe and me and Audie will keep working out the heavy lifting.”
By the time Pete got there, the actual fix took about forty-five minutes, and then there was running water and cheering kids, and he started handing out cups of coffee.
“There’s enough supper to share,” Maddie said, making eyes at Audie. And Kasey, who was a cute kid.
“Oh, we got to run. We got a date with the bowling alley after we clean up.”
“I can’t thank y’all enough.”
“At least take some cookies!” Maddie said, handing out peanut butter cookies. Oh, she’d learned that three-ingredient cookie recipe a few years ago and could whip up a batch in twenty minutes. Such a nurturer, his girl. “Are you staying for supper, Mr. Audie?”
“Mmm. That sounds nummy, but Dix will be wondering where I got to.” Audie kissed her cheek. “I’ll take a cookie.”
Her face went bright red, and Weldon noticed Audie got the biggest cookie. The boys all took one too and headed for the truck.
“Y’all ever need me to return the favor, have Audie call me. Pete, I know you can stay for supper.”
“I can, thank you. I’m on call, but I’m praying for quiet.”
“Go wash up.” He might live if he could wash up and eat. “Audie, I owe you.”
“Who came when I needed help with my fence at two in the morning, man?”
He nodded, shrugged. They were friends; that’s what they did.
Audie clapped him on the back. “Later, man.”
“You know it.” He’d have to pick up coffees and head over tomorrow. His back twinged. Maybe the day after.
Everyone but Pete headed out. When he checked on the kids, Caleb and MacKenzie were asleep on the couch, Emma was nibbling garlic toast and watching some horse thing on TV. Maddie and Jakob had dinner all ready to go.
Oh, Krista. Look at your babies. Look at them. He couldn’t breathe, he was so proud.
“Makes a man want to get married and have kids,” Pete told him. “Okay if I take the guest bath?”
“Go for it.” He grinned at the kids, refusing to think about how good it would have been to share this with a lover, a partner. You couldn’t change a leopard’s spots. “I’m going to put on something less filthy and take some Advil. I’ll be right back.”
“Boots, Daddy. Boots.”
“Right, Maddie-girl. Thank you.” Weldon slipped out of his boots and headed to the bathroom. It had been a crappy day, but it was looking up.
He had running water, good kids, and peanut butter cookies. What else could a man ask for?
Chapter Seventeen
DAN STARED at the e-mail on his screen, feeling as though someone had punched him in the gut. Oh, it wasn’t bad. It was great. A job offer. Too bad it was from his CO in the Army. The e-mail ended, “Give me a call. We’ll talk.”
Colonel Ramirez never pulled punches.
God, damn near six months and… nothing. Not one more fucking nibble. He dropped his head into his hands. Maybe that was what he needed to do; maybe he should just re-up.
“Daudie, can we have Emma for the weekend?”
“No, kiddo. They’re all at a camping trip with their granny.”
“Oh. Okay.” Randi sighed. “I wanted to go riding.”
“Well, you and me could go, if you want.”
Dan looked up, hoping his mood didn’t show on his face. “Hey, y’all.”
“Hey.” Audie didn’t miss a thing. “Bad news?”
“Nah. Just an e-mail. How’s you?”
“Good. Sun’s finally out.” Audie looked great, really. Tanned and happy.
Man, Dan wanted to scream.
“Daudie’s taking me riding. Emma’s out of town.”
“Awww. Settling for Audie.”
“Yep!”
“Yeah, poor Weldon’s all by himself for two whole days while the kids are gone.” Audie was carefully expressionless.
Now, Dan, his heartbeat kicked into high gear. “Yeah?”
“Yep. The Weldster, not a camper. He says if he wanted to sleep on the ground on top of rocks, someone would have to pay him, not the other way round.”
“Huh.” Maybe he could call. Was that unfair? Not even for a hookup. Just to meet for supper and talk to someone who had a different perspective. Friends.
Hell, if it was, Weldon wasn’t a child. The man could say no.
“Yep. Let’s go, Red.” Audie scooped Randi up and spun her around before leading her out the door.
Dan didn’t even wait to think. He just grabbed his phone and called Weldon.
“Weldon.” It didn’t take three rings before Weldon picked up.
“Hey, man. Uh, it’s Dan.” Lame. Super lame.
“Hey, man! Audie and Dix okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, everyone is fine. I’m—well, I’m being selfish. I need an unbent ear, and I hear you might be kicking around with no kids. I thought you might let me take you to supper.”
“Huh. Well, I’m sitting here watching reruns, so I could be convinced to leave my busy plans….”
“That would rock. We can go to Cheddar’s and stuff ourselves with onion rings.”
“I’m in. When do you want to meet?”
“About forty-five?” He needed to bathe. Dan was ashamed to admit he couldn’t remember his last shower.
“Surely. I’ll be there.”
Huh.
He had goose bumps.
Dan hopped up and ran to the bedroom to grab clean clothes. All his jeans and button-downs were hanging up because he’d been wearing mostly workout gear. Okay, sweats and T-shirts.
He hadn’t had a good reason to get up and get busy, really. Dan hadn’t felt like getting his shit together.
He hopped in the shower, grinning like a fool. He scrubbed, and damn, he needed a haircut. Working out he had down, though, so at least he looked good.
Dan checked the stubbly, scruffy beard. Hot or not?
He didn’t have time to shave, so he went with hot. His ass needed to be out the door.
There was a tight-assed little blond and a stack of onion rings waiting for him. His body went stiff, and Dan reminded it he was not hooking up. Just friends.
He needed a buddy.
A pal.
Not a fuck-friend.
Dan sighed. Who was he kidding? He wanted Weldon. Weldon wanted him.
This was a mistake.
Not that he turned around, mind. No, he marched out to his truck and hoped he had enough gas to get to Cheddar’s.
He started his truck, flushing hot as he found a full tank. Someone had been good to him. He probably needed to thank Audie for running his vehicle and filling it up. Dix and Audie were so much better to him than he deserved.
By the time he pulled into the parking lot, he’d almost convinced himself he was a worthless son of a bitch. Then he caught Weldon smiling at him like he was the sun in the east, and Dan gave up on trying to stay unmoved.
He almost ran to meet Weldon, holding out a hand to shake. “You look amazing, Weldon.”
“Look at you, all lumberjackual! You almost look like a hipster.”
“Tell me you’re kidding? I don’t have a man bun.” They got in a short, rib-cracking hug. “I hear onions calling my name.”
“Dan… Daniel…. Eat me….” Weldon offered him a shit-eating grin.
“Oh, you’re a mean man.” He copped a quick feel of Weldon’s ass.
“Careful, I bite.” Weldon winked, just as cheery as fuck.
“I know. You like it a little slap and tickle.” Shut. Up.
Weldon cackled, grabbed him in a hard man-hug. “Damn, I have missed your hairy ass.”
“Two?” the hostess asked, grinning at them like a fool.
“Please.”
She led the way, and Weldon followed her, letting Dan admire the fine ass. He did too. Very much. He wanted it close by.
He wanted to explore it, inch by agonizing….
Stop it.
Friends.
No nookie.
Friends.
“You’re having evil thoughts,” Weldon said when they settled.
“Moi?” he teased, but he knew his cheeks were on fire, because yeah. Hard-core, tearing-Weldon’s-ass-up thoughts.
“You’re definitely looking for trouble.” Weldon chuckled, then opened the menu.
“And you’re thinking of nothing but your appetite?”
“You know it. I know what I want to eat.”
“What are you having besides onion rings?” Dan asked.
“I have no idea.”
“Oh.” His cheeks got any hotter and Dan would combust.
Butter wouldn’t melt in Weldon’s mouth. That smile told Dan the man knew exactly what he was doing. If it was payback, it was the best kind—good-natured and fun as hell.
They got tea and ordered onion rings before settling in to really decide what to eat. Monte Cristo? Oh, chicken fried steak.
“I think I’m going for the chicken fried steak. That’s my favorite.” Weldon grinned at him like a monkey. “Comes with all the basics—mashed taters, green beans, toast.”
“Sounds amazing. I think I’ll do that too, and a side of coleslaw.” He was starving all of a sudden.
“I’ll steal a bite of yours.”
“You bet.” He nodded, and the waitress appeared like magic.
They got entrees ordered, onion rings and drinks delivered, and then they sort of sat there a second, looking at each other.
“You look amazing,” he told Weldon finally. “Did I say that?”
“You did. I won’t tell. You look shaggy. I want to know if it rasps when you kiss….”
“I—” God. “I do too. I keep telling myself not to flirt with you.”
“Yeah. It’s a bad idea. Can’t say I’ll stop, though.” No. No, Dan could see that.
“I know. I can’t seem to stop either.” As long as they were on the same page, then they could crash into heartache together. “Well, then. What is your position on guys with beards?”
“I like the look a lot. We’ll have to see how it feels.” Weldon’s boot touched his under the table.
Dan bet it would leave marks in sensitive places. He liked the idea, to be honest. He liked it a lot. Weldon had this remarkably smooth skin in all the hidden places, and Weldon was so open to sensation.
He loved the thoughts of Weldon and open in the same sentence, if he was honest.
“You’re thinking again. I want to take you home. Tell me I’m a bad man and call me names,” Weldon said.
“I can’t.” Dan chuckled. “You take away all my good sense.”
“This is why we can’t be friends. You’re too hot for my own good.” Weldon handed him crunchy oniony tastiness.
Dan munched his way through the onion ring, nodding sagely while he licked crumbs off his fingers. “I know it. So why do I keep calling you?”
“I’m irresistible and charming. Also, I own many sharp, pointy things, and that gives you a happy.”
Crazy man. Dan hooted, the laughter loosening something tight as an overwound spring inside him. “God, you make me smile.”
“Good. How you been, man? It’s been a dog’s age.”
Dan’s mouth twisted a bit. “I’ve been off my rocker about a mile. No job, no apartment I can afford. I feel like a lump.”
“That sucks big hairy rocks, honey.” Weldon took a long drink, throat working. “You know, I got a friend that’s in contracting who’s looking for guys. He’s a vet too. I can call him. It’s not what you want, I’m sure, but it’s something to do.”
“I did my share of basic shit on deployment.” He’d never been in engineering, but soldiers always ended up working with the civilians in situations like he’d been in. It was like Habitat for Humanity as a war video game…. “Yeah. I mean, if you don’t mind.”
“Course not. Hold up. Two shakes.” Weldon grabbed his phone and dialed. “Hey, Scotty. Weldon. You still hunting help? Yeah? I got this friend just got done doing his time in the service, and he’s looking. Uh-huh. I do. You know Audie Barrack from that barn job? His brother-in-law. Nah. He can see just fine. Monday. Good deal, I’ll send him your way at eight. Good weekend, buddy.”
Then Weldon looked at him, nodded like that was that. “Done.”
“Damn.” Dan blinked. The good old boy network. His dad hadn’t been part of that, so he was just now learning about it. The veteran thing had its advantages too. He hoped. “Better than going back into the service.”
“No shit on that. Gives you time to figure something else too. Sometimes it’s good to have bullshit hard work to do.”
He loved that, how Weldon got it. A man needed a job, dammit. A reason to get out of bed and put his boots on.
“Thanks.” He reached for Weldon’s hand and pressed it gently for a moment. “Really.”
“Anytime, man. You need something, you just gotta ask. You ain’t an island.”
“I don’t want to fuck with anyone else’s life.” Dan hated feeling as if he was dragging down Audie and Dix.
“Shit, that’s our job as people. What would we do otherwise?”
“I don’t know. I have kinda been an island for years.” Dan paused to ponder that. “Though I did have an entire garrison to take y’all’s place.”
“There you go.”
He loved that phrase—the whole world was encompassed in those three words.
Their entrees arrived, and Dan immediately forked up some coleslaw for Weldon. “You have to tell me if it’s too sweet.”
“You like it vinegary?” Weldon reached for the fork, fingers brushing his.
“I do. I want my eyeballs to try to invert.” He liked just enough mayo to give it body too, but not make it slimy.
Weldon took the bite, tilted his head, and thought. “I think you ought to ask for a little red wine vinegar. They should be able to do that. That’s how Jakob likes his. Maddie wants mayo with a little cabbage. The other three won’t touch it.”
“Got it.” He waved down the waitress, and they wrangled before settling on malt vinegar and sriracha. After a little alchemy, Dan took a bite. “Oh, yeah.”
“Better?” Weldon stole a forkful. “Oh, that doesn’t suck.”
“Yeah. I’ll have to make some for you at some point. I put in jalapeno and lime.”
“Yeah? That would be good on a taco salad, I bet.”
“Fish tacos too.” Grainger and Randi did love his fish stick tacos. Audie gagged and gagged.
“I like fish okay. You use catfish?”
“Mostly I use frozen fish sticks.” Dan shrugged, grinning a little when Weldon hooted. “I do fry them rather than bake.”
“Mmm. Fried food. I bet tater tots would be good on fish tacos too.”
“Oh, man. Did I ever tell you about the crispy chicken burrito….” Good thing he ran. And lifted. And was about to work in construction.
