“Guess his memory about how much he hates pansies still triggers now and again,” I said with all kinds of ill intent. Jesse rubbed a hand over his face then went quiet again. I wanted tosay more, rail and rant about Abel, the past, the present, the fucking bull that had pulverized my shoulder. Shit. This whole scenario sucked. The offer fell out of my mouth before my brain could yank on the reins.
“I could…I mean.” Jesus fucking Christ. “If you ever want?—”
“I don’t.” The comeback was fast and sharp. “I’ve got things handled. I don’t need help managing him. I don’t need opinions.”
Lucas shifted uncomfortably as he gave my brother’s hand another squeeze.
I nodded. “Okay. Then…okay.” I stared into my coffee as if it held the answers I searched for when all it held was a few grinds floating on the surface. My attention lifted to meet Jesse’s. “I just wanted you to know that I would’ve come. If I’d known how bad it was.”
He shrugged. “You didn’t know. And I didn’t tell you. So here we are.”
“Here we are.” I started to snicker.
Both men on the sofa gave me a questioning look.
“My chute man, Clayton, he always had ways of saying things that cut right through most any bullshit. If Clay were here he’d remind me that bullheadedness runs right downhill. Abel is as thickheaded and stubborn as they come and, by the looks, the two of us are a couple of obstinate mules.”
Lucas chortled. Jesse, well he took a moment to accept it was the truth and then he allowed a smile to tug at the corners of his mouth.
“Yeah, I guess we are a little mulish,” Jesse confessed.
“A little. So, I’ll think hard on all of that. Not sure what side of the fence I’ll come down on since me and Abel…well, you know.”
“I know,” Jesse whispered.
“Just one more question about this.” I waved my mug to indicate the two of them. “You gay or what, Jesse?”
“Oh, I uhm…Lucas-sexual I guess. I’ve not really had time to…you know…” He glanced at Lucas. Oh man, the love in his eyes was about to make me weepy. “It’s just him I think.”
“Okay, so demisexual then mostly. Got it. And, Lucas, are you gay as a daisy like me?”
“Yeah, totally daisy-gay.”
“Huh. Well, that’s nice to know. Someday you need to tell me how Abel reacted when he found out you were queer, little brother. I pray it was better than how he reacted when he found out I was a flamer. His words, not mine.”
“Yeah, we can talk about that some other day. I think we’re pretty talked out for now. You want to stay for dinner? Maybe play some cards afterwards?”
“Cards. Sure. Last time I played cards with you it was Go Fish. When you lost you held your breath until you were purple.”
Jesse chuckled. “Just hold onto your wallet, cowboy.”
I left the main house four hours later stuffed to the gills and considerably poorer. Should have stuck to Go Fish and opted out of poker. Next time I’d be better prepared for the card shark that was my little brother.
Chapter 7
Aubrey
“Ireally appreciate you coming out again, Mr. Yates,” I said as the grumpy man with the low-riding pants and big nose knelt down to start cutting a hole in my backdoor.
“This going to be weekly thing?” he asked as he took some measurements with a bright yellow tape measure.
“If it is do I get a faithful customer discount? I do that at the bookshop. I have a little punch card that I punch every time someone makes a purchase. They’re really cute. I ordered them from a lovely little printer in San Diego. They have books on them! Anyway, when someone buys a book I punch their card then they get a nice discount on their tenth purchase. Do you have punch cards? If not perhaps you should consider them. People seem quite pleased with them.”
He muttered something about a punch but I couldn’t tell exactly what it was. “I’ve been trying to lure Ruggerio inside for a couple of weeks now without any success. So I thought perhaps he would use a cat door to come inside where I would have a box trap set up with food. Then I could take him to the vet for shotsand to be snipped. Do you know if the mercantile carries live catch traps?”
“Not a clue.” He glanced back at me hovering around behind him in my brightest purple suit in honor of it being May Day today. I was honoring the tiny wild violets that bloomed in May with my suit and yellow tie.
“I’ll stop in after work. Speaking of which do you like to read? I’d be happy to hook you up with whatever kind of genres you enjoy with a discount for all the hard work you’re putting in helping me make this house a home.”
