Page 37 of Nicks and Cuts

Dante shook his head. “Give them a chance. Maybe you’ve all changed.”

Shannon stared at the floor. “I’m not sure I’ve changed at all.”

“I don’t think that’s true. Otherwise, you’d be itching to return, and I don’t think you are. I think you like the life you’ve been building here.”

Shannon nodded but didn’t look at him. “What if I only like it because of you and I can’t actually do anything on my own?”

Dante was silent for several seconds, mostly because if he spoke, it meant admitting a truth he had been trying to avoid far too long. “Being on your own is overrated.”

“You have everything.”

He scowled. “I lost everything and have rebuilt one painful step at a time, literally. And I would hand it all back if my injury and my family’s accident never happened. Everything I have now is because there was no other option.”

Shannon drew in a breath. “I’m sorry, I know. From the outside it looks like you have your shit together.”

“I am sure there are people who look at you and think you have your shit together. You moved eight hours away from home to a strange town to start over, taking only whatever you could stick in that fish trailer? It’s a ballsy move. You know why I stayed? Because I couldn’t bear the thought of starting over; it was worse than the pity and sympathy from everyone in town. Some days I felt stuck, like I was standing on an IED and it didn’t matter which way I moved. I was still going to end up hurt. So my world became smaller and smaller. It was only a couple of years ago that I started teaching classes and going to trade shows. It took me three years to rebuild.” At the time, he hadn’t known what he was rebuilding. Only that working on his knife-making skills gave him something to do, and if he stayed busy, he didn’t have to think about anything else. If he pushed his rehab until he was too exhausted to do anything, he could sleep.

“Looking at you and the way you breeze through not caring what anyone thinks of you pisses me off and makes me envious. I want that ease, but I don’t know how to get there. I was happy with my life even though I knew something was missing.” He closed his mouth knowing that he’d already said far too much. He didn’t want to be picking the scabs on old wounds. They didn’t need to compare and decide who had it the worst, yet that was exactly what they were doing.

Shannon frowned. “I’m sorry for messing up your life?”

“You don’t need to be sorry. When you knocked on my door, I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist, so I let you stay even though I should’ve pushed you away. And now I can’t imagine living in this house alone again.” He didn’t want to be alone. Even though he had built rules to keep people out so he didn’t get hurt, Shannon had somehow found a way through all of them like they didn’t exist.

“I didn’t know it was you. If I had known, I probably would’ve avoided seeing you again because it was so awkward. But everyone calls this place the old horse-riding school instead of ‘Nicks and Cuts’.”

“Yeah, it’ll probably take them another ten years before they get round to using the new name.” A car rumbled up the driveway. “Sounds like your parents are back with the pizza. You don’t have to take my advice, but maybe try to enjoy dinner.”

“I will. Maybe I’m wrong.” He shrugged as if he didn’t really believe that was a possibility.

For Shannon’s sake, Dante hoped that he was wrong and that his parents had come to see him and not ask for money.

They managed to get through pizza and beers, and Dante hardly had to say anything because Shannon’s parents were updating him on what was going on with his three siblings and their partners and children. I didn’t remember Shannon mentioning the nephews. They also spun tales of Shannon as a kid and how he’d been such a promising talent before deciding he didn’t want to do that anymore. Shannon’s expression had tightened, but he had let them continue.

His mother leaned forward. “So, Dante, you teach knife making? That sounds very niche.”

“It was a hobby that I turned into my job after leaving the army.”

“Thank you for your service,” Shannon’s Dad said.

Dante was tired of hearing that. He didn’t want thanks. He wanted proper help for veterans who didn’t have family to fall back on or a family inheritance. He knew he was fucking lucky. Meanwhile, there were injured vets who were homeless and unable to get the medical care they needed. But instead of arguing, the way he did with some people, he simply nodded.

Shannon’s mother glanced between the two of them as if trying to figure out if there was something going on between the two of them. “So no one special, Dante?”

“Not at the moment. Like Shannon, I’m just concentrating on myself and my business. It wouldn’t be fair on someone else to fit them in around the edges when I can’t make them a priority.”

“You don’t want to leave it too long,” she said with a wink.

“Mom…please don’t give my landlord dating advice.”

“I’m just saying a man like him should have someone to share his life with.” She gave Shannon a pointed look. “And so should you. You should know your ex booked a part on one of those superhero movies, playing an evil henchman.”

Shannon laughed. “Good for him.”

“Told you that boy is going to make it big.” His father nodded.

“I don’t care how big he gets, his ego was already oversized, and he cheated at least once that I know of. I don’t want the drama, and I’m not ready to date. I just want to go to work, ride my bike, come home and chill. For the moment, that’s enough.”

“Did I mention Riley is engaged?”