AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Not every time.” I cleared my throat and spun my spoon on the table. “But when you say boys…do you just mean Jesse and his friend?”
Harris rolled his eyes. “If you want to know how Jason’s doing, why don’t you come by this weekend? We’re having a little get-together. Some burgers and steaks on the barbecue. You know the drill.”
“Yeah, okay.” I shrugged and glanced at my watch. “I can swing by.”
“So, what else is going on with you?” He slid half a chocolate chip cookie my way. “Here help me eat this. I don’t need a whole one.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Since when? Is Jesse not into Daddy bears?”
He narrowed his eyes at me as if taking offense. “He says he loves cuddling, but I’m trying to be healthier. I can’t expect him to take his health seriously if I don’t.”
“Good point.” I picked up the cookie and popped it into my mouth. “Mmm.”
“And to answer your question before that vein starts throbbing again, the boy you keep bugging me about is doing fine. His foot’s all better and he and Jesse have even been talking about starting their own business.”
“Dog walking? I thought they were basically doing their own thing anyway.” Jesse had mentioned that he was an independent contractor for the dog-walking company Jason’s uncle owned. Branching out on their own seemed redundant.
“Not walking.” He took a quick drink then leaned back in his chair. “Grooming and boarding, I think. They haven’t officially pitched their idea to me yet, but they’re working on a business plan. It’s kinda cute. They’ve even been eyeing some building on Tenth and Mission.”
“Tenth and Mission? You’re not talking about the old garden center, are you?” I used to go there often when I was trying to grow a vegetable garden. They closed last winter, and the building had been empty ever since.
“Yeah, I think that’s it. They said there’s a fenced area that would work well for the dogs so that’s probably right. Anyway, that’s something you can feel free to bring up when you see them on Saturday.”
“Huh.” I was impressed that they were serious enough about the business to put together a business plan. Maybe I could work my way into their pitch meeting. I was always looking to invest in the community…
And if it earned me some brownie points with a certain skater boy, that was okay too.
3
JASON
Instead of knocking on the front door, I went around the side of the house and let myself in through the back gate. Jesse told me just to find him out back, so I didn’t bother with formalities. When I saw him tossing a ball to Luna while pounding the patio cushions to get the dust out, I was glad I didn’t disturb him.
“Hey, Jess. I came early so I could help.”
He looked at me and a broad smile covered his face. “Oh, good! I can use it. I’m trying to get Luna tired out, so she isn’t annoying everybody with her toys later. Do you wanna play catch with her for a while while I finish up with these chairs?”
“Of course.” I took the chucking stick from him and tossed the ball high in the air so Luna had to keep an eye on it and track exactly where it was going to fall before catching it five feet off the ground. “Nice air, girl. She’s getting good with this thing.”
“Yeah.” Jesse waved some dust out of his face and then smacked the cushion again, repeating the process. “She can play for hours. Harris and I will usually give her ten or fifteen minutes at a time before we need to take a break, but I’ve already been out here with her for twenty minutes and she has no interest in slowing down.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place, Luna. Because wearing out dogs is my middle name.” I flick the ball sideways, making it cut through the air and land at the far end of the yard. Luna took off running, using her full speed to chase it down as it started rolling even farther away. “Twenty or thirty more of those and she’ll be ready for a nap.”
A few minutes later, Jesse was done and flopped into one of the chairs he’d just cleaned. “Jay, why don’t you come sit while you do that. You’re on your feet all day long. You don’t need more of that when you’re here as a guest to visit with me.”
“Let’s get one thing straight. I’m here as a guest to eat. I was promised food.” I glanced toward the barbecue that had smoke coming out of the vent holes. “And speaking of, something smells delicious.”
“Harris is smoking a couple of tri-tips. Let me grab the small charcuterie plate, so you can have a snack while you work.”
The meats and cheeses Jesse brought out were delicious, but the star of the arrangement were the little slices of sourdough. “This bread is delicious. Where did you get it?”
Jesse’s eyes were almost sparkling as he smiled back at me. “I made it. Is it really good? I went through four loaves before getting this one. I thought it was pretty good, but my standards might be low at this point.”
I popped another piece in my mouth. “It’s delicious, man. Seriously. You really are the perfect boy.”
“He really is.” Harris walked out and put his arm around Jesse’s shoulders before dropping a kiss onto his head. “Why don’t you and Jason have a drink while I take Luna in to rest for a little while before everyone else gets here?”
Sounded good to me.
