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I punched him.
“WHAT THE FUCK?” he said, leaning forward with his hand over his nose. I didn’t hit him all that hard because it wasn’t broken and he was still conscious.
I pointed at him. It wasn’t the first time I clocked him or any of my brothers and it wouldn’t be the last. But I was pissed because of Melly and I wasn’t fucking having it. “Don’t you fucking finish that sentence.”
Another Pearson pickup slowed and parked on the street. Deek got out holding a to-go cup of coffee, Steaming Hotties written on the side. “Jesus, you’re shit at retirement.” He approached and looked at Sea Bass. “What happened to you? If you have to put in another workman’s comp claim for hitting your head again, I’ll–”
Sea Bass pointed at me.
Deek set his free hand on his hips. “Seriously? Why are you even here?” he asked, then added when he glanced briefly at the house. “Oh.”
Kevin and PeeWee had stopped working and stood watching us. Deek passed Sea Bass the coffee, took hold of my bicep and pulled me across the yard. He finally stopped in front of a large blue spruce tree. From the height of it, I estimated it to be thirty years old.
“You’re here to work,” he said, not as a question.
“Yes.”
“You can’t handle retirement, fine. But go help on the golf course job. We’re moving the big boulders for the retaining wall over there today.”
I pointed at the ground between us. “No. This job.”
He took a step closer. “You and Melly Harwood? Seriously, D?”
We hadn’t talked after I pulled the window shade down, blocking them out, but they saw her. In my flannel.Onlymy flannel.
“Yeah.”
“You’re leaving in a few days,” he reminded. “She’s a forever girl.”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Hell, yes she is,” he countered.Nowhe was protecting her.
I shook my head, swiped my hand through the air. “No. We have an understanding.”
His eyebrows winged up. “An understanding.”
I nodded. “It’s only until I leave.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty hard to get your dick in her if it’s in Scotland and she’s here.”
Now I pointed at him. “Watch it,” I hissed. “That shit’s what got Sea Bass a bloody nose.”
“Out of every woman in town, you choose her? She’sDanny’sex,” he reminded.
I shifted my feet, moving into slightly uncomfortable territory. “They went out twice. Coffee and lunch,” I explained, easily countering that excuse.
He knew whatcoffee and lunchmeant when it came to a woman.Not serious.
“Still, D. You’re dating the same womanas your son.”
“Not at the same time. And we’re notdating.”
“Well, that makes it different then,” he said, the words loaded with sarcasm.
“She’s not interested in him. She told me she doesn’t like guys her age. I talked to Danny. He’s not interested in her. Says she’s–” I cleared my throat, not wanting to share how he thought Melly was too vanilla. I’d never been with a woman who was less vanilla than Melly. “Anyway, he’s not interested and he’s wrong about her. So fucking wrong.” I couldn’t help the smile that pulled at my lips.
“She’s like… twenty-four or something.” He wouldn’t let this go.
