AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Whatever you’ve got going on with Sol is none of my business—until the boss or Toby find out.Thenit’ll be my business.”
“I’m not using him, all right?” Butch flung at him. “You’re about as wrong as you can be. I haven’t swapped your ass for his. I didn’t go to him because of any fucking bad dream. And I’m not gonna go into details, but this is fucking huge, I mean,crazilyhuge.” He paused to draw breath. “Don’t be giving me a hard time over this. It’s not what you think.” His chest heaved.
Teague stared at him. “I guess I’ll have to take your word for that.” He tipped his hat. “Just… be careful, okay?” He resumed his previous brisk pace, heading for the house.
Butch wasn’t sure what that last comment meant.
What do I have to be careful about?
Butch pulled into the curb and switched off the engine. “So, where’s this appointment of yours?”
Sol pointed across the street. “There.”
Butch followed his finger, and frowned. “Sacred Images? The tattoo place? You’re getting another tattoo?” As far as he knew, Sol only had one—the strip of barbed wire around his upper right arm.
Sol studied him. “I wasn’t thinking of one for me—but for you. Two, actually.”
What the fuck?
“You think you might’veaskedme first?” he retorted. “Tattoos are kinda personal. You don’t just—”
“Please,” Sol entreated. “Let me speak?”
Butch fell silent, perplexed.
“It was your tattoo that gave me the idea. I wanted to leave you with a reminder that you’re not the same man.” Sol pulled his phone from his pocket and scrolled. He held it up for Butch to see. On the screen was a stylized picture of a lotus flower.
“Pretty, but why would I want that?”
“Because it has a meaning that fits you perfectly.” Sol smiled. “The lotus flower signifies new beginnings.”
Butch’s throat tightened. “That’s beautiful.”
Sol scrolled again, and this time he showed Butch a tattoo of a compass.
Butch chuckled. “I don’t think that’ll work, y’know.”
Sol laughed too. “I chose this one to show you’re moving in the right direction.”
Fuck.
He swallowed hard. “You’ve put a lot of thought into this, haven’t you?”
Sol nodded. “Your first tattoo will always remind you of the past. Like I said, I wouldn’t change that. But you need new tattoos for the new man you’ve become.” He squeezed Butch’s thigh. “Here’s the important part. You don’t have to do this. If you really don’t want them, then I’ll cross the street, cancel the appointment, and you can drive me back to Salvation.” His eyes were warm. “I know it was presumptive of me, but I just wanted to give you the opportunity.”
Yes, itwaspresumptive. A tattoo was a very personal choice, but the meanings behind the images had overturned Butch’s initial objections.
Sol’s right. So much has changed in my life.And looking at the flower and the compass would also be a reminder of Sol when he returned home to San Francisco.
That last part? That was the clincher.
His heart quaked.Don’t think about that part. You’ve got four whole days left before that happens.
Butch squared his shoulders. “So… where do you think they’d look good?”
The rest of the afternoon was kind of a blur.
Sol sat in a chair, watching Tanner work on Butch’s left inner arm and his right forearm. He’d booked a big enough block of time so Butch wouldn’t have to come back: part of that decision took Butch’s job into account.
