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“What I’ve done?”
“I saw a change in him from the second he spoke to you. He has someone here to listen to him. That’s huge for anyone, Kanan. I listen, but…I’m Dad. And, frankly, I don’t understand him. He’s not wrong about that. So, you do what you need to do, and I’ll pay what I think is reasonable. This is reasonable,” he said, tapping his finger on the paper.
“Okay,” I said, standing in front of him, and moving my hand to offer it to the man. “I’d be honored to take it, and the number isn’t the only reason I know that this is important, Rick.”
His hand slid into mine gently, and he took his time tightening it. Then, we moved our hands together, up a little and back down before I was graced with his perfect smile. What a beautiful man he truly was. “Welcome, Kanan.”
“Thank you, Rick.”
“Are you guys gonna make out or something?” Chandler called from the hall. “Like, get a room,” he said as he walked off and Rick quickly withdrew his hand.
“Damn kid,” Rick said, all while his face was glowing red.
Chapter Seven
Joelloadedthelastof my suitcases in the back of his truck with a pronounced sniff.
I spun him around to face me, but that way he had of lowering his head so his straw cowboy hat hid his eyes, it worked. I couldn’t see where the tears were coming from, but I saw them glistening as they slid down his cheeks. “Joel, I’m not going far.”
“Never had a brother. Feel like…I fine’ly found one.”
“You have me still, Joel, and you have Eli and Theo too, that both are like brothers. They’re already like mine too, so I’m going to come visit a lot. Like every chance I get.”
“Ain’t the same.”
Pulling him to me, I let him quietly sob on my shoulder as his hat fell to the dirt. Damon came with the tarp to tie over the top, being the rain clouds were gathering, and seeing us, he threw the tarp in back of the truck and came to hug us both.
“Love fest!”
“Gerroffme,” Joel complained, laughing.
After we moved apart, Damon pushed Joel playfully. “He ain’t moving to Texas.”
“Still!”
Joel got a kiss from Damon and then Damon picked up the hat, dusted it off and slapped it back on Joel’s head. “He’s going to turn our beloved mayor gay! Another membership at the club, babe. That’s always a good thing for us.”
“Damon,” I said, laughing. “Even if that were to ever happen, I seriously doubt that vanilla man would be caught dead in Cowpokes.”
“You never know,” he said with a wink.
Joel drove me, but Damon and Burke followed behind and I didn’t know why until Joel let me in on it during the drive. “They’s checkin’ thin’s out fer ya.”
“Checking what out, Joel?”
He had a sly smile as he watched the road, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel like he was sending someone morse code. “Ya know, them men o’ mine ain’t never gonna let nobody they care ‘bout git hurt none. They’s good ol’ boys.”
They were going to check out the mayor of the town to make sure he knew I was cared about. That warmed my chest so much, I nearly cried. I felt like I really did have a family at last. “Joel, you all…you’re so good to me. I’ll never forget this. You are my brother; I hope you know that.”
“Good ‘nough. Now, we boys gotta little club goin’. Meet up couple times a month. Yer invited, Dom or no Dom.”
“A sub club?”
“Yeah,” he said with a breathy laugh that lit his face with happiness. “We git ta laughin’ an’ such. Some o’ us need it more ‘an others, see. Like Theo, he’s a dang ol’ slave now. Getting’ more an’ more inta it all the time. Course, he likes ta play Dom now an’ then too, wit’ Brett, but…”
“You all talk about it, what roles you play, all of it?”
“Sure thin’. Needs it, Eli says. See, he’s got hisself a shrink, ‘cause of ‘is PTSD and such, but says we all could use a good talkin’ now and ‘gain. He’s right. Fixes up problems right off that don’t git bigger. Ya know?”
