by BA Tortuga
“What? And have Patrick mock my taste in Slim Jims? Hell no. I did have him get ice and Cokes, though.”
“Is he nice?”
“Patrick?” Jayden thought on that. “Yeah. He is. Single and ready to settle down in kind of a scary way, but a good guy.”
“Why scary? Does he want to settle with you?” Was that a hint of jealousy?
“No. No, he just tells me every juicy detail.” He rolled his eyes.
“And how is that not macking on you?” Oh. Totally jealousy. Totally.
“Uh. I’m his boss? Maybe I’m oblivious, but I think we’re just friendly, honey.” He was beaming like a newborn fool. He didn’t want Dakota to stress, but damn, it felt good, knowing that there was something intense and his in there, just like he had pissed-offedness on Dakota’s behalf.
“You want me to just run in? We can listen to the record on Sunday when we get back.”
“Do you mind? I am all about a sit for a second.”
“Not a bit.” He unhooked the house key from the fob and left the engine running. “Back in two shakes.”
“I’ll be right here, waiting.”
He jogged into the house, grabbed his REI backpack and his hat, then filled the cooler with ice and food. That had wheels and a handle, so he could get it all in one trip.
The passenger side window rolled down. “You need help?”
“I got it, honey. You sit.” He wanted to show off, flex his muscles.
“I think I will. You ever think about planting roses or something in the front here?”
“No.” He blinked at the front yard. “I mean, I really haven’t thought about anything yard-like.”
“Oh. How long have you been here?”
“Five years.” He hoisted the cooler into the bed of the truck, grunting when he almost popped a hernia.
“Cool.”
“Uh-huh.” Oh, damn. That was heavy. Shit. He panted for a minute, his muscles protesting. Okay, food bags, backpack, lake stuff. Boom.
“Is that it?”
“Yes. Oh, wait. Hold on.” Air mattress. He was getting Dakota the air mattress. “Be right back.”
He trotted back into the house, then into the garage. Air mattress. Extra lounge chair pad. Inflatable lounge for the lake. Air pump. Perfect.
If Dakota was willing to have a fabulous weekend with him, then he was going for it, dammit. Full steam ahead.
Chapter Twenty
DAKOTA FLOATED on the lake, eyes closed, his entire body relaxed and supported. The sun was beating down on him, the water licked at him, and he was happy.
He wiggled his toes. They didn’t hurt. That was rockin’ cool.
He heard soft whistling, knew it was Jayden. “Hey, sexy.”
“Hey. You get tired of the hammock?” He had learned that Jayden was a champion napper. The best.
“I did. Thought I would float.” Jayden paddled into view, ass planted in an inner tube.
“It’s a good day for it. I’m thinking I could live on the water.”
“Yeah? Like houseboat or duck?”
“Both. Although I think you’d have to worry about a houseboat a lot. If you have a problem, you sink.” That could be a disaster.
“Mmm. Maybe cabin at the lake, then. We should go to Colorado. Just to visit, I mean.” Jayden wore a gimme cap and sunglasses and looked like a Kenny Chesney fan.
“We should.” He couldn’t, but it didn’t matter right now. They were dreaming, playing house.
“I love New Mexico too. I really do. Ruidoso is amazing. All mountains and deserts.”
“Yeah?”
“Uh-huh. We go every year as a family. Me, Mom and Pop, my brother and his wife and kids. We’ve rented the same cabin for twenty-five years. Now we just rent three instead of one.”
“That sounds so cool.” And he tried not to be so jealous that it hurt. Not just that Jayden got to have those life experiences, but that he had this family who loved to be together.
“It’s amazeballs.” Jayden spun in a slow circle, which brought him closer to Dakota.
He reached out and squeezed Jayden’s fingers, just real quick, because he didn’t need to add gay bashing to his repertoire of beatings.
Jayden flashed him a lazy grin. “Man, I feel loose and good, you know? Sage and Win are fishing like fiends.”
“Good. I’m glad they got their shit together.” He knew how unhappy Sage was getting, but he also knew that Adam wasn’t stupid, wasn’t blind.
“I think Win was just head down and working, you know?”
“I get that.” He actually loved that part of being out of prison—the ability to work and sleep and work some more. The routine almost became a comfort, the lack of pressure to make decisions. The real world seemed almost dizzying with the choices a guy had to make every day.
“Yeah, me too. You okay, honey?”
“I’m good. Floating in the sun with my lover.” He blushed as he said the word.
“Right? I’ve never done this before. I—well, the one guy I was almost serious with was not outdoorsy.”
“No? What was he like?” Was he a weird ex-con too?
“A doctor. It was bad. He’s married. Kids.” Jayden sounded… well, embarrassed maybe. Sunglasses made it tough to read any sort of expression. That had to suck, though, if Jayden had been all in love and the guy just dumped him.
“He was married during?” That sounded insane. Utterly fucking nuts.
“Yeah. I had no idea. Thought I was the sun, right? He sure acted like he revolved around me.” Jayden peered over his sunglasses, his look wry. “This is odd, huh? Talking to you about an ex.”
“I would tell you all about mine, but the best I have is people in the laundry that weren’t bad.”
Jayden chuckled, which surprised and pleased him. Dakota always worried when he popped off about something prisony. He kept wanting to clap a hand over his mouth.
“You don’t make friends?” Jayden asked.
He thought about that. “You make alliances. You find groups because that’s safer. You have to not make friends, though, not really, because that can go bad, quick.”
“That sounds like hell. I thought being a prosecutor was bad. You always have to watch your back because everyone has an angle.”
“You always have to watch your back, period. I think it’s just about what you’re watching it for.”
Jayden flipped a little water at him. “I like my life much better now.”
“Yeah, me too. Like vastly much.” He lifted his head. “And I don’t just mean being out of the joint. I mean all of it.”
Mostly Jayden.
“Thank you. I—you. Yes. Sage says he’s grill master tonight. You’ll get that burger.”
“Good.” He leaned back for a second and let his feet dangle. Then he began to chuckle, the sound bubbling out of him.
“What? Are you okay?” Jayden paddled close again, leaning toward him.
“We’re so funny, you and me, you know? We’re dancing around, this totally ridiculous pair of guys. I mean, the only people that are bigger stereotypes are camping with us.” They were in love, and they hadn’t ever… well, Jayden had seen him naked, he guessed. Still.
That didn’t count, did it? Not with all the bruises.
“Are you—is that bad? I mean, I think it’s partly because we’re so different that it works. And I would dance with you anytime.”
“Bad? No. No, it’s weird and wonderful and amazing and just… shit, Jayden, it is what it is.” This was the first time in his life that he felt like he had earned everything he had. No one had given him anything for free. He deserved his good.
“Oh, yay.” Jayden laughed, the sound ringing across the water. “I was afraid you were going to cut me off. Don’t get the idea that I don’t want you, Dakota. I do. You just need to recover.”
“Yeah. I need to be a little less broken. It’s not sexy.” He wasn’t sure he did sexy.
“It’s a little daunting. Whe
re do I touch that it doesn’t hurt?” Jayden poked his elbow, which was pretty unscathed.
“Am I the only one having an Indiana Jones moment?”
“Nope.” Jayden’s grin was impossible to miss, wide and goofy. “I could tow you around by your pinky toe.”
“You could. It’s totally not sore. Steel-toed boots are important.”
“As important as they are dangerous, huh?”
He must be looking better if Jayden could tease him about the beating.
“Yeah. I liked them less well Thursday, but that’s how it works.” You forget how bad the pain really was. Otherwise you just laid down and died.
“I like it.” Jayden pushed off a little, then really did grab his toe.
“You having a decent birthday?” He hoped so. He wanted things to be good, genuinely good.
“I am. God, those cupcakes were good, huh?”
They were amazing, and watching Jayden blow out these huge single candles was amazing. He’d looked like a kid, all wide eyes and laughter.
It gave Dakota a weird little bit of hope for his next birthday, that maybe January wouldn’t suck. He didn’t need cakes and stuff; he just needed Jayden’s smile.
Dude, that was super gushy and a little cool.
He chuckled, wiggling his toes again. Jayden tickled his arch, and he almost kicked the man in the face. Oops.
“Oh. You’re ticklish. That’s good to know.”
“Are you?”
“Not a bit,” Jayden said, and it sounded like the God’s honest truth.
Okay, that wasn’t fair. Not at all.
“I have some secrets you’ll discover.” Jayden’s voice deepened. “I promise.”
His eyes went wide, and he felt his cheeks burn. “I’ll take you up on that.”
“Hey, you two.” Sage called them from the bank. “You ready for supper and all?”
“Are you cooking?” Jayden called back.
“Yessir. Hamburgers and chips. Supper of champions.”
His stomach growled loud enough to make Jayden hoot.
“Looks like we’re ready,” Jayden said. “Want me to tow you in, Dakota?”
“Yeah, let’s do this.” He paddled slowly, heading back into the not-so-real world. One day he’d have a place near the lake. A place where he could sleep outside at will.
One day.
He watched Jayden flip off the inner tube and grab it and the edge of Dakota’s lounger with one hand, swimming strongly with the other.
Yeah, someday, but in the meantime, this whole deal wasn’t so bad, and he thought he’d fight to keep it.
Chapter Twenty-One
“YOUR MOM is on line one, Jayden,” Patrick called from the outer office.
“Shit.” His hand was halfway to the phone so he could talk to a buddy at the prosecutor’s office about Briony McCarthy’s daddy. His mom had the damnedest timing. Jayden grabbed the phone. “Hello, you.”
“Hello, Son. I haven’t heard from you in days. How’s it going?”
“Good. Really good. How are you and Pop?”
“He’s busy pretending not to be retired.”
“He wants to work for my security guy. Did he tell you?”
“He did.” She paused and then sighed. “He also told me he thinks you’re having a relationship with Mr. Landry.”
“I am.” He wasn’t gonna lie about it. Jayden was the farthest from ashamed of Dakota.
“Are you sure that’s wise, Son? He’s had a hard life.”
“I know he has. No, I’m not sure it’s wise. I care very deeply for him, though, and I want to give it my best shot.” Simple as that.
“I want to meet him.”
“What?” He wasn’t sure Dakota was ready for that. Hell, the bruises on Dakota’s face weren’t all gone, not completely.
“You heard me. Quit playing coy.”
“I’m not coy. I’m terrified.” He chuckled. “You can be scary, Momma.”
“I just don’t want you hurt again. I wouldn’t piss on that ex of yours if he was on fire. Now you’re hooking up with a man whose total adult experience is working the laundry in medium security?”
“Jesus, Momma.” He winced as soon as the words popped out. “Sorry. Just—really, how much research did you do?”
“Lots. I know he did well in school, nothing exceptional, but well. He was on the road to do the same at UT. Seems like that was going to be the story of Dakota Landry’s life. Well enough, but nothing exceptional.” She paused, then just kept on when he didn’t speak. She was in lawyer mode, and she was going to give her statement, dammit. “I know that Jacob Landry is not listed on his birth certificate as the father, even though Rachel was Mrs. Landry two years before her oldest son was born. Mrs. Landry was born Rachel O’Doule, by the way, and was one of six and the daughter of a dirt farmer. She’s done pretty damn well for herself.”
“Pop always said he married up with you,” Jayden teased, but he made a note on his legal pad. Dakota’s real dad?
“He’s totally correct on that front.” She cleared her throat. “I will tell you that if those assholes that purport to be his parents had done anything to help that kid—them, the public defender, anyone—he’d have gotten off. Even in Williamson County.”
“I know. You see why I had to help him?” That much, at least, she had to understand.
“I do. Hell, baby boy, I’m not saying he’s a bad man. I’m saying, if you’re going to take up with him, I want to meet him.”
“So come down for lunch. Like on a Sunday. If you want to fly in on Friday and shop and stay in the guest room….”
“I’d love that. I could come out this week, if you want.” Oh, sneaky old woman!
“I have a brief on Friday, but Patrick can pick you up at the airport, and I can be done by three.” Luckily, he had plenty of time to call Dakota and warn him, ask him to Sunday brunch. His momma would want to do brunch at the So Co Cafe.
“Chuy’s for an early supper before you let me kick your ass at Scrabble?”
“You know it.” He loved playing with her, battling with the smartest woman he’d ever met.
She chuckled. “I’ll own you.”
“You already had me for all this time, Mom.”
“I like to rub it in. I’ll e-mail you when I get my ticket. You talk to that feller of yours and prep him, hmm?”
“I will. Man-eating mother ahoy. Worse than anything he’s faced in prison.”
“Not true, Son. I do not carry a broomstick.”
“Ew! Momma. You’re evil.”
“You have no idea, Son.”
And thank God for that. He didn’t want to know. “All right, well, I’ll see you Friday afternoon, yeah?”
“I’ll be there with bells on. Love you, Son.”
“Love you too. Don’t bring Pop.”
“You know he doesn’t fly worth a damn.”
“I know. I can just see him barrel-assing down 35 to try to beat you here.”
“He probably could manage it, crazy old man, but he’s going on a fishing trip with some of his old cronies this weekend, so that’s not going to happen.”
Oh thank God. Jayden loved his dad, but he would scare Dakota spitless. The old man made Win look like a teddy bear. Pop was extremely penal.
“Bye, Son.” She hung up like she always did, like a lawyer who had too much to do and not enough time to do it.
He got it. Hell, he lived it. “Patrick, man? Do you think you can pick my mom up at the airport Friday afternoon?”
“Of course, boss.”
“Cool. I’ll send you her itinerary as soon as she—” His phone dinged, the e-mail from his mom popping up. “There it is. I’ll send it.”
“Good deal. She’s coming for the weekend?”
“Coming to meet Dakota.”
Patrick’s head popped around the doorframe. “Ooh, meeting the new guy. Impressive!”
“I’m scared.” He grinned. “I just—is Dakota ready to meet Lady Justice
?”
“I sure hope so, because she’s coming to meet him, and he’s dating her baby boy.”
“I know. Oh my God.” He was going to lose it. Should he call Dakota now?
“You need a paper sack, boss?”
“Fuck yes.” He laughed. “No. I mean, Dakota is a good man. Mom will love him. I know she will.”
“Of course she will. He’s a solid guy.”
He loved how Patrick had never met Dakota and still defended him.
“You should come to dinner with us sometime soon. Have you met anyone to double-date with?”
“I might have, yeah, if it’s not weird to have a double date with your boss.”
“We’ll see, I guess. I would love that, though. Just to introduce Dakota around.” Dakota never seemed to be in a position to meet his friends. Hell, if anything, being with Dakota reminded him how few real friends he had. Patrick might work for him, but they were buds. He thought.
“Then we’ll do it. You’ll like Lance, I think. We’re still at the friends with benefits stage, but I see potential.”
“Lance. Sounds manly,” Jayden teased.
“More skinny chef with amazing green eyes.”
“Good on you!” He felt as if he was learning whole new levels of stuff about Patrick.
“Yeah. Green eyes, a nice butt, and he makes this amazing homemade pasta.”
“A man who can cook.” Dakota wanted to learn to cook. He’d told Jayden that a couple of days ago. It had surprised the hell out of him, just coming out of the blue.
Maybe it was Azel’s influence. The man made the most elaborate shit, and damn, Jayden could gain some weight eating Azel’s cooking.
“You’re having Dakota thoughts. I can tell.”
“I am.” His cheeks heated. “I think about him all the time. I can’t seem to stop.” He dreamed about Dakota at night when they weren’t together too. He wanted to ask his lover to move in, but that seemed so weird when they hadn’t even had sex.
“That’s cool, right? I mean, isn’t that supposed to be the way it is?”
“I have no idea. I hardly thought about Dr. Asshole at all. Is that awful?” Jayden kinda thought it was awful. He wanted to think he’d really cared about the guy, but somehow he must have sensed he was a liar.
