by BA Tortuga
“Uh, married with kids, Jayden. You could have hit him with a shovel and he was still more awful.” Patrick made this face, all wrinkled nose and pursed lips, that was the very picture of disgust.
“Thank you.” He grinned, but he sure had thought about shovel beatings. “Dakota is special.”
“Well, I can’t wait to meet him. After your mom, of course.” Patrick winked. “I promise not to get her drunk this time.”
“You’d better not. If she asks to stop for Mexican martinis, what do you say?”
“Chuy’s is on the left?”
Jayden shook his head. “You say ‘Jayden will take you. He’ll need a drink after his brief.’ Got it?”
“Yes, boss. I understand. No drinkie-poos until you show up.”
“Thank you. Shopping yes. Booze no.” Patrick and Momma could marathon shop, and he always preferred to let them do it before he joined them.
Patrick was more than willing to help Mom pick out stunning clothes for all of them, and he knew Jayden’s tastes. He chuckled, thinking how long it had been since he had to buy his own clothes.
“Okay, anything else you need, boss, or should I get back to typing up the Carrin dossier?”
“That’s it. Thanks, man.”
“Sure. That’s what you pay me for, right?”
“Nah, I pay you to tell me I’m brilliant.” He winked before Patrick snorted and headed back to his office. Jayden twirled in his chair, the high leather back feeling a little sticky with the humidity. He should really call Dakota, but he had to wait for lunchtime…. Oh, he could text.
He tugged out his phone, his fingers flying over the keys. This way he wouldn’t just have to jump right into the mom conversation.
Hey. Miss u. Supper 2nite?
It took a couple of minutes; then Dakota texted back.
Did you just type 2nite? Sure. Where?
Amayas?
He wanted Dakota to be in a comfortable place, a good frame of mind.
Works for me. 6?
C U then
Tacos! He loved how happy Dakota was to do these small things with him, how eager. Jayden felt the same way.
Okay. I love you. Bye.
So formal. So careful. So fucking cute.
Love U
He tucked his cell away, then reached for the office phone. He still needed to make some damned calls, and he needed to get his head out of the clouds and get shit done. There would be no clearing his Saturday or Sunday to do extra work this week.
Although maybe he could get Mom in Saturday to play paralegal. Oh, she’d just love that, except not. She liked to research on her own, though, didn’t she? She probably knew way more of the practical details of Dakota’s life than he did, and the urge to pump her for info was huge.
No, he needed to lube her up to meet Dakota so she didn’t go all cross-examiner on the man. Maybe he’d take her to the Oasis on Saturday for margaritas. She loved them ringing that silly bell. That sounded like a plan. Jayden nodded, made a note on his calendar, then got to work calling Doug about old man McCarthy.
He wanted to make sure Dakota never had to deal with anything that man threw at him again.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“DAKOTA?”
“Yessir?” Dakota wiped his forehead, blinking the sweat out of his eyes, trying to see where Jim’s voice was coming from. The heat was dropping guys like flies, and they were short-handed as hell.
The boss headed over, looking more than a little like a freight train with a scowl painted on the front of the engine. “Did you count the cedar posts for the Williams job?”
“The amount we needed or the ones that were delivered? Because those were two different numbers.” He knew what he was doing there, no matter what the asshole from the lumber company said. They’d been shorted, and Dakota had called the jerk twice and been told the guy didn’t talk to snot-nosed underlings.
“How short are we?” Jim pulled out a crumpled invoice. “I’ll charge him back for the difference.”
“Nine posts, eleven if you count the ones that are in shit condition.”
“Dammit. I swear, it’s getting harder every fucking day to find someone honest to work with. I need to just find a goddamned lumberyard and have you go pick out posts. Cut out the fucking middleman.”
“I can do that.” He was totally willing to get into his two-by-eighty air-conditioning and out of the goddamn sun. “Just tell me where and what job.”
“Good deal. I’ll call around and get you out there tomorrow.” Jim eyed him. “You know Jorge is back on the job, right, son?”
“I do. He came to the house, and we had a chat.” And he had a pocketknife in his belt now, along with a roll of quarters in his pocket. He wasn’t going down again, not by himself.
“Good deal. You tell me if you have any problems. He ran off on the job, and if the heat wasn’t killing you guys, I would tell him to fuck off.”
Dakota just nodded and kept his mouth shut. He knew Jim was utterly practical. Dakota would have gotten his ass fired if he hadn’t appeared the Monday after the beating with a medical note from Adam, which had been good enough for the boss after Dakota explained Adam was a military-trained medic and gave him the money back. The fact was that Jim needed men to work, and the reason Dakota had a job was that no one gave a shit.
It worked for him.
Jim scribbled on the invoice, then peered at him. “Well, get back to work, son.”
“Yessir.” He grinned and turned back to his posthole digger. They couldn’t go electric on this job because there was no power source close enough.
It made for sore shoulders and tore-up hands, but it assured that he slept hard at night. These days he didn’t dream as much, didn’t wake up in a cold sweat. He guessed that was progress, right?
Right.
He let himself get into the rhythm of it—pushing and pulling, the sun baking him.
He let his mind drift because really, it was menial labor, and he tried hard to think of anything but his brunch date on Sunday. People did brunch. He thought that was hilarious.
He supposed his parents still did, but who knew? He’d asked Azel, who’d just hooted and shook his head, because for a meal that was way more expensive than breakfast, cantaloupe was cheap.
Meeting Jayden’s mom was way less hilarious. She was a supereducated society lawyer. What could they possibly have to talk about?
Well, he guessed he was pretty fucking educated—not for Austin, but for Texas. He had basically as much schooling as Jayden did, for fuck’s sake. He could talk literature, right? He knew his books. He still knew Texas history far too well. As long as he didn’t start rambling about prison kiss-and-tell stories, he should be fine.
For that matter, all he had to do was keep his mouth shut and be polite. That was what most people needed really. Sit still, be pretty, don’t make waves, don’t be scary. Just nod and smile and pretend you fit in.
The secret to life was acting like you were the same as everyone else.
Jayden said the same thing, so on some level, they were all alike. Human nature and all that. Jorge passed him, giving him the side eye, as if worried he would go all Incredible Hulk. See, even Jorge worried.
Although he’d be lying if he didn’t admit that a little Hulking-out could feel amazing. Just a little.
Maybe just the green eyes part.
Okay, maybe the roar. Dakota had no desire to hurt folks, but if he could make Jorge pee himself a tiny bit—
He chuckled and wiped his forehead again. Yeah, that would totally rock. Maybe he should tell Jayden’s momma about that idea.
Lord, he was having heat-induced weirdness now.
He stopped long enough to grab his Nalgene bottle and suck down a huge gulp of water. Time to think about baseball or Azel’s fried chicken. Obsessing about meeting Mrs. Wilson would just give him a knot in his belly.
It would be what it was, right?
Right.
One meal wouldn’t
kill him or Jayden, either one.
Chapter Twenty-Three
JAYDEN WIPED his sweaty hands on his dress pants, glancing sideways at his mom, who sat at the bar at the So Co Cafe, sipping a mimosa. She had insisted on arriving half an hour early. He thought she wanted him to feel panicky, waiting to see if Dakota would be late.
She was kind of evil that way. Master manipulator.
Dakota was already here in the parking lot across the street, sitting in his truck watching. He knew it, and he also knew Dakota had seen them go in. If he texted and told Dakota to join them, Mom would think he was worried. If he didn’t, then Dakota would sit out there, and it was already well over the century mark.
Christ, he hated this shit.
He shook his head. No use in letting Dakota get all sweaty. “I think he’s probably here, Momma. Is it okay with you if I text him to join us?”
“Of course. It’s too hot to breathe out there already. Tell him I promise not to bite.”
“He’s just trying to be polite.”
“Sir, your table is ready.”
“Thank you.” Perfect. That way Dakota didn’t have to sit at the bar, which always made him a little twitchy. He tugged out his phone and tapped out: Come on honey
The door opened, and Dakota walked in, wearing his white button-down and a pair of starched jeans. The work boots had been changed out for a pair of shit-kickers, and the straw hat was new and steamed to a Texas smile. Look at his cowboy. He loved that Dakota had found his niche, had a groove now.
Hell, Dakota drew more than one admiring glance on the way by.
Jayden stood when Dakota got to the table. “Hey, there.”
Dakota smiled at him, then handed his momma a bouquet of flowers. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. I’m Dakota Landry.”
“Suzanne Wilson. Thank you. They’re lovely.”
His mom took a deep sniff of the flowers, smiling. Score one for Dakota.
“Have a seat, honey.” He shot Dakota a smile, and his lover nodded to him, sitting carefully. “Did you want a drink?”
“I think I’ll go with coffee and water.”
Their waiter appeared to hand Dakota a menu, smiling all around. “Another mimosa, ma’am?”
“Please.” She smiled over at Dakota and winked. “There’s something special about champagne in the morning.”
“Yes, ma’am. Coffee for me, please.”
“Cream and sugar?”
“Just black, thank you.”
“I’ll take another coffee with cream,” Jayden murmured.
“You got it.” The waiter disappeared, and Jayden peered at the menu.
“Why do you even look?” his momma asked. “You know you’ll get the carrot cake french toast.”
He stuck his tongue out at her. “I might get the migas.”
Dakota looked at the menu, dark eyes moving over it. Like Dakota hadn’t gone down to the library and looked up the menu. He knew better. Dakota knew exactly what he was going to order, exactly what it was going to cost, and exactly what it was supposed to look like.
“I like the huevos rancheros here too,” he told Dakota, knowing that would be familiar.
“I think I’ll have the crab cake benedict,” Momma said. “So yummy.”
“I think I’ll go for the huevos rancheros. I like them.” Dakota could sit more still than anyone he’d ever met.
They ordered, and Jayden got the carrot cake french toast, which made both his mom and Dakota laugh.
“Sweet tooth,” Dakota teased.
“Mmm. He’s lost at least ten pounds since I saw him last, though.”
“I’ve been working out. I was getting soft around the middle.” And Dakota was a little hardbody, without so much as an ounce of fat. Jayden wanted to look just as good naked when the time came.
“It’s a good look, Son.” Momma smiled at him before turning her blue stare on Dakota. “You work outdoors, yes? Saves money on the gym.”
“Yes, ma’am. I work fence.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s a good job, and the boss is fair.”
Jayden made a face. Dakota’s boss letting two of the four men who’d beaten Dakota up back on the job seemed less than fair. He hated that. Of course, Dakota just took it in stride, nothing fazing him.
“You don’t like it?” Damn, she watched everything.
“Oh, his boss is just a wee bit old boy, is all. I think the work suits Dakota, though I know he really loves working with our friend Sage’s horses.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, ma’am. I help with the feeding, the rescue horses, four evenings a week.”
“That sounds so nice.” His mom chuckled. “I love horses. Grew up with them. Not much space for them where I am now. Do you ride too?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m still learning the finer points, but I got the basics down.”
Mom nodded, and Jayden swore he could hear her say “Decent, but not exceptional.”
“I think I’ll get you to teach me once you get it all ironed out,” Jayden said. “I’ve always wanted to learn.”
“You’ll be a natural.”
The waiter came with more coffee, and Mom switched to hot tea. “Two is my limit.”
“For brunch, you mean?” he teased.
“Be good, you hooligan.”
“I’m just glad Patrick followed orders. Shopping, not booze.”
Momma rolled her eyes. “I knew he was acting strangely. So mean. Patrick is a hoot. The best paralegal you’ve ever had. He would have made one hell of a lawyer.”
“He hated school enough to just say no.” Man, they had good coffee here. “He’s amazing, and I wouldn’t give for him.”
“Have you met him, Dakota?”
“No, ma’am. I work the same hours he does.”
“He has a new guy, Momma. Lance, I think he said. I want to take them to supper with Dakota.” He glanced over at Dakota, trying to gauge his reaction to that.
“Oh, very nice.”
Dakota’s expression didn’t change one iota. It wasn’t upset or pleased, it was just carefully neutral. Jayden knew that meant Dakota wasn’t sure what the appropriate response was, so he got it, but he hated that Dakota was uncomfortable enough to have it.
“Will you two be coming to our August getaway? Everything’s booked for Ruidoso, and I’m so ready for a few weeks away.”
Jayden stared at his mom. She knew better. She knew Dakota had to get permission to leave the state, and at this point, he would really only get it for compassionate reasons. Later the rules would relax, but vacation wasn’t in the cards.
She refused to look at him, smiling gently at Dakota.
“No, ma’am. I’m not cleared to leave the state, and that’s a real busy time at work, but I appreciate you thinking about me. That’s dear.”
She nodded, clearly pleased by Dakota’s response.
Jayden fought the urge to kick her under the table. This shouldn’t be an ordeal or a damned test. Where the hell was their food?
“Are you going to come, Son? We have three cabins.”
“I’ve never missed a year, Momma. I’ll be there.” He hadn’t thought about it, really. He’d been so involved in Dakota and work and his new friends.
“Good deal.” She propped her chin on her hand, and Jayden winced. That body language said she was settling in for the real questions. He reached out and touched her other hand, which lay on the table.
“After food, at least.”
Dakota chuckled softly, and Jayden could hear the resignation in the sound. “It’s okay, Jayden. She’s a mom, and I’m new. What do you want to know?”
“Well, I’m going to sound like an awful old biddy, but there are some burning things I want to know.” She shot Jayden a hard look, and he pulled back his hand. “Did you rape that girl?”
“No, ma’am, I did not.” No hesitation, no worry. Just bald-faced and sure.
Just like Jayden knew it would be. If there was anythin
g he believed 100 percent, it was that Dakota was innocent.
“Good. That makes things so much easier. Not easy, but easier.”
Dakota never shied away from her, just stared and waited. So patient.
“What do you intend to do for a living, long-term?”
“Mom.”
“What? It’s a valid question.”
“Right now I’m working fence. I’m not sure what’ll happen next. I’m going to have to wait and see.”
“Dakota has his master’s in English, Momma. He could teach, write, go back to grad school….” What the fuck did people with English degrees do, for fuck’s sake?
“I thought I might try editing and proofreading when I got the degree, but I have to admit, I like working with my hands. I am going to sign up as a literacy volunteer at the library, though.”
Dakota was? Really? He blinked over, then beamed. “There you go.”
“It’s good to help people in a bad position. I always tried to raise Jayden to do that, you know? To help people out when they couldn’t help themselves.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Dakota’s expression was closing off bit by bit, becoming more like stone every second.
“Momma, don’t be a bitch. He’s working his ass off.”
“Of course he is. You can tell you have a very physical job. Your poor hands.”
“They do what I ask them to.” Dakota tried for a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
The food came then, and Jayden had never been so happy to see carrot cake.
They all dug in, Dakota so careful not to get ranchero on his shirt.
God, this was painful, and nobody was being an asshole. Mom was asking questions, but they weren’t over the top, and Dakota was being polite, straightforward. Jayden hated it.
“Did you play football in high school, Dakota? Or baseball?”
Dakota chuckled softly. “Mrs. Wilson, I imagine you know that I didn’t. I would lay good money on the fact that you know more about me than I do. In fact, since you live in the same circles as my sisters, I bet you know more about my family than I do. What is it that you really want to know, and I’ll tell you.”
Jayden paused with a piece of bacon halfway to his mouth, almost frozen. Kind of terrified.
