She nodded. “He is.”
“And Dawn is awesome, so is Marl, and Trish already loves him. She’s a momma hen for sure.”
“Yeah, I mean, it’s perfect. They’re perfect.”
“Then, what? I hear it in your voice. You’re holding back.”
Chewing on the inside of her cheek, she nodded. “I don’t have the money for this place—”
“I already said it will cost you nothing, and I meant that. I don’t even want the state payments. If you can get them to come to you, then take them. I don’t want your money. I want to give Rodney a good life.”
She eyed him. “How many people do you do that for?”
He paused, but she held his gaze, letting him know she needed to know. “Eight.”
“And you can add Rod in there?”
“Yeah. Don’t know if you know this, but I’m the star of the Assassins, and I’m pretty fucking awesome and make lots of money. I’ve got him covered, promise.”
He flashed her a huge grin, and she rolled her eyes as she shook her head. “You’re cocky as hell.”
“It’s part of my charm.”
She gave him a sideways glance. “But until when? We don’t like each other. What happens when I piss you off or you piss me off, and it’s done?”
“That won’t happen.”
“How do you know?”
“I know because I care for that guy, and I’m not going to let anything hurt him. Our communication issues will be our issues. But when it comes to Rod, it will be about Rod and only Rod.”
For some reason, hearing him say that, she trusted him. She wasn’t sure if that was stupid of her or not. He had already lied to her, but his eyes…they were so sincere. Holding his gaze, she cleared her throat. “I don’t know if I want him to move in before or after his surgery.”
“He’ll be in the hospital for how long?”
“A week.”
“Okay, and he’ll be down, three weeks after that, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I think he would recover better here because he’ll want to get to living with everyone. Plus, we know Trish won’t leave him alone, and that will give you peace of mind when we’re traveling.”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“So I think it would be best to do it before, like tomorrow.”
Her eyes widened, her heart jumping into her throat. “Tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I’ll move him, get him settled. You can stay the night if you like. I can have Dawn set you up nicely in Rod’s house. The couch is a pullout. He may want to sleep on it as he recovers so he doesn’t have to climb the stairs.”
Her heart started to pound. “I’ll have to ask him.”
“He’ll say yes.”
“I know.”
He smiled, and she looked away, out into the fields. She could just see Rod out there, running too fast and being crazy. She’d have to tell Dawn about that. She’d stay on him because that was Dawn. She stayed on everyone, the community Grandma, was what Vaughn had said. As Brie sat there, looking around and hearing the laughter from inside, she knew this was best for him.
Swallowing hard, she nodded slowly before looking back at Vaughn. “I swear to God, if you go back on your promise, you hurt or lie to me every again, I will kill you, Vaughn Johansson, or Nate Way, whoever the hell you are.”
His lips curved as he looked over to her. “Vaughn to you, only Vaughn. And I promise, I won’t ever lie to you or hurt you again.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
“And you’re not that awesome.”
“I’m a little awesome.”
“Like fifty percent.”
“What? At least ninety!”
“Fifty was kind.”
“Please. I’m amazing.”
“Whatever. I still don’t like you.”
He laughed at that as he stood up with ease, looking down to her. “Well, I like you just fine, Ms. Soledad.”
Her brows pulled together, and she found herself speechless once more as she watched him strut back into the house like he hadn’t just dropped one hell of a bomb. What happened to hating each other? That was easy. She wasn’t sure what game he was playing, but she was pretty sure there was a penalty in there somewhere.
She was just waiting for the call.
But she prayed it wasn’t on her.
“He’s great.”
“That’s awesome, dude. I can’t wait to meet him.”
Wells laughed. “Don’t lie to me. You still aren’t cool with my love life.”
“That’s a lie. I’m not Jenny, I’m completely cool with your man-loving self.”
Jensen shot Vaughn an exasperated look as Wells laughed hard. “Sorry, forgot who I was talking to for a minute there. But yeah, he’s awesome, and I’m taking him to the Avalanche’s New Year’s party.”
“Ooh-wee, that’s big. I know that here, you only bring girlfriends or wives. So, yeah, you’re really saying something, buddy.”
Jensen shook his head, and Vaughn shrugged. What was he supposed to say? His best friend was supposedly in love with this new guy after getting out of a relationship with the “love of his life” only two months ago. “Yeah, I’m excited. I think he’s gonna propose.”
Vaughn’s eyes widened as Jensen took on a look of complete bewilderment. “You just met the guy!”
Wells laughed. “When you know, you know.”
“Wait, so you’re the girl in the relationship?” Jensen rolled his eyes as Vaughn laughed. “I thought you’d be the dude.”
“Why do I call you my best friend?”
“Because I wouldn’t sleep with you?”
“I really do hate you.”
Vaughn snickered and shrugged. “I know that’s a lie.”
“It is, but I guess I could propose. Though, the last time I did that, he said no, so I’m good.”
Jensen shook his head. “Have you talked to him?”
“Matty? Fuck no, he hates me.”
“I doubt that. You two were hot and heavy for like ten years.”
“Two, and yes, we were. I loved him, but the moment I showed up to his house for Thanksgiving, uninvited, I learned quickly that he isn’t coming out of the closet. Ever.”
“And Dawn is awesome, so is Marl, and Trish already loves him. She’s a momma hen for sure.”
“Yeah, I mean, it’s perfect. They’re perfect.”
“Then, what? I hear it in your voice. You’re holding back.”
Chewing on the inside of her cheek, she nodded. “I don’t have the money for this place—”
“I already said it will cost you nothing, and I meant that. I don’t even want the state payments. If you can get them to come to you, then take them. I don’t want your money. I want to give Rodney a good life.”
She eyed him. “How many people do you do that for?”
He paused, but she held his gaze, letting him know she needed to know. “Eight.”
“And you can add Rod in there?”
“Yeah. Don’t know if you know this, but I’m the star of the Assassins, and I’m pretty fucking awesome and make lots of money. I’ve got him covered, promise.”
He flashed her a huge grin, and she rolled her eyes as she shook her head. “You’re cocky as hell.”
“It’s part of my charm.”
She gave him a sideways glance. “But until when? We don’t like each other. What happens when I piss you off or you piss me off, and it’s done?”
“That won’t happen.”
“How do you know?”
“I know because I care for that guy, and I’m not going to let anything hurt him. Our communication issues will be our issues. But when it comes to Rod, it will be about Rod and only Rod.”
For some reason, hearing him say that, she trusted him. She wasn’t sure if that was stupid of her or not. He had already lied to her, but his eyes…they were so sincere. Holding his gaze, she cleared her throat. “I don’t know if I want him to move in before or after his surgery.”
“He’ll be in the hospital for how long?”
“A week.”
“Okay, and he’ll be down, three weeks after that, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I think he would recover better here because he’ll want to get to living with everyone. Plus, we know Trish won’t leave him alone, and that will give you peace of mind when we’re traveling.”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“So I think it would be best to do it before, like tomorrow.”
Her eyes widened, her heart jumping into her throat. “Tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I’ll move him, get him settled. You can stay the night if you like. I can have Dawn set you up nicely in Rod’s house. The couch is a pullout. He may want to sleep on it as he recovers so he doesn’t have to climb the stairs.”
Her heart started to pound. “I’ll have to ask him.”
“He’ll say yes.”
“I know.”
He smiled, and she looked away, out into the fields. She could just see Rod out there, running too fast and being crazy. She’d have to tell Dawn about that. She’d stay on him because that was Dawn. She stayed on everyone, the community Grandma, was what Vaughn had said. As Brie sat there, looking around and hearing the laughter from inside, she knew this was best for him.
Swallowing hard, she nodded slowly before looking back at Vaughn. “I swear to God, if you go back on your promise, you hurt or lie to me every again, I will kill you, Vaughn Johansson, or Nate Way, whoever the hell you are.”
His lips curved as he looked over to her. “Vaughn to you, only Vaughn. And I promise, I won’t ever lie to you or hurt you again.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
“And you’re not that awesome.”
“I’m a little awesome.”
“Like fifty percent.”
“What? At least ninety!”
“Fifty was kind.”
“Please. I’m amazing.”
“Whatever. I still don’t like you.”
He laughed at that as he stood up with ease, looking down to her. “Well, I like you just fine, Ms. Soledad.”
Her brows pulled together, and she found herself speechless once more as she watched him strut back into the house like he hadn’t just dropped one hell of a bomb. What happened to hating each other? That was easy. She wasn’t sure what game he was playing, but she was pretty sure there was a penalty in there somewhere.
She was just waiting for the call.
But she prayed it wasn’t on her.
“He’s great.”
“That’s awesome, dude. I can’t wait to meet him.”
Wells laughed. “Don’t lie to me. You still aren’t cool with my love life.”
“That’s a lie. I’m not Jenny, I’m completely cool with your man-loving self.”
Jensen shot Vaughn an exasperated look as Wells laughed hard. “Sorry, forgot who I was talking to for a minute there. But yeah, he’s awesome, and I’m taking him to the Avalanche’s New Year’s party.”
“Ooh-wee, that’s big. I know that here, you only bring girlfriends or wives. So, yeah, you’re really saying something, buddy.”
Jensen shook his head, and Vaughn shrugged. What was he supposed to say? His best friend was supposedly in love with this new guy after getting out of a relationship with the “love of his life” only two months ago. “Yeah, I’m excited. I think he’s gonna propose.”
Vaughn’s eyes widened as Jensen took on a look of complete bewilderment. “You just met the guy!”
Wells laughed. “When you know, you know.”
“Wait, so you’re the girl in the relationship?” Jensen rolled his eyes as Vaughn laughed. “I thought you’d be the dude.”
“Why do I call you my best friend?”
“Because I wouldn’t sleep with you?”
“I really do hate you.”
Vaughn snickered and shrugged. “I know that’s a lie.”
“It is, but I guess I could propose. Though, the last time I did that, he said no, so I’m good.”
Jensen shook his head. “Have you talked to him?”
“Matty? Fuck no, he hates me.”
“I doubt that. You two were hot and heavy for like ten years.”
“Two, and yes, we were. I loved him, but the moment I showed up to his house for Thanksgiving, uninvited, I learned quickly that he isn’t coming out of the closet. Ever.”
