All Horns & Rattles: A Baxter Boys Novel

by Jane Charles

  Alex leans in and studies the skin. “I can’t do it.”

  “What?”

  “Well, I can, but I won’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Scars can be tricky and it’s something I’m really not good at yet.” He looks up at me. “I don’t want to fuck it up.”

  “My leg can’t be any more fucked up than it already is.”

  “I’d rather you went to someone who does a lot of scar work. They’ll have a better grasp of placement to hide the scars, and a better idea of what the ink saturation will do. There are all kinds of things to consider when trying to hide a scar and I just haven’t done enough of them to risk what little I do know on your leg.”

  It’s disappointing but I’d rather he own up to his weakness than give me a line of shit and make my leg worse. “Can you at least draw it for me?”

  “I’ll do a sketch so you have something to give the artist so they know what you want, but you should let them design their own art that works with the scars and your leg.”

  If that’s what Alex thinks is best, that’s what I’ll do. I’ve wanted the tattoo, but have no clue what goes into the design and all of that.

  “Are you covering a scar?” Dylan asks from behind me?

  Shit!

  “A few of them,” I hedge.

  “What happened?” Right now there is only curiosity in his voice. As soon as he sees, that’s going to change and he doesn’t need to be hitting another brick wall.

  I meet Alex and then Kelsey’s eyes. I can tell that they are thinking the same thing I am. Dylan is going to fucking lose it.

  Slowly I turn and go up to him. Grabbing his face with both hands I get in real close. “You will not get mad. You will not take this on. If you get all guilty on me, I’ll kick you in the balls. You were a great brother. The best. It is Mom and Dad who were shit. You got that?”

  “How bad and what happened?”

  “Not until you promise me that you aren’t going to take this on.”

  Dylan just stares at me.

  “Promise or I’m not showing you.”

  “I’ll make Alex tell me.”

  “Nope,” Alex says. “I have an artist and client confidentiality clause.”

  “You’re supposed to be one of my best friends.”

  “I am.”

  “Promise!” I demand of Dylan, looking him straight in the eye.

  “Promise.”

  “Because I will kick you in the balls.”

  “Nina. Show me.”

  I lift the leg of my shorts and hold my breath. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without showing Tex first. I am strong. And this is my proof.

  Dylan sucks in a breath.

  “Who the fucking hell did that to you and is he dead yet?”

  As in, if he wasn’t, Dylan would see to his demise.

  “Do I need to call Dr. Joe?” Mary says as she comes up from behind Dylan and wraps her arms around his middle.

  “No.” He blows out a breath. “But I do want answers.”

  “The fuckjerk who did this is serving life for murder, which he committed long after he did this to me.” There is no way in hell I’m telling him that Teddy was basically a serial killer or any of that.

  “Foster parent?”

  “Their disturbed son.” That’s all he needs to know. “I showed my teacher and I was removed from the home. End of story.”

  Dylan looks at Alex. “Who is the best person you know for this? I don’t care what the cost. My sister is getting her tattoo.”

  This Sunday is moving slower than molasses on a cold day and about as exciting as watching paint dry.

  There’s a lot of people working out, kids are playing basketball in the gym, and there’s plenty of stuff to keep me busy, but Nina isn’t here, and the sole reason why this day is dragging on and why I can’t concentrate.

  All we did was text last night which gives me nothing. She could have been saying what she thought I wanted to hear so I wouldn’t worry. But I am worried. She had to pack and Miguel made her leave. Of course, she said she unpacked, but I still won’t feel comfortable until I can hear her voice and look in her eyes but I can’t do that because every time I reach for my phone Miguel yells at me to leave Nina alone so she can spend time with her brother.

  “Nina move in with Dylan?” Ian asks as him and Joel come into the club.

  “Last night.”

  “That was fast,” Joel says in surprise.

  “After Miguel walked in on us, he didn’t give her a choice,” I whisper.

  Ian grins. “What exactly did he walk in on?”

  “Kissing.” I sure as hell am not going to tell them everything.

  “I’m sure that’s more than enough for Miguel as far as Nina is concerned.” Joel snorts “I’m surprised you still got your balls.”

  I am too, actually.

  “Are you three going to work or just stand around?” Miguel barks as he comes around the corner.

  “We’re going,” Joel heads toward the locker room.

  “Hey. Give Tex a list of nice restaurants. He’s taking Nina on a date Saturday.”

  My face heats as I roll my eyes, away from Miguel’s view, of course. I can find my own damned restaurant.

  “Will do.” Ian laughs. “We’ll get this boy all set up for the perfect date.”

  I head with them to the back, mainly because I want to avoid Miguel as much as possible.

  “Date, huh?” Joel asks as he puts his stuff away.

  So I tell them about Miguel’s orders and the walking and talking and dance stuff.

  “Ohhhh, maybe she’ll even let you hold her hand.”

  I should have never told them jack shit.

  “Seriously, where you thinking about taking her?” Ian asks.

  “No clue. Nina doesn’t own a dress or a skirt and her footwear is pretty much tennis shoes and cleats.”

  Joel tips his head to the side and gets a contemplative look on his face. “Maybe that’s because she’s never had a reason before.”

  Of course she hasn’t. Why the hell didn’t I think of that? Nina’s not going to have anything nice because nobody has bothered to take her anywhere nice.

  “Gotta go.” It’s time to do a search for the perfect restaurant in NYC.

  “Better warn her ahead of time,” Ian calls after me.

  That’s exactly what I plan to do, on Saturday morning. Otherwise, she’ll freak out and try to talk me out of it and that’s not happening.

  44

  Only about half of the players from last year are on this year’s team. The ones who could adjust their schedule did, the other half are new, some having never played here before. For that reason, Ian and Joel have us scrimmaging against each other, to see where we fit, as well as strengths and weaknesses.

  I’ve got the ball and nobody is behind me to pass it to. But, nobody is ahead of me to run through either so I sprint for the try line. Out of nowhere I get hit from the side and I’m taken down, my right shoulder hitting the turf.

  “Teach you not to look both ways, Horns,” Ian calls out.

  The girl who tackled me is new, still in high school. Her parents just moved here from New Zealand and she’s been looking for a place to play.

  She holds out a hand to help me up.

  “What’s your name again?”

  “Harper.” She grins at me.

  “Good tackle.” She is good. Damn good and I’m glad we got her instead of one of the other teams. I’d rather she was with us instead of against us.

  By the time our hour is up and the next team is kicking us off the field, I’ve hit the ground more times that I can count. I’m so going to be feeling this in the morning and it’s wonderful.

  “How can you get any better practicing three times a week for only an hour each?” Harper asks as we head back to the locker room.

  “It’s all we have in the winter. Not enough room for all of the teams, but once the weather is nice, we’ll be
outside.”

  “Well, that’s good to know.”

  I grab my stuff and change into non-sweaty clothes and head out. I’ll shower at home since I don’t want to go outside with wet hair and I don’t want to take the time to dry it here.

  Tex is waiting for me when I come out.

  I give him a big old smile. “Hey. I was wondering if I’d get to see you.”

  “Miguel sent me on some lame errands before school and then he told you to leave before you got here.”

  “He told me you had to get to school early and headed out the back, then sent me home when my shift was done.”

  Tex leans in and our noses are almost touching. “I think he’s trying to keep us apart.”

  “Ya think?” I laugh. “Why is he trying to keep us apart anyway? It’s not like we live together anymore.”

  “Something about absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

  “Come on.” I grab his hand and pull him into a dark corner, shadowed by the short bleachers. With any luck, nobody can see us. Especially Miguel.

  Horns may be all playful and all, but I need to talk to her before I start kissing her. This is the first real chance I’ve gotten to see her since Miguel made her leave.

  “You okay?” Looking into her grey eyes, I search for the truth.

  “Yeah, believe it or not.” Her smile softens. “At first I was completely devastated about being kicked out.”

  “I know.”

  “But my brother is a good guy and I’m getting to know him better, and his roommates are great too.”

  Her brother I don’t mind. Five other guys, I do. “Are they dating anyone?”

  “Alex is with Kelsey. Don’t know about the others.”

  Son, it’s just that when a man is living with a woman, they may start getting ideas, which of course are natural, but that doesn’t make it right. My Dad’s voice plays in my head. “Shit!”

  “What?”

  I didn’t mean to say that out loud, now I need to explain. “Just something my dad said about girls and guys living together.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Can’t help it. Didn’t know I had a jealous streak until now.”

  Her arms go around my neck. “You have nothing to be jealous of. None of them are my type.”

  Pulling her close, I press her against me. “Exactly what is your type?”

  “Tall Texas boys.”

  My lips are just about to touch hers.

  “Get out from behind there you two,” Miguel barks. “Do I have to stay with one of you at all times?”

  “Geez, Miguel, we are adults,” Nina reminds him.

  “Walking, talking and dating first. Then he can kiss you.”

  This is really getting ridiculous.

  “Maybe we can sneak off later,” she whispers.

  “Nina, get your stuff and go home.”

  It’s almost like Miguel could hear us. Damn!

  “I’ll walk you to the door.”

  “So, where are we going Saturday and what are we doing?”

  “Dinner is involved, but that’s all I’m telling you.”

  Nina frowns at me. “I hate surprises.”

  “I know. Deal with it.”

  45

  For four days Miguel has managed to keep me and Tex from being alone above a minute. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was 1950 and my virginity was on the line. At least tomorrow is Saturday, our date, and Miguel won’t be able to stop us from hugging, kissing or doing anything else we might want to do.

  Unless he goes along.

  He better not even think about chaperoning us or I’ll give the old man a piece of my mind. The only reason Tex and I have let him get away with everything else is because we love and respect him, but enough is enough.

  I nearly bump into Kelsey and Mary as I’m headed out of the bathroom. I just got out of the shower and only have a towel wrapped around me. “Sorry.”

  “Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

  “Have leagues tonight.”

  “Hey?” Mary calls after me. “What happened to your shoulder?”

  I’d forgotten that it was bruised on Monday, and probably again on Wednesday. “It’s nothing.”

  “You sure?” Mary asks. “You’ve got more than a few bruises.”

  “That’s what happens when things get a little rough.” Ducking into my room, I grab my clothes so that I can get back to the gym in time. Normally, I don’t shower before practice because well, it kind of defeats the purpose since I’m going to get sweaty again, but I worked out hard today and came home smelling like the gym. I think I kind of offended Zach’s nose when I walked by earlier, and since I didn’t want to get those same looks from people on the subway, I showered. Besides there are enough nasty smells down there sometimes that I don’t want to add to it.

  Practically everyone is in the living room when I get back down there. “See you later, I call.”

  “Wait.” Dylan comes forward. “Mary says you have bruises. You okay?”

  Of course I’m okay. “Sure. Gotta go.”

  Miguel has me doing office shit. Crap, waste of time shit, so I’m not distracting Nina. This bullshit is getting old. And, if he doesn’t stop, I may just move out. Then Nina and I can be together, away from the club, whenever we damn well please, even sleep together if we want.

  “Where is Nina?” A voice demands form up front?

  Who would want Nina?

  “You mean Horns?” Tim, a part-timer answers.

  “Nina White?” The stranger demands.

  “Yeah, Horns. She’s not here right now.”

  “Then where is Tex?”

  Who the hell is asking for me and Nina? I get up from the desk and head to the front.

  “He’s in the office. What do you want with him or Horns?”

  “I want to explain why he won’t be coming around my sister anymore and I might just have him arrested.”

  Before I go out there I look through the glass of the office to see who is threatening to have me arrested. On the other side of the counter is Dylan, and his roommates, along with Kelsey and Mary, the girlfriend. I spent a good deal of time going through Dylan’s Facebook and that of his friends so I knew what kind of people Nina would be around. I’m glad I did or I would have been clueless about who was asking about me and Nina. I still don’t know why he wants me arrested though. Nina was eighteen when we had sex.

  “Whoa, hold up,” I say, coming out of the office.

  Dylan glares at me. “She’s got bruises.”

  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Rugby did start up on Monday and that group plays rougher than most.

  “I’m telling you, you guys have got the wrong idea,” Mary rocks back on her heels and stares at the ceiling with a smile on her face. “I’m a nurse and I know what bruises you need to worry about. Those aren’t them.” Then she looks at Dylan. “But you go on, I’ll just go on down here and watch.” She wanders to the opposite end of the counter, anchors her elbow, and plops her chin in her hand. “Go on. Don’t let me stop you.”

  Stop them from what? “What the blazes are you talking about?”

  “Nina’s bruises.”

  “What about them?”

  Christian clamps a hand down on Dylan’s shoulder and then it hits me.

  “You think I’m hitting Horns?” I can’t help it, but that is too damn funny. “First off, she’d kick my ass if I even tried.”

  “Told you so,” Mary sings from the other end of the counter.

  “If anyone tried to hit Horns, they wouldn’t wake up for a month of Sundays.”

  “I’m pretty sure the last guy who tried anything had to have his balls surgically removed from his throat,” Tim adds. Someone did say Ricky needed surgery after he attacked Horns. Not that I lost any sleep over it.

  I shake my head. “I love her and all, and she may be as cute as a calico kitten, but she makes a hornet look cuddly when she’s pissed off. Even if I wasn’t raised
to never hit a girl, I’d think twice before crossing Nina.”

  “Then why does she have bruises?” Dylan demands.

  “She didn’t tell you what she does. Her leagues? I thought you guys were getting close.”

  “Apparently not close enough,” Dylan grinds out.

  “Come on. I’ll take you to where she is.” I’m not telling him a damn thing. A part of me is offended that Dylan would come in here thinking I was abusing his sister. But, the other part of me gets that he doesn’t know me and he is only protecting his sister, which makes me like the guy all the more. If one of my sisters showed up with unexplained bruises, I wouldn’t have bothered to ask the guy in question but would have broken his jaw first.

  “Why do you call her Horns?” Zach asks.

  “All horns and rattles.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Ryan asks.

  “Steers and rattlesnakes, two things you don’t want to rile up, just like you don’t want to rile up Nina.”

  “Are you sure we are talking about the same Nina?” Christian asks.

  “Maybe not the Nina you met this week, but it sure as hell describes the Nina I met two and a half years ago.”

  We step inside the indoor field where the team is scrimmaging. They follow me up onto a set of bleachers.

  “Watch your fucking six, Horns,” Ian calls out right before Harper nails Nina, taking her down with enough force that she’ll probably get another bruise. Nina slips the ball out from under her and another teammate grabs it.

  “Once they are outside, she won’t have as many bruises.” I just grin at him. “This floor is a lot less forgiving than the old football field.”

  Ryan takes a smaller camera from his pocket and starts moving around, taking photos while the rest of us sit back and watch. Once Joel blows the whistle, they stop play and gather around. They’ve still got about fifteen minutes to go, but I know Ian and Joel were figuring out their players this week and now they’re going to assign them positions. Nina will be a wing. She’s fast and gets more tries than anyone else. Harper will be a center because she’s the best tackler I’ve seen in a long time and one of the few who was able to bring Nina down time and time again.