by Jayne Rylon
“Good throw, kid!” Mike couldn’t wait for his son and daughter to arrive. And to meet their new baby. It hadn’t quite sunk in, but he honestly couldn’t say he’d ever been happier. Lately things had seemed to be going by too fast. His kids were getting older. Abby especially was on the verge of being too grown for father-daughter shit. It wasn’t that he wanted to replace them, but… “Joe, I gotta tell you…”
“Hmm?” His best friend whipped back around, instantly keying in to Mike’s serious tone.
“I’ve been jealous of you lately.” There. He’d fucking admitted it.
“Me? What the hell?” Joe cocked his head.
“You’ve been out here, working on this project. It’s bigger than us. Something exciting and new and…”
“Completely out of my league. Don’t fucking remind me.” Joe groaned.
“It doesn’t have to be. What if our game was to change?” Hell, Mike’s whole world was about to be different, why not this too?”
“What are you saying? You’re not talking about bringing our regular crew out here to work on this, are you?”
“Not exactly. Like I said, we’re getting older. How much longer can we keep going like we are?” Mike frowned.
“I don’t know, but that’s why we’re careful and we’ve saved…”
“But what if stepping back from construction at some point didn’t have to be the end of our careers, but only the beginning?” Mike leaned forward. “Each of us is plenty capable of running a crew. And in a town like this, there’s probably enough business to support us without having to compete. Maybe our crew should learn to manage projects instead of doing the work ourselves. Imagine if we had multiple large-scale jobs going on at once? Sure, we might give up some profitability since we would need to add payroll for workers, but with bigger bids like this, I bet we’d still have more than six times the cash coming in. And if we’re all foremen, and forewomen, then we could collaborate on this stuff so no one would be going at it alone.”
“Wow. That’s…” Joe blinked a few times. “I like it. I mean, really like it.”
“Me too.” Mike took a deep, shaky breath. “The only thing holding us back, I think, is Bare Natural. We can’t ask Kayla to walk away from her whole business. Her whole life. Everything she and Dave have built there from the ground up. How could we expect her to sacrifice that? And if we can’t, how can we pull this concept off when split up? And worse, how could we abandon the pair of them, leaving them behind while we move on.”
“You’re right,” Joe’s face fell. “It’s not fair to do that to them.”
Mike scrubbed his hand over his face. He was probably a fucking traitor to even consider it. But he’d been longing for more. A greater purpose. And to be honest, when Joe had come out to Middletown, Mike had seen the potential, but without a way to reach it.
“If nothing else, you should consider it.” He tapped his hand on Joe’s notebook. “You’re ready, whether you believe it or not. Even if it means you leave the rest of us in your dust. You were right. This place is doing wonders for you and for your family.”
Joe looked over at Nathan playing tug of war with the puppy over his tennis ball, laughing and rolling around in the grass. He smiled and sighed. “Thanks for saying that. And I’m sure it could be good for you too, except I know you’re too decent to abandon the crew, like I did.”
Mike would have argued, but just then someone honked the horn from the Hot Rods parking lot almost as furiously as Nathan had rung Joe’s doorbell the other day.
The crew! They had arrived.
Mike shot to his feet, a bit guilty maybe, as if they could have overheard what he’d been discussing with Joe. Nathan whizzed past, even more excited to see Abby than he’d been to show off his arm and his dog. Klea was jumping up and down on the porch of Tom and Ms. Brown’s cabin, where she’d been helping to make favors for the weekend wedding.
Mike felt at least as eager as the kids to see the rest of the crew and to try to act like things were back to normal. Unfortunately, more than ever he had a feeling they were on a path that couldn’t take them home again. At least not together and not the way they’d been for years.
“We’ll talk more about this later, okay?” Mike put a hand on Joe’s shoulder and clasped it tight. “For the record, I think you just might be the smartest motherfucker I know.”
“Can I get that in writing?” Joe flashed his lopsided smile then. “There’s lots to think about, I guess. Yeah, we should definitely circle back to this. Some better time.”
Mike hoped that didn’t mean never. If they waited for everything to be perfect, it would probably never happen. And with every day he spent there, with Joe, in Middletown, he was starting to believe that if he didn’t follow his dream, he might regret it for the rest of his life.
With that, they watched as Nathan charged across the lawn, his puppy close on his heels. Abby was running in his direction too. Nathan might have been a couple months younger than her, but he was growing by the day. So when he collided with Abby, he easily scooped her up and swung her around, looking entirely too grown up and too happy to see a girl for either Mike or Joe to be comfortable with.
“We better go chaperone,” Mike grumbled. “I don’t want to have a kid and a grandkid in the same class at school.”
Joe burst out laughing, until he realized that wasn’t exactly impossible. “Let’s go.”
11
Mr. Prickles, the hedgehog, trotted between the rows of guests toward a treat that Ollie dangled from his fingers where he crouched at the head of the aisle. He’d been training his beloved pet for this moment for months. Of course, Mr. Prickles chose that exact moment to hesitate, halfway to his goal, and take a pretty impressive dump.
Good thing the ceremony was outside. Trevon quickly followed behind and scooped the poop while everyone in attendance—especially the kids—cracked up. Mike leaned out into the aisle to snap a picture of Ollie’s horrified face with Van, his soon-to-be husband, in the background trying to stifle his own grin behind his hand. It was the perfect way to cut the tension in the group of usually laidback and ultra-familiar friends.
The guys looked sharp but not completely unrecognizable in the black jeans and coordinating sport coats they’d chosen for their big day. The one where they would commit to the woman they shared. Ollie had paired his outfit with a pair of funky black-and-white sneakers while Van wore glossy black boots that made it clear he could kick just about anyone’s ass if he so chose. They stood shoulder to shoulder, grasping for each other’s hands when the acoustic guitar music being played by one of Kyra’s band members changed and the bride appeared from where she’d been waiting at the edge of the woods.
Though Kyra was a badass drummer for Kason Cox’s band, she seemed more like a woodland sprite when she materialized from the lush greenery wearing an ethereal dress in muted blush tones.
Mike had no idea what you called the kind of material it was made of, but the way it floated around her on the gentle breeze was downright magical. Especially when paired with the crown of wildflowers she wore and those she carried while Tom walked her up the de-pooped aisle to her fiancés. Wren, the Hot Rides’ welder, stood off to the side holding Mr. Prickles so he could witness his people making things official. After all, living in the campervan with them as they toured the country, he’d watched just about every other part of their relationship as it unfolded.
Mike could see why they’d decided to turn their original engagement party date into a full-blown, if modest wedding. He wouldn’t have wanted to wait a whole extra year to be joined with his soul mates simply to have some fancy party afterward.
Kate sighed so dramatically Mike thought she might pass out. When he looked over at her she smiled back, her eyes a bit teary. He couldn’t help but lean in for a quick kiss before taking her hand in his and turning his attention to the ceremony. He shushed Abby and Nathan, who whispered conspiratorially about the mushy vibe from the row in front of th
em.
Thankfully, the wedding wasn’t very long, but it didn’t have to be in order to be profound.
Relationships like theirs—Kyra, Ollie, and Van’s, as well as those of most of the people in attendance—defied traditional ceremonies and recognition, so they kept only the stuff that spoke to their hearts and validated the love the three people standing in a triangle before their friends and extended family to share a part of their souls for everyone to see.
And when it was done, sealed with one hell of a three-way kiss, Wren handed Mr. Prickles to Ollie so the trio could head off for some pictures and a moment to gather themselves before returning for the reception. Mike would be shocked if there wasn’t some making out involved too. At least there had been on his wedding day with Kate, which he couldn’t help but relive every time they were lucky to share a similarly sacred moment with their friends and family.
While the guests of honor were gone, the Hot Rides guys transformed the clearing, rearranging the chairs and setting up tables laden with about a billion candles for the dinner that Devra had prepared along with help—and a big-ass cake—from Morgan. Mike tried to help but was assured it was under control.
“Dad, can we go play with Nathan, Klea, and the rest of the kids?” Landry asked.
“Of course.” Mike stroked his hair, loving that for a little while longer he leaned into the touch instead of dodging it. “Just don’t go too far into the woods and make sure you eat something decent before you dig into the desserts, okay?”
“I’ll watch him, Dad.” Abby looked over her shoulder, already angling toward Nathan, where he held his puppy, who was sporting a navy blue bowtie, on a leash. “Come on, Landry.”
“Thanks, Abby.” Mike wished he could hug her, but she was officially past the stage for public affection.
Kate had gone off to assist Morgan with last-minute details and who knew what else, so Mike wandered over to Joe, who stood by Eli, Uncle Tom, and a couple of the Hot Rods and Hot Rides guys. One by one the rest of the crew trickled over too, expanding the circle of friends more and more. They’d been shooting the shit for a while when Kason ambled in their direction, his arm slung around some guy’s shoulder. He should be careful or his husband and wife—Wren and Jordan—were going to get jealous. Kason was the lead singer of the country band that Kyra played drums for. Both Kyra’s new husband, Van, and Kason’s husband, Jordan, managed security for the group when they were on tour. At least when Jordan wasn’t also working on “security” matters for other private businesses and gray areas of the government.
Mike didn’t know all the details, and sure as hell was smarter than to ask.
Kason, however, knew everyone. Or at least lots of people with more money than Mike would ever dream of making in his lifetime. So when he steered this guest right between Mike and Joe, it was pretty obvious it wasn’t for a casual introduction to a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend.
“These are the guys I was telling you about,” Kason said to his buddy before lifting his chin in Mike’s direction. “This is Mike, the foreman of the Powertools crew, and Joe, who’s heading up the renovations and new build at Hot Rods that you were drooling over. Guys, this is Giovanni, a buddy of mine who’s retiring from the entertainment business with a whole lot of capital and some ideas for something to keep him busy in his old age.”
“It’s a pleasure. Nice to meet people who actually work for a living instead of standing on a stage and collecting panties and briefs, like this asshole.” The guy laughed and then stuck out his hand. “And if it doesn’t make me as bad as him, talking about work at a party like this, I’d love to hear what you think of my plans and see if maybe you think a crew like yours could pull them off.”
Mike looked at Joe and raised a brow while Dave nudged him in the ribs. He wasn’t going to assume the lead, not here, not when Joe was establishing himself in a new role, and not when he’d been trying to tell his best friend that chances like this were right under their noses here in Middletown.
Joe shrugged one shoulder. “I’m always interested in big ideas and helping bring them to life.”
Mike tried not to break out into a shit-eating grin as Dave threw in a good word for his buddy too. It was then he realized that no matter what it meant for each of them personally, they wanted the best for each other. And even the others could see, this had the potential to be a big deal for Joe.
But what about the rest of them? Could it work for them too?
“I’m thinking of building something kind of outrageous. I mean, I might be leaving show business, but it’ll never leave my blood.” He crossed his arms. “A tattoo shop. Not the hole-in-the-wall kind. The sort we see out in L.A. A destination studio. Middletown is big enough, plus with all the resorts around, who wouldn’t want to book a spot and stay for a weekend getaway? Plus, well, I’m hoping to lure my daughter—who’s a pretty popular artist—out here to the middle of fucking nowhere, as she likes to call it, with me. So the flashier the better, you know?”
“Joe did the designs for Hot Rods himself. He’s focusing on our living quarters first since my wife is pregnant, but you should see what he has drawn up for a garage upgrade and retail space addition.” Eli clapped Joe on the shoulder, and Mike could have kissed him. “He can definitely hook you up. Hell, your shop might even be a good tie in with the folks that come out here because of our reality show. Seems like it might be the same crowd.”
“You’re right.” Giovanni leaned in, not at all casual anymore. “Do you have a portfolio you could show me? Or maybe I could hire you for a mock-up? When is the soonest your crew is available given that they’re all-in on Hot Rods right now?”
Joe hesitated, but Mike subtly knocked his boot into his friend’s and Joe squared his shoulders. “Hot Rods is my first official project on my own. It’s something I’ve been mulling over for a while but never really got the chance to try my hand at until Eli told me what he was envisioning and couldn’t find anywhere else. So what you’ve seen at Hot Rods is pretty much my entire portfolio, but we could set up a time to meet and I could do some sketches for you. We could see where it goes from there, if you want.”
Mike hadn’t realized Joe was interested in pursuing design. Why hadn’t he said anything? Maybe because he didn’t have time to chase his dreams when he was obligated to working with the Powertools day in and day out. He glanced around at the rest of his crew, and Neil whipped his gaze away. He’d known! But he hadn’t spilled either. The crew didn’t do secrets. Things would fall apart if they did. Had it already been starting without him realizing it?
Shit, maybe it really was time to rethink things. What else had Mike missed while he was so busy trying to maintain the status quo? What about Neil, James, Devon, and Dave? Were they putting aside aspirations or being held back by being grunts all these years? And what would they do as they got older when swinging a hammer, crawling over roofs, and hauling heavy loads no longer suited them as well?
The problem was that back home, they didn’t have access to a market like they would in Middletown, which was easily ten times as large. But the rest of the crew had roots there, and Joe had them here. How could they get past that? Maybe they couldn’t, but Mike’s vision could become Joe’s reality. He’d be glad to help the guy every step along the way to make it come to life if that’s what he wanted too.
“Well, it looks like the happy throuple is about to make their entrance, but here’s my card. Give me a call next week and we can set something up.” Giovanni passed his info to Joe.
“Thank you. I will do that. It was great to meet you.” Joe tucked it into his pocket then patted the fabric over it as if to make sure it was safe.
“Same goes. Enjoy the party.” Giovanni wandered off toward his gorgeous and much-younger date.
Kason knocked his shoulder into Joe’s. “So…what do you think? Would you like to stick around for more than the summer? I know Eli and Tom love having you here.”
“We do.” Eli looked like he was ho
lding his breath.
Truth be told, so was Mike.
Joe stammered, “Uh, I don’t know. We’ve been so caught up in making right now work that we haven’t made any decisions about the future yet. Things are going great with Morgan and Devra. Morgan showed me a real estate listing for the empty storefront next to the restaurant where she could expand either temporarily, more long term, or with some sort of franchise-type situation. If I can get it together with the construction stuff…it seems like I might be dumb to ignore what’s right in front of me. Nothing is written in stone yet, just…possibilities. I guess I need to talk to Morgan some more. Seriously, though, thank you for that. It means a lot.”
“No trouble at all. You guys really are amazing at what you do. I’ve seen what you’ve built here at Hot Rides and the draft you gave Kyra, Ollie, and Van for something a bit bigger and more permanent than their campervan, which, by the way, I’ve told them I’d like to pay for as a wedding gift. Besides, your work at Hot Rods makes me think I might need to do some renovations at my own place. Maybe a serious upgrade to our old fishing cabin on the waterfront. You know people would be lining up to sign with you and the rest of your crew if you moved out here and decided you wanted the work.”
“You going to keep bringing your rich friends over?” Mike joked.
“I mean, I didn’t want to irritate you, but there are three other people who are interested in development work in the area after coming to hang out at the lodge with us over the past year. People fall in love with Middletown. I’m telling you I know a thousand Giovannis if you’re interested in that kind of stuff. Just let me know.” Kason shrugged as if it was nothing. As if he hadn’t connected the dots between the vision Mike had been nearly too afraid to put out there between him and Joe the other day and something that could actually happen.
Well, shit.
Now that he knew what was possible, Mike couldn’t unknow it. Would he be able to walk away? And even if he could, would it be the right thing to do? Would he be happy going back to the crew if he was positive he was stifling their careers?