“Oh well. Too late. Hopefully, he’ll forget my stupidity,” Bur said.
“Did you say something, Bur?” Harper’s voice made him jump a little.
“Whoa. We didn’t mean to scare you,” Gerald said touching him on the back.
Bur stiffened, jerking away. He turned his head and noted Gerald lower his hand, and Gerald’s eyes narrowed. Bur cursed his instinctive reaction to when someone came near his back. He looked at Harper, who hadn’t even attempted to touch him there. Although they had never discussed it, Harper already knew Bur didn’t like his back touched.
“I’m not scared, Gerald. Are you?” Bur let the arrogance he had been known for in the height of his career seep into his voice.
“I’m not easily shaken. Maybe you are,” Gerald retorted.
Bur cursed himself for even referring to what happened. He turned his head and went back to eating his meal without answering him.
“Mouthy brat,” Gerald growled.
“Terms of endearments so soon. Be careful, Gerald. You might give me the wrong idea.” Bur returned his attention to him and smiled slowly.
“Thanks for being there for Harper,” Gerald said with a scowl, then focused on Harper. “I’ll call you later.”
Gerald walked to the door leading outside. He glared at Bur before opening the door and leaving. Bur chuckled.
“You really get too much pleasure out of messing with Ramirez.”
I’d like to mess with him, all right. Out loud, he said, “Yeah, it’s like that saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. In my case, piss off Gerald once a day and be happy as shit.”
Harper laughed. He sat in the chair next to his. Harper swiped a corn chip.
“You haven’t eaten yet. I’ll make you a sandwich.” Bur stood.
“I—”
“Shut up. None of that ‘I’m not hungry’ crap. You’re eating.” Bur went and made him a sandwich.
Harper didn’t say another word. When Bur was finished, he brought the food and a bottle of iced tea to the table. Harper didn’t like soda, and neither did Gerald. Bur frowned as his thoughts turned to Gerald again. It had become that way for the last few months. He placed the items before Harper and sat again in his chair.
“Thank you.”
“No worries.”
“But I was going to say I would get it, before you got all prissy on me,” Harper said.
“What is with you all and making fun of my supposed accent? You all have the accent.” Bur laughed.
Harper joined him. It was a familiar tease. They ate in silence, and then Bur remembered what Gerald had said.
“Why did Gerald thank me for being here for you?” He took a drink from his soda.
“I told him about the day I asked you to move in with me,” Harper said.
“You did?” Bur lowered the can to the table.
“Yes. I should have a long time ago. And I should have also apologized for using you. You didn’t even know me, and I used you as—”
“Stop right there. If this is some ‘woe is me, I feel guilty for using you’ shit, I don’t want to hear it,” Bur stated.
“But Bur—”
“No buts. Everyone needs someone sometime or another. I happened to be there when you were in need. It happened, and now we move on.”
“You do that every time I try to thank you.”
“You don’t thank friends. Being there for the nasty and the good is what best buds are for.”
“You have become another of my best friends. Now I have four of you.” Harper laughed.
“Now you need one more to be even with me. Adding you to the four of my bandmates, I have five. That’s a good number. Five people to call you on it when you’re being an ass.” Bur winked.
“As you do so well. My friend, you are acting like an ass about Ramirez. Yes, he’s a growly bear, but a good man. Give him a chance, get to know him, and you might find you like him.”
That isn’t the problem. I happen to like him a little too much. Bur ate a chip and didn’t respond.
“What am I going to do with you and Ramirez?”
“Why do you all call him Ramirez?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Among the people who know him, we just do. Only his mother and women he’s dated call him by his given name. Or a stranger who doesn’t know him. I do tend to call him Gerald when I’m mad at him.” Harper raised his bottle, then paused. “And, well, you call him Gerald. Come to think of it, you’ve called him that since you all met. You know him well enough to call him Ramirez. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”
“I would,” Bur said.
Harper looked startled, then his gaze went intent. Bur recognized the expression. He stood and took his plate to the sink.
“I’m going to get my guitar and meet you in the family room,” he said.
“Okay,” Harper replied, confusion plain in his voice.
Bur went to leave.
“Bur?” Harper’s voice stopped him.
Bur glanced toward him.
Harper stared at him, then said, “You haven’t brought anyone here since you moved in. If you want to, you are more than welcome to have them here.”
“Fuck them, you mean. Why is it you all seem to have a problem saying the words?”
“Fine. But I won’t say that. Sex. Have sex with someone here if you want to. Think of this as your home too. Invite someone over if you want to,” Harper said.
“If I find someone who I want to, I’ll keep it in mind. Although having them here, in front of you, is kind of not my thing anymore. My exhibitionist days are way in the past.” Bur winked.
Harper choked on his drink. Bur left laughing. In the hall, he sobered. The only man he was interested in having wasn’t even interested in men. Bur imagined laying Gerald on his bed and exploring him all over.
“Stop torturing yourself. I really need to go out and get laid.” Bur went up the steps.
Chapter Two
BUR STRETCHED as he watched his brothers. They were pouring over the multitude of paperwork that came with opening Triumvirate Deuce. The community center that would also offer housing for children or teenagers who needed a safe place was going along at a fast pace. It was all due to Del. He knew some well-placed, high-profile people. He’d used his contacts to get them all the clearances they needed. In that aspect, they would be ready to go as soon as the buildings were finished. According to the company building the center complex, as well as the smaller center complex with living facilities, the construction would be finished in April. When Del had joined them in the planning, he’d suggested that they separate the residential facilities from the main center. He’d brought up something they hadn’t even thought of. Since they were gearing that toward children or teenagers in need of a safe haven, it would be kept private from the general public. They had agreed it was a sound idea, then went ahead, changing the plans and coming up with a name for the place.
The safe haven facilities would be named Treble Duo. The day after the celebration ceremony for breaking ground on the main center, they had a smaller, more intimate one on the land they designated for the site of Treble Duo. Once open, only select people in the agencies they worked with would know of its existence.
They had gotten a lot done in four months. The construction company was working around the clock to get the buildings done to the most stringent detail they wanted. Each day, one of them met with the head of the project, then went out to the site and got an update and walk-through of what was going on. With the amount of funding they had, and Del’s relentless planning, they were much further ahead than they had even thought possible. Bernie, Del, and he were working on all the other things that needed to be done. They had already hired the staff for both centers, but were having problems finding heads and seconds in charge.
Bur rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. He’d provided the land they were using for the center. Even with the land he gave for the center’s use, he still had more space than he
would ever possibly need. Before even arriving in the United States, he’d bought the massive acreage of ranch land in the Westlake area of Mapson. Bur had already known he would be putting down roots in this town in California—not because of Bernie, his brother, who he wasn’t even sure would want anything to do with him. But for himself. He’d missed the country he had been born in, and it was time to move home. Bur had bought land in the Westlake area because he liked the space. With the size of Mapson, Bur figured if things didn’t go well with his and Bernie’s reunion, then they could live in town without running into each other. If they happened to, then he would be civil. But things had gone even better than he expected. Not only did he have Bernie back, but he also had Del.
Bur focused on Del. He was hard to read. Del seemed okay about being back together, yet at moments, Bur felt that there was a distance between them. He couldn’t put his finger on what was wrong. As if feeling his scrutiny, Del raised his head. Pale green eyes like his own met his. As usual, Del’s were cool and fathomless. Bur knew Del was a successful businessman, retired, as Bur himself was retired from his career as a performer.
“Stop slacking off. We need to get through these résumés,” Del said.
“Even being able to read fast, I’m getting tired of reading them. Not because of reading, which I love to do, but because no matter how good they look on paper, when we meet them, none is a good fit for either center. I’m gonna lose it before we find someone,” Bernie groaned.
“Stop your whining. Tomas will be home soon to growl at us for working too much, then feed us before kicking us out. I do love how that man can cook,” Del teased.
“Yeah. If I’m not careful, I’ll get fat.” Bernie patted his flat stomach.
Bur and Del looked at each other, then at him. Bernie’s lips quirked, and then he started to laugh. They joined him. None of them could gain weight if they tried. Tomas and their other new friends teased him and Bernie all the time about it. Bur again studied Del. No matter how many invitations to poker or one of their get-togethers they offered, he refused. If it were just the three of them, or them with Tomas, sometimes Robert and Miguel, he would accept, but not anyone else. Except for the one time Del briefly met Harper, Bur couldn’t even get Del to come by Harper’s for dinner just with Harper and Bur. He’d stopped asking.
“Enough slacking. Back to work,” Del said.
“God, you must have been a hard boss to please.” Bur picked up a paper clip and threw it at him.
Del caught it and winged it back at him. Bur dodged in time.
He narrowed his eyes. “You don’t want to get in a throwing competition with me.”
Del leaned forward, eyes narrowed. “Bring it.”
“Wait. Let me get this stuff out of the way,” Bernie said.
He quickly gathered the files from the table. Bur glanced around the office they had set up in one of the rooms at Tomas and Bernie’s house. He couldn’t see anything he could throw that wouldn’t cause too much damage. It was about fun, not hurt. He spotted the couch and pillows and headed for them. A whap on the head made him turn around.
“Del, you—”
“It wasn’t me. Ber—” Del was cut off as Bernie hit him upside the head with a pillow.
“Never beat the big bro.” Bernie took off running.
“Where the hell did he get the pillow?” Bur rubbed his head.
“It was in the desk chair. He used the excuse of picking up the files to get the jump on us. Sneaky bastard,” Del said.
“Truce on the throwing competition?” Bur asked.
“Yeah.” They shook on it, and then Del smiled. “Now let’s go get him.”
They each grabbed a cushion from the couch and ran out of the room. In the hall, they spotted Bernie at the juncture leading to the living room. His eyes widened as he saw them together.
“No fair. No ganging up on me.”
“You did the first salvo,” Del said.
“Fuckers.” Bernie turned and ran out of view.
“Let’s flank him. You go the same way he did, and I’ll go down the hall and come up the other way,” Bur said.
“Got it.” Del ran down the hall.
Bur turned and went the opposite direction. Bernie and Tomas’s house had connecting halls that led to each other so you could get to rooms from various places. Bur moved quickly around the corner, then the end of the hall. He stopped by the wall leading to the living room, sliding down and peeking inside. He spotted Bernie hiding behind the couch closest to where he was. Bur pulled back so he didn’t see him and stood. He glanced in and motioned to Del, who was in the doorway. Del didn’t act like he saw him.
“Bernie. Come out, Bernie,” Del said in a singsong voice.
Bernie put his hand over his mouth. Bur saw his shoulders shaking. He smiled. They had such fun together since he’d found them again. Sometimes they even acted like adults, but not today. Bur raised his pillow and charged Bernie.
“Cowabanga!” he screamed.
Bernie turned to him, eyes wide, then scrambled back. He tripped and went down. Bur swung at him where he lay prone. Bernie laughed. Del joined them, and he hit Bernie too. They pummeled him as he laughed.
“Guys… no… fair… ow… come… on… it was… one hit.” Bernie rolled, laughing.
“So? You cheated.” Del hit him again.
“Uh-uh. You never asked if I was going to be part.” Bernie batted their legs with his own cushion.
“No matter. You knew the cushion was in the desk chair, and used it to cheat.”
“Well. Yeah, I did, but—”
“No buts.” Bur hit him again.
He raised his pillow. A pillow whapped him in the chest. Bur lowered his and glared at Del.
“What happened to the truce?”
“Over. Every man for himself.” Del swung, hitting him and Bernie.
Bur swung at him. Del dodged back, then retaliated. Bernie stood, joining the fray. They battled back and forth, hitting each other with pillows, going all around the living room. Bur lost his grip on his pillow and looked for it frantically. Spotting it in the hall, he dove for it. He turned over and scrambled back. Bernie and Del jumped on him.
Bur’s breath whooshed out, and then he wheezed, “Get off, you oafs. You’re bloody heavy.”
Del and Bernie snickered, then rubbed him on the top of his head.
“Quit it. I hate that.” Bur pushed at them.
“We know,” they said in unison.
“I see the work is going well.” Tomas’s deep voice sounded close to them.
Del and Bernie jerked against him. Bur jumped, having not heard Tomas enter, and turned his head.
“Tomas, when did you get here?” Bernie asked.
“In time to see you all tackle poor Bur,” Tomas said.
“Bur can take care of himself,” a gravelly voice said.
Bur stilled as he heard Gerald’s voice. He’d just seen him yesterday, and here he was again today. Bur finished turning his head and saw his sneaker. He raised his gaze, observing Gerald’s blue-jeaned legs braced apart. Bur stifled a groan as he noted the pants hugged his package. He resumed his study upward and noted the white button-down shirt that fit his broad chest very well. He finally met Gerald’s gaze. His expression was unreadable.
“Welcome to the nut house. This center thing is driving them daffy,” Tomas said, squatting down.
Bernie rose up and kissed him.
“You’re welcome to get off me while doing that,” Bur said.
“Nah. I’m good.” Bernie rubbed his head again.
Tomas chuckled, then said, “I ran into Gerald at the grocery store. Invited him over to dinner. You all have about an hour until it’s ready.”
They nodded. Tomas stood and left the room. Gerald continued to watch Bur, then he shifted his attention to the other men, nodded, and followed behind Tomas.
“What did you do now to piss Ramirez off?” Bernie asked.
“From the few times I’ve
met him, it seems like a perpetual state to me,” Del interjected.
Bur didn’t respond to Bernie’s question. They finally shifted off him. Bur sat up with his brothers on either side.
“We’ve got an hour to read some more résumés,” Del said.
“Give it a rest, Del. We’ll go back to it tomorrow,” Bernie said.
“Not that we can find who we need in that pile,” Bur retorted.
“I don’t know why you all don’t do it yourself,” Tomas said.
They gasped.
“Christ, Tomas. Stop sneaking up on us,” Bernie said.
“I’m not sneaking. You all seem more distracted than usual. This search is making you all weird.” Tomas looked between them, then added, “Weirder.”
The brothers looked at each other and laughed.
“Seriously. You all should be the center heads.”
Bur glanced at Del.
“Nope. Both of you stop looking at me. We agreed I wouldn’t do it. I’m retired from my company for a reason. There is enough to do with the overall management of the centers.” Del crossed his legs under him.
Bur mirrored him. He noted Bernie did too.
“Maybe you can do it, Bur,” Bernie said.
Bur shook his head. “All those daily details would drive me daft. Del is right. We’ll handle the bigger management details. We need two people to handle the day to day. And two second-in-commands.”
“But we’re striking out on finding even one,” Bernie grabbed his hair.
“No yanking your hair out. Too bad you all don’t have a Sheldon. Don’t forget, one hour until dinner. Don’t make me come and get you,” Tomas warned.
He returned to the kitchen. Del glanced at Bur, then they looked at Bernie.
“No. We can’t poach Tomas’s business and take Sheldon.” Bernie was frantically shaking his head.
“He would be perfect for the position for the main center. I can’t believe we didn’t think of it,” Del said.
Bur nodded. He agreed with Del. He’d first met Sheldon Morgan through Bernie. Sheldon worked for RodBro, the landscaping company Tomas co-owned with his brother, as their office manager. The title was woefully inept for how good Sheldon was at what he did. Bur had gotten to know Sheldon even better through Del, who knew Sheldon very well. From Del, he’d learned more about Sheldon and his cousin, Jerrod Morgan, who were two of Del’s best friends. The two men had helped Del to become who he was today. Sheldon didn’t actually need to work, since he was a full owner in his family’s company. He managed RodBro’s offices because he wanted to.
Something in Common (Dreamspinner Press Bundles) Page 31