“I want that job you offered me, Theron,” Irene stated.
Theron was surprised she did. Just a few months ago, she’d been adamant she could do some good in her job at CPS.
“I still believe CPS is a great place to work, and they do good. But after seeing that girl today, I realized I can’t work there anymore.” Irene looked at him, then at the Jenkinses. “Treble Duo can offer me that.”
Theron completely understood. It was the same reason he’d left CPS when he did to become an EMT. In his off time, he volunteered at places to help kids. Then he was offered the opportunity to run Treble Duo, which would put him back doing what he loved—helping kids.
“Think on it, and then come see me if you’re sure.” Theron squeezed her shoulders. “The job is yours if you want it.”
Irene nodded. “I want to see her.”
“Okay, but it’s….” Theron couldn’t finish.
“I know you can’t tell me any details. But I’m here. We can do it together.” Aristotle’s hands rested on his shoulders briefly, then he went farther down the hall to give them some privacy.
Theron was grateful. Aristotle didn’t know what was going on, but he was there. Theron held Irene’s hand and led her to Brianna’s room. When they were at the window, he heard Irene’s gasp, and the muttered curse from Gerald.
“I’m ready.” Irene’s tone started off shaky, but was firm by the end.
He led them, and all the other men there to help, inside and introduced Brianna to her fairies.
Chapter Five
HOURS LATER, Aristotle got out of his truck, his stomach unsettled even though he didn’t know the details of what was going on. He’d heard it was about a little girl and then later from what he gleaned from Theron and the others involved, someone had hurt her. The very idea that someone would hurt a child was too much to contemplate. He thought of Jordan and the other kids at Treble Duo, and what the place meant to them. Watching Theron in action today, he could see the toll it took on him, but he still worked to do what he needed to get the child safe. Aristotle had thought he knew what Theron dealt with, but today had shown him he had no idea of the depravity of people who were supposed to protect their blood. He was grateful to his parents, and made a mental note to call them. He glanced up as Theron’s vehicle pulled in, parking beside his. Aristotle met him in front of the hood. Theron’s grip on his waist was tight. Aristotle held him; they stood there for a long time.
Theron pulled back, studying him. “Thanks for being there today. I know you—”
“Don’t. I’m here for you, whatever you need.”
He nodded. “What I need now is something that has nothing to do with what happened.” Theron frowned. “Wait… didn’t you have a meeting today?”
“You don’t want to hear about something so trivial right now.” Aristotle couldn’t imagine Theron would care at this time.
“Life is not trivial. If you wallow in all the bad and don’t appreciate the good, you’ll burn out.” Theron slid his hand into Aristotle’s, intertwining their fingers. “Walk with me and tell me about your meeting.”
“Okay. I met with the owners of the shop that sells artisan products. I agreed to let them have some pieces for their store.” Aristotle rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “I’m leaving the arrangements for them to come pick up some of the items to Dalton, and any future needs to him too.” Aristotle snorted, lowering his hand. “Better him than me to deal with the store manager. He was fawning all over me. He even lamented that he wished I were gay so he could have me. Dalton almost choked, he was trying so hard not to laugh. I was blunt and let him know he wasn’t my type, and I was already involved with someone. I didn’t call you my boyfriend or anything.” Aristotle glanced at Theron. “Dalton put you on the spot earlier when he called you my boyfriend—”
Theron cut him off. “He didn’t. If I hadn’t agreed, I would have corrected him. If this man tries to come onto you again, tell him I don’t share and don’t take kindly to you being flirted with.”
“I will.” Aristotle hugged him across the waist as they moved farther from the house. “The meeting today got me thinking about the custom orders I’ve been getting that I can’t fill. I discussed it with Dalton, and he’s going to contact those asking and see if they want to come in and see what I have in the overflow barn. I told him if anyone wants pieces from there, to sell them at a reduced price. It probably won’t get rid of everything, but at least it will make a dent in the stock I have. Maybe get us down to one barn.” Aristotle remembered how excited Dalton had been he was going to be able to sell off the stock. “I’m also going to offer Byron an opportunity to come work with me. With him as part of the business, we can take on more custom projects.”
“Dalton must be jumping around in glee about being able to sell the overflow.”
“He’s something, all right. I almost had to tie him down when I told him on the way to the meeting. He was hyper during it, and I could tell his mind was working on ways to get people out there quickly to get the furniture before I change my mind.” Aristotle chuckled. “Although I’m not going to, I’ll tell him so every day just to mess with him.”
“Why would you do that?” Theron slid his hand into the crook of Aristotle’s elbow.
“Dalton is always doing stuff he knows drives me crazy. He gets a perverse pleasure from driving me up the wall. And I do the same to him. It’s the reason we work so well together.”
“The dynamic you all have works for you. How do you think adding Byron will affect it?”
“He’s worked with us for over a year.” Aristotle paused. “He’s more reserved and intense. Dalton used to go out if his way to break him out of it. It didn’t work, but they didn’t have any issues working together.”
“That’s good, then. When are you going to talk with him?”
“He’s out of town on a project right now. From our last conversation, I’d say he’s wrapping it up. I’ll talk to him when it’s done and he’s back.”
“Del made another match.” Theron squeezed his arm.
“He did. Now I’ll have to listen to him gloat, since almost every time he sees me he asks about Byron. Del hasn’t come right out and said I should hire him for the business, but I get the feeling he expected me to.”
“Probably. Now you will.” Theron lifted his face to the sky. “I love this time of year.”
The night was clear and not too cool—just right. Aristotle kissed him gently and then they continued their walk. Later, they went in, ate, and went to bed. After being taken by Theron, Aristotle moved until Theron’s back was pressed to his front. He placed his hands over Theron’s belly, and Theron put his hands over Aristotle’s, running his fingers along the hairs of his arms. Aristotle loved this moment the most—when they could just be together. It made him less focused on earlier at the hospital. He vowed to help Theron and the little girl as much as he could.
ARISTOTLE HELD Theron’s hands as they made their way along the path to his house. He absently listened as Theron talked about his day. Usually, he didn’t care if it was Friday, since he worked whenever the mood struck him. But he was looking forward to two days spending time with Theron. In the weeks he’d been with him, he’d come to really love weekends with Theron. Some of them, he was on call, and if he had to go in, Aristotle stayed in his house and waited for him to return. Sometimes when Theron came back, from his demeanor, he knew it had been a rough case. As they came into view of Theron’s house, Aristotle saw the black Escalade parked beside his truck. They approached the man leaning against it.
“Del.” Aristotle shook his hand.
“Aristotle.” Del’s pale-green gaze seemed to take in everything, and then he focused on Theron. “I’ll wait for you on the back porch.”
Del strode in that direction, going out of view. Aristotle looked questioningly at Theron.
“Sorry. I know I said we’d cook dinner together, but I didn’t know Del would come by. I need to talk wi
th him.” Theron bit his lip, then added, “Privately.”
Since Theron had mentioned earlier that he was waiting on news about the little girl’s situation, Aristotle didn’t think Del was here for that. Aristotle was curious about the weird vibe he’d gotten off Del, but didn’t push.
“Okay. I’ll head on home, then. See you tomorrow.” Aristotle paused, remembering. “After kickboxing. Well, actually, you could come with me.”
“I’d love to, but I don’t know how late Del and I will be talking. He’s probably going to stay overnight, and we’ll have breakfast in the morning.” Theron touched his arm. “Another time. But you can come to poker with me tomorrow afternoon.”
“Thanks, but poker isn’t my thing.” Aristotle kissed him briefly. “Have a good night.”
“You too.” Theron looked like he didn’t want him to go. “How about Sunday? You can come hang with my brothers and me.”
“Damn. I forgot. It’s the second Sunday of the month. I have plans I can’t change.” Aristotle shook his head. “Until Monday.” He kissed him again, then left to get into his truck.
Aristotle honked the horn. Theron lifted his hand and Aristotle drove away. He looked back in the rearview, seeing Theron standing there, watching him. When Theron was out of sight, Aristotle clenched his hands over the wheel.
“There goes my weekend.” Aristotle drove home.
When he got there, he went to his workshop to finish a piece. All through the night, his thoughts were on Theron. He knew Theron and Del were friends and wasn’t concerned that Del’s spending the night meant anything. He just wanted to be with Theron, in his house, even if they weren’t in the same room. The thought of him being close by was enough.
“You’ve got it bad, Aristotle.” He chuckled as he talked to himself.
The next day at kickboxing, and during their meal and movie afterward, he was still thinking about Theron. Theron called, but their conversation on the phone was way too brief. When Alex, Leslie, Robert, and Miguel mentioned they had to get home to change before poker, Aristotle was almost tempted to go with them, but in the end, he didn’t. He really didn’t like the game, and it didn’t make sense for him to go to hang around Theron. As Aristotle wandered his house, he thought of going by Theron’s after he got home, but his brothers were spending the night, and they were waiting for him. The doorbell rang, and he went to answer it.
“Taggart.” He grinned at his friend.
“Aristotle.” Taggart lifted his overnight bag over his shoulder as he entered. “Let me put my bag in my room, and I’ll be back down for a drink.”
Taggart strode deeper into the house and then up the steps. Aristotle didn’t need to show him which room he had, since he always gave Taggart the same one for their second Sunday get-together. Lawrence and Dante were already in the rooms they used. Alex, Leslie, Robert, and Miguel would return after their game, and Bernie and Tomas would come too. It was a good thing he had a rambling old house with many rooms to spare, so he could fit everyone.
Aristotle went to his kitchen, taking in the large area that had the gadgets and amenities he needed to cook. He loved cooking here, and the space in the kitchen and the whole house. It’s why he’d bought it when he moved to Mapson. The property had been a farm, and the previous owners, from what he had been told, had a large family. Aristotle thought about it, then smiled. Theirs had been bigger than Theron’s, as Aristotle understood it, and the four-story—including the main floor—house was built with that in mind. Aristotle had found the history of the house very fascinating. The initial owners, two brothers and a sister, had lived in the house with their families, which grew with each of their many children and continued on for generations. It had been that way for over a hundred years. At least until recently, when the remaining family decided they didn’t want to be in farming anymore and sold the property to Aristotle.
Although Aristotle thought it was sad all that family history would stop now, the owners had been very thorough in finding out if the family farm would go to someone who would love and care for it, even if he didn’t use it to farm. He wasn’t doing any farming, of course, but Aristotle had kept the various buildings that made up the farm and renovated them for the needs of his business. He’d even invited the owners there for dinner when he finished to show them what he’d done. They had been pleased and overcome that he’d brought it back to its previous condition. They still kept in touch, and from time to time Aristotle had them over.
Aristotle retrieved two beers, then opened the sliding glass door and stood on the porch looking out at the trees. The wraparound porch was one of the features of the house he loved even more than the kitchen. He went to the right, stopping at the corner of the back of the house, and sat in a chair close to the rail, placing the bottles on the table between the chairs. He braced his legs on the rail. Theron had a wraparound porch, too, and Aristotle had enjoyed the times they spent on it before they went to bed at night.
“You look like you’re thinking hard,” Taggart said, coming up to him, taking a seat and snagging a bottle. Taggart drank from his beer. “That goofy grin on your face has to be about Theron.” He took another long drink, then studied Aristotle with his steel-blue eyes that always seemed to see more than you wanted them to. “Dante and Lawrence mentioned you haven’t asked him to come over for tonight and tomorrow. When he didn’t come for September, we got it, since you all were new and figuring things out. But it’s October now, and you spend most of your free time with him. And when you’re not with him, you talk about him. You want him here, so why didn’t you ask him?”
At kickboxing earlier today, the first thing everyone asked was where Theron was, and was he coming on Sunday.
“They talk too damn much.” Aristotle lifted his own beer, drinking. Then, at Taggart’s unwavering attention, he sighed. “I forgot about second Sunday, and he usually spends time with his brothers on Sunday, anyway.”
“Ah… so you don’t like his brothers.” Taggart had a small smile on his lips.
Since Aristotle had told Taggart about them and Theron, it was an untrue statement.
“Sarcasm already. It must be a record that you waited maybe five whole minutes in my presence before using it. Wow. What restraint you have.”
“Yeah. I must be getting slow.” Taggart chuckled, then placed something on the table between them. “Just in case you get your head out of your ass.”
Aristotle looked at the table and spotted his cell. He lifted his head, glaring at Taggart. Then ignoring him and the phone, he enjoyed his beer.
“Humph. Figures you two lazy asses would be in your usual spot.” Dalton came around the corner.
He dropped his backpack on the porch, then snatched Aristotle’s beer out of his hand, taking a deep drink.
“Hey! Get your own.” Aristotle reached out and took it back.
“You should have brought me out one,” Dalton countered.
“I didn’t even know when you’d get here.” Aristotle rolled the bottle between his hands.
“Mister Always-Knows-Everything”—Dalton ruffled Taggart’s hair, dodging his swipe, laughing—“should have been able to tell you.”
“I do know everything, but crazy is unpredictable,” Taggart retorted.
“Takes one to know one.” Dalton lifted his backpack and went toward the kitchen door. He went inside and was back in a few moments. “Here. Unlike some people, I know how to be generous and get drinks for folks.” He put a new bottle of beer on the table between them.
Dalton sat on the railing, close to Taggart, bracing one leg on the floor. “Where’s Theron?”
“Ask him.” Taggart gestured to Aristotle.
“Don’t,” he warned as Dalton opened his mouth.
Aristotle rose, snatching the cell up and walking toward the front to make a call. He could hear Taggart and Dalton talking.
“He didn’t tell him,” Taggart said.
“He didn’t tell him about second Sunday?” Dalton sounded s
hocked.
As the phone rang, Aristotle tuned them out.
“Aristotle.” Theron sounded very pleased to hear from him.
Aristotle could hear noise through the phone, but couldn’t make out anything.
“Are you still at poker?”
“We’re just wrapping up,” Theron replied.
Aristotle glanced at his watch and saw it was almost seven o’clock. He lifted his head, then spoke. “I usually have second Sundays at my house. My brothers and some others come and spend the Saturday night before here, and then all day Sunday. Can you come? I know you spend Sunday with your brothers. They can come too. I want all of you to.”
Theron didn’t even hesitate. “Sure. I’ll get some things from my house. Bailey’s on call this weekend, so I’ll let him know where I am if he needs me. I’ll ask my brothers if they want to come too.” Theron paused. “But you’ll have to explain to me what second Sunday is when I get there.”
“I will,” Aristotle said.
“Okay. I should be there by nine o’clock or so. See you soon.”
“We’ll be on the back porch, so just come there.” Aristotle listened to the dial tone as Theron hung up.
He lowered the cell.
“See now? That was easy.” Taggart spoke behind him.
Aristotle glanced at him, then grunted when he saw it was not only him, but also Dalton and his two brothers. They laughed and went back to the porch. Aristotle sat in the same seat. Lawrence and Dante pulled up chairs from the patio set behind them to where they were at the rail.
To Aristotle, the time seemed to drag. The others who usually attended arrived and joined them on the porch. Periodically someone went to get beers or something else to drink. Aristotle tapped his finger on his leg, then stood, going inside to get some more beers. Then he went back outside. He stopped, seeing Theron had arrived.
“We’re glad you’re here, because we were just about to tie Aristotle to a chair and throw him in the pond.” Dalton grinned.
Something in Common (Dreamspinner Press Bundles) Page 81