Wheels and Heels
Page 23
“Yeah, of course.” Jed hurried behind the bar, and Ira sat in the chair across from Mitch. “What happened?”
“Don’t,” Mitch whispered. “I ain’t gonna tell you, so just forget it.”
“Someone hit you.” Jed set the water down and sat next to Ira. “You came here. So what happened?”
“You two can take off.” Kearn leaned in the kitchen doorway, arms crossed, face like thunder. “I can handle this.”
“You sure?” Jed glanced from Mitch to Kearn.
Kearn just lifted an eyebrow.
“Fine. Fine.” Jed rose.
“Can you make a deposit for me?” Kearn asked. He jerked his head towards the office door. “Already made out the check. Just need to drop the sac in the chute.”
“Sure, yeah.”
“Ira, can you check on the food?”
Ira nodded and hurried to the kitchen to get Mitch’s food. He brought it back, handed Mitch a fork, and Mitch set to the noodles and beef much like Ira had eaten the first time Jed had fed him.
“You want I should stay?” Ira asked quietly. “I don’t mind.”
Mitch looked up at him. A little of his edge had softened with the food, but he shook his head. “I’m good. Kearn’s all right.”
Of course Kearn was all right.
“You turn a trick tonight?” Ira asked. “I did see you down near Finch, didn’t I?”
“Don’t,” Mitch warned again, and went back to eating.
Jed came out then, and there wasn’t much left to do but leave the two men to sort out whatever needed sorting.
They hadn’t talked at all the entire way home. In fact, Ira didn’t want to talk. He knew he was right about Mitch and he hated it. But what was there to say about it? He showered and wrapped himself in his fluffy bathrobe while Jed took his turn in the tiny stall. Before long, Jed joined him on the couch, dressed in his fleecy pajama bottoms and bare, furry chest.
Ira leaned on him, running his hand through the fuzz over and over.
“He’s in good hands, babe.”
“I know.” Ira stared at his wall of sketches. “Kearn won’t—”
“Kearn will keep him safe. He doesn’t go bulldog like that often. But when he does . . .”
“That could have been me,” Ira whispered. He sounded, suddenly, a lot like he had the very first time he’d ever talked to Jed.
“You made better choices, babe.”
“I was out of choices.”
Jed pulled him close, kissed his hair, and Ira scrambled a bit, but managed to crawl into his lap. “When you picked me up that night, I was really close to doing what Mitch did. You don’t know.”
“But you didn’t, and I did pick you up, and here we are.”
“Here we are.” Ira snuggled a few minutes longer, then pushed free of Jed’s grasp and went to the tiny tree they had erected in the corner of his living room. “I got you something.” He picked up a squishy gift and handed it to Jed. “It’s pretty small, but . . .”
Jed took the gift, ripped the packaging to reveal a pair of deep-red, hand-knitted slippers. “Um. Thanks.” He smiled.
Ira grabbed the slippers, knelt at his feet, and removed Jed’s Birks one at a time, replacing them with the slippers. “Much better.”
Smiling, Jed rubbed one of the slippers along Ira’s exposed thigh. “I’ll show you better,” he crooned.
Ira rolled his eyes. “Oh?”
“Oh yes.” Jed took his hand and brought Ira back into his lap for a kiss.
Dear Reader,
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Thank you to the staff of the Stout Irish Pub. Many of these words were written at that end seat in your pub, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope I caught some of the essence of your place in these pages.
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Three Player Game (A Bluewater Bay story)
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Fix This, Sir
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Fall Train (in the Grand Adventure Anthology)
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Jaime has been writing for various publishers since the fall of 2008, although she’s been writing for herself far longer. Her stories about men falling in love are the stories that she loves to read, so it seemed to make sense if she was going to write, they would also be the stories she wrote. These days, you can find plenty of free reading on her website. She also writes for various publishers.
Spare time, when it can be found rolled into a ball at the back of the dryer or cavorting with the dust bunnies in the corners, is spent crocheting, drawing, gardening (weather permitting, of course, since she is Canadian!), or watching movies. She has a day job, as well, which she loves, and two kids, but thankfully, also a wonderful husband who shoulders more than his fair share of household and child-care responsibilities.
She graduated some time ago from college with a fine arts diploma, and a major in textile arts, which basically qualifies her to draw pictures and create things with string and fabric. One always needs an official slip of paper to fall back on after all . . .
Website: jaime-samms.com
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Jaime Samms, Wheels and Heels