by Maxene Novak
Half an hour later, he pulled back up to the cottage and strode up the walk, twirling a lavender-colored cane striped with deep purple sparkles, each of its four feet painted with swirling petals and flying fairies.
Chapter Seven
Ruger was well into his Saturday morning routine. He’d cleaned his bathroom, tidied his bedroom, and started his laundry when there was a timid knock on his door.
“It’s open,” he called, his hands full of dishes.
His mother walked into the room. Her face, usually bright and aggressively cheerful, was drawn and subdued.
“What’s wrong?” he asked immediately, setting down his load and rushing to her.
“It’s, um… oh Ruger,” she whispered.
Tears spilled down her cheeks, and Ruger pulled her into his arms. “What happened?”
“It’s your grandfather,” she sniffed. “He died last night, and Mom… your grandma… she’s in a really bad place. I’m flying out there to handle the funeral and stuff, but… I want to bring her back here. To live. And… I just… there isn’t enough, I mean, she doesn’t….”
“Mom?” Ruger said gently. “Do you want her to live here?”
His mom nodded miserably.
Ruger looked around his little apartment. He’d moved in over his parents’ garage when he’d come back to town. It had been convenient, since his dad’s business worked out of the remodeled four-car garage below. The house had also undergone some significant remodeling since he left, and what used to be his bedroom was now an office, and the spare room they’d kept for company had become a yoga studio. His parents didn’t believe in wasted space or wasted time, and they did a lot of working and living from home. They could have potentially turned one of the rooms back into a spare, but if grandma was going to be living here long-term it was better for everybody that she have her own space.
“Will the stairs or the noise bother her?” Ruger asked pragmatically.
“Oh, no. She’s mostly deaf, and she’ll probably use the inside stairs to get up here. I don’t want to put you out, but you’ve got your uncle’s place, and it just makes more sense to me…” She wrung her hands and her eyes filled with tears again.
“It’s alright, Mom,” Ruger told her, kissing her cheek. “It’s about time for me to move out anyway, don’t you think? Circle of life, and all that. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll move into the place on Maple, no hard feelings, honest. You just take care of your mom. Give her a kiss from me when you get there, okay?”
“Okay,” his mother said, squeezing him tight. “You’re a good son, Ruger.”
“Eh, I try,” he said modestly.
“Oh gosh, I’ve got to go buy a plane ticket,” she said, wiping her eyes.
“Go on then,” Ruger said with a kind smile.
She scurried down the stairs, once again vibrating with practical, efficient energy. Ruger said a quiet prayer for the grandfather he hadn’t known and pulled out his phone. Oh, Tassie was not going to be thrilled about this. He put his phone away, deciding that she’d take the news better in person, and grabbed his coat instead.
Peals of laughter greeted him as he knocked twice and opened the door. Belle and Colt were in the living room, and she was walking around the table with the aid of a ridiculously girly cane.
“Look at the little plastic wings on the back!” She giggled helplessly. “They wiggle when I walk!” She took another step and nearly collapsed in a fit of laughter.
“Alright, dork, sit down,” Colt said affectionately.
Their easy intimacy hardened something at Ruger’s core. “Having fun, are we?” he asked, forcing his voice into a light and breezy tone.
Colt shot him a hard look. Gonna have to work on that, he thought.
“Yes!” Belle said, delighted. “Colt bought me a purple sparkly fairy cane! I didn’t even know they made them like this!”
Ruger walked over to the couch and picked up the cane. “This is… actually kind of impressive,” he chuckled. “I wonder if somebody sat down and thought, what is the most ridiculously girly cane I can possibly make?”
He meant it playfully, but his tone came out sharply sarcastic. Belle looked momentarily shocked, then angry.
“I like it,” she said defiantly. “It says, I don’t take myself too seriously. It’s like a silly accessory to brighten my day. Besides it helps me walk, which I don’t think is a bad thing.” Her eyes burned fiercely at him.
“No, you’re right, it’s really cool,” he backtracked quickly. “Sorry, I’m in kind of a shitty mood. Where’s Tass?”
“Haven’t seen her all day,” Belle told him.
“She’s probably in the office,” Colt suggested. “Didn’t she say she was starting her book today?”
“Right. Crap. Okay, wish me luck. If I don’t come out alive, I love you all.” Ruger posed dramatically before striding out of the room.
“Oh, he’s brave,” Colt whistled behind him.
Damn straight, Ruger thought. Apprehension slowed his steps as he reached the office door. He’d seen Tassie chuck an entire coffee pot at the last person who interrupted her flow. He swallowed hard and knocked timidly. There was no answer. He knocked again, louder.
“Motherfucker!”
She flung the door open and glared at him, her curls springing out wildly in all directions.
“Hey, there, Tassie! I just wanted to talk to you for one quick second.”
“Why do they do this to me?” she whined at him.
“What?”
“Why! Do they do this! To me!” she repeated. “I give them names, I give them life, and what do they give me in return?”
“Uh…”
“Heartache! They’re all broken. Not just oh that’s a good story starter broken, no, they’re like criminally broken. I have to send them all to therapy or kill half of them off or something, this just isn’t going to work at all.”
“Tass, darling… back to the real world please. Just one quick second, okay?”
“Fine,” Tassie snapped.
He pulled her from her office and led her through the kitchen. A box of doughnuts sat on the counter, and she froze when she spotted them.
“Whose food?” she demanded.
“Go ahead, Tass!” Colt called from the living room.
She snatched two powdered doughnuts and followed Ruger into the living room, slightly less reluctantly.
“Better have a damn good reason, McCoy,” she told him, glaring.
“I do,” Ruger assured her. “I got some bad news this morning. My grandfather passed away last night.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Belle said.
“It’s not really painful or anything, I didn’t know the guy. But what it means is that my mom is moving my grandma up here to live, and they want to give her the apartment over the garage, which is where I’ve been staying for the past two years. I’m totally okay with that, but it means that I need to move out.”
“And you think you’re gonna move in here,” Tassie finished.
“That’s the plan,” Ruger said.
“I see. What do you think, Belle, you comfortable living under the same roof as the damn landlord?” Tassie asked sharply.
“Um… it doesn’t bother me… are you alright, Tassie? You’re like, really angry.”
“Characters. They’re assholes. This is why I don’t interact with people when I’m fabricating realities, it does not work. Character is asshole, I am asshole. Frustrated asshole. So when are you moving in?” she asked.
“As soon as possible,” he said. “But I’m going to try not to get in anybody’s way. I know I promised a girls only sort of safe space, and I don’t want to interfere with that. You guys call the shots. I’ll hide out in my room if you need me to, you won’t even know I’m here.”
“That doesn’t sound like much fun,” Belle said with a frown. “You should live here like the rest of us do. I think it’ll be okay, don’t you, Tassie?”
“Oh yeah
. No trouble at all,” she mumbled sarcastically around a mouthful of doughnut. “Is that all? I have a book to write.”
“That’s all,” Ruger said. “I won’t disturb you again, promise.”
“Good, because I have some antique lawn darts on my desk looking for a new home.”
Ruger grinned at her back as she stormed off. “She’s a sweetheart, isn’t she?” he commented.
“You must be in love with her or something,” Belle said. “Usually threats of violence don’t make people thing ‘what a sweetheart’.”
“Not in love,” Ruger chuckled. “I’ve known her forever. If she was really upset, she wouldn’t warn me about the lawn darts… she’d just use them.”
Belle and Colt laughed, and it warmed up that cold, hard space in his chest.
“So moving in, huh,” Colt said. “That’s, um… that’s cool.”
He looked like he was trying to avoid saying something. It was the same look he’d had since Ruger got back into town, and frankly, Ruger was sick of it. It was long past time they had a conversation. An open, honest conversation about everything. Belle was looking from one of them to another, and it occurred to Ruger that her presence would complicate things dramatically. Because while he had always been over the moon for her from a distance, she was obviously very into Colt, who Ruger suspected was still into him.
Maybe it would be better to just sit back and see what happened. On the other hand, he’d spent most of his life just waiting to see what happened, and what happened was that people were disappointing creatures, work was hard no matter what you did, and the world at large was cold and unfeeling. Positive things only happened when he made them happen. Problem was, he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was he wanted to happen.
“Well. I should probably pick a room. I’m sure you don’t want to share a bathroom with a dude.” Ruger grinned.
“I don’t mind too much, as long as you clean it once in a while.” Belle shrugged. “I’m a big girl, I know how to lock a door.”
“Fair enough,” Ruger said, relieved. “Then I’ll take the downstairs. Living here at all sort of compromises the vibe I’m going for, but living upstairs is like… I don’t know, feels sort of invasive on a whole ‘nother level.”
“Yeah, the upper level,” Colt quipped.
“Ha ha,” Ruger said sarcastically, but he grinned.
It was nice to be able to hang out with Colt, but there was always that underlying tension. Ruger was inclined to suggest copious amounts of alcohol and a screaming match turned fistfight to clear the air, but that was too straightforward. Colt would never agree to it. Or would he? Ruger didn’t even know anymore. When he’d left town, Colt had been a soft-spoken, curious, studious person with a severe case of shyness. By the time he’d come back, Colt had transformed into some kind of womanizing Adonis with his own business and a cocky attitude. Back in the day, all Ruger had to do to get the truth was get Colt mad enough.
He didn’t think that would work anymore. Colt seemed steady, with his life, with his emotions, with everything. Ruger had come back expecting a puddle and found a rock instead. He’d been gone too long, that much was clear. Four years’ worth of experiences were all well and good, but he should have at least kept in touch. Should have prepared himself for what he was getting into when he did return.
“So are you busy today?” he asked Colt. “I’d like to get started moving my stuff, I could use your help.”
“My help or my truck?” Colt asked.
“Why not both?” Ruger returned. “I’ll pay you in food and drink.”
Colt chewed on his thumbnail, a gesture Ruger remembered from the before time.
“Yeah, alright,” Colt said. “But I pick the music. In the truck and at both houses. Deal?”
“Deal,” Ruger said, relieved.
“You good on your own?” Colt asked Belle.
“Of course! I’ve got my purple friend here, and if I need any help I’ll just ask the lawn darts.”
Ruger grinned at her. “Looks like you’ll fit right in,” he said approvingly.
Chapter Eight
Ruger hitched a ride back to his place in Colt’s truck. Elvis blared from the stereo as they drove, and Ruger sang along goofily. Colt was uncharacteristically quiet.
“Come on, you know the words,” Ruger teased. “For I can’t help…”
“Knock it off, Ruger,” Colt snapped.
Ruger shrugged. It stung, but he wasn’t about to let it show. He drowned out his own inner monologue with the music and was practically giddy by the time they pulled into the driveway. Colt didn’t say a word to him all the way up the stairs.
“Hey, what’s your problem?” Ruger asked.
“Did your grandfather actually kick off, or are you just finding an excuse to get close to Belle?” Colt demanded.
Ruger was taken aback. “I… he actually died. What the hell kind of question is that?”
“I know you, Ruger. You manipulate people to get what you want, so I’m asking. Is Belle what you want?”
“She is very want-able, isn’t she?” Ruger said smoothly.
“Are you trying to get in her pants?”
Ice ran in his veins as he glared into Colt’s dark eyes. “She doesn’t wear pants, Colt. I should have expected that question, coming from you.”
“Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“You know what it means. I wasn’t the one chasing every skirt in town for four years. Two at once? Come on. If anybody’s a danger to her dubious virtue, it’s you.”
“Dubious virtue? How archaic,” Colt snapped.
“You know what I mean. You’re just jealous because you want her for yourself.”
He’d hit a nerve. Colt’s face turned beet red, and he clenched his fists as if to strike. Ruger braced for it, but the blow never came.
“I like her,” Colt admitted. “But she’s a client, and that’s a line I won’t cross. You should know that.”
“How would I know?” Ruger exploded. “I don’t know you at all, Colt. You’ve changed, and you can’t even see it!”
“Oh, I know I’ve changed,” Colt said dangerously. “I worked hard to get where I am, and if you thought you could just swoop back into town and pick back up like nothing ever happened, well tough. You were gone for four years, Ruger. Four years! No warning, no phone calls, no nothing. Just gone.”
“I had to leave,” Ruger blurted out. How did he get on the defensive? This wasn’t how this conversation was supposed to go.
“Oh, you had to. Right. Want to explain that to me?”
“Do I really need to remind you how that happened?” Ruger asked quietly.
He watched as the memory rolled into Colt’s mind. He watched as Colt’s face shut down into an unreadable mask. “Why don’t you tell me what you think happened,” Colt said evenly.
“You mean what actually happened?” Ruger snapped.
“Sure, what actually happened. From your perspective. I’d love to hear it.”
“It all started with a girl. You and me, we’d been together for what, a few years at that point? But you refused to come out. Then this girl came along. Bethany. You remember.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“You’d been dating a bunch of girls. Okay, maybe not a whole bunch, not like you’ve done since I left, but you dated a few.”
“You’ve always known why I did that.”
“Whatever. So there was this girl, and I liked her.” The memory came rushing back, as if he was back there.
“So you like the girl,” Colt had commented. He’d looked angry.
“Yeah, I do,” Ruger had said quietly.
“Me too.”
“Yeah?” Ruger asked, surprised. He eyed Colt suspiciously. “Like her… how?”
“Same way you do, I guess,” Colt said evenly. “Like if she was here, I’d be putting moves on her right now.”
“Even knowing how I feel about her?”
Colt shrugged. “You have a crush. Knowing she fucked me would bring her down to earth for you. I’d be doing you a favor, letting you see her for who and what she really is.”
“Oh, some favor,” Ruger said heatedly. “Just who and what do you imagine she ‘really’ is?”
“A small-town head game artist. She’d use you up and spit you out. You’re too nice.”
“You’re just justifying doing that to her.”
“Pre-emptive measure, to save you from yourself,” Colt told him.
Ruger had walked away from him in disgust. “You just want to make sure I don’t fall in love with her,” he’d said accusingly.
“What? No,” Colt’s denial was unconvincing.
“Yes, you are! You want to make sure that I’m always around to pick you back up after you get bored with your women. You’ve been using me for years, Colt! Never acknowledged, never committed to, never anything but your dirty dark secret, and now you want to sabotage my first attempt to do what you’ve been doing all along!”
“Now hold on a second,” Colt said angrily. “I never went out with girls intending to fall in love with them. They were always secondary, you know that! Just to keep up appearances.”
“Oh, right, like people are going to be watching what you do in your bedroom. Bringing one-night stands home to screw has nothing to do with your cover, and everything to do with your compulsive need for attention.”
“Go to hell,” Colt said coldly.
“If I did, you’d follow me down. You’re pathetic, Colt.”
“What do you want me to say?” Colt asked.
“Nothing. There isn’t a damn thing you could say to me that would make this better right now.”
“Why is this all coming out right now? Is it just Bethany? I don’t understand how one little woman from nowhere could turn you like this.”
“It’s been a long time coming, and if you’d been paying attention you wouldn’t be surprised. It didn’t have to be Bethany. It could have been anyone, male or female, who sparked my interest. Thing is, nobody’s done that for me but you, not ever. Not until Bethany showed up.”