Tame This (The McCallans, Book Two)

by Hadley Quinn

  Besides, he ate her damn strawberries.

  “Maybe some other stuff in it,” he answered. “Mushrooms, peppers, cheese… I don’t know, real meat?”

  She flashed him a beautiful smile but rolled her eyes. “The point was to be meat and dairy free.”

  He shoved another bite into his mouth after shaking Tabasco sauce all over it. “Don’t tell me you’re getting into all that hype.”

  “What hype?”

  “Vegetarian, vegan, whatever the hell it is.”

  She poured a glass of juice and set it in front of him. “No, I was just trying to make it plain.”

  “Um, yep, you succeeded.”

  “Glad I actually achieved what I set out to do for once,” she replied lightly.

  Jay didn’t know how to respond to that. When she wasn’t at his throat, most of Melanie’s personality these days tended to be laced with self-doubt. Lately she’d been making subtle comments about her life, her lack of direction, and oftentimes her immaturity and/or contribution to the world around her.

  At least one of them was able to admit it.

  But seriously, it was true that she’d changed a bit within the four months he’d known her. She was still happy-go-lucky, sweet and flirtatious, and sometimes just feisty like her older sister. But little by little Melanie seemed to have taken on a different opinion of herself and it was making her pensive more often.

  Jay downed the glass of juice and stood. He took his dishes to the sink and rinsed them, and to avoid any kind of serious conversation with her, he offered a big smile, kissed the top of her head on his way by and said, “You can achieve anything you want to, honey.”

  ***

  “That is fucking gorgeous,” Beck almost whispered, taking another walk around the hood of the car. Jay watched his buddy drink in the bare ’68 Chevelle SS and knew Beck so well he already knew what he was going to add. “Or at least…it will be,” he grinned.

  “So you want in?”

  “Fuck yeah,” Beck chuckled. “But are you sure, man? You could flip this easy for yourself.”

  Jay took a step toward the sorry sight of a car and placed his hand on the roof as he peered inside of it again. He’d been stalking this car for three weeks now and came up with a half-dozen mental scenarios that he didn’t know what to do with. He had four thousand in cash to buy it—at least if the owner was willing to settle on his offer—but he needed another thousand just in case he didn’t. That’s what he needed Beck for, and he’d pay him for it—with interest—after he re-sold the car.

  “Yeah, I know,” he finally sighed. “But with me moving out of Teague’s house tomorrow, the money down on the new place will do me in.”

  “Teague and his lady want more privacy, huh?” Beck winked.

  Jay barely smiled. “Nah, they’re not kicking me out.

  “What about Mel? She a pain in the ass?”

  “Melanie’s staying. She doesn’t really have a choice. And no, she’s all right, I just…think I need to go with the changing tides, you know? Teague’s married now, he’s happy as fuck, and me? … Well, I’m just trying to live a day at a time.”

  “It’s all any of us can do.”

  Jay only nodded like he agreed, just as the homeowner stepped out of his house and joined them in the driveway.

  “You Jay?” the guy asked Beck.

  “I’m Beckett, that’s Jay,” he jutted a thumb to the side.

  “Chris,” the guy said, extending his hand.

  “Nice to meet you,” Jay nodded as he shook it. “So you need to get rid of this thing, huh? You’re asking seven grand. That’s a little steep, man.”

  “It’s gonna be a badass car once it’s in the right hands. I don’t have the time for it right now. Got a new baby and my other kid is a tyrant. I just want to get what it’s worth before I fucking kill myself from my wife giving me shit about it all the time.”

  Jay pressed his lips together as he walked to the front of the Chevelle. “I wouldn’t even pay more than four just by looking at the exterior. If the engine condition impresses me, I’ll be shocked. Can you pop the hood?”

  Without a word, Chris obliged, but Jay could read the expression on the guy’s face easily. It was expected, but Jay knew exactly what this car was going to need and financial calculations were already rolling through his head.

  Beck joined Jay when the hood lifted, and let out a low groan at the condition. “Hell…”

  “It just needs a little work,” Chris said defensively. “What do you expect? It’s a fucking 1968 Chevelle that some dumbass let go to shit. It’s a project car, and it’s gonna to be a goddamn beast when it’s restored right.”

  “Yeah, it will be,” Jay agreed. “But this 396 needs rebuilt and—”

  “You resell this car, you’re making a shitload more than I’m asking for it.”

  “And what do you think I need to do to resell it?” Jay asked him. When Chris didn’t respond, Jay said, “Exactly. A shitload of time and money. The bodywork alone is gonna be an undertaking. I understand you want seven grand for it, but you won’t get it from me, and I doubt you’ll be lucky enough to find someone else to pay you that unless he’s an idiot. I’m not being a greedy asshole about it; I’m just stating a fact. I’ll give you five grand in cash for it.”

  Chris scoffed and shook his head. “My wife would fucking castrate me.”

  “Well how ‘bout you talk it over with her and let me know. You have my number, right?”

  Jay turned for the street and Beck followed behind him.

  “Wait,” Chris called after them. Jay turned around, prepared for a counter offer. Chris was hesitant but finally said, “Sixty-five.”

  “Fifty-four, and that’s as high as I’ll go. Talk to your wife about it and let me know.”

  “Fifty-eight,” Chris sighed. Shaking his head he added, “Please. That’s as low as I can go, I swear to God.”

  It was going to kill him, but Jay needed to decline. He was already above his limit and just couldn’t give up that much cash right now.

  But Beck answered, “Deal. We’ll pick it up tonight and we’ll bring the cash.” He stepped forward to shake Chris’s hand, who seemed relieved.

  “That’s cool with you?” Chris asked Jay, holding out his hand to him as well.

  Jay shook it, biting back a stubborn retort that would be directed at Beck. “Yeah, that’s cool with me,” he nodded. “We’ll come back with a trailer tonight. Six o’clock okay?”

  “Yeah, that’s fine,” Chris agreed. “See you then.”

  Jay bobbed his head and headed straight for Beck’s Mach 1. He slid into the passenger’s seat as Beck sat behind the wheel.

  “Don’t be a fucking baby,” Beck told him as he turned the ignition. “If you don’t want my money, I’ll buy the damn thing myself.”

  “I don’t need your charity,” Jay mumbled.

  “It’s an investment, dumbass. You’ll pay me back.”

  “Along with the other four grand I owe you? Okay, just let me know when you want that pulled out of my ass, as well.”

  The car revved into the street and Beck shook his head. “Jay, I started out the same way you did. Working as a regular fucking mechanic when all I wanted to have was the glorious reward of restoring classics. You’ve been working with me off and on for six years, man. I know what you got inside you.” He reached over and pounded a fist against Jay’s chest. “Someday you’ll get that shop, man. I know it. For now, maybe you shouldn’t move out of Teague’s house, huh? If he’s not bootin’ you out, why not stay?”

  “You make it sound like I freeload off him,” Jay scowled. “I split the rent, you know. I’ve always split the rent, even when he said I didn’t have to.”

  “Even when—?”

  “Yes, even then,” Jay sighed. “Can we just drop the money issue? I’m getting a fucking headache.”

  “It probably hasn’t gone away since last night,” Beck smirked. “Jesus, you were wasted. Jess wanted to
dump you off at the curb.”

  Jay looked out the window as the scenery passed by. “Maybe next time you should,” he barely answered.

  Chapter Three

  “Long, long, long, long!” a defender shouted. It didn’t matter though, because Teague’s throw to Jay in the end zone was perfect and nobody even touched him.

  “That’s a fucking wrap, boys!” Beck gloated to the other team of players as he did a little jig and slapped Jay on the back.

  “You’re gonna brag about beating a team that’s missing players?” one of the guys said from the other team. His name was Flynn, and even though most of the guys knew not to mess with Beck or the McCallan cousins, he seemed to press his luck the most. His father was inner circle with Teague’s father, but the love didn’t trickle down the family tree.

  “Don’t go there, man,” Teague said. “You guys were missing Duncan and replaced him with three other players.”

  “Yeah, it’s Duncan,” Flynn scoffed. “You do the math.”

  “We did, pal,” Jay smirked. “Twenty-one to seven, you lose.”

  Beck laughed and clapped Jay on the shoulder to push him away from a potential throw down. “Pay up, Flynn. Just pay and shut the hell up.”

  Once the pay-in money was handed over, Beck, Jay, and Teague headed for the parking lot. “Stupid asshole,” Jay stated. “Why the fuck can’t I be matched up against him?”

  “Because you’d kill him,” Beck answered. “I’m thinking these ‘friendly’ games are kinda not friendly anymore.”

  “It’s because of pussies like Flynn who piss their pants when you hit ‘em too hard,” Jay corrected.

  “That and the fact he hates the two of you,” Beck shrugged as they threw their gear in the back of Teague’s truck.

  “Why that is, I’ll never know,” Jay feigned innocence. “We are sweet and charming men.”

  “Ha-ha,” Beck chuckled dryly. “Teague, maybe. ‘Cause now he’s whipped.”

  “Hey now,” Teague argued as they piled into his F250. “I am a man of many talents. I can kick your ass, and then go home and seduce my sexy wife in a heartbeat. If you can get to my level, I will give you the props you deserve.”

  “I see the wife hasn’t tamed his cocky attitude much,” Beck mumbled to Jay.

  Teague heard him just fine and laughed, and Jay added, “Fuck no, you can’t tame a McCallan.”

  ***

  “So how was Australia?” Jay asked as he entered Teague’s garage with him. They dumped their gear onto a shelf and headed into the house. “I’m surprised you wanted to play this morning after getting in so late last night.”

  “It’s gonna take a while to get used to the time difference. I was wide-awake. And Cam wanted to spend time with Mel today, so I figured I’d beat the shit out of you boys for a couple hours. And Australia was fun. Filming was only a few days for me—the waves were amazing—and then we just played for five days after that. Cam loved it, despite some of the morning sickness she’s been having.”

  “Hmm,” Jay replied. Pregnancy talk. He had nothing to say to that. “So you gonna come see my Chevelle?”

  “Oh, hell yes. You done anything on it?” They entered the kitchen and Teague started pulling food out of the fridge.

  “Just a bunch of prep work since getting it a few days ago.”

  “It’s at Beck’s?”

  “No, it’s at my new place.”

  Teague stopped and stared at him for a moment. “Your new place? You already moved out?”

  “Yeah, a few days ago. Why?”

  Teague slowly shrugged. “I don’t know, man. Just seems…weird that you won’t be living here.”

  “It was time. You’ve got a different life now, and pretty soon you’ll have drooling, shitting, snotty gross kids taking over the house. I don’t want mixed up in that nonsense,” he smirked, taking a drink of the juice his cousin offered him.

  Teague barely chuckled. “Jay, you’re twenty-three years old. You’re gonna have that within five years, I guarantee it.”

  “Bullshit. You should’ve met that poor fucker I bought the car from. He was drowning in wife-and-kid shit. I could see it in his eyes. ‘Help me,’ those eyes were saying. ‘I fucked up big time and my dick produced a couple of kids that took my life away from me.’ “

  “Oh my God,” Teague laughed, unwrapping a dish he’d pulled out of the fridge. “Please let me record some of the shit you say, so when you finally settle down, I can have evidence of the selfish prick you are.”

  “Be my guest,” Jay grinned. He noticed Teague’s facial expression as he leaned into the dish he’d just unveiled. “Oh shit, I wouldn’t risk it,” Jay warned him. “That’s got Melanie written all over it.”

  Teague’s laugh was light but he sniffed it anyways. “What the hell is it?”

  “I have no idea, but it’s not something she’s tried feeding me lately. She’s been making stuff and begging me to try it. I’ve been her fucking guinea pig the nine days you guys have been gone.”

  “She’s cooking, huh,” Teague stated. He used a fork and took a bite of the concoction, carefully testing the flavor. “That’s not bad, actually. It’s some kind of strawberry thing. Try it.”

  Teague shoved the plate his way but a certain keyword made Jay groan. “Ah shit, the strawberries. I never got her damn strawberries.”

  With a chuckle Teague handed the fork over and asked, “She’s got you grocery shopping? Uh, dude that’s—”

  “Fuck no,” Jay answered quickly. “I just ate ‘em all the other day and… Anyways, tell me about the next movie. It’s gonna be filmed in L.A. right?”

  “Yeah, but let’s not talk about the movie. Let’s talk about your new place. Is it one of the ones I went with you to see?”

  “The second one. The one with the big shop in the back.”

  “The house you didn’t think you could afford?” Teague asked carefully. He took another fork out of the drawer and continued to eat from the square dish along with Jay.

  Jay sighed. “Yeah, I did it anyways. I couldn’t pass it up with the shop in the back. It was perfect for me. And I didn’t find anything close to it that compared.”

  “Yeah, because it was a lot more money than the others.”

  Jay reined in his patience before he answered. “It’ll work, I promise. And it’s rent with the option to buy.”

  Teague raised his eyebrows. “Oh. Well that’s better then. Look man, I’m not trying to—”

  “I know, don’t worry about it. But I got it handled, okay?”

  “Yeah, okay,” Teague nodded. “Just let me know if I can do anything to help, Jay. I’m serious. Don’t shut me out, okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Jay murmured.

  They continued to eat and talk about the last week-and-a-half until Camryn and Melanie came home. One look at Mel gaping at her nearly empty dessert dish was enough to make both guys cringe.

  “That was for tonight,” she said with a frown, coming closer to assess the damage.

  “What’s tonight?” Jay mumbled with the last bite he’d taken. He swallowed it quickly and dropped the fork like he hadn’t already been caught.

  With a sigh Melanie answered, “I was invited to a baby shower. I volunteered to bring a fruit dish.”

  Awkward silence ensued and then Teague said, “Sorry, Mel. It was my fault.”

  “It’s okay,” she waved it off. “I think I have enough ingredients to make another smaller one.”

  “I’ll help,” Camryn offered.

  “No, they’ll help,” Melanie pointed to Jay and Teague with a playful glare. “Put your aprons on, boys.”

  “That’s-that’s my phone, you hear that?” Jay said, pretending to look around for it as he stood to make an exit. “It’s probably my doctor with the test results, and being that I’m most likely a dying man, I should go home and shower to prepare for my last days.”

  “You’re such a shit!” Melanie laughed. “If you’re dying, then why don’t you
actually make a good impression for once and help out. Then we’ll have one happy memory of you and won’t want to spit on your grave.”

  “That is the most disrespectful thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” Jay gasped dramatically. He pulled out a twenty that he’d stuffed in the pocket of his shorts and slapped it on the counter. “Here, go buy a fruit thingy from the store.”

  “You can’t buy your way out of this, Jay. Take that to buy more of what I need. I’m getting inspired with another idea.”

  “I’m not gonna—”

  “Text me your list,” Teague said, scooping up the twenty. He kissed Camryn on the lips and grabbed Jay by the shoulder to lead him out of the kitchen.

  The girls were both smiling but Jay scowled like a snotty teenager. “What the fuck, I’m not—”

  “Yes you are,” Teague said, shoving him until they were out the front door. “Grow a brain, man. We go to the store for a few things they need, and we get the shit that we want in the house too. And on the way there, we stop to see your Chevelle.”

  Jay paused on the walkway with a smirk. “You always this devious with your wife? Use cheap ploys to stay on her good side?”

  “I’m ninety-seven percent on her good side and she even knows how I operate. I’m not a fucking idiot.”

  “And what about the other three percent?”

  Teague made his way to the truck and shook his head with a smile. “You’re not ready to hear about that aspect of marriage…”

  ***

  When Jay finally made it back to his house, it was after four. It felt good to spend half the day with his cousin but he kind of wished he’d put in more work on the Chevelle. Teague promised to help him next weekend and he was looking forward to it, but he missed those days of just hanging out with his best friend.

  Jay still cursed the day that Kate came along because that’s when everything changed. If it had just been settling down with a chick, he might have given Teague his blessing. But there was something off about Kate from the beginning and she always treated Jay like he was a tumor that needed removed. Maybe it was because he wasn’t exactly nice to her from the start, but who the fuck cares. He didn’t like her and didn’t have to justify why.