Wild Wind: A Chaos Novella (Chaos #6.6)(68)

To take her mind off it, he urged, “Tell me about Haley’s ex.”

She drew in a breath, let it go, which he hoped was letting the shit happening with her brother go (at least for now) and gave it to him.

“I’ve only seen him a couple of times. Never met him. Liane played lacrosse in high school. He came to a few games. He’s a workaholic. He abandoned them without officially abandoning them, if you know what I mean.”

“I do,” he confirmed.

He felt rather than saw her nod.

She then continued.

“Haley tried to get him to work on their marriage, not his job, he kept promising he would, but didn’t. She got fed up with it, and when he was away on business, which he was a lot, she had the locks changed. Asked him for a separation. He’s not big on failure and wouldn’t even discuss it. He also wouldn’t change his ways and spend more time in his roles as a husband and father. So she saw no way forward except to file for divorce. He’s never forgiven her and he’s not the kind of guy who lets things lie. That means now, even though they’ve been divorced since the girls were little, I think it’s been maybe ten, twelve years, he still intermittently gets in her shit about ‘giving up on them.’”

“What a dick.”

“Yeah, and I will note, I saw him go to a few of Liane’s games. And I didn’t go to all of her games, but I’d say more than half of the ones I went to, he wasn’t there. But Dad never missed one. And Hellen plays the flute, and she’s had some concerts, and I’ve never seen their dad at Hellen’s gigs, not once. My dad…again, always.”

“Really dig your dad, baby,” he murmured.

She cuddled closer. “I do too.”

He grinned at the ceiling, tracing random partners on the point of her shoulder.

“We need to arrange you to meet my folks,” he told her.

“I really wanna do that. Do you think they’d come here? My haul today included this pretty kickass table with these pale blue bucket chairs. I haven’t put it out on the floor because it’d fit perfect up here. And I need a dining room table. They could help me christen it.”

“They’d love that.”

“They can name the night, boyfriend. All my nights are for you anyway.”

Christ, he liked that.

So much, he rolled into her and took her in both of his arms in a way she knew how to read.

This meant she pressed into him and tipped her head back for his kiss.

When he finished with her mouth, he whispered, “I’m sorry your day sucked.”

“It happens.”

“Wanna fuck again?”

“Yes.”

He grinned at her.

Then he kissed her.

And after that, they fucked again.





Chapter Fifteen



I Try to Be



Jagger



“Got something I’ve been putting off talking to you about.”

It was the next morning after dinner with Archie’s folks. Jag was at her bar, sipping coffee and watching Archie make breakfast (eggs, cheese, sautéed mushrooms and taco sauce in a tortilla—it looked awesome, but he’d already learned his woman could cook).

“What?” he asked.

She didn’t answer his question and he had a feeling that wasn’t about the fact she was folding burritos.

“Babe?”

She looked from the food to him. “I’m going to watch that movie. The one about your Club.”

His gut fell like he was on a roller coaster.

“Are you still okay with that?” she asked.

“Sure,” he muttered.

“I just…wanted you to know,” she said, her gaze intent on him.

He nodded.

“I’ll watch it during the day sometime, so you don’t—”

“We can take a night off from each other.”

She stopped moving and her gaze got even more intent.

“Do you want to take a night off?” she asked.

“You said you have a sales assistant who’s on vacation so you’re short staffed.”

“To my dismay, we’re never covered in customers, Jagger. Lafayette has been on vacation, he’s coming back to work today, but I leave the floor all the time to Fabe and Joany. I did it yesterday to go out and search for stock.”

He didn’t say anything.

“Do you not want me to watch that movie?” she asked. “Tell the truth.”

“You’ve only met a couple of the men.”

“And?”

Christ.

What was his problem with this?

“I want you to meet Hound first,” he blurted, he had no idea why, it just came out.

“I can do that, baby,” she said softly.

“Cool,” he muttered.

“Now, we’ve been together a lot. Do you want some space?” she asked.

“No,” he said immediately, watching her closely. “Do you?”

“Not even a little bit. Been waiting a long time for you.”

Thank fuck.

She put his burrito in front of him with the bottle of taco sauce and stood opposite him with hers.

Once there, she said, “There’ll come a time, probably, when I’ll need my zone. Joany’s bitching about the fact we haven’t been out in a while. But I’m digging where we’re at, you and me. We’re not open on Sundays, as you know, and I left the store to them last Saturday, so I think I should hang here for this one. But I’d love to go for another ride on Sunday, or just get out of town, even if it’s to go to Evergreen or Morrison for lunch.”