At Peace (The 'Burg #2)(137)

Cal knew it cost him but Haines couldn’t help but chuckle.

Then he asked, “No shit?”

“She picked a pink shirt,” Cal told him then added, “with flowers on it.”

Haines chuckled again.

Cal kept going. “She ever shove her shoulder in your pit, make you put your arm around her?”

The humor fled Haines’s face but he didn’t answer which was his answer.

“Katy do it?” Cal pushed.

“Kate did it?” Haines whispered.

“Vi did it when I needed her, Katy did it when she needed me.”

Haines closed his eyes and looked away.

“Stand down,” Cal repeated, his voice quiet and Haines’s eyes opened and he looked back at Cal and when he did, Cal knew he’d won.

“You f**k her over –”

“I won’t.”

“You do…” he let that hang and Cal decided not to repeat himself so Haines finished. “You don’t give her everything, I’m back and I’ll bust my ass to do it instead of you.”

“I know that, she does too, so I reckon I better bust my ass so you don’t have to.”

“Wouldn’t be work.”

“Agreed.”

They again stared at each other silently.

Then Haines broke the silence but he spoke quietly. “You gotta know you’re killin’ me, man.”

Cal spoke quietly back. “I know, Mike.”

And he did, he couldn’t imagine standing down from Vi, not now. He’d pulled away twice thinking it was for his good and hers and neither time was the least pleasant. It was like tearing off a f**king limb.

Standing down for good would kill.

But if he knew Haines had with her what Cal had, he’d do it knowing he’d be doing it for her. Haines wasn’t stupid, he knew she was tied in knots and a woman like Violet didn’t get tied in knots for something that didn’t matter.

Cal mattered to her.

Haines knew that.

So he was standing down.

“Fuck,” Haines muttered.

Cal didn’t reply. There was nothing to say.

Haines studied Cal then said, “Anyone else, I’d be f**kin’ over the moon for you, Cal.”

Cal remained silent but that didn’t stop him from thinking that Mike Haines was a good man.

“Now, I’m not,” Haines finished.

Cal lifted his chin.

The muscle jumped in his jaw again, Haines nodded then he moved to turn away.

For some f**king insane reason, before he did Cal said, “She’s out there.”

Haines’s eyes locked on his. “What?”

“Whoever she is for you, she’s out there.”

“Fuck me,” Haines muttered.

“Mine moved in next door, man,” Cal pointed out.

Haines turned fully to Cal and his mouth was twitching when he mumbled, “Joe Callahan, romantic.”

Cal shrugged. Haines wanted to see it that way, f**k if Cal cared.

He pushed away from the truck, dropping his arms and turned to the door. He caught sight of Colt as he did it and Colt wasn’t fast enough to hide his smile.

Crazy f**k.

Cal looked back at Haines as he pulled himself up into the cab.

Haines gave him a nod. Cal nodded back, slammed the door, buckled up, hit the ignition and pulled out of the Station.

His phone rang as he drove down Grant. He yanked it out of his back pocket, looked at the screen, flipped it open and put it to his ear.

“Yo, buddy.”

“Joe.”

Hearing her say his name, he grinned at the windshield.

“That’s who you called, baby.”

“Where are you?”

“In the truck.”

“Okay, but where?”

“On my way to your garden center to buy a dog bed.”

He listened to silence.

This lasted awhile.

Then he called, “Vi?”

“Yeah?”

“Honey, you called me, you actually gonna speak?”

“I, um… need you not to come home, I mean,” she said the last two words quickly then kept talking fast, “to the house for awhile.”

“Why?”

“I’m having an impromptu girl’s afternoon in.”

He’d left her on her belly in bed after making her sit on his face until she came then f**king her until she came again. She didn’t even twitch when he bent in, kissed her neck and whispered in her ear that he’d be back in awhile.

He hadn’t been gone an hour. Now she was having a girl’s afternoon in.

This meant she was going to tell her friends everything which didn’t make him happy because he didn’t like anyone in his business. Then she was going to get shit advice. Then, maybe, she was going to do something stupid.

“Who’s comin’?” he asked.

“Cheryl…” she answered.

Not good, that bitch was hard as nails.

“Feb…” she went on.

That was okay, Feb was cool.

“Dee…” she continued.

Wildcard. Dee Owens called ‘em as she saw ‘em and Cal had no clue how she’d see him.

“Jessie…”