Borrowing Trouble(7)

Landon made it to his truck before he heard his name being called. He turned to see Jay sauntering toward him. “You left your phone.”

“Oh, thanks,” Landon said, taking the proffered device. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Jay definitely sounded toasted, his speech a little slurred.

“You alright, big guy?”

“I don’t think so. It’s been a while since I drank away from the house. Or more than a couple beers, for that matter.” Judging by how tipsy he was, a while probably measured in years rather than months.

“I’m sure Felicia’s gon’ take real good care of you, hoss,” Landon teased. Hoss? You hang around the saw mill too much.

Jay frowned and looked down at himself. “I think Little Jay is too drunk to have any fun tonight.”

Landon laughed. “That sucks. You need a ride?” It did suck. Landon had been there a few times. The mind was willing, but the body wanted no part of it.

“Fuckin’ whiskey dick,” Jay bitched. “Yeah, I prob’ly oughtta get a ride.” And judging by the stumble to the side, Landon had to agree. Felicia suddenly appeared behind them.

“Y’all alright?”

“Felicia, I think my boy’s had too much to drink.”

Jay nodded sullenly.

“That’s alright,” she said. “I can give him a ride home.”

Landon looked at Jay. “You want her to give you a ride?”

She wrapped a hand around Jay’s bicep, pulling her keys from her purse. “Maybe you’ll sober up and we can hang out for a while.”

Jay looked uncertain, so Landon swallowed the tiny, eeny-weeny bit of jealousy that still remained and encouraged Jay to let Felicia take him. He didn’t know bro-code etiquette on this situation. It’d seem like you’d help your friend get laid, but in this state, maybe not.

“No. Thanks anyway, Fiona.” Jay gave her a too-bright, dimpled smile, obviously not realizing how pissed off Felicia looked. The no had already made her purse her lips, but forgetting her name had made her go red in the face. Landon covered his mouth so she couldn’t see the smile.

Felicia snapped a whatever and went back inside. “Did you settle up the tab?” Landon asked around his chuckling.

“Wassfunny?” Jay honestly had no clue what faux-paz he’d made, and that made Landon laugh harder.

“Nothin’, man. Just, get in my truck. Lemme go check that you paid out.” He watched to make sure that Jay stumbled into the right truck, then went to check that the bill had been settled. He apologized to Felicia, who was very understanding when he mentioned Jay didn’t go out much since he usually had the kids. She gave him a napkin with her number.

Landon tossed the napkin at Jay when he hopped into the cab of his F-250. “Here. My job as a wing-man has been fulfilled.”

Jay took the napkin and blinked hard to focus on it. Landon could only shake his head and chuckle. After he dropped Jay off with a promise to come around in the morning to take him to his truck, Landon noticed the napkin was crumpled on the seat next to him. He couldn’t help but be happy about that, though he didn’t imagine it was more than a drunken mistake.





Chapter 4


Jay was embarrassed he’d gotten so damn drunk at Woody’s. He’d apologized to Landon as soon as he saw him. He was accustomed to the occasional beer, but he’d overdone it without realizing it. He’d had a couple before he ordered the bucket and felt like a total jackass that he’d had to have a DD. Hell, his DD was the younger guy. Landon should have been the one that needed a ride, not Jay’s almost-middle-aged ass.

Landon insisted it was okay, though. Jay’d had a good time hanging out with Landon, but he was mortified he’d embarrassed himself in front of the man. And he’d drunkenly admitted to Landon and a very attractive younger woman that his cock was out of the game because of a few beers. Jesus, he’d never get laid again at this rate. No doubt, after blowing off Fiona—Alicia? Felicia?—his ability to pull with even the sure-things was going to go out the window.

Jay was certain Landon wouldn’t want to have a beer with him again since he couldn’t hold his damn booze. Jay was surprised, though, when he offered to make it up to Landon and invited him over for football at his place and Landon accepted. Landon teased him every time he offered him a beer, but over the next three weeks, Landon had come over a couple times, sometimes just to shoot the shit.

It’d been nice having someone around while his kids were at his ex in-laws. The visits weren’t much to write home about, but they would companionably chat about work or watch a game. The company was nice, but … that didn’t account for the still indescribable contentedness he had in Landon’s company. He’d had it once or twice with guy friends in high school, a co-worker in his earlier twenties, but he hadn’t been close to many folks after the kids got older and life got more demanding.

He’d lost himself in his marriage at some point. Bethany had too. They freely admitted it to each other the day she came to him with the idea to finally separate. They were not much more than roommates. And life’d been good, simple, but he wasn’t sure when he’d started feeling so old. He hadn’t realized he had no one other than his kids and Bethany until he’d actually been on his own again.