Page 47 of For the Love of the Broken Man

“Of course, I had to be sober enough to go to therapy and stop at the store on my way home because nobody would go get me liquor, but one day, when I was walking to the liquor store down the street, this gorgeous man came rushing out of a flower shop and knocked me down. He was carrying a small Ficus tree, so I didn’t blame him because he couldn’t see around it. He was so goddamn good looking, I forgot to be mad as he helped me up.” Danny saw Felipe look at Javie and smile as he held his hand and kissed it.

Javier looked at Dan and laughed. “After I knocked that chip off his shoulder, got him sobered up, and showed him how beautiful the world could be, he took to it, and here we are. Together for nine years with a flourishing business. He has a knack for arrangements, and he’s not too hard on the eyes, so I kept him around,” the older man gushed, bringing a soft kiss from Felipe to Javie’s cheek.

Danny was confused. “How’d you know anything about a drunk?” He directed his attention to Javier.

“Oh, I grew up in— Well, it’s too damn depressing to even tell the story, Daniel. Let’s just say I was a hardcore drug addict until I met a nice drag queen who took me in off the streets and got me clean. Roz set me on my path and helped me go to college where I studied botany. I’ve always loved flowers. My motto is ‘take time to stop and smell the flowers’,” Javier told Danny before he sipped his coffee.

Danny returned their smiles, happy for their joy. “Glad for both of ya. Where are my pants?”

Both men chuckled before Felipe spoke up. “You ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

His expression was serious, and Danny could see the man meant it. One leg or not, he was a big bastard, and Danny wasn’t inclined to tangle with him.

“Okay, where’s Kayley?” Danny was finally sober to ask about his daughter. He hated that he hadn’t been aware enough to ask about her earlier.

“She’s fine. She’s with people who love her very much, so don’t worry about her at all. Now, we’re all going to a meeting this afternoon. You don’t have to speak, okay? You just have to listen.” Obviously, Felipe was serious.

What could Danny do? He nodded in agreement and later that afternoon when he sat in that church basement listening to all the sad stories the other attendees had to tell, he nodded and agreed they needed to make some changes.

Of course, he didn’t need to make changes in hisownlife because he didn’t have a problem, but none of them seemed to understand, so he complied with their wishes. He wasn’t sure how long he’d have to nod and go along, but Dan knew notplaying along wouldn’t get him home.

Danny Johnson resolved he’d become the model of a recovering alcoholic, just as his friends expected. He had to play the game with them, and after they went back to meddling in someone else’s life, he’d be on his way out of Virginia and the Circle C. Yes, he’d learned to play the game a long time ago, and he could find a job anywhere there were cattle. He had things under control.

Chapter Eighteen

After the graduation ceremony, Jon and Mickey had helped Jase load his things into his truck and their truck, with Terry’s help. Jase had marveled at how tall the boy had grown. Jase was six-foot-four, but the kid towered over him.

As Jase had come to learn, Terry was the star of his basketball team at Dillwyn High; the kid was damn smart, and it would be fun to watch Terry’s future accomplishments.

They’d all stopped for dinner on the way back to Virginia, and when Jon and Mickey directed their truck to Holloway, Jase pulled up the road of the Circle C with dread in his gut. He hadn’t intended to revisit the ranch, but he owed it to Tim and Matt because they’d been there for him in the beginning.

When Kayley came flying out of the house with tears flowing down her cheeks, Jase picked her up and hugged her tightly. He’d missed the young girl more than anything and seeing how beautiful she’d become, he wasn’t surprised. She had a bit of Danny in her, which must have come from her mother. Jase could only smile.

“Hello, Little Bit.” Jase kissed her cheek, more than happy to see her.

“Why’d you leave?” Kayley asked between sobs.

Jase wasn’t surprised she’d been told it was he who’d left. He wasn’t about to shed a bad light on her uncle, so he smiled and explained to her he’d earned a scholarship to attend college. He’d said that he and Dan had decided it was for the best for him to go, and Jase took responsibility for the decision, not wanting to make Danny out to be the villain.

“You coulda called me, Jase,” Kayley scolded as she dried her eyes with the tissue Meggie handed her.

Meggie spoke up. “He had a lot to do at school, Kayley. He was busy.”

Jase saw Kayley look at her and smile. “Okay, Meggie. Let’s go downstairs and make the boys let us play a game.”

Jase kissed them on their foreheads before they scampered down to the boys’ domain in the basement. They all laughed when they heard the protests, but the girls didn’t return to the kitchen where the adults were sitting.

Jason Langston was beyond uncomfortable as he sat in the living room at the Circle C with Mickey next to him. Matt and Time seemed to be hem-hawing around his asked questions, unsure how to answer.

It wasn’t physics. It was simple. “Where the hell is Danny?”

Jase noticed Mickey elbow Jon. “I can’t say a word, Mick. Dan’s my client.”

Tim took a deep breath and stood. “He’s a drunk, Jon. I understand attorney-client privilege, but this goes beyond that. Danny’s a member of our family, and we did an awful thing by keeping it—”

Mickey stood and stared at Tim, an angry expression evident on his face, or so Jase noted. “No!You’re not gonna blame this onus. I told Danny not to do it, Timothy. Jonny and me, we refused to go along with it, but you two—you and Matt went along with it like it was the right thing to do. I wanna know why?” Mickey demanded.

Matt held up his hand to stop the discussion. “I understand Danny’s position. He wanted the best for—”

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