Page 128 of All of Me

Me:

Damn right I am. And I win. Enjoy your sad little dude night.

Hunter:

Yeah, yeah. We get it. Callie’s gorgeous.

Luke:

Still think you could join us for one beer, though.

Me:

Not a chance. I haven’t been home enough lately, and I plan on making it up to my wife all night.

Will:

Alone time, huh?

Me:

Yeah, Will. Alone time. Unlike you, I don’t spend my nights with gas station snacks and poor life choices.

I glance up from my phone and sure enough, Will is leaning against the workbench, chewing on something suspiciously chewy-looking. His other hand is casually tucked into his lunchbox, rifling around for what I can only assume is more sugar-filled garbage.

His jaw slows as he realizes I’m watching him.

Will:

I take offense to that.

Vince:

Don’t pretend you aren’t holding a bag of gummy worms right now.

Will’s hand freezes mid-dig. His eyes flick to me, then to the guys’ messages, then back to me as if he’s trying to figure out if I sent them a separate text telling them Will was eating candy. I didn’t. He’s just that predictable.

Will:

…Mind your business.

I shake my head, laughing as I tuck the phone back into my pocket. “Enjoy your gummy worms, man. I’ll be enjoying my wife.”

Will shrugs, popping another gummy worm into his mouth like he’s got no shame. “You know what, Klein? Some of us don’t have a wife to go home to, okay? Some of us just have–” he lifts the bag, shaking it lightly “--this. Let me live.”

“That and your right hand,” I laugh before we return to finish our work day.

At the end of the day, Will grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder as we walk toward the trucks. “You sure you don’t want to let loose tonight? One beer wouldn’t kill you.”

“I’m sure,” I reply, sliding into the driver’s seat of my truck. “Callie is at home waiting for me. No way I’m trading that for your bad jokes and overpriced bar food… Don’t tell Hunter I said that.”

Will leans on my open window. “Your secret is safe with me.” He steps back with a laugh, raising his hand in a mock salute. “Enjoy your prune juice, old man.”

I flip him off and pull my phone out to text my wife, still in awe that I get to go home to her every day.

Me:

I’m on my way home, Kitty. It’s time for me to dish out some spankings for my birthday.

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