Page 30 of The Wounded Warrior

“You look exhausted, baby boy.” Such a mom.

“I am.” He wanted to just set everything down for a bit and rest, but he had too much to do.

Life was never-ending when revenge was on the line.

“Eat something. It will make you feel better.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He took a biscuit and some bacon and made himself a sandwich.

Pop did the same, and for a few minutes he was spared having to chat. He took his pills, chugging them back with his coffee.

“Antibiotics?” Pop asked.

“And a pain pill. I promise not to abuse them.”

“No one has ever worried about that with you, son.”

“No?” Rory grinned, his sore jaw stretching. “You mean there’s one sin I’m not notorious for?”

“Just one,” Mom muttered. “Although you’re not huge on sloth, come to think about it.”

“So I get off the hook for gluttony and sloth.”

“Well, you do have some rage, son,” Pop said. “And you are a fudgepacker.”

“James!” Mom stared, but Rory just bowed with an evil grin.

“I totally am, thank you.” He fought the urge to stick his tongue out at his mom.

“Good to know where you fit in the universe.Are those grits, Helen?”

“You know it.”

“You’re a miracle worker, Mom.” He hadn’t even known he had grits in there.

She gave him an arch look and passed the grits to Pop. “Aunt Barbara gave them to you for Christmas. I found them in the pantry. If you cooked once in a while in this well-stocked, fancy-assed kitchen…”

“What?” Rory widened his eyes. “I have to uphold the gay stereotype and eat out. If I ever hook up permanently I’ll take cooking classes and have dinner parties.”

“Promise? Will you have wine tastings, too? That’s one thing this town needs, a gay man that doesn’t drink horse-piss beer.” Mom’s voice was dry as dust.

God, he adored them both.

“Oh, good idea. I’ll have Lori look into it.” He winked. “Thanks for coming over. Really. I didn’t even know I needed to see y’all.”

“Anytime, son.” Pop grinned over the island at him and suddenly he was ten again, having his breakfast, knowing that all was right with the world. The Cowboys and Rangers were in Dallas, the Spurs were in San Antonio, and he was going to grow up to be a country singer and a roper, just like King George.

Rory let go of everything else to bask in that feeling a bit. It was rare these days, and a man took his comfort where he could.

There would be plenty of time to pick up the revenge thing later.

Chapter Fourteen

Luke stared at his phone.

He’d opened a new text and filled in Rory McConnell’s name. Yay. Now he had to decide what to put in.

‘Lunch?’ seemed too casual. ‘Wanna hook up?’ was sleazy. ‘Why did you kiss me?’ Yeah, that was too clueless.

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