Page 112 of Wild Card
“Mm, more bacon for me.” He picked it up and took a bite. A little growl sounded from under the table, and he visibly startled, then hurriedly broke off a piece and tossed it to Taz. “Here, take my offering. Don’t hurt me, demon.”
“I thought Taz liked everyone?” I said, baffled.
Axel snorted coffee out his nose he laughed so hard. Bailey and Holden were losing it, too. I exchanged a look with Emory.
He smiled. “There’s a whole story about Taz trying to gobble Gray’s dick?—”
“What?” I exclaimed.
The brothers only laughed harder while Gray glared at them. “Laugh it up, assholes. I’m gonna get a goat and teach it to bite you all in the ass!”
They continued to taunt and tease and laugh at each other, and I could see now why Axel had hurled himself into the bar fight when Dallas hit Gray with a chair. Bailey had jumped into the fray, too. These guys might not be related by blood, but they were tighter than most families.
Axel reached for a slice of bacon, flashing that tattoo I’d noticed on the underside of his wrist: an infinity sign with Bro in one loop and Code in the other.
Gray had it too, and a sweep of Bailey and Holden confirmed they all wore the same tat. A promise, maybe, to always be brothers?
Their closeness made me aware that Bodie was waiting to hang out today. He’d looked up to me for a long time, but especially since his dad left.
The hero worship made me a little uncomfortable because I didn’t deserve it. But the kid needed me, so I’d have to get over myself.
Axel walked me to the door after I said my goodbyes.
“My brothers are a lot. Sorry.”
“Your brothers are great,” I said. “Sorry I can’t stay longer, but I’ve got a few chores to do at my folks’ place, and my nephew wants me to swing by his football practice.”
“Get going, then.”
“You miss me already, huh?” I teased.
“Not even close,” he said, but he followed it up with a kiss that said otherwise.
I was still grinning over it while I watched Bodie at practice a few hours later and then gave him a lift home. My sister zeroed in on it like a shark smelling blood in the water.
“What’s the goofy smile about?”
“He’s just impressed by my amazing moves on the field,” Bodie joked as he dropped back, raising his arms overhead. “Perkins goes long! The throw is high. Can he catch it? Oh, he can! He’s got magic hands!”
My sister snorted a laugh at him, but I couldn’t leave the kid hanging. He was too dang proud of himself. He’d lit up like a sun when he saw me on the sidelines and he’d been floating high ever since.
I put out my fist. “Good work out there today.”
“I’m going to make it to state by my senior year,” he said, “just like you did.”
“I don’t doubt it, man, but you gotta play for yourself, okay? Nobody else.”
He nodded, his eyes serious. “I do, Uncle Dalton. I just think it’s cool we have this in common.”
I smiled. “Yeah, me too, kid.”
“I’m thirsty. I’m gonna grab a Gatorade. You want one?”
“Nah, go ahead.”
As soon as he was out of the room, Camille shook her head. “That boy worships you.”
“I wish he didn’t.”
