Page 81 of Givin' Me Fitz!
He put down his phone and stood from the couch, walking over to take the chair next to me. “Hey, Fitz. Jesse caught me up on some things, and I want to know what we can do to help you.”
For an instant, I was shocked, but my face had to be lit up like a Christmas tree. I wasn’t used to anyone giving a fuck about anything going on in my life except maybe my parents. For Monty and Sparky to ask if they could help was new for me.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m not sure what you can do. Hell, I’m not sure whatIcan do at this point. I haven’t heard from Sawyer, so I have no idea what’s going on.”
“You want us to go out to the compound with you to check on Sawyer?” Sparky’s sincerity was evident in his voice.
“I appreciate it more than I can say without embarrassing myself, guys, but no thanks. I’ve gotta trust that Sawyer will reach out if he needs me. I could, however, use a ride home if one of you don’t mind.” Sawyer had my truck because Keller had taken Sawyer’s.
“Ryan, I’ll take Fitz home and meet you at the house after we stop and have a beer at Sierra Slots. Have you heard from Hardy today? I moved some pork chops from the freezer to the fridge this morning. Think it’s too cold to grill out?”
If I could have anything close to the easy love the two men showed so freely, I’d be happy as a goddamn clam.
“We have a fresh propane tank in the garage. If you wanna grill pork chops, I’ll make it happen.” The smile on Monty’s face was sweet.
“Okay. I’ll see you at home.” Sparky stood from his chair and walked around the desk, kissing him before handing Monty his jacket.
Monty pulled on his coat and headed out. I turned to Sparky and chuckled. “You guys always get along like that?”
Sparky laughed. “Most of the time. Sometimes, I’m a cranky old pain in the ass. Ryan has the patience of a saint and a damn good sense of humor to deal with me. Let’s go.”
We said goodnight to Denise and went to Sparky’s truck. He drove us down the street to the slot bar, and we went inside.
The bartender smiled as we sat at the corner where there were no video poker machines. “Kayla, this is Fitz, one of my hunters. Fitz, this is the best bartender on South Jones.”
Kayla, a petite brunette with an infectious smile, laughed loudly. “Don’t fall for that, Fitz. This one’s a smooth talker.” She pointed at Sparky, who chuckled.
It was as carefree a laugh as I’d heard from the man since I’d started working for him. It reminded me there were people out there living happy lives and wanting to be friends, but I kept them at bay. That seemed to be a thing with me—not opening up enough with people to make lasting friendships. That was something I needed to work on.
Kayla brought each of us a pint of a local IPA and went to wait on other customers. I took a sip of the delicious brew, happy Sparky had suggested we stop for a beer.
“I’m glad you came to work for us. These younger guys get cocky and take chances we seasoned vets know are ridiculous. How’s Jagger to work with?”
Kayla dropped a rocks glass full of olives in front of us with two toothpicks stuck in one.
“Thanks.”
“Appreciate it.”
We both reached for a pick and took an olive, me trying to figure out how to answer him and wondering if he’d already had the same conversation with Jagger about me.
“Jagger’s a nice guy. He’s very professional, which is good in our line of work. The job that took us to Tahoe last week helped us get to know each other better. If we’re going to be partnered on jobs and have each other’s back, we need to learn how to work as a team. That trip helped. I wouldn’t say we’re besties like the others seem to be, but I have no problem with him.” That was the truth.
Sparky nodded. “Good. I wasn’t sure about him because I thought he might be too uptight and he wouldn’t fit in, but I’m glad to hear you think he’ll be okay.”
I took another olive and popped it into my mouth. There was blue cheese stuffed inside instead of pimento. It was damn good.
“You like working at Sparks? Is it challenging enough for you?”
I guessed this was part of my ninety-day evaluation. If it was, it was a damn fine way to do it.
“Yeah. I like it a lot. Since I started, I’ve had the chance to work with everyone at one time or another, and I think you’ve surrounded yourself with a group of great guys. Hardy’s exceptionally good at his job, and he comes through for me when I need anything. Denise is nice and does a great job, and she’s not afraid to try anything.” I meant every word. I’d owed Dallas St. Michael more than I could ever repay for putting me in touch with Sparky.
“Good to hear. I think the same thing, but I like to check in with you guys to be sure everything is going to plan. Now, are you going to the fight tomorrow night?”
“I am. Sawyer will be there, and I’ll be with him.” That was a certainty.
“Is it by invitation?”
