Page 49 of Stowaway Whirlwind
“The position comes with a raise.”
“Could have led with that, too.” I’m wearing a matching grin now, feeling on top of the world.
Russell puts a palm on the left side of his chest. “Yeah, but I’m sure you can find it in your heart to forgive me when you get your first paycheck. Jared’s last day is Friday after next. You can start training with him tomorrow, then take over from there.”
“Ah, shit.” My smile drops, and so does his.
“What’s going on?”
“Listen, I can’t do Monday.”
His brows dip with concern. “Why the hell not?”
“You want the short or long version?”
Russell checks the gold metal watch on his wrist since he’s an old fart who doesn’t have his phone glued to his hand twenty-four-seven—something else I like to give him shit about. “I got time. Hit me.”
I give him the long version of events, watching his face darken when I tell him about Colton’s mother showing up out of the blue, trying to forcibly take Lily, and how we’re going down to the courthouse first thing tomorrow morning. At the end of it, he looks ready to murder the crazy bitch.
“You take as much time as you need to make sure your girls are safe, son. And you let me know if you need help, yeah?” Russell cracks his knuckles, then waves me off. “Get out of here. Go home.”
We stand and shake hands over his desk. I hold on a little longer when he tries to pull his hand away. “You’re a good man,Russell, behind all that crankiness, and I really can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me.”
“Yeah, well, you can pay me back by bringing Marigold and Lily around to meet me. Let me hold that baby of yours.” With surprising openness, he says quietly, “It’s been too long since I’ve had a little one.”
“Of course.” I push my hair back and put my cap on as I stand.
Russell looks off to the side when I swing the office door open and crosses his arms over his chest. He says almost wistfully, “You ever just smell her hair? That newborn smell?” He breathes in deep through his nose as if the lingering scent of diesel has been replaced with that of baby shampoo. “Ain’t nothing like it.”
“Yeah, man, I do.” I know he doesn’t get to see his son much since Paul splits his time between his university, his mom’s place, and Russell’s. “You, uh, ever think about having another kid?”
Russell pats the middle of his chest like he’s got that ache I sometimes get. “Nah. Too old now. Too much of a cranky bastard.” He smiles at the joke, but there’s no genuine humor behind it. He seems to remember I’m there all of a sudden and clears his throat. “Get on out of here, son. Give your woman the good news.”
I tip my brim at him. “Will do, boss. Will do.”
On my way out, I bump into Wyatt on his way in for work. Without greeting, he narrows his dark eyes on me and says, “Dolly says she wants you to come to dinner tonight. Bring the family.”
“She’s not the one cooking, is she?” I grimace.
Wyatt cracks his knuckles. “Are you making fun of my wife’s cooking?”
“Well, shit.” I shake my head. “You’re a cranky bastard, too. Something in the water ‘round here?”
Wyatt’s mean mug breaks into a face-splitting grin, and he laughs heartily enough to have me laughing right alongside him. “God help her, I love that woman, but no, she’s not cooking on her own. Our mamas are coming over to help. Keep her from setting a pan on fire. Hopefully.”
“Alright, then. It’s been a while since I had some of your mama’s fine cooking.”
He pats his stomach. “How do you think I got to be so big?” If I’m built like a linebacker, he’s built like a defensive end or tackler. He’s a man you don’t want to test, especially where his family is concerned. “Six o’clock,” he says without saying goodbye, heading into Russell’s office.
Chapter 19
Goldie
Dressed in a similar navy blue version of the sweater dress Davis purchased for me, my hair clean and tamed as it hangs loosely down my back for once, I’m nervous as he pulls up to the adorable little green wood house. This is our first outing as a supposedreal couple, and Davis is officially introducing me to the nail-spitter and the woman who helped me get away from Mrs. Fitzroy. The phrasesmall worldcomes to mind, seeing as how we were all in Dallas, yet they live here and have been close friends with Davis for years, ever since he and Wyatt switched jobs. If it hadn’t been for Wyatt, I probably never would have met Davis, and my life would, more than likely, be in the shitter.
Warm light spills out onto the lawn in the dusky evening from the open front door as soon as we cross the lawn and climb the few steps onto the porch. I make this little gasping sound and point to the wooden porch swing they have hanging from the low ceiling at the side with green and linen-colored pillows for lounging.
I tap Davis’s arm and point to the swing. “Think we could get one of those for our porch?”
