Page 9 of Finding Jeremy
“Just didn’t wanna let you down.”
“Getting broken would have been letting me down, being honest; especially when the gig getting canceled was beyond your control, would have earned my respect. You remember that for next time.”
Jeremy sighed again a little harder this time, kicking himself for the choice he’d almost made and the deception that would have gone along with it.
Shoulders slumping, he finished chewing his bite of hot dog before replying. “I will, Pops.”
“Be certain you do. Now go enjoy the rest of the evening.”
“Thanks,” Jeremy said, seeking out Gray at the tables only to find him surrounded by some old club brothers he hadn’t had the chance to talk with for a while.
He knew he’d disappointed Gray too with the stunt he’d almost pulled and couldn’t blame his new Dom for being upset with him over it either. He knew Doms and Daddies didn’t like when their boys got hurt, especially if they could have avoided it, and while Jeremy knew that was exactly what he’d hoped forwhen they’d entered into their relationship, it was still hard to believe that it was real. Gray had already told him that there would be rules to follow and penalties when Jeremy broke them, but not having them in place already had left him unsettled and uncertain when he’d been brainstorming ways to fix the situation the runaway bulls had left him in.
One of the things Gray had mentioned putting on there was the importance of honest and open conversation and wanting Jeremy to know that he was supposed to come to him and talk about anything that left him feeling all twisted up inside. He’d reiterated that at the shop, leaving Jeremy feeling a bit sheepish for thinking that he didn’t mean for that to start until they’d had a chance to discuss the things they were supposed to write down.
Meant it to start the moment I said it,Gray had pointed out when Jeremy had asked him the question during one of those breaks.Next time I’ll make it clearer.
Jeremy spotted Haven seated on a picnic blanket with Loki-Bear, feeding the big German Shepherd the first bite from the plate Maddox handed him. He quickly hurried over to drop down on the blanket beside him as Maddox headed for the grill to get his own plate.
“Why aren’t you over there?” Jeremy asked, gesturing at the lively table full of bikers.
“I was, but Loki-Bear was starting to get nervous being under the table, and I didn’t want him to accidentally get kicked, so we moved over here,” Haven explained as he petted the regal dog, who gently plucked another hunk of hamburger from between Haven’s fingers.
He was just as gentle when taking a bit of hot dog from Jeremy, who’d come to love the sweet pup the same as his owners did.
“Poor boy, theyarekinda rowdy over there,” Jeremy said, scratching his ears as Loki-Bear chewed the hot dog.
“And I’m sure my Daddy will just add to it once he joins them too,” Haven admitted as he stared after Maddox.
“I told Pops what I was gonna do with The Gauntlet,” Jeremy admitted. “He laughed and pretty much saidgood luck with thatsince he’d already taken the Yamaha apart.”
Laughing, Jeremy’s best friend shook his head. “Oh man, you’d have gone in there to do a tune-up and lost your shit.”
“Right! And probably still texted you desperately hoping you could help me put it back together before the first round.”
“And I’d have stormed over here and tied you to a tree with a hammock for waking me up before the asscrack of dawn.”
“Seriously? As bad as the mosquitos have been this year, there’d have been nothing left of me by the time the old man got up.”
“And it would have served you right, too, for getting me up that early and trying to do something so reckless in the first place.”
“Yeah, I know it was stupid. I just wish I could get my shit together and start saving up for when things go sideways.”
“I get that,” Haven replied. “I needed Maddox to sit me down and help me organize my finances, so I had a business account established as well as personal savings and checking accounts. It really helped when he explained that I was supposed to pay myself the same as if I were an employee, so I wasn’t dumping every dime back into the garage and leaving myself with little to nothing for myself. He even helped me work out a sliding pay scale for mechanics based on experience, not that I expect to hire anyone else anytime soon. Between me and Gray, we’ve been keeping up with the machines, and with everything you’ve done in the office, I feel like things are finally chugging along smoothly.”
“He’s been good for you,” Jeremy remarked in response to not only Haven’s statement but the dopey look on his face andthe way he couldn’t stop watching as Maddox laughed with Chaos about something.
“Yup. The same way Gray will be for you.”
“As long as he doesn’t get sick of me fucking up.”
Haven laughed at that, pricking Jeremy’s temper a little. “Not funny, dude.”
“It is if you really think Gray could ever get sick of you,” Haven explained. “He already knows you can be impulsive and hate asking for help. Once you really start spending time together one-on-one, he’s gonna start locking in on the things that get you spun out. You’d best believe he’ll be putting a stop to whatever is going on before you lose your shit.”
“You make me sound like a time bomb.”
“If the crater fits.”
