Page 87 of Holding On to a Hero
I twisted out of Spence’s grasp to put the plate in the cabinet. When I faced him again, I gave him a hug. “Thanks, Spence. I needed to hear that.”
I should go give Jason a hug so he knew we were okay. “Oh, shit!” I gasped. “Cole is in there with Jason. You know he noticed how we were acting. He’s probably reading Jason the riot act right now. We have to save him!”
“You’re right. The dishes can wait. Come on!” He spun, purple silk swirling around him, and grabbed the pot of coffee as we headed back out to the breakfast room. Cole was leaning toward Jason, who had a harassed look on his face. Oh, God. I needed to do some damage control for sure.
“Hey, I didn’t tell you guys my big news!” Spence caroled as he shoved between Cole and Jason to refill their cups.
“You have big news? I mean, obviously we know about your mom, but there’s more?” Cole picked up his mug and tried to look like he totally hadn’t been chewing Jason out just then. I tried to meet Jason’s eyes, but he was still avoiding mine.
“Yes, I was going to tell you when I came to visit you on the way here, but, well, you know why that didn’t happen. Anyway, I quit my job. I’m not going back to Hollywood.”
“What?” Cole choked out. “But, you’re selling the house. And I thought you loved stunt work?”
“I do. Or I did. But I’m tired. I’m tired of having to pretend to be masc at work. I’m tired of getting banged and bruised every day without any career growth to show for it. My uncle’s going to leave the company to my cousin, and even though I can design great stunts, it’s become clear that I’d have to go out on my own to get ahead.”
“And that means more time pretending to be masc.” Cole was sympathetic.
“Right. So when I found out my mom was sick, and I thought about how I hadn’t visited her as often as I could have because I was always on location or doing fight training or whatever, I was just done.”
“So you quit. Good for you, Spence.” Cole got up and hugged Spence.
I asked, “What are you going to do now?”
He and Cole sat down at the table. “I don’t know yet. This house is almost ready to sell, and I’ve already got enough savings to get by for a good while. I thought I would see what came along.”
“Why don’t you come to Austin with us?” Jason suggested.
“Yes!” Cole bounced in his seat. “That would be awesome, Spence! You could help with the animals at the rescue ranch!”
“Oh, I don’t know about me on a ranch, Cole….”
“Actually,” Jason interjected firmly, “I was thinking you could try working at Shelton Security.”
Spence looked hesitant. “Jason, that’s nice of you, but a bodyguard? I’m done being butch for work. I need to be myself, and no one would take me seriously as a bodyguard like this.” He made an up and down gesture at himself.
Jason grinned at Spence, looking sure of himself for the first time that morning. It was pretty sexy. “Exactly.”
“Um, what?”
“Spence, you know guns. You know how to fight, how to disarm someone. Sometimes our clients need a bodyguard who doesn’tlooklike a bodyguard. You’d look like a friend they were going shopping with. Or a date.”
“Huh.” Spence looked gobsmacked. Jason chuckled.
“No need to decide right now. But why don’t you come to Austin with us anyway? I’d feel better having more people around when we set up Cole’s Big Plan to draw out the shooter.” Jason’s tone was just on the edge of pleading. I knew he wasn’t thrilled about setting us all up as bait, but he hadn’t been able to come up with a better idea.
Cole nodded. “Spence, you can choreograph a fight scene like nobody’s business, and we’ll need to make sure we aren’t leaving any of us vulnerable.” His face lightened. “And if we can talk you into moving to Austin at the same time, all the better!”
“Let’s call Brian,” Jason said. “We can walk him through what we’ve come up with so far, and Spence, you can see what you’d be getting into if you decide to join us.”
Spence stood up and put his hands on his hips so the silk robe hung behind him like a superhero’s cape. “Help you catch the asshole who’s trying to hurt you? Who’salreadyhurt Will and Cole? Count me in.”
We all cheered.
Chapter Forty-Six
Jason
I know. Iknow.I hurt Will. I should have reassured him this morning, but instead I’d sat there frozen and thought about howIwas feeling awkward. I was focused on how I couldn’t tell him I reciprocated his feelings yet. Even though I was pretty sure I did, and even though he hadn’t actually said those three scary words. But I should’ve realized he’d be feeling vulnerable since he’d been the one to lay his heart out there.
