Best Friends, Tennessee (Hard Spot Saloon #1)

14. Finn

14

FINN

Everything is good when you’ve got a cock inside you. At least… if it’s his.

Is it too soon for a round two?

I woke up like a kid on Christmas morning, feeling like I’d somehow cracked a code I’d been trying to break for years.

He was with me. Ori’s warm weight was still right here in my bed, closer than he’d ever been. Light had just started to filter through the curtains in my bedroom, and he was sleeping peacefully, the gentle light falling over his hair and bringing out its rich brown color.

When had we ever stopped being close? How had I ever let it get so bad? This morning was all the proof I needed that I’d been an idiot for ever letting myself believe we might not be friends again.

Right now, it felt like there was no way we could be anything but this close.

I grabbed my phone and quietly looked over my schedule for the day. I didn’t want to get out of this bed, but I had horses to feed over at the ranch and three massage clients today.

I slipped out of bed as quietly as I could, trying not to disturb Ori. I got into the bathroom and checked the mirror, a deep blush forming on my cheeks.

I had not one but three dark marks on my neck.

Very visible ones.

Ori had given me freaking hickeys the night before.

I ran my fingertips over the spots, smiling despite the fact that I had no way to hide the damned things. I was like a teenager again, sneaking around with a burning secret.

These? No big deal. My best friend gave them to me .

Screw it. I hopped in the shower for a quick rinse before gearing up for the ranch. In the kitchen, I set out a coffee mug and a little note for Ori—as if he hadn’t been staying here for weeks now and knew perfectly well how to feed himself here.

The ranch was clear and bright by the time I arrived. I spent an hour with the horses. Pippa and Hopper were particularly happy to see me this morning, and I gave them plenty of love. Around the perimeter of the ranch, all of the trees were in full spring green now, and birds flitted from tree to tree, tweeting up a storm.

The world had thawed. And maybe this was all I needed—waking up feeling like I had Ori back in my life again, a ranch that felt like home, and massage clients on deck that I felt like I was actually making progress on.

I didn’t need things with Ori to be permanent.

I didn’t need all of my video uploads to go viral online or make me boatloads of money.

I had it so good, all around me, when I really paid attention. And I was never going to let things change between me and Ori again.

I watched Pippa chewing her hay for another minute before heading off. My first clients of the day were some of my easiest ones, and the day felt like a breeze for the first time in a while. As usual, my last stop of the day was Mason, in the early afternoon. By the time I pulled back toward his big house, I was still buzzing from the night before.

I pulled out my phone before I went inside, and my heart did a little jump when I saw I had a text from Ori.

Ori : How do you have this many squirrels in your yard? It’s like a 24/7 squirrel rave out here.

I smiled and jotted out a text back.

Finn : Your lips to God’s ears, sweetheart. Don’t even get me started.

Ori : You have names for them, don’t you?

Finn : One of them may or may not be named after The Rock.

Ori : He a pro fighter-turned-actor?

Finn : The squirrel just has a thick neck. What can I say?

Ori : You are one-of-a-kind. Also, your bed is outrageously comfortable. It’s mine now. Enjoy the guest room.

I was grinning like an idiot now.

Finn : Like hell. I’ll share, but I won’t give it up.

Ori : Fine. I’ll share.

I almost jumped as Mason swung open the front door, startling me from my trance.

“Look at you,” Mason said the moment he saw me, giving me a once-over. “Nice hickeys.”

I felt my cheeks heat a little as I walked into his entryway. Nobody else had mentioned them today, but then again, nobody else was going to be as blunt as Mason.

“How do you know that’s what they are?” I joked. “I could have gotten in a fight where someone only specifically targeted my neck.”

He snorted. “Yeah. More like a fight where a sexy cowboy-chaser woman attacks you with her mouth. Nice work, Finn.”

Not exactly a woman. “Thanks. How’s your lower back doing?”

“It’s not great today, actually,” he said. “It’s going to need the Finn Hammer.”

“I can probably get it to a better spot, but it won’t be perfect if it’s clenching up. Mind if I set up to film a video?”

“By all means,” Mason said as we walked into his living room. “I like being featured in your videos.”

“Ever since that one commenter who said your hair looked cute,” I mentioned.

“Bingo. Sounds good. I’ll help you carry in the stuff.”

In another couple of minutes we had the camera rolling and the massage table all laid out. I never recorded our voices during the video sessions—later on, I recorded narration for the massages, talking all about the specific techniques I used on different areas of the body.

Mason took advantage of that more than usual today, telling me all about a guy who’d been stringing him along.

“It’s hell on Earth,” he murmured through the hole in the massage table. “I thought he seemed promising, but yesterday he accidentally sent me a dick pic meant for someone else.”

“How do you know it wasn’t for you?” I asked as I gently started to press along his iliac crest, right above his right hip.

“He had For Gary written above his cock in permanent marker.”

“Oh, God,” I said. “That really is brutal.”

Mason pulled in a slow breath, easing into the pressure I was putting on his lower back.

“I’m telling you, Finn, I’m done being a hot mess,” he said. He sounded more earnest than usual, in a rare moment of vulnerability. “I already don’t take on half as many riding clients as I should.”

I’d been silently thinking the same thing for months. Mason always took great care of his horses and his property, but I knew he wasn’t giving a fraction of the amount of lessons his dad used to. They’d always had money, but his dad kept the business rolling, giving lessons every day of the week.

I’d be surprised if Mason even gave a riding lesson twice in one week, these days. He cared deeply, but I knew he didn’t feel the same teaching without his father by his side.

“You’ll get back to it,” I told him, and I believed it fully. “It’s okay not to take on as much as you used to, but one day soon, you’ll get your mojo back.”

He hummed. “I want to. I really do,” he told me, pausing for a moment. “It’s not just with the riding lessons, though. It’s… everything, in my life.”

I put on my therapist hat for a moment. “Like what?”

“Like my shitty love life.”

I chucked. “Tell me about it.”

“I met that dick pic guy in a bar last weekend when I took a day trip to Nashville. Both of us were drunker than a damn fish. I’m sure he has plenty of other guys on his roster.”

“I’m just wondering what kind of fish you’re finding that are drunk, Mason.”

“It’s an expression,” he protested. “They’re swimming in water, I was swimming in alcohol. How have you never heard anyone say that before?”

“Maybe I’m the naive one,” I said.

“Oh, fuck, that hurts,” Mason said as I hit a bad spot above his hip.

“I know. That’s a really tight spot,” I said, easing up just slightly but continuing to slowly release the muscle. “You’re going to hate this, but you know what would help with your muscles?”

“Yeah, yeah, not partying as much,” he said.

“And doing the mobility exercises I recommended,” I added. “And eating real meals instead of just cinnamon rolls and liquor.”

He pulled in a long breath. “I wish I could be more like you sometimes,” he said.

I puffed out a laugh. “It’s not all roses for me.”

“Seems like you’re doing pretty well to me. You’re glowing, or whatever the celebrities call it.”

“I’m just happy Ori is back in town, honestly.”

Mason groaned. “That’s another thing. I’m jealous of you for what you have with Ori.”

I was glad he was lying down right now, because I was definitely blushing again.

“It wasn’t always easy with him, either,” I said. “Trust me.”

“I’ve never had a best friend like that before, though,” Mason said. “You’re lucky. Don’t forget it.”

I found myself driving toward Red Fox Diner before I even knew my car was taking me there. Inside, they were in a rare quiet lull in between the lunch rush and the evening rush. I found Ori talking to Thomas behind the bar, the two of them in a heated discussion about the menu. They faced toward the back, organizing clean mugs.

“If you say it in the right way, I know they’ll listen,” Thomas was saying. “Your parents seem attached to their old ways, but they eventually listen to reason.”

“Do they, though?” Ori asked.

Both of them hadn’t noticed me yet. I sat down at the counter behind them and noticed that Ori’s black T-shirt was riding up just a little bit, revealing a strip of skin above the waistband of his pants.

So fucking hot. I wanted to run my fingers over that exposed bit of skin. The same way I’d been able to touch him last night—in any way I wanted. And the way his ass looked in his pants…

“I had to convince them to even let me do cinnamon rolls, and now they’re a customer favorite,” Thomas said, turning slightly and noticing me. “Oh! Hey, Finn.”

Ori’s eyes widened when he saw me.

Fuck, I wanted to pounce on him. If it were socially acceptable, I’d have jumped over the counter right now and pinned him up against it.

When Ori made eye contact with me, I felt even more like we were sharing a secret. The memory of his low, possessive voice last night flashed through my mind.

Mine .

I still was his.

“Welcome in,” he said simply, as if everything was normal.

Thomas’ eyes lingered on my hickeys for a second, but unlike Mason, he didn’t mention them.

Not too long ago, I wouldn’t have admitted it, but having Thomas’ eyes on my hickeys made me want to show them off even more. I wished Thomas knew exactly how I’d gotten them.

“About those cinnamon rolls,” I said, eyeing a fresh batch behind the counter.

“Got your name written all over one,” Thomas told me, cutting me a piece.

“And on the subject of Ori’s parents, I think if anyone will be able to convince them, it’ll be you, Thomas,” I said as he slid the cinnamon roll over. “They’ve known me and Ori for too long.”

“He was telling me that you stayed with them for a while, Finn,” Thomas said, curiosity in his eyes. “I didn’t know you two lived together for a while.”

“We’ve always been close,” I said, even though I wanted to say so much more, laying claim on Ori. I finished my first bite of the cinnamon roll and I had to fight not to wolf down the whole thing in one bite. “I don’t know what you put in these things, and I don’t want to know, because they’re so damn good.”

“Damn,” Thomas said, smiling. “Ori was telling me they’re the best thing he’s ever eaten, too. I’m being spoiled with compliments today.”

The possessive lion inside me reared its head in an instant, ready to strike.

Down, boy.

Ori was allowed to like other guys’ food. For fuck’s sake, we were supposed to be friends with benefits, anyway. I didn’t actually have a claim on him, even if he was the most important person in the world to me.

“I did live with Ori’s family for a few months,” I said, bringing the subject back around. I grabbed a sugar packet and started thwacking it between two of my fingertips.

“And I made his life a living hell,” Ori chimed in as he poured me a short cup of coffee.

I heard the faint sound of the back door opening from behind the kitchen and in a moment, Danielle came through the kitchen door.

“Do you guys want the good news or the bad news first?” Dani asked. “Hey, Finn.”

Ori grimaced. “Bad news first. Don’t tell me Olivia didn’t sleep again last night?”

“Shockingly she was the sleepiest baby in Bestens last night,” Dani said. “The bad news is that I just saw you-know-who in the parking lot.”

“Oh, shit,” Ori groaned. “Thomas, it’s time for you to meet Mary Ellen and her crew.”

I chuckled, taking a sip of coffee. “Good luck.”

“Should I be scared?” Thomas asked.

“Mary Ellen is infamous around Bestens,” Danielle explained. “She’s sweet, don’t get me wrong. But she is absolutely goddamn impossible .”

Thomas leaned on the counter, looking at Ori.

“Tell me everything,” Thomas said to him.

“Mary Ellen travels with a gang,” Ori explained to Thomas. “You never see her in the wild without four or six or ten other old ladies with her. Sometimes they’re local, sometimes they’re visiting from out of town.”

“It’s like a reverse-Goldilocks from hell,” Dani said, tying her apron behind her. “The air is too cold inside, then too warm. Music is too peppy or not loud enough. Don’t even get me started on the booths Mom and Dad haven’t replaced yet.”

“Mary Ellen would probably keel over if we ever sat her at one of those,” Ori said. “In fact, go ahead and call the paramedics now ahead of time.”

Thomas laughed warmly, reaching over to place a hand on Ori’s shoulder. “You are so funny. I’ll get started on my last batch of syrups.”

My eyes landed on that gesture like I was hunting prey.

If Thomas put his hands on Ori again I was going to lean over the counter and make out with Ori right here, right now—I didn’t give a fuck what it might mean.

“You said you had good news, too,” Ori asked Dani.

“The good news is good for Mary Ellen, too,” Dani said. “Mom and Dad got in contact with a contractor today to see about fixing and replacing some of the booths.”

Ori raised his hands in the air. “Hallelujah.”

“Damn right,” Dani said.

“I was just telling Ori earlier today about a friend of mine in Miami who is a painter,” Thomas told Danielle. “He has a beautiful oil painting of a red fox he’s willing to display here.”

“Amazing,” Dani said, clapping her hands.

“I’m telling you, you’d love it there,” Thomas told Ori.

Ori was pouring freshly ground coffee into the top of one of the machines, and I saw him slide a glance my way for a moment.

“Oh, right,” Ori said.

“Miami seems like it would be the perfect fit for you,” Thomas continued. “Urban, beautiful, modern, but not completely cutthroat like LA or New York. I’ll add you to our group text tonight. Marco’s a painter and he has connections to all of the art galleries.”

I clenched my jaw.

“Sounds interesting,” I said before I had time to think. Thomas looked back at me like he was surprised I was still listening.

“You ever been to Miami, Finn?”

“Can’t say I have,” I said.

And Ori is allowed to spend more time here in Bestens before he even thinks about moving away again .

“Oh, Gosh, isn’t it warm in here,” an elderly woman’s voice came with a rush of air from the front doors behind me. “And, wow, that cinnamon smell!”

“Welcome in, Mary Ellen,” Ori said, giving her a big wave.

“Ori,” she said warmly. “Don’t you just look like a little peach. Is the good booth available? Oh, it is. Is that a little bit of sugar on top of the table? Does it need to be wiped away?”

“I’ll take care of you today, Mary Ellen,” Dani said. “That’s just a scratch on the table. But you’ll never believe it—we’re actually getting new tables, soon.”

Danielle fielded Mary Ellen with ease, and soon, three other old women filed in, joining her at the “good” booth. Dani was preoccupied with them for at least an hour, and every time she walked off, they flagged her back down for some small request.

I stayed put at the front counter. I was going to wait until Ori’s shift was over, the way I used to back in high school. By early evening, he was free to go.

I’d been turning over the idea of Miami in my head ever since Thomas had brought it up, thumbing at it like an irritated scab.

“Hard Spot?” I asked Ori after he’d clocked out for the evening.

He nodded. “Let’s do it.”

The air smelled like beer and barbecue as we stepped out onto Laurel Ave. The night was already bustling. The fountain on the corner was surrounded by a group of teenagers, one of them playing an acoustic guitar. The twinkle lights wrapped around each tree were already illuminated, and Ori and I ambled across the corner slowly. We both stopped to look in the window of a clothing boutique that I knew neither of us cared about.

I liked being aimless with him.

But I also had a big, burning question in the back of my mind, with no idea how to bring it up.

“What’s up with you?” Ori finally asked, stopping a few paces away from Hard Spot under a lamp post.

“With me?”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’re acting weird.”

I stretched my arms above my head. “Nothing’s weird.”

He puffed out a laugh. “Finn, cut the shit. If you feel weird about last night, it’s in the past. I’m not going to jump you again or something.”

“No,” I said so loudly that a family across the way gave me a glance. “No.”

He gave me a dubious look. “You sure about that?”

I glanced around quickly, making sure nobody we knew was going to see us by the edge of the saloon.

Then I put a hand on Ori’s waist, leaning over to crush my lips to his.

I let my mouth linger on his longer than I should have. His mouth was all I had wanted all day, and no matter who might have seen us right now, I didn’t want to fucking stop.

But I also cared about Ori.

And, god damn it, I was going to respect his wishes, whether I liked it or not.

I pulled away, sucking in a quick breath of air.

“I do not feel weird about last night, even a little bit.”

Ori licked his lips and I tried to ignore that it was making me hard, right here in the middle of the street.

“Then what was your deal?”

I gave him a look, pausing for a second. “Miami, huh?”

Ori waved a hand through the air. “God, Thomas has brought up Miami about four times today, and I’m exhausted. I don’t want to talk about Miami, or Tennessee, or any of it, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course,” I said quickly.

“I’m sorry,” he told me. “But for tonight, could I maybe have a break from thinking about big, stressful future plans, and just enjoy this?”

I could give him that.

“You got it,” I said, letting my hand rest just a little bit longer on his waist. “I just want to be with you tonight, too.”

“I thought about you all day,” he said, giving me the same look he’d given me in bed last night.

God, he was hot.

So hot I wanted to say screw it, put him in my truck, and drive us both back home to fuck again.

But there was a bittersweet edge to that, too. Last night was still our secret. From Thomas, from Mason, from Dani, from the whole goddamn town.

I took his words like a shot of sugary liquor.

They tasted sweet, but I was going to get fucked up on them, too.

I didn’t want him to be my secret, but that’s what this was. I was lust-drunk. And I was signing right up for it.

“Get your ass inside,” I said near his ear, leaning to give it a little nibble before pulling away.

If I couldn’t have all of him, then I was going to have as much fun with this as possible.

Torment him until he was squirming underneath me, begging for what he really wanted.