Chapter 18 #3
Mom rolled her eyes at them, but her grin was warm. “This is absolutely the truth. I think it was actually Seamus’s dad who taught him that, though. Hugo is amazing at being this very non-offensive, non-concerning human being of all time.”
Seamus had to grin. He had to. “And the fun thing is that it’s not an act. I mean, he’s grumpier than on television because he is a human being, but he’s really easygoing.”
“You said he’s married to a guy?”
“He is, Brian. An interior designer who is intense. You can tell Dad has a type—he’s blonde and intense, sort of like Mum.”
“Shut up, son.”
Oh, he did love landing one on Mom. “Honestly, he doesn’t care what the gender is so long as it’s blonde and intense. And he likes them all on the small side.”
Mom reached over and whacked him on the arm. “You be nice.”
“What? You have a type, too.” Seamus let his gaze slide to where Robin sat near the front door at a table for two.
Mom actually flushed a little, but just sipped her wine, and Stephanie’s laughter was warm, fond, barely mean at all.
They ordered, the bread basket came, and the women dug in. Dawes, bless him, did not.
Seamus clocked the room for a moment, always on the lookout, and frowned when he saw someone sneakily taking their picture. Hopefully if that ended up on social media no one would interrupt their supper.
Dawson was chatting with Mom, cheery and social. Seamus was trying to remember why he’d been so worried. They were hitting it off like a house afire. Dawson wasn’t being a grumpy puss at all.
“He’s very sociable, Shay. You’re serious about him, I can tell.” Stephanie’s smile was wicked.
“Can you?”
“I have been watching you your entire life. I know when you’re serious.”
He let himself go wide-eyed, and he grinned, then grabbed his beer to take a sip. He could use a tiny bit of pain relief in his leg.
He’d been keeping it elevated almost constantly since he’d hurt it, and damn, he was tender.
Dawson glanced at him, then put a hand on his arm. “You good, baby?”
Those bright hazel eyes missed nothing, and they were more green than gold when Dawson was concerned for him as he was now.
“Fine. My ankle is making itself known, that’s all.”
“Ah.” Dawson nodded. “If you need to put it up, I can move my hat and you can prop it on the chair. Your leg is long enough.”
Mom frowned. “I knew I should have gotten Robin to get food and eat at your place. Oh, honey.”
“It’s nothing. No stress. It’s just an ache. I’m good. Did you decide on an appetizer?”
“Nonsense. Surely there’s something you can use to elevate your foot. I’ll ask the manager.” Mom was building up a head of steam.
“Mum. Don’t make a scene.” He didn’t want to draw attention or be that movie guy.
“Sweetheart…”
Stephanie rolled her eyes and stood. “I’m just going to ask for a stool or a couch pillow. And I want the scallop cakes.”
Dawes grunted, and Seamus thought he saw him swallow hard.
“How about you and I get the meatballs, darl?”
Dawson gave him a relieved glance. “Sounds good.”
Mom patted Dawson’s hand. “I’ll get the pickled vegetable plate. Seamus is a pickle fiend.”
“I like me some pickles.” Dawson winked at his mom. “If I can identify them. No weird fish.”
“No weird fish.” She smiled at him. “Beware Hugo. He’s the king of weird seafood.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Oh my God, Mum, do you remember that sopa del mar shite?” Seamus shuddered.
So did his mom. “Oh, when he pulled out that whole crab.”
Seamus started chuckling. “I swear to God, darl. Christopher almost died. Right there in the sand.”
“Oh, God. I bet.” Dawes hooted, smacking his leg. “That had to be hilarious. I remember once when Mr. Coke tried to eat a live crawfish on a dare from Mr. Beau…”
“Oh no…” Mom’s nose wrinkled, and Seamus’s laughter filled the air.
Stephanie came back and the staff brought him a cushion, settling his ankle so he was more comfortable.
They were all grinning and grabbing a drink when there was a commotion near the front door, and they heard a crash. When he looked over, Robin was on his ass, his whole table tipped over with him.
“Mum!” The pair of men were carrying something in a bucket, and he tried to struggle to his feet. “Mum, watch out!”
Mom’s eyes went wide, Stephanie grabbed her and stood in front of her, and he heard the thud of feet as Christopher ran toward them. But then there was a blur to his right, and the bucket went flying back right into the face of one of the fuckers who was carrying it.
Jesus. Dawson had moved so fast he hadn’t even seen it.
Robin was roaring now, and Topher was standing between them and Dawes, and he pulled Stephanie and Mom into his arms, protecting them with his body.
“I got you.”
“You’re killing the !”
“Murderer!”
“Evil bitch!”
Mom rolled her eyes. “Activists.”
“Yeah, wild how you were doing an activist kind of film.” God, he hated people who would try to toss… whatever that was on someone who was just trying to have supper.
“Back the fuck off,” Dawson snarled low, blocking the other guy when he tried to duck around. “Someone call the goddamn cops.”
“I’m on it, sir.” The ma?tre d’ seemed as if he was dizzy. “They tazed our security.”
Robin waded in, grabbing one of the men, who was covered in what he hoped was red paint. “Where can I put them?”
“We have an empty office that locks from the outside,” the ma?tre d’ murmured.
“Perfect. Chris? Dawes? Come on, let’s move these guys.” Robin started muscling people, and Mom blinked.
“I don’t know about you, son, but I want to go home.”
“You and me both. I’ll just order burgers.” He was officially hurting now, after all this.
“Of course. If we’re getting In-N-Out, just get me a grilled cheese and a strawberry shake.”
“You got it, lady.”
“I’ll have your meals boxed up.” The ma?tre d’ was back. “I am so, so sorry.”
“My son is hurting. We’ll move as soon as they’re back. I assume you’ll deal with the police.”
“Yes, Ms. O’Houlihan. Absolutely.”
“I’ll stay and do it, dear.” Stephanie’s eyes were shark-cold and Seamus figured Stephanie would just eat them.
Christoper and Dawes were out in seconds.
“The Robin guy is getting the car.” Dawes grabbed his hand. “Are you okay? Your mom?”
“Hurting some.”
“Please just give anything they’ve fired to the staff,” Mom said. “Stephanie will handle the bill. This is not at all your fault.”
Dawes put an arm around him, and Topher got mom under his wing too.
“We getting burgers?” Dawes asked. “That way you can take a pill.”
“You know it. I’m sorry, darl. This is a shitty thing.” He wanted to spoil Dawson, not horrify him.
“It is.” Dawson’s jaw was hard as stone, his lips tight. “I got you, though. No one is coming after you or those ladies when I’m around.”
He knew Dawson wasn’t angry at him, but he was still damn impressed.
Topher made a soft, rumbling sort of sound. “We’re lucky they didn’t have firearms. Robin was too close.”
They made it to the front, and Topher left Mum with them to check and make sure the path to the car was clear. Two people from the restaurant staff helped, and soon enough, they were in the car.
Robin was wrapped around his mom, holding on and whispering low, “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
They were all trying to ignore it when Topher leaned over to Seamus, whispering, “Do you want me to tell you I’m sorry sweetheart?”
Dawes glared at him. “Don’t make me beat you, man. You don’t get to call him sweetheart. That’s my job.”
Dawes and Topher stared at each other for a long moment, and then they both cracked up, just throwing their heads back and cackling.
“Mum, tell your driver we just need to stop through the In-N-Out before he drops us off at the house.” He needed a burger and that fucking pain pill.
“I can do that.” She grabbed her phone. “Boys, get your orders together so I can make it.”
That was easy. “I want a triple protein style, with bacon if they have it today, and cheese.”
Dawson chuckled. “Double burger, French fries for me, and a Coke. I need a Coke.”
Christopher tilted his head sideways. “I want a Double Double. And I want a chocolate shake.”
Christopher always used sugar to help settle his nerves when he had a close call like that.
“Robin.” Mom put her hand on the big guy’s shoulder. “What do you want?”
“A 4x4.”
“You got it.” She was a trouper.
“You’re not hurt or anything, right?” Seamus gave Dawson a once-over, and he found a couple of suspiciously nauseating stains, but nothing else. “I mean, you’d tell me if you were. You were very brave, my bullfighter, going in against the scary bucket people.”
Dawes arched an eyebrow. “Yeah, not as scary as a bull.”
“Hey. Hey, at least pretend like you were going above and beyond for me, please. Like that was the scariest thing that ever happened to you, like ever.” Seamus had to keep playing. It kept his mind off his damn ankle. “It would make me feel tons better and also it would seem way cooler.”
“Ah. Absolutely. I have never been more terrified in my entire life. I swear to God.” Dawes gave him the wide eyes. “For a moment there I actually shook in my shoes.”
Christopher snorted. “You’re not wearing shoes, you’re wearing boots.”
“I was quaking in my boots?” Dawes tried.
Mom nodded. “Better, Mr. Dawson. Much better.”
Dawes gave him a wink and a glinting grin. “I was just glad I could be of some sort of service, you know?”
“Well, one way or the other, I’m really glad you were here.
” He had Christopher there all the time, and he hadn’t been worried except that, you know, Mom was only tiny, and she wasn’t getting any younger.
She wasn’t old, and she was in great shape, but she was in her early sixties.
And Stephanie had already had one heart attack.
“Me too,” Christopher shook his head. “I felt like I was a mile and a half away all of a sudden.”
Robin snorted a sound full of anger and he thought something close to anguish. “I know exactly what you mean. They came barreling in the door, tasering people, and I went ass over teakettle. There was no way I could get there in time. So you have my gratitude, Mr. Dawson.”
Dawes jacked his head, his ears turning red. “Well, you’re welcome. I wasn’t going let anybody hurt you guys.”
“Okay, food is ordered. All we have to do is pull in and pick it up. We’ll drop you off, and we’ll come see you tomorrow.” Mom looked tired all of a sudden, and he would bet she was damn jet-lagged and just didn’t want to show it or admit it or whatever. It had to have been scary for her.
“Thanks, I love you, Mum.” He reached out and grabbed her hand, and she clung to his, shaking her head.
“It never ceases to amaze me, son, how awful people can be.”
He heard that, and he hated it. But it was the truth, sometimes. His mom seemed to inspire that in people because she was controversial. “Do you think we ought to get Nick something?” he asked, changing the subject.
“Last I checked, they didn’t make green smoothies along with their milkshakes,” Christopher teased.
“Yeah, and they don’t do chicken breast and greens either, I don’t think.” Dawson put in.
“No, but every so often he does like to get something wicked…I just thought we’d ask.”
Nick would have stress over all of this.
“Now see, that’s how we know that you all are meant to work together, even though we know that Nick is…” Mom pursed her lips. “How shall I put this?”
“Particular,” Christopher offered.
“Yes, he’s particular. Even though he is particular, you all make sure that someone is taking care of him. I like that.”
Dawes nodded. “So do I, ma’am. So do I.”
Seamus had to smile at that. They were a team, all of them, and Dawson was slotting into it like he was meant to be there, like he was born to it.
Which was good, because Seamus was so in love with the man it hurt.
And he couldn’t believe that Dawson had put himself in between some crazed lunatics with a bucket of paint and some tasers and Seamus.
He figured Dawes had to have thought it was easier than facing a two thousand pound bull, but Seamus was looking forward to Dawes just doing his job. Humans were way more dangerous.