Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jasper
Daddy
Got plans next weekend?
Jasper
Uhhh, work? Feed goats? Do shit with you?
Daddy
I need to go to Houston for Saddle Up. Wanna go?
Jasper
Yes. Also, what is it?
Daddy
It’s the stock show and rodeo. Riley was supposed to go for our buying cartel, but he broke his ankle.
Jasper
I love how you think I know what any of that means.
Or who Riley is.
Or why you call it a cartel…
Daddy
That’s what they call it. No clue why.
And Riley owns a dude ranch.
Jasper
OOOH, of course, *that* Riley. Silly me.
Daddy
Are you being a smartass?
Jasper
Better than being a dumbass
Daddy
Have we discussed spanking?
Jasper
Gonna threaten me with a good time?
Sounds effective.
Daddy
Grrr
Jasper
Come and get it, Daddy. But then also tell me what a cartel has to do with the rodeo.
Daddy
It’s the stock show part, in Houston by the way, that has to do with the cartel, and I need to go spend other people’s money.
Jasper
Sign me up!
Daddy
K. Leave on Friday night, back on Sunday?
Jasper
What about my ladies?
Daddy
Jace is booked for my place. I’ll ask him to do yours too.
Before I forget, Bert said he might stop by to say hello.
Jasper
Uh, okay.
Daddy
Just tell him to mind his own damn business.
Jasper
I definitely won’t be doing that.
Daddy
You should.
“Hello, hello,” a deep voice called up the stairs. It sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I set down my screwdriver and followed the sound.
“Oh hey, Bert. Hank said you might be stopping by.” I tried to keep the nerves out of my voice, but I wasn’t sure how successful I was when he gave me that patronizing smile—the kind people used when they thought they’d have to explain something. My father had perfected the same expression.
“I hope it’s okay that I did. I hadn’t been out to double-check and see how everything was going since you’ve been out there.”
Reasonable enough, but Hank’s text echoed in the back of my mind. I wasn’t that dumb. I knew an ulterior-motive opener when I heard one.
“Everything’s great, thanks. I’m just getting the beds put together upstairs.” I wished I looked a little more polished than a rainbow tank top and paint-splattered running shorts.
“Sissy really agonized about how much was too much when it came to setting this place up,” Bert said, glancing around the downstairs. “You’ve made a lot of changes.”
“Did she do renovations down here, or did it always look like this?”
“It was always a beautiful home, but it was set up as a house when she decided to will it to you. She did the renovations, though the bones were already good.”
“What did she have done besides the upstairs bathroom and tiling? I knew about that part.”
“She put in the commercial kitchen and renovated this main area—took out some walls to make it more open. She also redid the shower and added rails to the back bedroom with the roll-in shower. In fairness, that part was for herself. Toward the end, it was difficult for her to go upstairs.”
Bert’s sadness made it clear that Sissy had been more than just a client.
At the party, he’d said she was an old friend, but I hadn’t known if that meant a real day-to-day friend or just someone he was friendly with who used his services.
The sorrow in his voice told me their friendship had been real.
“Would you like the grand tour? I’ve been updating things.”
“I’d love a tour. Did Hank tell you I’m kind of into decorating myself?”
“No, he hadn’t mentioned that.” His pursed lips made me wonder what he was thinking, but like any good lawyer, his expression was hard to read.
“You wanna start in the living room?”
I took him on a tour of the living room, kitchen, and all the bedrooms. Bert seemed less interested in the nuts and bolts of the B&B, but he asked endless questions about my color choices for the walls.
He fell over himself for the wildflower watercolors that were hung next to each door to mark the guest rooms. His suggestions for layouts in a few rooms were spot on.
In fact, Bert went out of his way not to ask anything intrusive.
The diversion tactics were top-tier. He was probably a damn good lawyer, but he didn’t have anything on my brother.
When Vaughn wanted information, it was like being interrogated by Interpol, no law degree required.
Bert was good, but he’d wholly underestimated me.
“That’s the place,” I said brightly as we came back down the stairs. “This morning I made a lemon loaf. Would you like a slice on the porch with some tea?”
“I’d love some, thank you.”
I directed Bert to wait for me in one of the rockers, promising to be out shortly.
I gathered myself in the kitchen before going back out.
Regardless of why he was here, I wanted to make a good impression.
Hank was his own man, but I knew Bert and Faust were the most important people to him.
He mentioned them more than his own parents, which I had a lot of questions about, but I hadn’t figured out how to ask.
The moment required a little something fancy, so I snipped off some edible flowers from the pot on the kitchen steps and added them to the sweet tea.
If we were about to start digging, I wanted my plate to be pretty while it happened.
With a deep breath and fake confidence, I squared my shoulders and went out front with our tray of snacks.
“Sorry it took so long,” I said as I dropped down in the bistro chair across from him. “I went for fancy tea.”
“Don’t mention it. It gave me a chance to text Faust and try to convince him that he doesn’t want to have dinner at the Riverwalk tonight.”
“Successful?”
“Nope, not even a little bit. I learned a long time ago that my life is better when he’s happy. So, yeah, I guess we’re going to the Riverwalk for dinner tonight.”
“How long have you been together?”
“Give or take, thirty-five years. He gets mad because I can never remember the exact day. Or year,” Bert said with an easy laugh. He helped himself to a glass of tea and some of the lemon loaf. He settled against the back of the chair as if he wasn’t concerned about anything at all.
I was a rip-the-Band-Aid-off kind of guy.
“Why are you here?” I forced my voice to remain calm and even—a shaky voice wouldn’t help me stay ahead of whatever this was.
“To see the house.” His voice was deceptively calm. I’d watched enough Law & Order to know when a lawyer was digging and working an angle.
“Yeah, I’m sure that was part of it. Thanks for the layout advice, but it’s not the only reason. If you just tell me, it’ll be easier on everyone.”
Bert stared out at the goat enclosure and Hank’s field. His expression shifted through a dozen thoughts before he finally landed on honesty.
“I’m worried. Well, hold on, Faust is worried, and I’m here because…”
“Because your life is better when he’s happy?”
“Hank is the son Faust never had. I never wanted kids, but he desperately did. Or maybe I did too, but I knew it wouldn’t happen, so I convinced myself not to. Anyway, Faust loved Hank the minute they met. It took me longer, but it’s there now.”
“Hank has parents,” I responded. Hank had mentioned his folks, and they were alive, so I wasn’t sure how this dynamic had happened. It was none of my business, but I was super curious anyway.
“He does, and they love him. The ranch was a reluctant obligation for them, and they handed over the reins as soon as they could to Hank. There’s the queer part too. They love him, but they’ll be the first to admit they don’t understand.”
Oof, that sounded like therapy-level unpacking, and I wasn’t getting that far into Hank’s business.
“What’s Faust worried about?”
“Hank’s focus has always been that ranch. He’s worried you’re going to break his boy’s heart.”
“And you’re worried about that too?”
“Yes, but not for all the same reasons. If it happened, it wouldn’t be deliberate or malicious. Sissy was a damn good judge of character. She talked about you all the time to me, but Faust wouldn’t know that.”
“She did?” I confirmed through the lump in my throat that wouldn’t go down, no matter how many times I swallowed. Annoyance that Sissy had shared my humiliating na?veté wasn’t a factor. I hadn’t needed to meet her in person to know she wasn’t a gossip. If she’d shared, there was a reason for it.
“Yep. After your ex screwed you over, Sissy was ready to burn the world down. That’s when she asked me to change her will.”
My throat closed, and I swallowed hard, trying to force the lump in my throat to go away.
Of all the fallout from that mess, I hadn’t expected Sissy to be part of it.
I wouldn’t have trusted myself to handle five bucks back then, but she gave me her home and enough money to start a business.
Damned if I knew how she saw something in me that no one else did.
That truth hit like a weight, but I wasn’t about to let Bert see how rattled or humbled I was by Sissy’s faith.
“I hadn’t realized she shared that.”
“Client confidentiality.”
“I’m not your client.”
“True, but I’ll risk it,” Bert said with a deadpan expression. “Faust worries that you’re here to try your hand and move on. That ranch is literally Hank’s blood. I’ve told him I think you’re here for the long run, but yeah…” Bert’s voice trailed off.
“So you’re here because Faust asked you, but you’re low-key worried about the exact same thing?”
“Yeah, that about covers it.” Bert never took his eyes off the field, which I was grateful for because my ability to go stone-faced was nonexistent at the moment.
“Hank and I are full-grown adults, and I’m not discussing our relationship. What I will say is that I care about him and wouldn’t ever want to hurt him. I think he’d say the same about me.”
“I think I underestimated you.”
“Don’t worry about it. Almost everyone does.”
“For the record, the tour was all me. I’ve been obsessed with decorating since I retired, and I have thoughts on how to finish down here if you’re interested.”
“I’d love that,” I said, already braced for a PowerPoint.
Daddy
Did you survive?
Jasper
Survive drinking tea on my porch?
It was touch and go, but yes.
Daddy
Sugar, I know Bert. He can be…intrusive.
You okay?
Jasper
He loves you. And I won’t drag anyone for that.
And I’m also not going to tell you what we talked about.
Daddy
You’re a sweet boy.
Jasper
Only on festive occasions. Still not talking.
Daddy
More than that, and you know it.
Also…ugh, fine. LOL
Jasper
You know best. You know what’s on tonight?
Daddy
^ignoring the rudeness. I like this knowing-best part.
Jasper
Shocking that you do like that part.
I’ll give you a hint…it always puts me in the mood to cook.
Daddy
If you mean a new episode of British Bake-Off, I sure do.
I was going to ask if you needed some little time tonight.
Jasper
If only. I’ve got way too much to do.
Daddy
Your lights have been on late the last few days.
Jasper
Yeah, there hasn’t been enough time in the day to get everything done. I’m pushing against my deadline, and the Houston trip is gonna happen.
Daddy
What do you need to do tonight?
Jasper
Finish beds, separate out doodads, and finish my county license application so I can start advertising and taking reservations.
Daddy
Did you know I can use an Allen wrench? I might need a boss for doodads. I’m doubtful about the license, but I can try.
Jasper
You don’t mind?
Daddy
Nope, but I do mind you trying to do all that AND cooking AND staying up late because you think you can’t ask for help.
Jasper
It’s not that. You’re busy, and I’m trying to save money by doing it myself instead of paying someone.
Daddy
How about you let me decide how much is too much—since you haven’t said a word about it.
Jasper
I just want to prove I can do it myself.
Daddy
But…
Jasper
Daddy, would you help with some stuff on my to-do list tonight?
Daddy
I’d love to help you.
I’m bringing tacos.
Jasper
I can cook something. You sure?
Daddy
Yep. Give me two hours to finish here, grab them, and I’ll be over.
Just so we’re clear…I’m feeding you, helping with whatever, and then you’re getting some time off with a sippy cup.
Got it?
Jasper
Got it.
Daddy
Sugar, say it the way I like it.
Jasper
Yes, Daddy.