Chapter 14
Dylan
“Hey Dylan, do you have a minute?”
I looked up from the cart where I’d been carefully taping off sections of the cans for a realtor company’s bike build and found Hope hovering in the doorway of the paint shed with her almost one-year-old daughter in her arms.
I grinned. “A minute for my two favorite women? Always.” I crossed the shop just in time to catch Fliss as she flung herself out of her mother’s arms at me. “Whoa, easy there, daredevil.”
“Dee. Dee. Dee.” Fliss slapped my cheek with her chubby and suspiciously moist hand.
Hope huffed—in annoyance or relief, I couldn’t tell—and shook her head. “That kid is going to be the death of me, I swear.”
“You want to leave her with me while you talk to Ryan? I can keep her occupied.”
Hope’s eyes widened. “I can only imagine what I’d come back to.” She laughed. “Thanks, but I’m actually here to talk to you.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, come on in.” I gestured grandly to my dirty end of the shop. “I think I can find a chair or something for you that isn’t covered in paint. Maybe.”
“Uh, thanks, I’ll stand.”
Taking in her white pants and vividly blue top, I nodded. “Probably a good idea. So what’s on your mind?”
“Um, I don’t know if Indy told you but—”
“You guys coming over for dinner one night? Sounds like a blast. What night works for you guys?”
“Oh, um, any day before the party is good. Actually I take that back, we have a cake tasting next Wednesday and then my final—uh, probably best sometime this week if you can swing it, but that wasn’t what I was going to say.”
A weird feeling crawled through my chest. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, it’s nothing serious. Don’t worry. But Indy mentioned that she didn’t have a cell phone.
And I thought maybe that was something you guys could help her with?
Maybe get her a company phone, so she doesn’t have to worry about the bill since I’m sure she’s trying to save up for her own place.
I just…don’t like the idea of her not having her own phone, you know? It’s not really safe.”
“Christ.” I flinched and then shook my head. “Sorry, Fliss. I meant geez. Geez.”
“Sheesh,” Fliss slurred at me with a dash of spittle I totally deserved.
“Exactly.” I nodded at her then turned to her mom. “I never thought about it. I’m almost always with her, and she never said anything. But… Damn, I can’t believe I never noticed. She’s never pulled out a cell phone in front of me. I just… I can’t…”
“Mwah!” Fliss pressed a smacking, wet kiss on my cheek, followed by another. “Mwah!”
I returned the favor. “Love you, sweetheart.”
“You’re really good with her.” Hope smiled.
“I told you I’d watch her anytime you need. Me and Fliss are buddies.” I brushed a finger over my niece’s petal soft cheek. I might not be ready for kids myself—maybe ever—but that didn’t mean I didn’t love this little monster fiercely.
Hope shook her head. “I wasn’t talking about Felicity.”
I jerked my head up to frown at Hope. “What?”
“I think she might be just what you need and vis versa if you two would get out of your own ways.”
“Indy? You think me and Indy are…” I couldn’t even say it.
“No, not yet, anyways. But maybe soon. She’s sweet—quiet—but who isn’t around this crew? It’s hard to get a word in when everyone’s going at it. But I think she fits you and that’s what’s important.”
“I, we aren’t… She’s just a kid.”
“Do you really think that?” Her head went back like I’d made a strange statement.
“From what I’ve seen she’s more of an adult than I was when I got pregnant.
She’s taken care of her grandmother, got through her death, moved across the country with her father, done a year of college, and then picked up the pieces when her dad deserted her. She’s strong. And an adult.”
“She’s nineteen. She should still be an irresponsible asshole.
She should be out there living it up, going to frat parties, and making bad choices.
Sleeping in and skipping class because she was out having too much fun with her friends last night.
Not scraping together whatever she can to have a roof over her head.
She deserves so much more than the shit hand she was dealt. ”
With every word, my voice got harsher and more biting as I thought about the crappy situation Indy had been in. By the time I finished, Fliss had picked up on my emotions, her bottom lip quivering as she made a tearful frown. She blinked up at me with two huge tears welling in her eyes.
“Oh, sweetheart. I’m not mad. It’s okay.”
But she didn’t believe me. Fliss opened her mouth and let out a wail I’d heard so many times through our condo walls.
Hope stepped closer to me and took the fussing baby out of my hands.
“She had the opportunity to do all that last year, but she didn’t.
She went to school, made the dean’s list, and studied her ass off.
You should give her credit for the strong, resilient woman she is.
She’s shown that she’s more than capable of making decisions for herself. Maybe you should think about that.”
“Wait, is this an intervention? I’m the good guy here.”
“Yeah.” Hope huffed an exasperated breath. “Sounds to me like that’s the problem. We gotta go before the meltdown truly begins. Don’t forget the phone!”
“Uh, okay. Bye! Buh-bye, Fliss! Uncle Dee loves you!” I shouted at their back.
Fliss’s wails echoed around us as Hope fluttered a hand and let the shop door bang shut behind her.
Huh.
That’d been…different.
Shaking my head, I turned back to the cans I’d been taping. But I couldn’t stop turning over what Hope had said. Almost like she’d been giving her approval of me and Indy.
Weird.
A few hours later, I was driving back from lunch with Ryan and Hope, and I turned to my brother. “You mind if we make a quick stop before heading back to work?”
“You know me, I’m not in a hurry to head back to the wiring job waiting for me.” Ryan tipped back to rest against the door. “Fliss was up all night with teething pain. I’m beat. Wake me up when we’re back at work.”
“Asshole,” I muttered. “You could’ve taken the backseat if you were going to sleep.”
“You could’ve told me we weren’t going straight back to work,” Ryan retorted from behind his sunglasses, so I couldn’t tell if he was really trying to sleep or just being an ass.
A couple of minutes later, I pulled into a strip mall parking lot. Leaving the engine idling so my asshole brother would have ventilation, I told him, “You better not make me regret leaving you with the keys. It won’t just be me you’ll be stranding if you make off with my fucking truck. Again.”
“That happened one time,” my brother retorted. “And I paid you for the gas.”
“No you didn’t. You took my truck to Reno and left me with an empty tank like an asshole.”
“Oh right. That was fun.” He snorted. “Good times.”
Shaking my head, I turned to Indy in the backseat. “Want to stay out here with his snoring ass or come inside with me?”
Her eyes flicked from Ryan to the generic store front. “As long as whatever you’re up to won’t scar me mentally, I’ll come with.”
I was laughing to myself as I jumped out of the truck. “’Scar you mentally?’” I repeated. “What the hell do you think we’re here to do?”
She hitched her ever present backpack onto her shoulder and tipped her head at the used bookstore. “Are you the kind of guy who doesn’t mind buying used porn mags?”
I choked. Straight up choked and had to bend over to catch my breath. Finally I wheezed, “What the fuck?”
“What?” She blinked innocently. “Isn’t that what we’re here to do?”
“Holy shit. When you finally relax, your filter just completely disappears, huh?” I coughed a few times and cleared my throat. “One, I don’t read porn mags. I watch my porn on my phone like a normal guy. Two, we’re not going to the used bookstore—”
“Aww.” She frowned.
“I guess we can swing in there once I’m done at the phone place.” I nodded at the large store at the end of the strip mall. “Which was my three, by the way. We’re going there.”
“Oh.” She rolled her lips in like she wanted to say something but was holding back.
“What?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t say anything.”
“I know, that’s what I want to know. You clearly don’t have a problem saying what’s on your mind around me now. So what’s going on?”
“Nothing. Just…can you bring me back here once I get my next paycheck? The first one went to crazy essentials like clothes and toiletries. But I’d like to turn my phone back on.”
My heart broke a little at the tentative tone in her voice. Like she was afraid to ask. Afraid to take up space in my life. She had no problem giving me shit, but when it came to asking for something for herself, she didn’t want to be a bother.
Fuck. Me.
Unable to help myself, I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to my side. “Let’s see what we can do about that.”
“Oh, I don’t mean now. I just meant once I can afford it. And maybe not this place. Aren’t there cheaper providers? I can’t afford one of these plans on my own.”
“Good thing you don’t have to.” I pulled the door open and held it for her.
She stopped short and narrowed her eyes at me. “What does that mean?”
I blinked innocently at her. “What does what mean?”
“Dyl-aaaan,” she whined, drawing out my name. “You have to stop doing everything for me.”
“Hey, this isn’t me, this is the company. We all have phones through Badass Builds. And you’re an employee now, which means…”
“That sounds fake and too convenient.”
“It’s real, I swear. You can go ask Ryan in the truck if you want. Although fair warning, he’s been known to swing when he’s startled awake, so make sure you’re out of arm’s reach.”
She gave me a look like she didn’t believe a word coming out of my face, and I worried I’d taken it too far. But after a beat, she nodded. “Fine. But I don’t need any data. Every place has Wi-Fi, so it’s pointless.”
“Not up to me.” I raised my palms as I entered the store behind her. “We’re all on the same plan. So you get what you get.”
She grumbled some more under her breath, but when the sales guy came over to help us—finally—she didn’t put up much of a fight. She only asked if we could transfer her old number over, which we were able to do.
We picked out a phone and transferred settings from her old phone. When the endless paperwork came out, I had to come up with a diversion.
“You want to meet up at the used bookstore?” I asked as I picked up a stylus and waved off the hovering sales guy.
“They might have that title you all picked for book club if you want a physical copy. Or if you just want to browse. I know it’s Maddie’s favorite place to visit outside of the library of course. ”
Indy narrowed her eyes at me. “Sounds like you’re trying to get rid of me. Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“No. You’re more than welcome to watch me fill out all these forms. Just trying to be helpful.” I turned back to the tablet in front of me and tapped at the screen.
“Fine.” Indy huffed behind me. “I’ll meet you over there in a few, okay?”
I grinned to myself. “Sounds good.”
A few seconds later, I heard the door open and close.
“So you ready to discuss payment?”
“Yeah. Can we put it on this card?” I asked, pulling out my wallet. “And set up automatic payments with the same card?”
“No problem.”
“And also make sure any billing questions come to me and not this number.”
* * *
An hour later as we pulled up to the shop, Austin stood out front with his arms crossed over his chest. I tried and failed to not roll my eyes.
“Seriously, guys?” He asked when I opened my door. “A two-hour lunch? You know we have a build due in a couple of days, right? I need those cans painted tonight. And the wiring is going to take forever, Ryan, if you’re never here to do it.”
“Hey, don’t blame me.” Ryan shook his head. “I was an unwilling captive. I’ve been sleeping, waiting for these two to finish up.”
“Oh,” Indy whispered. “I-I-I guess it’s my fault we’re late. Dylan was getting a company phone for me because I don’t have one right now. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know that it was—”
Austin waved a hand at her, remorse clouding his features. “I’m an ass. Ignore me. I’m sorry, Indy. You definitely need a phone. Forget my little rant. Please.”
She nodded at my brother then turned and gave me a tremulous smile. “Speaking of phones. I’m going to get back to work. Thank you, Dylan.”
The three of us watched as she entered the building then Austin turned to me and raised his eyebrows. “You don’t have the ability to add a phone to the company plan.”
I shrugged and headed for the paint shed. It didn’t matter what I said or did. Austin would always find something wrong with me.
“Forward me the bill, Dylan!” Austin yelled at my back.
I paused and finally turned around. “What?”
Austin crossed the parking lot toward me while Ryan stayed next to my truck.
“I was wrong about her. Indy has been a great addition to the shop. I like her. She’s made a difference with clients and the crazies.
” He stepped closer and lowered his voice.
“And I have our lawyer going over our contract with the Urban Channel about either getting a different producer or getting an unbiased network representative for us. And also what we need to do if we want out. I like her idea of starting our own online channel. Apparently we can’t do it while filming with them—violates the non-compete or whatever. But we’re keeping our options open.”
“Okay.” I was pretty sure this was the longest conversation I’d had with my older brother in a long time. It was nice, but also kinda weird. “I wouldn’t mind going the online route for what it’s worth.”
“I imagine once we have all the info, we’ll put it up to a vote. I’ll let you know.” He patted my shoulder then took a few steps backward but still facing me. “And I’m serious about the phone. Send me the bill, and I’ll see about adding her to the company account.”
I couldn’t remember the last time I had his approval. Definitely not since the whole fiasco with our sperm donor. It felt like the beginning of a big change.
I just hoped I didn’t screw it up.