Chapter Sixteen
When Davin walked into the gym on Wednesday morning, Cal greeted him with a frown.
“Whoa! What’s that look for?”
“Did you move in with Alma?”
“I’m staying with her.”
Cal rubbed his hand over the back of his head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to jump down your throat. I’m just … there are a lot of rumors flying around.”
“I can imagine. What do you want to know? I’ll soon set you straight.”
“Did she really take in a stray kid?”
Davin chuckled. “I wouldn’t call him that, but yeah. Booker’s staying with her. Shit! It didn’t occur to me until now – does Terry have a problem with us staying there?” It was Terry’s house after all, and Davin had no idea what kind of lease agreement Alexis had with her.
“No.” Cal gave him a rueful smile. “If you want to know the truth, Terry’s thrilled that the two of you are together. And she’s impressed by the fact that Alma’s taken this kid in.”
“But you’re not? I can assure you that he’s no kind of threat – I wouldn’t …”
Cal chuckled. “Don’t worry – I know Alma. And I’m assuming that you must by now, too. She can assess a threat better than any of us – and protect herself against it, if necessary, too. I’m just … surprised. When she came to the lake, she said that she was done with men. And now she’s with you. She’s never had any interest in kids, and now …”
Davin smiled. “Booker’s a good kid. He’s had it tough, and she wants to help him find his feet – we both do. Surely that doesn’t surprise you.”
“No. It doesn’t. I just – I didn’t expect her to come here and start cobbling together a little family.”
Davin sucked in a deep breath. He hadn’t thought of it that way, but he could see that was how it might seem. More than that – he liked the idea.
“What’s wrong with it?” he asked.
Cal shook his head slowly, then smiled. “Not a damn thing. I’m just trying to wrap my head around it.” His smile faded. “Does it work for you?”
“Yeah. If it works out that way, you won’t hear me complaining.”
“Well, okay then. I’ll keep my nose out. But will you do me a favor?”
“What?”
“See if you can get her to come out with everyone soon? If not, Terry’s going to be thinking up reasons to come over to the house. She keeps asking, and I keep explaining, but …”
“I’ll see what I can do. I’d love to bring her out with everyone.”
They both turned when the front door opened, and Lucky came in with Echo.
“Hey, lady!”
“Go on,” Lucky told her.
She trotted over to them and offered her paw to Cal. He shook with her, and then she sat up on her back legs and waved a paw at Davin. He waved back with a laugh.
“Hi! How are you?”
She let out one of her happy yips in answer.
“She’s offering her services if you want them,” said Lucky.
“What for?”
Lucky shot a glance at Cal. “I don’t mind landing you in it,” he told him with a grin before turning to Davin. “These guys were all speculating about this kid who’s staying with you and your woman. I reckon he must be all right – you’d know if he wasn’t. But this lady right here is the best judge of character I’ve ever known. If you want to take her to hang out with the kid for a while, she’ll soon let you know if he can be trusted.”
Davin looked down at Echo, who leaned against his leg and smiled up at him.
“I’m never going to turn down the chance to hang out with you, lady.” He looked up at Lucky and Cal. “But I can tell you now that she won’t have a problem with Booker. I kind of want to be pissed at you for not taking my word for it, but I get it – it’s about Alexis, so …”
“I thought her name was Alma,” said Lucky.
Cal chuckled. “It’s Alexis. Alma was just a convenient alias. I need to get out of the habit of calling her that.”
They all turned when the door opened again, and Damon came in with his brother, Dominic. Damon grinned around at them all. “Is anyone here to work out, or is this a gossip session?”
Davin laughed. “I’m here to work out, and I need to get a move on.” He checked his watch. “I need to get to work.”
“We all do,” said Cal.
Davin reached down to pet Echo, and she pressed her nose into his hand.
“Just let me know when you want to take her for a couple of hours,” said Lucky.
“Thanks. I will. I’ll look forward to it.”
Echo smiled at him, and he hoped that she’d enjoy coming to hang out with Alexis and Booker. His heart rate picked up at the way Cal had described it – their little family!
When he arrived at work, Adam was already there, sitting at the computer at the big desk in the guest house.
“Morning,” he said without lifting his head. “There’s coffee in the pot.”
“Thanks. You want a top up?”
“Please.”
Davin filled both their mugs and set Adam’s down next to him. “Anything going on?” he asked.
“Not a damn thing.” Adam finally tore his gaze away from the screen. “Nothing going on here. I do have a message for you from Evie.”
“What’s that?”
Adam laughed. “She’s getting impatient. You haven’t been for dinner in far too long, and now not only does she miss you, but she’s dying to hear all about Alexis and Booker – hopefully even meet them soon.”
Davin grinned. “Tell her I’m sorry, and I’m not purposely holding out on her. Things have been crazy.”
“I know, bud. I’ve explained that to Evie, and she does understand, but she misses you. I do, too.”
Davin grasped his shoulder. “How about we all go for dinner at Giuseppe’s soon? I’d ask you guys to come over but Booker works in the evenings so you wouldn’t get to meet him.”
“Let’s do it.” Adam held his gaze. “I don’t think I even need to ask, but I want to hear it – are you happy?”
“I am. I mean, it’s early days yet. It’s been less than a week. Alexis and I are only just getting to know each other, and then Booker came into the mix, but … it all just seems to work. Alexis is different from any woman I’ve been with before. It’s … easy. She’s … she’s like one of us.” He chuckled. “It’s almost like she’s a female version of you. We get each other, and not only do I have her back, but I know that she has mine, too. And Booker? I can’t help but think about my brothers. They could have ended up in that situation.”
Adam nodded. “You held the family together for them.”
“Yeah, and Booker didn’t have anyone to do that for him. Plus, he lost both his parents.” He shook his head. “He’s a good kid – he just needs a chance.”
“And now – with you and Alexis – he has one.”
“Yeah. So, tell Evie that we’ll get together as soon as we can.”
“Will do. Oh, and I stopped into The Boathouse last night to pick up takeout for dinner. Kenzie said to tell you that you’d better get your ass in there to see her soon, as well. She said that she’s invested in you and Alexis getting together; she wants to know how things are going.”
Davin laughed. “Life in a small town, huh?”
“Yeah, that’s the way it goes. The worst thing about it is that everyone knows your business – and when the shit hits the fan, the best thing about it is that everyone knows your business. Oh, and before I forget, Shayna said to say hi as well. And I think that’s all the messages I need to pass along.”
Davin frowned. “Was she working behind the bar with Kenize?”
“She was. Seems like anywhere you turn, Shayna’s there working. What’s up?”
“I told you what happened with her – about someone following her home from her class at the gym?”
“You did. Has she had any more trouble?”
“That’s the thing – I don’t know. I wanted to keep an eye out for her but with Booker and everything else, I haven’t had a minute.”
Adam frowned. “Is it tomorrow night that she teaches her class?”
Davin had to think about it. “Yeah. Thursdays.”
“And she said this guy was hanging around outside while she was teaching and then followed her home afterward?”
“Yup.”
“So how about we hang around the gym tomorrow night?”
“Yeah. Let’s do it.”
~ ~ ~
When she pulled up in the parking lot at the barn, Alexis turned to Booker who was looking nervous.
“You don’t have anything to worry about. Lily doesn’t have a problem; I told you that.”
“I know. And I know I shouldn’t have put it off this long.”
She had to smile. “I’m proud of you that you’re here now.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You told me on Saturday that I needed to do this. That’s almost a week ago.”
“True, but it’s been a very busy week.”
“I guess.”
“It has! You’ve had a lot of changes to get used to since Saturday. You’ve had to adapt to staying at the house with Davin and me. You’ve been working a lot of hours at Giuseppe’s.” She shrugged. “You have a lot going on.”
“I know I keep saying it, but thank you.”
“I keep saying it, too – you’re welcome. Look, there’s Lily now. We’ll just have a quick chat with her – get it over with, and then we can see Mac and Beau.”
She was even prouder of him as he straightened his shoulders and nodded. “Okay.”
Lily waved when she saw them. Booker reminded her of Beau when he came closer to her side and hung back a little.
“It’ll be okay. I promise,” she told him in a low voice just before Lily reached them.
“Lily, I’d like you to meet Booker. Booker, this is Lily.”
He looked surprised when Lily extended her hand to shake with him. He recovered quickly and shook hands with her.
“I’m sorry I broke into your trailer.”
Lily smiled. “It’s okay. You didn’t break in at first, did you? I didn’t start locking it until I realized that someone had been in there. And to be honest, if I’d known it was you, I would have left it unlocked for you.”
Booker met her gaze for a moment before looking away quickly. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad things worked out the way they did. Alexis told me that you came out here because you like the horses. You’re welcome any time.”
“Thank you. I … I can help out with anything if you want me to. I don’t know much about horses, or anything about taking care of them, but I learn fast and I’m strong.”
Lily glanced at Alexis. “Hmm, let me think about that, would you? I could use some more help in the mornings. Shayna’s been covering when no one else can, but it’s a lot for her by herself. I can probably give you some hours if you want them.”
Booker’s cheeks turned pink. “I wasn’t asking for work. I don’t want you to pay me. I meant that I’ll help out to make up for what I did.”
Lily reached out and touched his arm. “I know what you meant, and I appreciate the offer. But I could use some help and if I pay you then it’s a job, and I’ll know that I can rely on you.”
“You can rely on me anyway. I don’t need …” He turned to look at Alexis, as if expecting her to back him up.
She was proud of him, but Lily was trying to help him out, and he could use the money.
“I think Lily understands what you’re trying to do. It’s your call, but if I were you, I’d take the job.”
He smiled and turned back to Lily. “Okay. What time do you need me to come? I usually get home from Giuseppe’s by midnight. I can be here by five if that’s good enough?”
Lily laughed. “There’s no need to come that early. Shayna gets here at around seven. So, if you could do the same, she can show you what needs to be done. How does that sound?”
He grinned. “Sounds great. When do you want me to start?”
“Tomorrow morning if you can. It’s just three hours – everyone else starts showing up at ten. And it’ll only be a few mornings a week. How does that sound?”
“Sounds great.”
“And what’s the hourly rate?” Alexis asked. She could see that Booker wasn’t going to ask, but he needed to know.
“How does twenty an hour sound?”
Booker’s eyes grew wide, and he nodded happily. “Awesome!”
Lily laughed. “Okay. Well, I have to go and get ready for my next class, I have a private lesson in a little while.”
“We’re going to see Mac and Beau,” said Alexis.
“Okay, if I don’t see you before you leave, I’ll see you tomorrow. Just show up at seven, and I’ll tell Shayna to expect you – she’ll show you what you need to do.”
“I’ll be here,” said Booker. “And thanks again.”
They watched Lily walk away before he turned to Alexis. “Did you know she was going to do that? Did you ask her to?”
“I had no idea.” She smiled at him. “But I can tell you that things turn out like that more often than you’d expect when you do the right thing.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, if I hadn’t come to apologize, she wouldn’t have offered me a job.”
Alexis smiled. “Exactly. And how do you feel about the job?”
“Awesome! I told you that I love horses. I’m a hard worker. And …”
“What’s wrong?”
He made a face. “I’m going to stink again, aren’t I? Will you mind me coming back to the house stinking of horse shit?”
She laughed. “Nope. I’ll appreciate it if you want to do your laundry as soon as you come in, but it’s not a problem. I’m used to the smell; I come out here most days myself.”
“Yeah, but I bet you don’t get stinky. If I’m going to be mucking out stables …” He grinned. “I probably still won’t smell as bad as when I first came to your house.”
She laughed. “No comment. Want to go and see the boys?”
As they set off toward the pasture, Alexis debated with herself whether to make an offer that she’d been holding back on.
Booker shot her a sideways glance. “You might as well just say it.”
She chuckled. “What do you think I’m going to say?”
He looked so down when he spoke again that her heart broke for him. “That since I’m going to be working here, I should be able to find a place to rent.”
She stopped walking. “No, that’s not what I was thinking at all. When I said that you’re welcome to stay with me for as long as you like, I meant it. I still do.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you mad. I just don’t want to take advantage.”
“I’m not mad. And you aren’t taking advantage.” She gave him a wry smile. “Believe me, kid, you wouldn’t be able to if you tried. You need to learn to read people better. Actually, you need to learn to read people, period.”
He gave her a puzzled look.
“You jumped to that conclusion based on … I don’t know what. Probably based on the way you’ve been treated in the past. If you’d paid attention to the situation that you’re in now, you’d understand that you’re not going to end up back on the street any time soon.” She smiled. “Shit. I sound like I’m lecturing you, and that’s not my intention.”
A small smile played on his lips. “Nah. You’re not lecturing. You’re trying to teach me, right?”
“I am, but I won’t go on and on. All I will say is that you’ll do better – especially in a place like Summer Lake – if you set aside your expectations of how people are going to treat you, and instead wait and see what their intentions are.” She frowned. “But don’t leave yourself open.”
Booker laughed. “I like that about you – you’re real. I can see that people here are a lot nicer than what I’m used to, but … it’s hard to trust that, you know?”
“I do. I get it. And I don’t want you to go blindly trusting people. All I’m saying is give them a chance to show you their intentions before you decide. Good or bad, people soon show you who they are if you’re paying attention. And what they do is a much better indication of their intentions than what they say.”
They carried on walking and just before they reached the fence, he asked, “So, what were you going to say before I guessed wrong and screwed it up?”
“I was going to ask if you want to go shopping?”
He gave her a puzzled look. “What kind of shopping?”
“Clothes shopping. You only have a few things and if you’re going to be working here as well as at the restaurant, it’d be better to have separate clothes for each.”
He started to shake his head, and she knew that she’d taken the wrong approach.
She made a face at him. “Okay, how about this? You’re costing me a fortune in laundry detergent – I’d rather buy you more clothes than keep running the washer and dryer all the time.”
His gaze flew up to meet hers. He looked shocked, and she put her hand on her hip, trying to look indignant and hide her smile at the same time.
“I … I …” It took him a moment, but when the penny dropped, he grinned. “Shit! You got me good with that one! I thought you were mad at me.”
“I mean it. Will you please do me a favor and let me buy you some clothes?”
He made a face. “I can buy myself some soon.”
“I’m aware, but I’d rather not wait that long.”
“You’re just saying that so that you can buy them.”
She shrugged. “I don’t want to insult you.”
He shook his head. “You’re not. But I promise I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”
She shrugged again, relieved that he was giving in. “We can save that battle for another day. What do you think? I heard there’s a mall on Route 20. Do you want to go after we’ve seen the horses?”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah. Thanks.”
“No, thank you.”
By the time they reached the fence, Mac was already there waiting for them. Alexis rubbed his nose, and he hung his head over the fence. She loved that he seemed pleased to see her.
As usual, Beau hung back. He obviously wanted to come and join his friend at the fence, but he was too afraid. He just didn’t trust humans that much.
Alexis scratched Mac’s ears, and Booker leaned over the fence toward Beau. He held his hand out and spoke in a low, soothing voice.
“Come here, boy. It’s okay. You remember me. I won’t hurt you. Promise. Come on.”
Alexis watched as Beau took one cautious step after another toward the boy. She held her breath when he was finally within reach of Booker’s hand. He sniffed, and Alexis expected him to back away when he discovered that there were no treats on offer. Instead, he nodded his head and came closer still.
Booker kept talking, muttering words of reassurance in that same low voice, and Alexis watched in wonder as Beau came all the way to the fence and put his head over.
He butted his head against the boy’s chest, and Booker grinned at her. “He’s shy, but I told you I made friends with him during those nights I was here.”
She nodded and spoke quietly, not wanting to scare Beau away. “He likes you. And I think he’s showing you what I was talking about.”
“Huh?”
“He’s not judging you based on how other people have treated him in the past. He’s trusting you.”
“I guess, but how come he didn’t come to you, then? I mean, you’re the one he should trust more than anyone – you saved him.”
She smiled. “Obviously, I can’t say for sure, but I’d guess that he sees you as a kindred spirit.”
“But what about you?”
“Perhaps he’s not sure if I have an agenda.”
She got the impression that Booker had no idea what she meant. There was no reason that he should understand. He might have asked her if she was a do-gooder, but she was the only one who questioned whether her motivation for saving the horses had been, at least in part, to rescue herself.