Chapter 3
Arlo
Pulling up outside work, I put my car in park and stare at the brick building in front of me.
Daisy’s is a tiny diner in a tiny town. It’s the only restaurant for nearly twenty miles. And it’s the only place in this town that would even give me the time of day when I first got here.
The thing they don’t tell you about small towns—like Silverpine and like the tiny Tennessee town I grew up in—is that they’re close-knit, and if you don’t know someone, you’re basically nothing. It wasn’t a big deal to me back then. I’ve always been nothing.
But now I know people. Lots of people. When Deb hired me, there was another person, Ronnie, who worked here. He was flaky, and Deb told me she really needed someone who was reliable.
I never intended to be here for as long as I have been. So when she asked me about my plans, I crossed my fingers behind my back and told her I wanted to be here for the long haul. That I loved Silverpine and wanted to put down roots.
It was a lie.
Silverpine was a means to an end. A stop in the road trip to wherever. And then I got the call from Salem that he and Nora had been taken from my mom and stepdad’s home. Then I got real serious about putting down roots.
One by one, people filled my life. Deb and her husband, Art; Luca and Austin; and Theo and Hunter.
And Jasper.
My heart clenches. I don’t know what I expected when I asked that question of him. What did I expect him to say? Yes, Arlo. I’d love kids. Let’s adopt two traumatized ones and raise them as our own.
I think being with him without being with him is wearing me down, and that question was a way of testing him. My subconscious was trying to figure out if it was safe to tell him. Fuck, it’s so hard keeping half my life a secret from the people closest to me.
Shaking my head, I push open the door of my car and climb out. Thinking about things like this just brings down my mood. I can’t do anything to change my circumstances. All I can do is work my ass off to save Salem and Nora.
I walk in the back door of Daisy’s, and Theo’s head shoots up. “Hey, Arlo.”
The smile on his face is bright and genuine, his blue eyes practically sparkling. When I first met him, there was no spark and no brightness. He was a shell of the man I know now. “Hey, Theo.”
Theo, like me, is a transplant. And like me, Theo was adopted into the lives of the amazing people in this town.
The door dings, and Burt walks in. He’s a sweet old man. A regular. Luca always jokes that he’s a hundred and eighty-five, but I don’t think he’s that bad off. And the years have fallen off him in the last couple of months.
Turns out all he needed to come alive was his “lady friend,” Sheila. I’m not sure I like the term myself, but that’s what he keeps calling her.
“You want that table?” Theo asks, stepping up beside me.
I nod. It’s not really about what I want, but what I need, and what I need is to make some fucking money. The bigger my nest egg when I get Salem and Nora, the better.
Making my way to Burt and Sheila, I plaster on a fake smile. “Hey, you two. How are you?”
Burt gives Sheila a smile, then turns to me. “We’re doing mighty fine, young man. How are you?”
“I can’t complain.”
He studies me, bushy eyebrows lifting. “You sure about that?”
That’s the problem with small towns. The longer you stay in them, the more people know you, and the easier it becomes for them to call you on your bullshit.
“I’m positive,” I say, trying to make my smile more convincing. “What can I start you off with today?”
Burt shifts his attention to Sheila. “Your usual, baby doll?”
She nods. “Yes, please.”
“Same for me,” Burt says, not sparing me another glance.
I can’t help but grin at their interaction. “I’ll get that in for you.”
I turn on my heel and head into the kitchen. Luca’s leaning against the counter, scrolling on his phone. “Burt and Sheila’s usual,” I call out.
He startles, his chest rising sharply before he relaxes again, and a smile takes over his face. “Predictable.”
I shrug. “I guess when you find something you like.”
Luca nods. “You’re right.”
When he turns to prepare their food, I get their drinks together.
I’ve just dropped their drinks off at their table when the door opens and Jasper walks in.
It doesn’t matter how many times he comes in here. It doesn’t even matter that my body is still sore from the way he fucked me last night; every single time he walks through the doors, my heart jumps a little.
I feel a bit like a teenager with a crush. Only now I’m a grown man with a crush. I’m actually a grown man, head over heels in love, but I’ve gotten really good at ignoring that, and I’m going to continue to do so.
“Have a seat, and I’ll grab Theo for you,” I say, gesturing.
He nearly stops in his tracks. “Theo? You can’t take care of me today?”
I shrug, apologetic. “It’s his table. You shoulda been quicker.” Shooting him a wink, I go into the kitchen to grab Theo. “Table for you.”
He nods, jumping off the stool where he was talking to Luca, and I follow him into the dining room. Narrowing his eyes at me, he scoffs. “Funny. Why are you trying to give me Jasper?”
That makes me laugh. “It’s only fair. I got the last table.”
“And I got the whole breakfast rush by myself. Take the table. Best believe if Hunter comes in here, I’m not giving a shit about fair. I’m gonna wait on my man.”
Well, that’s a fair point, only Jasper isn’t my man… And why does Theo think he is?
At any rate, I’m not gonna turn down the table. Not that it matters, really. Jasper and I made a deal months ago that he would never tip me. Something about being tipped and then showing up at his house in the middle of the night to get my guts rearranged just never sat right with me.
Jasper’s sitting in his normal booth, looking out the window. Approaching the table, I let out a put-upon sigh. “I guess you’re stuck with me after all.”
Jasper’s head whips around, a big smile spreading across his face. “What a shame.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, you look like you’re real torn up about it. What can I get you to drink, sir?”
Heat flashes in his eyes. “Careful, baby boy. You don’t wanna give me any ideas.”
He’s lowered his voice enough that no one around us can hear, but I still take a look around to make sure.
When I look back at him, some of the brightness in his eyes has dulled. “Can I just get a sweet tea and the fried catfish, please?”
“Sure thing.”
I turn away from the table, calling out Jasper’s order when I get back in the kitchen.
Luca nods, then hands me Burt and Sheila’s food, and when I’ve dropped it off to them and brought Jasper his tea, I go back into the kitchen to wait on his food.
“I think we need another game night soon,” Theo says.
Luca shrugs. “Not Monopoly this time.”
That draws a laugh from me. During our last game night, Luca chose Monopoly, knowing how much Jasper hates the game.
Mostly because he’s so bad at it. I’ve never seen a man go to jail so many times in a row, which is saying something, considering the man who raised me.
But somehow, he beat us all, and not even by a little.
“So, now that Jasper is the reigning Monopoly champ, you don’t want to play it anymore?” Austin—Luca’s boyfriend—claims that Jasper is a sore loser, but really? I think it’s Luca.
Luca inspects his fingernails. “That’s not true at all.”
“What is it then?” Theo asks, chuckling lightly.
“Yeah, what is it then?”
Sighing, Luca turns back to the grill. “I’m just saying, when I get to pick on Jasper, it’s fun. When he’s winning, he’s not as fun to pick on.”
Sounds about right.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out, my heart sinking when I see that it’s Salem and Nora’s caseworker. “Hey, I have to take this real quick.”
I wave my phone in the air, then step out the side door.
“Hello?” I say, answering the phone and pressing it to my ear.
I’m already pacing, stressing about what she might say. “Hello, Arlo. This is Maryanne.” As if I don’t already know who she is. “I just wanted to let you know that Salem is back in the group home. I’m looking for another placement for him, but unfortunately, kids get a reputation…”
She trails off like that should explain everything, and my blood boils.
“And what about the reputation of the kid who keeps picking on the younger ones?” I don’t even give her time to answer.
“I know that Salem is troubled. I know that, and I’m working nonstop to get things here situated for him and for Nora both, but if you knew my brother at all, you’d know that he’s a good kid who just wants to look after the others. ”
Maryanne sighs. “Be that as it may, Arlo, we can’t have an older boy hurting other children in their foster homes. You see how this is a problem?”
The condescending tone of her voice makes my skin crawl. “And what about the issues this other kid is causing?” I ask, trying to keep my voice level. It won’t do me any good to cause more problems. This lady can pretty well fuck up my chances of getting my siblings home with me.
“Well, apart from Salem’s word, we have no proof that the child he assaulted has done anything wrong. I’m sorry, Arlo. My hands are tied.”
Closing my eyes, I slump against the brick wall of the diner. “I know. Thank you for letting me know. I’m hoping to be ready for them soon. There’s a rental coming up in town, and as soon as I manage to secure it, I’ll be ready for another home visit.”
I still don’t see how a group home is better than what I could provide.
Okay, sure. I sleep on a pullout couch in my one-room studio, but I could get them their own beds, and even privacy curtains.
It’s one room, but it’s not necessarily a small room, and as Maryanne damn well knows, it’s a far cry nicer than anything we lived in growing up.
“Oh, that’s wonderful news,” she says in that same fake cheery voice. She’s been hearing me say this for months, though, so I’m sure that at this point, she probably doesn’t believe me. “You just let me know as soon as you’re ready, and I’ll get a home visit scheduled.”
“I will. Thank you for the update. Please let me know if anything else changes.”
Maryanne ends the call, and I hang my head, staring at the pavement as I draw deep breaths into my lungs.
The door swings open, and I startle.
Theo raises an eyebrow at me. “You okay?”
I nod. “Fine.”
He studies me for a second, like he’s not sure he believes me. Hell, I’m not sure I believe me. “Jasper’s food is up. You want me to run it out to him?”
“No.” I push off the wall, sliding my phone into my back pocket. “I can get it. Thank you.”
Theo slips back inside, and I blow out another breath, then go in after him.
I can do this. I just need a little more time.