Chapter 6 #2
“That’s good marketing,” I said. “I want to do some stuff like that for the gym. Tanks, hoodies, t-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers, the works.”
“I can definitely help with that,” Casey said.
“That would be awesome.” I leaned against the kitchen counter.
“We can talk more when we get the gym further along, but I was thinking about having a glass case or some shelves behind the check-in desk to display the merch. Water bottles for sure. Maybe we can look at how Hudson, Lance, and Henry have things displayed and set ours up the same.”
Casey Joe cocked his head. “Ours, huh?”
I shrugged. “Told you, I’m down with hiring you on to help with memberships and managing the crew if you’re interested.”
He eyed me like he was waiting for some punchline of a joke. “Why? You don’t even know me.”
“Look, we can talk about it more later on down the road after we get the gym up and running, but I know people. I’ve spent several years working with people, and I recognize good, trustworthy folks when I see them.”
Casey grunted. “Thought you said you got in with some pieces of shit.”
I smirked. “I did. I knew they were pieces of shit when I got involved. I just didn’t care enough to keep my distance.
The Riggs family and those involved with you are good people.
I can feel it. But no decisions need to be made right now.
” I pointed to the pantry. “I go through peanut butter and protein powder like water, so I buy in bulk. I try to keep a lot of rice and canned veggies on hand.” Opening the fridge, I gestured toward the stocked shelves.
“I’m a fan of fresh fruit and veggies. Lots of chicken, pork, and fish.
I don’t really keep a lot of junk food around the place. ”
“Fuckin’ hell,” Casey muttered.
“What?” I asked, turning to see him pinching the bridge of his nose. “What’s wrong?”
“I should have known this was too good to be true.”
“What? Why?” I seriously felt like I’d been smacked in the face.
“No junk food? Did my boys set you up to this?” He scowled. “Is that what Lance was talkin’ to you about the other night? Trickin’ me into movin’ in and then pullin’ this shit?”
I fought the urge to cross my arms over my chest, instead opting for what was hopefully a more neutral position with my thumbs tucked in the pockets of my jeans.
“Lance and I definitely didn’t talk about any of this.
As far as I know, your boys don’t know you’re moving in here unless you told them. ”
“Well, I ain’t stayin’ here if you think you’re puttin’ me on some goddamn rabbit diet.”
My head spun. “Rabbit diet? What the hell is a rabbit diet?”
Casey pointed a finger toward the fridge. “All the green shit. I’m a grown ass man, and if I want to eat some Twinkies or chips or a piece of cake, I can.” He gestured wildly. “Donuts, pie, candy bars, whatever the fuck I want to eat, I can eat, and you can’t stop me.”
I took a moment to breathe in deeply and rested my hips against the countertop again. “Are you finished?”
“Finished? No.” Casey eyed the pantry. “No, I’m not finished.
I had a fuckin’ heart attack. I could have died.
I shouldn’t have to be punished with dry chicken and plain rice just because my heart wanted to up and try to give out on me.
If you think you’re going to control what I’m eating, you’ve got another think comin’. ”
Standing as calmly and patiently as I could—which took quite a bit of effort—I watched him and waited.
Finally, some of the tension eased from Casey’s shoulders and he ran a hand over his face. “I guess I’m done.”
I opened my mouth, but he started up again.
“And I can drink beer if I damn well want to.”
I quirked a brow.
He gestured at me to go on.
“Well, now that you’ve gotten that out of your system,” I said, hoping my tiny grin looked wry and not terribly accusatory.
“I think we can have a conversation about food.” When Casey looked to rev back up, I held my hands up.
“I have zero interest in controlling what you eat. You’re an adult.
If you want to make poor food choices, that’s completely on you. ”
Casey jutted his chin like he was preparing for an argument.
“Honestly, I have no desire to try to change your mind. It wouldn’t work anyway. People only change when they want to change. If you don’t want to be healthier, that’s on you. No amount of me nagging—or your boys pushing—will change your mind.”
He relaxed a bit.
“I keep fresh, healthy food in the house for meals and snacks. If I want something as a treat, I’ll go out and get it.
I might walk to the DP for ice cream so I can get some fresh air and exercise before and after my treat.
” I gestured toward the fridge again. “I like to cook, and I think I’m pretty good at it.
I make healthy dishes that taste pretty damn good.
I’m one hundred percent down with cooking for two—”
Casey’s eyes flashed like a tiny dog ready to snap back into attack mode, and I went on quickly.
“—but if you’d prefer to cook for yourself or just have snacks for your meals, that’s completely up to you.
” I pointed to the pad of paper on the side of the fridge.
“I think I’d like to keep trips up the road for groceries to once a month—stock up as much as possible when I’m there—and get most of my food at the Juicy Peach if I’m able.
You can grocery shop on your own, or you can add things to the list and go with me.
” I paused and raised a brow. “I will draw the line at actually buying the unhealthy snacks for you, so if you want them purchased, you need to get them yourself or go with me.”
Casey clenched his jaw and gave a tiny nod.
“So, we good?”
He rolled his eyes and nodded again. “Yeah. Sorry for blowin’ up.
It’s somethin’ I do, but I’m workin’ on it.
Fuckin’ therapist says since I couldn’t control the heart attack—and other shit in the past—I grasp at things I can control, and one of those things is the food I eat.
” He huffed. “I know I need to eat healthier and get more exercise. And stop drinkin’ so much.
” He sighed and his eyes got a far away look.
“Not sure which is worse, the shit I eat or the drinkin’. ”
I smiled. “I get it. I promise not to force anything on you.” With a wink, I pushed off the counter. “Just remember, you live and work with a personal trainer who happens to be a great cook. Anytime you want to set up some workouts or get some healthy meals planned, I’m your guy.”
“So, you okay with snacks?”
Snorting softly, I nodded. “You’re a big boy.
” Letting that topic go, I gestured toward the living room.
“There was a couch when I moved in, and it seems to be pretty new, so I just left it. Put up a flat screen, hooked up my games, and that’s about it.
My old place was decorated better, but I don’t know how long I’m staying here, so it didn’t feel like I needed to put in too much effort. ”
Casey’s suggestion about renting out the apartment was already something I’d been considering, so I didn’t think I wanted to get too comfortable.
“I’m used to minimal décor. My place is country cute, but it’s old—totally livable though—and not frilly.
My mom had lots of lacey angels, bears with bows, and baskets with geese and apples when I was growin’ up.
Not my thing,” Casey Joe said. “So, I cleared all that shit out. Functional and comfortable is my decoration style.”
I smiled. “Look forward to seeing it when you get to move back in.”
He winced. “Whenever the hell that might be. Probably ruined a lot of shit I’ll have to replace.”
“That’s what insurance is for.”
“Doesn’t make it any less aggravatin’.”
“True that.” I gestured vaguely back toward the bedrooms. “There’s a hookup for a washer and dryer, but it didn’t come with one.
For now, I think I’m going to use the ones in the gym.
If I decide to stay here, I’ll get a set—or maybe I’ll get a set to entice renters—but for now, I think I can deal with washing clothes downstairs if you’re good with that? ”
Casey nodded. “Not like I have a fashion reputation to uphold. As long as I have clean underwear, I’m good to go.”
Nope. I wasn’t going to let myself think about Casey Joe in his underwear.
“You wanna take a look at the gym and see about getting a plan put into place?”
He checked his phone. “Yeah, let’s take a look. Then we can grab lunch and figure some shit out. I told Jack I’d try his new cake before he debuts it at dinner tonight.”
We walked out the door, and I locked it behind me. As we headed down the stairs, I said, “Jack is the younger blond who is dating your oldest?”
Casey Joe smiled. “Yeah, he’s somethin’.
Got a shitty past, totally deserves his do-over.
Came to town just runnin’ from his demons.
Found Henry, and things just clicked. They took their time, neither of them really settin’ out lookin’ for anything serious, but there was no way they weren’t gettin’ together. ”
“And Jack has the cake part of the Roadhouse?”
Casey puffed up like a proud father. “Let Them Eat Cake is his part of the menu. He has a real talent. Cakes are the best I ever had, and he decorates them real nice, but he’s most skilled at matchin’ cake flavors with meals and drinks.”
“And Henry creates the menus and drinks at the Roadhouse?”
We’d taken the tiny hallway from the apartment stairs to the back entrance of the gym. The door opened into the laundry room and employee break room. Through a door to the right was the gym manager’s office which was where I planned to do most of my work when I wasn’t out on the floor with clients.
“Yeah.” Casey’s eyes gleamed. “Henry’s always been the silent, grouchy type. He’s not actually a grump, but he can come across that way.”
I huffed out a laugh.
“What?”
Shrugging, I bit my lip before saying, “Just wondering where he got that from.”
Casey’s eyes flashed, and for a moment, I thought he was pissed.
But then he just chuckled. “Well, the grouchy part came from me, but definitely not the quiet part.” He shook his head, a tiny grin dancing over his pretty lips.
“Even as a kid, he was so serious, always takin’ care of Hudson and me.
He does a great job plannin’ the meals, and he’s amazin’ behind the bar.
The cake and cocktails are a lot of fun, and a lot of folks have come to try out the cake flights. ”
“Cake flights?”
“You know how you can get wine flights or beer flights? Well, Jack does cake flights paired with cocktails. It’s a huge hit.”
“Damn, that’s genius. I’ll have to give it a try.”
“Now that you’re part of Haven Grove, you can be an official taste-tester since you’ve got a Riggs family connection.”
Something tugged at my heart. Did I? Have a Riggs family connection?
Aside from my own family, I hadn’t felt connected or genuinely welcomed just as I was in…
well, pretty much my entire adult life. All those years of faking it, pretending to fit in, hiding myself behind the glitz and glam just to have the right crowd to hang with had worn me down and dulled something deep inside.
But now? After a short time in this tiny little Podunk town, I had a respected member of the community metaphorically taking me under his wing and telling me I belonged. That was pretty heady stuff.
I cleared my throat, trying to stave off the wave of emotion. “And Hudson runs the orchard and the store?”
“Basically saved the orchard single handedly—fuck knows I wasn’t a damn bit of help—and kept the Juicy Peach goin’.
He does other shit around town—massage, handy man, shit like that.
” Pride in his sons was heavy in Casey Joe’s words.
“He and Lance partnered up to share promo between the ice cream shop and the Riggs businesses. The two of them are really good together.” He huffed and rolled his eyes.
“If you ever tell them I said that I’ll deny it. ”