Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Dallas
I cursed under my breath as I parked my truck along Main Street. The rain had been heavy all day and was only getting worse, which led me to calling it at the shop. I leaned forward and glanced over at the hotel, my eyes darting to the window at the very top where the artist loft was.
I’d made a point to see Madi every morning. I always stopped by the coffee shop, picked out the sweetest drink on the menu, and showed up at her door with it in hand.
Some mornings she was at the loft. Yesterday, I’d found her at the art gallery in the office Avery had created for visiting artists. Today she was back at home.
Well, her temporary home.
I wished she would stay.
Four weeks. Well, three and a half now. In the back of my head there was this timer that was always ticking, always reminding me that she’d soon be gone.
It all felt different now. Since Friday, the three of us had been talking nonstop. While I hadn't gotten my hands on either one of them again, I'd spent every night stroking my cock to the thought of all the sexy positions we could try together.
The primal need to touch both of them again was eating me alive.
In my head, there was a list of things I wanted to do before Madi left. Some of it involved kinks, yes. A lot of kinks. A lot of chasing and fucking and experimenting with her and June.
But aside from that, I wanted to show her all the good things about Whynot.
Like the fact that we had a community here. People took care of each other. Sometimes it was annoying that your next-door neighbor knew almost everything about your business, but other times it was a blessing.
Just last year, I noticed one of my neighbors hadn't gotten her mail like she always did every Friday at 6 a.m. on the dot. It’d been part of her routine for years.
I walked out with my coffee, we waved at each other, I went to work, and she took her fluffy pink-slippered self back inside.
So, the fact that she wasn’t there was a red flag.
Of course, I knocked on our door, and when I heard a cry for help, I broke it down.
And I was damn glad I did. She’d fallen and hurt her hip and had been calling out for over an hour. She’d needed help, and I was still grateful I’d been there for her.
That's how it was in our town. People annoyed the shit out of me, but I also know if I ever needed help, I could count on them.
It was beautiful here. That had to be a plus.
I never understood people that hated the desert.
There was nothing better than a Texas sunrise over the Davis Mountains.
No, we didn't have a verdant forest or golden beaches, but we did have skies that stretched as far as the eye could see and storms that shook you all the way to your soul.
There were coyotes out here. Snakes, bugs, and all sorts of little critters.
But they, too, made up a world that felt like a western dream most days.
I wasn't sure Madi would ever share my love for this place. I wasn't really even sure if staying here could be an option for her. Based on what I knew about her, she was probably going to look for work at a different animation studio.
She loved her art. I knew artists. I grew up with a dad who was one, and then later my sister too.
I couldn’t remember a single day where I didn’t see Dad at his easel. Even on holidays, I’d wake up, and he’d already have a pot of coffee going and his brush on canvas.
He loved all three of us. I knew it was finally getting easier to think about him because now when he came to mind, the sadness was a little less sharp.
I could think about my dad without remembering the way the rug had been yanked out from beneath all of us.
Seeing Austin crumble. Watching Avery fall apart.
Holding my mother while she became nearly unrecognizable.
All of those bad memories remained, but now I could focus on the good.
I knew what it was like to love an artist.
But it would be selfish to ask her to stay.
Over the last few days, this little seed had planted itself in my head. A dream of the three of us making this work. I’d seen it done before. I knew it could be done. Avery, Levi, and Mateo all loved each other and lived happily together.
Why couldn't June, Madi, and I do that?
Why not let love bloom in the desert?
Thunder shook me from my thoughts and I let my head fall back against the seat. There was really no waiting for the rain to stop. It’d be going until the morning if the weather stuck to what the forecast promised.
About an hour ago, I got a text from Avery. It’d been short and straight to the point, and basically June’s way of asking for help via my sister’s bullying.
I was thankful for it. Mum season was no joke, and with the stress of taking care of Laura and dealing with her brother, June needed to lean on her friends.
I wanted her to lean on me.
I knew how to love an artist, but I wasn’t sure the best way to love her.
June was harder. More mysterious in some ways.
When I was with Madi, everything felt easy and right and good.
When I was with June, it was like trying to read morse code.
Did I say something wrong? Will she let me help her? Will she even let me love her?
Two different people, and yet the feelings burning in my chest were equally bright for both of them.
And I didn’t have to choose.
I didn’t want to choose.
“All right,” I whispered to myself. I eyed the rain and wrinkled my nose. I was about to get wet, and not in a way that I enjoyed.
As much as I wanted to show up, throw June over my shoulder, and make her come again—helping her out here would be far more useful. At least until later.
I was happy to help. It didn’t matter that I’d already worked a full day. Knowing how things like this usually went, I’d stopped by and picked up three pizzas, counting on the fact that Avery would send that text to everyone. We’d probably end up with our full group.
June would resist, of course. For the first hour. Then she’d give in and we’d get all the orders packed and ready for the league of Texan mothers buying giant mums for their teenagers’ homecoming.
Truthfully, all of us had gained extra skills by proxy.
I knew how to roll out a damn good pie crust because I always ended up being recruited during the holidays to help Evie—as we all were.
I also knew how to run the hotel, fix random plumbing and electricity issues, put out a fire, and drive the truck.
Admittedly, driving the fire truck was one of my favorite things to do when it was for parades—and least favorite thing if it was for putting out fires.
I grabbed the pizza boxes and let out a curse as the rain started to come down harder. I kicked my door open and hopped out, rushing into the shop and bursting through the front door.
I was dripping. I ran my fingers through my hair and shook out the water.
“Helloooo?” I called.
Avery and Laura’s bright faces poked around the corner down the hall.
“It’s Dallas!” Laura called.
I grinned as I wiped my boots on the mat and then carried the pizzas straight to the back. I paused at the threshold, my eyes widening as I took in the absolute chaos of the room.
It looked like a craft store had exploded back here. Bundles of ribbons, scissors everywhere, random trinkets. The Whynot football team colors, turquoise and black, were everywhere the eye could see, although there were some other bundles too. Those must have been for the online orders.
Three folding tables were set up. One for building boxes, one for ribbons and accessories, and then one June was currently hunched over.
My sister smiled and narrowed her eyes on me.
Oh god. She knew.
“Hey, stranger,” Avery said slowly. “I see you brought goods.”
“I sure did.” I set the pizzas down on a clear spot on one of the tables and planted my hands on my hips, looking over at Laura. She was currently nestled in a giant beanbag with an old Gameboy balanced on her knee. “Hey, kiddo. How’s the hand?”
“Good,” she said. She held it up, and it was significantly less bandaged.
“It’s been fine. It’s healing fast. I was supposed to go to cheerleading practice after school but it got rained out and I can’t go anyways because of my hand so Avery and June picked me up because dad had to go do something so now I’m here to help.
Although, I don’t think I’ll be much help. ”
The kid could spit out an impressive run-on sentence.
“Just keep playing Mario,” Avery said.
“It’s hard with one hand. I keep losing.”
June had yet to look up at me, but I realized why. She was wearing headphones and was in focus mode.
Eventually the smell of pizza would get her attention, but I decided to kiss her on the forehead instead.
Under the scrutiny of my all-too-knowing sister, I placed my hand gently on the back of June’s chair and did my best not to startle her.
Her head whipped up, her eyes losing the razor focus.
Initially she scowled, but then it melted into a smile as I leaned down and pressed my lips to her forehead.
She smelled like roses. Sweet, as always.
“Howdy,” I said.
She pulled off her headphones. I wasn’t surprised to hear Madonna crooning in her ear at a volume that should have been illegal. “Hi,” she breathed out. “Uhhh . . .”
“I see we’re having a party,” I said. “I brought pizza.”
“Oh good.” She blinked a few times, her cheeks turning red as I gave her shoulder a squeeze. For a moment, she melted. But then I watched the armor go up, her spine stiffening. “You know how to make arrangements, right, Whynot?”
Whynot. She quipped my last name like a coach.
I suppressed a laugh. June was half my size but had her boss cap on right now. She could tell me to get on my knees, and I’d do it.
I shoved that mental image away before it could take root.
“I’ve done it a few times,” I said. “If you recall, I am part of your Valentine’s Day flower and teddy bear army. Should I call for reinforcements?”
“Avery already called us all in,” a fresh voice said.
I glanced up as Evie entered the back room. Her hair was pulled up tight, but she hadn’t been hit by a single drop of rain.
“How in the hell did you escape the rain?” I asked.
“It’s called an umbrella, Whynot,” she snorted. “June had a post go viral about her mums and got two hundred online orders overnight. Which she finally decided to tell Avery and I about an hour ago.”
June made a face. “I had it handled.”
All three of us looked at her.
“You had to pause orders so no more could come in,” Evie said.
“What?” My eyes bulged. “Are you kidding?”
“Nope,” Avery called. “We’ve got more help coming. Levi and Mateo will be here soon. So will Austin. We’re in crisis mode.”
“Can I have pizza?” Laura asked.
I glanced at June for an answer and she slid off her stool. Her balance was a little unsteady and I reached for her, giving her a hard chest to knock into.
Was she going to act like nothing happened between us while our friends were around?
I wasn’t sure I could take that.
She pushed away from me, her expression pinched with annoyance. “Yeah. Pizza all around. I’ll pay you back later, Whynot.”
Fuck me. “Don’t even worry about it,” I said lightly. “We should invite Madi over.”
June hesitated, but Evie immediately nodded. “Oh yeah. I want to meet her. I can’t believe you guys haven’t brought her by the bakery yet.”
“I’ve been cheating and taking her coffee from the other place,” I sighed.
If looks could kill, I’d be six feet under.
Evie scoffed. “Are you kidding me?”
“Well, you don’t have an espresso machine.”
“You’re right. I make the best drip coffee in West Texas.”
I made a face, earning a laugh from Avery and June. “It’s not the same. You know that.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She was giving me a hard time, but we all knew—Evie included—that she hated making coffee and only carried drip coffee because the old people complained.
She was too busy making all of her goods to stop and whip up a cappuccino.
“All right, all right. Please invite Madi. I need to meet the woman who’s stolen your hearts. ”
June immediately tensed. “Not if you’re going to give us any hell about it.”
“You know I won’t.”
“It’ll be fun to have her here,” I said. “Considering our texts.”
I was treading in dangerous water, but I also didn’t like being dismissed.
“I just hate asking for help,” June said lightly.
“Well, that’s really too bad.”
That earned me a glare.
“Are you embarrassed because the three of you want to kiss each other?” Laura teased from the beanbag.
All the adults’ heads in the room whipped between June and her niece. My jaw slackened as June’s cheeks reddened.
“Shush,” she hissed at Laura, who giggled like she knew all of our deepest darkest secrets.
Avery and Evie exchanged glances, and I didn’t even try to decipher that. The two of them had a secret language with their eyes that I’d never be able to speak.
Instead, I found myself staring at June.
Why was she ignoring me? Why was she acting like . . .
Like how she had been the last few months.
Something knotted in my chest. It hurt.
“I’ll text her,” I huffed.