Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
RYKER
Saturday morning, I drove Sam and me to Jones’ house. Deke was moving in today, so the boys and I were going around his place to help.
“You really don’t need to help,” I repeated when I turned onto Jones’ long driveway.
Sam cast me an amused glance. “Sure, honey. I’ll just stand to the side and watch. Heaven knows it’ll be a yummy view.”
I knew he was teasing, but my pulse kicked up regardless as I sat straighter in my seat. It was powerful to know he approved of my looks.
Sam chuckled, and I didn’t even care that he saw right through me.
When we pulled up to the little cabin, Clay’s minivan was already there beside Jones’ truck. Sam and I exited my truck just as Dan strode out the front door.
“Shoot me now,” he muttered when he reached us. “I’ve never met anyone as insufferable as him.”
“Uh-oh, what’d he do now?” I asked.
“He’s already parading around the place like he owns it, listing off everything he’s going to ‘ make better ’ once he moves in,” Dan said with a scoff. “I really don’t know what Jones sees in him.”
I grunt in agreement, while Sam glanced between us.
“So, I’m guessing we don’t like Jones’ boyfriend?” he asked.
“That’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one,” Dan muttered just as the front door opened. Clay’s scowl was deeper than normal as he walked to Dan’s side.
“What he’d do now ?” Clay asked his brother.
“Told Jones he was lucky to have him move in, so he was expecting to be waited on hand and foot.”
Sam choked out a laugh. “He has to be joking, right?”
Nobody said anything. From what I knew of Deke—and it was already far more than I’d liked—he was dead serious.
“Someone really needs to knock some sense into him. Ryker, talk to him. If anything, he’ll at least hear you out,” Dan said.
“You don’t think I’ve tried? The man’s too stubborn for his own good. He only sees what he wants to,” I said gravely.
I didn’t want to see my friend hurt, and everyone besides Jones could see that Deke was not the one for him, but it didn’t matter if the entire town knew if Jones was ignorant to this fact.
As if knowing we were talking about him, Jones appeared outside, alone, thankfully.
“There you guys are,” he said, then said to Sam, “Good to see you again.”
Sam nodded in greeting, then shifted his focus back to me.
Jones didn’t have a problem reading the mood like I did, and probably sensing that something was wrong, he forced a laugh and rubbed the back of his neck.
“You know how Deke is, guys. He was just joking back there.”
Everyone stayed so silent we could hear the soft chirping of the birds in the distance. Dan and Clay cast their eyes toward me, hinting at me to say something.
“Jones, are you sure about this? Maybe you and Deke are moving too fast,” was what I came up with.
Jones laughed off the concern. “I hardly consider moving in together after a year too fast .”
I bit back the desire to argue that moving in together after even ten years with Deke was too fast .
When Jones saw every single one of us remain silent, he huffed. “Look, Deke’s just misunderstood. You’ll see once you get to know him better, but if you guys don’t want to help him move in, I understand.”
“No, we do,” I said quickly, and the others nodded. I clasped his shoulder and looked him in the eye, hoping I could convey that I meant every single word as I said, “We’re here for you.”
Jones covered my hand with his, nodded, and then turned back toward his house. Dan and Clay silently followed behind him, while I lingered in the back.
“You okay?” Sam softly asked when the others were out of earshot.
I nodded and tried not to look too bothered. Sam didn’t need to get dragged into this. He didn’t take my bullshit, though, and soft fingers danced against the fist I hadn’t known I’d made.
I relaxed my hand and let him capture my fingers.
“It’s okay to be angry,” he murmured while his thumb stroked the back of my hand. “You care for Jones and don’t want to see him hurt.”
“He’s a good guy, you know? I hate knowing he’s making a terrible mistake with Deke.”
Sam smiles sympathetically. “It’s his mistake to make, but I think he’ll be fine.”
“And why’s that?”
“’Cause he has you in his corner. No matter the outcome, you’ll be there for him. Isn’t that right?” he said, more so than asked.
He looked at me with full confidence in my character. The soft sun behind him cast him in a halo, and I understood a bit why yellow was his favorite color. It was starting to become mine now, too.
I nodded again and tried to swallow the lump in my throat. Sam smiled again, completely oblivious to my inner turmoil and the sheer willpower it took me not to kiss him right then and there.
Good thing, too, because my friends returned outside at that second with keys in hand and Deke at their heel.
“Took you long enough,” was the first thing Deke said to me.
I ground my teeth, biting back a snarky comment I was sure Jones wouldn’t appreciate. Sam gently rubbing my hand helped some, and I managed to sound only a tiny bit sarcastic when I said, “Always a pleasure to see you again, Deke.”
The man himself snorted, then turned to Jones. “Let’s go, babe.”
Jones was quick on his boyfriend’s heel, walking ahead to open the passenger door for Deke. Jones had always been a gentleman, but I just wished he was with someone who deserved it.
I didn’t miss the way Dan rolled his eyes as he walked toward us. The look of exasperation turned to teasing when he caught sight of Sam holding my hand. He waggled his brows as he walked past us toward his blue minivan. Clay wasn’t far behind and also shot Sam and me a curious glance as he passed.
We spent the next few hours packing—because, of course, Deke hadn’t started packing yet. He’d expected us to do that for him.
I sent a glare toward his back as he ordered Jones around, telling him where everything went while not lifting a single finger himself. I would have said something or shot off a snide comment toward Deke, but seeing the sweat trickle down Jones’ neck and how frazzled he was looking to keep up with Deke’s demands, I kept my mouth shut and went to help him instead.
Dan and Clay helped, too, though they couldn’t be bothered to keep their disapproval from their faces. Sam hid his thoughts more expertly as he put together one of the moving boxes we’d brought, then came to my side.
He bumped my shoulder sending a soft smile my way as he started grabbing clothes from hangers and neatly arranging them inside the box.
“You really don’t have to do this. You can make your escape before it’s too late,” I whispered.
Sam chuckled, then leaned in close to my ear to whisper back, “You can’t get rid of me that easily. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me, partner.”
He slowly pulled back, a wicked smile tugging his lips. I wondered if he knew exactly what he did to me. Teasing me, hinting about us , and working me up until I desperately wanted to tease him right back.
Preferably in bed. With him begging me to come like he had that one night we’d shared.
“Ryker?” Sam called.
His voice shook off the faint picture of him half-naked on my bed.
“Yeah?” I rumbled, my voice sounding husky and a little too breathy.
He only shook his head and smirked like he knew exactly what I was thinking, then carried on packing. I watched him for a few seconds, trying to figure him out, and wished again for someone to invent a magical pant-dropping device so I could know if Sam wanted me, too.
Deke’s mom was a kind little woman. She’d checked up on us as much as her bad knee allowed her to and made sure we were topped off on her homemade sweet tea. How someone like Deke came from a nice woman like her was beyond me.
We finally finished the move well past lunchtime. Every muscle in my body ached, and I swore this move was harder than most of my workdays on site, but I had a feeling that had more to do with the man we were helping than anything else.
Deke complained no less than a gazillion times throughout the day. He didn’t like the way we stacked the boxes in the truck, saying his items were precious, or we weren’t fast enough unpacking his stuff, and that he was getting hungry.
If I were a more violent person, I could have strangled the man. Dan and Clay looked like they shared the same sentiment. But being that my mama smacked good sense into me to not use my fists, I did my best to rein in my anger.
Sam being there really helped. He seemed to always notice when I was on the brink of blowing my lid and would calm me down with a soft touch and a toothy grin.
God, the man knew how to play me like a fiddle, controlling my emotions with each of his whims. Unlike Deke, I knew it was safe to trust him with myself.
Jones offered to order us a round of beer and pizzas, but we declined, saying we were tired and needed some rest. I had a suspicion that, like me, the others also had enough of Deke for one day.
Jones thanked us again as he sent us off, promising to treat us next time. Deke stayed inside, of course, without a single word of gratitude.
The drive home was quiet, with soft country music playing on the radio. I thought Sam had fallen asleep, considering it had been a long day, but was surprised to hear his voice clear of any sleepiness when I parked outside of our apartment.
“You okay?” Sam asked.
I blew out a long breath, which almost got stuck in my throat when Sam’s hand landed on my thigh. He gave me a squeeze, and that had the last of my frustrations leaving me.
“I am now,” I said honestly. I’d read somemasseuse had hands of magic, instantly calming you with one touch. Maybe Sam was the same.
He smiled, then exited the truck. I followed suit and met him at the front of the vehicle, missing the comfort of his touch already. I stood there, staring at his hand but unable to find the words to voice what I wanted.
Sam laughed lightly, the sound tickling my ears. He reached out and brushed his fingers against mine, teasing and hesitant. I grabbed hold of it before he could retract his hand, and I hummed a satisfied sound when he gripped me with the same amount of pressure as I was giving him.
We exchanged soft smiles as we walked toward the building. Annabelle was in her little garden by the front. She was bent over at the waist, taking a closer look at something in one of her flowerbeds.
Our footsteps crunched on the gravel parking area, and as we got closer, Annabelle straightened to look in our direction.
A wide-brim sunhat shielded her from the glaring heat, but the sun was currently directly behind us, shining its rays right onto her. She held a hand up to her face, revealing a smile cast in shadow.
“Why, aren’t you two the darn cutest? Coming back from a date?” she asked.
Sam’s hand stiffened just a fraction in mine, and I wondered if he was still thinking about the horrifying conversation he’d had with her earlier this week. I couldn’t blame him for being all stiff, ’cause talking about my sex life with my sixty-year-old landlady was high on my list of things I never wanted to do, especially in this town.
“No, ma’am. Was just helping out a friend today. Sam was kind enough to come help, too.”
“Mhm, he’s a keeper, that one. Reminds me a bit of my late husband. Was as sweet as a button, always willing to help, and very giving ,” she said with an innocent smile toward Sam.
Heremphasis on the last word didn’t go unnoticed. Based on the shell-shocked expression Sam was wearing, and the way the heat was reddening on his cheeks, he’d caught on, too.
I laughed and released Sam’s hand long enough to wrap my arm around his waist to pull him toward me. The action caught Sam off-guard. His body crashed into me, his face landing softly against my left pec.
“I sure as heck have no plans of letting this one go, but I do need to get him fed before I have anarchy on my hands,” I said, keeping Sam’s face pressed on me.
“We can’t have that now, can we?” she replied with a chuckle and an amused eyebrow raised at my actions, but she just shook her head and waved us off.
Sam wasn’t a blushing man, so I felt possessive of the rare times the sweet color graced his skin. I wanted to be the only one he blushed for, so I quickly shuffled us toward the stairs on the side of the building and hauled us into our home.
It didn’t escape me how I’d only been living here a couple weeks, and I already considered this place our home.