Chapter 13
“Iknow it’s late,” Ronin said into his phone. “But can we talk?”
Mason Wolfe didn’t hesitate. “Come on over.”
Fifteen minutes later, Ronin was sitting on Mason’s couch with a cold beer in his hand, staring at a goldfish swimming in a glass bowl on the side table.
“That’s Goldie,” Mason said, settling into the armchair across from him. “Granny Edna gave her to me when I moved in. She said every house needs a heartbeat.”
“Does Princess Muffin Top not count?”
“Princess Muffin Top lives with Adeline and visits me when she feels like critiquing my décor.” Mason took a sip of his beer. “Goldie just swims in circles and judges me quietly. It’s a much better arrangement.”
Ronin smiled but continued to stare at the goldfish.
“So,” Mason said. “What happened?”
Ronin leaned back and ran a hand over his face. “I kissed Tempi. Or she kissed me, actually. She kissed me first. Then I ruined it.”
Mason raised an eyebrow. “How?”
“I suggested we partner our businesses. Package deals, shared maintenance, overflow referrals. I’ve thought we should do this for three years. I thought it was a good, practical idea.” He took a long drink. “She heard something completely different.”
“What did she hear?”
“That she needs my business to be successful. That her company can’t stand on its own.
” He shook his head. “Which is not what I said. At all. But she shared some things about why she’s been so standoffish for three years, and honestly, Mason, we’re both in the wrong.
” He stared at the beer bottle and began to peel the label.
“I feel like an idiot. She’s sitting in her living room in tears, and I walked out because I didn’t know what else to do. ”
Mason was quiet for a moment. “Did you say something you didn’t mean?”
“I said something true that I shouldn’t have said the way I said it.
” Ronin grimaced. “She is bitter about my success. Never asking me how I got my start in the rental business. Just that she was bitter about me and how I have it so darn easy.” He closed his eyes and sighed.
“So I brought up her grandmother’s money. ”
Mason winced. “Ouch.”
“Yeah.”
They sat in silence for a few seconds.
Ronin had only known the police chief for a month, but what he knew of him, Ronin liked.
“I really like her, Mason. I’ve liked her since the day I moved here.
I like how creative she is. I like that she built a business virtually on her own.
And tonight was the first time she let me in to see who she really is, and I managed to mess it up. ”
“You didn’t mess it up,” Mason said. “You had a disagreement. The question is what you do afterward.”
“What did you do? After you and Adeline had your first disagreement?”
Mason gave him a small laugh. “I arrested her. Twice. So I’m probably not your best example.” He took another sip of his beer. “But I’ll tell you what I learned. You can’t fix someone else’s wounds. You can only make sure you’re not poking it on purpose.”
Ronin nodded. “That’s fair.” He tapped a fingertip against his beer bottle. “There’s something else. Well, someone else. My brother.”
Mason set his drink down. “What about your brother?”
“Dax is twenty-three. He’s been calling me two, three times a day for the past week.
It’s always the same thing. He needs money.
Or he lost another job. Or he’s gotten into some situation, and he needs me to bail him out.
” Ronin exhaled. “It’s been like this for years, but it’s been worse since our mom died two years ago.
I keep thinking if I just help him one more time, he’ll figure it out.
But he doesn’t figure it out. He just keeps calling and calling. ”
“Be honest. How long have you been fixing his problems?”
“Since I was ten.”
Mason didn’t say anything for a moment. “Can I tell you something?”
“Please.”
“I’ve been in law enforcement for over a decade. And one thing I’ve learned is that sometimes a person has to fall before they can learn to stand on their own.” He paused. “Life is gritty and dirty…and most times it’s not fair. You know that.”
Ronin let out a small laugh. He knew Mason was right. Deep down, he’d known it for years. But knowing and doing were two very different things. “What if he falls and doesn’t get up?”
“That’s on him,” Mason said. “He’s a grown man. Treat him like it.”
The phone in Ronin’s pocket buzzed. He didn’t even have to look to know who it was.
Mason glanced at his pocket. “Is that him?”
“Yeah.” Ronin pulled out the phone and stared at the screen displaying Dax’s name.
He felt the automatic reflex to answer and fix whatever Dax had gotten himself into this time.
He’d been doing it since he was ten years old, making mac and cheese for two siblings who didn’t understand why their father wasn’t coming home.
He answered. “Hey, Dax.”
“Ronin, man, thank goodness you answered! I need a favor. My landlord is being a total—”
“Dax, what does your landlord want?”
“He’s saying I owe him for last month, but I paid last month, Ronin. I know I did. I just don’t have the receipt, and he’s threatening to—”
“Do you have a bank statement from last month showing the payment?”
A pause. “I mean, probably. I’d have to check.”
“Then check. Get the statement. Show it to your landlord.” Ronin took a breath. “You can handle this on your own, Dax.”
There was silence on the other end of the line. “You’re not going to call him for me?”
“No. Because you don’t need me to. You have the receipt in your bank records. You just need to pull it up.”
He could hear Dax breathing heavily on the other end. “But you always handle this kind of stuff for me, Ronin.”
“I know. But I’m not going to anymore. You can figure this out on your own.”
Dax snorted. “Obviously not, or I wouldn’t have called you!”
“Goodnight, Dax.”
“Dang it, Ronin! This is serious. I’m calling because I need your help, and you’re just brushing me off!”
“I’m not brushing you off,” Ronin snapped. “I’m letting you handle the situation on your own. I already told you how to handle it, now it’s up to you to do it.”
“What’s gotten into you, Ronin? Since when do you make me do things on my own?”
Ronin sighed. “I obviously should have done this a long time ago.”
“Yeah? Well, thanks for nothing, Ronin. I’ll let you know if I’m sleeping on the street soon. Or I guess if you don’t hear from me, you’ll know I’ve been kicked out.”
The other end went silent, and Ronin lowered the phone and saw where his brother had already disconnected. He set the phone on the coffee table. He’d done it. He’d pointed Dax toward the answer instead of handling it for him.
“How’d that feel?” Mason asked.
“Like I want to throw up.”
“Sounds about right,” Mason said as he held up his beer.
Ronin leaned forward and tapped his bottle against Mason’s. “Thanks, man. Thanks for letting me come over and talk out my problems.”
“Anytime.” Mason took one last swig and set down his empty bottle. “And Ronin? Give Tempi some time. It’ll work itself out.”
“What makes you so sure?”
Mason smiled. “Because she kissed you first. Women don’t do that unless they mean it.”