“Did you know that, before you and I got together, they liked to have me as the meat in their sandwich every time I came to town?” Hen shot back.
I grunted. It was a sore subject.
Tristan snickered into his beer. “It’s so weird to see Sawyer jealous. When I first knew you, I wasn’t sure you were capable of emotions.” His eyes widened as the words left his mouth. “Sorry. I blame the beer.”
The guys laughed at me, but I dragged Hendrix in close. “There are no more sandwiches. And we can order our mugs online.”
Hendrix inhaled dramatically. “Never. We support local, always. Isn’t that right, Ozzie?” he asked, addressing his festively dressed cousin.
Ozzie nodded. “It is the Syrup motto.”
“I can’t believe I’m investing with you guys,” I groused, nosing the teal spike in Hendrix’s hair.
“And I can’t believe that I haven’t yet convinced you to open a tie shop,” Joel said, elbowing me.
“I don’t need ties anymore. I work from home.”
The entire San Antonio operation now worked from home, with monthly meetings to keep us close. I’d shown DB my floor plans when we were discussing this arrangement, and he agreed my dining room was sufficient space for everyone. Our first meeting was scheduled for next week, and I was looking forward to it.
I also might have splurged on my personal office, getting pretty much the largest computer monitor I could without it actually being a TV. Hendrix called it my control room, though that was also his nickname for our bedroom.
Mr. Paige’s compass sat on a small stand on my desk, an analog reminder amidst the digital finery that my love for Hen had always been and would always be my true north. In that same vein, most of our intimate time was just that: intimate. But westill had our kinks, and Hendrix had come up with some very imaginative uses for my ties.
I watched as he brought out his guitar, and we sat in a semicircle around the bonfire, listening to him sing the lyrics he had written about me.
You love me for me, even the messiest parts.
You’ve never once flinched at the secrets I’ve bared.
I didn’t know that you had so much love inside.
I never would have guessed how much you’ve always cared.
But I’ll be spending the rest of my life
Loving you and every memory in the cabin we shared.
He’d named the song “Agnes.” It went viral, first among his original fans and then on social media in general. Several labels offered him massive deals to sign with them, but Pecan Street Records had already snagged that contract. Hendrix never wanted to be beholden to someone ever again.
Other than me, I thought with a grin.
While I still enjoyed my work with DB, my involvement with the Seguin Revitalization Project was equally rewarding. Both of those paled, however, compared with helping Hendrix realize his dreams.
Robbie and Sago joined us a little later in the evening, a baby girl on Sago’s hip. Robbie’s sister had offered to carry for them, and it was wonderful seeing their joy. Ozzie and Walker had a bunch of questions for them because Ozzie had a cousin who’d offered to do the same.
I could see something similar with Hendrix, years down the road, gathering around the bonfire, our little family growing.
I often thought of Mr. Paige and what he meant to us. How proud he would be to see us falling in love, starting families, and reclaiming the things that had hurt us.
Mostly, though, I concerned myself with the man sitting on my lap, resting against me like I was home.
The feeling was mutual.
Hendrix
Our parents were funny. The bonfire was, technically, illegal, so they didn’t join us until after we’d put out the fire and moved inside for the official housewarming. Mom and Cordelia complimented the architecture of the house while Dad and Ray made a big deal of the outdoor kitchen area.
Rather than take the party into the fancy dining room, Sawyer suggested that we all hang out in the kitchen. It had been his idea to put in a big island, saying it would be the gathering place for us and our family and friends. I’d been skeptical at first, but seeing us all together, it made sense.
