“You can hold my head and comfort me.” He whispered the words, in case Dillon was asleep. “Dillon? Honey?”
There was no answer, no movement, and it was Nate who jerked a thumb toward the bathroom from the doorway. “Water’s running.”
“Oh, man.” He stepped over, good hand raised to knock when someone laughed.
Someone not Dillon.
He stayed there, hand up, hoping to hell he was mistaken.That laugh sounded again, smooth as caramel, weirdly familiar. Then he could hear Dillon.
“Dave-O. Stop that. I swear to God, I’m all melty.”
That chuckle came again. “Lonnie… Lord, what am I going to do with you? You’re slick.”
David Donaldson.
Coke stopped, fingers curling into a fist before he thought and the jolt of pain had him stumbling a little. Nate grabbed his arm, steadied him.
“Let’s go, Coke. You… I’ll help you get your shit.”
“Okay.” He nodded, grabbed his bag. There wasn’t anything in the bathroom he couldn’t replace.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true, but…
Yeah.
Nate made a quick circuit of the room while Coke waited out in the hall. He didn’t want to hear anymore. Didn’t want to accidentally see if Dillon and David left the bathroom. When Nate came out, tight-lipped and stony-faced, he figured he was glad.
“You ready, Nattie?” At Nate’s tense nod, they started moving toward the elevator. “Did you tell me that your girl was coming up north this time?”
He’d love to see the kiddos.
“Yeah. Tracy’s coming up. We’re going on a big trail ride after the rodeo.” They made it inside the elevator before Nate exploded. “I’ll kick his ass, Coke. I swear to God.”
“He got it trounced pretty good tonight.” And hell, he’d fucked up, hadn’t he?
“And he brought David to your room? Taking right up where he left off. Don’t make excuses for that shit, Hoss.” Nate’s cheeks were dark red, the color rising all the way to the brim of his hat.
“What do you want me to say, man?” He stopped,frowned. “Where he left off? Him and David? But David’s real married…”
“He is, yeah. They broke up when David got engaged.” Nate was shifting side to side, like he was ready to fight a bull.
“Oh.” Oh, sweet Jesus. There was no fool like an old fool. “I guess I didn’t know about that, huh?”
“I’m not sure how, man. I mean, they never flaunted, but David dropped him like a hot rock when that little gal came along.”
Poor Dillon. He sighed, his heart aching some. He knew a thing or two about loving someone he couldn’t have none of. It was a hard thing.
“Let’s get to the airport, huh? That rodeo starts at eleven in the morning.”
“Sure, Hoss. You know me. I got your back.” Nate shouldered his bag, leading him out to the cab and the next job.
Least he knew he’d always have his work.
Them boys would always need someone watching their backs.
Chapter Twenty-Six
God, his shoulder hurt.
