It was good to see Kaleb sticking up for his son. It was a parent’s job to protect their child from bullies, even if they were in one’s own family.
The garage door lifted, and I stood. “That’s Jagger. I’m trusting you’ll treat him with the kindness and respect he deserves.”
“Y-y-yes. Of course.”
He’d better, or he’d be dealing with me.
Jagger
My heart was in my throat. The idea that Kaleb brought Jay all the way to Vegas to see me scared me and elated me at the same time. I hoped it was good news and not something about me ruining his life because I tried to talk him out of marrying Sarah, Jay’s mother.
As much as I hoped the visit would provide me the opportunity to get to know my nephew better, I didn’t want to get my hopes up, only to have them dashed to pieces. I had faith, however, that Bailey would be by my side through it all.
When I turned into the driveway, I noticed a new Ford F-150 at the curb with Hansen Fencing and a phone number on bothsides. It wasn’t much of a guess that it belonged to Kaleb. My little brother owned his own fencing business in Reno, and based on the white truck at the curb, business must be good.
I walked through the back door and slid off my boots to leave in the laundry room next to Bailey’s. He helped around the office when we needed extra hands, even if it was just to take Dixie to the vet or the groomer.
Bailey was scheduled to take the twenty-hour class to become a bail recovery agent after the new year, beginning his job at Sparks Bail Bonds on Monday, the first of February. I was looking forward to working with him.
What I didn’t expect was a three-foot-tall, spitting image of Kaleb to come into the kitchen with a big grin and an Iron Man figure in his hand. “Are you Uncle Jag? Thank you for the Marvel Universe.”
I squatted. “You’re welcome Jay. It’s nice to see you again. Where’s your daddy?”
He grabbed my hand and led me into the kitchen, where Kaleb and Bailey were sitting at the table having beers. “There’s Daddy.”
My heart stuttered as I looked at Kaleb. He was a grown man, and he was smiling at me before he stood and pulled me into a tight hug. “Hey, Jag.”
I wrapped my arms around him and couldn’t stop the tears. It was a fucking Christmas miracle in my eyes.
“Kaleb. It’s so good to see you. Jay is amazing. What brings you to Vegas?” I wasn’t really sure why they were in town, but I hoped it would be for more than a few hours.
“We came to see you, Jag. I made a huge mistake by not making our relationship a priority. I was an idiot for not staying in touch. It wasn’t because of you, Jag. It’s because of me.
“I’m glad you’re here, Kaleb. God, Jay is incredible. Can you stay for dinner?” I glanced at Bailey, seeing a big grin and a nod.
Kaleb chuckled. “I’m so happy to see you in love, Jag. Bailey is a great guy, and he’s been more than welcoming to Jay and me. I just need to get us a hotel for a few days, but we’ll come back for dinner tonight.”
I glanced toward Bailey to see him motioning for me to follow him to the garage. “I’ll be right back, okay? Don’t go anywhere, please.”
Kaleb nodded, and I followed Bailey into the garage. “Are you okay?”
Bailey nodded. “I’m fine. Let Kaleb and Jay stay in the duplex. We bought it furnished, so we know there’s furniture. I can make up the beds over there with our sheets, and they can stay there. No need for them to stay in a hotel, Jagger. We have room, baby.”
I stared at Bailey for a long minute. “I love you. Will you marry me?”
He chuckled. “Let’s take one step at a time, but yes, I’ll marry you. Right now, how about we figure out how to make Kaleb and Jay feel welcome?”
I scooped him into my arms and whispered into his ear, “You are my life, Bailey. I love you more than I thought I was capable of loving anyone. Thank you for loving me.”
He smiled. “Thank you for loving me, Jag.”
I released a held breath before we walked back into the house. Bailey went to the fridge while I went to the living room. It was time.
“Hey, Kaleb. What do you think about you and Jay staying next door instead of going to a hotel? It’s a furnished place, and we own it. We’ll make up the beds and put stuff in your fridge so you can have breakfast tomorrow. We haven’t started construction yet to join the two of them, so you can stay as long as you’d like.”
My voice sounded as if I were pleading, and I was. A couple of days wouldn’t be long enough for us to talk and figure out our relationship. We were brothers, and I wanted to know Kaleb as an adult. I also wanted to get to know Jay. He was an incredible kid.
“Are you sure, Jag?”
