Maddox chuckled, then joined Gunner across from me, throwing his arm casually over his shoulder. “We’ve got a plan to spend some time in the welding studio together anyway.” He nodded to the garden. “Have fun with that. It’s as much my garden as yours now.”
I smiled, then dropped back down to my knees while the guys headed into the welding studio. My heart was still heavy with the rejection of my parents, but every day that passed, and every day I spent with Maddox and Gunner, it felt a little easier to carry that pain.
GUNNER
Maddox held out a pair of heavy gloves and a leather apron for me. A large pile of metal sat in the middle of his workshop, and tools and equipment hung on the wall behind him.
“How long did you take you to buy this equipment?” I asked.
Maddox turned to a large tank of gas, fiddling with some knobs while we talked. “Not too long. I had a pile of money to spend when I moved out here full-time, which helped. Why? Are you still thinking about welding as a possible career?” He turned back my way, then handed me a large protective facemask and visor. “I thought you were liking the Steel Rose.”
“I do like it,” I said, taking the visor and tucking it under my arm. “Brick and Lilith are great, and even though the customers can be pricks sometimes, I’m into the vibe of the place. But I don’t know if that’s where I want to spend the rest of my life.”
He shrugged, leaning back against the work table. “Who said anything about the rest of your life?”
I licked the back of my teeth, trying to think of a way to say what I was feeling. “I just think I need something that can pay a little more, maybe offer me a little more stability.”
Maddox stared at me for a second, then started chuckling.
“What?” I asked, sticking my fist against my hip. “What the hell is so funny about that?”
“I’m sorry!” Maddox said, still laughing a little. “I just never would have thought I’d see you standing there talking about stability. Hell, it wasn’t that long ago you were breaking into strangers’ houses for fun and dreaming of a job at a dive bar.”
I grabbed a hammer from the work bench, spinning it in my hand to let out some anxious energy. “I’m still that guy,” I said. “Don’t think I’m not a badass.”
Maddox held his hands in the air. “No doubt about it here.”
I set the hammer down, sighing. “I’m just saying, Maddox, you had to settle down at some point, right? You had to retire from the game and get some practical job like welding—”
“Whoa!” he said, laughing again as he interrupted me. “Now you’re making me sound like some stick in the mud. Wait until I show you how to work this MIG welder. That’ll get your heart pumping again.”
“Fuck,” I said, shoving my hands in the pocket. “It’s just...”
Maddox stepped forward. “Go on,” he said. “You know I’m not going to judge you.”
And it was true. In fact, Maddox was about the only person who could actually help me out with my problem. Not only was his life pretty similar to my own, but we had another thing in common, too.
“I want to take care of Malcolm,” I said. “I want to provide for him and protect him. It’s great that you’re around, and I know that you can do all of those things too. But…” I trailed off again, the words disappearing.
“You want to know you can take care of him, too. All on your own.”
“I do.”
Maddox stepped forward, then planted a kiss on my forehead. I felt his arms around me and smelled his scent in the air. As he stood there, my insecurities began to shrink.
“I know I can take care of him,” I said. “I just feel frustrated that I haven’t figured out how yet.”
“Gunner,” Maddox said, “I see you taking care of Malcolm every day we’re together, and money has next to nothing to do with that. Just think about the way you stood up to his parents or all the little things you do for him. I’m sure if Malcolm were here, he would say the same. I’m not going to discourage you if you want to pursue a different career, but don’t think for a second that you’re less of a man just because you can’t buy him a mansion.”
“Sure,” I said. “But making him breakfast in the morning or driving him to work in my truck can only go so far. What happens down the road when I fuck it up? Because you know damn well I’m going to fuck it up again.”
Maddox pulled me a little closer. “Trust me, kid, I know that there’s always another chance to fuck it up. But I also know that the three of us stick together when that happens. We’ve all made mistakes, and we’ve all found our way through those mistakes together.”
I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against his chest. His arms were so strong around my shoulders. A part of me wanted to just stay there forever. After a moment, however, I forced myself to step back.
“I don’t know if I actually want welding to be my career,” I said.
“You might feel in a rush to figure stuff like that out,” Maddox said, “but you’ve actually got plenty of time. Let me show you a few of the basics here, and we’ll see if you enjoy it. And if you don’t, no sweat. You’ve got a bright future, Gunner.”
