“Sure, but if we don’t hear back…”
“Then we’ll go get his ass and take him to that meeting,” I said firmly. “We can’t let Tex ruin his life. He’s going through some shit. I don’t know what. But no one else will have his back, Matteo.”
“I should have tried harder to keep him here,” Matteo said. “I was caught off guard when he told me he was done. I didn’t know he’d been fired from Sauced, or maybe I could have talked him around.”
“No shit? Why?”
“The owner, Leah Fielding, said some customerscomplained. Sounded like it mainly came from one woman, Cassie Reynolds? She said she didn’t feel comfortable with a felon around. What if he tried to poison someone? What if he stole their credit card info? She got a few of her gal pals to pile on, and Leah didn’t think she had a choice.”
“But he didn’t even run checks! He bussed the tables and washed dishes, for fuck’s sake.”
“I know. The Fieldings know that too. But they’re small-town business owners. They didn’t want to risk losing customers over it.”
I sighed. “Poor guy couldn’t catch a break. That was already his third job.”
“It didn’t help, I’m sure. But that doesn’t explain blowing off his parole officer. He could go back to prison.”
“We won’t let that happen,” I said. “We’ll get him to that meeting, even if I have to drag him there myself.”
CHAPTER 13
AIDEN
I reclined on the sofa,trying not to mope while a load of laundry tumbled in the dryer. Knight had spent hours doing maintenance for the park before heading out for his weekly Redemption Road meeting.
I had nothing to do but think about how empty the place felt without him. Funny that I’d pretended for so long that I didn’t want to be around Knight when that wasallI craved now. Once those floodgates opened, there was no denying the rush of desire between us.
But I couldn’t let it carry me away. Couldn’t drown in it. I’d given in to the current pulling us together—but I was determined to keep my head above water.
A knock came at the door. Who could that be? One of Knight’s friends, maybe? Or the landlord?
I rose and peeked out the window. Bailey stood on the porch, Emory and Shiloh behind him. What the heck?
I opened the door. “Hey, guys.”
“We’ve come to kidnap you,” Bailey said with a shit-eating grin.
“Yep. You’ve been in town for weeks, and we haven’t had a proper hangout,” Shiloh said. “That must be rectified.”
Emory smiled, almost apologetically. “That is, if youwantto hang out. No one here will force you.”
“Except me,” Bailey said. “I’ll totally drag your ass out.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest. “No violence necessary.”
I glanced down at my clothes. I’d put on snug shorts that made my ass look great—mainly for when Knight came home—and my favorite faded Thirsty U T-shirt that was growing a little too snug. I’d filled out since my freshman year there. “Should I change?”
“Nah, you look great,” Bailey said.
“Hot,” Shiloh added. “No wonder Knight was all weird around you at the cookout if he’s got to seeall thisevery day.”
That threw me. Knight had been weird? I was the one who’d been all uptight. Clearly, neither of us were hiding our feelings as well as I’d thought.
“Uh, just let me get my things.” I stepped inside and grabbed my wallet and keys, then closed and locked the door behind me. “So, where to?”
“How do you feel about drag clubs?”
“Love them,” I said immediately. “But isn’t it kind of early for a drag show?”