I wasn’t wrong. Now, there’s things I can’t
fully explain to you, not now, maybe when this is done but, in the
meantime, because of what happened to me, me and Rocky are gonna
pretend we’re an item.”
“What!” Jasper shouted.
“That’s so cool!” Tripp yelled, that hope
Layne had seen that morning washing full on through his face.
Layne couldn’t focus on Tripp’s hope that
Layne would hook up with his ex-flame who happened to be the
school’s coolest teacher. He had to focus on Jasper whose reactions
were usually more hostile and even volatile.
Therefore, Layne’s eyes locked on Jas. “Calm
down, Jas.”
“What the fuck, Dad! She’s a teacher. At
my school! ” Jasper was still shouting and now he was in a
squat, heels to the bar at the bottom of the stool, ready to go
ballistic.
“I said, calm down, boy,” Layne ordered
low.
Jasper stared at him. He knew Layne’s tone,
a tone he didn’t use with him often but he used it when he meant it
and Jasper knew what he meant so he moved his ass back to his seat.
When he settled, Layne carried on.
“I was workin’ a case when that happened, I
got too close too soon. Now, Rocky and me have made a deal and
she’s workin’ the case with me.”
“You’re workin’ a case with a
teacher? ” Jasper snarled, settled but still unhappy.
“Yeah, Jas, it’s safe for her because I’ll
make it so and she’s returning the favor because,” his voice dipped
quiet, “as you can tell, Bud, it became not-so-safe for me. She’s
gonna provide cover. The thing is, not just the people we want to
think we’re together are gonna see us together. Everyone’s gonna
see it. Rocky was worried you two would get confused and I told her
not to worry about my boys. I’m always straight with you and I told
her you were good kids, you’d sit on it, play it out with us and
keep us both safe. Now, I know you aren’t my biggest fan, Jas,”
Layne kept his eyes locked on his son, “but I also know down to my
gut you won’t make me a liar.”
That muscle ticked in his oldest son’s cheek
but Jas didn’t say anything.
Correctly, Layne read that as agreement.
He decided to sweeten the pot.
“There’s another reason I’m doin’ this,” he
told them. “Her husband is a jackass and he’s stepped out on her
and, the story goes, he’s been doin’ it throughout their marriage.
She barely got her foot out of the door before he moved another
woman in. The whole town knew about him cheating on her but Rocky
was clueless. She’s not handling that well.”
Jasper’s eyebrows shot up and he asked, “No
shit?”
“No shit,” Layne replied.
“What? He blind?” Tripp asked.
“No, just stupid,” Layne answered.
“Has to be, yeesh,” Tripp muttered and Layne
grinned at him and continued.
“Rocky doesn’t know this part but I’m gonna
be in his face with this and I need you two to be good with that.
You get me?”
Tripp didn’t get him, he stared at his old
man, confused.
Jasper got him, he stared at his old man,
blank, then his eyes lit with what was in them that morning before
he smiled and when he smiled, he did it slow.
Layne smiled back at him.
“What?” Tripp asked, looking back and forth
between his brother and father.
Jasper held Layne’s eyes and didn’t look
away.
“ What? ” Tripp repeated and Jasper
finally looked to his brother.
“I’ll explain it later,” he muttered.
“Later is good since she’s gonna be here in
five minutes for dinner,” Layne told them and Jasper’s eyes swung
back to his Dad.
“She is?” Tripp asked eagerly.
“She is, Pal,” Layne answered. “Get your
gear sorted and books up to your room. Whose night is it to
cook?”
“ I’m not cookin’ for Mrs. Astley!”
Tripp shouted, not eager anymore, he was freaked out. “She makes,
like, gourmet stuff! She even cooks her own bread!”
“I’ll cook,” Jasper, cocky as ever, grinned
at his brother. “I’m the bomb in the
fully explain to you, not now, maybe when this is done but, in the
meantime, because of what happened to me, me and Rocky are gonna
pretend we’re an item.”
“What!” Jasper shouted.
“That’s so cool!” Tripp yelled, that hope
Layne had seen that morning washing full on through his face.
Layne couldn’t focus on Tripp’s hope that
Layne would hook up with his ex-flame who happened to be the
school’s coolest teacher. He had to focus on Jasper whose reactions
were usually more hostile and even volatile.
Therefore, Layne’s eyes locked on Jas. “Calm
down, Jas.”
“What the fuck, Dad! She’s a teacher. At
my school! ” Jasper was still shouting and now he was in a
squat, heels to the bar at the bottom of the stool, ready to go
ballistic.
“I said, calm down, boy,” Layne ordered
low.
Jasper stared at him. He knew Layne’s tone,
a tone he didn’t use with him often but he used it when he meant it
and Jasper knew what he meant so he moved his ass back to his seat.
When he settled, Layne carried on.
“I was workin’ a case when that happened, I
got too close too soon. Now, Rocky and me have made a deal and
she’s workin’ the case with me.”
“You’re workin’ a case with a
teacher? ” Jasper snarled, settled but still unhappy.
“Yeah, Jas, it’s safe for her because I’ll
make it so and she’s returning the favor because,” his voice dipped
quiet, “as you can tell, Bud, it became not-so-safe for me. She’s
gonna provide cover. The thing is, not just the people we want to
think we’re together are gonna see us together. Everyone’s gonna
see it. Rocky was worried you two would get confused and I told her
not to worry about my boys. I’m always straight with you and I told
her you were good kids, you’d sit on it, play it out with us and
keep us both safe. Now, I know you aren’t my biggest fan, Jas,”
Layne kept his eyes locked on his son, “but I also know down to my
gut you won’t make me a liar.”
That muscle ticked in his oldest son’s cheek
but Jas didn’t say anything.
Correctly, Layne read that as agreement.
He decided to sweeten the pot.
“There’s another reason I’m doin’ this,” he
told them. “Her husband is a jackass and he’s stepped out on her
and, the story goes, he’s been doin’ it throughout their marriage.
She barely got her foot out of the door before he moved another
woman in. The whole town knew about him cheating on her but Rocky
was clueless. She’s not handling that well.”
Jasper’s eyebrows shot up and he asked, “No
shit?”
“No shit,” Layne replied.
“What? He blind?” Tripp asked.
“No, just stupid,” Layne answered.
“Has to be, yeesh,” Tripp muttered and Layne
grinned at him and continued.
“Rocky doesn’t know this part but I’m gonna
be in his face with this and I need you two to be good with that.
You get me?”
Tripp didn’t get him, he stared at his old
man, confused.
Jasper got him, he stared at his old man,
blank, then his eyes lit with what was in them that morning before
he smiled and when he smiled, he did it slow.
Layne smiled back at him.
“What?” Tripp asked, looking back and forth
between his brother and father.
Jasper held Layne’s eyes and didn’t look
away.
“ What? ” Tripp repeated and Jasper
finally looked to his brother.
“I’ll explain it later,” he muttered.
“Later is good since she’s gonna be here in
five minutes for dinner,” Layne told them and Jasper’s eyes swung
back to his Dad.
“She is?” Tripp asked eagerly.
“She is, Pal,” Layne answered. “Get your
gear sorted and books up to your room. Whose night is it to
cook?”
“ I’m not cookin’ for Mrs. Astley!”
Tripp shouted, not eager anymore, he was freaked out. “She makes,
like, gourmet stuff! She even cooks her own bread!”
“I’ll cook,” Jasper, cocky as ever, grinned
at his brother. “I’m the bomb in the
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