Hammer knew that most people in Breakers feared to get on the Sheriff’s bad side.
“Honest, man. We weren’t serious.”
Hammer studied them for a moment before nodding. Dismissing them, he turned to Nate. “You done for the day? Good. Why don’t we head over to the gym and start those training sessions we talked about.”
Nate’s eyes widened slightly, but his reaction was nothing compared to the gasps the two boys let out. “But Fight Hard doesn’t take members under eighteen! We checked,” one of the boys complained.
“Yeah, we don’t usually, but Nate’s a friend of mine, and since I own the place…” Hammer shrugged.
“Do you think we could—”
“Maybe some other time. Just ask Nate, and maybe we could set something up. But until we change the policy, it’s still eighteen and older for membership,” Hammer said cutting the teen off. “Come on, Nate. Let’s go.”
The teens watched sadly as Hammer and Nate walked away, crossing the street.
“I don’t get it,” Nate muttered. “If his girlfriend is cheating, shouldn’t he be pissed at her?”
“Kid, I have been asking myself that for years. The only answer I’ve got is nothing makes sense when women are involved.”
That made Nate snicker. “I bet you don’t say that kind of shit in front of Kali.”
“Hell no, and if you ever told her I would deny it with my last breath.”
“I won’t tell her. She thinks you practically walk on water or something anyways.”
“She does?” Hammer asked as he stopped when they were standing outside of the gym. He could practically feel his own chest puffing out at that statement. Christ, did he have it bad for his little fairy.
Nate sent him a long look. “I know you’re all famous and shit, but I like Kali. She’s been really nice to me and my brother. I hope you aren’t playing her.”
Getting called out by a freaking teenage boy…
Damn, he liked the kid a lot.
“I’m not. Not that this is any of your business, but I’m pretty serious about Kali.”
Nate’s shoulders seemed to relax. “That’s what I thought.”
“You tell me if those guys cause any trouble at the shop,” Hammer ordered.
The teen rolled his eyes. “How much you wanna bet those guys will be kissing my ass from now on since you said you were training me?” He paused and studied Hammer. “Were you serious about that?”
“Sure, why not?” Hammer tried to keep his answer light, but he felt his chest tighten at the veiled look of hope in the kid’s eyes.
Nate looked away at a car driving by. “My dad and I used to do some boxing together when he was on leave.”
Hammer forced himself not to stiffen up in surprise. From what he’d been told, Nate had refused to talk to anyone about his father since he had moved in with Anna. “Your dad was a Marine, right?”
“Yeah, he was killed in action.”
“I’m sorry.” Those words were too simple for what Hammer wanted to say, then again there were no words that could possibly make the loss any better. “Come on, kid. Let’s go hit something.”
Nate smiled. “Sounds good.”
****
“You want me to what?”
Hammer smiled as he held out the leather jacket he’d ordered for Kali the other day. The leather was soft, but thick enough that it would keep her warm on his bike. On the back of the black leather was the black, white and red logo for Rough and Tough, but underneath it was the specialized tag they used for the things they made specifically for Hammer. Yesterday he had gotten in a large box of all kinds of clothes for Kali to wear. He had taken it home with him and put it away in the dressers where he would show them to her later.
They were standing in the entrance way of her apartment as she looked at him with that cute expression of bewilderment that always made him want to kiss her. He was holding two helmets in his hand other hand as he waited for her to take the jacket. “It’s a nice day out. You have tomorrow off, right? So do
“Honest, man. We weren’t serious.”
Hammer studied them for a moment before nodding. Dismissing them, he turned to Nate. “You done for the day? Good. Why don’t we head over to the gym and start those training sessions we talked about.”
Nate’s eyes widened slightly, but his reaction was nothing compared to the gasps the two boys let out. “But Fight Hard doesn’t take members under eighteen! We checked,” one of the boys complained.
“Yeah, we don’t usually, but Nate’s a friend of mine, and since I own the place…” Hammer shrugged.
“Do you think we could—”
“Maybe some other time. Just ask Nate, and maybe we could set something up. But until we change the policy, it’s still eighteen and older for membership,” Hammer said cutting the teen off. “Come on, Nate. Let’s go.”
The teens watched sadly as Hammer and Nate walked away, crossing the street.
“I don’t get it,” Nate muttered. “If his girlfriend is cheating, shouldn’t he be pissed at her?”
“Kid, I have been asking myself that for years. The only answer I’ve got is nothing makes sense when women are involved.”
That made Nate snicker. “I bet you don’t say that kind of shit in front of Kali.”
“Hell no, and if you ever told her I would deny it with my last breath.”
“I won’t tell her. She thinks you practically walk on water or something anyways.”
“She does?” Hammer asked as he stopped when they were standing outside of the gym. He could practically feel his own chest puffing out at that statement. Christ, did he have it bad for his little fairy.
Nate sent him a long look. “I know you’re all famous and shit, but I like Kali. She’s been really nice to me and my brother. I hope you aren’t playing her.”
Getting called out by a freaking teenage boy…
Damn, he liked the kid a lot.
“I’m not. Not that this is any of your business, but I’m pretty serious about Kali.”
Nate’s shoulders seemed to relax. “That’s what I thought.”
“You tell me if those guys cause any trouble at the shop,” Hammer ordered.
The teen rolled his eyes. “How much you wanna bet those guys will be kissing my ass from now on since you said you were training me?” He paused and studied Hammer. “Were you serious about that?”
“Sure, why not?” Hammer tried to keep his answer light, but he felt his chest tighten at the veiled look of hope in the kid’s eyes.
Nate looked away at a car driving by. “My dad and I used to do some boxing together when he was on leave.”
Hammer forced himself not to stiffen up in surprise. From what he’d been told, Nate had refused to talk to anyone about his father since he had moved in with Anna. “Your dad was a Marine, right?”
“Yeah, he was killed in action.”
“I’m sorry.” Those words were too simple for what Hammer wanted to say, then again there were no words that could possibly make the loss any better. “Come on, kid. Let’s go hit something.”
Nate smiled. “Sounds good.”
****
“You want me to what?”
Hammer smiled as he held out the leather jacket he’d ordered for Kali the other day. The leather was soft, but thick enough that it would keep her warm on his bike. On the back of the black leather was the black, white and red logo for Rough and Tough, but underneath it was the specialized tag they used for the things they made specifically for Hammer. Yesterday he had gotten in a large box of all kinds of clothes for Kali to wear. He had taken it home with him and put it away in the dressers where he would show them to her later.
They were standing in the entrance way of her apartment as she looked at him with that cute expression of bewilderment that always made him want to kiss her. He was holding two helmets in his hand other hand as he waited for her to take the jacket. “It’s a nice day out. You have tomorrow off, right? So do
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