“Deputy.”
“Hey, Mrs. Redding.” He took the coffee and sniffed appreciatively. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. What’s up?” No nonsense. That was Ellen Redding.
“Sage had a tough time last night at the cafe. He was attacked in the parking lot.” He watched her face with a cop’s eye, needing to see her reaction.
She stood. “Does he need to see a doctor? Is anything broken? He didn’t start it. I know it.”
“No, he didn’t.” Win sighed. “I stayed with him last night, and he looks to be all right—beat to hell but nothing broken. He got up to feed this morning, but he’s sleeping now.”
“Stubborn boy.” Her lips tightened. “I’ll let him sleep, and we’ll do the night feeding, take spaghetti over tonight. You know who did it?”
“It was too dark to see, apparently. He says he didn’t see faces, and Bulldog couldn’t tell me.” Win spread his hands. “I got there as soon as I could.”
“You’re not his bodyguard, son.” She sat hard, rubbing her forehead. “I shouldn’t have asked him to come back here.”
“Well, now he’s here and staying, I think.” Impulsively, he reached out and touched her shoulder and squeezed. “I’ll help any way I can.”
“You’re a good boy, Adam.” She stood up and hugged him tight. It was the first time she’d called him Adam and not Win. “You know that he… that he likes boys, don’t you?”
“I do. I like him too. That way. I hope that’s okay.” He hugged her back.
“I think it’s probably stupid of you, ’cause your family will hate it, but you’re welcome here, so long as you’re good for him.”
“I never said I was all that bright.” He winked, happy that she chuckled for him. “I have to go in. I’ll check on him tonight.”
“I’ll bring over enough for two. Have a safe day and don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“I know you will.” He gave her one more squeeze and left her. He needed to call his own mom, needed to hear her voice, and needed her to tell him that he was going to be okay too. He hit speed dial, knowing she’d be sitting at the breakfast bar, sipping her coffee.
She answered as he slipped into the truck. “Hey, baby. What’s up?”
“Hi, Mom. Just needed to hear you today.” She said that to him a lot, but today he wanted her to know it went both ways.
“Oh man. Hard night?” He heard her coffee cup clank down.
“It was tough, yeah. Sage Redding was assaulted.”
“Is he okay? Are you? Were you there?” The questions came bullet-fast.
“He’s beat up. Wilma called me, and I got there when everyone was running for it.” He sighed. He knew he was pushing things with his family, and he felt more than a little responsible for the attack.
“Oh man. That sucks. How can I help?”
“Just tell me it’s okay? I’ll believe you if you tell me.” He smiled a little, the joke an old one for them.
“He’s a good man and you like him. It’s going to be hard, but I have your back.”
“Thanks, Mom. I love you.” He was almost to his place, and he needed to get dressed.
“I love you. Call me when you’re having your lunchtime, and I’ll drive into town.”
“Yes, ma’am.” That would be nice, to know he had something to do on his downtime.
“Good boy. Go get the bad guys.”
“I will.” He hoped to hell that didn’t end up being part of his family. Today or any day.
C HAPTER F OURTEEN
S AGE LOOKED at his Daddy, his head pounding. “I got this.”
“Son, I swear to God, I will put you over my knee. I can feed the fucking horses one time.” Daddy looked at him, lips tight. “How many were there, for fuck’s sake?”
“Four or five. It was dark.”
“Tell me you cleaned at least one of their clocks.”
Right, because he wouldn’t be the one headed back to jail if he did. The chances of one of those men working with Adam was better than good.
“I stayed on my feet and didn’t lose no teeth” was finally what he settled
“Hey, Mrs. Redding.” He took the coffee and sniffed appreciatively. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. What’s up?” No nonsense. That was Ellen Redding.
“Sage had a tough time last night at the cafe. He was attacked in the parking lot.” He watched her face with a cop’s eye, needing to see her reaction.
She stood. “Does he need to see a doctor? Is anything broken? He didn’t start it. I know it.”
“No, he didn’t.” Win sighed. “I stayed with him last night, and he looks to be all right—beat to hell but nothing broken. He got up to feed this morning, but he’s sleeping now.”
“Stubborn boy.” Her lips tightened. “I’ll let him sleep, and we’ll do the night feeding, take spaghetti over tonight. You know who did it?”
“It was too dark to see, apparently. He says he didn’t see faces, and Bulldog couldn’t tell me.” Win spread his hands. “I got there as soon as I could.”
“You’re not his bodyguard, son.” She sat hard, rubbing her forehead. “I shouldn’t have asked him to come back here.”
“Well, now he’s here and staying, I think.” Impulsively, he reached out and touched her shoulder and squeezed. “I’ll help any way I can.”
“You’re a good boy, Adam.” She stood up and hugged him tight. It was the first time she’d called him Adam and not Win. “You know that he… that he likes boys, don’t you?”
“I do. I like him too. That way. I hope that’s okay.” He hugged her back.
“I think it’s probably stupid of you, ’cause your family will hate it, but you’re welcome here, so long as you’re good for him.”
“I never said I was all that bright.” He winked, happy that she chuckled for him. “I have to go in. I’ll check on him tonight.”
“I’ll bring over enough for two. Have a safe day and don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“I know you will.” He gave her one more squeeze and left her. He needed to call his own mom, needed to hear her voice, and needed her to tell him that he was going to be okay too. He hit speed dial, knowing she’d be sitting at the breakfast bar, sipping her coffee.
She answered as he slipped into the truck. “Hey, baby. What’s up?”
“Hi, Mom. Just needed to hear you today.” She said that to him a lot, but today he wanted her to know it went both ways.
“Oh man. Hard night?” He heard her coffee cup clank down.
“It was tough, yeah. Sage Redding was assaulted.”
“Is he okay? Are you? Were you there?” The questions came bullet-fast.
“He’s beat up. Wilma called me, and I got there when everyone was running for it.” He sighed. He knew he was pushing things with his family, and he felt more than a little responsible for the attack.
“Oh man. That sucks. How can I help?”
“Just tell me it’s okay? I’ll believe you if you tell me.” He smiled a little, the joke an old one for them.
“He’s a good man and you like him. It’s going to be hard, but I have your back.”
“Thanks, Mom. I love you.” He was almost to his place, and he needed to get dressed.
“I love you. Call me when you’re having your lunchtime, and I’ll drive into town.”
“Yes, ma’am.” That would be nice, to know he had something to do on his downtime.
“Good boy. Go get the bad guys.”
“I will.” He hoped to hell that didn’t end up being part of his family. Today or any day.
C HAPTER F OURTEEN
S AGE LOOKED at his Daddy, his head pounding. “I got this.”
“Son, I swear to God, I will put you over my knee. I can feed the fucking horses one time.” Daddy looked at him, lips tight. “How many were there, for fuck’s sake?”
“Four or five. It was dark.”
“Tell me you cleaned at least one of their clocks.”
Right, because he wouldn’t be the one headed back to jail if he did. The chances of one of those men working with Adam was better than good.
“I stayed on my feet and didn’t lose no teeth” was finally what he settled
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