Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Reese nodded. “You deserve to have friends. I’m sorry if I made you feel like you don’t.”
He was so grown up, and in that moment, August couldn’t be prouder of him. “You didn’t. And we are just friends, Clint and I. Even if we weren’t, no one would ever take your place.” Another nod from Reese. “But if you’re not ready, we don’t have to go. You’re my first concern, always.”
Those words made Reese look a little sadder for some reason. Like maybe he struggled to believe him or feel worthy of it. “The welding does sound cool…”
August chuckled. “I knew you’d like it.”
“What about Butter?”
“He has two dogs and already said we could bring her.” August squeezed Reese’s shoulder. “This is our fresh start together, you and me. We can make friends and reinvent ourselves. We can do anything we want. I think you’ll like it here if you give it a chance.”
Reese was quiet two beats, before he said, “Maybe…but I do want to go to Clint’s. You deserve friends too, and I want to learn to weld.”
“We’ll do it, then.”
Reese stepped back, bent down to love on his dog. August watched him, so thankful for his life and son. “I see it, ya know?” Reese finally said. “I might not show it, but I see it.”
“See what?”
“That you’re always here. I know it doesn’t make sense, but sometimes it’s like I’m mad at you for that.”
August rubbed a hand over his chest, fought to hold back his tears. “It makes sense. You can be mad at me if you need to. It won’t chase me away.”
Reese hugged his dog again. “Do you really think we can find art classes too?”
“I do.” August let him change the subject. He didn’t care how far he had to travel to find art classes. He would do it.
They had tackled more today than they had in years. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.
CHAPTER SIX
Clint
On Saturday morning, Clint called Roe and Holden and asked if he could stop by their place. August and Reese would be at his house later that day, and he wanted to let them know if there was a plan in the works for getting everyone together so Reese could meet Sean and Wyatt. As far as he knew, Scout wasn’t with Deke and Grady, but he figured they’d be invited to whatever was planned, so if Scout was with them, they’d bring him too.
Clint and August had been texting off and on during the week. He wasn’t the kind of guy who texted all that often unless it was to make plans or to check in and see how someone was doing. He didn’t usually text for the sake of texting. He didn’t talk on the phone either, and while he and August weren’t doing that, they were messaging throughout the day—August telling him about animals that came through the vet, and Clint sending him a photo of a windmill he was working on; August telling him how he went for a jog at dawn and about his hike with Reese, while Clint shared about meeting Colby for lunch again and what show he was watching on TV. He felt like a damn teenager, but that didn’t make him stop.
Clint drove his truck down the driveway and parked beside Roe’s. As soon as he got out, Roe opened the door, wearing a pair of jeans, no shirt, and a backward ball cap. Monroe Covington was one of the sexiest men Clint had ever seen. He was what? Forty-seven? Forty-eight? Something along those lines, with dark hair and scruff and a fair amount of gray mixed in. He was both rugged and beautiful, for lack of better terms, but what made Roe special was that he was one of the best men around. He was a good person, someone who cared about others. And Holden was the same. Clint couldn’t be happier that the two men had found each other.
“Hey, man. How’s it going?” Roe asked.
“Not too bad.” Roe held the screen door open for Clint to go inside. Holden was in the kitchen, shirtless too, making pancakes on a large griddle.
“Hey, buddy. What’s up?” Holden said as Clint made his way over. “Want some breakfast? We’re getting going late around here. Wyatt’s with his mama.” Holden waggled his brows, making Clint chuckle.
“Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Nah, you’re good. Old guy over here needed a break.”
“Oh, fuck you,” Roe replied before walking over and kissing Holden’s cheek. “He literally slept in while I was working out.”
“Shh. You’re supposed to make us sound cool,” Holden teased, and Clint felt a pang in his chest. They were so happy and settled together. How could he be forty-two years old and had never had this? Never been in love or had anything other than his business and his dogs to show for his life? Not that there was anything wrong with those things, but when he looked at them, or at Deke and Grady, or at August who had been married and had a son, for the first time in his life, Clint felt a stab of loneliness twist like a knife in his gut.