Page 43 of Hammer and Hops

Eddy’s eyes went wide. “Seems like an appropriate thank you to me.” I scowled, and Eddy turned back around in his seat. But we hadn’t even made it out of town before he turned back to face me again, looking between the seats. “So, he thought you were fucking with him, but he got to know you and doesn’t feel that way now, right?”

“Only because we caught the guy who really was fucking with him.”

“Are you sure about that, because it seems like maybe he already changed his mind before that. Isn’t that what Brock said?” He stuck his thumb out at his boyfriend.

“I don’t know. But what if he changes his mind again?”

“What if he does?”

“He could decide to go back to the city. He has more than enough money to make that happen.” Thanks to me and the website I set up for him. Wasn’t that a brilliant idea? Now he was going to leave me. “If he wanted to, he could open up in Sacramento now.”

“Nah…he loves you,” Eddy crooned.

“Exactly,” Brock chimed in.

“Bullshit.” He didn’t know me enough to love me. Did he? Did I love him?

“You’ll never know if you don’t try.”

“How about we just focus on the camping shit?” I was done with the conversation.

“Sure.” Eddy turned around again.

Brock muttered something under his breath, but I was determined to stay off the subject and maybe keep busy this weekend. “We could drop down to the lake and go fishing tomorrow? I’ll fry up a batch if we catch any cat.”

“That sounds like a plan.” Brock sounded happy for the first time since we started loading up.

“Are we going to have s’mores?” Eddy asked.

“S’mores and beer?” I asked.

“Whatever you want,” Brock answered.

They were two of my favorite people. I could maybe be good company for them.

Chapter thirty-seven

Camping – Everett

I woke up to a blaring phone. “Yeah.”

“It’s on,” a husky voice answered.

“On?”

“The camping thing. He’ll be here to load up in about five minutes.”

“Oh? Oh. Yeah. Sorry, just waking up. Thanks, Brock. I’m on my way.”

“Do you need us to stall a little?”

“Yes. I have to load the car still. I can be on my way in less than five minutes though.”

“Great. See ya there.” Brock hung up.

Conroy had been right about this so far. Brock and Eddy were more than willing to help, and Jackie promised to open and run the store for the short time they would be away. And more importantly, not tell Cameron—or anyone else in this overly chatty town—what was going on.

My gear was organized by the front door, so I grabbed it and loaded up my car. Then I made a double batch of coffee from the single-serve machine and headed out. It would be a decent drive, but hopefully I’d make it before them.