Page 2 of Backed By You
There’s a collective bit of laughter amongst everyone. Except me. I was hoping to go straight to the cabin.
Duke slaps a hand on my shoulder. “You’re riding with us, bro.”
We head to his truck, and I take the front seat, while Maci and Olivia sit in the back. I stare out the window, taking in everything that’s changed since the last time I was here.
“So, how was Washington, DC?” my brother asks, glancing between me and the road. “Ma said that’s where they sent you after they got you back stateside.”
“Best knee surgeon in the States is stationed there,” I grumble.
He nods. “You, uh, feeling good? I mean, you look fuckin’ great. Like you haven’t taken a break from the gym or whatever the hell they had you doin’ for recovery.”
I’ve never been one to sit idly by when there’s work to be done. Whether that’s leading my squadron or pushing my body to heal—it’s all the same to me.
I don’t respond.
Maci clears her throat. “We talked to Callie and let her know that if she needs anything to give you a call. But, um, we don’t have your new phone number to give her.”
My brow furrows. “Who?”
“Callie Ryan,” Duke says, like I’m supposed to know who that is. “She’s your tenant. She moved into the one-bedroom cabin, been renting it for four months.”
“Almost five,” Maci corrects.
Right. She’s the one staying inmycabin. The one my mother was supposed to make sure was vacant for me when I got home. But lines got crossed, and it was already rented out before I made it known I wanted it for myself. “Got it.”
“Maci and I, we’ve sort of taken over all the scheduling for the other cabin,” he tells me. “Maci set you up a sweet website and everything. It’s been blowing up with bookings.”
She leans forward from the back with a kind smile. “I made sure it was free for you this weekend, though. Well, the next three nights at least. It’s kind of booked after that…”
I scowl.Fuck.
“Ma thinks you’re going to want to stay at the house, but I figured we’d offer up our spare bedroom before she hounded you,” Duke says.
“Thanks, but I’ll figure something out.”
Duke raises a brow. “You sure, Beau? I mean, Butch’s got a spare room, too. Rhett and Levi got a pullout couch. Wherever you want. Lily’s working on moving out of Ma’s finally, so if you want to stay there, I doubt it’d be a big deal.”
I huff. The idea of staying with any of my family sounds more fucking miserable than sleeping in the deserts of Iraq with active gunfire.
I don’t need this kind of back-and-forth right out the gate.
“Um, there are breaks between bookings,” Maci says quietly. “Usually so Julie can clean between renters, but if you’re looking for somewhere to stay, I’m sure you can in between. If you don’t mind moving around to get a little privacy.”
I nod.That, I can deal with.
Changing the subject, I ask, “Did you take a look at that truck I sent you? Is it worth the money for what I’m planning on doing with it?”
Duke sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, it’s a good truck. I let Steve at the dealership know you were flying in today. Said he’d hold it for you to have a look for yourself.”
“Good.”
“You’re not gonna take a fuckin’ break to save your life, are you?” my brother mutters.
Not if I have anything to say about it.
“Duke, I’ve been sitting on my ass for the last five months. Working through recovery, physical therapy, and dealing with getting discharged. I don’t need a fuckin’ break, all right? What I do need is for everyone to get off my ass when I just got back in town.”
He shakes his head, turning down the driveway to my parents’ place.
