Page 12 of The Map Home
“Be careful out here today,” he called across the street.
“Oh, we’re just out so he can do his business. I’m not planning a trip to the emergency room. Did you see the ambulance Wednesday night?”
“No, I missed it.” Hopefully, nothing terrible had happened. Dakota figured he would’ve been called in if there’d been an incident.
“I guess that’s good news, right? Whatever happened wasn’t so bad they called you guys out.”
“I’ve got to get going. Like I said, be careful.”
“Will do. A lady always has to listen to a burly policeman.”
Shaking his head at the senior citizen and her damn dog, Dakota walked over to where he’d parked his truck the night before and climbed in behind the wheel. He’d much rather deal with Geraldine and Barky than think about the dream he’d had.
Tad Gillespie was untouchable. The Gillespies may have taken him in as a teen, but would they welcome him as Tad’s boyfriend? The forecast was cloudy at best. It was time to spend the day freezing his balls off so he wouldn’t walk around with a hard-on the entire time. And, also, remind himself that Tad could do better than some guy without a background, without much of a future, and with more than his fair share of massive trust issues.
FIVE
Dakota
Black Friday,Dakota thought grimly as he slowed to barely a crawl, keeping his truck from sliding off the road into the dark canyon to his right,is the perfect name for this day.
Between the Last Puppy In The Shop face from Tad and then from Tad’s mom, Penny—Tad had learned from a maestro—Dakota had officially caved and agreed to the bonfire. Saying no to both of them was impossible.
“You’re like an adopted son, you know that, and the brother Tad loves best. Not that he doesn’t love Boone,” she added, always the loyal mom. “But Boone and Tad are as different as apple pie and New York cheesecake.”
She welcomed Dakota with one comment and warned him off with the other. Reminding him that he wasn’t blood. Penny didn’t have a mean bone in her body, but her words were a reminder that he was the outsider, and Dakota couldn’t help but think that, when she used the word son, it was just Penny being nice.
What would she do if she suspected Dakota’s hidden feelings? He didn’t want to find out. He’d rather be Tad’s friendforever than risk losing the only people he considered family. Niall Hamarsson was too new to his life to trust that he’d stay. Dakota glared out the windshield at the falling snow as if it was to blame for the fact that he wanted Tad and couldn’t have him.
The truck powered its way up the two-lane highway outside of Collier’s Creek toward the Gillespie ranch. Dakota was later than he’d planned due to a series of accidents in town, this time involving cars loaded down with shopping bags stuffed full of gifts and drivers who’d taken corners too fast or were just not paying attention. Only bumps and bruises, thankfully, but he’d had to fill out dreaded paperwork.
Dakota’s phone, safely tucked away in his coat pocket, buzzed and vibrated against his ribs. He didn’t need to look at it to know who was texting him.
Another text came through just as Dakota turned onto the gravel driveway leading up to Waylon and Penny Gillespie’s home. Again, he ignored it. Soon enough, Tad would know he’d arrived.
Elbowing the door of his beat-up truck open, Dakota hopped out. His boots crunched hard against the gravel and snow covering the frozen ground. Night came early in the late Wyoming fall, making it easy to see the crackling bonfire in the distance.
Straightening his shoulders and pulling his cap further down over his ears, Dakota slammed the truck door shut. The sound echoed across the parking area.
“Why did I agree to this?” Dakota muttered, but he knew full well why and for whom. Those damn puppy eyes.
Tromping across the snowy ground, Dakota went through the rest of the mental list he’d made of things to remember for the evening. Admittedly, his list was mostly filled with reasons not to get sucked in to an argument with Boone. The first wasdeceptively simple: Do not argue over song lyrics. Boone still insisted it was “kiss this guy.”Sorry, Hendrix.
Additionally, Dakota’d made a little bet with himself over how long it would be before Boone asked Dakota if he’d shot anyone yet. He was estimating five minutes. Boone thought he was very funny. He was not.
Slowing his pace, Dakota sucked in a deep breath. He’d been preparing himself the entire drive from town—really, ever since Penny called last night. The Gillespies were a lot, and Dakota owed them everything. And he cared for all of them—maybe not Boone as much—which, frankly, made things even more complicated.
Dakota did not like complicated.
Dragging in one last lungful of oxygen, Dakota emerged from the shadows and into the dancing firelight.
“There you are!” exclaimed Tad. He’d obviously been keeping an eye out and clearly had already downed a few of the Gillespie special cocktails. Waylon and Penny made them strong. Based on past experience, Dakota would have to sneakily dump every other one out or commit to staying the night.
He reminded himself he wasn’t staying the night.
“I’m here.” Dakota spread his hands. “Just like I said I would be.” After two days, Tad was a sight for sore eyes, even if he still had that damn mustache hanging around on his upper lip.
“I saved you a seat.” Tad patted the vacant folding camp chair next to his.
