“He didn’t buy in. It’s always been all mine.”
He nodded once. “Right, this works out with us, is it gonna stay that way?”
I snapped my mouth shut because I hadn’t thought of that.
“Cassidy, I got work to do to leave the life I lead behind. I haven’t even started that ’cause I needed to get where you were at with this. With us. We’re new. We’re good. We stay good, that work starts happening. And when that life is done for me, what do you want me to do?”
I didn’t understand the question. “What do I want you to do?”
“Yeah. Do you want me to work at your side or find somethin’ else that takes my time, ’cause, so you know, I don’t need money in a way I won’t until I die.”
That made my mouth drop open.
I closed it only to open it again to say, “Seriously?”
“The work I do gets paid a whack. The life I lead doesn’t have a lot of overhead. Been doin’ this shit a while. Got enough money to live good, not large, but comfortable. That said, not a man to put my feet up and I suspect that’s in a way that I’ll never be that man. You want me at your side and workin’ this business with you, I’m down with that, and I buy the shingles as part of that buy-in that we’ll discuss fully when we’re there. You’re not down with that, you want this to be yours and me to have no part in it outside comin’ back to you after my day is done doin’ whatever it is I’ll be doin, you buy the shingles.”
“This is a big decision to make at this juncture, Deacon,” I noted carefully.
“I get you,” he replied. “But you’re right. The state of your roof, I don’t like it. Shit could happen and that shit might happen when I’m not with you to help you deal. So I want it fixed. So this decision needs to be made now.”
“These cabins…” I paused, took a breath and explained, “These cabins mean a lot to me, honey. I’ve put everything into these cabins. I love these cabins.”
“Right,” he muttered, his eyes shuttering.
“But,” I went on swiftly, “I don’t know what the future will bring. To me we’re not good, we’re great. I love having you here. It’s making me happy. It’s making you happy. So when that time comes where we know we’re solid and you’ve left that life, then we can talk about your buy-in. But now it’s too soon and I need shingles.”
“Then you pay for the shingles, Cassidy, but I pay for groceries while I’m here. What you eat, what I eat, all of it. My way of kickin’ in, it’s important to me to do that so you let me have that and don’t bitch or fight me.”
And there was more proof.
Badasses could compromise.
My heart swelled as I told him, “I can do that.”
He held my eyes. “You sure?”
It was then I saw his weren’t shuttered anymore. They were lit.
He was teasing.
God, I loved it when Deacon teased. No way I would ever have guessed he would tease when I knew him only as John Priest.
But I loved it that he did.
“It might cause debilitating pain, but I’ll deal with it,” I teased back.
“And she gives me the smartass.”
“As I said, it’s who I am.”
His voice was sweet when he said, “Yeah.”
He liked who I was.
I returned that sentiment.
I told him that in his language by moving to him, putting a hand on his abs, rolling up on my toes to get close, and saying, “Let’s get shingles.”