“No reason.” He shrugged. “Hey, would you have a problem with me inviting some of the guys over for the game since you’ll be out?” Immediately the tension I was prepared for ebbed and went away. He was so adorable asking permission to have his friends over. It was unnecessary, he didn’t need my permission for anything, but I appreciated it.
“Are we done, Ollie?” He spritzed a few more times capturing any stray fly away hairs.
“Perfection. I’ll be in the kitchen grabbing your cappuccino for the road.”
“Thank you.” I waited for him to leave the room then I turned to Hank and put my arms around his waist. He curved those large arms around me, hugging me close. The t-shirt he wore was baby soft against my cheek as if it had been washed a million times. It probably had, for as much as Hank loved that football team. “Hank, you can have whomever you want over, whenever you want. For as long as you’re here, I want you to feel like this is your home.”
“I do feel at home, Angel. Wherever you are is where I want to be,” he said, his chin resting against the top of my head. I didn’t want to hope it meant for good and I didn’t dare ask.
“Okay then. I have to go. Enjoy your game.”
He walked me out into the kitchen; his mother was talking to Gustav. The tension was thick in the air. She wanted to make homemade pancakes, and Gustav had planned on making crepes. Oliver watched the two, completely fascinated as they argued. I tried to avoid making eye contact with Julia. Remembering how she saw Hank carrying me out of the study in my birthday suit last night sent a wave of heat across my face and neck. The skin of my neck probably matched the red of my suit.
“Here you go, pretty girl.” Hank’s mother handed me a ball of wrapped up paper towels.
“What’s this?”
“Homemade blueberry muffins. I made them early this morning for you.” She smiled so bright it may have reached the edges of the sun. The woman was incredibly kind and unfazed at all by the happenings between Hank and me. Gustav scowled but kept quiet.
“Blueberry muffins are my favorite!” The muffin was still warm. I was baffled by her kindness.
“I know, I asked Hank yesterday during your nap what some of your favorite things were.” I looked over at Hank. He smiled shyly and looked down, then shuffled his feet.
“Hank, how did you know that blueberry muffins were my favorite? We haven’t had them together.”
“You mentioned it once when we walked past a bakery. Said you don’t have them much because you only liked fresh-baked ones. Ma makes the best in Texas.” He preened for his mother’s benefit. It was probably one of the nicest things a man had ever done for me.
***
The door rang out and I rushed over to answer it. Dean’s smiling face greeted me. “Your Cowboys are going down, man!” Dean smack-talked the second I opened the door.
He was wearing a New York Giants shirt, not a Jets shirt. His longish black hair was hanging loose around his face. He’d be an opposing fella if I didn’t know better. Another guy I recognized pulled in behind him. It was that lawyer friend of Aspen’s. My eyes narrowed at his presence but I tried not to let it get to me.
“The hell they aren’t. Your Jets are going to flap their girlie wings and fly away after my Cowboys hog tie their asses!”
“Hank, you said I could bring a friend. This is Nate Walker, he does all the legal work for Aspen and Oleander.” He always called Oliver by his pet name. I could relate. I rarely called my Angel by her God-given name.
“We’ve met.” I put out my hand to shake his hand.
“Yeah, Hank here thought I was putting the moves on his bird,” he joked and shook my hand. I squeezed it tight to remind him that I could take him out in a second if provoked.
“Damn! Mate, settle down. I need that hand!” He pulled away and shook it, clearly in pain. I grinned happily.
“Didn’t you date Aspen, Nate?” Dean asked, and I bristled, anger creeping up my spine.
“Bloody hell, Dean! You have a piss-poor way of introducing friends. If I didn’t know any better, I’d suspect you were trying to get me killed!” Okay, so the man didn’t have shit for brains.
“No bother. Aspen told me that you went on a couple dates, said you kissed somethin’ awful. She compared you to her brother.” I shivered and grimaced for fun.
“Put a sock in it. That’s just bloody mean,” he grinned but I smacked him on the back to let him know we were good. Of course, I’d take every opportunity to insult the man’s romancing skills every chance I could today. Paybacks and all that.
Just as I turned around to talk more shit to Dean, the door rang again. This time it was Mac. “Good to see ya, Mac! Always good to have another Texan in the house!”
Mac was a large man, his Stetson firmly in place on his head, Cowboys jersey proudly displayed. He almost stood taller than me with his cowboy hat and boots. His brown eyes gleamed with mirth. “Nice digs, Boss.”
“Ah shucks, Mac. You know these digs are my lady’s. Wait ‘til you see the media room. You ain’t never gonna want to leave!”
We entered the room and Mac whistled. There were eight individual leather recliners in a deep brown. At the front was a matching dark leather couch. I suspected that’s where my girl laid down to watch movies. Entire room was painted red with gold girlie swirls and shit dangling here and there. The screen took up the entire far wall. It was as if we were in our own personal movie theater. Ma brought us popcorn and some snacks.
“Gusto! Thanks for the beers, man.” He handed us chilled pints full of ice cold beer. “Want to join the game? Gustav looked at the guys and nodded. He sat in one of the chairs, and not too long after we were all screamin’ and laughing at the screen. The Cowboys and Jets were tied at halftime.
The guys followed me into the kitchen where Ma was dishing out lunch. Gusto ran over to help.
“I got this, Gusto.”
“What is this?” he asked, his accent thick.
“Pigs in a blanket, silly.” Ma handed him one and he ate it.
His face screwed into what I think was pleasure. You could never really tell with the man. He always seemed pissed off.
“You must teach me this!” he exclaimed, his tone serious.
“Alright, but only if you teach me how to make those crepe thingies,” Ma offered.
The rest of us guys loaded our plates with food, grabbed fresh brewskies, more chips and dip, then made our way onto the large outdoor balcony to grub. Dean broke out some cigars and we enjoyed them with our beers. The tobacco mixed with beer and guys made me feel right at home. I liked Dean and Nate, more than I thought I would. Dean was more quiet than I was used to, but when he spoke he had us all in stitches. The fella was funny.
Nate was an interesting fella, as well. He talked a lot and had tons of useless knowledge about football. Though in England, it actually was soccer. Turned out he preferred soccer to football and it took us awhile to figure out he wasn’t referring to the NFL game we enjoyed. He even wore a European team jersey in a bright green with white and black wording and stripes. Some of the things he said were hard to figure out. He spoke English but used words I’d never heard before. After a few beers, it didn’t matter. When I didn’t understand him, I just shrugged and let Dean translate.
Mac seemed to be having a good time. A couple times he’d leave the room to take a call on his cellphone. It was the off weekend so he spent a good deal of time on the phone with his wife. Lisa was great. She understood he had to work, but I could tell Mac missed her somethin’ awful.
Seein’ him sore about not being with his wife and kids helped solidify the idea about expanding the business. I wasn’t ready to tell Aspen about the idea yet. We hadn’t talked about where this thing between us was going but one thing I knew for certain, I wanted to be where she was. Period.
At the third quarter I asked Mac to follow me into Aspen’s study. He looked concerned when I leaned against the desk. Memories of what I did to my Angel last night were fresh and I smiled like an idiot.
“What’s up man?” Mac asked.
“What would you say if I told ya I was thinking ‘bout expanding Jensen Construction?”
Mac’s eyes widened and a smile broke across his hairy face. The man didn’t shave on the weekends. Said if he wasn’t kissin’ his wife he could enjoy being a man. “I’d say it’s about damn time, boss!”
I laughed. “So, I’m thinking about opening up an office here in New York City.”
Mac’s smile slipped off his face. “Hank, I really don’t want to work for anyone else, but I can’t move my family to NYC. It’s not an option. Lisa would kill me for even suggestin’ such a thing … and I,” he started to make excuses but I shook my head.
“I’m thinking about movin’ here and opening the office. Keeping the one back home and promoting someone to foreman and manager of the Texas branch. Know anyone who’d be good for it?” I grinned.
Mac’s smile came back like a shot. “Shit Hank. You offerin’ me the opportunity to run the office back home?”
“If I can get the capital together and set up shop here, yes, I reckon I am.”
Mac took off his cowboy hat and ruffled his fingers through his hat hair. “Shoot, boss, I’d be honored and I wouldn’t let you down. You’re like a brother to me. And Lisa and the kids think you’re family. I’d be proud to do it.”
“Alright then. I’ll let you know in the next couple weeks what the plan is. Don’t get too excited; nothin’ has happened yet, but I trust you and couldn’t do it if I didn’t have a good man on the ground in Texas.” I slapped him on the back as we made our way back to the game.
There was a commotion in the kitchen and I ran over. Aspen and Oliver had made it back and were laughing at Gusto and Ma, who were having a flour fight.
“Hey, hey, hey. What in God’s name are you two up to?” They both turned to the growing group of onlookers. Ma’s hair was white, flour coating the entire surface. Gusto was worse for the wear. He had flour and butter stuck all over his white jacket and a glob stuck to his cheek. His hair was also white from flour. Looks like Ma got some good shots in.
“My goodness, Gustav, I’m shocked!” Aspen said and he looked down and shuffled his feet.
“Oh, she’s just joshin’ ya, Gusto. Relax, Partner. You’re not in trouble. Looks like you and Ma got the best of each other.” We all laughed as the rest of the guys made their way into the kitchen.
“Commercial break,” Dean said, and hooked a thumb over his shoulder at the media room. “The Jets got a field goal and its back to a tie game.”
“Thanks for the update, Pal.” Aspen snuggled in and I tipped her face up with a finger under her chin. “Afternoon, Angel.” I pecked her on the lips. “How was work?”
Oliver cringed and hugged Dean, rubbing his face into Dean’s chest. Dean wrapped his arms around the man, perfectly comfortable with being with Oliver in front of others. You didn’t see it a lot back home, but it didn’t bother me. You could tell that Dean felt very protective over Oliver. ‘Bout as much as I did for Aspen.
“Ugh, don’t ask. Let’s just say I’m going to lose a couple hundred thousand dollars and potentially a half a million dollar campaign while the model detoxes for the next thirty days.”
Nate jumped in. “Pen, you need me on this?”
She nodded and sighed. “Yeah, she’s definitely in breach of her contract, but we’ll talk later. I want to know about the game and what you guys have been up to.”
We all went back to enjoy the last quarter. Aspen really got into it. She voted for the Cowboys because she said her only preference was my happiness. If I didn’t love her before, I most certainly did at that moment. She was everything I never knew I wanted in a woman. She was smart, distractingly beautiful, didn’t know how to cook, probably clean either. She was not domestic, wouldn’t make a good housewife in the ways Ma would want for me. And I could give two shits. I just wanted her, the workaholic debutante who rocked a men’s suit better than I did.
She was all soft curves and luscious woman under those suits and my Angel was the perfect lady on the street and a freak in the bed. It was obvious to me and even my mother that she was it for me. There was never going to be another woman who could stand up to her. I was ready to tell her how I felt, but wanted to do it on my turf.
As the Cowboys took the game into the winning field goal that broke the tie, I kissed my girl. She tasted of popcorn and beer and I ate it up. Before things got too heated, I pulled her chin up and searched her gaze. “Will you come home with me next weekend? Just a long weekend?”
“Of course. Everything okay?” Her gaze held mine. Those blue eyes seemed deeper than the ocean and just as purdy. I could get lost in ‘em.
“I want to show you the ranch. Have you meet my brother, his wife Jess, and the boys.”
“I’d love to.” She smiled shyly.
“Then it’s settled. I’ll book some tickets.”
“No need.” She tapped Oliver on the shoulder. He was busy in a liplock with Dean. It was strange seeing two men kiss and carry on, but it really was no different than me groping and lovin’ on my girl. “Ollie, can you reserve my jet for this coming weekend. Hank and I are going to accompany his mother home and stay for a weekend. Plan for us to come back on Monday or Tuesday depending on my schedule.” Oliver puffed out his bottom lip. “What, honey?” she asked.
“I wanna go, too.” He continued to pout and then she turned her face to me, matching pout in place. Her glistening pink lip puffed out ready for me to bite it, so I did. She deepened the kiss. Oh boy, I was in trouble with these two. One had my girl by the hair; my girl had me by the nuts. Not a good combination.
“Oliver, Dean, would you like to come to Texas? There’s plenty of room at the ranch,” I asked them. Oliver smiled like it was his birthday and he’d just been given the one present he’d always wanted.
“Could you get the time, baby?” Oliver asked Dean, practically jumping up and down.
“Well, technically I do have a million hours of vacation time since your boss is a slave driver and never lets you have time off,” he said dryly, his eyes squinted at Aspen. We both knew by now that he was playing. Aspen rolled her eyes but pretended to look hurt.
“Oh, this is going to be so fun! Pen, I have to get us cowboy boots and sexy hot jeans … oooh oooh and that new Ralph Lauren line has those fitted plaid shirts.” The man squealed like a little girl.