A Younger Man (13 page)

Behind Violet, Mickey flexed his hands as if he were going to strangle the woman. But then he just cursed, turned to Zane, and grumbled, “Fix it.”

Zane blanched, and his throat fell into his stomach. “Me?”

“Yes you.” The man’s whiskers twitched with as much impatience as his tone. “Or don’t you trust my judgment that you’re ready yet?”

“No. I mean, yes.” Flummoxed, Zane bowed stupidly. “Thank you.”

Right then Violet came up next to Zane and squeezed his shoulder. “After you do that, I’d like you to start resetting the empty tables for the dinner crowd, honey. All right?”

“Yes.” Zane stood up straight. “Absolutely.”

Violet’s eyes twinkled. “Relax, sweetheart. It’s just food. Besides,” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “that grouchy bastard likes having you around.” She shot Mickey a quick glare. “As much as he might not think so, I don’t take his opinions lightly. You’re doing a fantastic job.”

“I appreciate your kindness, ma’am.” Zane dipped his head, but he knew nothing could conceal the red consuming his face. “Very much.”

“And I appreciate the sweet smile and hard work you bring to my establishment.” Giving him another quick squeeze, Violet then turned the gesture into a fast hug. “Keep it up. I have to run out for a bit now.” She wiggled her fingers at the handful of employees in the kitchen. “Ta,” she added, and breezed out as theatrically as she’d come in.

Zane shook his head and chuckled, but he’d also never stood prouder in a workplace. God, it was nice to have people who genuinely seemed to care. With this restaurant’s long family history, Zane could only hope their kindness was more sincere than his previous employer’s had been. He couldn’t see himself showing up to work here one day to find the doors locked and the bosses gone with whatever money remained in the business’s coffers.

Just after Zane added the necessary celery salt to the Bolognese sauce, his cell phone buzzed in his pocket.
What the heck?
Zane’s heart instantly shot up into his throat. Duncan and Hailey knew that with their prepaid service this phone was only to be used in emergencies. Zane could not afford a big monthly contract or cell phone bill.

He put the phone to his ear, his voice tight, and said, “What is it? Is everything okay?”

“Hi, Zane.” A familiar gritty voice filled Zane’s ear. “It’s Noah.”

“Oh, thank God.” Zane wiped perspiration from his face. “I didn’t think to look at the screen. I thought something had happened to my brother or sister.”

“Shit.” More curses, softer, came through the phone. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I should have looked at who was calling.” Now that Zane’s initial panic had passed, the sound of Noah’s voice rushed a little tingle up his spine.
Shoot.
Zane tried to ignore the sensation, but couldn’t keep from rubbing the back of his neck. “What’s up?”

“I know you asked the phone be used at a minimum,” Noah said, “but I’m in a jam. Again. I need someone ASAP. I fired my employee, and I can’t complete this project on my own. I know you’re still looking for work, and I need someone right now.”

“I’m at the restaurant now.” Zane glanced over his shoulder to the clock on the wall. Just after one in the afternoon. “I don’t finish until four.”

“That’s fine. I’ll take you whenever I can get you.” A rushed quality filled Noah’s voice. “I’m working in a business, not a customer’s home, so I can extend my hours into the evening if I have to—whatever it takes. You’re helping me out, so that means I’ll accommodate your schedule. I’ll help you line up someone to watch Duncan and Hailey for the night work, if you need it…” Another expletive, and then, “Whatever you want.”

Oh God, this is perfect.
Zane opened his mouth to automatically say yes. Something about Noah brought out this need in Zane to say yes, and help, and soothe as much as he could. Over the last week and a half, when Zane had been alone, he’d done precious little more than daydream about Noah—and about the sexual fantasy that had frightened him in its intensity. Then Zane would inevitably imagine letting go and going to Noah, confessing the turn of his thoughts, to then have Patty find out about his feelings. His fear of the courts taking Duncan and Hailey away from him would halt Zane before he made a move.
Oh God. Oh God.
Zane didn’t know what to do.

He rubbed at the knots now forming in his neck, and looked up to find one of the servers beckoning him from the swinging doors. With the phone still attached to his ear, Zane walked to the older woman and mouthed,
“Yes?”
She pointed into the body of the restaurant and mouthed back,
“For you.”
Zane followed the line of her finger, and his legs nearly buckled.
Clint.
The white cowboy hat and white snap-front shirt gleamed like two bright orbs across the restaurant.
He wants more money. I know it.
Zane did not have more than five bucks in his wallet right now.

“Zane?” Noah’s gritty voice broke into Zane’s silent heart attack. “Are you still there?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. Someone—” Zane abruptly snapped his mouth shut. Just in time too. He could not tell Noah about Clint and the stupid, idiotic loans he’d taken from the man. “Can I call you back in a few minutes?”

“Yeah, uh, sure,” Noah replied. “Take a few minutes to think about the job. But I’ll need to know within an hour, tops.”

“No … I just…” Right then Clint began crossing the restaurant toward Zane, and Zane slipped his features to a cooler facade. “I have something I have to take care of first and then I’ll get back with you. Bye.” He hung up just as Clint came upon him. With one glance over his shoulder, Zane pulled the guy to a table on the empty, quiet side of the restaurant. “What are you doing here again?” he whispered heatedly as soon as they sat down. “I can’t have you visiting my work all the time. I’ll get fired, and what good will that do?”

Clint leaned across the table and replied in an equally low tone, “Don’t be a little bitch with me. You owe me money. Maybe that first warning wasn’t enough?” As he leaned back in his chair, he looked Zane over with a nasty glint in his dark eyes. “Do I have to beat you down again to make you understand?”

“No.” Zane automatically grabbed his gut. Almost two months ago he’d taken a beating that had left his face intact but his middle bruised and sore for weeks. “I get paid next week, and I promise I’ll give you as much as I can.”

“I want more than that shit amount you dropped off last time. If you don’t start giving me more, fast, you’re gonna have to accept a few of those jobs we talked about to pay it back.”

“No way.” Zane’s attention darted around the restaurant, fearful the walls could somehow hear Clint’s threat and know what he meant by it.

The guy shrugged. He looked way too down-home, good old boy for anyone to ever think such a thug lived behind the amiable cowboy shell. “You have a cute brother and sister,” Clint said. “I took a chance on you because I figured with them you’d hustle for work in order to pay me back. That ain’t happening so far. Do what you need to do, or decide you’re gonna do what I need you to do. Otherwise, those cute kids might not be so cute anymore.”

“You wouldn’t.” Zane’s heart lodged up in his throat, making it a challenge to breathe, let alone speak. “Please.”

“Bring me some money soon,” Clint stood up, got close to Zane, and whispered in his ear, “or you’re gonna find out.” Then he tipped his Stetson, as if they were best friends, and ambled to the exit.

Once Clint left, Zane slid down into the seat, his entire body turning to jelly. His hands shook. Sickness churned in his gut, and he thought he might throw up. Duncan and Hailey.
How could I have put them in danger?
Zane couldn’t process how he’d gotten in so deep with Clint so fast. The loan had seemed manageable at first. Zane had understood how these kinds of private loans worked, but when he’d originally taken the first loan, he’d stupidly thought he would still have his job at the textile factory. Then he’d lost his job, couldn’t find another right away, and a second and third loan had been the only way to stay above water. Except, Zane hadn’t kept them floating, even with the money. Before he knew it, with outrageous interest added in, he owed more than he could possibly repay.

Clint had already hinted at some of the things Zane could do to take care of the loan. Like help him set up an inside job to rob the restaurant at the closing of their busiest night of business. Or move some of Clint’s “product” at Duncan’s school when he dropped his brother off every morning.

God.
Tears pushed behind Zane’s eyes. He was such an idiot. When he’d agreed to take the money from Clint, he hadn’t even realized Clint also ran a small-time drug operation. What the hell other kind of nasty stuff might the guy be trying to nose his way into? And by then would Zane have any choice but to participate?

No way.

Once again, the savior came to Zane in the form of a blond-haired, rough-looking angel. Zane dialed Noah’s number, but nausea still held him in its grip. Noah had been so wonderful, and in return Zane’s feelings were so confused. Now he only felt put in a more awkward position by asking for another favor.

Still, when Noah answered his phone with a gritty, “Hello?” Zane swallowed down the nasty taste in his mouth and said, “I’m in to help you out with this job, but I could really use whatever you intend to pay me, in full, upfront. Are you okay with that?”

“I’m not worried that you’ll bolt on me midproject.” Noah sounded as if Zane’s request were the easiest in the world to grant, and Zane felt like an even bigger jerk and liar for keeping secret why he needed the cash. “If you need the money upfront,” Noah said, “then it’s yours.”

Zane exhaled, but his insides didn’t get any less queasy. “Great. Tell me where the job is and I’ll head over to the site as soon as I leave here.”

After Noah gave Zane the address, and thanked him for stepping in, they said their good-byes and hung up. No matter how generous Noah intended to be with his wage, though, Zane already knew whatever remained after paying rent and a few other bills wouldn’t come close to covering what he owed Clint.

Zane could only hope it would be enough to appease Clint for a while and buy himself some more time.

Chapter 7

The first twinkles of daylight broke through the darkness outside, ushering in Friday morning, just as Noah and Zane swept away the last of the debris in the salon. Grit filled Noah’s eyes, and he wondered how in the hell he was still standing upright. With a glance across the salon to the dark-haired man who’d saved his ass, Noah had to wonder the same about Zane. Zane surely wasn’t used to this kind of relentless physical labor, but he’d come through and given Noah every free hour of his life for the last three days, and never once complained.
Yet another reason I want to pull him into my arms every time I get too close.
Work and a deadline had taken 99 percent of Noah’s focus these last few days, but that 1 percent left over was filled with his work partner. That one tiny percent still drove Noah to look at Zane much more than he should. He ached to sink into a long, deep kiss with the man to see if it would feel as amazing in reality as his dreams made him think it would be.

“Oh my word.” Dana entered the salon from the back, her voice hushed, drawing Noah’s and Zane’s attention. “It looks beautiful.” Circling the area, she let her fingers flit over every surface she passed. “Better than I could have imagined.”

“With a few hours to spare,” Noah shared, “so you can get your stations set back up to how you like them before you open the door.”

Drawing to a stop in front of Noah, Dana crossed her arms and looked up at him from her petite position. “I have to admit, Mr. Maitland, I wasn’t sure you could do it. But I am so happy to be proven wrong.”

With a chuckle, Noah replied, “I’ll be honest. Without Zane,” he couldn’t help his attention sliding the younger man’s way, “it wouldn’t have happened.”

Doing an about-face, Dana reached out to shake Zane’s hand. “Thank you for your hard work.”

As Zane exchanged a handshake with Dana, red burned the tips of his ears. “It was my pleasure.”

Back to Noah now, Dana shook his hand too. “Send me the bill. Until we can get a paper contract together, our verbal agreement stands. Anytime I need work done on the salon, you are my guy.”

Yes.
On the inside, Noah pumped his fists, but for Dana, he just dipped his head and said, “Excellent. Oh,” he jerked his thumb over his shoulder, “the key you gave me is in the lock on the front door.”

“I’ll be in back,” Dana replied. “Give a shout when you’re ready to leave so I can come lock up behind you.”

“We’re good now.” Noah gathered the last toolbox left in the salon and gestured for Zane to grab up the remaining cleaning supplies. “We’ll get out of your hair so you can start setting up for your day.”

Once Dana had let Noah and Zane out, locked up, and disappeared to the back of the salon, Noah made eye contact with Zane. He absorbed the spark in that blue stare, thought about the miracle they’d just pulled off, and he let out a huge
whoop
that echoed down the empty street. Zane threw his head back and laughed, filling the breezy morning air with even more joyous noise, and made Noah feel as if he could leap mountains and swim oceans without ever taking a breath.

“So? What do you say?” Happiness pushed words out of Noah’s mouth without examination or second-guessing. “I have a part-time job to fill, and you need one. How about you accept this gig as your other permanent part-time job?” Zane’s pupils flared, and Noah added, “I’d be happy to sit down with your other employer to see if we can hash out a compatible schedule. I want something that will work for all of us, but you most of all.” He lowered the tailgate to the back of his truck and then stepped aside so Zane could put his clunkier stuff away first. “What do you think?”

After climbing onto the flatbed, Zane quickly secured his items and then reached back for Noah’s toolbox. From over his shoulder he said, “I think I have to give Violet preference on when she feels she needs me the most, but if she’s open to working something out, and what is left of my days is acceptable to you,” Zane came to the edge of the flatbed, right in front of Noah, and squatted so they were at eye level, “then I say yes.” Light from within brightened his gaze to something spectacular. “I would be honored to work for you.”