Chapter Forty-One

Dakota

 

 

Breakfast turned into a combination family meeting and strategic planning season, complete with coffee and bacon.

Atticus surprised Dakota by climbing up onto his lap. Dakota froze with his arms out wide, not sure what to do. He looked over at Amy.

“He must really like you,” she told Dakota. “But, Atty, you have to ask people if you can sit on their laps.”

The little boy looked stricken. “I’m sorry!” he started to slide off, but Dakota stopped him.

“No. It’s okay, you can stay. I just haven’t had a lot of experience with kids.”

Atticus looked at him, puzzled. “No?”

Dakota shook his head.

Atticus shrugged and leaned back against Dakota’s chest. “You’ll get used to us.”

Dakota put an arm around him to keep the boy from sliding off his lap, and Atticus snuggled in deeper. Maggie, never far from Atticus, laid down at his feet.

Dakota felt a grin he couldn’t hold back spread across his face. The way Atticus simply assumed Dakota would love him and be there for him made Dakota’s heart melt.

All children should feel that security. He remembered how he had been at six, and how long it had taken him to trust Sunshine and Zeke would abandon him. He’d slept in his shoes for months and hoarded food for longer.

He blinked back tears as he laid his hand gently on the boy’s head. No one would ever hurt this kid or any of these kids if Dakota had anything to say about it.

Realizing the table had gone silent, Dakota lifted his head to see everyone looking at him. The soft look on Bryce’s face made Dakota’s heart flutter. No matter what happened from there on in, Dakota was in too deep to even think of walking away.

After giving Dakota a sweet smile, Connie cleared her throat. “So, I think we’re all on the same page now right?”

There was a chorus of assents.

“Are you all sure?” Bryce asked for the third time. “I stand to lose a lot of money not just in salary but in endorsement deals.”

His siblings exchanged glances, and Julie spoke for all of them. “Bryce, I know you feel responsible for all of us. And I get it. You were, for a long time.”

“You guys gave up so much for me. I feel like I took your childhoods away.”

Dakota wanted to go to him, but the soft weight of Atticus’ body kept him pinned to the chair. He wouldn’t move before the boy did. He’d had no idea how precious a child’s friendship could be.

Amy leaped out of her chair and stood behind Bryce, hugging him. “Don’t be ridiculous. You have always been the best big brother. But we’re all grownups now, and we can take care of ourselves. You deserve some time to have fun. You’re the one who got screwed out of a childhood.”

“Yeah, Bro.” Keith agreed. “I’ve never seen you sow one wild oat. Go, take your boy, and go crazy.”

“Boy?” Bryce glowered at his brother.

“He’s younger than I am,” Keith pointed out. He reached over to pull a piece of bacon off of Kelly’s plate, only to yank his hand away when she stabbed it with her fork.

“And more grown up than you’ll ever be,” Amy said.

Keith shrugged. “Probably.”

Julie cut them off. “As I was trying to say, bluntly, we have enough money. Really.”

“What is enough?” Bryce bit nervously on his thumbnail.

Dakota understood very well how Bryce was feeling. An unsettled, uncertain childhood left scars on your soul. At least they would understand each other when the old neediness and insecurities surfaced.

“If we all stopped working right now, and didn’t live like rock stars, we would be fine until even the baby was a grown-up. I’m a very good money manager you know. It’s not like your money has been sitting in a shoebox under the bed.”

“Plus you have contracts,” Keith pointed out. “They’d have to buy you out of those endorsement deals.”

“And they’d risk looking homophobic if they did,” Kelly added.

“Which could go either way,” Julie’s husband David said. “But that doesn’t matter. We’re fine. We all have jobs and make our own money. Bryce, live your life. We love you, we want you to be happy.”

David pointed to Dakota. “He makes you happy. Though by the look in his eyes I don’t think he was ready for the whole Lowery experience.”

“No one ever is,” Andy said. “It’s a bit overwhelming, right, Dakota? It feels like you’re not even quite sure where the two of you stand yet, and these lunatics are already planning which holidays they’re going to have at your house.”

Dakota burst out laughing. “Yeah. Kind of. But I love it,” he said truthfully. “It means a lot to me. I don’t have much family.”

“You do now, sweetie,” Connie told him. “Whether you want us or not. Even if you get enough of Bryce and kick him to the curb, we’ll still be there for you. Ask Nikki.” She smiled at him.

“Yeah, it was close when they got divorced,” Julie added. “We almost decided to keep Nikki and kick Bryce out, but then he looked all sad, so we said we’d keep them both.”

Dakota didn’t know what to say to that. He loved the family’s easy acceptance, but it was way too soon for him to count on anything.

“Just give into it, Dakota. You can’t beat them. The Lowery siblings are a force of nature. They always get what they want.”

Amy reached over and smacked her husband on the back of his head. “And we’re not that bad.”

“Yeah, you are,” David, Andy, and Kelly said at the same time.

“Why do you think I haven’t brought my girlfriend to meet you guys yet? You’d have us married by Christmas.”

During the cries of surprise and rapid-fire questions thrown her way, Kelly shot a glance at Dakota and winked. She’d sensed his discomfort with being the center of attention, and successfully distracted her family. He owed her one.

The focus of the conversation shifted to Kelly and her surprise announcement. Bryce caught Dakota’s eye and tilted his head to the door.

Dakota definitely wanted to get out. As he was getting ready to tell Atticus he had to get up, Lori burst into the house, Lu and Beezy hot at her heels.

Maggie dragged herself up with an excited yap, her heavy tail smacking against Dakota’s leg.

“Okay, Lowerys,” Lori said holding out a hand. “Pay up. Told you they wouldn’t make it through the game.”

Lori helped herself to some coffee as people dug through their wallets to pay her off.

Dakota kind of wanted to remind her that this wasn’t their house anymore and that she just couldn’t barge in and make herself at home. But looking around the room, it seemed like he might be the only one who thought that.

Bryce snuck over to Dakota’s chair. “Your family is part of my family now,” he said as if reading Dakota’s mind. “I’m sorry they are like that. It can be a little overwhelming.”

He didn’t sound sorry. There was love and pride in his voice as he looked at his family. When Bryce dropped his hand onto Dakota’s shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world, Dakota had to bury his face in Atticus’ hair while he struggled to get his emotions under control.

“Oh, you know what?” Kelly said. “I just had the greatest thought. If you two ever what to have kids, I would absolutely be a surrogate for you. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be pregnant. But I don’t really want kids. No offense,” she said to her nieces and nephews.

“That’s brilliant,” Lori agreed. “I would do it, too. We could do it together! How fun would that be?”

“Okay,” Dakota stood up as quickly as he could, sliding Atticus carefully to his feet. “On that note, I’m going to,” he searched for something that would get him out of the house and work off some the nerves he was starting to feel. “I’m going to chop some wood.”

“I’ll help,” Bryce added.

They rushed out the door together.

“Should we been leaving them alone together?” Bryce asked as they practically jumped down the stairs.

Dakota shook his head. “I don’t know. Lori will probably be married to Keith or Kelly or possibly both of them by the time we get back in.”

Bryce grabbed Dakota and pulled him into his arms. “Are you okay? I know they can be overwhelming. And don’t let them make you feel pressured, okay? I know things moved really fast, and it was my fault.”

“You know what?” Dakota asked, sliding his hands around. “It really is.”

Bryce smiled against Dakota’s mouth and gently pushed him around the steps, putting his back to the wall of the house.

Bryce’s hands pushed under Dakota’s shirt, feeling up his ribs and then dipping under the waist of his pants. Dakota was just about to suggest moving to his house when he heard the sound of a truck speeding up the driveway.

Kyle’s truck screeched to halt at the front of the house, sending up a plume of gravel and dust.

“Fuck,” Dakota cursed, pushing Bryce away an inch.

Bryce frowned. “Who is?”

Dakota looked at Bryce and grimaced.

“Really? That’s Kyle?” Bryce took a step forward and turned around, standing between Dakota and the truck.

Kyle leaped out of the truck and stormed over to Dakota, he had some papers clutched in his hand. Dakota had a sinking feeling in his stomach that he knew what they were.

“I can’t believe you, Dakota,” Kyle growled, slapping the papers against his thigh. “Already fucking the new guy to keep a roof over your head? It what you do, isn’t it?” He kept his eyes locked on Dakota, as he tried to brush past Bryce.

Bryce stopped him easily with a hand on his shoulder. “What’s your problem?”

“You’re my problem. So get the fuck out of my way.” He tried to pull Bryce’s hand off him, but it was like trying to move a tree.

“I think you need to get off my property,” Bryce said. His voice was even, but Dakota could see the fire in his eyes.

Kyle sneered at him, disgust evident on his face.

It was such an evil expression, Dakota couldn’t believe he’d ever thought Kyle was good-looking.

“It’s not your property, big guy.” He waved the papers in Bryce’s face.

The front door slammed, and Lori stood on the top of the steps, a shotgun in her hand. “I told you to stay the fuck away, asshole.”

Dakota saw the rest of Bryce’s family staring from inside the screened in porch.

“Shut up, you stupid bitch,” Kyle snarled.

“Lori, don’t!” Dakota yelled as Lori racked the shotgun.

Bryce pulled his arm back, cocked his hips, and slammed his fist into Kyle’s jaw.

Kyle dropped like a stone.

“Oh, my God!” Connie yelled as Ophelia and Joshua cheered.

Lori ran down the stairs and stood over Kyle, shotgun pointed at him. The Lowery family followed on her heels.

Bryce pulled the papers out of his hand and handed them to Dakota.

“Holy shit,” Dakota said, starting at Bryce. “That was amazing.”

On the ground, Kyle groaned. Lori put her foot on his chest.

“Is it the will?” Bryce asked?

Dakota tore his eyes away from Bryce and forced himself to look at the papers. Yeah. It was the will. Two page, a page and a half of text, dated after he’d been admitted to the hospital, leaving everything to Dakota. There was a handwritten note underneath his signature.

Dakota got through the first sentence before the tears started.

Dakota, Tommy had written, I’m leaving this place to you, but I don’t want you to stay here. Sell it, take the money, and go live your life. You’re too young to be tied down. You and your family were the joys of my life. You’ve been so sad for so long, and I want you to be happy. I’ve wanted to tell you to leave so many times, but I knew you’d take it the wrong way. I’m sorry I’m leaving you. Be happy. Do it for me, in memory of me. I love you like a grandson, you must know that by now.

He signed it Love Tommy.

Uncaring of the tears streaking down his face, Dakota handed the papers back to Bryce.

Bryce scanned them quickly. “So all this really belongs to you, not me.”

Someone gasped.

Dakota nodded. He could sense Bryce waiting for him to say something else.

Kyle moaned again and tried to sit up. Lori kept him pinned to the ground. “It’s your, Dakota,” he mumbled. “Sell it like the old man said, and we can be together again. I’ll take care of you again.”

“You’re delusional,” Lori said in awe. “You’re really crazy.”

Suddenly the whole thing felt so ludicrous. The laughter he couldn’t hold back burst out of Dakota’s mouth. He knew everyone was looking at him like he’d lost his mind, but he didn’t care. Tears of laughter mixed with the tears of love and loss.

“It’s yours,” Bryce said again, expression neutral. “We can go to the lawyer first thing Monday morning and get everything switched over.”

Dakota wiped his face and laughed again. “I don’t want it,” he said barely believing it himself. “Not even a little.”

“Yeah?” Bryce asked with the beginning of a smile. “Are you sure?”

Dakota looked at Lori. “Are you okay with this?”

She shrugged without moving the gun off of Kyle’s chest. “Why would I care? I’ve been telling you to go live your life for years now. Go. Take tall, dark, and deadly here and go to fucking Mexico for all I care.”

“Marry me?” Julie said to Lori.

“I’ll fight you for her,” Kelly said.

Lori flashed them both her brightest smile.

“Okay, then,” Bryce said. He reached down and pulled Kyle up to his feet.

Dakota pulled the shotgun out of Lori’s hand. “I can’t believe you had a shotgun in the house.”

“It’s not loaded,” she said as if he were an idiot. “There are kids around!”

“I’m gonna call the police on you,” Kyle threatened. “You assaulted me.”

“Good,” Bryce said. “Bring them. And I’ll hand over all the evidence we have of your embezzling. That’s a federal crime.”

Kyle blanched, his eyes darting between Lori and Bryce.

“I tell you what. You leave and never come back, and I won’t have you arrested. I see you again, and I’ll let her shoot you.”

He shoved Kyle away, and the man stumbled. With a final attempt at a glare, he walked on unsteady legs back to his truck.

“You might want to go to the ER, get that head checked out,” Lori suggested.

The family watched in silence. Dakota looked at them, then Lori, and finally to Bryce. “Do you want to get out of here?” he asked Bryce.

“Absolutely.”

Dakota grabbed his hand, and they ran down the drive like school kids.

“Bryce!” his mother called.

“Lori will explain! Right, Lore?” Dakota yelled over his shoulder.

“You got it, big brother. See you later?”

“We’ll be back for dinner.”

They were both laughing breathlessly as they hit the gate of Dakota’s house.

“Truck or motorcycle?” Dakota asked.

“Oh, bike for sure,” Bryce said.

“It will be cold.”

“I’ll wrap my arms around you to keep warm.” Bryce matched action to words and grabbed Dakota.

“Okay. Your funeral.”

A few minutes later they were on the road. As Dakota turned his bike towards the mountains, he realized it had all been worth it. All the pain and loss and growth, worth it for this moment. And none of would have happened if Kyle hadn’t gotten his hands on Tommy’s will.

“I have to send Kyle a thank you card,” Dakota yelled back to Bryce as they waited at a stoplight.

“For what?” Bryce said. His hands gripped Dakota tightly as the bike sped forward.

“For everything.”