City stood over me and laughed. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks,” I grumbled, pulling at the label on my beer.

I’d been sitting there for an hour, nursing it and thinking about Fran. We’d spent the last two weeks holed up at her place or mine to keep from being seen by her kid, and I was done with it.

I no longer wanted to hide.

For the first time in my life, I actually liked someone and wanted the rest of the world to know it.

“Still seeing my aunt?”

His words caught me off guard. I turned, pondering what to say and stroking my beard. “Yep,” I finally answered because, fuck it, I wanted him to know.

“Thought so. She the one making you look like you got one foot in the grave?”

“You really wanna know?”

He blanched but righted himself quickly. “I suppose I don’t, but you’re my friend, so I’ll pretend we’re talking about someone I don’t share blood with.”

“She’s in my bed or I’m in hers every night. But that’s not the most tiring part. Hiding is.”

“I imagine it is. It’s like having an affair, but your wife is your friend, and you’re bangin’ his mom.”

“Nice,” I muttered with a tiny smile.

“So what are you going to do? Have you felt Morgan out about it?”

“Dude.” I leaned back in my chair, kicking my feet out underneath the table. “He made it quite clear that he wanted me to stay away from his mother.”

“I don’t blame him for standing his ground. You have to remember, Fran hasn’t really been with anyone since his father left. No matter who she’s with, it won’t be easy for him.” He motioned toward the waitress, asking for two more.

“That’s stupid.”

“Eh, men aren’t always rational, especially when it comes to our women—even when they’re our mothers.” He studied me for a moment. “So you really like Fran?”

Once our beers were on the table, I dragged mine toward me and pushed the old one away. “I do.” I sighed and scratched at my beard, catching a whiff of her perfume that had been left from when I kissed her neck earlier. “She invited Janice over for dinner tomorrow.”

He spat the beer he was just about to swallow all over the table. “What? Did you just say—”

“Yep.” I nodded and downed half my beer in one giant gulp.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “How do you feel about that?”

“I don’t know. Janice has never approved of my lifestyle, but maybe, if she met Fran, she may soften a bit.”

When I left her with my sisters, she cried. Her wails still rang in my ears, and I’d never forget the look on her face when I kissed her good-bye.

Time hadn’t healed the wound either. We were cordial, but by no means did she love me like she had. When she was a baby, she’d sleep on my chest for hours. There wasn’t anywhere I’d go without her attached to me in some form.

Being her first heartbreak is something I’d never forgive myself for, and I suppose, neither would she.

“She’s a tough cookie,” City said and sipped his beer, staring off into the distance. “Maybe you should invite Morgan to dinner too.”

My head jerked back at his stupidity. “Are you fucking crazy? He’ll just add flames to the fire. She doesn’t need any more reason to hate me.”

“True.”

Like the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, James, Morgan, Thomas, and Frisco came bursting through the front door of the Neon Cowboy. Maybe they caught wind of my tryst with Fran and were all here to kick my ass.

Frisco stopped off at the bar, but the others marched directly to our table and sat down. Thomas spoke first, “We found him.”

James continued, “We have eyes on him until we can get there.”

“Where the hell is he?” I asked just as Frisco pulled over a chair, twirled it around, and sat.

“Back in Lowndes County. Same spot we went to.” Morgan shook his head. “Guess after we left, he popped back up. Probably figured we wouldn’t look for him there again.”

“When do we leave?” I asked, ready to leave now if needed.

They glanced around the table, avoiding my eyes as the waitress dropped off a bucket of beer. “You’re not going,” Morgan said and glanced at City.

My fist clenched so tightly around my beer bottle I thought it would burst in my hand. “My ass is going.”

“No, buddy, you’re going to stay here and man the phones,” Thomas told me with a straight face.

“Isn’t that what Angel’s for?” I just kept shaking my head in disbelief.

“She’ll be there too, but you have to keep in contact with the clients. You and Sam will stay behind while we head to Georgia and take care of Johnny.”

“But—” I started to say, ready to argue my point, when Morgan cut me off.

“The Lowndes County Sheriff would be happy to have you back in town. I’m sure he’d haul your ass back to jail just for looking at someone funny. We don’t have time to deal with the hick cops there. Just stay here, watch the business, keep an eye on the ladies, and let us handle Johnny.”

“Fine,” I grumbled. “I’ll stay here with Sam.”

“Good.” Thomas eased back into the chair. “We’re out of here first thing in the morning. I’ll let the service know to forward all the messages to you or Sam. If we aren’t back tomorrow night, you need to make sure your ass is in the office first thing in the morning.”

I smiled, even though I was anything but happy. “Sure thing, boss.” The sarcasm in my voice wasn’t missed by anyone.

“Would you rather sit in jail with Andy?” Morgan remembered my nickname for the asshole.

“Not really, although he was entertaining.” I smiled.

“You’re lucky I got you out. It wasn’t easy with your record.” Thomas tried to hold back his laughter. “People don’t seem to understand how I hired a convicted criminal to work for me, but I know you’re an upstanding dude.”

“Wish everyone felt that way,” I muttered under my breath.

Morgan glared at me from across the table. “You talking about me?”

I shook my head and glared right back. “Never.”

“What’s the problem?” Frisco asked because he wasn’t in the know about anything between Fran and me. It had stayed “within the family.”

“Bear and Fran,” James said casually, like it wasn’t a big fucking deal.

Frisco spat his beer out. “Come again?”

“Yep, you heard me right. Bear and Fran have a ‘thing.’” James used air quotes, driving the point home for effect.

Morgan still held my eyes, giving me the look of death. “We had a drink together.” I shrugged off the lie.

Thomas cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “Is that all?”

“Yes.” My answer was short, but I was being thrown under the bus right in front of the very person I was trying to hide from.

With a scowl on his face, Morgan peered around the table. “Is there something I don’t know?”

“Nah, man. We’re just fucking with Bear and you.” City tried to stop whatever train wreck was coming, but it’s hard to stop one once it’s set in motion.

Morgan’s eyes bounced back and forth between City and me. “You’ve been with my ma?”

Before I could answer, City stuck up for me. “What’s so wrong with Bear seeing Aunt Fran?” He crossed his arms and stared down Morgan. “He’s the best friend a guy could ask for. He sticks to his word and has a level head.”

“You want him fuckin’ your ma?” Morgan snarled and kept his eyes on me. “I sure as fuck don’t. Good friend or not, he’s not the right man for her.”

“When did you become such a shit in the pants?” James laughed, trying to break the tension but failing.

Morgan turned his scowl on him. “Fuck off.”

“I wasn’t exactly happy about my best buddy being with my sister,” Thomas said, giving James the stink eye. “But at some point, you gotta let go.”

“We’ll see about that,” Morgan replied before taking a long, slow slug of his beer.

“She’s your mom. You can’t boss her ass around,” City, the usual voice of reason, chimed in.

“Fran isn’t to be messed with,” Thomas said through his laughter. “She’s vicious. You should know better than anyone else.”

“If you’re worried Bear’s going to step out of line, I’m sure Fran will put him in his place, just like she has you,” City stated, and his words were true.

Fran wasn’t a shrinking violet. She had a wicked tongue and an attitude to match. Maybe that’s why I liked her so much. She didn’t put up with my shit or anyone else’s for that matter—including Morgan.

Morgan eyed me warily. “She’s been off my back for weeks. It’s been…” His voice trailed off.

“Nice?” City nudged him in the arm.

“Yeah,” Morgan laughed.

“When her attention is elsewhere, she’ll stay off your ass,” Frisco said, knowing firsthand what it was like to have a parent who hovered.

“But I don’t like that it’s him.” Morgan pointed his skinny little finger in my direction.

“When did I become the bad guy? It’s nice you’re all talking about me like I’m not even here too. Fuckers.”

Morgan leaned back and swung his arms out wide. “Look around the room. Which girl hasn’t Bear fucked here?”

He had a point, but there were a few I hadn’t been with. Fuck, I’d been single for thirty years, and I’m not a priest. Women offered, I accepted—end of discussion.

“Point?” I asked in defense of myself.

“You’re a manwhore, Bear,” Morgan said matter-of-factly.

“I’ve been single almost longer than you’ve been alive, kid.”

“He has a point,” City said with a nod.

“I never lied to any woman I’ve slept with either. I never promise anything more than what it is.”

Sometimes they were delusional and thought after a single taste of their pussy that I’d get down on one knee and proclaim them as mine, but that’s my fault. I should never get involved with the nutty bitches. They aren’t worth the headache.

Morgan leaned forward, his face still serious as a heart attack. “And what are you promising my mother?”

Shit. That was something Fran should be answering, not me. But I had to break the news because I couldn’t have this shitty-ass tension between us.

“We’re dating,” I answered simply.

Morgan’s entire body stiffened as his eyes widened. “Dating?”

“Yep, dating.”

“When was the last time you dated anyone?” Morgan asked, not realizing the seriousness of my words.

“Once since 1985.”

Morgan looked at me funny. “Once?”

“Yeah, dumbass. I don’t date unless I’m seriously into someone.”

His body rocked backward like someone punched him in the face. “You’re seriously into my ma?” he asked with the biggest eyes I’d ever seen.

I shrugged it off like it was the most nonchalant statement to make. “Yeah.”

Morgan rubbed his face, digging his fingers into his eyes and mumbling under his breath. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but I didn’t care either. Nothing was going to change the fact that I did like Fran and I wanted to date her.

“We’re happy for you, Bear.” Thomas smiled and gave me a quick, curt nod.

Morgan hopped from his chair and glared at Thomas. “Like fuck we are!”

James grabbed his arm and stopped him from leaping over the table at me. “Sit your ass down and stop making a scene.”

“Dude,” Morgan seethed, keeping his eyes pinned to me as he sat again. “It’s my mom we’re talking about.”

“And it’s Bear. He’s not going to fuck over your mom.” James glanced in my direction. “He knows that we’ll all kick his ass if he does.”

“I do.” I didn’t dare smile. It wasn’t the time or place. This was serious talk about an important person. “I’d expect nothing less.”

Morgan clenched his fists on top of the table, his entire body tense. “If I even think you’re doing my ma wrong, I’ll fucking end you.”

All I could do was nod. It didn’t matter what I said. I’d have to prove it through my actions and over time. Lots of time—maybe longer than I had left to live. Morgan saw me in a different light, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to change it.