Jason

Up ahead, leaning against the passenger door is someone I never thought I’d see again. When I stop walking, Delilah presses against my side and asks, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I lower my voice so only she can hear me. “Will you wait in the truck for me?”

“You’re scaring me, Jason.”

My gaze slides to her. “I don’t mean to. Everything’s fine. I need a few minutes, okay?”

“Okay.”

She walks ahead, staring at the man as she passes. When she looks back over her shoulder, I catch her eyes and give a smile I hope reassures her. As soon as Delilah’s in the truck, I take a few more steps. I always expected my crimes to come back to haunt me. I just didn’t see them coming back tonight. Crossing my arms, I ask, “What brings you to town?”

Cruise, an old ally, isn’t uptight, but seems particularly at ease tonight. He comes over and offers his hand. “You left in a hurry.”

Happily, I shake it. “You been missing me?”

“Ha.” He smiles and steps back, always a respectful friend. “Kind of.”

Chuckling, I drop my guard. “Yeah, I’m a very likeable guy. I think I was underappreciated in the Kingwood world.”

That makes him laugh. “Probably so, but it was easier to not trust than be stabbed in the back.”

“Understandable.” I glance at Delilah, who’s watching us through the truck window. I give her a nod to make her feel safe, but after my confessions, I don’t think she’s feeling as comfortable as we are about this encounter. “This a social visit?”

“Not really. Got some time?”

I can trust him, so I tell him to follow me to the farm. When I hop into the cab of the truck, Delilah asks, “Who is that?”

“An old friend.” I reverse the truck and put it into drive.

“Who is he, though? Why is he showing up here at almost nine o’clock at night looking for you? Please don’t lie to me.”

“I don’t lie to you, Delilah. I told you more than I should already.” Cruise is behind me as we head out of town. “We used to work together.”

“Killing people?” She gasps an octave too high for the small space of this cab.

Resting my hand on the bare skin of her thigh, I give her a gentle squeeze. “I don’t think he’s killed anyone. You can ask him when we get to the farmhouse.”

“Wait, what? He’s coming home with us?”

“He’s one of the good guys, Delilah. You don’t need to worry about him.”

“Are you one of the good guys?”

“Depends who you ask.”

“I’m asking you, Jason.”

“Yes, I am.”

“How are good and bad defined in your world?”

“The same as in your world, but with bloodshed.”

She turns away and looks out into the inky night over fields dotted with the occasional farmhouse. “That’s dark.”

Pulling my hand back, I grip the steering wheel, tempted to turn on some music and not have this conversation. No more avoidance. “That’s why I came home.”

“Why are you home? You didn’t come back for me. You thought I was still married.”

“I wasn’t living the life I wanted. I missed my mom.” Checking my rearview mirror, I mumble, “I missed you.”

Her hand warms my arm. “I shouldn’t have, but I missed you too. I have a confession.”

I glance over. Her fine features are barely visible in the dark, but I see her eyes on mine. “Tell me all your secrets. I want to know everything about you again.”

She laughs. “You make me sound so interesting when I’m just the same as I always was, stuck in the same town where you left me.”

“I hate that you think I left you on purpose. I left dejected, but guess what?”

“What?”

“Together, two broken hearts can be whole again.”

She unbuckles her seatbelt and slides across the seat. When she leans her head on my shoulder, I kiss her head. She puts on the middle seatbelt and I ask, “What’s your confession?”

“I feel silly telling you this, especially knowing I’m to blame for the mistakes I’ve made.”

“We all have things we’d like to change. Some we can. Some we can’t. Doesn’t matter as long as we grow from the experience. Tell me and please let it be about me.” I smirk, though she can’t see me.

After a soft laugh, she says, “I used to fantasize about being married to you and how glorious each day would be. We would have a family and run the farm but go on great adventures around the world. I never made it to Paris.”

“I’ve not been to Paris either. How about we go together?” I turn onto the property and drive up the dirt road to the house. Her smile is clear as the lights from the front porch scan across the cab as we pass. “And there’s nothing wrong with fantasizing about a future together. We were dating, and it was serious; it’s only natural. I had the same thoughts too.”

“It was when I was married.”

Oh. Wow. I shift the truck into park and cut the engine. With my arm wrapped around her shoulders, I say, “Your fantasies are how it should have been.” And how it will be if I have my way.

“Thank you for never making me feel ridiculous or dumb.”

Cutler is a fucker.

Cruise parks behind us. We should go in. Both of us move to get out, but before we do, I say, “I think you’re incredible and so smart. I’ve never seen you as anything less than magnificent.”

“Jason,” she says, barely above a whisper, “you’re so good to me, good for me. I’m never prepared for your words.”

“They’re not words, Delilah. They’re the truth.”

“How did I ever get so lucky?”

“It’s not luck, it’s love.” I get out and turn back to help her out. “Come on. I want to introduce you to my friend.”

* * *

Cruise has changed in the short time I’ve been gone. What he’s gone through has darkened his already reserved demeanor. Guess he has more demons than he started with as well. He’s a quiet guy, but Delilah has a way about her—everyone opens up to her. Laughing, Cruise is on the tail end of a story about getting his ass kicked in an alley by a drug lord and his gang. “King just looks at me and laughs.”

“He laughs?”

Staring down at the bottle of beer in front of him, he picks it up, finishes off the lager and replies, “That was before we knew what we had gotten ourselves into.”

Delilah asks, “What had you gotten yourselves into?”

His eyes shift from her to me. “We were lucky to have Jason on our side.”

She knows she’s not going to get the details she’s wanting. Cruise, like me, is a pro at leaving secrets good and buried. Delilah stands and walks behind me. Rubbing my shoulders, she says, “I’m going to head to bed. I hope you consider staying the night, Cruise. We have a spare bedroom down the hall with clean sheets and a view of the lake for in the morning.”

“You drive a hard bargain. Thank you for the hospitality.”

I add, “He’s too drunk to drive anywhere anyway.”

“Not drunk enough to let the night slip by without talking.”

Delilah says, “Well, on that note, I’ll leave you to it.” Bending down, she kisses my neck then whispers in my ear, “You okay with me going to bed?”

Tilting up, she waits for me to answer. “You don’t have to ask me for permission.” I wrap my hands around her neck and bring her closer until our lips meet in the middle. “I’ll be in shortly.”

“I’ll keep the bed warm for you.” Just as she leaves, she says, “Last one to bed, turn out the lights please.”

As soon as I hear those creaky floors upstairs, I lean forward. “As fun as it is to reminisce, why are you really here?”

“We miss you.”

“King doesn’t miss me.”

“No, he doesn’t, but the rest of us do. I’m here with a job offer.”

Never saw that coming.

I’m surprised he found me in all honesty, and now he’s thrown a job offer on the table. “I’m surprised they need my help.”

“It’s always good to have backup.”

“Backup for you?” I can’t help the chuckle. “Saving your ass more like it.”

“Right. That’s the job offer.” His sarcasm game is strong. “Saving our asses when our asses need saving.”

I can match him. “Here’s some advice: stay away from criminals and psychopaths with a vendetta, and you’ll be fine.”

He turns the bottle around on the table—a nervous tic. The social part of the visit put to rest and the business finally at hand. “I’m told to offer you double your old salary.”

The money is tempting, but I’ve earned more than I can spend in this lifetime. Anyway, Delilah is more than enough reason to say no. “I’m out of that line of work now. I’m settling into this life with that beautiful creature upstairs. It’s a slower pace here, but it’s good for clearing my head. And when it’s really quiet, I can hear the cicadas buzzing, frogs croaking, water rolling over the lake, and Delilah’s snores. They’re not loud. It’s actually kind of cute. I like the sound of her next to me.”

“I’m not sure what to say to that. I do think she might kill you if she knew you told someone she snores.” He chuckles.

“Yeah, she might, but it’d be a damn good death coming from her.”

“I don’t know what’s happened to the guy I knew a few months back, but you’re not him. Whatever this place has done to you is good.” He laughs. “You’re almost tolerable now.” He stands and cracks his neck to the side. “I’m going to bed. I’ll be out of your hair by morning.”

“You can stay a few days. I’ve got plenty of manure for you to shovel.”

His laughter gains strength. “I know you don’t know much about me, but manure is not something I’m familiar with or looking to learn about. Thanks for the offer though.”

“Anytime.”

He heads for the archway but turns back before he leaves. “You’re always welcome back. Delilah’s welcome, too.”

“Thanks. Wanting a solid future with her, man. Not sure working for King can offer that.”

Nodding, he says, “Understandable. Night.”

“Night.”

* * *

Cruise stuck to his word. He was long gone by morning. Delilah was disappointed. She probably hoped she could gain more insight into me if he stuck around a little longer. Probably could have. I slide my hands around her waist from behind and look over her shoulder into the mirror. “Now you’re stuck with me telling you all the stories.”

“But you hold back.”

“I don’t hold back. I just don’t share the ugly details you don’t need haunting that pretty head.”

“I’ve told you. I can handle the truth.”

“Okay. I once stood guard outside a dressing room while an A-list actor fucked two women. It took him ten minutes to get off during a fifteen-minute break. He rehearsed his lines while doing it. When he returned to the set, he nailed the scene. He nailed them too, but—”

“Eww, Jason”—she spins in my arms—“it’s not even nine in the morning.”

Laughing, I ask, “Is there a better time of day to tell a story like that?”

“Yes, like when I’ve had wine or at least lunch. Or not at all. That’s not a good story.”

“I didn’t say they were all good. I said they were ugly. I learned a lot about people and how they operate. How power is used and abused and the way money twists the human psyche to make them greedy. It’s not like that here. It’s still good. You’re still pure.”

“I’m not so innocent.”

“None of us are, but we don’t have to live like it’s the apocalypse either.”

She finally agrees with me and nods. Sweet girl. “What time did Cruise leave?”

“I heard him leave around five.” It was good seeing him, but nothing felt quite right with him around. It was as if he carried the cloud of darkness I thought I’d left behind.

When we go downstairs, I laugh when I see what he left me on the kitchen table. A sealed envelope propped against a bag of Oreos. Delilah passes me and grabs the cookies. “I love Oreos. Can I have one?”

“You can have as many as you want.” My gaze goes to the envelope. Taking it in hand, I recognize the name on the front—Eric—and smile. I open it, pull the note out, and read:

The note is not signed, but I know who it’s from. Seems Cruise had been given an alternate mission as well. I take a cookie from the bag and eat it in one bite. A friend once told me that everything is sweeter when you’ve found your reason to stay. She was right.