Chapter Six
Michael looked around the elegantly appointed dining room and thought about how he’d aspired to this level of wealth once. Maybe not this level, exactly. Stefan Talbot’s kind of wealth tended to be generational, but at least he’d aspired to having a dining room where he could sit down with friends and family and celebrate holidays and birthdays.
He had a folding table, and he only had that because Nell had brought it to his cabin and unfolded a plain tablecloth and set up two chairs.
He’d ignored it, preferring to eat his shitty dinners in the rocking chair that was going to fall apart at any moment.
“I do smell bacon, Mike.” Ty looked nervous and had ever since they’d driven up to the circular drive.
They’d been shown to this dining room and told the rest of the party would be in soon. Mr. Talbot, the housekeeper had explained, was dealing with a minor domestic emergency and they should help themselves to coffee.
Ty was a weirdo.
Fuck. He needed to stop thinking that way. He was complex. Ty was naïve about so many things, and then he had insights that kind of set Michael back. He was the single kindest human being Michael had met in a long time, and he couldn’t trust it because he’d been burned before. He didn’t think he could believe in Ty’s goodness because he hadn’t seen Jessie’s badness.
But hadn’t he? He’d mistaken narcissism for self-centeredness. He’d looked for the good in her sea of red flags because he’d wanted her.
“I feel like I’m about to get fired. Can Stef fire me from Bliss?” Ty started pacing. “Like I won’t be able to go to Trio or hang out at Stella’s? I know I don’t buy a ton of groceries, but I get them at the Trading Post.”
“Stef isn’t going to kick you out of Bliss.” Michael grabbed a cup and poured some of the rich-smelling coffee in. “Do you want coffee? Maybe you shouldn’t have caffeine.”
Ty had seemed jumpy all morning as it was.
Ty frowned and poured his own coffee as though in protest. But then Michael wasn’t worried about the caffeine intake at all since Ty put an unholy amount of milk and sugar in the mug. “I don’t know. A couple of guys started a coffee shop on the edge of town two years back and they were rude to Stella, and they disappeared. If Stef wants me gone, I’ll be gone, and I might not be like in another town. I might be fertilizer. Have you seen how nice the plants are around here?”
“That’s because my gardener is excellent at his job,” a deep voice said. Stef Talbot walked in dressed in khaki slacks and a collared shirt, boots on his feet. He had dark hair and piercing eyes that let a man know Stef was in charge of most of the world around him. “Though you should know I did get rid of those men who thought they could come into my town and ignore our town ordinances.”
“We have ordinances?” Ty asked. “Because I was unaware we believed in those.”
“We do.” Stef stepped up to the coffee urn. “Including not insulting the women of the town or making fun of our more eccentric citizenry. However, I assure you those enterprising young men aren’t buried in the rose beds. I simply bought the building they were housed in and kicked them out. I believe they tried to move their shop to Pagosa Springs before they found all their bank loan prospects had dried up. So sad.”
Ty had gone a little pale.
“He’s not kicking you out, Ty.” One of the things he’d started to suspect was that Ty was an overgrown Golden Retriever. Handsome. Athletic. Looked like he could take down the world if he wanted to, but he almost never wanted to. Sometimes that dumbass loyal Golden needed a Rottweiler best friend. “If he tries, I’ll kick his ass. I assure you I still know how to do that. I’m much better since Henry taught me a few things. Stop intimidating him, Stef.”
Ty stepped up as though he’d been given the go-ahead to have some confidence. “Yeah. Mike’s the only one who gets to intimidate me.”
A smile curled Stef’s lips up. “Then half my work is done here.” He moved to the table as a chime sounded through the house. “That should be Max and Rye. I also invited Jamie and Noah along.”
Max Harper strode into the dining room, a baby strapped to his chest. The little guy was facing in and curled against his dad’s body. “This better be good because Rach found out she’s pregnant, and she is pissed. I’m pretty sure we’re never allowed in the house again, much less back in bed. I thought we should stay in the house so she can’t lock us out, but Rye insisted on giving her space.”