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The teacher said he had a learning problem. That things were mixed up in his brain and that there were programs to help. His grandma had beat him for embarrassing her. He always embarrassed her. It was bad enough he talked funny, now he couldn’t read.
“I’m lots of fun, Hollywood. But a word of warning. Don’t call me Daddy unless you mean it.”
“Yeah, and you’re like a rabid poodle,” Jackson said, nodding towards his car. “A rabid poodle?” “Yeah, all frills and bows on the outside, but snarling and vicious deep down.” “Sorry, but I refuse to be somebody I’m not.” “Did I ask you to?” Jackson asked, enjoying how easy it was to rile Day up. “You just called me a rabid poodle.” Jackson grinned. “Yeah, but I’m a dog person.”
Jackson didn’t believe in love at first sight or fairy tale romances, but he did believe there was such a thing as soulmates, and when you find that one person, you just know. He’d never tell a single soul that he had decided, while in line at the grocery store, that mouthy, brazen, beautiful Dayton Daniels was the one for him.
“What’s going on with you and Wonder Bread in there?”
He used to try to explain his disorder, that he had a severe form of dyslexia and dyscalculia. That it wasn’t just a matter of learning to read but how his brain processed what he did read. That he still had a stutter when he was flustered or embarrassed.
Jackson shrugged. “Does anybody really have a cat? We’re more like roommates. I found him outside when he was a kitten. His name is Kevin. He’s kind of a dick. I’m almost positive he likes my housekeeper more than he does me.”
“Your cat is huge.” “Don’t fat-shame my roommate. Kevin is his own man. He does as he pleases.”
“Because I know I’ll never get to know you if I don’t let you know me. The real me. The dork who likes musicals and names his chunky cat Kevin because that was the name on the delivery bag I found him sleeping in. I also play a mean game of Dungeons and Dragons, and I cheat at Monopoly.”
She’d come out there to be with me because she knew I was miserable and lonely. That’s what her mother told me at her funeral. Right before she told me she was sorry I’d ever met Sarah and that she regretted ever letting me into their home and that I was no better than my good for nothing trailer trash family. And she was right.”
Day’s eyes went wide, but Wyatt just shook his head. “Ignore her. She was dropped on her head as a baby. She was super excited to find out our friend Robby grew up in a creepy cult, and she almost wet her pants when we learned our friend Elijah’s husband is a card carrying sociopath, who we’re almost positive has literally killed somebody. Maybe more than one somebody.”
“I know you don’t believe me, Day, but I love you just as you are.”
“You’ve stepped up for us, even when we no longer worked for you. Now, it’s our turn,” Shepherd said. Elijah smiled at his husband before nodding his head towards Wyatt. “He says this boy, Day, means something to you. So, he means something to us. We’re all here until we find him.” “You always show up for your family,” Calder said. The others bobbed their heads in agreement.
He recognized the smell immediately, and he tried to keep the contents of his stomach down when chapped lips wormed over his. Carl.
In the end, tossing Carl over that railing had been as easy a decision as loving Day had been, and he’d never regret either. “Yes, Mama.”
“I do love you. Did you hear me tell him that?” he asked drowsily. “Did you hear me tell him how I loved you?” “Yeah, baby. I heard everything. I love you, too. So fucking much.”
Charlie handed Jackson a tablet, which he promptly handed to Day. He couldn’t stop the gasp that slipped free. It was a picture of hospital doors and above them read, The Sarah Gunderson Cystic Fibrosis Center. Day ran his finger across Sarah’s name. “What is this?” he whispered. Jackson crouched down beside Day’s chair. “It’s a way for Sarah to live on and help others like her.”
“Nope,” Jackson said, then rolled over and opened a small ring box with a platinum band set with four small diamonds. “I’m going to ask you to marry me…someday.” Day smiled in spite of himself. “You’re asking me to marry you…someday? I need clarification. Someday, you’ll ask, or you want me to commit to marrying you eventually?” “The latter,” Jackson said. “I know you still think that I’m going to wake up one day and run, but I promise you, every day I wake up next to you is a great day, no matter what shitshow comes after that. I don’t need you to say you’ll marry me tomorrow or next week or
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“You don’t need a ring for that, Day. You’ve had my heart since the day you walked through my office door.” Day rolled onto his belly and kissed Jackson’s lips. “Yeah, I know,” he said, tone cocky. “But now, I want your last name.” Jackson grinned. “Then it’s yours.”
