that wasn’t hidden by the leather glove. “Yeah, right.”
“Maybe it’s all that sugar you eat making you irresistible. Women love sweets.”
“Whatever.” Chad dug a piece of Double Bubble from his pocket, ripped it open and popped it in his mouth. “You’re full of shit.”
“Well, maybe they won’t bug you so much in Colorado.”
“Colorado. What the hell’s in Colorado?”
“Me. And the business I’m going to open up. With your help.”
Shock slowed Chad’s chewing down. He was actually going to do it?
“And what business is that, First Sergeant?” he asked carefully.
Duncan snorted. “I’m not a sergeant anymore, Chad. I’m just a regular guy opening up an investigative slash protection service in Denver. And who’s looking for a couple of partners.”
There was silence on the line for almost a solid minute.
“Chad? Did you hear me?”
“Are you serious?” Chad’s heart thudded against his chest wall as he waited for confirmation.
“I am. I already have a list of clients willing to hire us for several jobs.”
He was floored. Yeah, they’d kind of talked about it at Walter-Reed, but he didn’t think Duncan had been serious. Chad should have known better than that. If Duncan Wilde said he planned to do something, then the man was damn well going to do it.
Possibilities raced through his mind. Selfishly, his first thought was that he could get away from all the wounded hero crap that followed him everywhere here. If he left home he’d be able to reestablish himself without all the childhood baggage.
And, more importantly, he’d be able to feel worthwhile, doing needed work rather than the busy-work his parents had him doing.
“How much is it to be a partner?” Chad asked, not daring to hope yet that he could afford it.
Duncan named a figure that had to be incredibly low, but Chad jumped on it.
“When and where?”
Duncan sighed on the other end of the line. “I was worried I’d waited too long to get you to take a chance. As soon as you can get here we’ll start. I went down and offered John part of the firm too.”
Chad smiled. “Oorah! This will be exactly what he needs. Did he say yes? If not I’ll go down and kick his sorry ass until he does.”
“Oh, he agreed. Took a little more convincing than you did.”
“Ha! Well, I’m pretty desperate right now,” he admitted. “I was just thinking about getting away somewhere.”
“Well, now you have a place to go. You can crash at my apartment until we find you a place of your own. Call me when you have flight arrangements and I’ll pick you up.”
“I will.”
Chad hung up the phone and let out a war whoop, pumping the air. He could get out of Texas and away from the smothering. His mom and dad would be disappointed, but he had to make his own way in life.
Rolling to his feet without even a catch in his step, he attacked the fence with new enthusiasm. The sooner he got it done, the sooner he could move on down the
“Maybe it’s all that sugar you eat making you irresistible. Women love sweets.”
“Whatever.” Chad dug a piece of Double Bubble from his pocket, ripped it open and popped it in his mouth. “You’re full of shit.”
“Well, maybe they won’t bug you so much in Colorado.”
“Colorado. What the hell’s in Colorado?”
“Me. And the business I’m going to open up. With your help.”
Shock slowed Chad’s chewing down. He was actually going to do it?
“And what business is that, First Sergeant?” he asked carefully.
Duncan snorted. “I’m not a sergeant anymore, Chad. I’m just a regular guy opening up an investigative slash protection service in Denver. And who’s looking for a couple of partners.”
There was silence on the line for almost a solid minute.
“Chad? Did you hear me?”
“Are you serious?” Chad’s heart thudded against his chest wall as he waited for confirmation.
“I am. I already have a list of clients willing to hire us for several jobs.”
He was floored. Yeah, they’d kind of talked about it at Walter-Reed, but he didn’t think Duncan had been serious. Chad should have known better than that. If Duncan Wilde said he planned to do something, then the man was damn well going to do it.
Possibilities raced through his mind. Selfishly, his first thought was that he could get away from all the wounded hero crap that followed him everywhere here. If he left home he’d be able to reestablish himself without all the childhood baggage.
And, more importantly, he’d be able to feel worthwhile, doing needed work rather than the busy-work his parents had him doing.
“How much is it to be a partner?” Chad asked, not daring to hope yet that he could afford it.
Duncan named a figure that had to be incredibly low, but Chad jumped on it.
“When and where?”
Duncan sighed on the other end of the line. “I was worried I’d waited too long to get you to take a chance. As soon as you can get here we’ll start. I went down and offered John part of the firm too.”
Chad smiled. “Oorah! This will be exactly what he needs. Did he say yes? If not I’ll go down and kick his sorry ass until he does.”
“Oh, he agreed. Took a little more convincing than you did.”
“Ha! Well, I’m pretty desperate right now,” he admitted. “I was just thinking about getting away somewhere.”
“Well, now you have a place to go. You can crash at my apartment until we find you a place of your own. Call me when you have flight arrangements and I’ll pick you up.”
“I will.”
Chad hung up the phone and let out a war whoop, pumping the air. He could get out of Texas and away from the smothering. His mom and dad would be disappointed, but he had to make his own way in life.
Rolling to his feet without even a catch in his step, he attacked the fence with new enthusiasm. The sooner he got it done, the sooner he could move on down the
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