9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Nate

"Why did our order take up most of the truck and where are we going to store it all?" Kit's wide eyes met mine as he saw the pallets piled high in the back of the truck.

"Welcome to the first week of our busy season, baby."

"Fuck me."

"Yes, but later. This weekend is the chainsaw competition. Competitors from all over will be here. The rooms are booked solid as well as the RV sites." I clapped my hands, excited for this. "From now through Labor Day weekend we will run our asses off."

"Why are you so excited about that?"

"Because we get to say I do after all this madness is over." I smacked his ass as I passed. "Now buck up, cowboy, and let's get rolling."

Kit and I spent the better part of an hour just breaking down the pallets in order to unload them. The driver was kind enough to help us though he wasn't our regular one. This delivery required a bigger truck than the bobtail we normally got. This guy was nice, and we appreciated the extra set of hands.

Mid-afternoon, the visitors rolled into town. Normally quiet Main Street was a line of cars backed up as far as the eye could see. I was busy checking in the guests while Kit took care of the bar, taking food orders and filling drinks. I was thankful we were able to get his paperwork taken care of prior to all of this. His state ID and food handlers' card were a breeze. He knew all the test answers and honestly, it was one of the simplest tests a person could take.

All that was left was to plan our wedding. We'd picked September thirtieth as the day, after the summer rush was over. Kit didn't know it, but his entire family planned to come. He'd mentioned a couple times he wished his mom would, but she swore me to secrecy and wanted to surprise him. I guessed she'd never left the compound before and was anxiously excited to do it. My parents would be back in Foggy soon. Having their help over the next couple of months was more than welcome. I'd saved them the prime spot in the RV site behind the bar but knowing them they'd go back and forth between the RV and the house. This time of year, though, I kept the doors to the house locked due to all the visitors. Kit and my parents had keys, and Belle had her dog doors.

When check-ins were done, Kit returned to the stockroom, and I took over on the floor. The walk-in cooler was so full we barely had enough room to fit one body through the mass of boxes. We'd been busier than anticipated but as soon as Kit and I got a few minutes reprieve, I had something to give him.

"Hey, Kit," I popped in to check on him. "I got something for ya." Poor boy was drenched in sweat. "I set up an account at the bank for you and linked it to mine, but they need you to sign the forms. They'll print your card right there, so you don't have to worry about waiting for it."

"Thank you, Daddy, for doing that. It's been on my mind, but every time I try to bring it up I get sidetracked. We've had so much going on with the wedding and now the summer rush."

My poor boy was on overload, and we'd only just begun. Would he make it through the next three months ?

"I'm sorry, sweet boy." I opened my arms and he fell into them. "I totally understand. I put all your earnings that I'd held onto in there so you've got plenty of money for your growing book collection." Our life was simple. There wasn't anything he had to pay for, though I knew how Kit was, and he would try to anyway.

Our appointment with Ezra at Beauty and the Boutique to get fitted for our suits had been booked way ahead of time. We wouldn't do the final fitting until the first week of September, but we told Ezra what we wanted so he could order it. He assured us he could tailor it in time for the wedding. Nice kid. Very high energy and always well dressed.

I was thankful the new booth benches Kit had talked me into ordering, though I had to pay expedited shipping for, got here last week and we installed them same day. Kit had taken it upon himself to touch up paint and do minor repairs before the rush hit us. Just kinda sprucing it up, but any larger changes or updates we agreed would take place in the winter.

I planned to shut the bar down for a week and take Kit on a honeymoon, though where to I had no clue. Neither of us had a passport and from what I understood it took months to get one, so we'd have to stay in the States.

Kit ran over to the bank to finish that up while I called Vonda and Stevie in to help out with the impending dinner rush, the place was packed. Thankfully they'd both be here at least four days a week through the summer. Kit returned about twenty minutes later and came behind the bar to help with drinks.

"Nate, we need to talk," he said as we caught up on the orders.

Four words that no one in any relationship ever wanted to hear.

"All right, let's pop into the supply room really quick. I need to grab a couple more bottles."

I followed Kit to the back and wondered along the way what had happened in the twenty minutes he was gone. He spun around as soon as I walked in the supply room and shut the door behind me.

"I don't know how much you're paying me, but when I saw that bank balance I knew I hadn't earned that much." Arms crossed over his chest, he was not happy about this.

"We never agreed on a dollar amount, and I'm no longer paying just an employee. I'm sharing profits with my partner in life." Kit's eyes widened, and he blinked. "Just for the record, business partner or not, don't forget that I am the Daddy and ultimately it's up to me to decide what's right for my boy. Now, as the business partner and future husband, I need to be fair and ask—is it not enough? Is it too much? Do you want to sit down and go through the ledger this weekend?"

He sighed. "Sorry, Daddy. It just overwhelmed me. I've never had that much money in my life and looking at it from your perspective made sense." He sat on a nearby box. "For an hourly employee, it's definitely too much. I'm not complaining about any of it, but I also don't want to take advantage of your kindness."

"Kit, darling," I knelt in front of him and took his hands in mine. "You are my boy, my fiancé, and soon to be my husband. You are going to get half of everything." He smiled at my piss poor joke. "We need to put something in the books salary wise for you or our accountant will rip me a new one. So, we'll have to figure that out, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to give you more. Personally, our bills are minimal but as far as the business goes, this fall I promise we will sit down and determine what those needs are. Your money is just that, for you to do what you want with it. Buy all the books you want, get you your own computer. That is for you to do with as you please."

He thought about that for a second. "I've never had my own laptop. Would be kind of nice. Maybe I'll look into that when I get some free time. "

"I'm no computer geek, but I bet you Brock knows a thing or two about them. He might be able to help you out. Ultimately, do what you want, honey. I just want you to be happy. That's all that matters to me. In the end it's just money and money can never replace you."

"Aww," he stood and wrapped his arms around my waist. "My Daddy says the sweetest things." Kit leaned up on his tip toes and gave me a kiss. "Okay, I feel better now. Let's get back to work before Merle starts handing out free drinks."

I didn't say it out loud but the scary part was that could happen. Hell, for all I knew the little shit had been doing it for years.

"Holy moly!" Kit declared at the end of the night as he dropped back into a booth. We'd barely ejected the last body from the bar at closing time. We'd been spoiled closing early as much as we recently had. Now, for the next three months, that gift was a thing of the past.

"Holy moly is right. Hey, I'd been thinking about us closing one day a week. Obviously not this week but maybe even with the summer people here, we should consider taking Mondays off since it's the slowest day. What do you think?" I asked as we headed across the lot toward the house .

"You will get zero fight from me on that. I mean, as long as the bottom line can afford it, having a day for us is more than warranted. We have a wedding to plan, and we have yet to talk about a honeymoon. When we're closed, we obviously lose money, but it would be kind of nice to get away for a few days if you think we could swing it?"

"I had the same thought this morning, and then it dawned on me that neither of us have passports, so we'll have to stay stateside. My first thought was the Grand Canyon, but I figured you already saw it." He shook his head to let me know he had. "You've been all over California already and you don't seem to be one for amusement parks."

"Nope, not for me."

"Is there anywhere you'd like to see? I haven't necessarily been all over. I've been to a few places but mostly just in California." Had I been working myself to death? Isolated from the world until now? Sure did sound like it.

"What do you think about Vegas? We could take a few days off and either drive there or fly. I never quite made it that far. Could be cool to check it out."

"I haven't been either, believe it or not. Sounds doable and if we fly we'll get there in about two hours whereas if we drive, it'll probably take us a day to get there and a day back. Not much to see between here and there. My vote is we fly and live it up. Save the driving days and sit poolside."

"Vegas it is then." Kit smiled and gave me a kiss before he rolled over and shut off the bedside lamp.

"I love you, Daddy. You always know what's right for me, even when I don't."

This boy and his grip on my heart. "I love you, too, sweet boy."

The next morning I was up before Kit and while I waited for him to roll out of bed, I opened a browser on my phone and snooped around for things to do while in Vegas. My boy wasn't a drinker and I had to take that into consideration. Hanging out in a bar, though he'd do it for me, wasn't his scene nor was it fair. Between shows and sightseeing, there were plenty of options. Even just walking up and down the main drag there was a ton to see and do. Should be cool enough outside to do that the first week of October.

I was just about to shut my browser down when a calendar reminder popped up for Belle's vet appointment today.

"Shoot, nearly forgot that." I rinsed my cup and set it in the dishwasher.

"Forgot what?" My boy stumbled in, kissed my cheek and poured himself a cup of coffee .

"Forgot Belle had a vet appointment at nine-thirty this morning for her shots. You're on your own for breakfast, sweetheart. I gotta get ready and take her in." I loved feeding my boy and felt bad I wasn't able to get his day started with a full belly.

"No worry. I'll finish up and head to the bar. Good luck, Jelly Belly." Kit gave her muzzle a kiss. She stood there, staring at him with her puppy dog eyes, nub madly wagging behind her. She was just as in love with him as I was.

"Good morning, Nate, Good morning, Princess Belle," Gina, the vet tech at Paws, Claws, and More greeted us as we walked in. "How's our favorite pup doing today?" Belle tugged on her leash, and I released it. She trotted around the desk like she owned the place, making sure to get her love from Gina. "You're looking good, Ms. Belle. I'll get you guys checked in, Nate. Doc will just be a few more minutes."

I whistled and Belle returned to my side, and I snapped her leash back on. Wasn't sure who Doc was back there with, but rules were rules, and they were there for a reason. You never knew when one dog would decide they didn't like another. Even though Belle liked every animal as well as human she encountered, it was better to be safe than sorry .

A few minutes later, Miss Dodson and her cat carrier emerged from the room. "Morning, Belle," she greeted my sweet girl with a gentle pat.

"Good morning, Miss Dodson." She was my third-grade teacher and after she retired, she moved back to Foggy Basin. Claimed the big city life wasn't for her. She and her cat, Scrump, headed out the door right as Doc Alex called for us.

"Boxers are my favorite breed." He said that every time we came in.

"Mine, too, Doc. All right, Jelly Belly, let's follow Doc back to the room." Once inside, he took her weight and assessed her before administering her shots. Then we went over her history.

"Are you still giving her the daily glucosamine and chondroitin doses?"

"Every morning with her breakfast, just like clockwork. She moves a bit slower but she's no longer making those painful sounds since she's been on it." Thank the vet gods for that. Scared the hell out of me the first time she squealed in pain when she stretched.

"Those poor Boxers and their challenging medical issues. Bad hips and joints as they age. It's no fun getting old, is it, Jelly Belly?" She stood there, her nub going crazy and licked his face. He should know by now not to bend over within tongue reach. "Well, outside of everything that isn't age related, I'm happy to report that she looks fantastic. No weight loss or gain since her last visit. She's right where we want her to be. Other than that, unless something happens, God forbid, we'll see her in a year for her shots."

"Thanks, Doc Alex." We said our goodbyes, but not before Belle scored her free treat while I paid Gina. Belle got another scritch and a cuddle from her before we left and made the short walk back to Pints.

"Whoa." There were far more people than I expected at this early hour. "Doing all right, Kit?" I kissed my gorgeous fiancé without a care who saw. If they had an issue with two men kissing they didn't need to be in our bar, let alone this inclusive town.

"Yeah, it was getting a little hairy there for a minute, but I'm glad you're back. I'm gonna hit the floor and take their orders. I asked everyone if they could wait till you got back, and they were pretty chill about it."

"Any drinks I need to get started?"

"No, I pretty much got those out which kept them calm until they could order food. You know, alcohol first, food second." I laughed but Kit was dead on accurate with that one.

I was happy to report we hadn't had any more incidents, or even near incidents, since Eddy's room was broken into. Not sure what came of all that, hadn't seen Brock since then but I heard Eddy was still around staying over at Books and Beans with Brock. During the summer there were a few reports filed with Sherrif Cole. Brawls, break-ins, minor thefts. For us, I was generally able to break up shit before it escalated. Mostly due to my size and the fact that I'd been told I had a growly resting bitch face. Yeah, that was a Merle-ism, but the problem children usually backed off when they saw me coming. Otherwise, I give Clay a call, he and Jesse flashed their badges, and the dust settled.

I was sure this summer wouldn't be any different, though I hoped things didn't spiral out of control. Anything that spooked Kit would set me off and unleashing that beast would be bad. He already told me outside of the first eighteen years of his life, this was the longest he'd stayed anywhere, and he hadn't once thought about leaving. Well, that and the fact that he agreed to marry me. I liked to think that was a pretty good sign, but bar life wasn't always easy, and it wasn't for everyone. You had to have thick skin in this business and an eye for trouble. Remove it before it blossomed. That was my motto and I was sticking to it.

No sooner had I finished those thoughts when all hell threatened to break loose. I should've kept my brain shut .

"What are y'all fussing at over here?" I said as I neared the two yahoos playing pool.

"He cheated," the larger of the two men said, his fists wound in the smaller guy's shirt.

I wasn't sure if they knew each other beforehand or not but they were about to throw fists, and that wasn't happening in my establishment.

"You do realize it's just a game? I sincerely hope there was no money laid down on said game." They sheepishly glanced away. "Ah, so you took the fun out of a game by doing that. So who was ahead?"

"I was then next thing you know he comes alive and starts sinking balls," the brawny guy complained. I wasn't sure the little guy could take a punch from him let alone survive a fight.

"How about we settle it another way instead and stay away from placing bets on things that are meant to be fun and not serious." I was sure my warning would be ignored, but it was worth a try.

"That depends," the little guy finally spoke up. "What did you have in mind?"

"Why don't you buy each other a beer? Sit down, shoot the shit and get to know each other." I'd say first one was on the house, but I wasn't about to contribute to their horseshit .

"Might as well buy my own damn beer," the big guy mumbled.

"That's an option, too, but at Pints ‘n Pool we're about having a good time. We're not here to have some big oaf with a chip on his shoulder decide to start throwing punches in our bar. Now, are we gonna sit down and talk it out like adults, or better yet, not talk about it at all? Talk about something else. Or do you want to go your separate ways and buy your own damn beer?"

"I guess it might be all right. But I still don't trust him," the big guy groused.

"And that's totally fine, because guess what? I don't trust either of y'all, yet you're still here and I'm giving you a chance to pull your heads out of your asses. You can walk away now or sit down and calm down. Your choice. But one punch gets thrown in here, and I call in the law. Understood?"

"Yes," they both mumbled as they put their cues away. I'd keep an eye on those two the rest of the night. That little guy was a shark, but I had his number. He wouldn't get away with that shit in my town.