Page 60 of Hollywood

“I ran into your boss, Molly, at the grocery store. She said you’d been in calling in sick a lot?”

Joyride grimaced. “I, uh, got a headache one day. I was helping Hollywood with Ruby, too. I just…didn’t think it’d matter if I missed a couple of shifts. There’s never enough to do there, anyway. It’s boring as hell.”

Matteo sighed. “Joey, I know it might not be the most exciting work out there. You haven’t given me a lot to go on. I’d like to get you a skill set that can last you long-term.” He paused. “I’d like that for all of you, but I can only work with what you give me. So, if you have an interest in something, speak up. I’ll try to find you something you can love. It’ll make going to work a lot easier.”

“I don’t know what I want to do,” Joyride said. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Sometimes these things take time. We’ll keep working until we find the right fit. That’s what we did with Ghost. Right?”

Ghost grunted an affirmative.

“Okay.” Matteo clapped his hands. “Let’s call it a day. Tex, come see me about job stuff.”

Tex slid out of the booth. “Catch up with you soon, okay? I need to chat with Matteo.”

“Yeah.” I slid out of the booth and lifted Ruby into my arms. “We’ll be there.”

He planted a quick kiss on her forehead, then spun away.

Ruby gave a wordless whine as he crossed the room. “Want Teck.”

“I know, sweetie. Me too.”

I carried a disgruntled Ruby toward the door. She was wiggling and reaching her arms out toward Tex, but he didn’t notice, his head tilted down to look at some paperwork Matteo was showing him.

We shouldn’t interrupt. The sooner he got a job, the sooner he’d be tied to Riverton again. I wanted to trust that Ruby and I were reason enough, but the more roots he had, the harder it would be for him to leave again.

Maybe it was selfish, but I needed him to stay. Not for Ruby, but for me. And that thought was scary as hell.

CHAPTER 14

Tex

I flopped onto the sofa,exhausted, my knee knocking into Hollywood’s as I landed. “She’s finally down for the count.”

His smile was small. “She missed you.”

I sensed he wanted to say more. He’d been like this ever since I came back from Redemption Road and told him that Matteo’s job lead wasn’t going to work out.

Like words danced on his tongue before he swallowed them down. He’d been quieter than usual. Distant.

I didn’t like it.

“But didyoumiss me?” I asked him.

“You know I did.”

“But I want to hear you say it,” I teased. “Tell me how much you need me.”

He sucked in a sharp breath and closed his eyes, an expression of pain flitting across his face. “Don’t ask me to do that,” he said, voice barely more than a whisper.

His reaction caught me off guard. I had joked like this before. He’d always laughed and indulged me.

“I don’t understand, Holls. What’s going on with you?”

His eyes snapped open, and they were blazing with so much emotion it shocked me into silence.

“You told me you wanted totalk, but not about what. You left, and I didn’t know if you’d really come back. And then you turn down your first job lead?—”