Walk the Line (Man of the Month 12)

Misters September and October--Tyree's lawyer, Easton, and his personal trainer, Matthew--stood together with their girlfriends, Selma and Hannah. It took a moment for Tyree to find Griffin, Mr. November, in the audience; he was so used to looking for the writer and voice actor's gray hoodie that he almost missed the man who sat with Beverly, his movie star girlfriend, at one of the tables with absolutely nothing covering the violent burn scars on his face or arm.

Tears of pride welled in his throat, as intense as if Griffin were his own son, and his voice shook a little as he moved onto Mr. December, his soon to be son-in-law, Brent, who had won the contest by a landslide.

On the big screen TV, episodes of The Business Plan were playing on a loop. In just a few minutes, the screen would go dark, and then a countdown would mark time to the new year. But until then, Tyree was going to enjoy what remained of this one. It had been one hell of a ride, but ultimately one hell of a good year.

A few feet away, Eva started toward him, her smile lighting his soul. Yeah, he thought. One hell of a good year.

He reached out a hand and drew her up onto the stage with him, his eyes seeking out Elena who beamed at both of them.

As soon as Eva was beside him, he pulled her tight against him, dipped her, and kissed her soundly, making her laugh and the entire room burst into applause.

"Thank you, everybody," he called out, speaking once again into the mike. "You've made the first six years of The Fix a raging success. We had some rocky ground, but I think we proved that there's nothing more magical than friendship--and love," he added, once more hugging Eva to his side.

"Well, said," Brent called out, as Elena clapped and Reece let loose with a wolf whistle.

"Champagne and wine are complimentary, as are the taxis and ride shares for anyone who overindulges. And we have one free calendar for every guest, but feel free to buy lots of extras for your friends," he added, making the crowd laugh again.

"Congratulations again, Daddy," Elena said, giving him a huge hug as he descended the steps with Eva at his side. "Right back at you, mon bijou. And let me see this bijou," he said, peering at her engagement ring. He hooked an arm around both Elena and Brent. "Take care of each other," he said. "You know I love you both."

"We know," Elena said, and as she smiled at Brent, Tyree noticed a tall man with silver hair striding toward them. He frowned, trying to place the face, but not succeeding.

"Brent. You know this guy?"

"Looks familiar, but I'm not--oh."

But Brent didn't need to tell Tyree who the man was, as he came right up and introduced himself. "Thomas Baker," he said. "And you must be Tyree Johnson."

"I am. What can I do for you? I hope you're enjoying the party."

"It's excellent. This is a good business you've built up here."

Something in his tone caught Tyree's attention, and he cocked his head, trying to read the man. "What brings you here tonight?"

"Honestly? I came because I owe you an apology."

"How so?"

"Baker Holdings owns Bodacious," he said. "And I understand some of my employees and investors got carried away in the worst possible way. I just wanted you to know that we're cooperating with the police regarding the prosecution. I've spoken to the staff at the Sixth Street Bodacious, and I've put in new management. Better trained management."

"Oh." Tyree wasn't sure how to respond.

"At any rate, that's the apology. In addition, I wanted to say that I'm impressed with what you've accomplished this year. I'm proud to be your competition, and sorry again about the shenanigans."

"No hard feelings," Tyree said. "There's enough business to go around."

"Damn right," Baker said. "But if you ever do decide to sell..."

Tyree looked around at the room filled with his friends and customers. More important, filled with love and laughter.

"Sorry, Mr. Baker," he said as the countdown to midnight began. "But The Fix is my home, full of my family. And so I'm holding on tight to this place, and I'm never letting go."

A note from JK:

I hope you enjoyed Walk The Line!

Did you miss any of the books in the series? Here's a handy list of titles and heroes!

Down On Me - meet Reece