Southern Storms (Compass 1)

A few moments later, Connor joined me, buckled his seat belt, and then rubbed his hands together. “Couldn’t miss the opportunity to get new clients. You understand, boss.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, so now I’m your boss?”

“Listen, Jax, you gotta understand—women respect men who have their own businesses. It makes me look more professional when I say I’m your partner.”

“Or it makes you look like a liar.”

“Potato, potahto.”

“Let me see this business card you’ve been handing out for us.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled it out.

I glanced at it and shook my head instantly. “Kilter and Roe Plumbing: Same Shit, Different Toilet. That’s your tagline?” I groaned.

“It was either that or We Pump Your Dump,” he explained. “I feel like the one I chose rolls off the tongue better. Now, since I scored some new clientele and assisted with the removal of anal beads, I think it’s a perfect time to stop by the café to grab lunch before our next job,” he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows.

“We just ate breakfast before stopping at the Jeffersons’.”

“Yeah, like two hours ago. I know you’re old and probably already hit your prime and all you have to look forward to in the future is anal beads, but I am a growing boy, Jax! I need all the carbohydrates I can take in.”

I turned the key in the ignition. “We’ll eat lunch during our break at the office. I already packed food for us.”

Connor grimaced in disgust. “Please don’t make me eat another peanut butter and jelly sandwich and your disgusting protein shake. I’m so sick of that.”

“It’s packed with protein, and it will help you build muscle.”

“You know what else would help me? A number nine from McDonald’s.”

I smirked. “You can spend your paycheck on that stuff during your own time, but when working with me, you get the sandwich and a protein shake.”

“With grass in it.”

“It’s not grass. It’s kale.”

“I don’t mean to take away your man card, Jax, but adding kale to your protein shakes makes you look a lot like those chicks who wear Ugg boots and are addicted to Starbucks and Target.”

“Are you calling me a basic bitch?”

He parted his lips to reply but paused, arching an eyebrow. “Are you going to tell me to watch my language if I call you a basic bitch?”

“Yes.”

“Well then stop being a basic bitch and eating kale. Next thing I know, you’ll be Instagramming avocado toast while drinking kombucha.”

“What’s kombucha?”

“Oh, thank God.” Connor sighed and wiped his hand across his forehead. “You still have your balls.”

“Don’t say balls,” I ordered, pointing a stern finger his way. “And don’t say basic bitch.”

He sat back in his seat and placed his hands behind his head, propping his shoes up on my dashboard before I quickly knocked them down.

“Okay, I won’t say basic bitch. Anyway, can we take a minute to talk about the hotness that is the Jefferson’s new neighbor?” he asked.

“No.”

“Come on, Jax. You had to have noticed. She’s smokin’ hot! And did you see her eyes? She has the most stunning eyes I’ve ever seen. They were like…caramel. Did you see, Jax? Did you see her eyes?”

“Yes, Connor.” I saw her eyes, and he was right—they were damn beautiful, but that had nothing to do with me, and it definitely wasn’t any of my business…which was why it confused me that the thought of her eyes weighed heavily on my mind.

* * *

The day of plumbing tasks continued, and Connor didn’t stop talking the whole time. I swore that kid talked about nothing at all twenty-four hours a day. I’d become pretty good at tuning him out because half the shit that came out of his mouth was just teenage gibberish. Maybe that was why I liked him, though—because he was nothing like me. He was warm, inviting—and a complete idiot, yes, but still, I liked having the kid around. Of course I’d never tell him that because he’d never let me live it down.

As we pulled up to his house at the end of the evening, Connor’s color drained a little as he glanced toward his home. The bright, chatty kid lost all of his light in an instant as he looked into the house and saw his mother walking around inside.

It was only the two of them, and his mother was currently fighting cancer, which was extremely hard on them both. I knew Connor worked as hard as he did because he wanted to be able to take care of his mother. He had a heart of gold, and she was lucky to have him.

I lowered my head as my hands stayed gripped on the steering wheel. “If you guys need anything,” I offered, feeling awful for the poor kid. I wished I could take away his struggles.

He shook his head. “Nah. We’re good. We’re getting through it. Tonight, I’m going to watch a Disney movie with her to try to up her spirits. She loves that Disney stuff.” He always tried to act like the cancer wasn’t getting to him, but I knew better than to believe that.