Stack grinned. “Let’s hear it.”
Justice tried to protest, but Armie announced, “Eugene Wallington,” with proper gravity for such a weighty name.
Balled up like a gigantic bulldog, Justice said, “That’s right, boys. Laugh it up. But if I hear either of you repeating it, you’ll pay for it in the cage.”
Stack and Armie shared a look, then both burst out laughing. Justice was good, but he’d dropped down from heavyweight to light heavyweight because he’d hit an obstacle to the belt. Unlucky for him that Stack, Cannon and soon Armie would create even more obstacles to a LHW belt.
“Assholes,” Justice muttered.
“Ah, Eugene,” Armie said. “I didn’t mean to hurt your tender feelings.”
Relieved that they were no longer poking around in his business, Stack bade them goodbye with a wave and headed toward his car. He’d be getting to the park late now, and his good morning mood was blown to hell.
And still he’d enjoyed seeing Vanity. Even arguing with her was somehow satisfying.
He was in it up to his neck, and he knew it. Now he just needed to make sure everyone else knew it.
Vanity could have all the friends she wanted, as long as those friends understood she was off-limits—to everyone but him. He’d make that clear once he hit the rec center.
Then tonight, he’d have her again.
It’d be a long day and a slow burn. Good thing he had plenty to keep him busy.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MIDWAY THROUGH THE DAY, Stack went to his sister’s place. He brought a grilled chicken sandwich for his mother from her favorite fast-food restaurant, but also unloaded some groceries into the cabinet. Tabby’s preferred cereal, pasta, jarred spaghetti sauce...lots of stuff that’d keep, as well as some fresh foods.
Tabby wasn’t on a healthy diet like him. Sometimes he envied her the freedom of junk food and the abundance of sugary treats. He knew her sweet tooth well and loaded the pantry with packaged brownies, donuts, cookies and cakes.
“You didn’t need to do this.”
He glanced up at his mom. “Should you be up and about?”
Snorting, she pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down with her sandwich and drink. “I’m not an invalid.” She nodded at the lunch meat he put in the drawer of the fridge. “Tabby picked up some groceries yesterday.”
“I know.” Just as he knew she was stretched thin and had to buy discriminately, or impose on their mom. Fucking Phil never contributed, but the bastard ate. “I wanted to.” Luckily, Phil was nowhere around, so Stack didn’t have to deal with him. “Tell her I did it for you if you want to.”
“All right.” She nodded at the chair. “Sit with me for a little while.”
Stack glanced at the kitchen clock. He could spare ten minutes. Barely. He turned a chair and straddled it. “No fibbing. How do you feel?”
“Only a slight headache and a little congestion left.” She ate a fry, then said, “Tell me more about Vanity.”
He didn’t know much more than she did, and what he did know he couldn’t share. Like how Vanity had that sweet spot behind her ear that made her breath catch. And how her breasts filled his hands. How pretty and pink her nipples were.
The sexy sounds she made when he—
“I’m going to blush,” his mom warned, snapping him out of the memories. She circled her finger in front of his face. “It’s all there. Plain as day.”
“Sorry.” He grinned, unrepentant. “Let’s just say she keeps me on my toes.”
“So I saw. I like that about her.”
Stack liked it, too. “I never know what to expect.”
“Perfect!”
Never before had his mother gushed over a woman. Usually the opposite. But then, she always knew he wasn’t in it for the long haul. Whitney had been his one and only foray into an actual relationship, and that had turned into a Grade-A disaster.
“You’re a handful,” Lynn said. “Maybe because you mostly raised yourself.”
She did seem mighty hung up on that lately. “You did fine, Mom.”
“So many times you told me Tabby needed tough love, not more coddling. Hindsight is a terrible thing, but now...”
Now she agreed? “It’s never too late.”
Her smile was fleeting.
Stack understood. Tabby had dug herself into such a deep hole, there really weren’t many options for climbing out.
But neither did he want her to just sit in there.
“You’re so competent and clear on what you want in life, it makes you a little difficult.”