Finding Home at Randy’s (Diner Days)

Chapter 19

I find Val in the kitchen when I get home. They’re standing at the stove, while also talking to Jordan over FaceTime.

“What are you making?” I ask.

Valery jumps and spins around, brandishing the wooden spoon in their hand like a weapon and splattering whatever they’ve been stirring everywhere. “Shit!” They glare at me. “This is your fault.”

I raise my hands out in front of me. “I didn’t do anything! I asked a simple question!”

“Don’t you know not to startle a person when they’re cooking!” Val huffs and spins on their heel, pointing the spoon at the phone, where Jordan is currently laughing at their expense. “You, be quiet.”

“I’m sorry…” Jordan says through his laughter, and sounding anything but. “You just looked so ridiculous from here.”

Valery sticks out their tongue. “Whatever.” They sniff and turn back to me. “I don’t suppose you’re going to be the one cleaning this mess up?”

Shaking my head, I venture further into the kitchen and retrieve their phone from where it’s propped up. “Nope, I’m going to talk to my cousin.”

Val curses us both out as I walk out of the kitchen and into the living room. Jordan shakes his head at me. “They’re so going to poison your food,” he says.

“Meh.” I shrug. “I already ate, so no worries there. It’s good to see you.”

“You too. I have to say, I’m disappointed I had to hear about your dating life from Valery.” He gives me his best unimpressed look and I roll my eyes.

“You two need to stop gossiping about my life.”

Jordan grins. “What else would we talk about?”

Huffing, I throw my head back against the sofa cushions. “I don’t know… How about your own love life? Or lack thereof?”

“Sounds boring,” Jordan replies, his shit-eating grin still in place.

“You’re a menace.”

“I’m a delight.”

“You’re something alright,” I grumble. “What, exactly, has Val told you?”

Jordan shrugs and shifts on his bed, jostling the phone around. “Nothing much. Just that you and Denver have moved past the ‘friends’ stage.”

“I do not appreciate this.”

“Duly noted. Now, spill.”

Knowing there’s no way to not tell him, especially since I do actually want to talk to my cousin about what’s been going on—I just have to bitch about him and his best friend gossiping about me first.

I don’t actually mind, I know it’s their way of expressing their concerns for me. Still doesn’t mean I’m not going to gripe about it.

“Denver and I are…dating. We haven’t really said the words, but we said we were going to try and see where it goes. We’ve spent a lot of time together the last two months, and things have been going well. We get along, and we’ve both admitted to being attracted to the other. So, we’re seeing what happens.” Biting my lip, I look away from Jordan’s intense gaze, knowing I have to tell him everything I’ve left out, but terrified of his reaction.

“That’s not all. Denver is also…pursuing someone else.”

My cousin is quiet and I risk a look at the screen, seeing concern etched on his face and in his hazel green eyes. “Really? I didn’t think—” He’s interrupted by a loud bang and some whining, and he sighs, rolling his eyes. “Hold on.”

Biting my lip to stifle my grin, I listen as he mutters curses under his breath, even as he gets up and opens his bedroom door. “You couldn’t let me have even an hour to myself, could you?”

I chuckle at the answering whine. Jordan sounds so put out, but I know it’s mainly for show. “Yeah, yeah, come on in, ya drama queen.”

He flips the camera. “Say hello to your cousin, Luka.”

“Hi, Indie,” I say to Jordan’s three-year-old Border Collie.

The dog barks and tries to jump up at Jordan’s phone. “No,” he says. “That’s not yours.”

Indie huffs but sits, staring at me through the screen. She’s a gorgeous dog with bright blue eyes, and long white and golden fur. Jordan raised her from a six-week-old puppy, after her mom rejected her for being the runt of the litter. She’s smart as a whip and keeps him on his toes.

“All I wanted was an hour to myself,” he tells the dog. Indie woofs at him and he sighs.

Off camera, the snorty noises of a pig come through the phone before Porter, Jordan’s two-year-old potbelly, comes through the bedroom door.

“Of course,” he says. “Why not make it a party.”

The pig bumps Indie on his way past, but she doesn’t react, letting Porter flop down on the floor in front of her.

“Sorry about this,” Jordan says, walking back to his bed. “It’s a mad house here.”

“I can tell. I’m surprised Rodey isn’t in there as well.”

Jordan snorts. “He’s currently babysitting, otherwise he would be.”

“Uhh… How can a parrot babysit?”

My cousin rolls his eyes. “Someone I know has two goats who both gave birth within a few days of each other. A total of five kids. Well, the one with triplets rejected one. And she’s too busy to bottle feed it because they’re not her only goats kidding right now, so I offered to take it in. Rodey is fascinated by ‘his baby’.”

“Do you have time for a kid?” I ask, skeptically. Jordan doesn’t only have his own menagerie, but a pretty successful dog training business as well. Another mouth to feed, one that requires so much care, doesn’t seem like the best idea to me.

“More time than she does. It’s fine. Juniper is cute, I’ll send you pictures. Back on task now, what’s this about Denver seeing someone else?”

I shrug. “Exactly what I said. They’ve liked Graeme for a long time, and I don’t know, something is starting between them.”

Jordan frowns. “So, what? Is he stringing you both along?”

I shake my head. “No, not at all. I know about it. I’m the one who pointed out that they had mutual crushes on each other. Anyway, all three of us went on a date a few weeks ago and it was…nice. I saw them kiss and it was… Well, it made me hot for one. But I…I don’t know how to explain it. I felt content, maybe? Watching them together. Like they spent so long dancing around each other, but they’re willing to give one another a chance now, and it makes me feel…safe in what Denver and I are building.”

“Really? I didn’t peg you as polyamorous.”

“I didn’t either. But being with them was better than any other date or relationship I’ve ever been in before.

“I spent time with Grae today. It wasn’t planned, or long, but just talking to him one on one was nice. We don’t know each other well, but I want to get to know him.

“I don’t know if anything but friendship will develop between the two of us, but…I like him, and I’m okay with what he and Denver are doing.”

“Okay,” Jordan says slowly. “Just be careful. I don’t want to see you getting hurt because you’re in over your head. I’d hate to have to fly out there and kick some ass.”

I laugh. “Whatever. I promise, I’ll be okay. I think they’re good for me.”

Jordan gives a small smile. “I hope they are, I really do.”