Loving and Loathing Vegas by Lex Chase Read Free Book Online

him tight.
    Vegas went rigid from the contact.
    “It’s okay,” Jackson whispered. “You have my blessing.”
    The words were hard to say, but it was the deepest relief to let them go. Jackson had lost sight of what was important. Vegas’s long-standing friendship would never change. And Jackson had finally understood what really made humanity quite charming. Being Sisyphus and cleaning the grease traps for all eternity wasn’t that bad. Well. It was. But Jackson knew there could never be love without loss.
    From the office, Jeshebet’s cranky cries drifted into the kitchen.
    Jackson let Vegas go, metaphorically and physically.
    Vegas shook his head, seeming confused. “Are you really okay?”
    Jackson smiled softly. “I think I finally am. I never thought I’d understand what you saw in the humans, but really, they’re not so bad.”
    Vegas still didn’t look convinced. “Okay. I get you’re in the holiday spirit and all, but did you hit your head or something? Because I kind of miss the old cranky Jackson.”
    “What’s gotten into you?” Jackson asked. “Stressed out about working tonight?”
    Vegas snorted. “I’m in my element in the kitchen. I got this covered.” He untied his bandanna from his wrist and then tied it over his hair. “We really need to talk after work.”
    Jackson kept his dread off his face and instead schooled his features into a tight-lipped smile. There was no need to rub it in his face that Vegas and Cillian were an item now. But it seemed Vegas was dead set on elaborating on every detail and where the lines were now drawn in their relationship.
    Jeshebet’s fussing cries from the office filtered through the silence between them.
    “Anyway, gotta go change my baby,” Jackson said, nodding.
    “ Your baby?” Vegas asked, a chuckle in his voice.
    It had come out before Jackson could stop himself. He considered the words and smiled. Jeshebet would be his for the brief time they had left with each other. He glanced over his shoulder at Vegas. “ My baby,” he repeated and headed into the office.

Chapter Seven
     
    “S HE WON ’ T calm down?” Cillian asked Jackson over the rising and falling of customer chatter. He then hung the order ticket on the pass-through. “Order up,” he called to Vegas.
    Jackson bounced with Jeshebet tucked to his chest as she wailed over the Christmas carols. “I fed her. I changed her. She had a nap. I don’t think I’m doing this right. I’ve been reading about babies on the Internet. I got Huggies because they were pink. I thought she’d like it. And the reviews said they were soft, but expensive. I got the organic unscented baby wipes. And some baby toys. She likes her blocks the best.” He turned to Cillian, terror-stricken. “Am I that person? Am I doing this wrong? Am I a bad parent? You can tell me. I am a bad parent. I’m even a bad, judgmental friend.”
    Cillian took a deep breath and fanned his hands over himself as if banishing bad vibes. Like some Reiki bullshit.
    There went Jackson with the judging again.
    Cillian smiled in that sweet, nurturing way. “Jackson, just breathe. You’re rambling. I’ve only known you to ramble when you’re quite creatively cussing someone out.”
    Jackson smirked. “Thanks, I guess?”
    “That wasn’t a compliment, but we each have a gift that the Beyond has blessed us with,” Cillian said in the same kind tone, yet he pulled off an expert insult.
    Jackson pressed his lips into a thin line as Jeshebet continued to wail. “You know I only like you part of the time, right?”
    Cillian tilted his head in a childishly warm way. “That’s all right. I like you all the time.”
    Jeshebet diverted their attention as she screamed in Jackson’s ear.
    His lip quivered. This was a definite parenting trial by fire that not even the Four Horsemen Stables could have prepared him for. It was easier when Eaven wasn’t so busy with the typical flow of customers.
    But word seemed to have gotten