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My new business ventures weren’t going as smoothly as I thought. The sale of the land I wanted to develop had gone through without a hitch, with the surrounding area seeming ripe for expansion, but it turned out someone else got the same idea as I did. Now, they were stirring up trouble, trying to run us off.

I was reasonably confident I had the locals on my side, and when we got to the property, the people I was investing in the land with assured me that this new group wasn’t wanted.

“We all want to prosper, not be under the thumb of some wannabe dictator,” my new foreman on the project said.

Ivan and I surveyed the damage these new dictators did. It wasn’t much more than breaking into a shed and knocking over some crates. One of the heavy machines had been spray painted with rude words, which led Ivan to ask if they were sure it wasn’t just unruly teenagers.

“No, but they are idiots,” the foreman sighed. “You still shouldn’t underestimate them in a fight if it’s the group I think it is.”

Ivan smacked his fist into his palm. “Maybe we better just nip this in the bud, then.”

I nodded. I hadn’t asked for trouble, but I was ready to hand it out freely to anyone who came knocking on my door.

“Looks like it’s time to teach a few lessons,” I said.

Some of my new crew from the town jumped into volunteer, all citing instances they were happy to mete out some justice for. Even if they’d been looking for revenge, I was happy to have them on my side. Ivan was more than happy to go along for the fight, just about dancing with excitement after shooting up the contents of my recycle bin that morning.

“Let’s try to keep this as civil as possible,” I warned all of them. “We’re not killing anyone for making a mess.”

Ivan muttered something about me getting soft, and after giving him a glare that had him shut up in a hurry, I tried to ignore the jibe. Was I getting soft, thinking about Olivia and how she might feel about all this?

We found the gang of disorganized miscreants, and most of them ran off, pissing their pants with fear that we caught up with them so easily. The few who stayed to fight ended up limping away shortly after to tend to their wounds as well as their battered egos.

My guys and Ivan were so worked up after our victory that they talked me into heading to the cantina for some margaritas. Once there, we quickly surpassed the mixed drinks for straight tequila shots, retelling the story of the fight to every newcomer to the bar, and each time it got more dangerous.

I turned away from the sixth or seventh recounting, laughing as Ivan mimed tossing someone into a pile of trash, while another told of a head stomping that never happened at all. Ah well, let them have their fun, I certainly was enjoying myself. I couldn’t believe how happy I was, and it wasn’t just the easy victory or the fact I had people who stood behind me.

It was because I had something worth fighting for now, a future I couldn’t wait to get started on, and best of all, someone waiting for me at home. And not just anyone, but Olivia. My wife, the woman I would have gone to the ends of the earth for.

I slurred out these sentiments to Ivan as we downed yet another shot. My head reeled, not having gone on a bender like this since college.

“I’m glad you’re happy, man,” Ivan said, clapping me on the shoulder.

“Your day will come,” I said.

“Now you’re just being a dick and trying to curse me,” he said. “I’m telling you, I’m not getting married. The way the rest of you are pumping out kids, Papa should just let me slip through the cracks and stay single, right?”

I shook my head, the lights over the bar blurring into a haze above his head. Both of his heads. “You’ll change your mind when you meet the right woman.”

He laughed at that. “Okay, if you’re so deliriously happy, why is your drunk ass still at the bar when the sun’s about to come up?”

“What the hell?” I struggled to look at the time on the clock. He was exaggerating, but not by much.

I hollered for someone sober to get me home, offering to pay so much that I had a choice of volunteers. I left with Ivan’s laughter ringing in my ears and the ground threatening to rise up and smack me in the face as I staggered out of the cantina after my driver.

When I came crashing into the house despite my best efforts to stay quiet, Olivia flew down the stairs, grabbing my arms and searching my face.

“Oh, God,” she said, recoiling from my tequila breath and shoving me away. “You’re just drunk? All this time I was—”

I grinned. “You were worried about me.”

“Well, I wasted my time on it,” she snapped.

“You just admitted it,” I said, my heart brimming. “You were worried.”

“I worry about street dogs, too, so don’t read too much into it.” With a sigh, she hoisted my arm around her shoulders and led me up the stairs.

I was perfectly capable of going up on my own, but I liked her concern every bit as much as I liked her soft body pressed against mine. I breathed in the scent of her shampoo and then sighed.

“You stink,” she muttered, then pulled the hand that was draped over her shoulder close to her face. “Are these cuts? Did you get in a fight?”

“Not much of one. Not very satisfying.”

“Hmph.”

She dragged me into our room and shoved me toward the bathroom, yelping when I swayed. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face if I tried, even though she was getting annoyed.

“I’m not that drunk,” I said, schooling my face as best I could.

“You are, and you’re doing a crap job of pretending you’re penitent. What do I care if you drink yourself sick?”

“I never get sick,” I said, offended.

“Then I pity your liver.”

“You even worry about my liver,” I said.

That had her snorting, and soon she was laughing, at my expense, because she pushed me under an icy cold shower, with my clothes still on.

“Fuck!” I shouted.

“Okay, I regret not making you strip down first,” she said, grunting as she struggled to get my soaking wet shirt off.

“If you wanted me naked, all you had to do was ask,” I said, kicking off my jeans.

When I reached for her, she ducked me, pushing a towel at me as she snapped the water off. “Get dry and get in bed before you fall down and break something.”

“My bones are strong as steel,” I told her.

“Which is why I don’t want you to crack the tile when your ass hits the floor.”

I laughed, buoyant when she joined in. Once I was in my bathrobe, she led me to the bed and tipped me onto it. The cold water had sobered me up, but I liked that she was babying me in her own begrudging way. I held out my arms and didn’t put them down until she sighed and got in bed beside me.

“What kind of life could we have if we stayed down here?” I asked.

“Is that why you bought up all that property? You want to stay here?”

I turned, my eyes crossing at how close her silky skin was to my lips. “I bought it because you love it here.”

She leaned back, searching my face, silent for a long time. “I do like it here,” she admitted.

“I’m so damn drunk I’m not going to remember a word of this tomorrow,” I said. A total lie, but I wanted to hear what she said when she didn’t have her walls up.

“Then I’d want chickens if we stayed here. That area on the other side of the east wing would be perfect for them if it was cleared.”

“I’ll get a crew on that,” I said.

“Sure, you will,” she answered mildly, still thinking I wouldn’t remember any of this. “I wouldn’t want us to get in so many fights, too.”

I snaked my arm under her head and pulled her closer so that her cheek nestled against my chest. “When do we fight? You always just storm away.”

“Then I guess I’d like to stop doing that,” she said so quietly I almost didn’t hear.

“I want what you want,” I told her.

“A normal life,” she said instantly. “That’s all I want, and exactly what you can’t give me.”

I rested my chin on the top of her head, lost in thought. She was wrong about that, and I searched for the right words to make her believe it. But the tequila was stronger than my ability to stay conscious any longer.

“I’ll see what I can do,” I mumbled.

There was no use trying to convince her when she thought I was too drunk to mean any of it, but I meant all of it. Every word. I was going to make it happen no matter what. Before I passed out, my last thought was making sure Olivia got everything her heart desired.