Fire in the Hole

  “That sounds like Ev,” she said with a smile when he finished telling the story.

  “Sorry?”

  “He’s protective.” She stared at his hands for a long moment, thinking how much they reminded her of Everett’s. “I think that’s why I didn’t tell him the full truth about me and Steve. I didn’t want him worrying about me. He spent enough time worrying about me over the years. I wanted him to think about himself for a change.”

  When she looked up, Brad’s brown gaze was focused on her. “What?”

  “I think it’s good the two of you are friends.”

  “Me, too.” This was her perfect opportunity to get a hint in a logical way. “Their relationship doesn’t bother you? Ev and Wy?”

  “No. Sorry, I thought I made that clear yesterday. Why should it bother me?”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. “Sorry. Just wanted to make sure. I’m a little gun-shy now after Steve. I won’t make that mistake a second time. Everett and Wylie will be a part of my life as friends and adopted family. I’m always going to love Everett like that.”

  “Understandable.” He switched to her other foot and she knew she’d be using her vibrator on herself before she went to sleep. “It’s not like you hated each other when you broke up. Like Breanna and me. We got to a point where we couldn’t ignore that it wasn’t working for us anymore. We both knew she wasn’t going to be happy in the kind of relationship I wanted and needed, and I wasn’t happy in the kind of relationship she wanted. And then when she got promoted, huge pay raise but also a lot of traveling, I wasn’t going to tell her no, don’t do that. We parted ways before we could resent each other. Better for Mark that way.”

  “Do you guys celebrate holidays together?”

  “Sometimes. We’re flexible. We have a custody agreement, but both of us have made adjustments to fit the other’s schedule. Like there was a week I had to go to Tallahassee to testify in state hearings about one of my studies, and she took time off from work to stay at the ranch with Mark.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Mark knew what chores needed to be done. We have animals we can’t abandon. My part-time guy took care of what Mark couldn’t. And Mark had school.”

  “Do you think Mark will have a problem with me being in your life if this does become permanent?”

  He smiled. “Mark doesn’t hesitate to speak his mind. If he was going to have a problem with it, he wouldn’t have volunteered to ride home with Ev and Wy from the restaurant last night. He was deliberately giving us alone time.”

  “Ah.”

  “He thinks he’s slick, but I was that age, once. I remember how slick I thought I was.”

  “Are your parents still alive?”

  “Yeah. Dad’s not doing so well. He’s mostly bedridden, but the place they live, it’s their own little apartment. Nursing staff comes in and checks on them several times a day, and he has a caregiver that rotates through their area a couple of times an hour to help Mom out with him. Mom’s stubborn. She likes to do as much of it as she can. It’s a good place. What about your parents?”

  They got to talking about families and childhoods. By the time he finally stood to leave a little before eleven, she had a feeling tomorrow night would not only go well, but would be a huge stepping stone to the next chapter of her life.

  As she stood at the front door and kissed him one last time, she deliberately rubbed her hips against his, amused by the soft moan he made.

  “That’s a little mean, Ma’am, teasing me like that.”

  “Hey, I’m the one with wet panties from that awesome foot rub.”

  She loved his sexy smirk. “They are, huh?”

  “They sure are.”

  He stared down into her eyes. “Let’s agree to something,” he softly said.

  “What?”

  “Let’s agree to at least two weeks living together before we discuss going any further than being just roommates.”

  “Okay. But why?”

  “I don’t want you to feel like there’s any pressure. And two weeks will give you a chance to see me every day and get sick of me by then. Even if we decide to stay roommates, if you like living there, we can keep doing that for as long as we mutually agree on it. Think of it this way, you’ll be close to Ev and Wy.”

  This was…miles apart from Steve. Once he’d proposed to her, he’d insisted she get divorced and move in with him immediately. She’d been able to stall him with the logical excuse that she wasn’t going to break her lease.

  Still…

  Why did I not see all of this before?

  This, so far, felt so easy, easy in a way nothing had felt with Steve. Around Steve, she’d felt awkward and like she’d had to earn his praise.

  Like he’d wanted to change her.

  This felt nothing like that.

  Not in the slightest.

  “You might change your mind after seeing how grouchy I am in the morning before coffee. I’m not a morning person.”

  He brushed his lips across hers. “Have you ever had your man bring you coffee in bed every morning to wake you up?”

  Her heart—and her clit—fluttered anxiously to see what that was like. “No.”

  He smiled. “Then prepare to be spoiled rotten, Ma’am.”

  Even after he’d left, she watched through the viewfinder until he drove off, the taillights of his truck disappearing around a corner.

  Turning, she slumped against the front door.

  I’m sooo screwed.

  But, for once, at least it was in the good way.

  She hoped.

  Chapter Seven

  When Brad got home, Mark was still watching TV in the family room, his schoolbooks stacked on the coffee table.

  Brad carried his blazer and tie in his hand. “I take it you finished your schoolwork?”

  “Yes, sir.” He sat up and looked at Brad over the back of the couch. “How’d your date go?”

  “I think it went well.” Brad draped them over the back of a chair at the dining room table and walked over to the couch, where he sat at the far end.

  “I really like her. I think we have a lot in common. But for right now, she’s going to be our roommate. That means I need you to show her courtesy and give her privacy. I catch you in her room without her permission, you’re going to spend every free moment of time you have for the rest of this summer helping Harold string new fencing in the south pasture. And no texting or phone or computer, either.”

  “Yes, sir. I promise. Do you think you’ll start doing more than dating?”

  He hoped so, but that’s not what he said. “It’s way too early to have that conversation. Let’s get her moved in. If she and I decide to start dating, that’s our business.”

  “It’s just that I really like her, Dad. And I liked how you were smiling at dinner last night when you were talking to her. You looked happy in a way I haven’t seen you look before.”

  Brad didn’t have a response for that, so he settled for, “It’s too soon to tell. Go on and head for bed. Brush your teeth.”

  Mark gave him a hug and gathered his books to put them in his backpack and get everything ready for in the morning. Right now, he was in summer school classes for advanced students, which would boost his already high GPA over 5.0 by the time he finished. Mark was determined to study civil rights law in college, and apparently their deceased neighbor had wholeheartedly supported that desire.

  That was Brad’s best guess, based on the sizable trust Bob Meselin had bequeathed Mark in his will, earmarked specifically for Mark’s college education.

  Which was actually overkill, because he and Breanna had set up a pre-paid college fund for Mark when he was born. Still, whatever was left over after Mark finished law school, he could use for a car, or living expenses, or to buy a house or something. When Mark started driving, he’d have Meselin’s old truck, which the man had also left to Mark. It wasn’t in bad shape, a good starter vehicle for a kid learning how to drive.

>   Especially a kid on a ranch, who’d need a utility vehicle.

  Once he knew Mark was down for the night, Brad headed to his own bedroom at the far end of the large house, what had been his parents’ room when he was growing up. After hanging up his blazer, he undressed and climbed into the shower.

  Closing his eyes, Lara’s face immediately came to mind.

  Yeah, he’d have to make sure he took things slow, because right now, it’d be too damn easy for him to fall in love with her. It was great the initial vetting was made easier by her being close to Everett and Wylie, men he trusted.

  That would also make it infinitely more awkward if things didn’t go well between them.

  Hence even more reason to be careful.

  As he stroked his cock, he let his mind wander. Dropping to his knees in front of her had felt so damn…right.

  Perfect.

  The way she hadn’t pulled back at his admissions, something that happened far too often to him in the past.

  Another reason he tried to get that on the table immediately, and why he always waited to sleep with someone, because why open himself up to more heartache?

  It didn’t take him long to work himself up to an orgasm while wondering what she would sound like if he was on his knees between her legs with his face buried in her pussy. And as he stood there in the shower and caught his breath, he realized he was already dangerously in love with her.

  * * * *

  Lara’s nerves buzzed all day Friday. She wished it was dinner time so she could get it over with and find out if her potential Prince Charming was another toad in disguise.

  The suspense was killing her.

  If she’d badly misjudged the man, she’d consider taking up residence with Everett and Wylie, invest in noise-cancelling headphones, and settle for being their fruit fly for the rest of her life, because…damn.

  Hell, living in the Tin Can in their backyard would look good if she committed that epic level of fail in judgment.

  Brad had started out texting her good morning a little before nine, a habit she was quickly growing to enjoy.

  And she loved the way he now referred to her as Ma’am. Not sarcastically, not resentfully.

  Willingly.

  Eagerly.

  They texted back and forth during the day. Brad actually had a grant committee meeting today and wasn’t working at the ranch. By the time Lara arrived at Wylie and Everett’s a little after five, her nerves were nearly shot. She couldn’t talk with Everett about anything because Mark and his boyfriend Jacob were there.

  Jacob was adorable and, at first blush, appeared to be a polar opposite to Mark. Willowy and soft-spoken, and looking younger than Mark despite being a couple of months older, he had shaggy blond hair and wore wire-rimmed glasses. He was also polite and a sweetie, and she desperately hoped their lives weren’t about to get more difficult once dinner started.

  Then Brad arrived, his hair damp from the shower, he wore shorts and a pullover short-sleeved collared shirt.

  When she leaned in and kissed him, he smiled. “Hello again, Ma’am.”

  She couldn’t help it. She had it bad for him. “Why, hello to you, too.”

  * * * *

  Brad got the distinct feeling he was being set up.

  For what, he wasn’t sure yet. The fact that Jacob was here, however, and the way his son and his “friend” kept sneaking nervous glances at each other made Brad strongly suspect a big reveal of some sort.

  If so, that would be a huge load off Brad’s mind.

  Finally.

  So he played along, acting clueless and enjoying dinner and the conversation. In fact, they’d been debating the merits of Tom Baker over Peter Capaldi in the starring role on Doctor Who when Mark spoke up out of the blue.

  “Dad, did you know Mr. M was gay?”

  Ooookaaay.

  Brad set his fork down. “How did you know that?” He’d long suspected it, from when he was a teenager, but had never let on, because to him it hadn’t mattered.

  “It was the morning after the Pulse nightclub shooting. I was upset and he asked me what was wrong. He hadn’t seen the news yet. After I told him, he showed me a picture that used to sit in a frame on his bedside table. A picture of him and a guy from a long time ago, and the other guy was military.

  “Told me it was him and an old friend who died fighting in Korea. Then he touched it and started crying, and I’ll never forget what he told me. ‘Mark, never deny who you are, or who you love, or you will die filled with regret. Love who you are, and love whoever you want to love.’ And he told me a little about the guy.

  “He didn’t admit he was gay outright, but I know from how he said it. And I think that’s also why he never got married.”

  Brad slowly nodded. “He was a good man. It’s a shame he was lonely for so many years.”

  “You know how you wondered why he left me the trust for law school?”

  “I was curious, yes.”

  Brad noticed Jacob had reached over and taken Mark’s hand.

  “It’s because that morning, I told him I was gay, and that’s why I wanted to go into civil rights law.”

  Oh, thank god. Finally.

  Relief filled him as he stood and rounded the table to hug Mark. “It’s okay, buddy. I knew you’d tell me when you were ready to.”

  Mark broke down crying. “You knew?”

  It took every ounce of self-control Brad had not to burst out laughing. “Uh, yeah. I pay your cell phone bill. The number of texts between you two is like any two kids who are dating. I’ve seen you and Jacob together for how many months now? I figured when you felt you could tell me, you would. I didn’t want to push you in case I was wrong or you weren’t ready to come out. I was glad when Wylie and Everett moved in. I was hoping maybe you’d feel safe admitting it then.”

  Brad hugged Jacob next. “Do your parents know?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Okay.” He stared down at both boys. “We need to have a talk about safe sex. Not right now, I’ll spare everyone that. But I want to know you kids are safe. I’m not stupid, and I was fifteen once, and I never got a talk. So you’re going to get the one I wish I’d had. Okay?”

  The boys nodded.

  “And we’re going to have some dating rules. You’re only fifteen. Well, almost fifteen.” He ruffled Mark’s hair. “At least I don’t have to worry about you getting a girl pregnant and her father wanting to hunt you down.”

  Brad noticed Lara dabbing at her eyes. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  She nodded and stood to walk around and hug the boys, and then him. Her gaze lingered on his for a moment before she leaned in and kissed him. “You’re a good dad.”

  “You knew, didn’t you?”

  “This was kind of a planned dinner, yeah.”

  “And if I was an ass, we wouldn’t be moving you in Sunday?”

  “Guilty.”

  He chuckled and pulled her in for a long hug. “Two teenaged boys underfoot a lot. You going to be okay with that?”

  “Insta-family. Yeah, I’m good with it.”

  * * * *

  Lara struggled not to break down in relief over how well Brad took the news. Once dinner ended and they’d assisted with the clean-up efforts, Brad, Mark, and Jacob loaded into Lara’s car for the ride across the road, since they’d all walked over.

  Large oak trees obscured the house from the road, but the rambling one-story ranch-style house looked large from where she parked next to Brad’s truck in the front yard. Off to the back, in the waning twilight, she spotted two barns, and a couple of horses standing at a fence and looking at them.

  Unlike Wylie and Everett’s house, the structure was made from concrete block. As she followed Brad inside, she immediately felt even more relief when she realized the house was lived-in, homey, and definitely not a disaster area.

  “This is nice.”

  “My parents built it when I was a little kid. I don’t remember the old house tha
t my great-grandfather built. They tore it down. A tree went down in a storm and fell on the roof. It wasn’t worth rebuilding it, so they put up a larger, more modern house.”

  He led her into the kitchen, where he flipped on the light. Here it looked modern, with granite countertops and light, glass-fronted cabinets giving the eat-in space an airy feel. The stainless steel appliances looked expensive, based on her professional experience. Spacious, it was at least twice the size of her kitchen at the apartment.

  Even better, it was spotless.

  “Wow.”

  “IKEA,” he said, smirking. “We redid it about three years ago. The old Formica cabinets were just…bleh.”

  “And the avocado stove,” Mark added.

  “Yes, there was that,” Brad said. “Although the fridge we had was only ten years old. It got moved out to the garage for overflow and sodas and stuff.”

  “Smart.”

  “That door over there opens onto the back porch. Sometimes we eat out there, if it’s cool enough.”

  He showed her the dining and family room areas, which looked like was where they spent most of their time. There was also a “formal” living room area, which actually held a desk. “I do my paperwork here,” Brad said. “I like the view out the back of the house toward the pastures.”

  Down the hall, at the very end, was the spare bedroom that would be hers. The bathroom wasn’t attached, but it was right next to her bedroom.

  “These would be yours,” Brad said. “Mark has his own bathroom, and we rarely have so many guests at one time that anyone would need to use your bathroom.” There was another spare bedroom between what would be her bathroom and Mark’s room, and it held a treadmill, weight bench, and elliptical machine. “Feel free to use these, too, if you’d like.”

  Mark and Jacob had remained behind in the family room to watch TV. Lara dropped her voice. “I like it.”

  “I downloaded lease forms. All we have to agree on is a price, although I’d let you stay for free, if you wanted. Just chip in for groceries.”

  “Oh, no, you don’t.” She tapped him on the chest. “I pay my own way. Name a reasonable price.”