by K. C. Wells
He seemed so happy about it, Jon felt ashamed to have begrudged him that contentment. “I’m glad.” And he meant it. So what if he hadn’t had the guts to go for what he wanted? He could still be happy for them.
And Del and Taylor. They deserve that happiness too.
Yeah, Jon had some fences that needed mending.
“So where is this date?”
Kendis chuckled. “A movie theater in Knoxville. We’re kinda low on places in LaFollette where we’d feel comfortable, if you get my drift.”
Jon got it, all right. When the thought entered his head, he dismissed it. They wouldn’t want that. Hell, he wasn’t certain he wanted that. Then he reconsidered. Fuck it. “Look… anytime you two wanna be… alone… you could always use my place.”
Kendis gaped. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”
“It was just an idea.” Yeah, and a stupid one. Why would they wanna hang out with Jon around? Then it came to him. “Tell you what. Just say the word an’ I’ll go bug Del for the evening.”
Kendis blinked. “We can’t expect you to do that. Hell no. That would be like we were kicking you out.”
Jon rolled his eyes. “Well, it’s Chaz’s home too. He should feel free to bring a date home if he wants to.” He peered at Kendis. “Let’s be honest here. Which is better—my place or yours?” Kendis widened his eyes, and Jon chuckled. “Yeah, like I thought.”
Kendis shuddered. “She doesn’t even know I’m going on a date.”
“Why not? Would she mind so much?”
His hesitation said more than words.
“You wanna wait ‘n’ see how things work out, don’t ya?” Not that Jon blamed him for that.
Kendis finished his glass of water. “I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t go into anything half-cocked.” Jon chuckled, and Kendis bit his lip. “Oh Lord, the way that sounded. But you know what I mean, right?”
Jon tilted his head to one side. “You give everything one hundred percent, and I’m guessin’ that includes relationships. So if you go all-in, and it doesn’t work out…”
Kendis nodded. “I don’t wanna tell Momma I got a boyfriend, and then it all goes wrong, and I—”
Jon squeezed his hand. “It’s not gonna go wrong. I got a good feelin’ ’bout you two.” He saw the server coming their way, and hastily withdrew his hand. “He catches us doing that again, and he might think we’re an item.”
He expected to get a laugh from that, but none came. Kendis smiled. “And what’s wrong with that? For all he knows, I might prefer older men.”
Jon blinked. He was dying to ask, ‘And do ya?’ but he didn’t dare. Besides, why would you wanna know that? He’s datin’ Chaz, ain’t he?
The server gave them an expectant glance, and Kendis scanned the menu card quickly. “Wanna share a Brownie in the Clouds?”
Jon searched for the item and grinned. “Who’d say no to that?” A fudge brownie on ice cream, with whipped cream and cherries, chocolate and caramel swirled all over it? He could see a sugar coma in his future.
The server took their cards and headed off again.
Kendis cleared his throat. “About your offer…. If you’re sure you wouldn’t mind?”
“I offered, didn’t I?”
Kendis laughed. “Okay then. But… a date could just be a movie, you know. And you could be there for that.”
The way Jon figured it, any time they could be together and away from the eyes of his Momma had to be a bonus. “Okay. I would never say no to a movie night.”
Kendis expelled a long breath. “Then I’ll talk to Chaz. And… thank you. Again.” He glanced over Jon’s shoulder and his eyes grew wide. “Dear Lord.”
“Let me guess. You’ve just seen the dessert.”
A bike ride, a kickass view, good company, good conversation, great food—and sugar. Days just don’t get better than this. There was only one thing that could possibly top this, but Jon knew better than to torment himself.
Then he realized he still had to talk to Del.
Not tonight. Leave it a while longer. Del needed to cool off too.
Kendis got off the bike with reluctance. “You were right,” he told Jon. “You didn’t go as fast as Chaz, and you took care of me.” He patted the bike’s rear seat. “Weird to think only last Wednesday, I was sitting on this in the bike shop, wondering how it would feel to go for a ride on it.”
“Seriously?” Jon chuckled. “I had no idea. I just grabbed a set of keys and got outta there.”
Kendis could understand that, the mood Jon had been in. He glanced toward the house, which was in darkness. No sign of Momma yet.
He turned back to Jon. “Thank you.”
Jon laughed. “Seems like you’ve been thankin’ me a lot today.”
“I had a great time.” Kendis’s heart beat faster as he leaned in and kissed Jon on the cheek. Jon’s breathing caught, and that only made Kendis’s pulse race a little more. And there’s that cologne again. Damn, Jon smelled good. He stepped back. “And thanks for the offer of your home. I think a movie night would be great. I’ll talk to Chaz about that. Unless you want to tell him?”
Jon shook his head. “You can tell him. If he’s got anything more to say on the matter, he knows where to find me.” He brought his hand up to his cheek, and Kendis wondered whether he’d gone too far. Kissing Jon had felt like the right thing to do. “I’d best be goin’. Hope tomorrow is as good as today was.”
Kendis grinned at him. “I guess I’ll see you on date night.”
Jon laughed once more. “I’m startin’ to regret this. I know Chaz’s taste in movies.” He lifted the kickstand. “Take care.”
Impulsively, Kendis stopped him with a hand to Jon’s arm. “Say. Anytime you wanna go watch the sunset from McCloud Mountain? Give me a call.” That had been all kinds of magical.
Jon stared at him for a moment, then leaned over and kissed his forehead. “You know what? I think it’s me who should be thanking you.” Then he straightened and put on his helmet. “Goodnight, Kendis.” And with that, he rode off up the street.
Okay, now I am all kinds of confused.
Kendis turned and walked up to the front door. He let himself into the silent house and hung up his jacket. It was only seven o’clock. Still early. He went into the kitchen, grabbed a can of Coke from the refrigerator, and then went to his room, closing the door behind him.
Once he was comfortable on the bed, he got out his phone and called Chaz. “Hey. Whatcha doin’?”
“Lighting a fire. It’s damn cold. I just got in. I went for a ride today.”
“Hey, me too.”
“You did? On what?”
Kendis told him about his afternoon. “I could get used to this bike riding stuff.” In the background, he caught Jon’s gruff voice as he called out. “I figured he wouldn’t be long. He just left me.”
“I see. You an’ Jon had a cozy afternoon, by the sound of it. Do I need to be jealous?” Chaz cackled.
Only, Kendis wasn’t laughing. He was too busy thinking. “Can Jon hear you right now?”
“Yeah. He’s in the kitchen.”
“Well, could you take this call in your bedroom? I need to talk to you, an’ I don’t want him overhearing.”
“Okay?” Kendis could hear the puzzlement in Chaz’s voice. A minute later, he heard the soft snick of a door closing. “Okay. Color me intrigued. Why don’t you want Jon listenin’ in on our conversation?” Before Kendis could explain, Chaz chuckled. “Oh, I get it. Do I need lube for this?”
Kendis snorted. “Get your mind off your dick for a second an’ just listen.” He couldn’t believe he was even going to ask this, but some of the day’s events had left him wondering. “Is there… is there any chance… I mean… are you sure Jon is straight?”
Crickets.
“Chaz?”
“Seriously?”
“I know, it sounds strange, but…” Kendis took a deep breath. “Today when we were headin’ up that trail, and we st
opped so I could look at the view… Okay, I had a boner.” When Chaz chuckled, he groaned. “I swear, it happens every time I get on a damn bike.”
“You had a stiffy that day we went to Knoxville, didn’t ya?”
“How did—Oh Jesus. You felt it, didn’t you?”
“Hey, I wasn’t complaining. But keep talking. I wanna know where this is going.”
“Well, I was walking back to the bike, and I swear, Jon was looking. You know. At my dick.” He’d looked away, sure, but there’d been no mistaking that glance.
“You had your dick out? Well no wonder he looked. I would too.”
“I’m being serious here.” Kendis took another breath. “Chaz, he checked out my junk. Twice.”
“And that’s your reason for suggesting he ain’t straight?”
Hell no, there was more than that, but it was just a feeling. “He… he held my hand in the restaurant. A couple of times. And… I kissed his cheek when we said goodnight, and… I don’t know… there was just something about how he reacted. He… he touched his cheek, like he was…” Kendis sighed. “I’m going crazy, aren’t I?”
There was silence for a moment.
“That isn’t helping, y’know.”
Chaz sighed. “The first time I met Jon, I assumed he was straight. I said as much to Del, who didn’t disagree with me. Now, surely he’d know, right?”
“What do you know about Jon? I mean, before he came to LaFollette? Was he married? Single?”
“I don’t know a thing, and I’m not sure I want to. That’s his private life, isn’t it?”
Kendis knew Chaz was right. Then he sighed. “You know what? If Jon was gay, he’d come right out and say so, wouldn’t he? I mean, with a gay brother, a gay roommate… There’s no need to hide, now is there?” The more Kendis thought about it, the more convinced he became that he was adding two and two, and coming up with five. “Change the subject. Forget I said anything.” He was sure as hell going to try to.
“If you say so.” Chaz’s voice softened. “Still looking forward to our date Wednesday?”
“You know it. Oh. Jon’s offered us the use of his place for date nights. Well, your place.”
“Really?”
“But before you go leaping in, he says he’ll go to Del’s house if we want some… privacy.”
“That’s considerate of him. That gives us a lot more options.”
Kendis chuckled. “You’re thinking with your dick again, aren’t you?” Except Chaz wasn’t the only one. At this rate, he was going to run out of lube too.
“I was thinking about you.”
Lord, when Chaz’s voice went deep and got all husky, Kendis got all hot under the collar. “What were you thinking?”
“About takin’ your clothes off. Slowly.”
“And then what?” Kendis’s breathing was ragged as he slid his hand down his torso to his crotch, where his cock was already trying to escape his jeans.
“Baby? You home?”
Shit. Shitshitshit.
Kendis reined in his lust. “I gotta go. Momma’s home.”
“Call me when she’s in bed?”
“I’ll be in bed too.” No shorts. There was little point. They were only going to come off as soon as Kendis heard that sexy as fuck voice.
“Later then.” Chaz disconnected.
“Kendis?”
“Coming, Momma!” he yelled. He glanced down at his bulging crotch. Well, I would’ve been, if you hadn’t come home just then.
Jon’s offer of a place for their dates was looking better and better.
He still felt embarrassed that he’d come up with that harebrained suggestion about Jon. Chaz must think I’m nuts. What in the hell made me think Jon is gay? Except he already knew that. Apart from Jon checking him out, it was Kendis’s physical reactions to Jon that had gotten him thinking.
Maybe I was being truthful back in that restaurant. Maybe I do have a thing for older men.
Bears. With beards. Who smelled divine.
Yup. There was no maybe about it.
Chapter Twelve
Tuesday Dec 19
Chaz switched off the shower and reached for his towel. Lately, he’d been taking way more time than usual when it came to showers, and he put the blame for that squarely at Jon’s door. When he’d first bought the house, Jon had renovated the bathroom, which was a decent size. He’d taken out the tub and the partition wall, fitted a ceiling shower head, and put in a glass screen across the space. At one end, he’d built a tiled ledge, wide enough to sit on, where he left the shampoo and body wash. The result was a great space where Chaz liked to take his time under the torrent of hot water.
He toweled his hair, lamenting as usual its unruly state. He’d tried various products to calm it, but to no avail. I guess I’m stuck with hair that always looks like I just rolled outta bed. He ran his fingers through it, teasing it into some semblance of neatness—yeah, right—before wrapping the towel around his waist and securing it.
“Chaz. Breakfast,” Jon called out from the kitchen.
Chaz pushed open the bathroom door, just as a white paw reached around it. He laughed. “Too late, Delilah. You missed the show.” Jon’s cat had a habit of sitting on the toilet while he showered, watching him. Freaky cat. He bent down and stroked her head, and she purred. “Missed any mice recently, kitty?” Chaz was sure Delilah’s spirit was willing, but there was just too much kitty to move fast enough to catch a speedy little mouse.
“Breakfast!”
Chaz went into the kitchen, where Jon had his back to him, carefully lifting bacon from its tray. “I heard you the first time, but I was busy with Delilah,” Chaz told him. “Besides, I can’t be that late if you’re still putting it out.”
Jon swung around, and froze. “You gonna eat like that?”
Chaz smirked. “I could always take it off,” he joked.
Jon’s gaze stuttered south before looking Chaz in the eye. “Christ, it’s like living with Del all over again,” he muttered. He turned back to his task. “I swore he was gonna grow up a goddamn nudist.”
Chaz wasn’t listening. I didn’t imagine that, did I? He reached down and grabbed hold of his dick through the towel, giving it a good squeeze. Then he folded his arms and leaned against the door frame. “Say, Jon? I was just wonderin’… are you doin’ anything Friday night?” He deliberately pushed his hips forward, just a little.
Jon turned around once more. “What did you have in mind?” Another glance down, only this time his gaze lingered a little. Jon jerked his head up like it was on elastic.
“Kendis is comin’ over for a movie night. Thought you might like to join us.”
“Sure. Sounds like fun.” Jon glanced at Chaz’s arms. “You look like you’ve been working out a little. Gettin’ some definition there.”
Chaz blinked. “I joined a gym.”
“When? You didn’t say nothin’ about that.”
Chaz shrugged. “October.” The truth was, going to a gym felt like some stereotypical thing gay guys did, and he didn’t want to come across like that. He was just sick and tired of feeling like a stiff breeze would blow him over. Not that he’d been to the gym all that many times.
He flexed. “You can tell I’ve been working on my arms?”
Jon nodded. “’Specially your biceps.” He grinned. “You got some muscle there. Not much, but it’s comin’ along great.”
Chaz couldn’t resist. “Hey, I showed you mine, now you show me yours.” When Jon gave him a puzzled glance, Chaz grinned. “Flex for me.” Jon waved his hand dismissively, but Chaz persisted. “I mean it. Show me.”
“Fine,” Jon said with a sigh. “If it means we get to eat…” He flexed his arm. His sweater did nothing to hide the bulging muscles, and Chaz’s fingers ached to trace them. Hell, he wanted to peel off that sweater and get a good lick.
Jon’s wry chuckle broke through his definitely carnal thoughts. “So, now do we get breakfast?”
Chaz didn’t tr
ust himself to speak right then. He merely nodded.
Jon lowered his gaze. “Then go get some clothes on.” He went back to putting out the breakfast.
Chaz left him to it and headed for his room. Once inside, he stood there for a moment, replaying the last few minutes.
I’ll be damned. Kendis was right. There was no mistaking it. Okay, to look once? Sure. But to look again, and for longer? And as for complimenting Chaz on his definition? He had to admit it. Jon was doing a passable impression of a gay guy.
It didn’t make sense.
Chaz squirmed into his jeans and pulled on a sweater, then headed back into the kitchen. “Thanks,” he said, picking up the plate Jon had prepared for him. He sat at the table, and Jon brought over the coffee pot and two mugs.
“What’s on the schedule for day?” Jon asked. “Now that you’re a man of leisure. So am I, for that matter.”
“I’m meeting Del for coffee this morning in town.” He wasn’t sure where they were meeting, but Del was going to text him.
“Well, you have fun with that.”
There was something in Jon’s voice that made Chaz look up from his eggs. “You okay?”
Jon widened his eyes. “Me? I’m fine.”
He sure didn’t sound it. “So what are you gonna do today?”
Jon smeared butter on his English muffin. “I’m gonna work on my bike. She needs some TLC.”
Chaz had seen Jon’s bike in the garage. Well, he’d seen the tarp that covered it. “I hear you took Kendis for a ride yesterday.”
“Yeah, I borrowed one of the shop bikes. Can’t keep doin’ that, not when I got a perfectly good bike of my own, just sittin’ there. She just needs cleaning up, oiling… Hell, I got a whole list of things that need checkin’.” He counted off on his fingers. “Chain tension, battery, coolant, oil filter, cables, spark plugs, brake pads…”
Chaz was dying of curiosity. “What kinda bike you got under there?” It was coming up on four weeks since Jon had asked him to stay, and in all that time, Chaz hadn’t once taken a peek under the gray tarp.
Jon smiled. “When you’ve finished your breakfast, I’ll show ya.”
It could have been the change of topic, but to Chaz’s ears, Jon sounded more relaxed, less wound up. Chaz was glad of that. He hated to think there was something wrong.
