All for You

by Andrew Grey

  “No. Please. I don’t want to be a bother.” Mayor Fullerton turned to the door.

  “It’s all right,” Willy said.

  Mayor Fullerton shrugged. “Yeah, I suppose it is. Everything will be all over town in a matter of seconds. I need to face it and….”

  “Sit down,” Reggie said, and Mayor Fullerton sat on the edge of one of the chairs.

  Willy, needing to make himself useful, got him a glass of water.

  Reggie sat in the other chair across from him while Willy went back to the kitchen. He looked through the cupboards and thankfully found a package of Oreos. This most likely wasn’t a social call, but there was nothing that said Reggie couldn’t be nice to someone hurting. He grabbed a plate, placed a few cookies on it, and brought them to the table.

  “I wanted to thank you. Jamie said that when you…. found him, you were nice about it and….”

  “Mayor….”

  “Please, call me Cal.”

  Reggie reached for the remote and flipped off the television. “Cal… what happened out there was a cry for help and maybe some attention. From everything I know about Jamie, and it isn’t a lot, but all the racing and acting out—it’s likely because he’s not happy. I see it all the time.” He leaned forward, and Willy pulled out one of the stools by the counter and sat down, staying out of the way. “You need to be there for Jamie and listen to what he has to say. Try to see things from his angle.”

  “How can I? He’s…. It goes against God.” Cal’s voice sounded so hollow, it was frightening.

  Willy wanted to jump in and rail against the crap his father spewed all the time. But he held his tongue, too afraid to voice his own opinion, lest it give himself and Reggie away.

  “Cal,” Reggie said to draw attention back to himself. “Think back. Remember when you first saw Jamie in the hospital after he was born? He was perfect, wasn’t he? Beautiful even, and you loved him instantly.”

  Cal nodded.

  “You still love him that same way, don’t you? He’s still your baby, your little boy.”

  “Of course he is.” Cal’s voice showed a little gumption.

  “Then that’s all there is to it. You love him and you’ll do your best for him. It shouldn’t matter if he’s gay or has brown eyes or three ears. Your job is to love him… period. And remember him like that, because somewhere in the misbehaving, acting-out young man you’ve been dealing with is that little boy from when you first brought him home.”

  Cal turned, looking right at Willy. “Your dad doesn’t agree with that.”

  Willy tried to think of what to say.

  “The reverend has his opinion. But it’s not the only one,” Reggie interjected. “I don’t share it, and I’ll say that straight out. If Jamie is gay, then it’s part of who he is. I don’t believe it’s anything that you or his mother did.” Reggie sat back. “I’m sorry I got up on my soapbox, but I think Jamie needs your support and understanding right now.”

  Cal sighed. “I’m at a complete loss right now, and my wife, she just sits in the kitchen and cries.” He stood. “I only came by to thank you for trying to help Jamie. He said you were understanding and….” His voice faltered.

  “Please go home and take the time you need with your family. Comfort your wife. Jamie being gay isn’t the end of the world, or his world.”

  “How do you know all this?” Cal stopped at the door, his gaze almost accusatory.

  “Because I’ve spent a lot of time in the outside world. I’ve seen a lot of kids who need the help and support that Jamie needs. I really hope you’ll give it to him.” Reggie stood and walked to the door, opened it, and let Mayor Fullerton out. “I have to say that I’m surprised you actually came here. It wasn’t something I would have expected.”

  Cal paused and seemed to teeter for a few seconds. “Sometimes this town can be… insular. A lot of us spend most of our lives here. We’re born and raised here. Young people often leave for better opportunities, but….” He groaned and ran his fingers through his short, slightly graying hair. “I think I wanted an opinion and a perspective from someone different.”

  “It’s understandable, and I hope I was able to help.” Reggie extended his hand, and Cal shook it. “Please try to be understanding and gentle with him. And I have to tell you this: you didn’t turn your son gay no matter what anyone else thinks.”

  “But—”

  Reggie gently clapped Cal on his shoulder. “You remember that little baby. He was perfect. Well, I’m sure the reverend will tell you that God doesn’t make mistakes. So let your son be who he is. And whatever you decide to do, make sure it’s your decision, not someone else’s.”

  Cal nodded, and some of the lines from around his eyes smoothed away. “Thank you.” He left, and Reggie closed the door, then leaned back on it.

  “You were amazing,” Willy said as he slipped off the stool. “You helped him, I think. A lot more than my father did.”

  “I hope so.” Reggie stayed where he was.

  Willy approached him. “I should go. As much as I want to stay….”

  Reggie nodded, his eyes sad. “I know.” He turned to look out the front door window. “He knows you were here, and at some point, he’ll tell your father. If you stay here too late, your dad will question it.” Reggie walked over and engulfed him in a hug. “I’m going to miss you.”

  “I will come back,” Willy said softly. He raised his face and kissed Reggie. “It seems that things are conspiring against us.”

  “They sure seem to be. If I believed in such things, I’d think the fates were trying to tell us something.” Reggie hugged him tighter. “Either that, or you and I are complete fools holding on to something we should probably let go of.”

  Willy pulled back. “Is that what you want? I know that we can’t go walking in town together or be seen going out together, and that sucks. I want to spend time with you, but maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m trying too hard to force something that….” He rested his head on Reggie’s chest until Reggie touched his chin. Willy looked up, and Reggie leaned down to kiss him hard, taking possession of him.

  Willy quivered from head to foot, unable to think, clinging to Reggie because his entire body came alive just from the kiss. Reggie held him even tighter, his strong arms pressing him to his solid body, heat wrapping around him, encasing him in a cocoon of warmth and safety. Willy knew the safety was an illusion, but he didn’t care. In Reggie’s arms, it was like nothing could touch him, and he wanted that more than anything.

  Reggie pulled back, gazing into his eyes. Willy felt the gaze like a caress, fingers touching his heart.

  “I have Sunday off…,” he whispered. “My father has to go to a ministerial meeting Sunday afternoon in Tahoe. They do it a few times a year. So I’ll try to come see you if I can.”

  “I’m off too,” Reggie whispered, still holding him, not moving.

  “Then I’ll tell my mom that I’m having lunch with a friend. Dad is usually so busy directly after church….” A thrill of excitement washed over him. “If I can’t come, I’ll call you.” Willy stilled, not wanting to move and leave Reggie’s arms.

  “I don’t want you to get hurt,” Reggie told him. “I want to see you, but you have a lot to lose. Please think on what you want, and if you can’t come on Sunday or change your mind about—” Reggie’s voice broke and he swallowed hard. “I promise I’ll understand.” Reggie’s hug grew gentler, and then he stepped away from him. “Sweetheart, this is your life, and I don’t want to make it harder than it has to be.”

  Willy stifled a groan. His initial reaction was to tell Reggie that he was perfectly capable of making his own decisions, and then the bigger meaning dawned on him. Reggie cared enough to be concerned for him. “I understand that. But I want my life to be full. I don’t want to cheat myself and the people I care about just because of what other people might think.”

  Reggie opened the door, and Willy kissed him quickly before heading back to his life, one tha
t didn’t quite seem to fit him most of the time. He turned and waved before reaching his car to go home.

  “WHERE WERE you?” his father asked from his living room chair as soon as Willy walked in the door.

  “I was with a friend. We watched some television and stuff. Nothing subversive.” He rolled his eyes. “If you must know I was at Reggie’s, the sheriff. He’s a really nice guy.” Willy purposely didn’t make a big deal out of it. After all, the mayor had been there part of the time, but Willy kept that to himself. What was discussed was no one else’s business. “I’m going upstairs.” He went through and hugged his mother good night, then climbed the stairs to his room and flopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking of Reggie.

  The bed bounced, and he caught Ezekiel as he launched his little body upward. “Will you read me a story?” Ezekiel was in his animal pajamas and lay down on the bed next to him.

  “How about we find a book and you can read it to me?” Willy offered.

  “Okay!” Ezekiel hurried away and returned with a book of Bible stories. He climbed back on the bed and lay next to Willy, opening it to the story of Noah’s Ark. He read slowly and carefully, with Willy helping him with a few of the words.

  “You’re doing great,” Willy encouraged, and Ezekiel continued through to the end, smiling.

  “Now you read,” he said, handing Willy the book, and he found the story of Elijah and read that for him.

  “Okay. Go say your good-nights, and I’ll tuck you in if you want.”

  “Mommy will.” Ezekiel jumped off the bed, ran to put his book away, and then raced down the stairs.

  Willy stood as well, going to the top of the stairs. He heard his dad telling Ezekiel good night. Then their mother brought him up the stairs and took Ezekiel to his room. Willy let the two of them do their thing. It wasn’t going to be long before Ezekiel got too old to be read to. Willy was going to miss it.

  “How are you?” his mother asked a little while later. Willy had been staring up at the ceiling, thinking of all the things that were going to change.

  “I’m fine, Mom.”

  She sat on the edge of his bed. “I know you’re too old to be mothered, but I still worry about you. You dad said you’ve been spending time with the sheriff.” She patted his hand.

  “He’s a nice guy and he’s new in town.” Willy scooted back so he could sit up. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing, honey.” She squeezed his hand. “You need to have more friends, and with the sheriff, I don’t have to worry about you getting into trouble.” She snickered. “How did you meet him?”

  “With Dad. I was at the police station with him and at the courthouse when he went in with Cory and Jamie.” He sighed. This whole situation was so difficult. “I wish I knew what I could do to help them. What do you think, Mom?” He looked into her eyes, hoping for something, he wasn’t even sure what.

  “I think you wanting to help is good. I don’t know how you can, though.”

  “I don’t either.” Willy sighed again, and his mother leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead.

  “I’ll see you in the morning.” She stood and went to the door. “Don’t stay up too late.” She left the room, closing the door behind her.

  Willy picked up the book on the nightstand, but he kept reading the same page over and over without remembering anything. His phone dinged, and he set the book aside to pick it up off the nightstand. He unlocked it and checked the message. It was from Reggie.

  I’m sorry you had to go.

  Me too, Willy sent. But I’ll see you on Sunday, he added with a smile. Then he erased the messages and set the phone on the table once again.

  Reggie sent him a smiley face. Willy liked that he had someone to text and talk with. It was like the sun coming out after a rainstorm.

  His phone dinged again and he snatched it up. Not many people ever sent him messages.

  Is everything okay at home?

  Yes. I told my father I was at your house. Who knows how he actually took it? My mom didn’t think anything of it. I’m getting tired of worrying about how he feels about everything all the time.

  Maybe talk to him? Reggie sent.

  Willy sighed. He and his father didn’t talk. Well, his father talked, and he was expected to listen.

  I’ll think about it. Talking to him is like communicating with a brick wall sometimes. He only wants to hear that he’s right or have his own thoughts sent back to him. Anyone whose opinion differs from his is wrong. Willy sent the message, then added another. He wasn’t always like that, and I wish he’d go back to what I remember. He used to smile and laugh.

  I wish that for you too, sweetheart, Reggie sent.

  Willy smiled. He liked it when Reggie called him that, and he wondered what sort of nickname he could come up with for him.

  Willy told Reggie good night and waited for the return message before deleting everything and closing his phone. Then he got up to get ready for bed.

  Chapter 6

  REGGIE WAS more than ready for a day off.

  A nurse had come in Thursday to take samples from everyone for drug screenings. The grumblings had been vocal, but Reggie paid no attention to it. He simply explained that this was something police departments did all over the state and that he was just implementing best practices, something that should have been done all along. In the end, he told them to get used to it because it was happening. There were a few glares and final grumbles. What surprised Reggie was that his deputies, none of them, were among the grumblers. It was the support staff.

  On Saturday, Reggie had had enough of being in the office. His paperwork was caught up, so he climbed in a car and decided to get his butt moving. He drove through town and then out toward the highway rest area. As he drove out, he passed Shawn coming from the direction of the rest area.

  “Marie,” Reggie asked once his call connected. “Have there been any reports from the highway rest area?”

  “No. It’s been quiet out there since you caught Jamie Fullerton. The town is still buzzing about it. Poor dear. I mean, I know that’s rather tawdry, but having your bedroom business fodder for gossip is pretty awful.”

  “I agree. Make sure no one is spreading that sort of thing in the station. It’s not professional.”

  “Well…,” she hedged. “Shawn….”

  “Yes, I’ve heard it, and I talked to him already.” He shouldn’t have had to, but for the second time, Reggie had explained how to treat police business, then put a note in Shawn’s file. “Where was Shawn to patrol?”

  “The south side of town,” Marie answered.

  “Thank you.” Reggie ended the call and continued out to the rest area. He pulled in as a single car drove out of the lot. Another came in, one very familiar. Reggie opened his door to get out. “What are you doing here?”

  “I passed you and saw you coming out here and thought I could say hi.” Willy smiled as he closed his car door. Reggie scratched the back of his neck. “Is there something going on out here?”

  “I don’t know.” Reggie sighed. He really wanted Willy to get out of there for his own safety. “I want to take a look around.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Willy offered.

  Reggie wasn’t sure that was a good idea, but it seemed no one else was there, and it would be nice to have some company. It could be that he was being extra suspicious, but that nagging feeling about Shawn never seemed to go away completely.

  He walked along the sidewalks and paths, checked out the restroom building and then wandered around back.

  “Condoms and stuff,” Willy pointed out.

  Reggie nodded. He expected that with the place’s reputation. He shook his head, keeping an eye out.

  “Do you know what you’re looking for?” Willy asked, staying close behind him.

  “Something that doesn’t belong…,” Reggie answered. The ground near the building had been well compacted, with trees growing relatively close. After dark, this area
would be out of sight to anyone passing, and cars in the lot would seem like they belonged there to use the facilities.

  “If someone was going to do something bad, why would they do it here?” Willy pointed. “Why not back in the woods or something? There’s lots of space there.”

  Reggie shrugged. “Because it’s most likely that it’s a transaction of some sort. I’ve thought it could be drug deals, but this is a terrible place for that sort of thing. It’s out of the way, and the road is only a two-lane highway. It isn’t as though Sierra Pines is at a real crossroads. It’s still possible….” His voice trailed off as he spotted indentations in the ground, like the start of a trail, leading off into the trees. “Stay here,” he said and slowly made his way along the light trail, but it went about forty or fifty yards and stopped. Probably just another route to get farther into the trees for sex. Condom wrappers and waste littered the ground, and he groaned. Reggie should have known this was a dead end, but he’d been curious and wanted to check the place out.

  “Anything?” Willy asked.

  “No. Go on back to your car. I’ll be out there in a minute.” Reggie finished looking over the area and found nothing other than ground strewn with pinecones in various states of decay, pine needles, and enough sex debris to have started and kept a whorehouse in good stead for months. Reggie returned to the front of the building. Willy had turned away from him, and Reggie couldn’t help admiring his tight little butt encased in nearly new jeans. “Don’t you need to work?”

  Willy didn’t turn around. “I went in early and opened up the store so Mr. Webster could spend some time with his daughter, son, and grandson. I got to leave early, and I saw you coming out here.”

  “What are you looking at?” Reggie followed his line of sight. There was nothing to see but a few cars passing in the direction of Sierra Pines.

  “I don’t know.”

  “What is it?” Reggie pressed.

  “I stepped out from the side of the building, and this old van pulled in. It was the kind with the windows all around, except they were covered over on the inside. I probably wouldn’t have even noticed except they pulled in, slowed like they were going to park, and then took off fast in the direction they’d come from.”