Speechless (Pier 70 #3)

by Nicole Edwards

  “Beer?” Cam offered as he joined Teague on the private pier behind the marina. He was carrying a cooler in one hand, a cold one in the other.

  Teague was tempted but managed to resist. For whatever stupid reason, he did not want Hudson to catch him drinking, even if it looked as though Hudson’s lascivious proposal was no longer on the table. The guy had told him he needed to be sober, and no way would one beer hurt, but until he decided whether or not he was going to accept what Hudson was offering, he didn’t want to risk it.

  “I’m good, thanks.”

  “In the cooler if you change your mind.”

  He nodded, watching as Cam headed down to the end of the pier and sat next to his husband, Gannon, his feet sliding over the edge to dangle in the water. Teague felt a little out of sorts standing there by himself. Not for the first time, he wondered where Dare was. The guy had been acting a little off lately, and Teague had to assume that was due to the man from his past making a reappearance in his life. He remembered Dare sharing the sordid details of what had happened between him and Noah all those years ago, and he had to wonder if there was any way to come back from that sort of heartache.

  Then again, he didn’t ever want to find out. The reason he’d never experienced heartache—other than what he’d been born into—was because he’d kept himself closed off from everyone. Far better than he’d ever thought possible. He’d learned his lesson after the second foster family had sent him back during the middle of first grade. He’d gotten into one too many fights, and they’d come out and said they couldn’t deal with the violence. He’d been six. Apparently, he’d been too much to handle for the couple.

  Whatever.

  He had learned over the years not to get attached to anyone or anything. In his experience, nothing lasted. Once the newness wore off and reality set in, people moved on. So, he had learned to, as well.

  Not once in his twenty-five years had he fallen in love, either, and if he was lucky, it would never be something he would have to deal with. He’d seen what it had done to his mother. She’d taken her own life because of a man.

  Stupid.

  “What’re you doing over here all by yourself?”

  Teague turned at the sound of Roan’s voice coming from behind him. He didn’t want to answer the question, so he deflected with one of his own. “They get it all set up?”

  Turned out, Roan had hired a company to handle the pyrotechnics show this year, and the only thing he and Roan had to do was help them get the stuff down to the lake. It had taken all of fifteen minutes since there were four of them, so his distraction from Hudson hadn’t lasted as long as he’d hoped it would.

  “They did.” Roan glanced at his watch. “About to start.” Roan nodded toward the end of the pier, where Cam and Gannon were sitting. “You coming?”

  Teague shook his head. He wasn’t planning to stay long, so he figured he’d stand there for a few minutes before heading in for the night. Today had been a brutally busy day, and he was wiped out. The lake would likely be slammed with boaters again tomorrow because it always worked that way, and he knew he’d be working from sunup to sundown since Cam had taken him up on his offer to help with the appointments.

  Not that he’d ever cared about that before, but tonight, he was going with that excuse.

  “I’m gonna head up in a minute.”

  Roan nodded, a hint of a frown forming between his brows as his gaze swept over Teague’s face. Luckily, the guy didn’t bombard him with questions; instead, he turned and made his way down to Cam.

  Teague stood there, staring out at the water, listening to the hushed conversation from the people all around him. They were lining the banks of the lake, lawn chairs and blankets as far as the eye could see, everyone gearing up for the show. Rather than hang out on the pier, he decided to sneak down to the dock so he could watch the show from the boat that they all shared for recreational activities.

  When the first boom sounded, Teague felt his heart skip a beat, the exhilaration slamming into him as he stood there, his hands thrust in his pockets. He wasn’t sure what it was about the Fourth of July, but it had always been his favorite holiday. Maybe it was the fireworks that drew him or perhaps because it didn’t carry the stigma of family along with it. Sure, there were families who spent the day together, but it wasn’t a requirement like Thanksgiving and Christmas—both of which he’d spent by himself every year for as long as he could remember. Since he didn’t have any family, the Fourth of July was one of the few holidays that didn’t make him feel completely alone.

  As he watched the colors brighten the night sky, he must’ve gotten caught up in the brilliance of it, because he didn’t register the person joining him on the boat. He felt the slight shift as the boat rocked on the water from the weight, but he didn’t bother looking over.

  He remained perfectly still, pretending he wasn’t interested in knowing who it was, until he felt the warmth of a body at his back. He didn’t need to turn around to know that heat belonged to Hudson. He could smell him. A sexy, musky scent that he’d gotten all too familiar with surrounded him, and he swayed a little on his feet.

  For the longest time, they both stood there, neither moving as they watched the lights in the sky.

  A million things ran through Teague’s mind in that moment, but he was too scared to move, not wanting to break the spell.

  DURING HUDSON’S WORKOUT, he had somehow ended up remembering the night he’d interrupted Teague’s little orgy. That had stimulated a spark of anger that powered him through the weightlifting, making him work harder than he had in months. When it was over, he’d felt anxious and on edge, something he wasn’t particularly fond of. As a means of punishing himself, he had refused to jack off during his shower, although by then, thoughts of Teague were overwhelming him.

  It was as though he couldn’t think of anything else, and that was unacceptable.

  Although he had considered staying in his apartment for the night, he’d given in when AJ started giving him shit. It was that or knock AJ out. Hudson wasn’t keen on the idea of hitting his brother, no matter how irritating he could get, so here he was.

  When AJ had decided he wanted to go hang with Cam and Gannon, Hudson had used that as his excuse to slip away, heading down to the dock. On occasion, he would come down to the boat and simply sit, enjoying the way it gently rocked on the water when no one was out here. He hadn’t seen Teague on the boat at first, although it had been a nice surprise. He’d simply been coming down to get a better look, to have a few minutes away from everyone else to enjoy the show without constant chatter.

  His first clue that something was up was when Teague didn’t say anything. He didn’t even look his way. Not even when Hudson came to stand directly behind him. That might’ve been a first. Usually Teague was prone to making a scene and getting away as fast as he could. Not tonight.

  Now, as Hudson stood behind Teague, he couldn’t resist the urge to take a step closer, to eliminate the space between their bodies. He wasn’t surprised when Teague flinched, but he felt immeasurable relief when he didn’t move away. Not for the first time in his life, Hudson wished he could speak. Wished he had the ability to say something, to relay what was on his mind. He’d learned long ago to quell that urge because it wasn’t something he could change. He didn’t have a voice, he couldn’t verbally relay his thoughts, but he could do so by touch.

  It was a risk he was fearful of taking, but after a few tense moments when his breath was lodged in his throat, he finally moved his hands, placing them on Teague’s sides, then sliding them down to his hips. Teague was still without his shirt, so the warm, smooth skin of his torso slid beneath Hudson’s palms, heat infusing him. He wasn’t asking for anything, his touch wasn’t even sexual—okay, maybe a little—but he wanted Teague to know he was there. He wanted Teague to feel him because that was how he spoke—through his hands.

  Closing his eyes, Hudson drank in the feeling through his fingertips, enjoying the warmt
h of Teague, smooth skin covering firm muscle. Forcing his eyes open, he reminded himself this was not going to go further. He was simply letting Teague know he was there.

  He heard Teague’s sharp intake of breath, felt the way Teague lightly swayed on his feet. He liked that he made the kid feel off-balance. He had noticed that the first time they kissed on the cruise ship, and again the other night. Although Teague had been drunk both times, Hudson could tell that he affected Teague. Teague might not like that he did, but he did nonetheless.

  For someone as self-assured as Teague pretended to be, Hudson knew that was a façade. He didn’t know what had happened in Teague’s life to make him the way that he was, but he couldn’t deny that he wanted to know. Not that he would ask; that would be inviting too much intimacy between them. Hudson might’ve offered to show Teague an unobstructed world of passion, but he wasn’t asking for anything more. He wasn’t offering anything more. He knew better.

  Teague leaned back and Hudson wasn’t even sure he realized he was doing it. As they stood on the darkened boat, Hudson’s chest against Teague’s back, his hands firmly gripping Teague’s hips, the move the only way he could keep from touching more of him, they simply stood there as the night sky burst with color.

  Hudson was tempted to slide his hand down the front of Teague’s shorts, grip the smooth, warm length of him in his hand. He was desperate to learn Teague’s body, to find out what made him sigh and moan. This would’ve been the perfect opportunity, and he would’ve probably jumped on it had Teague agreed to his proposition.

  Unfortunately, for both of them, Teague had been hiding from him, so they had yet to settle how this would play out. Until that time came, Hudson wasn’t going to pursue him. He would have to settle for feeling the warmth of Teague’s body, the slight shift of his muscles beneath his hands while they stood there alone in the night.

  He wasn’t sure what he was feeling, doubted Teague knew what he was feeling, either, but it was nice. It was a moment between them, one Hudson didn’t expect to last, nor did he ever expect it would happen again, but he was grateful for this. Right here. Right now. No anger, no masks, nothing between them but the warm breeze and the brilliant lights in the sky.

  Some might even call it progress.

  “WHERE’S HUDSON?” ROAN asked AJ when Hudson’s brother joined them down by the water.

  AJ shrugged, glancing behind him. “I saw him walking down toward the boat slips.”

  Roan nodded. That made sense. The marina’s boat was down there, and it would offer an unobstructed view of the lake without anyone around to interrupt. Not that Roan knew anything about that. Okay, maybe a little.

  “What’s up, man?” Gannon called out to AJ, turning to look up at him, a smile on his face. “Haven’t seen you since the cruise. You doing all right?”

  AJ grinned and Roan watched as the man moved closer to Gannon. “Can’t complain. And you? I see you survived jumping out of an airplane.”

  Gannon’s smile was awkward, as though he were reliving that moment and he didn’t much care to. It made Roan chuckle. He’d heard the story about that incident, and for the life of him, he couldn’t understand how Cam had gotten Gannon to jump out of a plane. Then again, it seemed Cam and Gannon pushed one another’s boundaries in ways that defied logic.

  “I survived. If I didn’t love this guy”—Gannon nodded toward Cam—“I can tell you, I would’ve been really pissed that day.”

  A rumble of laughter ensued. Roan didn’t doubt that one bit.

  “It’s good to get you out of your comfort zone,” Cam teased.

  That was Cam. He’d always been the reckless one. As a way of rebelling against his underlying fears—traveling and relationships—Cam had opted for taking things to the extreme. Sometimes Roan wished he’d been born with that trait. Unfortunately, that hadn’t happened. Hell, he was scared of every damn thing. Although he wouldn’t admit that out loud. He tried to be the tough one, the strong one, the rebellious one. Instead, most of the time he simply felt like the third wheel.

  “So, you think you’ll do it again?” AJ asked, chuckling.

  “Not a chance.” The definitiveness in Gannon’s response made them all laugh.

  “Figured as much.” AJ sat down on the pier beside Gannon. “How’s Milly?”

  Roan glanced over at AJ, noting the hesitancy in his voice when he directed his question at Gannon. He knew why AJ was asking, because, during the cruise, AJ and Milly had spent quite a bit of time together. Roan knew this firsthand because he’d been helping Milly with the wedding preparations—he’d been Cam’s best man and Milly had been Gannon’s maid of honor—so he’d witnessed quite a bit of their interactions.

  Now that he thought about it, Milly had been happier than he’d ever seen her. That was saying something because the woman always had a smile on her face.

  “She’s good.” Gannon looked confused as he stared back at Hudson’s brother. “You haven’t talked to her?”

  AJ shook his head. “I’ve tried a couple of times, but she won’t return my calls.”

  That was interesting. Roan hadn’t seen Milly since the cruise, either, but he had talked to her on the flight back to Texas, and she’d been quite excited about her little rendezvous with AJ. He wondered what had happened that she was avoiding the man now.

  Gannon looked as baffled as Roan felt. “Sorry to hear that. But yeah, she’s doing good. She took a couple of days off last week. She hasn’t been feeling well. I tried to get her to come tonight, but she’s pretty sure she has the flu.”

  The flu? Now Roan wasn’t a doctor, but he didn’t think it was flu season.

  “Sorry to hear that.”

  Roan turned his attention toward the sky, watching the colors light up the night, the acrid scent of sulfur drifting on the breeze. He wished his sister would’ve joined him. He had invited her, but of course, she’d turned him down. If he had to guess, she was trying to find a way to get her next fix. Roan probably should’ve stayed with her, but he had needed a break. A break from her anger, a break from the fighting, a break from the constant bitching … a break from her.

  He wouldn’t pretend to know what she was going through, but he felt as though he did put forth enough effort to help her that she should’ve recognized that by now. Hell, he’d given up his apartment to move in with her. Not that she’d been happy about that, but truthfully, he didn’t give a shit. She was heading down a dark and dangerous path, and his biggest fear was finding her dead somewhere from an overdose. Not that he could stop her from doing what she was doing, but he was damn sure making an effort to interfere as much and as often as he could.

  She was on her own tonight, though.

  For a few minutes, Roan was going to stand here on the pier, watching the fireworks and pretending that his life hadn’t become a full-time babysitting gig. And then, when it was all over, he’d get back to it.

  Six

  Friday, July 8th

  “ARE YOU FUCKING serious?” Cam’s laughter boomed, slipping out through the open door as Teague headed inside the main office. “Congrats, man.”

  Teague watched the bro-hugs taking place as Cam smacked Dare on the back hard enough to rattle the guy’s teeth. Cam was a big guy. There was a lot of power in that arm, sometimes more than he even realized, apparently.

  Dare and Cam turned to look at Teague, matching smiles plastered on their faces. It was a little creepy, quite frankly.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, hesitant to get in the middle of this love fest.

  “I’m gettin’ married,” Dare announced.

  And now he had the creepy smile going on as he stared back at Dare. He knew he looked as dumb as he felt, but he couldn’t have erased it if he’d wanted to. He was truly happy for his friend. Teague had known Dare for a long time, and he was a good guy. Something had always been a little off about him, in the sense that Dare had never been interested in love—very similar to Teague—but it looked as though that streak had c
ome to an end.

  “Congratulations, bro.”

  Dare’s grin widened. “Thanks. And we’re buyin’ a house.”

  “A house? Really?” Well, that was fast. Then again, Dare and Noah had been together fifteen years ago, so maybe it wasn’t as fast as it seemed. “That’s great. Somewhere close?”

  Dare nodded. “In Cam’s neighborhood. Noah and I put an offer in a couple of days ago, and the sellers accepted it. We should close in early August.”

  Teague didn’t know what to make of all that. It seemed that things were changing around Pier 70. Between Cam and Gannon getting married and now Dare and Noah. Even Roan was different since he’d been dealing with his sister’s issues… What the hell was this world coming to? Everyone seemed to be ... growing up.

  “I’m gonna go tell Hudson,” Dare noted, glancing between Cam and Teague. “Be back in a bit.”

  Teague watched as Dare practically skipped out the back door, whistling as he did.

  Cam was still laughing when he turned back. “Crazy shit, huh?”

  That was one way to put it. Teague had no idea what to say to that, so he simply stared at the door where Dare had exited.

  “Did you need something?”

  Oh, right. Nodding, he looked back at Cam. “Wanted to see if you had any appointments I could help with today.”

  Cam glanced down at the appointment book. “We’ve actually got it covered.” Cam lifted his head and met Teague’s gaze. “Unless that’s what you want to do. You can take mine. I’m sure I can find a way to keep myself busy.”

  Teague could see the concern in Cam’s eyes. “No, I’m cool. I can help Hudson. I’m sure he’s got too much on his plate as it is.”

  He’d actually been hoping to avoid Hudson today, but since he’d managed to pretty much keep his distance all week, he figured he had to suck it up at some point. Ever since the night of the fireworks, when Hudson had stood behind him, his hands on Teague’s hips, holding him there but not doing anything more than that, he’d felt a little out of his element. For the most part, aside from that little moment they’d shared, things weren’t weird between him and Hudson, although neither of them had brought up Hudson’s offer again. Yet.