Real Good Man

by Elise Whyles

  Real Good Man

  Canadian Heroes Trilogy, Book Two

  Elise Whyles

  Published 2013

  ISBN: 978-1-93176-139-0

  Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © Published 2013, Elise Whyles. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  Liquid Silver Books

  http://LSbooks.com

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Blurb

  Sean Tisman lives in fear of his father’s prejudice. When he’s stationed in Banff he’s determined to live life on his terms. When he meets his counterpart, Sean’s world is thrown into further upheaval.

  Luke Marshall is a man licking his wounds. After a bad break with his ex, he’s relieved to be given his old post; that is until he meets the man of his dreams in the young game warden assigned to Banff. Can their love survive the secrets and danger that lie in wait for them?

  Dedication

  With many thanks to the following people who have given me inspiration, time, and sometimes a swift kick in the keister to give me the confidence to complete this project.

  To Maggie—a fellow Canadian who loved the idea of featuring Canadian heroes and was there to give me some really kick-ass feedback.

  To James—for being willing to answer my rather oddball questions at times—who knew writing m/m could be so informative. LOL.

  To JD—your support and love are a constant source of inspiration.

  Acknowledgements

  I’d like to acknowledge Chrissie—one of the best editors, who has the patience of a saint, LOL. Thanks for your support, your guidance, and your hard work.

  Chapter 1

  Bone-tired, Luke slammed the truck door and started up the walkway to his house. The lights along the walkway flickered in the fading light as he eyed the one-level rancher. Even after three months, the sight of the dark, covered windows were a surprise. It was starting to get easier, the sense of betrayal was fading, but it wasn’t going to disappear anytime soon. He unlocked the door and turned on the entry light.

  Stepping through the door, he headed for the kitchen and a drink. Luke shed his coat and ignored the flashing light on his phone. He’d check messages later. He stared at the fridge, debating having a beer or a shower. With a muttered curse, he reached for the phone. As he dialed a familiar number, he searched his nearly empty fridge for a beer.

  “Hi, you’ve reached Jack. I can’t come to the phone ’cause I’ve gone to Lenny’s wedding, but leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I get home.” Jack’s drawl drew a smile as Luke exhaled.

  “Hey, Jack, call me when you’re home. We’ll go out, and you can tell me how the wedding was.” After he hung up, Luke popped the top off his long-neck and padded into the living room to settle on the couch. He rested his feet on the glass coffee table and eyed the silent television. With another muttered curse, he shook his head. He wasn’t interested in watching some dumb sitcom or infomercial. He sipped from the bottle and headed for the bathroom, peeling layers of clothes off along the way.

  The hamper sat next to the washer, the top of it gleaming in the pale light as he stripped. He tossed his jeans into the hamper, reached for a couple of towels, and froze. His heart stuttered in his chest, his blood turning to ice as he stared at the pale shirt hanging in the back of the closet. With a trembling hand, he pulled the garment closer. Luke inhaled and caught the familiar scent of Tony’s aftershave. He brought the shirt to his nose, inhaling deeply, the prickle of pain dancing along his nerves.

  Ghosts danced beyond his control, and memories stirred. Laughter, heat, his ex-lover’s touch, and the passion they’d shared in the tangled sheets on his bed. Hands as soft as butter tracing over his body. Slowly, the memories shifted, darkening until he was once more standing in his bedroom. Tony sprawled across their bed, his mouth wrapped around the hard shaft of another man’s cock, his ass in the air. The sound of their lust ringing in his ears.

  Luke slumped against the washer, his eyes burning with tears. It hadn’t been pretty when he’d thrown Tony and his lover out. Tony’s pleas had only infuriated him, stoked the hurt, the sense of betrayal. “What the fuck is wrong with me? Why did he do it? Why wasn’t I enough for him?” As endless as a band, the thoughts played through his mind again and again. Much as they had for weeks, the answers eluded him.

  “Not again. It’s the only way,” he promised himself. With a muttered curse, Luke threw the shirt into the trash can and finished stripping. He stomped along the hallway into the bathroom and turned on the light.

  He fiddled with the temperature in the shower before stepping inside. The hot water pounded on his shoulders, easing the tension as he reached for the bar of soap. Lathering up, his mind wandered to the latest assignments. As usual, he’d gotten the northernmost postings for Banff, a welcome distraction. It would do him good to get away from the memories in the house, away from the disillusionment of having his lover cheat.

  So long as the person they were sending north with him didn’t have an aversion to a gay guy. Luke shuddered at the memory of his last counterpart. He’d lasted all of three days before Luke had called requesting a transfer. If he had to listen to one more homophobic joke or slur, he wasn’t going to be responsible for the consequences.

  “Fuck it.” Luke rinsed the soap from his body, turned off the water, and reached for a towel. Drying quickly, he wrapped it around his waist and walked to his bedroom. He slid between the cool sheets naked, tossed the damp towel on the floor, and resolved to forget about Tony’s dishonesty and keep future lovers at a safe distance.

  * * * *

  Luke glanced up at the knock on his door and watched it swing open. His eyes widened for a second, and he grinned at the familiar figure of his boss occupying his doorway. As he stepped into the room, another man moved into view, and Luke felt his heart trip. Dark hair curled over tanned features, a square jaw and a slight shadow along his jaw and throat slid down into broad shoulders, thick with muscles from working out. The tanned material of his uniform stretched over his biceps, clinging to his torso before dipping into the belted slacks of his uniform.

  Butterflies danced in his gut, and Luke swallowed, his attention lifting to meet the green stare of the stranger. He palmed his stomach, the punch of attraction stronger than he’d ever felt before. Sign me up for that rodeo. The thought raced through his head as the pair settled into the chairs across from his desk.

  He breathed a sigh of relief and focused on his supervisor. “Morning, Craig, what brings you to my humble, if somewhat cluttered, office.” Luke offered his hand across his desk.

  “Luke, hope you don’t mind us dropping in like this, but I wanted to introduce you to your counterpart. Since you’re going up to be on fire patrol, he’ll be sharing the office with you until you come back down to the main office.” Craig Bortman gestured to the young man beside him. “This is Sean Tisman. This is his first field position, and I wanted to stick him with someone experienced. I know. I know you haven’t worked as a park warden for a couple of seasons, but that’s fine. You can still show him the ropes while doing your shifts.”

  Luke swallowed hard, his mouth dry as he stared into the assessing gaze. Sean didn’t back down from his stare; rather, he met it head-on,
his lips curling upward in a polite smile. Intelligent, calm, the green depths revealed little more than a detached sort of curiosity. Sean took his offered hand with a quick grin, his grip firm, palm slightly calloused.

  “Pleasure’s all mine. I hope you won’t find me too much of a bother.”

  “Not at all.” Luke resisted the urge to pull his hand away as the currents of desire licked along his nerves. Hoping to hide his reaction to the young stud, he leaned forward against his desk. “Did you attend Lethbridge?”

  “Yes, I graduated about two years ago. Finished my training in Hinton and applied for the first position that came up. I’m excited to get to work.”

  “Are you headed up right away?”

  “No, I’ll be heading up in about ten days,” Sean explained quickly. “Mainly, I have a few more pieces of work to finish. As well, I had a family, uh, emergency and have to deal with it before I can leave.”

  “Well, you can ride up with me, if you like. I was headed up around the same time. Save having to take two vehicles since there’s one there already.” Luke stifled a cringe at the flare of excitement singing through his veins with the very idea of being locked in a moving vehicle with Sean for any length of time. Annoyance fluttered to life, shoving aside the lingering lust: his idea of fun wasn’t sitting in a closed space with a man he was attracted to. He wasn’t anxious to even get close to anyone again; it only opened him up to heartache.

  “Sounds good.” Sean and Craig rose. “I’ll be here next Thursday, then.”

  “Excellent.” Luke watched them leave, leaned back in his seat, and exhaled. It was going to be a long summer.

  Chapter 2

  “Well, you’re out early.”

  Luke turned at the sound of Rick Feller’s voice and grinned. “And you’re out late. What brings you to this part of town?”

  “Nothing. Hey, you seen Jack lately?”

  “No, he went to Lenny’s wedding, if I remember correctly. Haven’t seen him since then.”

  “Well, from what I hear, he got home today. Was at work. At least that’s what the boys at the station told me.”

  “Probably recovering from all the sex he had. Weddings are notorious for being a huge orgy.” Luke shrugged, all too familiar with his friend’s habits. There was a reason Jack was considered to be a lady’s man … and it had nothing to do with his willingness to hold the door open.

  “Yeah, right. You see what he’s been tapping lately?”

  “Yeah, doesn’t mean nothing.” Luke chuckled and slapped Jack on the shoulder. Jack’s women were always noteworthy; he never dated anyone who wasn’t drop-dead gorgeous. “Besides, we all have to take one for the team at some point.”

  “True. Although Jack seems to do it with sickening regularity. How you doing?” Rick nodded to the bartender and held up Luke’s bottle. A moment later, a frosty bottle sat before him.

  “Been better, been worse. Tony called me last night. Left a message on the phone. Wants me to take him back.”

  “You going to?”

  “Hell no. Man didn’t burn the bridge, he blew it up with C-4.” Luke chugged half the bottle down. “Besides, I’m headed up to work for the season. Why would I want to take the risk on him doing it again? Going to learn from this, though; I’m not going to take the risk on another man cheating on me.”

  “Well, you know if you need anything…”

  “Ain’t nothing you can provide. I believe we’ve already established that fact.” Luke eyed the crowd and shrugged. Determined to shake the melancholy from his thoughts, he glanced at Rick. “How’s your love life these days?”

  “Mine? I don’t have one.” Rick picked up his beer. “I’m busy; too busy to worry about dating.”

  “You’re just too lazy. Sue was always complaining you didn’t do anything romantic—probably why she left.”

  “Sue wanted a nine-to-fiver, and I didn’t fit the bill. Doesn’t mean we didn’t stay friendly, just meant we weren’t destined for happily ever after.” Rick pointed his beer bottle at him, a smile taking the sting out of his words. “Well, maybe it played a big part, but hell, when do I have time to date? I’m working six on, two off right now because we’re short, and I’ve got three major investigations going. Need a holiday, not a lover.”

  “Okay. I won’t nitpick your sex life, stay out of mine.”

  “You got a deal.” Rick chuckled. Silence fell between them, comfortable as they leaned against the bar and finished their drinks.

  Luke toyed with the bottle for a few seconds before straightening. “I’d better get going. Long day tomorrow.”

  “You heading up tomorrow?”

  “Thursday if all goes according to plan. But when does anything go accordingly. Off to my nice warm bed … alone.” Luke slapped Rick’s shoulder again as he headed for the door.

  He stepped into the cool spring night and sighed. His friends meant well, but he just didn’t feel like socializing. The sting from his ex’s betrayal hadn’t diminished, but it wasn’t what haunted him lately. No, it was a pair of calm green eyes and a body made for sin.

  * * * *

  Sean cursed the tremble in his hand as he picked up the phone. The nausea in his stomach rolled, climbing to scald the back of his throat as he followed a long-established routine. The familiarity did nothing to ease his unease; instead, it intensified it. Three years, and they still hadn’t gotten used to what he was only just learning to accept. Dialing a familiar number, he counted the rings. “Please don’t be home, please don’t be…”

  “Hello?” The cold indifference in the feminine voice was a slap to the face.

  “Hey, Mom, how are you?” Sean sank deeper into the chair of the tiny motel room as he forced an even tone. His heart throbbed in his chest, roaring in his ears like thunder as he waited for the inevitable from his mother. His shaky finger traced over the long, puckered scar that had almost faded along his thigh. The searing agony of the memory of a fence post tangled in barbed wire cutting into his flesh, like a fire racing along his skin.

  “Sean, I’m quite well, thank you. How are you? Over your affliction?”

  “I don’t have any affliction.” Sean swallowed against the rising tide of bile at the censure in his mother’s tone. “I just called to tell you I’ve gotten my next posting, one I’m hoping to become permanent. I’ll be in and out of touch for the next six months or so.”

  “Where?”

  “Banff. I was lucky to get the job, actually. My boss put in a good word for me.”

  “Doing what exactly? Really, Sean, I think you would be better suited to seeking help before you start a new job. It’s not healthy to be so…”

  “God, Mom, could you stop, please?” Sean interrupted, his voice cracking with tension. “It’s not like I did anything. I’m fine, I’m happy, why can’t you just accept me for who I am? Why must you and Dad act like I’m some sort of blight on you?”

  “Marcia certainly believed otherwise or she wouldn’t have come to us. The girl was distraught, Sean, waving those filthy books about like a flag. I tell you, nothing felt so good as burning that trash. You ruined that poor girl. You had everything, and you threw it away for some act of perversion.”

  “No, Mother, I didn’t.” Sean ground his teeth. His ex-girlfriend had been livid when he’d gotten home; she’d thrown the porn magazines at him and ranted about how he’d betrayed their faith. Then she’d snatched them back up and run out the door straight to his parents, who’d taken it worse than she had. “Look, I’m not going to admit I need to be fixed, and you’re not going to give up on getting me better, so let’s just leave it at that. And tell Dad if he sends anyone else to talk to me about therapy, I’m going to cut you both out of my life.”

  “There’s no need to take that tone with me,” Rose Tisman snapped. “You would do well to have a little respect. We didn’t raise you to be such a little brat. What happened to the respectful little boy I had…”

  “Mom, I need to go. I have company.”
Sean spoke over her rambling. “Good-bye.” Hanging up on her rant, he leaned back and pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes. Memories stirred; the shock and horror of realizing his long-time girlfriend had found his stash filled him. The pressing need to vomit as his parents confronted him. Their censure and anger spilling over as they stood in his tiny apartment.

  He shook off the memories, rose, and paced between the bed and the window. It had taken him a year to come to terms with his feelings, desires up till now that had gone unmet. He’d sought help from some of the guys he could trust at the university. They’d been supportive, friendly, at ease with their sexuality—he’d even seen two of them kissing. In them, he’d found open acceptance, even a level of friendship he hadn’t experienced before, and he missed the rowdy bunch.

  Now, it seemed his need for a lover had reared its head, leaving him confused. He’d never felt such a strong punch of want before, and it confused the hell out of him. His hand burned where Luke had grabbed it. Luke’s grip hadn’t been shy or hesitant. He’d been friendly, unlike so many of the guys back home. The rich timbre of his voice had sent shards of electricity racing down his back. He’d been shocked at the sudden flare of attraction—Luke didn’t look like any of the men he’d seen in the gay club. He looked like he’d just come from playing football or something equally manly. The dark shadow of stubble along his square jaw hinted at a late night.

  His heart caught at the memory of a flash of a dimple when Luke smiled. Sean adjusted his sweats, his cock twitching. “No, no, I won’t…” He cursed and shook his head. He would just keep his distance; he didn’t need anyone getting wind of something so personal. Yes, he’d have to keep a bit of space between them and mind his own business.

  “If my parents saw me like this, they’d have a fit. Why now? Why couldn’t I have loved Marcia?” Harsh, cynical, his laughter bounced around his room. “Because for all her ideals, she was chosen from the same cloth as my family, and she was a woman.” It had taken him a year to understand, to accept there was nothing wrong with him. Twelve whole months of avoiding his father’s attempts to cleanse his soul while struggling to understand why he was the way he was. With the acceptance came a bit of calm. It didn’t mean he was anxious to jump into any man’s bed for casual sex, but he’d learned to be a little more accepting of himself.