Borrowing Trouble(29)

So many of Jay’s actions, his words, made Landon hopeful. Even if that was foolish. There had to be some way to work this out.

Landon didn’t expect Jay to come blasting out of the closet, hell, Jay didn’t even have a word for his feelings yet—gay, bi, fluid, confused. At least Jay had dropped the “I can’t be queer” shit. That ship had definitely sailed. But what did they do with that?

It wasn’t like Landon marched in parades, and he wasn’t exactly screaming about his homosexuality in their hometown. That’d be pretty damn stupid. But people who mattered knew. Was that something they were working towards?

Landon tried to remind himself, though, that in just a couple months, thirty-six years of Jay’s life had just been stripped and bared to have been completely different for Jay than the man thought. He had to have patience. That didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous as hell, but so long as Jay wasn’t flipping out yet, why should Landon?

Because it’s so much more than just sucking his dick. Landon dropped his head to his steering wheel. He had told Mitch about the misunderstanding over Brit and Jay hooking up, but he hadn’t exactly fessed up to the fact he was pretty much dropping trou every time he and Jay were in the same room together. Landon didn’t imagine he’d like Mitch’s saying out loud what Landon tried not to say to himself.

“It’s a delicate situation. It’s only been a little while. Give him time, give yourself time,” Landon told himself in the rearview mirror. Maybe the pitter-patter of his heart in Jay’s presence would go away or dampen as they spent more time together.

He couldn’t help the inelegant snort that escaped him. That’d be the day. Seemed now, every day they got closer. And Jay was surprising Landon by actually speaking when something freaked him out, and his silences weren’t loaded ones that kept Landon guessing. The only thing causing worry was the lack of acknowledging life as they knew it would change...again...when the kids came back.

A knock on his truck window startled Landon. He smiled when he saw his daddy on the other side, and rolled down the window.

“What are you doing hanging out here? Don’t you got better things to do, boy?” his daddy asked with a grin.

“I do. Got lost in thought.”

His daddy cast a sidelong look toward the office before speaking seriously. “Notice you and the Hill boy are pretty tight these days.”

Landon went to talk, but his daddy held up a hand to stop him. “Now, I’m not accusing you of nothing. You know I try. Just remember things could get difficult if y’all were more than just buddies.”

Landon glared at his father. “Why do you feel the need to have this conversation, Daddy?”

“Like I said, I’m not accusing you one way or the other, son, I’m just letting you know I see Ms. Lynne putting together ideas, asking things.”

Landon grimaced and flicked his eyes back toward the office. “I thought she did look a little funny when she asked about my weekend.”

“You know that old biddy don’t got nothing better to do with her time. She won’t rightly go running around telling everyone, but even one person could be a problem.”

“Well, nothing to worry about,” Landon told him, hoping his smile was convincing, but not looking his daddy full in the eye so’s to tell either way. He hated lying out-right to his parents, so he decided to go with that vague answer. Whether it flew or not, his daddy just popped the door with his knuckles twice.

“Have a good weekend, son. Stop on by the house if you want. Your mama’s always asking how you are.”

He tossed a two-finger wave at his daddy, smiling as he turned the key in the ignition, starting up his truck. He set out for home, wondering if he should tell Jay about Ms. Lynne and his daddy’s conversation. Seemed like real life might be catching up to them sooner rather than later. But that seemed about Landon’s luck on most things.

***

Jay thought Landon seemed a bit quieter than usual when he’d arrived at his house, but after they’d started working on the deck, sawing and hammering, Landon seemed to lighten up. If there was one thing he learned from his daddy, nothing eased your soul like working with your hands, creating something useful.

“We’ve done more this afternoon on this thing than I’ve managed in the six months I’ve been in this house,” Jay said.

“Well, you know us young guys, we got more stamina. Get things done quicker.” Landon winked at Jay.

“I don’t hear all that many complaints about my age from you in other places,” Jay snickered. He didn’t know where his ability to be so light hearted about his sexual relationship with Landon came from, but he rarely found himself second guessing teasing about it. Nah, he wasn’t all that overly friendly with Landon outside either of their four walls, but when it was just the two of them, he found himself more relaxed than he ever remembered being.

So many changes were happening, so much newness had been a part of his life lately, he didn’t really even have time to balk at it, otherwise he’d just be sitting in a corner catatonic, way he figured it.

“So…” Jay said, turning back to measuring and marking on a two-by-four. “I talked to my old marriage counselor.”

Landon’s head popped up and his mouth wobbled up and down like a goldfish before he regained his composure. Jay felt a tug in him to kiss the surprised look off Landon’s face, but he really wanted to get the words out.