Push & Pull (The Midwest Series Book 2)

by Brigham Vaughn

  “So a summer full of traveling probably wasn’t your idea of fun then.”

  Lowell shrugged as he merged onto I-90, heading north. “It’s way better than the alternative of watching Nathan and Caleb.”

  Brent chuckled. “I do feel bad that I’ve kept you in the dark about this trip though. After we check into the hotel in Milwaukee, why don’t we sit down and go through what I have planned?”

  “That sounds good.”

  “Some of it I already have laid out, but you could offer suggestions or whatever.”

  Lowell nodded. “I might have a few ideas. Especially in Milwaukee. I’ve been there a few times.”

  “Cool.”

  “Where are we going first?” Lowell asked. “You should probably put it in the GPS. It shouldn’t be too bad on a Saturday afternoon, but we don’t want to end up on the wrong side of the city.”

  “I have no idea how to work the GPS in this thing.” Brent sounded a little sheepish. “I ignored most of what you told me when we were still in Kalamazoo.”

  “It’s a good thing you didn’t strip my damn transmission,” Lowell said. “Or I’d have thrown you in Lake Michigan.”

  “Pretty protective of this thing, huh?” Brent asked, reaching out to pat the dashboard.

  “Wouldn’t you be?”

  “Ugh, I don’t think I’d let anyone else drive it under any circumstances.”

  “Good thing I’m a nicer person than you are then,” Lowell teased.

  May 30, 2013 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

  Lowell

  A couple of hours later, they checked into a hotel just outside of Milwaukee. It was significantly more basic than The Park, but it was clean, so Lowell kept his mouth shut about it. The open parking lot made him a little nervous for his car, but the area was safe and well-lit, so he was hoping for the best.

  “Wanna talk about the route for the rest of the trip now?” Brent asked as Lowell hung the last of his shirts in the closet.

  “Sure,” Lowell agreed.

  Brent plopped onto the bed and reached for his backpack. “Okay, come over here then.”

  Lowell raised an eyebrow at him, and Brent let out an annoyed-sounding huff. “I promise I’ll be good and keep my hands to myself. I just have it all organized on my laptop.”

  “Oh, sure,” Lowell agreed. Now that things were friendlier between them again, he didn’t want to ruin the progress they’d made.

  Lowell settled on the bed and propped himself up on his elbow. He watched Brent boot up his computer, but he glanced away when Brent went to type in his password.

  “So when I was planning the trip, I broke it down by day.” Brent settled next to him and placed the laptop on the bed so Lowell could see the screen.

  “Wait, you made a spreadsheet?” Lowell peered at the Excel file on the screen before giving Brent a mildly alarmed look.

  “Is there something wrong with that?” Brent asked.

  “Um, no. I’m just surprised by how, uh, in-depth it is.” Lowell scooted a little closer and waved his hand at the keyboard. “May I?”

  “Sure.” Brent settled on his back and propped his head on his hands.

  After a few minutes of scrutinizing the detailed plans, a huge wave of guilt washed over Lowell. “I really threw a wrench in your plans when I came along and took over the Chicago stuff, huh?” he said quietly.

  Brent shifted onto his side. “Kinda. But I was way more of a dick about it than I should have been.”

  Lowell gave him a small smile then glanced back at the screen. “So your plan with Nathan involved spending five or six days here in the Milwaukee area, then heading north, right?”

  “Yep.”

  “Do you want Brewers tickets?” Lowell offered.

  “I definitely wouldn’t turn them down,” Brent said. “But I don’t want to make things weird with your family again.”

  Lowell let out a little huff of a laugh. Things were always going to be weird with his family. “Yeah, well, I think this time an email should do it. And the Cubs game was fun, so if you want to go, I don’t mind wrangling tickets from them again.”

  “Cool. Yeah, I’m in.”

  “So, as we head farther into Wisconsin and then into Northern Michigan, we’ll be camping, right?”

  “Yeah, especially when we’re up near Pictured Rocks and stuff. There’s hiking and kayaking and all that stuff.” Brent flipped onto his stomach next to Lowell again and scrolled down. “See.”

  Lowell worried his lip between his teeth as he read through the plans. “I’m going to have to find a camping or sporting goods store. I packed for the city.”

  “Yeah, I meant to ask you about that when we were in Chicago. Sorry.”

  “Well, it’s my fault I wasn’t prepared.” Lowell let out a little sigh. “I ignored what Nathan was trying to tell me about your plans.”

  “I mean, we can compromise some,” Brent said. “Spend a little more time at hotels if you want. You paying for the one in Chicago really helped.”

  “Don’t worry about money at all. Seriously. I can cover whatever you haven’t budgeted for.”

  “Do you really hate this place?” Brent asked, gesturing vaguely to the hotel room they were in. “I mean it doesn’t seem that bad to me.”

  Lowell glanced around and shrugged. “Well, it wouldn’t be my first choice—the décor really leaves something to be desired—but it’s fine. It’s clean, which is what I really care about.”

  “What about the camping?”

  “Um, well. I’ve never done it. At all. I mean, my family stayed in a cabin in Aspen once, but I don’t think that’s the kind of thing you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, boy,” Brent muttered. “Well, we already have tent sites booked. And, chances are the cabins are all taken, so it would be too late to change the reservation.”

  Lowell shifted so he was upright and crossed his legs. “I’m not saying you need to change your plans. I’m just saying I need to stock up on some gear—and I’m going to want your help with that because I don’t really have a clue what I need—plus I’m going to need you to be patient with me when I have no idea what I’m doing.”

  “Sure.” Brent nodded. “I can do that.”

  “What kind of hiking and camping are we talking about?” Lowell felt a wave of apprehension wash over him.

  “It’s not back country stuff or anything. We’re not going to be carrying all our gear on our backs and get totally away from civilization. The state forest where we’re staying has sites we can drive into, there’s hot running water and bathrooms available. We’ll just be doing day hiking trips, okay? Go out after breakfast, hike all day with a stop for lunch, and be back in time to make dinner at the campsite.”

  “Oh.” Lowell’s mood brightened. “I can do that. It sounds kinda fun, actually. Can we have a fire?”

  Brent smiled. “That’s pretty much a given while camping.”

  “Awesome.”

  “I’ll even make you s’mores.”

  “That sounds fun.”

  “Are you too fancy for hot dogs on a stick?” Brent teased.

  “Can they be turkey dogs?”

  Brent chuckled. “They’re gross, but sure. We can do turkey dogs. You’re eating hobo pies though.”

  “What on earth is a hobo pie?” Lowell asked, bewildered.

  “It’s two slices of white bread, butter, and pie filling. You stick it into this iron press on a long handle and shove it into the fire.”

  “That sounds like a nutritional nightmare,” Lowell said, trying not to shudder. “But sure. Why not?” It wouldn’t kill him to eat it once. And he’d vowed to keep an open mind about things on this trip.

  “We can buy you some kale for salads too,” Brent said. “Kale fixes everything, right?”

  Lowell laughed. “Something like that. And I noticed you sneaking some bites of my salad last night.”

  “You offered them to me because you were full,” Brent protested. “But I have to ad
mit, it was pretty good.”

  “So, you’ll help me with the camping gear?” Lowell asked, changing the subject.

  “Of course. I’m sure there are tons of camping stores here in Milwaukee where we can get whatever you need. We could even do that this afternoon, if you want.”

  “First, let me email my dad about the Brewers’ tickets now while I’m thinking about it,” Lowell said. “Wait, actually, I better make sure they’re not on the road this week.”

  “Sure.”

  Lowell quickly searched and shook his head. “No home games this week at all unfortunately. They’re in St. Louis and Minneapolis.”

  “Damn it. That’s too bad. Oh, well. Let me see what else I found to do here.” Brent scrolled through his spreadsheet. “How do you feel about going on a Lakefront Brewery Tour? They’re one of the original craft breweries in the city, and the tour gets great reviews.”

  “I’m not that into beer but sure. It sounds interesting.” Give and take, right? That’s what this trip is going to require. “Are you familiar with the Walker’s Point neighborhood?” Lowell asked.

  “Nope.”

  “It has quite a few gay bars. There’s an old school place with a patio called Fluid and a fancier one called LaCage that I went to a few times with friends.”

  “Uh, sure. That could be fun.” Brent was silent for a moment.

  “I promise I’ll be on better behavior than I was last time,” Lowell said with a wink.

  Brent nodded but didn’t respond otherwise. Lowell grabbed his phone and played on it for a few moments, searching for festivals and events in Milwaukee.

  “Oh. Holy shit. If we’re staying until Saturday we could go to Pride,” he said when he saw the dates listed.

  Brent blinked at him. “Like the gay pride parade?”

  “Well, there’s more to it than just the parade, but, yeah, that’s always part of it. You’ve never been to one, right?”

  “Nope.”

  “Do you want to go?”

  “Yeah, that would be great,” Brent said, but his expression was a little apprehensive. “Hopefully, I won’t look totally out of place there.”

  Lowell smiled. “I think you’ll be just fine.”

  May 30, 2013 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

  Brent

  “The color choices here really are appalling,” Lowell said as he frowned down at a neon orange fleece. He didn’t mind the attention-grabbing look, but it was a hideously unflattering shade on him.

  “No one is telling you that you have to wear hunter orange,” Brent said with a quiet laugh. They’d been in the camping store for over an hour, and Lowell was struggling to find anything that appealed to him. They’d checked most of the things off the list Brent had put together, but it had been a struggle.

  “Or cammo.” Lowell shuddered.

  “Or cammo,” Brent agreed.

  “The greens look good on me, but I just can’t handle the pattern.”

  “Snob,” Brent teased.

  Lowell frowned at him. “I’m sorry. I am being snobby, aren’t I?”

  Brent shook his head. “Nah, I’m kidding. The selection is pretty dismal. What about the black?” He held a black fleece jacket out to Lowell.

  “Oh, yes, I’m definitely going for the ‘little Goth in the woods’ look.” Lowell rolled his eyes.

  Brent shoved it back on the rack and held up another option. “Navy?”

  Lowell eyed it critically for a moment, then took it from him with a small sigh. “Navy will do.” He set it in the cart and gave Brent a mournful look. “At the risk of sounding even more snobby, I don’t think I’ve ever bought clothes in a place that had carts.”

  Brent tried to imagine that. “Um, it’s rare that I shop at a place that doesn’t,” he admitted. “Except maybe when my dad helped me pick out a suit for my cousin’s wedding. We really couldn’t have grown up any more different, could we?”

  “Not really.”

  “Please tell me you’ve at least been to a Meijer. They’re a Midwestern staple.”

  Lowell laughed. “Caleb and I went all the time.” They were one of the first stores in the country to combine grocery shopping with department store shopping, and when they first met, Caleb had been appalled to learn he’d never been to one.

  “Did you actually shop there? Or are all your toiletries handmade from locally sourced organic ingredients?”

  “Um, well, they’re not necessarily handmade or local, but Meijer does carry organic beauty products. So, yeah, I’ve bought stuff there. I used to make extra runs so I could ‘happen’ to pick up stuff for Caleb. Mostly, so he didn’t feel bad about me buying them. Sometimes his budget was pretty tight.”

  “That was nice of you,” Brent said aloud. It was pretty fucking sweet, actually. Lowell might have more money than any college student really needed, but he was definitely generous.

  Lowell shrugged like it was no big deal. “What’s next on the list?”

  “Hiking boots.”

  “I do have comfortable athletic shoes,” Lowell said.

  “But do you have ones with soles that withstand rocky terrain and protect you from snakes?” he asked.

  Lowell’s eyes widened to a comically big size. “Snakes?”

  “You might want to familiarize yourself with what a copperhead looks like,” Brent said, smothering a laugh. “Come on. I’ll help you pick out a pair.”

  While Lowell inspected the ones Brent suggested, Brent eyed a pair he liked for himself. They were really nice. Better designed than the pair he owned and in way better shape. His pair still worked—there weren’t any holes or anything—but they were stained with mud and grass and looked pretty grody even though he’d scrubbed them thoroughly. And the heel gave him blisters sometimes.

  He eyed the new pair again. Maybe I could afford them? Lowell did pay for the hotel in Chicago.

  He winced when he turned over the shoe to look at the price tag on the bottom. Nope, definitely too expensive. Can’t justify that.

  He set them back on the shelf and looked up to see Lowell staring at him with a speculative expression on his face. “What?” he asked, feeling self-conscious.

  “Nothing.” Lowell pointed to the two different pairs of boots he wore on his feet. “I’m debating between these. They’re both comfortable. Which would you pick?”

  “Oh.” Brent scrutinized them both for a minute. “That one.” He pointed at the one on the left. “I think that’ll be the best one for you. The sole is a little less rigid, and there’s good ankle support.”

  “Okay.” Lowell beamed at him, and Brent felt a weird flutter of warmth in his chest thinking that Lowell trusted his opinion so much.

  “I think that should cover it,” Brent said as he scanned the list he’d made.

  “Cool.” Lowell wheeled the cart toward the entrance of the store to check out. There wasn’t much of a wait, and in no time, Lowell’s purchases had been rung up and bagged. Brent winced when the cashier announced the total, but Lowell swiped a card like it was no big deal.

  They were both laden with bags by the time they left the store, but when they reached the exit, Lowell frowned. “Oh! I forgot one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  Lowell handed the bags to him. “Don’t worry. I can get it myself. Why don’t you run these out to the car, and I’ll check out quickly. I’ll meet you out there in a few minutes.”

  Brent frowned but took the bags. “Um, sure.”

  Lowell disappeared into the store as Brent hauled his purchases to the car. It took some work to get everything in the trunk—a Porsche really wasn’t designed for bags filled with clothing and camping gear, even a hatchback—but he got into the car just as Lowell exited the building again. He carried a decent-sized bag, but Brent couldn’t tell what was inside.

  A minute later, Lowell slid into the passenger seat and handed the bag to Brent.

  “I don’t think it’ll fit in the trunk,” Brent said. “It’s packed pretty f
ull. We’ll have to sort through your new stuff and try to organize it better at the hotel.”

  Lowell gave him a small smile. “Look inside the bag.”

  Brent frowned but peeked inside. The box inside made him pause. “What is this?”

  “Open it.”

  He lifted the oversized shoebox and flipped open the lid. He had to stare at them for a moment before it really sunk in. “You bought me hiking boots?”

  Lowell shrugged. “I thought you might want them. You kept eyeing them.”

  Brent felt a weird little lump in his throat knowing that Lowell had been paying enough attention to him to notice. “They’re really nice. Mine were adequate, but nothing like these.” He turned them over in his hands. “I can’t believe you’d buy these for me like it’s no big deal,” he said.

  “Call it an apology for totally screwing up your trip.”

  “You don’t really think I still feel that way, do you?” Brent said slowly.

  Lowell looked away. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  Brent gently grabbed his arm and turned Lowell to face him. “Look, I appreciate that you gave up your summer to come with me. And that you’ve been really generous about ... well, everything. And I want to say thank you. Because this trip wouldn’t have happened at all if you hadn’t stepped in. You’re kind of ...”

  “Pushy?” Lowell supplied.

  Brent gave him a crooked smile. “I was going to say a force of nature, but sure, I can go with pushy too.”

  “I think I like force of nature.”

  “We’ll go with that then.” Brent grew serious. “So, all the previous bullshit aside, I’m having a good time, Lowell. And I’m glad you’re here with me. And not just because you bought me a really awesome pair of boots. I felt like that before.”

  “Thanks,” Lowell said softly. “I’m glad I’m here too.”

  Brent kept sneaking surreptitious glances at Lowell as they drove back to the hotel, wishing he could touch Lowell like he wanted. Not even because he wanted to fuck Lowell, although that thought crept into his mind with annoying regularity. At the moment, he just wanted to grab Lowell’s hand and give it a squeeze.