“Yeah, my paint. On the way, I spotted this handsome man. I decided that I needed a closer look.”
Lewis rubbed the arm holding his basket. “And did you get that…closer look?”
Sid closed the gap between them by two steps. He wanted to reach out and touch, but a hardware store like Home Pro wasn’t the place to do that. “I’m getting it now, and I do like what I see.”
“You know, you’re pretty smooth even when you fumble around with the stuff on the shelves. You don’t need to bother with all of that. I liked what I saw at the parade. We should have a drink sometime.”
Lewis’s words proved that Sid’s fumbling pursuit was a success. All that he wanted out of the Home Pro encounter was an invitation to get to know each other better. “Down at the Corner Hitch?”
“That’s the place.”
Brody rounded the far corner of the aisle, and he smiled when he spotted his friends. He interrupted the conversation, and both men jumped. “Hey, Sid. I didn’t see you walk through the front door. Of course, I was in my office, so that might have been why.”
Lewis spoke up first. “Good to see you, Brody. How’s business? And how’s Dak, and that adorable little girl of yours?”
“Oh, Lewis! I didn’t see you either.” Brody looked from Lewis to Sid. It didn’t take long for him to put two and two together. He took two steps backward. “And, um, don’t let me interfere with your shopping experience. Let any of the staff know if you need help, or if there’s something you can’t find.”
Lewis smirked. “Will do, and give Dak a hug for me.”
With a crooked smile on his face, Brody said, “I’m sure he’ll be happy for that. I’ll pass it along.”
As Brody disappeared around the corner, Lewis said, “I’ve got what I need. I think I’m ready to check out. It is good to see you again, Sid.”
Sid didn’t want him to get away without confirming the time and date of their future get together at the bar. “Friday night at 8:00?”
“Friday?”
“For drinks,” said Sid.
“Oh, of course. Yes, that works great. The Corner Hitch at 8:00.”
Sid watched Lewis turn and walk in the opposite direction. It was a longer route that way to the checkout, but Sid didn’t mind the view. He bit his lip and self-consciously held his basket just below his waist. He didn’t want to think about curious customers wondering what was going on down there.
The first toe-curling kiss was as amazing as Sid hoped it might be. The circumstances were the unexpected part. He’d exited the store at least ten minutes later than Lewis. To his surprise, he found the well-dressed man pushing carts around the parking lot. He was clearly waiting for another glance.
Now, Lewis sat sprawled on the back seat of Sid’s extended cab pickup truck in the Home Pro parking lot. He turned his head and gazed into Sid’s eyes.
Looking out the windows at the rest of the lot, Sid said, “It’s clear. No one’s watching.” He reached one hand up along the side of Lewis’s face. It was silky smooth except for a thin layer of razor stubble that felt a bit like the finest grade of sandpaper.
Sliding his fingers down to Lewis’s chin, Sid turned his head just enough so their lips could meet. The lips were soft, and they parted to let an eager tongue inside.
While gently stroking the side of Lewis’s face, Sid exhaled and sighed deeply when their tongues touched. He moaned with delight. It had been too long since he last kissed a man. He’d not had any dates since leaving the riverboat. He was hungry for intimate connections.
Lewis’s chest rose and fell beneath his button-up shirt as his breathing quickened. He inhaled sharp bursts of air through his nose while he sucked on the invading tongue.
Sid wanted more. He wanted everything. He let his free hand drift down over Lewis’s body. It quivered slightly at his touch. As his fingers walked further south, Sid found a belt. For a moment, he thought about loosening it, but instead, he flattened his fingers against Lewis’s slim belly and slipped them inside the belt and inside the pants.
Lewis suddenly yelped. “No, please, no, not yet.”
Sid was startled. On the boat when he found a guy, he locked the door and didn’t open it again until he’d blown his load down the man’s throat or they’d gone all the way with a condom and a squeeze bottle of lube. Lewis surprised him by wanting to stop with a kiss.
Grasping for words, Sid said, “Aw, damn, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push. It’s just all the heat, and damn, I’ve never done it in the truck.”
Breathing hard, Lewis gasped, “No, it’s okay, but yeah, I want to take it slow. Don’t think I’m a prude ‘cause I’m not. I like to, uh…savor things.”
The way Lewis said it, Sid found the explanation hot. He couldn’t remember anyone stopping him when his hands slipped below the belt. Stopping at the tease was incredibly sexy in its own way.
“Was the kiss okay?” asked Sid.
Lewis chuckled softly. “I didn’t stop that, did I?”
“So we’re still on for Friday?”
“God, I hope so.” Lewis rubbed his hands down his shirt front trying to smooth everything into place.
Sid turned to look out the windows of the truck. He laughed. “Yeah, we steamed them up a bit.”
“Fuck, are you kidding?” Lewis looked up. A light film of condensation coated the glass behind their heads and on one end of the pickup’s windshield. “Wow, I think that’s a good sign, don’t you?”
“The best.” Sid wrapped his arms tight around Lewis’s belly and chest. “I can’t wait for Friday.”
“Well, don’t get too carried away. As I said, I like to take it slow.”
“Is the destination worth it?”
“I hope so. There’ve been few complaints. How about you? Are you worth my time?”
“What do you think?”
Lewis reached up a hand and squeezed Sid’s right bicep in his slim fingers. “I definitely think so.”
5
A Plan
Brody stared at Lewis with piercing eyes and said, “Please forgive me if it’s still somewhat difficult to act like we’re all good buddies now. I know about your history with Dak, and we all got caught up in your tussle with Alan and Diego. I know that time has passed, but you were seriously off the rails for a while.”
Lewis sipped his cup of coffee while he contemplated the words. He’d invited Brody to lunch at a new deli in Zephyr dangling the prospect of sharing big news. He knew that he could have cringed, or he could have protested Brody’s characterization of his past, but instead, Lewis simply nodded.
Brody wasn’t wrong. Lewis let rejection and the lack of getting his own way boil up into a wicked stew inside until something exploded. It took a professional to pick up the pieces.
Every morning, Lewis woke up thinking about how he could make amends and reorient everything in his life to move forward in a positive direction. On the advice of a trusted cousin, he’d been seeing a counselor in Red Wing for almost a year. Together, they continuously refined a plan of action while working through old family issues that fueled the negativity in the past like pouring kerosene on an already kindled fire.
After another bite of his sandwich, Lewis said, “I understand your skepticism, but I can assure you that I’m not working on this alone, and I’ve put the issues aside that drove me to be such an ass. It looks like Dak is ready to forgive and forget. I hope you are, too.”
Leaning back and relaxing into his chair, Brody said, “Forgive maybe. I sincerely doubt that he will forget. His mind’s like a steel trap. He remembers everything we did together as friends back in sixth grade.”
“You’re married to an elephant, Brody.”
Brody chuckled. “I like to think about him as more like a gentle wolf.”
“Watch out for that transition on the full moon.”
A server at the deli interrupted their conversation. He said, “I have a corned beef sandwich on rye and pastrami on pumpernickel.”
Lewis po
inted at Brody. “He gets the corned beef.”
After a quick, “Thank you,” to the server, Brody turned his attention back to Lewis. He shook his head. “I have to admit it’s an incredible change. If it’s for real, you deserve congratulations.”
After taking the first bite of his sandwich, Lewis proclaimed, “It’s almost like eating at a deli in New York. Seriously, this sandwich is impressive.”
“Okay, that’s enough about your transformation and the food. You said that you had something to talk about, and you said that I’d want to hear your ideas. I don’t know for sure what else we have in common other than Dak, so I’m all ears. You snared my curiosity.”
The change of topic was welcome. “It’s about the store closing,” said Lewis. “I heard the news, and I’m sick over it. You know how much I care about the town. Home Pro is vital to Coldbrook Bend, and so are you. My family goes back at least as far as yours does here.”
Brody wrinkled his brow in frustration. “You know? Does that mean everybody in town knows? Damn, I guess Dak has a big mouth.”
Lewis let the words of frustration go. He tossed a line out to hook Brody again and tried to reel him in. “I’ve got an idea. It might be a somewhat unorthodox one, but I don’t think the store needs to close.”
“I suppose that’s all well and good, and thank you,” said Brody, “But with all due respect, you’re not on the board of Home Pro, are you?”
“No, but I’m working my way toward the board of Tar-Mor down in Zephyr. Anyway, I’m curious about a buy-out. A new owner could take over and keep the store open for the good of Coldbrook Bend. It would keep all of the jobs and retail options in place.”
Lewis smiled when the first mention of money grabbed Brody’s attention. Brody said, “I assume that you’re talking about yourself and wow, your pockets must be even deeper than I thought. Are you willing to sink that much into it? I don’t think they are likely to sell it off for cheap.”
“It’s better than leaving an empty building that’s a blight on the town.”
“Oh, I suspect they would attempt to lease it,” said Brody. “It can be an income property, but if they sell, it’s a one-time deal, and it’s done.”
Lewis saw that Brody was skeptical, but he stuck to his guns. “I’m not talking about me purchasing the building outright on my own. I’m talking about more of a cooperative deal. A group of investors here in town could purchase it. It could even be operated in the name of the town of Coldbrook Bend.”
Brody rubbed his chin and stared at Lewis. He picked at the pile of potato chips on his lunch plate and bit down with a crunch before he answered. Finally, he said, “I’ve never heard of something like that. Would you want to keep me on as the manager?”
“Of course. You’re the heart and soul of the store, Brody, and the co-op model is more common than you think. However, I think investment in the name of a locality is a little more unusual.”
After taking two more bites of his sandwich, Brody asked, “Do you have investors lined up? You’ve only had a few days to work on this. It will take a lot of money.”
“I came to you first. I’ve not spoken with anybody else, but I’d be happy to start the ball rolling as soon as you give the go-ahead.”
Lewis knew that he had the store manager on board when Brody let out a long, low sigh. He said, “Yes, I’m in if you can get this off the ground. I’ll also owe you huge thanks if this somehow works. I don’t want to drag Dak and Penny to Red Wing or even the Twin Cities. This is our home.”
Lewis spoke with honesty. He admired the network of friends he’d seen Dak and Brody build since Dak left the riverboats. If he could somehow become part of the circle, all of the humbling hours delivering apologies and opening his heart to a counselor would be worth it. Saving the store was the first step in that direction.
6
First Date
Sid asked, “Why do they keep looking over in this direction? It’s almost like they’re expecting a brawl to break out or something.”
Some of the men were vaguely familiar. Sid knew that he’d seen them around town, perhaps in the grocery store, or on the highway commuting between Coldbrook Bend and Zephyr. Now they gathered at the bar in the Corner Hitch and fixed their gaze halfway across the room to the small round table where Sid sat with Lewis.
Swallowing a mouthful of his beer, Lewis said, “Ignore them. That’s the best strategy.”
“But what’s the deal? If you have a strategy about dealing with them, then you’ve got an idea who they are.”
Lewis leaned his head to the right in an attempt to block Sid’s view of the small group of men gathered at the bar. He said, “Hey, I think tonight was supposed to be about you and me. Don’t let a few hooligans spoil it.”
Sid turned his attention back to Lewis. He was right, but Coldbrook Bend was turning out to be twice as interesting of a town as Sid ever imagined. Through Dak, he’d found his way through the front door to witness everything important that took place in the community.
“I know. It should be all about you and me, but they are distracting. They keep looking in our direction. It’s funny, because I don’t know them, and they don’t seem like your type.”
Lewis grinned and delivered a checkmate comment. “And you look like…my type?”
“I guess you’ve got me there.” The light was dim in the bar, but Sid still thought Lewis was handsome in any light. He had delicate facial features except for a perfectly triangular nose and high cheekbones. His lips were soft and inviting. Forgetting where he was for a moment, Sid leaned forward ready for a kiss, and then he pulled back.
Lewis asked, “Do you think they’ll come over and attack you for that?”
“There are a couple of bars in Zephyr where they would. Perhaps they’ve changed, but several years back they’d be dangerous for you and me as a couple.”
“So you’re starting to see how Coldbrook Bend is a little different.” Lewis reached a hand across the table.
Sid took it and wove their fingers together. He said, “I know we probably look like the odd couple, but I think you’re handsome. I’m not just saying that. It’s the truth. If I need a guy to vouch for me, you can ask our mutual buddy, Dak.”
Lewis gripped the fingers tighter. “I don’t have any reason not to trust you. The old me might have made up a reason, but I’m a different man now. In fact, that’s what the thugs at the bar don’t understand.”
“Were you a Coldbrook Bend gang leader or something?” Sid reached out his other hand and wrapped his fingers around the two hands clasped in the middle of the table. “That’s difficult to believe even in a fantasy.”
“I think this is a story we should sort out at a later date,” said Lewis. “Maybe sometime when we’re having dinner with Alan and Diego, assuming they’ll invite us someday, we can all have a good laugh about the crazy old times, but tonight I’d rather focus on you. What do you think about getting out of here?”
“And go…where? It’s not such a big town.”
Lewis squeezed the fingers tight. “Why not my place?”
Sid’s eyes opened wide. He didn’t expect an invitation into Lewis’s home on what amounted to a first date. Maybe Lewis moved faster than Sid thought after the polite little rejection in the Home Pro parking lot.
“I’d love that if you’re sure it’s okay with you.”
“Right now anywhere is better than having to stare at the thugs at the bar.”
Sid stood in stunned silence as he stepped into the parlor of Lewis’s house. It perched on the bluff overlooking the river at the end of the street where the houses grew slightly more modest than the Victorian mansions decorated with ornate gingerbread. At least that was the story of the exterior. Inside, Lewis’s home was stunning.
The quality that made Sid speechless was the careful attention to detail and how everything worked together in the home. The furniture wasn’t all from one period, and steel and glass mingled happily with heavy hardwood f
loors and woodwork. Lewis obviously had a trained eye, or he worked with someone who had tremendous talent in decorating older homes.
Sid looked at Lewis and then glanced around the house again. “This is—magnificent.”
“Aww, I’m glad you like it. I sometimes think that in the past visitors found it hard to look past me to see what I’ve done with the house. I’ve worked a lot of long hours to get it to this point—just like I’ve worked on myself.”
The house was not huge, but it maintained the illusion of having more space. A wider than normal staircase rose from the front parlor to the second floor. Sid turned to his left and spotted a small sitting room. To his right was the kitchen area.
Lewis gestured toward the sitting room. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable? I’ll get us something to drink. Beer? Wine? Coke?”
“Water?” asked Sid. “I’ve had my fill of beer for the night.”
“A tall glass of water it is.”
While Lewis disappeared into the kitchen, Sid looked around the sitting room. He couldn’t decide between the couch and an Arts and Crafts style armchair. In the end, he chose the couch in hopes that Lewis would want to join him.
When Lewis returned with a small tray holding water glasses, Sid asked, “Will you sit by me?”
“Oh, yes.” Lewis set the tray on a coffee table and sat in the middle of the sofa next to his guest.
“You look more nervous than me.”
“Well, can I be frank about something?”
“Of course, please. I hope we’ll always be honest and open with each other.”
“You’re the first, um, how do I put this? You’re the first muscular, built man I’ve dated since Dak, and I worry that my reputation has preceded me.”
Sid chuckled softly. “Your secrets are safe with Dak it seems. He only told me that it didn’t work. I didn’t pry for more details.”
Looking into Lewis’s eyes, Sid thought he could see a wild, untamed depth to the man. He’d only heard hints and the tiniest of suggestions, but Lewis had some sort of history. It only made him more curious and eager to move forward. More than once Sid heard comments from Dak and others that Lewis was the kind of man who would venture where angels fear to tread. He wasn’t sure what it meant, but he wanted to find out.
River Town Box Set Page 49