River Town Box Set
Page 55
Instead, he said, “Something I really hope to do with you some day soon, Joel, if I’m not being presumptuous. I mean, this is only the third date. I don’t want to sound like I’m skipping too far ahead.”
I said, “Oh, go right ahead. What is it that you would like to do?”
Alex reached out for my hand, and I obliged by letting my fingers crawl halfway across the table. Holding on to my hand, he said, “I would love to go for a horse-drawn carriage ride. I love them so very much, and riding along with you would be such a pleasure.”
I started to respond, but then I discovered that I wasn’t sure exactly what to say. Horse-drawn carriage rides were offered in our town, but only for a short two weeks and then only around the Christmas and New Year holidays.
The rest of dinner was an uneventful if intoxicating affair. I wasn’t quite sure if it was simply the bottle of wine we shared, or if it really was the company, but my body was suffused with a feeling of comfort and warmth. The more Alex shared about himself, the more comfortable I became. It was almost as if I was remembering facts about him instead of being told things for the first time.
When he talked about his attempt to be a baseball hero at age eight in an empty lot playing with his brother and other neighborhood boys, I caught myself starting to say, “Oh, I remember you telling…” Then I stopped myself. It was the first sports conversation between us in the course of our three dates.
5
Together
As we left Martin’s Dock, I expected only another kiss or maybe some making out in one of our cars. Instead I was surprised by Alex inviting me to his house. He said, “I would love for you to see my house, Joel. Please say yes.”
I knew the neighborhood where Alex lived. I still had cousins living in that part of town. I was surprised about the specific house when I pulled into the driveway behind Alex. He lived next door to my cousin Mary. She was raising her family in a house that had been in my family for generations.
My expression of surprise turned to one of curiosity when I realized that, in the future, I could ask Mary questions about Alex. Surely, as Alex’s next-door neighbor, she would have some observations worth hearing.
I looked up at the two-story house while Alex led the way to the front door. He said, “These two houses, mine, and my neighbor Mary’s, are different in design from most of the other houses in the neighborhood.”
I asked, “Is there a particular reason why?”
Alex said, “Because they were the first houses constructed in this part of town. They date back more than one hundred years, and they were akin to farmhouses at the time.”
As I watched Alex in his blue blazer, I had a brief image flash before my eyes of time warping to one hundred years ago when the house was new and I was following Alex up the front walk paved with wood instead of cement. Startled, I shook my head just as he set foot on the front porch.
Alex said, “I think this porch is just screaming out for a swing. Do you agree, Joel?”
I smiled and said, “It would be a wonderful addition. I could sit by you on a summer night, and together we could imagine the rest of the world had gone away.”
Alex placed his key into the front door lock, turned the knob, and pushed the door open. A creak sounded in protest, but the door gave way.
I followed Alex and tried to look around him to see inside. I had to blink my eyes three times to understand what I was seeing.
The carpets appeared to be perfect replicas of the kinds of rugs I had seen in historical house tours in the area. The furniture was a perfect match as well. Alex led the way to the right to a front parlor while asking, “So what do you think, Joel? I hope you love it as much as me.”
Struggling to grasp the power of speech I said, “It’s…it’s…beautiful.”
Large framed photos and paintings of people I assumed were ancestral family members hung in a careful arrangement on the far wall of the parlor. I stepped closer as my eyes shifted focus from one image to the next slowly working my way down the wall.
Then I saw the two beautifully upholstered chairs with a small round wood table between them. On that wood table rested a framed photo. Alex’s arm crept around my shoulder as I felt drawn to the image in the frame. Even from a distance it looked familiar.
Alex turned his head to look at me. He said, “Step closer and check it out, Joel.”
I followed his suggestion. I squatted down slightly to get a better look at the photo. I gasped. I muttered, “No, it can’t…”
“Yes, welcome home, Joel,” said Alex.
I pulled my right hand up to my mouth and trembled slightly as I recognized the men in the photo were Leon and Sawyer.
Also by Grant C. Holland
Love Next Door
Forever Young Series
A Good Man (Andrew and Vincent)
A Perfect Love (Doug and Greg)
A Grand Romance (Jeffrey and Abe)
Catlett’s Cove Series
5 Book Box Set with Bonus Finale Novella
Eagle’s Glen Series
3 Book Box Set
Other Books
Silver Foxes
Heart of the Woods
About the Author
Grant C. Holland is an author of gay romance. He lives in the upper Midwest enjoying friends, family, great food, and putting stories with happy endings into writing.
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