Despite having been calm and resolute only moments before, Matt stomped into his home and turned on Drew, anger fuelling his movements.
“Well?” he demanded.
Drew took a step toward him, stopping only when Matt held up a restraining hand. They paused and looked at each other, Matt's gaze still hard, Drew's wounded. Matt paused, thinking. He would love to walk across the gap, put his arms around Drew. He would love for Drew to touch him. He did not know what to do; even the slightest contact would destroy the last of his weakening defenses.
“I have absolutely no explanation for my behavior.” Drew sighed, his head hanging. “I was so certain that there was no possible way that you could feel as strongly as I do in such a short time and…” He began to pace across the small rug at the entrance. “I guess that I was worried that it must all be too good to be true.”
Matt stared at him. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from telling him the words that had been trying to escape him the moment that he saw him sitting on the stone steps.
“I never should have doubted your intentions. I do know you better than that, despite what you may think.” Drew continued. “I knew from the beginning that no matter what your feelings were you would only write what you had determined to be the truth.” He pulled a newspaper from the pocket of his jacket. “It’s a beautiful article and it tells more truth than I think I even realized that there was to tell.” He hung his head. “I don’t know what to say that can make this better except that I have been miserable without you in my home. I want you there with me, every day. I know that you have a career and I am not asking you to change that. I don’t care if it means that I need to move to this tin can of a city, as long as I can wake up next to you every day. Matt, I’m so sorry.”
Matt realized that his own eyes were damp. Drew stepped forward and tentatively placed his arms around his shoulders. When Matt did not pull away, but leaned against him, he tightened his embrace.
“I love you.” he whispered into Matt's hair as he kissed the side of his head.
Matt turned to look into Drew’s magnificent blue eyes. “I love you too.” He replied. “I think I always have.”
In that moment, all of Matt’s fears about how Drew might react to his news evaporated into the air around them. Still looking deeply into Drew’s eyes Matt let the words flow freely from his soft lips. “I’m carrying your cub Drew. We’re going to have a baby.”
An immense sense of joy passed seamlessly between them as Drew’s eyes began to well up with emotion. Rather than surprise, Matt sensed in Drew a deep knowing; a feeling of things unfolding just the way they were meant to.
Drew’s hands skimmed across Matt’s body to his abdomen, warm and gentle to the touch. His wonder and delight were palpable.
Suddenly, a blissful future was spread out in front of them; one filled with hope, love and a growing family. After a moment longer of pure, wonderful melding of souls, their lips met, and they shared in a kiss that had the power to communicate all of the emotions that their words were unable to describe.
The End
Second Chance at a First Time
When Chad Stone and Josh Bennett last crossed paths, both had been on the fast track to fame. Josh — Chad’s best friend Ashley’s scorching hot older brother — was on his way to football stardom, while Chad was about to embark on a musical career after being accepted to one of the most prestigious music conservatories in America.
But four years after a night of red-hot passion forced Chad into making a dream-shattering choice, Josh Bennett has become a household name while Chad lives hand-to-mouth serving sleaze-balls at the local sports bar. Worse yet, Josh is coming back to town to attend Ashely’s wedding — a wedding at which Chad must make an appearance, even if it means exposing the real reason he called off their romance all those years ago.
Chapter 1
Chad Stone wiped down the table of the corner booth. He had worked as a bartender at First Down, the local sports bar, since he was fifteen years old. Not much had changed in all that time. He scooped the tip into his hands and the coins jingled sadly as he thrust them into his apron.
“Awesome.” he muttered to himself. How was he supposed to make ends meet on pitiful tips and a barely-there hourly wage?
He leaned over to reach the far corner of the table when he felt it. The large palm that rested on his backside.
“Hey, baby. When you going to let me take you out?” The voice spoke over his shoulder.
Chad instantly straightened, pushing the hand away, feeling angry.
“I’ve asked you all not to touch me, Gina. Please.” he glared at the woman, who was a regular customer.
Weary, with a brassy voice and a stiff face, Gina had been bothering him for the last six months. An older woman, she was known for preying on the younger men in the town. Most of them were okay with it – Gina was apparently not bad in bed. Chad hated it. He felt uncomfortable being hit on by women at the best of times. Being hounded by Gina was really unpleasant.
“Come on, Chad.” Gina leaned against the wall and shot him a smile. “Just one date. I’ve been asking all these years, that has to count for something. We all know you aren’t dating anyone else, so why not try it?”
Chad pushed past her and walked toward the kitchens. It was pointless having this conversation with Gina.
“I’m taking my break.” he informed Randy, the owner of the pub, and and went out through the back doors for some fresh air.
Chad sat on the back steps and leaned his head against the building. He was tired. Not the kind that a nap would fix, but that bone-deep exhaustion that seems to take over your soul.
His cell phone chimed in his pocket and Chad sighed. He pulled the device out and stared at it with wary eyes. He was not the kind of person who texted idle information so, when the phone chimed, it usually meant something important.
Hey Chad. It’s Ashley. I hope that this is still your number. Anyways, I don’t know if you’ve heard but I am coming back to the Bay this weekend. I’M GETTING MARRIED! I would REALLY love it if you could be there and I won’t take no for an answer! Please respond. I miss you.
Chad stared at the text for a long time. Ashley was getting married? Ashley was his best friend from all of the way through school. In a town where most of the boys had worked on the docks with their fathers, Chad had had few friends. Ashley had been a welcome part of Chad's life. She was fun-loving and free-spirited, and generally open to everything in life. And that was what had made her so special – her open nature. Chad did not trust so easily, especially since he had a secret to protect...
How was he going to reply to this message? Chad had only seen Ashley once since the summer after their graduation. It had been a nerve-wracking experience, as Chad had done his best to be vague about the details of his own, small life. Thankfully, Ashley had enough going on to keep their conversation flowing on her own.
Chad had learned a lot about Ashley’s California lifestyle. It was all glamor and glitz, much different than the reality that Chad lived. Chad had promised to do better to keep in touch, but they had both known that it was a lie.
He did not know what to say to the friend that he had abandoned. He was tired. Maybe it would not be such a bad idea to give in, just for the weekend...?
Congratulations, Ashley! Of course, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Thank you for inviting me.
He sent the text and instantly felt a cold sweat race over his skin. He clapped a hand over his mouth, regretting the decision at once. He was wishing that he could take it back when his phone chimed once more.
Oh, Chad! Thank you! The wedding is Saturday, but I would LOVE it if you would come to dinner tomorrow evening to meet my fiancé, Wyatt.
Chad shook his head, feeling his stomach sink through the floor. What had he gotten himself into?
Chapter 2
The evening was fast settling to night, the clouds an inky darkness on the distant hills, as Chad drove his old
Volkswagen Golf down the highway toward his home.
He had agreed to meet with Ashley and Wyatt tomorrow evening. A time and place was set. Chad breathed a sigh of relief that they had not chosen the pub. He was willing to pay the cost of the fancier restaurant, even if it meant picking up more shifts at the motel, his second job. He would rather not have to explain to Ashley that he was still working the same dead-end jobs as he had been in high school.
Not that Randy and the rest of the staff at First Down had not been great to him. They had. It was only that this was not where he had intended his life to go. He had never meant to stay in Norman’s Bay. He had been accepted to the most prestigious music conservatory in the country to pursue a musical career as a pianist and vocalist. He had been a prodigy. That was a long time ago. He still sang sometimes, at home, but that was it.
As he drove down the road, tears blurred his vision and he cuffed them away, angry at himself. He could not help it. What were Ashley, and all of their other successful friends going to think when they found out that Chad, who had been voted Most Likely to Be Famous, was still holed up in a cheap apartment in their hometown? He sighed, letting the tears run down his cheeks. He would have to face that when it happened.
At the apartment building, Chad unlocked the door of his apartment to hear what sounded like a war going on inside.
“Daddy!” The tiny, curly haired blonde leaped into his arms. “Look! I’ma kill the giant!” She climbed down from her perch and raced over to deliver the final blow to the ferocious beast.
The babysitter, Lydia, presumably playing the part of the giant, now lay on the floor in peals of laughter.
“Hey, Mister Stone.” Lydia greeted Chad. “Emmy’s already had her bath and she’s got her PJs on.”
“Has she eaten?” Chad asked the teenage girl, who was now packing up her things.
“No, daddy!” Emmy revealed a smile with one missing front tooth. “I want to wait for you.”
“All right.” Chad smiled at his daughter. “Why don’t you go pick up your toys while I talk with Lydia?”
The child skipped to the other room while humming happily.
Chad paid the babysitter and thanked her for coming on such short notice. Lydia was a Godsend. The local teenager often worked on short notice—for cheap— so that Chad could pick up extra shifts at both jobs.
By the time Emmy had finished picking up her toys Chad had already begun to cook dinner.
“Daddy! You are s'pposed to wait for me.” Emmy stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips and a very adult stare that was leveled directly at Chad.
“I’m sorry, sweetie.” Chad moved over so that Emmy could pull up a chair and stand beside the stove. “I’m just really hungry, so I thought I’d get a head start. You can help now.”
Emmy stared at the chicken and vegetables sautéing in the pan. She wrinkled up her nose at them. With the determination of someone with many more years, she climbed down from the chair and went to the refrigerator. With a small sigh she opened the doors and peered inside.
Chad could hear her muttering to herself, “…need something tasty with all that green stuff.” Chad laughed to himself as he watched his daughter pull strawberries and the tub of whipped cream from the refrigerator.
“These?” Emmy asked. Chad nodded and the little girl began to amass a collection of fruit. Chad showed Emmy how he cut the fruit and then left the child to arrange their meals on the plates as she desired.
While they ate, Chad participated in a series of “knock, knock” jokes that Emmy told regularly. Together, they laughed as if it were the first time either of them had heard the joke. After dinner, they read a book as Emmy lay down to sleep.
Chad tucked his child in and turn out the lights. As complicated as his life may be, these moments with his child made it all worth it. Ashley’s text had made Chad feel nostalgic for the old days with his friends. Not, he reminded herself that Ashley would not have been supportive of her friend’s pregnancy. How could he ever have told anyone? His own parents had...had...He still could not think of it without the grief rising in his throat to choke him – grief, and anger and bitterness.
Chad did not even know, now, where his parents lived. After they had found out what had happened, they had disowned him completely, cut off all contact.
Their sense of shame had cut into him like a knife, wounding him in a way that had taken a long time in healing – if it ever really had. He could barely accept it. It was just Emmy that saved his sanity. She made it all worth it. All the suffering.
Chad felt himself sink into melancholy, and shook his head. He would not let himself. He had so much in his life. He had Emmy, and, now, he had a chance to reconnect with an old friend. Not that he was sure he wanted to go there, but he would not turn it away now that the opportunity had arisen.
He grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat down on the couch. He would check the scores of the nights NFL games and then go straight to bed, he told himself. As he watched the statistics and scores race across the bottom of the screen a post-game interview came on and he felt as if his heart had stopped.
There he was. Josh Holmes. Ashley’s older brother. He looked just as good as the last time that Chad had seen him. He had been home from his senior year of college, for Ashley's high school graduation, and Chad had been surprised at how much he had grown up. It was not long after that he had been drafted to the NFL. He was now an all-star running back for the team that was most likely to win the super-bowl in the coming year.
“Good for you!” Chad whispered to himself. Josh had followed his dreams and with the support of his family behind him had made all of them come true.
The interviewer was asking Josh about his game-winning play. Chad rolled his eyes as Josh flashed a killer grin at the screen. So maybe he had made all of his dreams come true, but Chad wasn’t impressed with the reputation as a playboy that he had developed in recent years. He tried to remember whether Josh had been like back when he knew him. There had been nothing of this cocky attitude. No casual flirtations, no golden-boy behavior. Back then, he had been serious and focused. He wondered why that had all changed of late.
He turned the TV off and decided to go to bed. If Ashley was getting married, then Josh was probably coming back into town as well. Chad sighed. Add him to the list of people that he would have to try to avoid this weekend.
Chapter 3
When Josh Holmes woke up the next morning the sky was still dark. He rolled to his back and stared up at the ornate ceiling of the hotel penthouse. With a sigh he rolled his head to the side to see the sleeping form of yet another woman whose name he could not remember. Nor, did he care to learn it.
He got up from the bed and began to throw his belongings into his designer suitcase. He made no effort to be quiet. If the woman woke, so be it. The sooner the better, he thought. That way he could leave and he could get back on the road sooner.
He was tired of the pro-athlete lifestyle. He was sick of women waiting outside of the locker room hoping to catch his attention. Sometimes they did, but not for long. When he first become famous he had thought that it was a perk of being a professional athlete. Now, the routine was getting old and Josh was restless.
“Come back to bed.” The soft voice beckoned from the other side of the room.
“I can’t. I’ve got a plane to catch.” He continued to throw his belongings into the suitcase.
“Where you going? I thought maybe you’d want to spend the day together.” The woman sat up in the massive bed, not even bothering to cover herself. Josh sighed. He needed to get out of here.
“My sister’s getting married this weekend.” He grunted.
“That’s exciting!” He could tell from the way that his eyes lit up that she was fishing for an invitation. That was not going to happen.
“Yeah, I’m happy for her.” He said, non-committal. He zipped the suitcase and placed it by the door before moving toward the bathroom to collect his toiletries.
The woman sauntered into the bathroom as naked as the day she was born.
“You come from a cute little small-town, don’t you?” She asked. “I’d love to see it.”
“No, you wouldn’t.” Josh said with certainty. “It’s a shitty little coastal town where nothing ever happens. There’s a reason why everybody moves away from it the first chance that they get.”
The woman continued to talk but Josh was no longer listening. He was happy for his sister, but the idea of going back to Norman’s Bay held little appeal. There was nothing left for him there. Sure, his parents still lived in Norman’s Bay. After all of their support Josh had made sure that he had purchased the biggest house in town after his first big season. Not, he thought, that he had ever seen it. No, he had not been back to Norman’s Bay since he had been drafted. It was much easier to pay for his parents to fly to wherever he was staying at the time.
He could not suppress a small chuckle when he thought about how he used to plan on returning there one day. Now, the idea seemed silly.
An image flashed in his mind and he remembered the only reason he ever would have considered returning to the small town. Chad Stone. Ashley’s best friend was the only person who had ever truly caught his interest, and held it. At one point, many years ago, he had thought that they might have had something, but he had been wrong.
It was strange, Josh thought to himself. He was bisexual, but he had never had a relationship with a man before he had met Chad. And he had not had one after. Not because he was not still attracted to men, but because he had never met another one who meant to him what Chad did: who might live up to the memory and take his place. The man was intoxicating—or at least, that was how he remembered him. Green-eyed, lean-muscled, warmly-smiling. He had captured his imagination like no-one had, before or since.
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