by Jacki James
I was really looking forward to this. When I was in the Navy, I was stationed in Virginia and was able to see the leaves change in the Blue Ridge Mountains. That was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. I had no idea if the scenery here would compare, but I was looking forward to the trip.
The ride passed quickly as we sang along to the songs and talked about the upcoming holidays. To my surprise, Nathan asked me to go home with him for Thanksgiving. I had no idea how I was going to explain my absence to my family, but there was no way I would miss a chance to meet the people who took Nathan in and became his family.
The trees got more colorful the further east we drove, and while it was no Blue Ridge, it was beautiful. We stopped at a little store and bought stuff to eat on our hike. We arrived at the park, got everything out of the car, then found our trail, and set out. I’d never been a PDA kinda person so holding hands wasn’t my thing. But when we started up the trail and Nathan reached over and took my hand, I decided maybe I was a hand holding kinda guy after all.
Nathan
The leaves were beautiful. The colors were so vibrant. As we headed up the trail toward the lake, I wished I had a real camera. The one on my phone was decent, but I had seen some of the amazing pictures Mark had taken with his camera.
“You’re quiet. What’s up?” Alex asked.
“Nothing, I was just thinking that I wished I had a real camera to take some pictures. Then I realized, I’d rather experience this than see it through the lens of a camera.”
“I love fall. It’s my favorite season,” he said taking in a deep breath of the cool air.
“It’s Patty’s, too. She isn’t from Texas. She’s from back east and loves the changing of seasons. The year I turned sixteen, Mike piled us all in the car, and we took an unplanned road trip. We weren’t able to go far because we only had a few days with school and everything, but we made it to eastern Tennessee and spent the night. The next morning, we drove through some mountains or something, so she could see the color. I love that he loves her enough to do things like that for her.”
“I’m really looking forward to meeting them come Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday, you know?”
“No, I didn’t. You and Patty are going to get along. Must be part of loving fall because it’s her favorite, too.”
We came around a curve on the trail, and the lake was right in front of us. It was breathtaking. The reds, yellows, and oranges in the leaves were reflected in the water. There were ducks floating on the lake which was absolutely silent.
Finally, I caved and dug out my phone to take a picture. We wandered closer to the lake looking for a good spot to eat. There were a couple of Adirondack chairs by the water so we wandered down there and sat down.
“This is perfect.” Alex reached over and took my hand.
“It kinda is, isn’t it?”
We sat there not talking, taking it all in while we ate. I got up and walked down to the water to toss my bread crust to the ducks, but before I could turn back, I felt Alex slide up behind me and wrap his arms around me.
“You know, I was sitting there watching you standing here, and I was thinking: Shouldn’t it be weirder to me that you’re a man? I mean, I never really considered being in a relationship with a man before. Messing around with a guy sure, but being in a relationship, no. I feel like I should be freaking out or something, you know.”
“I do know,” I said honestly. “I keep waiting for you to freak out.”
“Well, stop, because it isn’t going to happen. I think it’s because it isn’t just a man I’m crazy about. It’s you, Sunshine. You are something special.”
I relaxed into him, and we stood there until it was time to head back.
Chapter Seventeen
Nathan
I could honestly say that I had no idea what Mark and Suzie and that crazy bunch over there were thinking, but they were having a breakfast birthday party at nine in the morning. I thought they’d lost their minds, but I drug myself out of bed to get ready.
Linc was already awake and had coffee made. God bless him. I got a cup before curling up in my favorite chair. Sassy hopped up in my lap and made herself comfortable. “Tell me again why this is a good idea?” I grumbled.
“Mark said he was tired of Saturday afternoon birthday parties that sucked up the whole day. He wants the kids to come, play, eat, and go home early enough that they can still do other things. Makes sense to me.”
“Not to me. I should still be in bed, preferably with a big, hairy body wrapped around me. Not preparing to make pancakes and corral a group of five-year-old’s.”
“Well, you go get fabulous. Don’t forget, it’s PJs only. Is Alex coming?
“Oh, I’m not forgetting. I bought a special pair just for today. And no, his sister-in-law will be there with Maddie, so we decided he should skip this one. He and his brother are going to work on some car or something.”
“You’re sure you’re okay with that?” asked Linc.
“Absolutely, if Alex says he’s going to tell his family after the holiday, then I believe him. Give me thirty minutes and I’ll be ready to go.” I downed the last of my coffee and headed for the shower. I noticed Linc was smiling as I left the room. It was nice to know my oldest friend trusted Alex too.
We got there the same time SUV’s loaded with tired parents and sleepy kids started to arrive. That made me feel better since I obviously wasn’t the only one who wished I was still in bed. Lincoln and I got her gift out of the back of the truck and together we carried the heavy trunk to the backyard. We spoiled our princess rotten, but she was worth it.
“What did you guys do?” Suzie asked as she saw us carrying the trunk. Before we could answer her, a beautiful pint-sized munchkin came running towards us. She was dressed in pajamas that were covered in rainbows and kittens.
“Uncle Linc, Uncle Nathan, you’re here! It’s my birthday and we’re going to have pancakes with all kinds of stuff to put on them. It’s going to be just like that place you and Mr. Alex took me and Maddie to before the ‘qurium. That place with the yogurt machines and the gummy bears, cept we’re having pancakes and no yogurt. Is that big box for me?”
“Yep, Emma Emma bo bemma, that is just for you. Let’s get this party started so you can open the presents,” Linc said picking her up and swinging her around.
“Uncle Nathan! Are you a unicorn?”
“I sure am, short stuff!” I reached behind my head and pulled the hood up on my onesie. “So, am I fabulous?” I asked her, striking a pose.
“You are so fabulous,” she said in her best imitation of me, and then she collapsed into little girl giggles.
I joined Suzie at the electric griddle and put on a show for the kids by making a big deal out of being a pancake cooking unicorn. I was dancing and singing and having a blast when I heard a little girl squeal, “Nathan! You’re a unicorn!” All of a sudden, I had an arm full of Maddie.
“Hey there, Maddy Mae, how ya doing?” I asked her, giving her a big hug.
“I’m excited! It’s Emma’s birthday and we’re having pancakes. I've never been to a birthday party with pancakes. Is Uncle Alex with you?”
“Nope, I’m pretty sure he was going to hang out with your dad today. But this is going to be so much fun.” I looked up and saw a beautiful redhead watching me like she was trying to figure out who I was. It was easy to see she was Maddie’s mother.
“Hi. I’m Cindy, Maddie’s mom.”
“I’m Nathan. I’m friends with Emma’s dad.”
“Momma, Nathan went with me and Uncle Alex and Emma to the aquarium. He’s so much fun!”
“Ah, so you’re the Nathan we’ve heard so much about. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, Cindy. I better get back to the pancakes.” I smiled and got away from there as quickly as I could. Cindy seemed pretty perceptive, and she was looking at me like I was the missing piece of some puzzle she was working on.
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br /> We finished making the pancakes and everyone headed over to the topping bar. After they loaded up their plates with candy and fruit and whipped cream, they sat and ate and made a mess. It was a lot of fun. Emma got a ton of presents, but mine and Linc’s was the biggest hit. The old trunk was pretty cool by itself, but we had filled it with all kinds of costumes. There were princesses, pirates, and superheroes. The benefit of her birthday being in October is that we were able to hit the local costume shop and go crazy. By the time it was over, I was ready to go home and take a nap. Birthday parties were exhausting.
Alex
Tony and I spent the morning working on his car. By the time Maddie and Cindy got back from the party, we’d finished up and moved inside to watch some college ball. Something was off with Tony, or maybe it was just me being paranoid because I was horrible at keeping secrets from anyone, but especially from him. He just seemed really interested in my personal life. Something we didn’t talk about much unless Cindy made us.
Maddie bounced inside and plopped herself in my lap and gave me a big hug. “Emma’s party was so much fun. We had pancakes and whipped cream and Nathan was there. He was a singing unicorn.”
“Was he really?” I laughed. “Like in a unicorn costume?”
She nodded her head vigorously. “He had a horn and everything, and he was singing and dancing, and he made pancakes. I like him.”
“Me too, Maddie Mae,” I said looking up to find Cindy staring at me. I decided I’d better go before she started asking questions. Although, I really believed it was all in my head because there was no reason it would occur to Tony and Cindy that I was involved with a man.
“Well,” I said hopping up. “I need to get going so I can meet Blake for beers.” I gave Maddie a hug and told her I would see her later on in the week and I left.
A beer actually sounded good, so I called Blake, and he agreed to meet me at the bar for a beer and some college ball. I’d missed hanging out with him, and I knew Nathan felt the same about Linc and Mark. We needed to do a better job of seeing our friends.
“What’s up with you, man? Things going okay with the being into guys thing?”
“You’re an idiot,” I laughed. “But, yeah. Nathan is great. I think Tony knows something. He’s acting weird.”
“I can see that. You’re different now than you were before. Not in a bad way, you just seem happier. It's obvious to anyone that knows you that something’s up. I don’t think he knows that you fell head over heels for a dude, but still, I bet he knows something’s going on. You should tell him.”
“I will. Just not until after the holidays. I need a little more time,” I insisted.
“No, you don’t. Time is not your friend. Trust me. All time ever asks for is more time, and before you know it, it’s too late, and you missed your window.”
“I keep thinking that I want one more holiday in case everything goes to hell.”
“You know you're shit at keeping secrets, right? They're going to know that something’s off with you.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “I know.”
Chapter Eighteen
Nathan
I got off shift on Halloween and headed home. Halloween was one of my favorite holidays but working in the ER gave a different spin to it. I could honestly say I’d never been so glad to be on day shift. We were going to a party at Casey’s house. This was the first time we were going to be over there.
He’d inherited the house from his grandmother earlier this year and wasn’t sure if he was going to keep it or sell it. He finally settled on keeping it, even though he said it was a lot of house for just him. He hired someone to renovate, and it was finally finished. This was going to be like a combination Halloween party housewarming. I was excited for Casey, but the real reason I was excited was because this was the first year I was going to a party with someone.
We had gone to cookouts at Mark’s and out to the club a few times together, but this was our first event as a couple, and I was excited to show him off. We hadn’t left the house much since the night we first had sex. He was still warm and cuddly and trying to make sure I knew he wanted more than sex which was sweet, but it was obvious he was enjoying that benefit. No matter how many times he’d told me beforehand that I wasn’t an experiment, I admit I’d worried that sex with a man wouldn’t be what he thought it would be. However, if the last few weeks were any indication, I would say he was liking it just fine. I knew I sure was.
Figuring out what to wear to the party had taken forever. Alex had wanted to go in a kilt, and I really wanted to see him in one. But we couldn’t come up with anything that would go with it, and he’d insisted that the costumes had to go together, which I found adorable. We considered superheroes, but I knew without a doubt that Mark was going to be going as either Iron Man or Tony Stark. I didn’t want to do the same; I wanted to be unique. I thought about anime characters, but those really didn’t suit Alex, and round and round we went.
Finally, I suggested he be Captain Hook, and I could be Peter Pan. He loved the idea, but then he got an idea of his own. “Everyone will be expecting that. So how about if you are Captain Hook and I will be Peter Pan. Besides, I think you’d make a sexy, sassy pirate.” And I mean, how could I resist the idea of seeing him in tights? So Hook and Pan it was.
I got to the house, fed Sassy and gave her some attention before I headed to the bedroom. We decided not to see each other's costumes until tonight and I couldn’t wait. I was going be sexy as hell in my pirate costume. I carried Sassy with me and put her in her kitty hammock by my dressing table, so I could talk to her while getting ready. I styled my hair and put on a roguish looking bandanna, dark eyeliner, and shiny lip gloss. I’d decided to forgo the shirt and brushed on body glitter instead. I added an awesome pirate jacket, black leather pants, and tons of shiny jewelry. “What d'ya think, Sass?” I asked her, checking out my image in the mirror.
“You’re right,” I said giving her a scratch, “I look amazing.”
The doorbell rang, and I heard Linc letting Alex in. I sashayed out to the living room expecting to see an adorable Peter Pan, but no. Holy shit, who knew Pan could be hot as hell? He was wearing a pair of green tights, and you could see the outline of his dick. And forget the cute little top you normally saw on Peter Pan costumes. No, he had on a shimmery crushed velvet sleeveless top, left open with his awesome, hairy chest on display. The only part of the costume that was undeniably Peter Pan was the hat with the feather on it.
I stood there staring at him for a minute until I heard Linc laughing. “I swear, Alex, you just accomplished the impossible. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen Nate speechless.”
I moved my eyes from the bulge in his tights to his face. He was smirking, looking quite pleased with himself. “Um, I’m not sure this is a good idea. I mean, you realize everyone can see your dick, right?”
“I thought you liked my dick,” he smirked.
“I love your dick. I’m just not sure I want all of my friends looking at it.”
Alex and Lincoln both laughed, and Alex walked over to me. “You’re beautiful, Sunshine. The sexiest pirate I’ve ever seen. And people can look all they want. This dick is exclusively yours.”
When he pulled me in for a kiss, our bare chests met and I groaned, “This is going to be a long night.”
“Speaking of that, Linc is off tonight, so why don’t you pack an overnight bag? We can go back to my house after the party. It’s pretty close to Casey’s place, anyway.”
“Sounds good. Lincoln, will you look after Sassy?”
“Sure thing. She’s a sweetie. You go have a good time; she can sleep with me tonight.”
Alex
Nathan was the sexiest man I’d ever seen on a normal day, but damn, dressed as a sexy pirate was over the top. I wanted to ditch the party altogether and take him home with me. I’d never wanted anyone as insatiably as I wanted him. After a few weeks having sex every chance we got, I knew his body almost as well
as I knew mine. Yet, I still couldn’t get enough. But as much as I wanted to stay home, this party seemed to matter to Nathan. So, we were going. Besides, it had taken me forever to find a Peter Pan costume I thought could match what Nathan would come up with.
I’d debated going with a traditional costume, but his reaction told me I’d made the right choice. His little display of jealousy was adorable, but he had nothing to worry about. Once people got a look at him in his sassy pirate outfit, they weren’t going to notice me.
“What are you going dressed as, Lincoln?”
“I’m going to dig out a kilt I wore a couple years ago. I’ve been so busy I didn’t have time to do much else. Plus, the laddies do love my kilt,” he said with the most horrible fake Scottish accent ever. “You guys really do look amazing though. I’ll see you over there later.”
“Let’s get going, matey,” Nathan said with a pirate accent that was as bad as Linc’s Scottish. Laughing, I shook my head at them.
We got in the car and headed to Casey’s. The closer we got to the party, the quieter Nathan got until it was easy to tell something was wrong. I pulled the car off into an empty store parking lot and killed the engine.
“What are we doing here?” he asked looking around.
“We’re making a small pit stop, so you can tell me what’s bothering you. You seemed so excited about this party, yet now you seem nervous. We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
“No! I do want to. It’s just…” He stopped, fidgeting with the rings on his fingers.
I reached over and stilled his hands. “It’s just what, Sunshine? Tell me what’s worrying you.”