Or the fact that the pupils in Elias’s eyes had widened and a faint blush covered his cheeks.
“You’ve grown,” Elias whispered softly.
Lachlan nodded. “That tends to happen.”
“That it does, but it looks good on you.”
“It looks good on you too.” Lachlan coughed, his throat suddenly dry. He glanced away, feeling his cheeks heat up. “Now that we’ve admitted that we’ve appreciated how each other has grown, why don’t we just move on. I need to get to Tucker’s.”
“That’s good because I’m going there too.”
“Of course you are,” Lachlan muttered. He stepped past Elias and walked into Tucker’s. When Tucker spotted them, he arched a brow and smiled widely at them.
“Hello, you two. Fancy seeing you here.”
“Well, you do own a hardware store. Where else would I go when I need tools?” Lachlan walked away, ignoring Tucker’s chuckle and headed toward the aisle he needed. He listened to Tucker and Elias talk, laughing as Tucker told Elias about the latest prank Keegan had pulled on Rory.
Lachlan smiled as he listened. Keegan had a mischievous streak a mile wide, and living with Tucker had made it worse or better, depending on how you looked at it. Tucker enjoyed it as much as Keegan did, though Rory… maybe not so much.
Once Lachlan had the items he needed, he took them up to the counter and stood, listening to the two men talk. Tucker added up the total, and Lachlan paid for it. With a nod to both of them, he left the store. He heard Elias call his name behind him but chose to ignore him and carried on walking over toward his truck.
“Lachlan! Come on, man, let’s talk.”
Heaving a heavy sigh, Lachlan slowed and turned to face Elias, who was jogging up behind him. “Let’s talk? You’ve apologized, I’ve accepted it, that’s it.”
“I still think we need to try to clear the air properly. Why don’t we meet up for a drink at some point, try to get to know each other? I’m living here now. I don’t want to keep having these awkward conversations with you.” Elias smiled, his eyes wandering up and down Lachlan’s body. “What do you say?”
Lachlan smiled. “I’ll think about it and get back to you.”
“That’s it? You’ll think about it?”
His smile widening, Lachlan nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I said.”
“I see.”
Lachlan put his hands on his hips and glared at Elias, the smile falling from his lips. “You see? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“I see the way you look at me. I’m not blind.”
“Well, thank god for that.” Taking a step closer, Lachlan said, “Just because I look at you doesn’t mean I want to do anything about it. Too much water under that bridge.”
“What bridge? You burned that fucker down.”
“I burned it down! It’s a shame that out of ten thousand sperm, you were the quickest!”
Lachlan spun on his heel and stormed away, ignoring Elias’s shout behind him. Cheeky bastard. How dare he blame Lachlan for what happened? What more did the man want? He’d accepted his apology and was moving on. At the rate Elias was going, Lachlan was likely to punch him again, and he’d enjoy doing it this time as well.
Elias watched Lachlan storm away, his eyes glued to the man’s cheeks as they flexed and bunched under the tight jeans he wore. Man, he couldn’t wait to take a bite out of that. He chuckled to himself, trying to imagine Lachlan’s reaction to that thought. It was obvious Lachlan was attracted to Elias, but they were so far away from the point where Elias could do anything about it that he just had to come back and wait for Lachlan.
Sighing, Elias walked toward the diner with his thoughts still on Lachlan. Not that Lachlan would want…his thoughts on him, or maybe he did. If Elias was to go off the looks Lachlan gave them before they started talking, it was obvious that Lachlan wanted a bite out of him.
Elias wasn’t even sure if Lachlan was aware of the look on his face, but Elias had remembered it. The parted lips, the blown pupils, the flush that covered his cheeks. All led Elias to one conclusion—Lachlan was attracted to him. It also helped that Lachlan admitted that Elias had grown. Elias chuckled. Grown. Was that the new euphemism for attractive?
Walking into the Sunshine Diner, Elias scanned the booths until he found Reggie sitting in the back. “Reggie Sutherland!”
Reggie looked up, his face split into a huge grin, and standing, he opened his arms wide and shouted, “Elias! Get your fat ass over here!”
The two men met and hugged, each slapping the other’s back. Reggie stepped back and looked Elias up and down. “Man, you’ve grown.”
Elias laughed, remembering what Lachlan had said but realizing the two men meant something completely different. “So have you. What you been up to?”
They both walked back to the booth and sat. That was when Elias noticed the wedding ring on Reggie’s finger. “When did you get married?”
Reggie’s smile widened if that was possible. “Remember Stephanie from high school?”
“No way! You married Stephanie?”
“Yeah, we have two kids now. Twin boys.”
“When did you get married? I’m still catching up with everything that’s happened since I’ve been gone. Marriages, divorces, deaths.” Elias rolled his eyes. “A lot has happened in Sater’s Creek since I left.”
Reggie nodded and tilted his head to the side. “I heard you had a revelation while you were gone.”
Elias sat back in the booth and watched Reggie, trying to gauge the man’s intentions, but all the man did was smile. “Yeah, I did.”
“Good. I always thought there was something about you.” Reggie scratched his short black beard and glanced away. “Like you weren’t happy or something. I guess I know what it was now.” Looking back at Elias, Reggie asked, “Reminded me of high school and the last year we were there. Was that why we bullied Lachlan?”
Damn, they had to have this conversation so soon? No time like the present to get it all out in the open. “Yeah, it was.” Elias went through the whole story with Reggie, including Lachlan not accepting his apology, and sat back when he’d finished.
“Does it feel like you’re constantly coming out?”
Elias nodded. “Man, does it ever. When I told the family, I thought that was it, but it isn’t.”
“So, high school.”
Elias winced. “You mean Lachlan.”
“Lachlan’s a good kid. Strong and tough. He was there for all the crap that Tucker and Rory went through because of Tucker’s parents.” Leaning on the table, Reggie added, “Let me tell you that was a shock finding out Tucker was into men, or should I say one man?” Leaning back, Reggie shook his head, a smile on his face. “No one saw that coming, but it doesn’t surprise me that Tucker was involved. I know he’s a few years older than us, but we heard the stories about that group.”
“Yeah, Bax was in the same year, so I knew them better than you guys did, and trust me when I say, Chase and Tucker had no problem finding a willing girl.”
“Change of subject, Eli, ‘cause you must be fed up with the bullying shit. It happened; you’ve apologized. Tell me all about your time in the Navy. Was it difficult?”
“It certainly helped me face up to the truth of who I am. Sure, I took some shit, but overall, no one was bothered. As long as you had their back when times were tough, they were there for you. We were a team.”
Reggie nodded. “You’re here for good now?”
Elias nodded. “Funny how a few years away made me realize this was exactly the right place to be.” Smiling, Elias said, “So, change of subject. Tell me about Stephanie and the boys. How did you convince her to marry your ugly ass?”
Reggie positively lit up as he talked about his wife and kids, and during the conversation, they ordered lunch and continued catching up with everything that had happened in the time Elias had been gone.
Elias spent several hours with Reggie, ignoring the voice in the back of his
head telling him he had work to do when he got home. He needed this, making connections with friends from his past. He’d missed so much while he had been gone, and now, he had the opportunity to catch up and re-establish those old friendships.
Sater’s Creek was home, and he had no intention of leaving again.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
STANDING IN TUCKER’S kitchen, Elias accepted the cup of coffee he offered, blowing on the surface to cool it down. “So what, tomorrow?” Tucker asked.
Elias nodded. “Yeah, Bax should be able to make it for then. He’s just figuring out a bug in one of the programs he’s writing.”
Tucker blinked and waved his hand over his head. “No idea what you’re talking about, Eli. Wes had to help me set up the website and then show me how everything worked.”
Elias chuckled. “Why don’t you take some courses or ask me or Bax to help you? You really need to learn about computers and programs. The Internet is the way forward, and you say you had some orders already?”
“Been getting lots of orders. I had to hire a driver to help me out.”
“That’s really good. That means Wes did a great job setting the website up for you.”
Tucker nodded. “It is, but I still have no fucking idea what I’m doing. I think Wes is gonna ditch me soon if I don’t start learning.” Tucker rubbed a hand over his face. “Man, learning to suck dick was easier than this.”
Elias choked out a laugh and chose to ignore the comment. “One of us will give you a hand. We both have degrees in computer programming and graphic design, so if you don’t mind spending some time with us, we’ll get you sorted.”
“That’s great. Thanks, man.”
The door to the kitchen opened, and Rory walked in with Keegan, Lachlan following behind. Elias locked eyes with Lachlan and watched the sudden indrawn breath the other man took, then saw his face go blank. This was getting ridiculous now. They were both adults, and Lachlan needed to move on.
“Hello, Lachlan.”
“Elias.”
Tucker rolled his eyes. “For fuck sake, get over it, Lach. It was in the past, and Elias has said he was sorry.”
“And I’ve accepted his apology.”
“Then what’s all this?” Tucker said, waving his hand between the two of them. “I can feel the tension in the room. I’d suggest sucking each other’s dicks to get over it—”
“Tucker!” Rory nodded to Keegan, who he held in his arms. “How much money do you need to put in the jar? Young ears.”
“Sorry,” Tucker mumbled, looking at the floor.
“You can make it up to me later.” To Keegan, Rory said, “That’s Elias, Daddy’s friend from school.”
“Hi,” Keegan practically shouted. “Can you stay for a snack?”
“Oh, I don’t know about that, Keeg,” Rory muttered.
“Why not? He’s Daddy’s friend. Why won’t he stay?”
“Well, maybe Elias can’t stay.” Elias saw the look Rory gave Lachlan and the shrug Lachlan gave in response.
“It’s fine with me.” Lachlan crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve no problems with him being here.”
“Well, thank you for your permission to stay,” Elias said sarcastically. “Here I was thinking it would be down to Tucker and Rory when it’s really you I need permission from.”
Lachlan narrowed his eyes. “I’m trying to meet you halfway here. I could easily just tell you to fuck off.”
“And yet again, young ears.” Rory pointed at Keegan, who stared avidly at Lachlan and Elias, his eyes pinging between them.
“Fuck off!” Keegan shouted happily.
Rory sighed heavily, wiping his hand over his face. “Thank you. I always wanted my son to say that.” He pointed between Lachlan and Elias. “Which one of you is going to explain to Ma how Keegan knows that particular word? I’m sure she’d be thrilled to know how he learned it.”
“Sorry, Ro,” Lachlan mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’ll be more careful in the future.”
“What you will be is over it. The past is the past, let it go,” Rory said, smiling at Keegan.
Lachlan’s jaw hardened, and Elias sighed in frustration. “I agree with your brother. I’ve apologized numerous times. I can’t change what I did, and everyone knows the reasons, so again, I apologize. Let’s just move on and be friends? It’ll just be awkward if we don’t. We all know each other, and we all live here, so it’ll make all our lives easier if we can just move on and put the past to bed.”
“It’s easy for you to say; you weren’t the one who had to deal with it every day,” Lachlan threw at him.
Elias sighed quietly but nodded in response. “Yes, I know, but I did have my own demons, and I took that out on you. I handled my own situation by bullying you. Hindsight is an amazing thing when you can look back and realize all the mistakes you’ve made when you should have just been honest. Back then, I couldn’t see any of that. I just knew that I felt a way I shouldn’t. The way my parents told me I couldn’t feel. I dealt with that by making your life hell. Again, I apologize, and I hope you can forgive me. Like I said, I want to be friends, and I want to be able to talk to you without the past between us.”
“Well, that was a pretty little speech.” Lachlan crossed his arms over his chest and looked Elias up and down. “If you were twice as smart, you’d still be stupid.”
“Lachlan…” Rory murmured.
Elias watched Lachlan and Rory stare at each other and knew that somehow, they were communicating like brothers. Like he did with his own. Eventually, Lachlan sighed and nodded and then turned to face him. “I’ll try. That’s all I can give you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“You know a really good way to get over the past?” Tucker said with a grin on his face. “One of you needs to get down on his knees and give the other—”
“Tucker!” Rory shouted and pointed at Keegan again. “Zip it, or you’ll be sleeping in the spare room.”
“Yes, Ro.”
Elias would have believed Tucker’s apology if it wasn’t for the smile on his face or the sigh from Rory. Keegan ran over to Tucker, who immediately picked him up and tickled him, causing Keegan to squeal in delight.
“So, Elias. Tell us about how you came out.”
“Jesus, Tuck. Start with hard subjects first, why don’t you?”
Tucker shrugged as he grinned at Keegan. “I think if we get it all out in the open, it’ll be easier to move on. You two have issues, and I don’t want to have to deal with them. I’m all for happiness and having a good time, not dealing with your sh— sheep.”
Elias stared at Tucker, his eyes wide. “Sheep?”
Tucker glared back at him. “All I could think of to replace the word I was going to say.”
Rory dropped his head into his hands. “Sheep,” he mumbled, his shoulders shaking as he laughed. “Oh man, that’s the best one yet. Better than barstool.”
“Barstool?” Lachlan threw his head back and burst out laughing and pointed at Tucker. “Oh man, it must be so hard to find other ways to say shi— shoot around Keegs.”
Tucker grinned at Lachlan, who grimaced. “So, Elias, why don’t you tell us how you came out? I’m dying to know all the juicy details.”
Elias watched Tucker arch a brow at Lachlan and saw the scowl on Lachlan’s face return. Sighing, he scratched his head and glanced at Rory, who simply shook his head back at him.
“Just do it. Once it’s over and done with, we can all move on,” Rory said. “You know Tucker better than I do. When has he ever let anything go?”
Yeah, was that ever the truth where Tucker was concerned. “Okay. I’ll tell you all about it.” And he hoped Lachlan didn’t punch him in the face for it.
“I knew before I left high school that I needed to get away,” he said with a shrug. “I wasn’t brave like Lachlan; I just hid who I was, and getting away was the only way I could deal with it. I put in my application for the Navy, and I went throu
gh MEPS—the Military Entrance Processing Station. I was screened to make sure I met the physical, academic, and moral standards to serve in the Navy. The process includes testing for vocational aptitude, a medical exam, a background screening, career counseling and job selection, and an enlistment or commissioning oath. After that, because I was enlisted, I went to boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois. We worked on Navy customs, etiquette, mental and physical fitness, while emphasizing the discipline required for success. Additionally, the training reinforces the Navy core values of honor, courage, and commitment.
“I loved it. All of it. It was exactly what I needed at that time. In boot camp, I found the guts to admit I was gay. I kept it quiet, so only a few people knew. I didn’t have to, but for me, it was private. If someone asked, I’d tell them, but most didn’t care.”
“You’ve been out, what, about ten years?” Tucker asked.
“Yeah. It felt so strange speaking the truth, but as soon as I admitted it, it felt like…” Elias shook his head, trying to find the words to describe how he’d felt. “Like a weight had been lifted off me.”
“Like you could breathe again,” Lachlan murmured. He understood the feelings Elias was trying to describe, only as soon as he had realized, he’d told his family, whereas Elias had hidden them away, too afraid to tell anyone.
Lachlan ground his teeth together in frustration. He didn’t want to feel sorry for Elias, what he’d enjoyed hiding the truth, but having been there for a short amount of time himself, he recognized how hard it must have been for Elias to lie about who he was for so long. Leaning back on the counter, he crossed his arms over his chest. “As soon as I realized I was gay, I told the family. I take it you didn’t?”
Elias snorted as he shook his head. “God, no. My parents aren’t bad now, but back then, I’d have been out on the street.”
Building Bridges (Sater's Creek Book 4) Page 8