by Lynn Stark
“Geez, Jett, we have to come here again soon,” Randy exclaimed as he picked up an egg roll and dipped it in duck sauce.
Laughing, Jett had to chide him. “Aren’t you the one who was saying how we need to eat out less and eat healthier foods?”
Randy ducked his head. “Maybe. Does that mean I can’t order wonton soup to go?”
“Well, it was your suggestion,” Jett teased, “but I don’t see how a little bit of soup can hurt.”
They finished up after Randy ordered two quart-sized containers of wonton soup. Then they were returning home to put the soup away and walk Gemma again before they went grocery shopping. The program Randy was in had paid for the laptop and supplies for school. They also helped with basic necessities like groceries, utilities, and rent. Knowing Randy had spent quite a bit on the things for the apartment, Jett insisted on paying for the extra groceries that would be needed to feed him. He was pleased when Randy didn’t argue. He hoped it would last, because they were about to do some serious shopping.
“Pick out everything you like and things you want to try.”
Because the pantry was empty, they filled several carts. The grocery had a delivery service, so that knowledge helped prevent Randy from having a meltdown.
“What’s better for you, regular dressing or fat-free?” Randy asked curiously as he closely examined the label. They had filled one cart with fresh vegetables and fruits, with salads and snacks in mind.
“Look closely at what’s on the label. A lot of fat-free foods have added sugar to compensate for less fat. It’s all about taste. If you like it, you’re going to eat it. Food manufacturers count on it.”
“Doesn’t seem very fair. It’s like you can’t win, no matter what.”
Chuckling, Jett picked out the ingredients to make salad dressing from scratch. “I’ll show you how to make balsamic vinaigrette. I think you’ll like it.”
It didn’t take a genius to know that Randy didn’t have much experience with healthy eating. Jett had eaten out a lot with Randy these past few weeks. It was unusual for him. Eating out was normally more of a treat for him, rather than a regular experience. It pleased him on several levels that he was sharing his knowledge of healthier eating with Randy.
“Eating healthy will help you feel better. It’ll feed your brain cells, and you’re going to need those now that you’re in school.” To back up what he was telling Randy, he insisted Randy eat more fish and chicken.
Soft laughter was music to Jett’s ears. He continued to tease Randy as they went through the store, making their selections. When Jett put several bottles of hot sauces in a basket for his own purchases, it was Randy’s turn to tease him.
Jett shrugged, and winked. “What can I say, I like things spicy.”
“Is that why they call you Dragon? Or is it because you’re a beast?”
“I do like food very hot. There’s no denying that, which is why my friends nicknamed me Dragon. You’ll just have to wait and see if there’s any truth to the other.”
Randy frowned. “Jett, you know…”
“Time, hon. You’ve got all the time in the world that you need. When you’re ready, I’m ready.” A grin spread across his face. “I might be an old Dragon by then, but I’ll still be a beast.” Jett picked up two more bottles of sauce and grabbed their last filled cart, pushing it toward the front of the store. “It’s going to take hours to put all this stuff away and get it organized.”
“The heck with that, it’s carrying them all upstairs that’s going to suck.”
“Which is why having three very strong, energetic friends comes in handy.” Jett pulled out his phone and made the call.
As the employees from the store loaded the large van with their purchases, Randy and Jett stood to the side. “Why, Jett? Why are you waiting for me?” Randy asked softly, love and confusion in his dark blue eyes.
“Can’t you guess? I’m in love with your junk food-loving self. That’s why you’ve got all the time in the world to discover and accept that you’re in love with me, too.”
Shock replaced whatever else there was in Randy’s eyes. “Just like that?”
“Yep.” Jett looked down at Randy, looking at him closely, and judging his reaction to Jett’s declaration. “I give that a week tops. After all, I’m super-hot and I’m a stud.”
While Jett was not without sensitivity and was able to use a certain amount of tact, he wasn’t going to pussyfoot around all the time either. He felt Randy needed to know how Jett felt, if nothing more. Now any decisions Randy made about them would be with Jett providing full disclosure.
“But not modest.”
“Modesty has never been a problem for me. Now, the delivery guys have the address. Let’s get going and make sure our helpers are there.”
Snake, Pit Bull, and Bear were lounging against Bear’s new truck. Quinn was there, too, obviously eager to help. He waved excitedly as he moved from his place between Snake and Pit Bull, hurrying forward to hug Randy.
“Where are the groceries?” Quinn asked, peering into Randy’s car. “I don’t really think it’s going to take all of us to carry in that one bag. Unless we pass it along, of course,” he added with a giggle, “like a bucket brigade.”
Snake laughed and walked close behind Quinn to look over his shoulder and into the nearly empty car. “I told you guys he was more than a pretty face.”
The delivery van arrived and backed into the driveway beside the house. They formed a line between the van and the house. It wasn’t long before bags and boxes of groceries were being passed along and heading upstairs.
When they had finished unloading the van, everyone made themselves comfortable in Randy’s house. Jett noticed Randy didn’t seem to mind. In fact, there was a smile on his face as he soaked up the jovial atmosphere as food was sorted and put away in the large pantry. Bear, a man with OCD issues, was in charge of organizing the cans on the shelves. No one argued with him. Probably because no one else wanted to deal with it, Jett thought wryly.
At some point bottles of ice cold beer were passed around. Jett guessed that one of his friends had brought it. The brand of beer didn’t give him any clues because they all favored the same.
“Mrs. Green told me I can use the freezer she has downstairs. I don’t have room for all of this this frozen stuff we got. I’ll be right back.”
As soon as Randy was out of sight the questions began. They were expected, but Jett shook his head and lifted a hand. “Yes, I’m interested in Randy. We’re taking it slow and don’t pester him about it. Doing so will only embarrass him.”
“Well, hell, that doesn’t give us much to work with,” Quinn complained.
“The pipsqueak is right,” Pit Bull said, laughing as Quinn took a playful swing at him. “Can’t you give us something more?”
Jett shook his head. “There’s nothing yet to tell. Now zip it with the questions. He’s not going to be gone forever.”
“You guys got enough groceries to last at least six months,” Bear pointed out, stroking his thick beard as he stared at Jett with a calculating gaze. “A year, if it’s only for one. So, which is it? Are you planning on moving in here?”
Was he? It was a lot of groceries. Groceries he hoped to share from time to time, but he would never force anything.
“The truth is, Randy only had a box of cereal, some canned stew, and about a pint of milk in the house. His pantry is stocked now. I’m going to help him learn to eat healthier. Other than hoping to share a meal once in a while, I don’t have any expectations. The future is being determined by Randy. He’s the one in control.”
Quinn clapped, getting Jett’s attention. “That is so cool. You’re exactly the right man for Randy. Now we better stop talking about him. It’s not really right.”
“No, it’s not,” Snake agreed, reaching out to snag Quinn and pull him close. “So, let’s talk about you. You ready to give it up yet?”
Blushing, Quinn shook his head and giggled, covering hi
s mouth with his hand as he did so. Jett laughed as Quinn turned his bright pink face into Snake’s lower chest—the guy really was short—and Snake’s muscular arm went around him to hold him close. The odd pair really had been made for each other.
Jett straightened away from where he had been leaning against the wood-trimmed archway, when he realized Randy was taking a long time putting his purchases in the freezer. He glanced around and saw that Gemma was beside Bear and getting her head scratched, so Randy wasn’t out with his dog.
“I’ll be right back.”
Thinking that maybe the sweet landlady had nabbed Randy for a chat, Jett wasn’t overly concerned that Randy hadn’t returned upstairs yet. He hurried down the stairs toward the room at the rear of the house where the large freezer was located, when he saw Randy standing out on the back porch. His head was bent and Jett thought he saw the man shaking.
Pushing the screen door open, Jett went outside. “What’s wrong, honey?” He didn’t know if he should touch Randy or not, so he didn’t.
Without turning around, Randy held up a sheet of paper. “This. It’s like my worst nightmare coming true.”
The paper had two folds in it. It was cheap paper, with nothing special about it. Jett opened it fully and read the words typed on it.
I want my dog back. One quick fuck wasn’t nearly enough of a payment.
Swearing, Jett wanted to crumple the paper—he wanted to set it on fire. He wanted to destroy it, leaving nothing but smoke and ash. However, it was evidence, a threat against Randy. Someone was out to hurt Randy, and Jett wanted to know who it was. He didn’t want to go after the wrong person. Who was it? He knew Randy claimed he had never met Brad Barker before. Could he be mistaken? After all, a dark alley, rain, and raw suffering, didn’t provide the perfect conditions to make out the features of another person. Jett suspected, too, that when selling your body for drugs, a person didn’t make a lot of eye contact.
“Jett?”
The sound of the pain in Randy’s voice was enough to break Jett’s heart. “Come here, honey. I’m right here for you. I’m not going anywhere.” Randy burrowed against Jett’s chest. “We’ll deal with this together.” The slender arms now around Jett’s middle were holding on tight. Randy’s body shook violently against him, so much so Jett was afraid the man would pass out. For the second time in a day Randy began to cry, intensifying Jett’s protective instincts.
Although Jett would turn over the note to the sheriff, and he would be there for Randy when Grayson interviewed him, after that he would go on the hunt. As far as he was concerned, Barker had written the note. The man had been a threat to Randy for months. The fact that the two men had been in Silver for the same length of time meant it was likely that Barker had followed Randy from Miami. Unfortunately Randy hadn’t made the connection, believing Barker had randomly zeroed in on Randy after his arrival in Silver. Barker was definitely a stalker and more of a threat than they had believed.
Once Sheriff Evans was aware of Barker’s previous involvement in Randy’s life, Jett would go hunting. Barker would be lucky if Evans found him first.
Chapter Nine
Randy didn’t know what it was about Jett, but he felt perfectly safe at his most vulnerable. Strong arms had held him close. Soft words comforted him. Then there were the tender kisses. It seemed to be Jett’s favorite way to soothe him and show his affection.
As much as he’d feared being close to anyone both physically and emotionally, Randy knew he was losing that fear where Jett was concerned. It made him wonder if he could have a relationship. Holding onto fear and living with it would make his life a long, miserable one, something he hadn’t thought of before now, before meeting Jett. Living with the shame he felt because of the life he had led would also be a burden he didn’t want to carry with him. But could he let it go?
He would have to, if he wanted to be with Jett. The man hadn’t even flinched when Randy had told him about his past. Since then, Jett had told Randy he loved him. Yeah, that was something worth giving up the baggage for. Jett was worth it. He was an incredible man and Randy was willing to work through his problems so he could heal. He wanted to give love a chance.
Wasn’t coming to Silver all about second chances? He should give love a first chance.
Jett had remained close to Randy as he spoke with the sheriff. He hadn’t wanted to, but knew he had no choice if he wanted to rid himself of the threat.
When Jett had gently suggested that Barker was the man from the alley the night Randy had gotten Gemma, Randy finally had to face that possibility. It also made him reevaluate himself. While he had believed he was a survivor, Randy had to accept that he had been something of a wimp, too. Maybe that had been so he would have time to heal, to adjust to his new life. If that was so, he was now done with hiding from both real and imagined threats. Having someone to love, and to love him, was suddenly very important to Randy.
Now Randy tipped his head back to look up at Jett. They were sitting close together on the huge couch. While it might look like cuddling if someone saw them, it couldn’t be called cuddling yet. They had to settle things between them.
A lot had happened since he woke up that morning. If anyone would have asked if he felt his life would be turned upside down yet again, he would have answered no.
“Okay.”
Dark brows rose. “Okay, what?” Jett asked.
Heat flowed into Randy’s cheeks as he realized Jett couldn’t possibly know what he was talking about. “I think we should go for it, be boyfriends, if you still want to.”
The smile that spread across Jett’s handsome face was all Randy needed to tell him that he had made the right decision. Randy was given another one of those soft, sweet kisses. They were as good as any medicine.
“Being boyfriends is a good place to start. What made you decide you wanted to try?”
“I figured if I’m this miserable now without giving this thing between us a chance, I would be really miserable if I didn’t. Does that make sense?”
“Yeah, it does. Now, as much as I enjoy sitting here with you, I think we should talk about a few other things, including what we’re making for supper. You said earlier that you’d never had a grilled chicken salad.”
“Sounds good to me. What else are we going to talk about?”
“Whether or not I should move into the spare bedroom.”
Randy frowned in confusion and shook his head. “If we’re boyfriends, then we can sleep in the same room, right?”
Jett nodded. “We could, but I told you we have all the time in the world. We don’t have to share a room and a bed. We can start off just sharing the apartment and see how it goes.”
Disappointment shot all the way through Randy, right down to his toes. “I don’t know much about give and take, but I think we should work on a compromise. I respect the fact that you’re willing to take this slow, and we probably should, but I would like to propose something for you to consider.”
Randy felt Jett’s larger body shake. Was the man laughing at him? His eyes narrowed as he studied Jett’s face. “What is this proposition?”
“That we share the same bed. We can keep our underwear on,” he added quickly. “Or T-shirts and sweats.”
Jett groaned. “Honey baby, I’m strong, but I’m not impervious to the temptation you represent. Just think about it. You, me, a bed, darkness surrounding us, how long do you think it would be before one of us snapped?”
“Seriously? You’d snap?”
“Well, you could snap first, overpower me, and rip all my clothes off.”
Randy laughed at the image Jett’s words brought to mind. He laughed harder than he could remember ever laughing before. Hell, it felt so strange and wonderful at the same time, it was almost as if he’d never truly laughed until this moment, with this man. It was something else they could share.
When their shared laughter quieted, Randy relaxed against Jett’s body, allowing them to enjoy the moment. “Okay, salad
and separate bedrooms it is. I have to trust you to know what’s best for me right now.”
“No, I have to know what’s best for us.”
* * * *
Jett knew what was best for them, even if his body said otherwise and Randy was tempting him with his belief that he was ready for a physical relationship. If there was one thing Jett did know for certain, it was that Randy was not ready for sex. Jett wanted the man to get used to the very basic knowledge that they were now in a relationship, one beyond friendship. They both had to get used to that, but especially Randy. The man had been significantly damaged by what had happened in his past. Randy still had healing to do.
Waiting until he was certain Randy was asleep, Jett got out of the bed in the spare room and dressed, moving silently and with practiced ease. He wasn’t worried about Gemma alerting Randy if she heard him moving around. She wasn’t much of a watchdog and tended to burrow next to the human she loved more than any other on the planet. When he glanced into Randy’s bedroom he saw he had been right about both occupants of the bed. Dog and master were sleeping soundly.
Jett quietly left the apartment by the back door, looking around the yard, before going to meet his friends on the sidewalk. “Thanks for coming. I’ll make this quick. I know the sheriff’s department has been keeping an eye out for Barker and haven’t been able to find him. Until Randy got the letter today, we all thought that Barker had moved on after getting in that fight. After all, it’s the way he does things. Now I believe the reason Barker has been so obsessed with Randy is because they met in Miami. The city is the one thing that connects them both.”
“Makes sense.”
Relieved that no one asked what the possible connection was between Randy and Barker, Jett went on. That was Randy’s story to tell, not Jett’s. “I want to do what we do best. We’ve only been watching and hoping he’d make a mistake. The fact that someone got to house to leave the letter means we screwed up somehow. Any possible ideas how? We’ve been on both streets, in front and behind the house.”