His stomach growled. “Smells good.”
“Yeah. This is one of my favorite spots.”
A young guy behind the counter called out to them. “Hey guys, seat yourselves, and we’ll be right with you.”
They mumbled their thanks and made their way to a booth. The seats were covered with red vinyl and the table was old Formica. “Looks like a great place should look, too.” Ollie rapped his knuckles on the table.
“I swear this place has been here, like, forever.”
A young lady wearing a t-shirt with the name of the joint across her breasts and denim shorts came over and poured them both steaming cups of coffee. “What can I get y’all?”
“Menus?” Ollie asked.
Jeremy and the waitress chuckled, but she answered, “Hun, this is a breakfast joint. If it’s breakfast, we got it. What do you feel like?”
“Uh...okay. Pancakes, bacon. Extra bacon. Maybe scrambled eggs?”
“Make that two,” Jeremy chimed in. “And keep the coffee flowing.”
“Right. You got it guys. I’ll bring you a carafe.”
She left to get their orders taken care of. Ollie reached out across the table and grabbed Jeremy’s hand. “I like this. We seriously have to go out more. You know? Like a date. A real date. I’m gonna take you.” He rubbed Jeremy’s knuckles with his thumb, loving the feel of their strong hands combined.
“I don’t care about that sort of thing.”
“I do.”
“I only want to enjoy whatever we do. We get to make our own rules. Right.?”
Ollie laughed. “Is that more of that Zen shit?”
“Tao.” Jeremy’s brows furrowed, making Ollie laugh until Jeremy smiled. “Shut up.”
“You keep telling me that.”
Before he could say anything, the guy from behind the counter showed up with the carafe of coffee. He was cute with big blue eyes and blond hair.
Jeremy pulled his hand away, scowling. “That was quick.”
The waiter cocked his hip to the side. “I only have one speed around here.” He snapped his fingers. “Fast!” Then he winked at Ollie.
The guy dashed off, and Ollie stared after him for a moment, before turning to Jeremy and lifting an eyebrow. “What?”
Jeremy busted out laughing.
Ollie chuckled. “Now, stop it...” They sipped coffee and talked until their food came. Afterward, with a full belly, Ollie wondered about what was next. He didn’t want to end this time relaxing with Jeremy. “So, what? You’re hanging out at the beach all weekend, J?”
“Yep. I called work. I have more time before Sheila could work me back into the schedule, so that’s the plan. Hanging out in the sun doing nothing is so damned good sometimes. I think I need that right now. You know?”
“Yeah. I want to hang out with you. Is that okay?”
Jeremy nodded, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He fingered the shark tooth necklace he wore. “When do you have to go back?”
He shrugged. “Depends. I don’t have to report anywhere. If I catch a case, well...” He held a hand up. “But even that isn’t like immediate. I have a few other guys in the field with the app now to help.”
“Okay then. Let’s pay up and get out of here. There’s sand and surf calling!”
Thirty-Six – Jeremy
Journal Entry: Sometimes...Enmity is the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something. Tao tells us that heaven always sides with good, it plays no favorites. It is those without virtue who collect taxes. I always think collecting taxes means making people pay, and most times that means emotionally. The emotional payment we shouldn’t have to pay. It’s so hard to get a grip on life sometimes, especially when others are hostile toward us, interrupting our peace. I think our struggle as humans is in learning to let that shit go.
The chirping of Ollie’s ring-tone woke them up. Jeremy groaned and pulled the pillow over his head as Ollie reached for the phone. “I know this is not going to be good. Do you have to answer it?”
Ollie chuckled and shoved his foot into Jeremy’s thigh. “Shush. It’s work. Yeah, Mendosa.”
Jeremy turned over and watched Ollie take his call in the darkness. The sun wasn’t even up yet. He sighed and got up to make coffee. Their time alone had come to an end. Tense vibes rolled from his boyfriend. Boyfriend?
Well, he had asked Jeremy to move in with him. Sort of.
Before he had the coffee brewing, Ollie joined him in the kitchen. “Hey. Jeremy. Listen...”
“What?” His heart pumped fast at the concern written all over Ollie’s face. “Tell me.”
“Okay. The team, uh, they’ve apprehended Star. Finally.”
“That’s good. Right? So, why are you still frowning?”
“Seems as if they caught her at the condo, trying to break into your unit. But...it wasn’t empty.”
“Spit it out already. Damn it.” He couldn’t take the buildup. Ollie was normally very blunt and to the point, particularly around work stuff. He was stalling.
“Scottie was there.”
“Oh? And...”
“He was shot. He’s on the way to the hospital.”
Jeremy stood there. Naked and exposed and empty.
Scottie.
“J, that’s all I know. So, we have to go. Call whoever. Get dressed. Come on.” Ollie shoved Jeremy around, but Jeremy didn’t register what Ollie wanted from him.
“W-What do I do? What do I do?”
“Come on. Go put some clothes on first. Okay. Can you do that for me?”
Ollie put his hands on Jeremy’s face and forced him to look into those tawny and broody eyes. Something in them that made him want to move. He nodded and pulled away, heading to his room.
Clothes.
Jeans. T-shirt.
He shoved his feet into his beat-up canvas shoes and slid his wallet into his back pocket.
He walked out to the living room and looked around.
“Jeremy. Your phone?”
He found it and pocketed it.
“Do you want to call Scottie’s mom?”
Jeremy nodded, but he didn’t dial the phone. He looked around his little apartment. This had been his home for a long time. His peace, sanctuary. He was utterly lost, despite the familiar surroundings.
Warm arms came around him. “I’ve got you. Okay?” Ollie stroked his back. “It’s going to be okay, but it’s a long drive back to Jax. We have to go. You have to pull it together.”
Jeremy nodded.
Ollie handed him a helmet, and he put it on. He wasn’t sure why. He was going through motions. He locked up his apartment and got behind Ollie on his bike.
It was a good four-hour drive to Jacksonville. Jeremy barely remembered it. He only recalled holding on to Ollie as if his grip could make Scottie hold on too.
When they got to the hospital, Aunt Bernie was in the waiting room. When she saw him, she jumped up and ran over and hugged him. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here, Jere.”
“Yeah. Ollie got me here.”
Bernie shook Ollie’s hand, and they sat down in the hard plastic chairs.
“Do you know how he is? Is he going to be okay?”
“I’m pretty sure he’ll be fine. The neighbors helped with first aid, and they did a little surgery. He’s in recovery.”
“Surgery?” The room spun around Jeremy.
Warm arms surrounded him. “Don’t panic, J. It’s okay. I’ve got you, and I’m here. I’m with you. No matter what.” The sweet words whispered in that husky voice calmed Jeremy. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath.
Aunt Bernie held his hand. “It’s okay, Jere—”
“No. This is all my fault.” He closed his eyes, but he saw Dano’s face and opened them quick.
“It’s not, and it doesn’t matter. Scottie is fine. Tabby is with him now. You can go back in a minute.”
“Okay. Okay.” Jeremy still wasn’t sure.
“Jere, it was his foot.
You do know that right?” Bernie asked abruptly.
“What? Foot?”
“Yes. He was fighting that girl, grabbing the gun from her, and it went off, shooting him in the foot. But the cops were right there, and they got her.”
Ollie stared at his phone. “I think he was stalling her.”
“What a dumb ass,” Jeremy muttered. “He should have let her go. He could have been killed.”
Bernie sighed and rubbed Jeremy’s arm. “I’ll let you tell him that.”
They had a few more hours to wait, and once the fear and panic wore off, Jeremy relaxed and quickly became bored. He picked up a magazine, thumbing through it.
Ollie flicked the top of the paper. “Uh...J? Isn’t that like Cosmo for gay guys?”
Jeremy flipped over to the cover. GQ. He snorted. “What do you know about Cosmo?”
Ollie stared at him with a blank face.
“There you go.”
Ollie laughed and grabbed Jeremy’s thigh, squeezing lightly. “You know, J. I want to make you happy. I want us happy. Together.”
“That sounds like a good plan, Ollie.”
“So...uh, I think you need to see someone.”
“Uh...I’m seeing you, right?” Jeremy set the magazine on the table.
“That’s not what I mean.”
“You mean like a shrink?”
Ollie tapped his thigh. “A therapist. Yeah? I think you need that.”
Jeremy thought about it for a moment. Overall, despite what he’d told Scottie, he wasn’t dealing with it well. The nightmares still chased him, and every knock on the door sent him into a panic. “Okay. Maybe you’re right.”
Ollie leaned over and kissed the side of his head. “I’m with you all the way, J.”
“Thanks.” Ollie was beginning to be more like home than any place ever had.
Thirty-Seven – Jeremy
Journal Entry: I’m not entirely sure if my philosophy of life has changed or if I’ve adapted my life to better fit it. Either way, my path seems to be a lot more about spending time with my family and Ollie. People are important, and while I’ve always tried to find balance on my path, I was overlooking that very big part of it. I don’t regret moving to Jax for one second. It was scary at first. Part of me was afraid to leave the safety of Clearwater, but no, not one second spent looking back. I get to spend time with Scottie and Aunt Bernie and getting to know her husband and my other cousins better. Not to mention Ollie. He’s been great. We found a place ten minutes from the beach, and I used my part of the sale of the condo to put up half the down payment on the mortgage. So, the house is ours. Not me moving in with him but both of ours. It’s bigger than that. Better. I love our little cottage. I’ve been redecorating in my spare time, and I even let Ollie get a big screen TV. Bernie told me the pocket watch that I’m now very fond of had indeed belonged to my grandfather. He had been a lovely man that cared about his family. He died when I was a baby, so I didn’t know him at all, but now his watch reminds me of the importance of family and spending every minute I can loving them. That’s the most important thing on my path. Love and family.
The sun was scorching, and Jeremy had to reapply sunscreen to his face and shoulders, making Ollie get his back and legs, or he’d fry to a crisp. He sat beside Ollie on the blanket, once he was sufficiently lathered in coconut and banana scented lotion. “This is nice.”
“Mm...”
“I feel like a barbequed fruit salad.”
Ollie burst out laughing and set his book aside. “Damn, J. Sometimes I’m amazed that you make me laugh so much.”
“What? Why? You don’t think philosophers have a sense of humor?”
Ollie pounced on Jeremy, pushing his shoulders to the blanket. He kissed Jeremy hard, and Jeremy kissed him back. When Ollie finally sat up, he stared at Jeremy with a strange expression on his face. One Jeremy hadn’t seen before.
“What? What is it?”
“I love you, J. I love our life. You balance me out. I’m not only thinking about work, and it’s way more than any hookup—”
“I should hope so.”
Ollie laughed, but then he scowled. “I’m being serious.”
“Okay. No joking. I love you, too. This has been the most amazing year of my life. Even with the bad things that happened. You more than made up for all of that. I love being with you.” He reached over and trailed his finger down Ollie’s shoulder.
Ollie smiled. “Is that more of your Zen shit or what?”
“Tao,” Jeremy growled.
“I’m kidding, you.”
“Okay. So, why the serious face earlier?”
“I want you to go to New York with me. To visit. I want to show you around. You can meet some of my friends and people I’ve worked with.” He shrugged as if trying to make it sound casual, but Jeremy could tell that it was more important than he let on.
“That’s serious all right.”
Ollie smiled again. Jeremy loved how happy Ollie had become. When they’d first met, he frowned more than he smiled and obsessed about his app. Everything was great, and he was excited to move forward with Ollie.
“It’s not that serious. My friends will love you. It’ll be a short trip, so don’t worry ‘bout it. Now, sing me a song, J.”
Jeremy smiled and hummed a few bars before breaking out into the lyrics of some Jimmy Buffet tune. Yep. Life with Ollie under the hot Florida sun was perfect.
“Oh. Jeremy!” Ollie sat up.
“What?” He put his hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun.
“I talked to Walker yesterday.”
“Oh? How’s he doing.”
“Fine. He’s fine, but...”
Jeremy sat up and dug his toes in the sand at the edge of the blanket. “But what?”
“He never found your friend. Not one person at the coffee shop even remembers him.”
“That’s so weird.”
“I know, but maybe he wasn’t hanging around there long enough for anyone to remember. It’s a busy shop. I’m sure he’s moved on.”
“You’re right. I’m sure.” It made Jeremy a little sad, though. He hoped they’d find his hippie-guru, hoped he would have another friend in town.
“Anyway. He’s not connected to any criminal cases either, so they’re letting it go. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I get it. Either he’ll show up again or he won’t.” Jeremy would take it like Karma. Good or bad, it simply was. “We need to get going anyway. I’ve got work soon.”
“Ah, yeah. That club won’t survive without you,” Ollie snickered, but he wasn’t wrong.
Jeremy had quickly gone from bartender to team lead, to floor supervisor and was pretty sure that if things kept going well, they’d make him the night manager. He was the most experienced one on the crew. Most of the others were college kids. Jeremy had never wanted a higher position with more responsibilities, but he seemed pretty good at it, and it paid a little more. “You know it. I’m the best.”
Ollie chuckled. “You are for sure. Come on.”
They packed up and headed back to their little cottage with Jeremy riding behind Ollie, arms around his waist, holding on tight. He wanted to hold onto Ollie like that for the rest of his life. The path to get there seemed winding and challenging, but they’d managed to not only cross their paths, but merge them. Only time would tell if they’d make it work, but Jeremy was more than willing to give it a try.
Bonus Features
Whispered Secrets
-Jeremy Ringer
Whisper your secret onto my lips
Pressed hot against my own
Slide your story along my tongue
Listen to my moan
I feel your vibrations in my soul
I know your heart like my oldest friend
Tell me your secrets and listen to mine
Until I don't know from beginning or end
Take me into your body
Share each breath and sigh
Feel
the passion on my skin
The secret in your eyes makes me high
Whisper your secrets into my life
Hot lips pressed against my neck
Slide your story inside my body
Live with me a new life, not predicted.
Days of Goats
(contributed by Michael Asble)
For the new day has dawned
And I so ever calmly open the gates
To the wheaten fields of yesterday
As I allow the Billy goat of today inside
To abruptly clean those weeds of yesterday
For I am truly free to enjoy the fresh flowers
Of this new day
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynn Michaels lives and writes in Tampa, Florida where the sun is hot and the Sangria is cold. When she’s not writing she’s kayaking, hanging with her husband, or reading by the pool. Lynn writes Male/Male romance because she believes everyone deserves a happy ending and the dynamics of male characters can be intriguing, vulnerable, and exciting. She has both contemporary and paranormal titles and has been writing since 2014. Her stories don’t follow any set guidelines or ideas, but come from her heart and contain love in many forms.
ALSO BY LYNN MICHAELS
The Holeshot Series
The Holeshot
Holeshot 2
Holeshot Christmas
Stand Alone Novels/Novellas
Wanton
Lines On The Mirror
Evasive Maneuvers
Our Own Story
Out Of The Ocean
Shot The Plot
Universe Series
Cupid’s Christmas Arrow
Anthologies
Take A Chance – Want You Bad
Bets With Benefits
Love is Love (poetry)
Coming Soon...
Demon or Angel, Book 1 of Age of Exilum
Bike Business: A Holeshot Novel
Paint On The Canvas
https://rubiconwriting.com/lynn-michaels
Time for Love Page 16