by Riley Hart
As soon as the words left his mouth, Isaac’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket. The smile on Isaac’s face told Mason everything he needed to know. “Don’t answer it.”
He swiped the screen. “Hello, Mom. How are you?”
And by Mom, he meant Mason’s mother. “Shit,” he mumbled.
“That’s good. I’m doing well. Just sitting here having a cup of coffee with Mason.”
Motherfucker. Mason would kill him.
“Yeah, sure, you can talk to him.”
Isaac held the phone out to him, and Mason shook his head. This wasn’t okay. Not at all. When he didn’t take it right away, Isaac covered it with his hand, his voice soft when he said, “she’s still your mom, Mase.”
He knew that. He did…but why couldn’t he feel it? Not that Mason loved his parents any less, but things felt different now. Could they really love him the way he always thought they had? His whole life felt like a lie now.
Mason reached out and took the phone from him. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hello. How are you?” He hated the tentativeness in her voice, though did he expect anything different? He’d been standoffish. He wasn’t proud of that, but it was true.
“I’m doing well. I’ve been keeping busy.” His way of excusing the fact that he rarely called.
“How is the bar going?”
“Really well. We stay pretty steady most nights. Just like the restaurants, the weekends are the busiest. I recently had to hire a new bartender.”
“Oh, wow. That’s great, Mason. It sounds like things are going wonderfully. We sure miss you around here. Not just the family, but people ask about you all the time. You’ve always been like that. Everyone loves you.”
Guilt created a vacuum inside him, sucking out all his air. Regardless of blood, this was the woman who raised him. The woman who took care of him and loved him. She was also the woman who lied to him his whole life. Why couldn’t he forget that?
“I miss you guys, too. I’ll come visit soon. It’s just so hard with the bar.”
“Of course… we understand. Though, we can always come there as well. We’d love to see the place. I see you have Isaac out.”
No, he hadn’t had Isaac out at all. The man had just shown up. There was a difference, and that’s exactly where he’d feared this conversation would go. One of the places, at least.
“He’s one of my oldest friends, Mom. That’s all.”
She sighed. “I just feel so guilty. It wasn’t Isaac’s fault. He hadn’t known for long, and he didn’t tell you because we asked him not to. You grew up with him. You two were happy together. I hate to see you throw that away because of our mistake.”
How did he tell his mom that wasn’t it? That they were friends and had great sex and staying together had been easy, more than anything? They knew what each other liked and didn’t have to worry about the other getting upset when they spent too much time at work. Mason didn’t want the same things anymore.
“He misses you,” his mom added.
Mason tried not to get frustrated. “I know you mean well, but I’m too old to have my mother play matchmaker. I’m a big boy, and so is Isaac. People break up all the time.”
“I know that. I just…”
She didn’t have to finish for him to know what she meant. She felt bad and she wanted to make up for it. Trying to get him back together with Isaac couldn’t do that, though. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if she had something to make up for. Mason just didn’t know what he felt anymore. “I get it, Mom. Listen, I hate to cut this short but I have to go. I’ll call soon, okay? And I’ll make it back home.”
“Okay…bye, Mason. We love you.”
“I love you, too.” Mason hung up the phone and stared at Isaac with hard eyes. “Don’t bring them into this game you’re playing, Isaac. You’re going to hurt them.”
He shrugged. “Maybe it’s not a game.”
Mason didn’t have time for this. Shaking his head, he went to the bathroom to take a shower and try to forget about his ex and their morning.
***
“We’re going to start with middle “C” and finger warm-ups. This key is middle “C”.” Gavin pressed down and watched Jessie smile. “Here, put your right hand on the keys like this.” He showed her, and Jessie did as he asked. “Start with your thumb and then press each finger down on the key it rests on.”
Gavin worked on the piano with Jessie for an hour before she looked up at him and asked him to play a song for her.
“What do you want to hear?”
She thought for a second. “Something fun.” When she looked at him with her big eyes, he suddenly felt a hundred pounds of pressure weighing him down. He didn’t want to let her down. He glanced over at Wes and Braden, who sat at the kitchen table.
Gavin didn’t even have to speak for Braden to say, “See what we deal with? It’s impossible not to want to give her the world.”
Yeah, he definitely saw it.
“Thank you,” Jessie grinned happily.
Oh boy. They were in trouble with her. Gavin turned toward the piano again and just let himself play. He chose Fur Elise. He wasn’t sure if Jessie would consider it fun but most people seemed to like it. It’s always what students asked to learn.
Gavin’s heart beat along with the notes of the song. His body felt in tune to it the way he always did when he played.
When he moved to Blackcreek, he’d had to sell his piano. Though it hadn’t been long, he missed it. He didn’t realize how much until he started to give Jessie her lesson today.
When the song ended Jessie began clapping and jumping up and down. “I want to play like that! Will I be able to play like that one day?” she asked.
“You will. I bet you’ll be even better.”
“Yay!” She smiled at him and then ran over to Wes, who hugged her. From there she went to Braden, who held her. He looked over Jessie’s head at Wes, and damned if he didn’t feel the love from the three of them all the way across the room.
Wes stood and ruffled Jessie’s hair. “Come on, kiddo. I promised your aunt I would have you over there before dinner.”
The little girl gave Braden a kiss goodbye before shouting, “Bye, Gavin! Thank you!”
Wes thanked him as well and then the two of them left. The door hardly clicked closed before Braden asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Damn it. He could never get one past Braden. “I’ve been asking myself the same thing about you since the moment we met.” Gavin turned sideways and ran his fingers down the keys.
“Funny, man. How are things with your family?” Braden asked.
“Why do you insist on talking about them every time I’m with you? Are you going to start charging me for your services, and if so, aren’t I supposed to have a couch to lie on?”
“Maybe,” Braden replied, simply. Obviously he wasn’t going to take Gavin’s bait and change the subject.
“It is what it is. Why hash it out?” Gavin shrugged. Talking about it wouldn’t change things. His father was still losing his mind and his mom still thought he was going to Hell.
“Fine, then we’ll talk about your love life. You need to get laid.”
Gavin stopped playing. He hated how Braden assumed that Gavin hadn’t. That he’d stayed home the day Braden came over and noticed the bite mark. “How do you know I haven’t?”
“Because I know you.”
Ouch. Gavin stood. “Listen, I better head out.” He loved his friend, but he wanted this conversation over. “And mind your own business. Settling down has made you a gossip.”
Shaking his head, Braden stood, too. “You mean a nosy bastard, but I’ve always been that. You’re my friend. I care about you.”
And he maybe felt a little bit of guilt that things hadn’t worked out between them. That’s the way Braden was, though. Gavin hated it now as much as he had then. Somehow he’d always made Braden feel like he needed to take care of Gavin.
“I know. But I’m a g
rown man. I can figure out what I need for my life.”
Braden nodded and clapped him on the shoulder. “Then do it.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Excuse me.” Gavin went to the left, and Mason the right. Considering they were walking in opposite directions, it meant Gavin’s left was Mason’s right. So Mason went the other way, just as Gavin did the same.
“You stay,” Mason teased Gavin as he worked his way around him behind the bar. It was Friday night and they’d been like this the whole time—awkward, which in itself was awkward as hell. Mason hadn’t been that way around another man since he was a fumbling teenager.
The bar stayed steady the whole night. He and Gavin stayed fairly quiet, almost tiptoeing around each other although Mason didn’t really know why.
By the time the bar closed he was about done with it. Mason locked up while Gavin wiped down the tables. The thing was, Mason had always been stubborn. With Gavin being standoffish, it made him the same. So instead of saying anything, he started to count down the register. When he looked up the next time, Gavin came out from the back, probably from the bathroom.
“I’m done here. I just need to grab something from my office and we can head out.” Mason made sure to lock down his office like he did every night before making a quick stop to wash the day’s work from his hands.
When he stepped into the hallway he heard the soft sound of the guitar. Slowly, Mason made his way toward the sound in the main area of the bar. Gavin sat in a chair on the stage, with his head down, playing.
Mason couldn’t see his face but he could tell by Gavin’s body language how much he and the music were connecting. It made him smile, though he wasn’t really sure why. Maybe because he wasn’t sure Gavin had ever connected with another human being the way he did with music.
Without a word, Mason made his way over. He sat the same way he had the first time Gavin played, with the chair backward and his eyes on the man. His hair fell in his face as his fingers danced along the cords as though they had a mind of their own. As though the guitar and Gavin’s hand worked together.
It was a beautiful sight.
Mason no sooner thought the words before Gavin glanced up. He startled slightly, obviously not having realized he had an audience. “Shit. Sorry.”
“Don’t stop,” Mason told him. Gavin’s brows pulled together but he still did as Mason said—he continued to play the soft, acoustic melody. “What’s wrong with you today? Hell, what was wrong with you the other day, too?”
For a second he thought Gavin would stop playing. His fingers fumbled but he quickly found his rhythm again. “Your ex, what’s the deal with him?”
So that’s what this was about? Jealousy? It only rang partially true. “Why do you want to know?”
“Because I fucked you the night before. I know exactly what it was—a fuck—but I also don’t want to play games. I don’t want to get in the middle if you two could work things out.” His fingers fumbled again. And maybe what he said was part of the truth, but Mason could see Gavin was jealous. Damned if he didn’t almost like that.
“We won’t. My family and Isaac are close. I’ve known him my whole life. We dated for a few years. We’re friends and we get along. We both wanted the same things so it worked. Months before I did, Isaac found out I’m adopted. I don’t know how and don’t give a shit. All I know was he didn’t tell me. There’s no chance we’re getting back together.”
Gavin’s playing quieted.
“Don’t stop,” Mason said again. Gavin’s forehead wrinkled but he picked up the music again.
“Can you blame him? It wasn’t really his place.”
Mason crossed his arms over the back of the chair. “You trying to talk me into getting back together with my ex or what?”
“No, he’s an asshole. You know that’s the truth, though.”
And Mason did. It wasn’t Isaac’s responsibility to tell him. That belonged to his parents. “Maybe it was the excuse I needed to move on. Just like telling my family I won’t be moving back to Denver to take care of the restaurants—I used the truth about my adoption as a way to tell them I wasn’t going back. Isaac and I…hell the sex was always good, but—”
Gavin hit a wrong note. Yep, he was jealous. Mason grinned.
“But… This makes me sound like a bastard, but Isaac was always the life I tried to force myself to have. We both have business degrees and we both worked for my family. He was another thing that just happened. It was easy so we kept it going. That’s all it ever was.”
“Does he know that?” Gavin asked.
“He’s in denial.” Mason winked at him. “Let’s keep this little game of tit for tat going. Why don’t you tell me why you were late on Wednesday? Why have you been in a shitty mood since then?”
***
“Tit for tat, huh?” Gavin stalled. Talking about his family made him feel weak. It pissed him off and made guilt eat him alive at the same time. He didn’t want to go through any of those emotions with Mason, especially not all three of them.
“Yeah. For some reason you turn me into a chatty motherfucker.”
He wanted to chat? Gavin could chat. “I gave Jessie a piano lesson today. It made me realize how much I miss playing. I used to play at a few dueling piano bars.”
Mason didn’t reply. He didn’t look away from Gavin, either. Not gonna work, asshole, his eyes said every time Gavin caught them.
“You have a way of getting what you want, don’t you?”
“Hopefully, I do with you. That’s all I’m worried about right now.”
Gavin continued to play. Looking down he watched his fingers, thankful he had this thing that he loved so damn much. Music had saved him many times in his life. “My father…he asked about family. If I had a wife and had given him grandchildren, because he and Mom always wanted them. I opened my mouth to remind him but she cut me off. Made up a story about women who would be lucky to have me. We talked about the teaching job she pretended I still have and they said how proud they are of me and I…let it go. I just fucking let it go.”
Gavin fought to tune out his own words, to concentrate on the music because it was the one love he always had. “I just fucking decided I was done quietly living my life. Done feeling guilty about who I am. That’s what I came here for—a fresh start; and all I did was keep my mouth shut. Afterward she told me this was a silver lining in Dad’s illness. His mind is going so that makes it easier to pretend. So he won’t have to die knowing that he’ll never see me again.”
Because while his father would be in Heaven—Gavin would be in Hell.
Gavin shook his head. “Stop making me do this. I managed to escape my talk with Braden today, yet I come here and you manage to pry it all out of me.” He didn’t want to work through the fact that he’d been willing to share something with Mason that he hadn’t with his oldest friend.
When Mason didn’t reply, Gavin looked over at him—watched him stretch out his long legs and stand. Watched him move the chair to the side and walk over to him. Watched as Mason stopped in front of Gavin. As he touched one hand, then the other, stopping Gavin from playing.
“Now, he wants me to stop.” Gavin tried to lighten the moment but Mason ignored it.
He took the guitar from Gavin’s hand and set it on the ground, and then said, “I like you, Teach.”
He liked Mason as well. “You don’t know me.”
“So? I know you’re sexy. I know you’re a teacher and your parents have a fucked up idea of what the world is about. I know you love music and that you like to help people, which is an admirable quality. You’re fun to be around, and you tell me things when I try to force them out of you. It’s like you trust me, and that means something to me. I also know you’re thirty years old and you’re trying to figure out what the hell you really want out of your life, just like I am.” Mason shrugged. “You’re a good fuck, too. I know that.”
Gavin laughed. He liked that Mason tried to level the heavy with a jo
ke. His mind went back to what Braden said earlier—when Gavin told him he could figure out what he wanted for his life, Braden told him to do that. He’d been right. “Yeah, I guess I am.” And then, “I like you, too, boss.” He did. With Mason he felt a little less lost—or maybe just that he wasn’t lost alone.
“Then I guess there’s only one thing for us to do.” Mason nodded for Gavin to stand and he did.
“And what’s that?”
“Well, since we’re both on this kick to experience life, and to figure out what we want…and since we both want each other, I figure that means we don’t have much choice than to go on this ride together. Might crash and burn or might go for a joyride and then decide it’s not our thing, but I’m sure we’ll have a whole hell of a lot of fun in the process.”
Gavin got exactly what Mason was saying. They weren’t making any promises. Who knew what would happen? They hardly knew each other, but they liked what they knew so far. They had good chemistry and had a good time together. Maybe it would be something, but maybe it wouldn’t. But he agreed they’d have fun testing the waters.
“Well…since we don’t have a choice and all.”
Mason cocked that brow of his at Gavin and smiled. Damned if Gavin didn’t feel good. Better than he remembered feeling in a long time.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Mason followed Gavin to his house. Not that the couch in his office wasn’t fun and all, but this time he wanted to fuck in a bed. Or against the wall, over the counter, or anything else they could think of. He just wanted it somewhere other than his bar.
He got his chance, because the second they walked into Gavin’s house, the man was all over him. The kiss was sloppy and urgent but he didn’t care. It was full of one hundred percent hunger, and that’s all he gave a shit about.
They stumbled over a rug and almost fell. Mason laughed into Gavin’s neck as he bit him there.
“You and those teeth.”
“I like to bite.” He nipped Gavin’s skin again and Gavin groaned before pushing Mason against the closed front door. He hit hard, the knob jamming him in the side, but that was another thing he didn’t care about.