When Memory Fails

by D. W. Marchwell

  Chapter 14

  SCOTT leaned back in the elegant chair of the Fairmont Empress and tried not to attract too much attention with his uncontrollable laughter. Afternoon tea at the Fairmont was practically an institution in Victoria, and this was only Rose’s second visit to the Fairmont. Scott would feel just awful if he embarrassed her or made her visit less enjoyable. It was also Rose’s last day before she returned home to her husband, before Scott would have to say goodbye. Of course, he knew it wouldn’t be forever and that Rose was only a couple of hours away, that he and Hank could visit her whenever they wanted. But still, it felt like Scott was losing something today. Hank would be joining them within another couple of hours, and then they would be driving her home to Coquitlam.

  “Rose, if you keep telling me stories like that, I’m likely to get us thrown out of here for laughing too loudly.” Scott looked around the well-appointed room and was relieved to see that no one was paying any attention to him.

  “Henry was a little dickens,” Rose said, her face absolutely joyous as she smoothed her hands over the beautiful linen napkin in her lap. “I can’t tell you how much fun I’ve been having today. Thank you, Scott. It’s not hard for me to see why Henry fell in love with you.”

  Scott reached out a hand, and Rose took it. “Thank you, Rose. I can’t tell you how much fun I’ve had, spending this time with you. I wish you didn’t have to go back so soon.”

  “So soon,” Rose repeated. “I’ve been here for an entire week. It’s time to give you boys back some privacy and time for me to go back to my life with John.”

  Scott tried not to let his mood sour at the mention of his name. He had fallen completely head over heels for Rose, and it was because Scott respected and loved her so much that he willed his face to remain neutral. But when he knew Rose couldn’t hear him, when he was alone with Hank in the safety of their bed, Scott would finally wonder aloud how Rose could possibly stay with such an unpleasant man.

  “Now, don’t pull a face,” Rose said as she finally released Scott’s hand. “John is a very good and kind man. He’s been a very good provider, and he’s my husband.”

  “I’m sorry, Rose. I didn’t mean to spoil our afternoon.” Scott knew he’d tried to hide his disdain, but he had never been a very good actor. Rose had probably noticed his change in mood at the mention of John’s name.

  “You did no such thing, sweetheart,” Rose said, her hands moving back to smooth her napkin again. “I know it may be difficult for people so young as you and Henry to understand, but we just didn’t up and leave at the first sign of trouble.”

  Scott did understand. It was not too difficult for him to imagine something similar happening in his own life. Scott loved Hank with every cell in his body. He would do anything for the big logger. Hank was a good man, a wonderful man, in fact, who had a kind heart and a ready shoulder for anyone who needed it. And the fact that Scott liked Hank had made it all the easier to fall in love with him. Scott couldn’t imagine the person or event that could make him feel anything less for Hank. Scott imagined that this is what Rose meant. She loved her husband and would always stand by him, support him.

  “Thank you, Rose. But just the same, I apologize if I seem like I’ve offended you or John.”

  “That reminds me.” Rose looked around the room, her emerald-green eyes possessed of a mischievous glint. “Did Henry ever tell you the story about Halloween, when he was six years old?”

  Scott shook his head, his arms curling around his stomach, hands reaching for his sides as Rose told him something that provided Scott with the most perfect nickname, one that he would never have been able to come up with on his own.

  HANK was having an incredible day. It was as bright and sunny, as it had been all week, he was happy to be working with Chris again—and even happier to see how great a logger the young fellow had become—and even Roddy and Hughy had been behaving themselves. What made it all even better was that he was probably going to be able to finish this project early. He could hardly wait to see the look on Brian’s face when he stood in front of his brother-in-law and announced that the project was done—and under budget by a sizeable margin. As he radioed for the huge chopper that would come and start collecting the final selection of trunks, Hank was feeling mighty fine indeed. And if it hadn’t been for the thought that his mother was leaving tonight, Hank was certain that this would have been the most perfect day since his wedding to Scrappy.

  He bid goodbye to Chris and Frank and even got a nod from both Roddy and Hughy and set out to ensure that nothing and no one had been forgotten. It was a little ritual he’d developed since his decision to stay behind, alone, to finish a job had almost gotten him killed two years before. No one left behind had become Hank’s only personal mantra now during the logging jobs. Even if they were behind and losing money, no man was left by himself. Brian had not presented as much of an argument as Hank had anticipated. It wasn’t until he’d arrived home from the hospital in Tofino that Scott had told him about his brother’s poor decision to allow Hank to stay on the island and catch them all up, despite the fact that Brian knew he was risking Hank’s life.

  Sometimes, it all seemed like somebody else’s life. That other life. The one that involved three-ways with stewardesses, drinking to excess, and trying hard to do all of it without losing another job. Hank thought back to the day, just shortly after the trip to French Beach, when he’d finally admitted the truth to Scott, that he’d not quit firefighting but had been given the option to quit or be fired. He’d been hungover and had almost cost a colleague his life. Hank had seen the event for what it was, a wake-up call. But the demons in his head, the strained relationship with his father, they’d all come back with amazing speed to haunt him once again. And the only relief he’d ever found had been at the bottom of a bottle.

  Then the accident that sent Brian to the hospital happened, and Hank had met one little spitfire of a man who seemed to be completely fearless. Scott was gay and absolutely unapologetic about it. He lived his life, chased his dreams, and faced his fears. If Hank hadn’t fallen in love during their first dinner together, he’d at the very least become so enamored with the smaller man that he couldn’t think of being without him. Scott had a way of making everyone around him feel loved and peaceful. And if that wasn’t enough, Scott loved him. He loves me! Hank thought as he headed to his pickup. Hank still couldn’t believe it sometimes and found himself shaking his head as he started the engine and steered the truck toward Duncan. He would have enough time to deliver the news to Brian, grab a shower, and then head in for dinner with Scott and Rose.

  The radio was not turned on, but Hank found himself whistling a tune as he drove down the highway, green and blue and mountains as far as the eye could see. It might take him a while, but he was pretty certain he could eventually get his mother to move out to the island permanently. It wasn’t that they didn’t have these things in Vancouver, but rather, on the island, they were as unspoiled as they could be, with civilization so near. Perhaps he was biased, but Hank always thought of the air on the island as much clearer than on the mainland—clearer, certainly, than in Vancouver, a city of almost three million people. It didn’t matter that he might have to wait for another ten or twenty years before his father passed away. There was no urgency. He had his mother on his side, at least. He’d hoped to be able to mend the rift between himself and his entire family, but he agreed with Scott: it would just take a little bit more time. John, Sandra, and Kathy would all come around eventually.

  As he was thinking of his Scrappy, he tapped his thumbs against the steering wheel, realizing, and not for the first time today, that they would have the entire townhouse to themselves. No more sneaking out to the garage for a quick suck and fuck, no more stealing kisses in the kitchen before dinner while his mother read upstairs. They would get home late tonight after dropping Rose off at home, but Hank didn’t let that thought stop him from planning all the things he would be doing to his husband whe
n they did finally return to their home. Although those brief stolen moments in the garage had turned his Scott—and him, if he were honest—into insatiable beasts. That first night, just after Rose had arrived, Hank and Scott had found themselves in the garage, lying on a couple of blankets in the bed of Hank’s pickup, hands and mouths anywhere and everywhere.

  It was the thought of being near Scott but unable to touch him that had made Hank positively vibrate with need and want, as if he would be storing up memories for the days to come. Of course, it hadn’t turned out that either of them needed to store anything. They had found plenty of opportunities to be alone, usually in the garage. It was something different, and Hank had been so turned on by the thrill of getting them both off without being caught that he’d felt the need to apologize, more than once, to Scott for being a little too rough. And as always, Scott had told him that there was nothing to apologize for, that he, himself, had been incredibly aroused by the way they were sneaking off, as if they were high school students who couldn’t seem to control themselves.

  Just as Scott had reassured him over and over that spending all of this time with his mother-in-law would not be a burden. Scott had admitted to falling in love with Rose very quickly, totally captivated by her warm and giving nature. “Something you two have in common,” Hank had said to Scott as they lay naked on the blankets in the bed of the pickup.

  “Besides finding you completely irresistible,” Scott had answered, although he’d apologized for how creepy and inappropriate the comment seemed, on behalf of his mother.

  And the feeling was mutual. On more than one occasion, Hank had listened to his mother extol Scott’s virtues: his kindness, his generosity, his unconditional love, his courage and fortitude, and, of course, his unwavering support of Hank. Hank felt his chest tighten when, just two nights ago while Scott was doing the grocery shopping and Hank was alone at home with Rose, Hank’s mother had confessed to him that even she did not have these qualities. Hank had been stunned to hear such a thing. Rose had gone on to explain why she’d never come to visit Hank in the hospital two years ago, nor had she called or visited since.

  When the subject first came up, Hank had tried to convince his mother that none of that mattered now, what mattered was what they were going to do with all the time they had ahead of them. But Rose had insisted, wanting to get this particular burden off of her chest. “I was weak and believed your father when he told me that you had abandoned us. He told me about you being in the hospital three days after you were released, and I don’t think he would have told me even then if Sandra hadn’t let slip that she’d received a call about you being in the hospital. Sandra had assumed your father had told me, but he hadn’t. I wanted to go and see you right away, but your father kept telling me that you had left us for life on the island, that you didn’t want anything more to do with us. I wish I’d been stronger, Henry, but I believed him.”

  It was one of the reasons, Hank had learned during their time that evening, why his mother had insisted on coming out to visit. She’d wanted Hank to know that she would be making her own decisions, from that moment on. Never again would she allow people to hide things from her. “It will be impossible for your father to do that again if I’m staying with you and can ask you anything I like.”

  Hank had agreed readily, extending an open invitation to his mother to come anytime and to stay as long as she’d like. And Scott had taken no time to echo his husband’s sentiments. In fact, Scott had even taken them to visit Brian and Kari, Rose entirely too focused on the expectant mother. Rose and Kari had talked almost the entire evening about children and pregnancies and the euphoric feeling of all the endless possibilities for the unborn child. Hank had invited his mother back to stay for a while after the new baby was born, trying to lure her with promises of evenings spent playing with the pudgy newborn. Rose had not refused outright, so Hank had taken it as a yes, all of them laughing, as the only promise Rose made was to make some outfits for the baby and to knit some warm clothing for the cold, wet winter ahead.

  With Scott’s help, Hank was learning how to let go of the disappointment he felt in not having children of his own, the way his father would have wanted. But it was this disappointment that cut Hank the deepest when he thought of his mother. Hank didn’t think he would ever truly get over the feeling that he was depriving his mother of something that she’d always hope for. Of course, Hank admitted as he took the exit for Victoria, she already has five grandchildren, whom she spoils mercilessly, but Hank was her only son, and that in itself made his grandchildren something special.

  As he pulled into the parking lot of the Fairmont Empress, he smiled at the sight of his mother standing there with his husband, her arm hooked in Scott’s, both of them smiling and laughing, looking at him. Oh crap, he thought as he exited the car and opened the passenger door for his mother, she’s been telling him about “The Caveman.” Hank blushed, even though no one was around, at the memory of how he would drape the sheet over one of his shoulders and use his baseball bat to hunt prey and scare the neighborhood bullies away from bothering the girls who were playing hopscotch or jumping rope. Not a superhero, precisely, but it did earn him a bit of a reputation as someone the bullies didn’t want to mess with.

  He didn’t even have to bother asking, Scott’s smirk more than enough proof that his mother had been entertaining Scott with an embarrassing story or two—or ten.

  “YOU were awfully quiet on the way home,” Hank said as he stripped off his clothes, his own hands spurred by on the sight of a completely naked Scott.

  “I miss her already,” Scott said, coming over to help remove Hank’s pressed slacks—the ones that hugged every curve and showed every flex of that incredible ass—and his best blue oxford button-down. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.”

  “Silly Scrappy.” Hank laughed, shaking his head. “How did you embarrass me? I wanted to ask her the same thing.” Hank, Scott, and Rose had sat at a little table tucked away near the fireplace of the elegant restaurant, enjoying a great meal, wonderful wine, and each other’s company, when Scott had asked Rose to come back and stay a little longer at the townhouse. “She wasn’t mad and neither am I. I love that you and Mom get along so well. My mother absolutely adores you. And it’s obvious that you adore her, as well.”

  “I understand her when she says that her life is with John, but….”

  “I know, Scott, I know.” Hank tossed his oxford in the laundry hamper and folded his slacks over the back of the parson’s chair near the desk. “But it’s her decision. We can’t force her to change her life just because we don’t like it.” Hank stood, completely naked, pressed against his husband. “And just think, only four more sleeps until we get to go see your musical.”

  “It’s not actually my musical,” Scott said, following Hank to the shower. “I just wrote a couple of the songs.”

  “Ten,” Hank said, his tone incredulous. “Ten is not a couple. And since there are only sixteen songs in total, that would make you responsible for 62.5 percent of the songs. It’s your musical,” Hank said firmly and pulled Scott under the spray of the shower.

  “I love you.” Scott sighed as Hank’s lips found that sensitive spot where his lover’s neck and shoulder met.

  “Mmmm,” Hank murmured as he felt Scott’s fingers begin to play with his foreskin. “Love you, Scott, more than anything.” Hank pulled back and looked at his lover’s face, the calm beauty and flawless skin showing signs of worry and frustration. Hank brought his hands up, trying to massage and smooth the worry away. He brushed the hair back from his husband’s face. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, Scott. And I wish I could tell you that she’ll come and stay with us or that she’ll come to her senses and leave him, but….” Hank moved them both over to the bench, sitting and then pulling Scott onto his lap, his hands soothing and caressing. “All we can do is be there for her, show her how much she means to us.” Hank kissed his husband gently on the lips. “Besi
des, my mother is one of the most trusting and loyal people I know, and she would never leave my father.”

  “That’s where you get it from,” Scott said as he leaned against Hank’s torso, the slick, wet hair tickling his smooth chest. “You take after your mother in so many ways. Same beautiful eyes, same wonderful sense of humor, same huge heart, full of love.”

  Hank rewarded the kind words with a kiss, beginning slowly, just the way Scott liked it. His tongue came out eventually and licked Scott’s full lips, the heat and play of their tongues making him feel dizzy. His hands slid down the smooth back, and he felt himself become even more aroused when Scott shivered and pressed their cocks together, their mouths never parting. Hank tapped against his husband’s hole, greedy to be inside. He pushed inside slowly and Scott’s mouth fell away from his, the smaller man’s gasps and sighs music to Hank’s ears.

  “Like that, huh, baby?” Hank saw the slight nod of his husband’s head and pushed two fingers inside. “You have no idea what you do to me, Scott. So open, so sexy, so fucking hot.”

  “Oh, Hank,” Scott sighed as he pushed himself down on those fingers. “Please, now.”

  Hank wrapped his arms around his husband, his hands cradling that ass he could never have enough of, and turned, depositing Scott on the bench. He laid Scott out lengthwise and brought his own right leg to rest near Scott’s ass, taking a few moments to kiss and lick and probe the smaller man’s hungry mouth. His pressed the head of his swollen cock against Scott’s hole, inhaling deeply when he felt the tight muscles open and let him in. He pushed in slowly, knowing exactly how far to go in order to find Scott’s prostate, swallowing the moans of ecstasy as he snapped his hips to hit the bundle of nerves over and over again. Moving one of his hands between their bodies, Hank took Scott’s erection and began stroking, completely undone by the look on that beautiful face and the need in those dark-brown eyes.