Catch of a Lifetime

by Andrew Grey

  His dad seemed taken aback by the question. “Of course I do.”

  “Then, Dad, you have to let me go out and find what makes me happy. You can’t make that decision for me. Things would be great if I wanted to be a farmer, but I don’t.” He had to go for broke and push his point. “Did you want to be a farmer? Was this the life you had pictured for yourself when you were my age?” His dad didn’t answer, and Jamie saw the conflict behind his eyes, as well as the anger that was about to explode to cover up what his dad didn’t want to say. “Then sell the farm and go do what makes you happy.”

  The stunned expression on his father’s face was almost priceless. His dad had always talked about how the land had been in the family for three generations and that Jamie was to be the fourth. “But—” Jamie knew he’d hit the nail on the head.

  “Good farmland in Iowa, especially what we have, which is perfect for raising corn, is selling for ten thousand or more an acre. The farm is worth millions, Dad. Why continue to do something you don’t want to do when you can do something else? Lease out the land if you want, sell the livestock and travel maybe. Meet someone who makes you happy. You’re still young—you can do whatever you want.” It occurred to him as they were talking that his dad wasn’t happy either, and it probably had been quite some time since he had been.

  “Jamie, I don’t think that’s….”

  “The thing is, Dad, just do what you want. I just want you to be happy… as much as I want to be happy.” Finally, they seemed to be listening to one another. “See, I want the man who walked me around that yard on the pony to smile the way he did back then. I always remember the times you were happy. They were fun, and you used to play with me.” God, those times flashed through his head like a magic slideshow. “Go out and decide what you want to do. But all I ask is that when you’re out there getting your mojo back, you let me find my own.”

  His dad did something Jamie hadn’t seen him do in quite some time: he smiled. The lines around his eyes deepened and then, as the smile faded, some of the worry and care that his dad always seemed to carry with him slipped away. His dad looked younger. “I don’t know what to say about all this.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. But maybe once you’ve figured out what you want to do, you can come to New York for a visit. We’ll show you all the sights.” Never in a million years had Jamie expected to be inviting his father for a visit, but it seemed right. And when Arty put his arm around his waist and leaned closer, staying out of the picture but there in case Jamie needed him, that felt right too.

  Jamie watched for the very first time in his life—that he could remember anyway—as his father wiped his eyes. He said nothing about it, but knew his dad had teared up. “I think I’d like that. Though you know, it’s hard to get away from the farm.”

  “Maybe you could come for one of the holidays.” Jamie liked the thought of having his father come for Thanksgiving or Christmas. “You don’t have to make plans now, but think on it.” Jamie swallowed hard and wanted to visibly relax, but things could go downhill pretty quickly. “I’ll let you go, Dad, but I’ll talk to you in a few days.”

  “And you have to let me know when that play of yours opens.”

  Arty smiled up at him, and Jamie tried to keep his voice steady. “I’ll send you a ticket if you want to come.” He ended the call and handed the phone back to Arty. “Well, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I had not expected that at all.”

  Arty set the phone on the table and nestled right in. “You found a way to speak to him that he understood. And someday I want to see those pictures of you on the pony.”

  “That just might be possible now.” God, he felt like the knot in his gut had started to unwind. His phone rang and he snatched it up. “It’s Margaret.”

  “Huh?” Arty said, checking the time on his phone.

  “This is Jamie.” He tried to sound as happy as possible whenever he talked to her. He figured she had to deliver enough bad news that she needed someone happy to talk to sometimes. “How are you, Margaret?”

  “I’m exhausted, and it’s all your fault. I have spent the last two hours going back and forth among cranky creative types, but I have things sorted.” She shuffled papers on her end. “Are you ready? I’m forwarding the images that will be used in the Uomo Elegante cologne ads to you. They are stunning and they plan to use them on a billboard in Times Square. They want you as their spokesperson.”

  “Does that mean I shouldn’t do the other job with Arty?”

  “That’s what I’ve been on the phone to work out. They have agreed to extend an exclusive contract for two years. You will only appear in their ads, and they are going to pay you handsomely for it. The fact that you already have this other job allowed me to ask for more.” She was clearly happy. “Everyone had agreed to the stipulations, so you and Arty are going to do the shoot. It’s for a literacy campaign, and they are going to step in as a sponsor, as well. So everyone wins. I’ll have more details once I get the contracts, but brace yourself for these images. They are amazing and some of the sexiest I have ever seen with clothes on.” She was nearly laughing.

  “Thank you. Arty is right here with me, so I can tell him that we’ll be doing the photo shoot together.”

  She paused. “I need to talk to him as well.”

  “Is it good news?” Jamie asked.

  “Naughty boy. He deserves to know before you do.”

  Jamie snickered and handed the phone to Arty. “Hey, Margaret,” Arty said, and Jamie let them talk, getting up to get himself a beer. Hell, he was wondering if it was too late to go out to celebrate. He didn’t have a shift tonight, and Jamie was pretty sure Arty was off as well. They usually got one night during the week when neither of them worked. Though it looked like he wasn’t going to need to wait tables much longer. Jamie pulled open the refrigerator.

  “You have to be kidding me!” Arty said with absolute delight. “No way!” He listened some more as Ryan closed the door, looking to where Arty stood, his eyes alight, practically dancing in the middle of the floor. “I’ll be looking for the information tomorrow. Thank you. I take back every nasty thing I ever said about you.” Arty laughed and then ended the call, whooping and racing over to Jamie, practically lifting him off the ground in his excitement.

  “What’s going on? I could hear you in the hall,” Ryan said.

  “Well,” Arty said, “both of you get changed, we’re going out for dinner. I did it. Broadway!” He could barely stand still. “A producer, one of the best, is mounting a production of a new play by Harold Meyer. It’s not a starring role, and Margaret is going to send the script over, but she says it’s a prime supporting role and they want me. She says a huge star has been contracted for the lead. She can’t say who it is, and the run is limited to three months, though there is an option for three more. But it’s Broadway, the big theaters.”

  Jamie hugged Arty tightly, both of them jumping up and down, with Arty pulling in Ryan and the three of them shaking the entire floor. “We definitely need to celebrate,” Ryan said, and then Jamie explained his news. “I need to go change.” Ryan hurried to his room, and Arty tugged Jamie into theirs, closing the door.

  “We’re both on our way,” Jamie said, and Arty nodded. “I know, don’t count on anything.”

  “Exactly,” Arty said as he tugged Jamie into a hug. “But this is a red-letter day, one of the best of my life.”

  “Not the best?” Jamie asked, because both of them signing for deals that could make their careers was pretty auspicious.

  “Nope, not even close. The best day of my life will always be the day I was at the Pelican, when this adorable man in jeans and a T-shirt came up to me, mashing his hat in his fist, to ask for a fishing job.”

  “That was some trip,” Jamie said, remembering how nervous he’d been.

  “Yes, it was.” Arty pushed his fingers through Jamie’s hair. “Who could have possibly known then that you, Jamie Wilson, would turn out to be the catch of a
lifetime?”

  Epilogue

  SOMETIMES ARTY never knew what was going to happen. Who could have known that Jamie’s Off-Broadway play would be a big enough success that a larger production would be mounted and Jamie asked to reprise his role, with Arty being given the role of the other son? And who would ever have thought that both of their fathers would come to New York to sit in the front row, opening night? In a way, it was life imitating art, the healing of old wounds… resulting in happiness and joy. Standing on that stage was a dream come true, and Arty tried to see beyond the lights and the roar of the crowd to the people out front. It was nearly impossible. So much light came at the stage that it was impossible to see through. Arty took his bow and held out his hand. On his left was their leading lady, looking radiant, her eyes sparkling with excitement as adulation came their way and only intensified as the audience cheered.

  A stagehand in black moved closer, placing red roses in her hand, and she beamed, holding the flowers close to her as she took another bow. She took Arty’s extended his hand, and Jamie took his other. He couldn’t help looking over at him. After a roller coaster year of career ups and downs, learning to live together, and actually… somehow, finding the time to love and maybe have a few minutes to talk, they had arrived at this spot—together—in a stunning opening night.

  Jamie squeezed his hand as the entire cast stepped forward, took a bow, and then stepped back. They did the same as the applause continued, and then the curtain lowered and Arty held his breath. The curtain rose again, and this time the lighting was different so he could see beyond the lights and out to the first row of seats.

  The cast stepped back, and Arty went to the center of the stage. He’d arranged to be the one to speak briefly. “All of us want to thank you for coming here tonight. This show is about fathers and sons.” He held out his hand, and Jamie came forward to take it. “It’s particularly meaningful tonight because both of our fathers are here, right in the front row.” The audience applauded, and Arty smiled out at the crowd. “We’re so happy that both of them could be here.” He looked at his father sitting next to Jamie’s, and applauded for them. “Having you all join us is amazing, and we want to leave you with this thought…. If we all listen a little more and talk a little less, we can do anything.” That had been true in the show and in their real lives. It continued to guide his and Jamie’s relationship.

  The audience rose to their feet with thunderous applause, and the cast stepped forward for one last curtain call before the red velvet fell and Arty drew Jamie into a kiss.

  More from Andrew Grey

  He doesn’t know that home is where his heart will be….

  Firefighter Tyler Banik has seen his share of adventure while working disaster relief with the Red Cross. But now that he’s adopted Abey, he’s ready to leave the danger behind and put down roots. That means returning to his hometown—where the last thing he anticipates is falling for his high school nemesis.

  Alan Pettaprin isn’t the boy he used to be. As a business owner and council member, he’s working hard to improve life in Scottville for everyone. Nobody is more surprised than Alan when Tyler returns, but he’s glad. For him, it’s a chance to set things right. Little does he guess he and Tyler will find the missing pieces of themselves in each other. Old rivalries are left in the ashes, passion burns bright, and the possibility for a future together stretches in front of them….

  But not everyone in town is glad to see Tyler return….

  A high-stakes case of industrial espionage ties them together, but before they can pursue their attraction, they must find out who’s pulling the strings.

  Devon Donaldson doesn’t know how a folio of stolen corporate secrets found its way into his bag, and certainly can’t think of anyone who’d want to frame him. The trouble is, he has to convince Powers McPherson.

  Devon’s firm hired Powers to investigate the theft of a new banking system, and so far Devon is his only lead. While Powers’s gut tells him Devon is innocent, he has no intention of letting Devon out of his sight… for more than one reason. Working together to get Devon’s life back leads to feelings far beyond cooperation. But before they can act on them, they need to find the group of thieves intent on ruining Devon’s reputation.

  Newton DeSantis was on the ground when the towers collapsed on 9/11. Though he still carries the scars on his body and his heart, he’s determined to ease some of the world’s suffering. Now a social worker and father to two children with special needs, he’s doing his best. But when one of his cases needs a good lawyer, Newton turns to Chase for help.

  Family law attorney Chase Matthews is a rising star, and he’s in high demand. Still, Newton is very persuasive, and Chase takes his case pro bono. Everything about the other man appeals to Chase, but he’s determined to keep the relationship professional—even though, after meeting Newton’s kids, he wants to be a part of their lives.

  Chase’s job doesn’t always allow him to pick his clients, though, and a case that could make him partner will put him on the opposite side of the courtroom from Newton—along with everything he believes in and the future they could build together.

  Greg Hansen’s pregnant sister is on bed rest, so it falls to Greg to finalize the arrangements for her best friend’s bachelorette party. Little does he know he’s in for a sweet surprise. When he arrives at the bakery recommended to him, he comes face to face with the man he never should’ve let get away—Rhys Denning.

  Rhys’s business is booming with the holidays approaching, so he can’t agree to cater the party without help—and that means Greg getting his hands dirty in the kitchen, where the two reconnect over sugar, spice, holiday goodies of all kinds, and even some penis-shaped baguettes! But the most satisfying treat might be the second chance they never thought they’d get.

  When the pickiest eater in America is tapped to judge a cooking competition along with his chef ex-boyfriend, will it be a recipe for a second chance… or disaster?

  Luke Walker’s humor about foods he can’t stand made him an internet celebrity and his blog, The Pickiest Eater in America, a huge hit. He plans to bring that same lighthearted comedy to the show—but he won’t be the only host.

  Meyer Thibodeaux might be a famous chef, but he’s solemn, uptight, and closeted. He’s also Luke’s ex. As different as they are, the sparks between Luke and Meyer never really went out, and as they work together, each begins to see the other in a new light, and the passion between them reignites, hot as ever. But secrets, gossip, and rumors on the set could sour their reunion.

  ANDREW GREY is the author of more than one hundred works of Contemporary Gay Romantic fiction. After twenty-seven years in corporate America, he has now settled down in Central Pennsylvania with his husband, Dominic, and his laptop. An interesting ménage. Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He is a recipient of the RWA Centennial Award, has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and now writes full-time. Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing). He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

  Email: andrewgrey@comcast.net

  Website: www.andrewgreybooks.com

  By Andrew Grey

  Accompanied by a Waltz

  All for You

  Between Loathing and Love

  Borrowed Heart

  Buried Passions

  Catch of a Lifetime

  Chasing the Dream

  Crossing Divides

  Dominant Chord

  Dutch Treat

  Eastern Cowboy

  Heartward

  In Search of a Story

  New Tricks

  Noble Intent
ions

  North to the Future

  One Good Deed

  On Shaky Ground

  The Playmaker

  Pulling Strings

  Rebound

  Reunited

  Running to You

  Saving Faithless Creek

  Shared Revelations

  Survive and Conquer

  Three Fates

  To Have, Hold, and Let Go

  Turning the Page

  Twice Baked

  Unfamiliar Waters

  Whipped Cream

  ART

  Legal Artistry • Artistic Appeal

  Artistic Pursuits • Legal Tender

  BOTTLED UP

  The Best Revenge • Bottled Up

  Uncorked • An Unexpected Vintage

  BRONCO’S BOYS

  Inside Out • Upside Down

  Backward • Round and Round

  Over and Back • Above and Beyond

  THE BULLRIDERS

  A Wild Ride • A Daring Ride • A Courageous Ride

  BY FIRE

  Redemption by Fire • Strengthened by Fire

  Burnished by Fire • Heat Under Fire

  CARLISLE COPS

  Fire and Water • Fire and Ice • Fire and Rain

  Fire and Snow • Fire and Hail • Fire and Fog

  CARLISLE DEPUTIES

  Fire and Flint • Fire and Granite

  Fire and Agate • Fire and Obsidian

  Fire and Onyx

  CHEMISTRY

  Organic Chemistry • Biochemistry • Electrochemistry