A Mended Man (The Men of Halfway House Book 4)

by Jaime Reese

  "Jess, I'm home," he heard Aidan yell from the living room. He wadded up the now empty bag after having plugged in everything and made his way to the living room.

  "Hey, how was work today?"

  "Good." Aidan spoke, but his focus wandered to the new additions in the house. He never questioned, never demanded, and always allowed Jessie ample flexibility to do whatever he wanted. "You've been busy."

  Jessie grabbed the small pouch from the kitchen countertop. "Here, this is for you."

  Aidan took the small cloth bag and opened it, withdrawing the earbuds. "What's this for?"

  Jessie fished Aidan's phone from his pocket and swiped at the screen. "You mentioned the flashbacks were getting a little more frequent lately with some of the task force cases and your sessions with Dr. Engel, so I set something up on your phone yesterday, but you raced out before I had a chance to show you."

  Aidan peeked over the phone to see what he was doing.

  "The earbuds are small so they fit in your coat pocket. When you need them, fish them up your collar, then run this app"—he tapped the screen and stuck the bud into Aidan's ear—"and you've got a full library of music that should work like the other night if it ever gets tough."

  Aidan looked away, listening to the music. He glanced at his phone and swiped a few items, working his way through the program and the files Jessie has set up for him. He finally looked at Jessie and leaned forward, placing a kiss on his lips. "Thanks." He scrolled through some of the songs on the playlist then withdrew the earbuds. "And what about all that?" He pointed to the wall, unable to hide his curiosity.

  Jessie grabbed Aidan's hand and led him over to the panel. He pressed a few buttons and a low, soft piano sonata echoed in the room.

  Aidan looked up at each of the corners of the room and spotted the speakers discreetly installed in the ceiling. "You should work surveillance. I didn't spot them when I walked in."

  "One of Cole's old crew members installed them."

  Aidan raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried about what he installed?"

  "No. I watched him closely," he teased, knowing Cole's former car-stripping crew of friends always kept everyone on their toes.

  "How closely?" Aidan asked, snaking an arm around Jessie's waist and pulling him near.

  His heart fluttered at Aidan's forwardness. Was that a hint of jealousy? He didn't dare get excited at the thought.

  "So the music plays in the living room?" Aidan asked.

  "It's wired for the whole house. But you can change the music in each room if you want or only run it in certain rooms. It'll play whatever you have uploaded to your cloud."

  "To my what?"

  Jessie smiled. "I already set it up for you. Same system as your phone. And the living room is hooked up so we can have it double as a surround system when we watch a movie."

  Aidan leaned down and placed another kiss on Jessie's lips. He looked toward the outlet and cocked his head but didn't ask directly.

  "Night-lights. They're rechargeable so you don't have to worry about them if we lose power. Really low wattage so they won't be too bright at night and the power usage is minimal. I have them now in every room."

  Aidan quieted, staring off to the side at the night-light in the socket. His focus shifted, scanning the speakers in the room and the panel on the wall.

  Jessie bit his lip. Damn. Maybe he'd push the do-whatever-you-want-in-the-house liberty. "We don't need to—"

  Aidan silenced him with another kiss. "It's perfect. Don't change a thing."

  "Are you sure?" He wrapped his arms around Aidan's neck and brushed the hair at the back of his head.

  "Yeah. I just can't believe you did all this…for me."

  "If you change your mind, let me know. I kinda pushed it a bit. I should have asked before I had holes opened in your walls and ceiling." The worry evaporated when Aidan tugged him closer.

  "This is our home, Jess. You don't have to ask. If you want to change something, change it. I draw the line at a pastel couch or any heavy floral decorative shit. Other than that, you can change whatever you want."

  An uncontrollable laughter escaped him. "So I guess I should cancel the painters coming over tomorrow? They're installing lilac wallpaper with decorative orchids and a gold border with a summer bouquet mix of sunflowers and daisies."

  "Tell me you're kidding."

  "I'm totally kidding."

  Aidan exhaled heavily.

  "By the way."

  "Yeah?"

  "I am changing your couch. The one in your bedroom. But don't worry. The pastel roses in the pattern are barely visible so it shouldn't be a problem."

  Aidan didn't say a word but swallowed heavily. The blank stare a dead giveaway he attempted to disguise the bubbling panic.

  Jessie patted his shoulder. "Still kidding."

  "You're getting too good at this sarcasm thing." Aidan blew out a breath.

  Jessie bit his lower lip but couldn't hide the smile. "I live with the master of sarcasm. It's only fair a tiny bit of talent rubs off on me after all this time." He leaned his head on Aidan's shoulder and placed his hand against Aidan's chest, feeling the strong heartbeat pulse against his palm. He craved this closeness, this easiness whenever they were together. The arms around him tightened and the thumping of the heartbeat quickened.

  "Thanks, Jess. For all this. For always…thinking of me."

  His chest tightened when lips pressed against the top of his hair—that simple gesture Aidan always did that seemed to spike his pulse each time. From anyone else, the caresses or touches would be casual. From Aidan, the subtle, barely-there gestures were paramount and incredibly cherished.

  Jessie tightened his arms in the embrace, not wanting the moment to end. He let a contented sigh escape, enjoying the fingers grazing his skin to the rhythm of the piano sonata softly echoing in the room.

  * * * *

  Aidan knocked on the door and shoved his hands in his pockets to stop fidgeting. He didn't usually pick up the phone and request an impromptu visit, but dammit, he had to do something. His frustration bordered on unbearable, and if anyone could guide him on what to do, he could only think of one person he trusted enough for this type of chat.

  "Hey," Ty said, opening the door. "Come on in."

  "Sorry it's so late." Aidan walked into his old condo, now home to Ty and Cole. The place actually looked lived in and welcoming. A far cry from the fuck-off vibe that had vibrated from the walls when he'd lived there.

  "It's okay. Cole's wrapping up some work so he's running a little late. Do you want something to drink?"

  "I'm fine," Aidan said, walking over to the window, enjoying the bird's eye view under the evening sky. He loved this side of his city, the one that blanketed all the darkness in shadows and accentuated each right angle and curve of cityscape elegance with a twinkle or transition of light. He looked over to the glass curio in the corner at the items on display. "I'm never getting my bullet collection back, am I?"

  "Hell no!" Ty walked up to the glass enclosure displaying a collection of small model cars Ty had gathered over the years. He stood in front of the case and stared at the three dozen bullets showcased on a single shelf, sorted by size ranging from a .22 long rifle up to a .50 caliber machine gun round which looked like a tiny torpedo. Some were from guns Aidan had shot during his time in service, others collected because, well, bullets were cool as hell to look at, as long as the target was elsewhere.

  He sighed. He should have packed them up when he moved out.

  Ty turned with a shy smile. "I always think of you when I see them."

  Okay, fine. He could keep the damn things. "How much time do I have before Cole gets here?"

  "I'm guessing you've got about fifteen, twenty minutes tops. He already wrapped up the meeting with Drayton with the contracts for the test track use so he's on his way back already."

  Aidan nodded. He could keep this short and sweet and escape before Cole wormed his way into the conversation. Hi
s brother led him to the couch and encouraged him to take a seat.

  "What's up?"

  Aidan rubbed the back of his neck, not really sure what or how much to say. But if he wanted to have this chat and escape before Cole arrived, he had to spit it out. "How do you do it?" He exhaled heavily and kept rubbing the back of his neck. "How do you open yourself up to Cole without falling apart?"

  Ty's expression softened and looked about a step away from reaching out to give him a hug. "Cole makes it easy for me." He shifted on the couch and turned his body to the side to face Aidan. He quieted for a moment and looked away, his expression transitioning into something more serious as if carefully crafting the string of words just as he meticulously worked each restoration project in his shop. He finally made eye contact again, determination burning in his gaze as if he had mentally nailed the perfect set of sentences to communicate. "You don't talk, Aidan. You need to. I knew nothing about your private life before Cole pushed. And I'm glad he did. I didn't even know you were gay. You could have told me that."

  Aidan inwardly cringed. "It just always worked out better for me to keep it quiet."

  "But even from me?"

  "I couldn't risk my brother hating me," Aidan whispered.

  "But you knew I was gay. I came out to Mom and Dad ages ago. Why would you think that?"

  Aidan shrugged. "It's never been easy."

  Ty shook his head and took a few deep breaths to level his tone again before he spoke. "I've always respected your privacy, but you're really closed off, and that's not good." He shifted again, resting his hand on the back of the couch, bringing himself even closer into Aidan's space as if the proximity would ease the tension of the candor. "You're not weak for being open or for showing your human side."

  Aidan pursed his lips, not really wanting to rehash a memory or break out into some Dr. Phil moment.

  "I hadn't realized how closed off you were until that night you came over here for dinner when I met Jessie. He's changed you."

  "Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?" he asked with an arched eyebrow, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his thighs.

  Ty sighed. "You always do that."

  "Do what?"

  "Use sarcasm or some smartass comment to lighten a moment to avoid things getting too serious. You do that when you're uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. More so now than you ever did before. We're treading in real personal territory here and I can understand why that's unsettling you. But you're here, so I know it's important. And I'm really glad you trusted me enough to talk to me. You haven't done that in years."

  Aidan looked away when Ty got that I'm-so-going-to-hug-you-right-now look on his face. He could only deal with one emotional element at a time.

  "I see hints of the old you. You used to be happy, Aidan. I don't know what triggered the change, but you…became harder, and your smile wasn't the same. It was almost…"

  "Almost what?" He glanced over at his brother, not really sure he wanted to know the answer. His brother had no idea of most of the bullshit he tried to work through. Ty had had enough to deal with in his life with the shop, the accident, and his recovery; he certainly didn't need his big brother dumping a truckload of drama on his plate as well.

  "It's like a sad smile. It's as if you go through the motion because someone expects you to smile, but your eyes are still…hollow. It's not like a scar that's permanent, so I know it's something you're fighting. You've changed because of Jessie. He brings back that old smile. I see hints of it. And I hadn't realized it was missing until I saw you guys together. It's as if you were in a dark place and he came in with a flashlight to shine a little bit of light to help you back on the path."

  "You're really poetic," he said. He cursed inwardly, realizing he was doing that sarcasm/smartass thing his brother had mentioned. "So…I guess Cole is your flashlight?"

  Ty smiled. "He's more like a Hollywood movie premier spotlight endlessly rotating three hundred and sixty degrees."

  Aidan huffed out a laugh then quieted, holding back another smartass comment on the tip of his tongue. He pushed his palms together, trying to find the right words. "What do I do? I suck at this stuff."

  "Lucy, I'm home," Cole yelled in his best Ricky Ricardo imitation as he entered then turned to relock the door behind him. He dropped his keys on the kitchen counter then chuckled when he saw them sitting on the couch. "My-Ty, we're going to start charging for our counseling services. We'd make a fortune with these two."

  "What are you talking about?" Aidan said with a bit of a snarl.

  "Let me guess? You're here about love advice."

  Aidan reached up and pressed his thumb and middle finger against his eyes. He had hoped to be in and out of there without having to deal with the Renzo wrath. He just needed a few minutes to talk to his brother. "Shit, man. Don't you ever shut the fuck up?"

  "Sure I do. But it requires Ty's dick in my mouth."

  Aidan rubbed his temple and groaned at Ty's muffled chuckle. The slowly building Renzo-headache would soon blossom to a full-fledged migraine if he didn't nip this in the bud.

  "You want advice?" Cole insisted, standing in the middle of the open space with his arms crossed.

  "No." Yes, but I just want you to shut the hell up.

  "Uh-huh. I'm going to give it to you anyway. Do with it whatever you choose. Listen up." Cole dramatically cleared his throat as if ready to give a speech. "Jessie loves you. Period. It's that simple so don't make it complicated. That man thinks you're the stars, the moon, and the whole damn galaxy. And you know the only way you can make that man love you any more than he already does?"

  Aidan looked at Cole, not saying a word. He couldn't believe it, but he actually did want Cole to continue talking.

  Cole walked toward them, leaned over, and wrapped his arms around Ty's neck. He placed a tender kiss on Ty's cheek and nuzzled him for a moment before returning his focus to Aidan. The humor completely vacant from his expression and tone when he spoke. "Let him in, Aidan. Block everyone else out if that makes you feel safe. But give him that skeleton key to get inside all your secret rooms. If you can do that, he will love you more than you ever thought possible." He kissed Ty again and released him. He stared back at Aidan with a raised eyebrow, a slow-spreading cocky grin and the usual playfulness back intact. "My-Ty, I'd say you've got about two minutes before my future brother-in-law here runs away from all this personal talk." He gave Ty another kiss on the cheek then retreated to the bedroom, taking each step as if it were part of a dance move to a song playing in his head.

  Aidan exhaled heavily and ran his fingers through his hair.

  Ty reached out and placed his hand on Aidan's shoulder. "You know he's right even though you won't admit it."

  He clenched his jaw and took a deep breath. "How do you put up with him?"

  Ty leaned back into the couch and a slow smile spread across his face at some thought. He looked up to his brother and his brown eyes sparkled with that always present happiness at the mere mention of Cole's name. "I have his skeleton key and he has mine."

  Aidan rolled his eyes. "You guys are hopeless romantics. Not everything is like that outside of your love bubble."

  "It's about a connection, Aidan. It's about being able to talk to one another without even saying a single word. And that can only happen when someone knows you, the real you. And you want that. You can get pissed off all you want and growl at Cole forever, but you want it, and that's why you're trying to figure out how to make that happen." Ty leaned forward, his expression a mix of compassion and concern. "Stop fighting it and just let it happen."

  "It's not that easy."

  "I know it's not. Believe me, I fought off Cole more than you know. I was scared out of my mind. I had something special with him when we were just co-workers, and the thought of losing that…" Ty shook his head and took a deep breath. "That's what made me slam the brakes each time there was a hint of us getting close." He quieted and looked toward their bedroom,
rubbing his hands together. "He was always so happy, smiling all the time as if there was nothing in the world that could ever bring a gray cloud into his bright blue sky."

  "He's happier since he's with you," Aidan added quietly. He shook his head and scoffed. "I didn't think it was possible, but that little cocky shit is more confident too."

  Ty smiled. "And all I had to do was let him in." He shook his head as if hanging on a memory. "I hadn't realized I was pushing everyone away and I had managed to put myself in a corner." He looked up at Aidan, his brows arched upward with concern. "You're doing that. You've been doing that for a while. I'm worried you're going to work yourself so far into a corner you won't know how to get out of it."

  And that right there was exactly why Aidan had decided to show up for this little one-on-one with his brother at the last minute. For the last few months, he'd battled with himself, trying to keep a safe distance from Jessie. The solitude he'd forced upon himself was a dark place. He'd lived it for too many years, thinking it was best to isolate himself and spare his soul wearing away any more. But Jessie had managed to slowly draw him out with his shy smiles and casual touches, brightening up his dark little corner.

  "My-Ty, come to bed," Cole yelled from the bedroom. "Let grumpy Aidan go home to his man. I need you to come here and shut me up."

  Ty bit his lip and crossed his arms as if he could somehow hold in the laughter that shook his body.

  "He's a rude motherfucker."

  "And he's all mine."

  Aidan sighed. He ran his fingers through his hair again. He wondered what it would be like to take that chance, to close his eyes and swan dive into that crystal blue pool that always seemed to draw him in and ease him. "Just…tell me what to do."