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

by Jaime Reese

  "I don't always make you smile." He looked away, remembering the day Jessie sat quietly on the bed, unmoving, and all the other times Aidan had shut down, resisting Jessie's request to be more open with him.

  "I'm entitled to crack, make mistakes…be serious or sad on any given day. And that doesn't make me a failure."

  He looked up. "Of course it doesn't—"

  "And that applies to you too," Jessie said with a firm tone.

  Aidan quieted.

  "I know you somehow think this is all your fault or that you could have crashed through that door with your cape blowing like a damn hero to rescue me, slap some cuffs on the son of a bitch and magically resolve everything. It doesn't always happen that way. And that does not mean you failed in any way."

  "I hate seeing you sad," he said quietly. "And I hate not being able to do something about that."

  "You are always there for me when I need you. And you've been trying like hell to open up and be honest with me. And I know that's a huge thing for you. So here"—Jessie pulled Aidan's hand, pressing Aidan's palm to his chest—"where it counts. You've never failed me. Ever. And that's what matters to me."

  Aidan tried to swallow past the knot that had suddenly lodged itself in his throat. The doorbell rang, sparing him a need to respond. He cupped Jessie's face and gave him a quick kiss. "I'll see who that is." He rose from the bed—still surprised as hell he was in a bed at all—and grabbed a T-shirt from the drawer, slipping it on before reaching the front door. He looked through the window, surprised to see his team outside, almost ready to storm in. He turned off the alarm and let them in. "What's going on?"

  "We wanted to check on Vega," Travis said, entering the house and pulling out a chair at the dining room table. Both Wall and Sunny followed as if they'd all been there before—even though this was the teams' first visit to his home. Manny shoved his hands in his dress slacks, opting to stand.

  "Uh, make yourselves at home."

  "Thanks," they said, almost in unison with semi-matching grins on their faces.

  Wonderful. They'd obviously gotten their wish and managed to find him looking as if he'd rolled out of bed.

  Literally.

  Jessie emerged from their bedroom wearing jeans and a pale blue polo shirt. Polished and ready to go, not a strand of hair out of place. "Good morning," he said in that soft tone he usually used around others.

  Aidan had to find the secret wardrobe compartment in his house where someone could enter then exit less than five minutes later looking polished, because he sure as shit didn't know where it was, but Jessie seemed to have an elite-status membership to the place. He turned back to his team, the smiles no longer present on their faces.

  Manny walked over to Jessie. "How are you holding up?"

  "I'm okay." Jessie casually took a step back from Manny's nearness and ducked his head.

  Aidan immediately straightened and stood at Jessie's side, glaring at Manny, thankful the man was perceptive enough to step back and grant more personal space between them.

  "I'm not sure what Calloway's filled you in on—"

  "He told me what happened," Jessie calmly interrupted. He raised his chin and firmly stared at Manny as if challenging him and any confidences he and Aidan might share.

  Manny's focus shifted to Aidan, his eyes questioning.

  "Yes, I know about the note as well," Jessie added.

  Manny's gaze snapped back to Jessie. Aidan guessed the man wondered how Jessie could remain so even-tempered.

  "I also know that was your only lead in the case."

  "Yes, but that doesn't mean we're giving up," Manny said.

  "I know you've each invested a wealth of time in finding him and I really appreciate that. I also know you are each as equally persistent as Aidan. So I don't think you will give up even if everyone else would at this point. But I do know there are limited resources and entirely too many active cases that need attention." Jessie swallowed heavily, pausing for a moment before putting on his best smile. A sign he wasn't completely unaffected, but it would be a cold day in hell before Jessie cracked in front of anyone. "Have you guys had breakfast yet?"

  Each of the task force members looked at each other, perplexed.

  Aidan chuckled, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest, damn proud of his Jess. Even though Jessie felt any show of weakness was not for public consumption in his book of order, Aidan knew it took a whole hell of a lot of self-control and strength to keep it together so well. And he wasn't going to kid himself, he loved the fact that he was on the short list of people who got to see Jessie's true vulnerabilities. "He's an eternal optimist. If he loses his shit, bend over and kiss your ass goodbye because the shitstorm's coming."

  That earned a few chuckles from his team, and Jessie walked over to the kitchen, starting breakfast without waiting for their replies. Aidan casually glanced over in his direction, taking a calming breath when he saw the lingering smile on Jessie's face.

  "So," Travis said, reaching over and grabbing the briefcase he had brought in. "We figured, since you weren't coming in today, we'd come over here and work out of your house."

  Sunny looked at Aidan and quickly glanced over to Jessie before returning her focus back to him and giving him a sheepish smile.

  Aidan crossed his arms and took a deep breath. He quieted, trying to settle the thoughts spinning in his head and the emotions swelling his chest. They were here for him, for them. Whether to check on him or to make sure Jessie was fine, it didn't matter. They cared. Jessie wasn't just a case to them and he wasn't just a co-worker. Fuck it all to hell. There would be major ass kicking if they made him get misty-eyed.

  "At least let me put some underwear on."

  "Ugh!" the team yelled in unison.

  Jessie subtly glanced in his direction as he walked past the kitchen, his eyes clearly letting Aidan know he had received the same message of support from the team…loud and clear.

  Aidan quickly changed, unable to get rid of the silly grin on his face. He looked over at the messy bed, his smile widening farther.

  He could do this. Every baby step counted.

  Maybe there was something to this Ms. Fix-it and all the endless talking. Who the hell knew for sure? But he certainly wasn't taking any of it for granted.

  "Where are we going?" Jessie asked, hiding a chuckle as a freshly-showered Aidan hurriedly walked back and forth between the bathroom and closet in their bedroom, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

  "It's a surprise." Aidan thumbed through the clothes in his closet, pulling out then returning the piece of clothing upon further inspection. "I wasn't supposed to get here so damn late." He cursed, finally grabbing a pair of jeans and tossing them on the bed. "Just an hour, Calloway," he said, mocking Manny's tone. "Three fucking hours later…" Aidan shook his head as he continued to dig through the closet.

  The entire team pulled longer hours lately to catch up on their active cases. After two weeks of intense work and many sleepless nights trying to locate Michael, the team had a somber discussion with Jessie—they had to focus their efforts on more active cases. They'd still work the case every chance they had, but they couldn't justify the number of man-hours that bastard demanded in his pursuit. That had resulted in a few more bad days for him, but Aidan was there, by his side like his guardian angel for support.

  Jessie had officially proclaimed today—his birthday—a new start. He wouldn't let that monster shadow his life, again. "You won't even give me a hint?" He didn't really care what Aidan had in store for their evening together. Just knowing Aidan had planned something and seemed pissed to have the team encroach on their time, made him selfishly happy. He crossed his arms as Aidan finally pulled out a shirt from the closet.

  "So it's a casual thing?"

  Aidan stopped and turned. "It's a…surprise. So I want you to figure it out."

  "Did you internet search this surprise?"

  Aidan pulled off the towel from around his waist a
nd flicked it on Jessie's ass, laughing when Jessie twisted his body just out of reach. "Sorta." A grin spread across Aidan's face. "I used my detective skills for this one." He waggled his eyebrows and turned, resuming his hunt for his clothes for the evening.

  "At least tell me what to wear. Casual?"

  "Suit. Definitely a suit."

  Jessie chuckled, shaking his head. Aidan and his suit obsession. "You're in jeans, so can I lose the tie tonight? Otherwise, I might be overdressed next to you."

  Aidan finally walked out of the closet with a sport coat in hand. "The tie doesn't do it for me."

  Jessie wound his arms around Aidan's neck. "But everything else does?"

  "Hell yeah." Aidan leaned in for a quick kiss, the smile still lingering on his lips.

  That smile. That wicked, devilish smile that seemed to make an appearance with greater frequency, as if Aidan had somehow lessened the burden that usually weighed him down. He had managed to sleep in their bed through almost every night for the last two weeks. Except for one night after a day-long interview with a victim on a new task force case. That one night he retreated to the couch in their bedroom, but Aidan refused to give up and slept the day after in bed and each night since.

  Aidan gave Jessie another quick kiss, pulling him from his thoughts. "We're going to be late. And we can't be late. I'm not positive about the parking situation yet. So get dressed." He gave Jessie a final quick peck on the lips before stepping away.

  Jessie pouted. His. Birthday. His. He wanted to know where they were going, and from the level of excitement vibrating off Aidan, he imagined Aidan truly felt he had gotten this one right. He grabbed the dark blue suit from their closet and a shirt. "Are Calloway points getting earned tonight or are you guessing here?"

  "No guess needed. I'm earning triple bonus points tonight," Aidan said, pulling up his jeans.

  Jessie laughed. "You're really proud of yourself, aren't you?"

  A rare, huge smile split Aidan's face. "I know I got this one right."

  Jessie dressed in the requested suit, made sure his hair was in perfect order, and met Aidan by the front door, ready to leave in under five minutes.

  Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the restaurant and checked in at the hostess stand. Jessie patiently waited with Aidan, taking in the restaurant's decor. The elegant stone walls added a medieval feel to the warm glow in the room. Wrought iron decorations, light fixtures, and fans all randomly positioned throughout the area added to the rustic, vintage feel of the place. More elegant and regal in its simplicity than dungeon-like. Jessie leaned over to whisper, "Is this the surprise?"

  "No. But we need to eat first. It's going to be a couple of hours before we're back home."

  The hostess returned and led them through the restaurant and the constant hum of chatting customers filling the dimly lit space. They walked through an arched hallway along the back wall, passing two doors on their right. The hostess opened the third door and welcomed them inside with a sweeping motion of her hand before closing the door on her way out of the room. Jessie stood in awe at the single table able to seat a large group of about twenty patrons. Aidan pulled out one of the high-back chairs and motioned for Jessie to sit.

  "Private room?" He would definitely grant Aidan a few points on his romance scorecard. "And this isn't the surprise?" he asked, finally sitting.

  Aidan chuckled and sat next to Jessie to his left. "No. I know the owner. I didn't want to risk being late so I called him up and he said he'd put us in one of the event rooms when we arrived so we wouldn't have to wait on a table. It's quiet back here."

  "And very private," he teased.

  "Don't give me a hard-on. It's still early and these jeans don't give me enough room to sport one."

  "I noticed that," Jessie said, biting his lip, holding back a smile.

  Aidan waggled a finger at him and laughed. "Don't start."

  The server arrived through a side entrance and brought out their menus. "Sir, Mr. Capote mentioned you had a prior engagement this evening and need a speedy dinner service?" the server asked, cocking his head slightly.

  "Yes, please," Aidan answered. "We need to be out of here in about an hour. Can we make that happen?"

  The server straightened. "Absolutely, I'll start with the salads while you review your menu," he said, retreating as quickly and as quietly as he had arrived.

  Aidan repeatedly checked his watch as he scanned the menu.

  Jessie placed a calming hand on his arm. "It's fine. And if we're a little late, it's okay."

  "No, it's not." Aidan closed the menu and set it aside. "I want it to be perfect."

  Jessie placed his hand on Aidan's knee. "Here with you, like this, it is. You've already got a few points."

  "Yeah?" Aidan immediately perked up. "How many?"

  Jessie laughed as he reviewed the menu. "You're so competitive."

  "Hey, being here with you is enough. The fact that I got something right and earned a point is a major plus."

  Jessie sighed and closed his menu. "And that, Mr. Calloway, earned you another point."

  Aidan shook his head and chuckled. "See? I don't even know what the hell I did to earn a point. I think you make this shit up as you go along to keep me on my toes."

  They laughed easing in to the comfortable privacy when the server reentered the room with their salads and noted their orders with a promise for prompt service. They finished their salads a few moments later and set their dishes aside.

  Aidan withdrew a small, wrapped box from his inside jacket pocket. "I figure we've got a few minutes before dinner arrives." He hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly handed the box to Jessie. "This…uh, this is for you. Happy birthday."

  Jessie's heart fluttered wildly in his chest. He took the small, flat box with shaky fingers and pulled on the bow tied around the wrapping paper. He glanced up at Aidan, then quickly focused on the box again, slowly separating the paper to avoid appearing too anxious. He slid off the box lid and unfolded the tissue paper inside.

  His lips parted with a quiet gasp. He ghosted his fingers over the piece. A key. Not a normal key but a charm-like piece of jewelry. A key that would suit the restaurant's medieval setting almost perfectly—intentionally designed to appear rustic, somewhat primitive, not refined yet still elegant. He reached into the box, withdrawing the charm and the attached necklace. The weight, definitely platinum. The top of the key in the shape of a heart, threaded through a Figaro link chain in matching platinum. He tried to swallow past the knot in his throat. "A key?"

  Aidan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "When we started this whole us thing, I had a talk with Ty. Well, it was supposed to be a talk with Ty, but Cole jumped in. Anyway, they said something that stuck with me."

  "What did they say?" Jessie asked, curious as to what made Aidan fidget so much.

  "That I needed to give you a skeleton key to get inside me. So that's what that is. It's not a perfect, pretty key, but I had it done to match me. It's a little rough around the edges and looks like it would fit in that iron gate thing you're always joking about." Aidan shrugged. "Kinda stupid, now that I think about it. You're already inside so it's not like you need the key." His lips thinned and a frown made an appearance. "Fuck. I'm never going to get this shit right." He muffled a curse and frowned.

  Jessie set the box on the table and cupped Aidan's face. "You just earned so many points they won't fit on your virtual scorecard." He reached into the box and retrieved the necklace and charm. He turned one of Aidan's hands and dropped the necklace in his palm. "Put it on me."

  Aidan immediately grabbed the two ends of the necklace as Jessie leaned forward. He peeked over Jessie's shoulder, clicking the necklace in place. Aidan inched back and stared at the small key. An odd mix of emotions washed over Aidan's features, but a hint of a smile sparked in his eyes.

  Jessie reached up and touched the key, hanging just below his Adam's apple—in the dip between his neck and collarbone. He held the key, running his
finger along the top and sliding it across the chain link. He leaned in and pitched his voice low. "Later on tonight, you know what I'm going to be thinking about?"

  "What's that?" Aidan asked with an unmistakable playfulness in his eyes.

  "How much I love my key when it's all I'm wearing while you blow me for my birthday dessert."

  A slow smile spread across Aidan's face. "Hopefully you won't be thinking of much of anything while that's happening."

  Jessie lowered his head and bit his lip, still sliding the key along the necklace, unable to let go of the small key whose symbolic nature meant so much more.

  The server walked in with dinner, and they quietly ate, sharing a cheesecake before finally slipping out of the restaurant and back into the car and onto the highway.

  "Are we going to be late?"

  Aidan glanced at his wristwatch for the hundredth time. "I think we'll be fine."

  They drove on the turnpike speeding along, flying by exit after exit. "Are you still not going to tell me where we're going?"

  "You'll know soon enough." Aidan exited the interstate and drove through backroads, turning onto a main street.

  Jessie gasped when the spotlights flashed across the sky, highlighting the arena. "Are we…"

  No way would Aidan get that many bonus points on his own.

  "We are," Aidan said smugly.

  "How did you get tickets? Today's show was sold out months ago." He craned his neck and lowered his head to get a peek at the tall sign, smiling with each new digital frame of the scrolling arena billboard. He'd always wanted to attend the traveling theatrical acrobatic show but couldn't overcome the awkwardness of going to one alone. He had finally decided this would be the year since the tour coincided with his birthday. He'd hunted for tickets, figuring he could somehow bribe Aidan to attend with him even though it was probably the last place on earth he'd like to be. Unfortunately, the show had sold out quickly.

  After flagging a few attendants along his path and flashing his tickets like a magic wand, Aidan had worked their way into a private entrance of a parking garage.