“Yeah, I was going to ask you about that.” Jerry ran his hand over William’s head and pulled him in close to his side as he turned back to David. “A little bird told me that our hotel is actually a mansion.”
“A little bird, huh?” David raised an eyebrow as he looked down at William’s cautious smile.
“Sorry, it just slipped out.” William reached into one of his pants pockets and pulled out a cracker. He held it out in the palm of his hand, David assumed as some sort of peace offering.
“It’s okay, William.” David placed his wine glass on the tray of a passing waiter and reached down to loosen William’s tie. “I have to tell you that you have been very, very impressive tonight.”
“Thank you.” William reached into his pocket for another cracker, looking up when David laughed. “What?”
“Nothing.” David undid the tie completely and put it in his suit pocket. “I am dying to go for a swim. How about you?”
William turned to his father and asked, “Are you coming too, Dad?”
“No, sport, I have to stay here for another couple of hours, but I should be home before you fall asleep.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” David pulled William to his side, his hand tracing lazy circles across William’s slight shoulders. “He seems pretty tired to me. Probably be asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.”
“Then we’ll both get lots of rest and play in the pool before breakfast. How’s that sound?”
“Good,” William said as he nodded. “I’m gonna go say goodnight to Kitty.”
They watched, together, as William walked over to where Kitty stood with a couple of elderly patrons. “And what about you?” Jerry sidled up beside David and placed his hand at his lower back. “Will you be asleep by the time I get home?”
“That depends, I guess.”
“Oh,” Jerry asked, his grin growing a little wider, “on what precisely?”
“On how entertaining your private show promises to be.”
Jerry kissed him softly on the lips and was gone.
David saw William making his way back to where he stood. “All set?”
“Yes.”
As the two of them exited the gallery, the cool spring air was a welcome relief from the warmth and humidity created by so many bodies inside of the gallery. David walked slowly enough so that he wouldn’t lose sight of William, keeping his hand hovering near William’s shoulder. The parking garage was only another hundred feet or so, but when David looked up to check the color of the light at the next intersection, William was running off down the sidewalk, yelling Cory’s name. David’s voice caught in his throat for a moment before he yelled for William to stop. He broke into a run as soon as he realized that William was not going to stop for him.
David finally caught up to William at the traffic light, his mind thanking all higher powers that it hadn’t yet changed to green. “William, what are you doing, for pete’s sake? You could have gotten hurt or caused an accident.” David reached down and took a hold of William’s right hand. David hoped that his voice wasn’t sounding too angry.
“It’s Cory, David. I saw him. He’s right there, right over there, by the bank.”
David looked down the street and then turned back to him, guiding him across the intersection when the light turned green. “Please promise me you won’t take off like that again, William. You scared the crap out of me.”
“I’m sorry, David, but it’s Cory. I have to catch up to him.”
David looked down at the excited face; he hadn’t seen William this excited for the last few days, not since Cory seemed to disappear from his life. How would he ever explain to William that—even if this young man was Cory—he was probably here to party with his friends. “Okay,” David said at last.
William pulled on David’s hand. “Come on, before he gets away.”
“What if it’s not Cory?”
“It is. I know it is.”
William called Cory’s name one more time and David looked farther down the sidewalk, trying to figure out which pedestrian could possibly be Cory. And when William began pulling David toward the rather dirty, scruffy young man standing near the corner of the bank and strumming a guitar, David finally recognized Cory. David couldn’t be sure, but he would have bet money that Cory wasn’t exactly happy to see them. And what’s more, David wondered if the bruises on his face might be the reason.
As they approached Cory, David couldn’t help the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that Coach Lapis’s wife had been correct in her assumptions of Cory’s wild and reckless behavior. And instead of a weekend for William to have fun and forget about Cory, it would be a weekend spent watching William learn that some people are not to be trusted.
Chapter 10
“HEY, Billiam,” Cory said with a strained smile. He took the guitar strap from around his neck and held the instrument out in front of him as if it were a shield.
David watched as William moved closer to the tall teenager and then stop, his smile vanishing. “Cory, what happened to your face?”
“Just roughhousing with some of my friends.” Cory shrugged as if to reinforce the idea that his injuries were no big deal. “What are you doing in Edmonton?”
“My dad’s art show,” William announced, the smile coming slowly back to his confused face. “Do you want to come and see?”
The panicked look in Cory’s eyes made David’s stomach do flip-flops. And with the clarity that came from spending so much time around lost and confused children, David understood. “William,” David said as he placed his hands on the slight shoulders, halting William’s return to the art gallery. “I think maybe Cory would like to come over for a swim.”
“Oh, no—”
“He won’t take no for an answer, Cory.” David offered a sincere smile, one that said he knew why Cory was in Edmonton, why a sixteen-year-old was busking on the street corner. And more importantly, David hoped his smile let Cory know that there would be no questions until the young man was ready to share whatever information he wanted.
Cory nodded only once, and David couldn’t help the feeling that the dirty and bruised young man was fighting back the urge to run—or cry. He took the backpack from Cory and slung it over his shoulder while William helped his friend pack up the guitar. And within a few minutes, the three of them were headed into the parking garage.
“HOW come you never told me you played guitar?” William had decided to sit in the back seat with Cory.
“Sorry,” Cory said after a few moments, “I guess it just never came up.”
“Will you teach me?”
“Sure, I guess—”
“William?” David waited until he saw William’s wide blue eyes staring back at him in the rearview mirror. “There’s plenty of time for all that. How about we just let Cory enjoy the pool for a bit first, okay?” He smiled at William in the mirror and returned his gaze to the traffic light just in time to see it turn green.
“’Kay. Can you stay over? There’s lots of rooms. And then we can go swimming again tomorrow. And David and Dad and I are all going to the mall with all the—”
“William, why don’t you ask Cory what he likes to eat?”
“I like mac and cheese, especially the way David makes it. Do you like mac and cheese?”
“Who doesn’t?”
David couldn’t be absolutely sure, but Cory seemed to become a little less nervous since his unexpected reunion with William. “Mac and cheese it is then.” David pulled the car into the long, winding driveway of the mansion. “So,” he began as soon as the car was in park and the engine turned off, “William, you can help Cory with his things and with picking out a bedroom for tonight, and I’ll be in the kitchen getting all the food ready. Okay?” David held up the house key for William.
“’Kay.” William grabbed the key, pushed open his door, and reached back in for Cory’s backpack. “Come on, Cory, you can have the room next to mine. You should see how big
the beds are!”
David exited the vehicle, closed his door, and steered his way to the front door. As he came around the other side of the vehicle, Cory stopped in front of him and turned around. For a moment, it seemed as if Cory was about to say something, but then he just stood, his eyes staring into David’s.
“I’m here if you need to talk to someone,” David said quietly. “But I think, right now, you’d better go with William before he blows a gasket.” Cory nodded and turned to follow William through the front door.
DAVID was busy in the kitchen preparing mac and cheese, french fries, and chicken salad sandwiches. Occasionally, he heard William’s excited voice as he gave Cory a tour of the house. They stopped in the kitchen and Cory asked if he could help with anything. David declined, but then turned to William. “Hey, William, how about you go and get Cory some towels and stuff for his room?”
“’Kay.” William, still in his dark suit, ran toward the door, but then stopped. “Cory, do you have swimming trunks with you?”
“No, but I have a pair of shorts I can use.”
Satisfied with Cory’s answer, William dashed off to make sure Cory’s bathroom was fully stocked.
“Thank you.” Cory’s voice was a whisper and—David noticed—he didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands. “I don’t know what to say to him.”
“You’ve run away, haven’t you?” David didn’t wait for confirmation. “Is there anyone I should call so they won’t worry?”
“No,” Cory said as he pushed his hands further into his pockets. “There’s no one.”
“I’m sorry, Cory; I know your mother passed away years ago, but what about your father?”
“He’s not around anymore.” David was sure Cory could see his confusion.
“You’ve been living by yourself?”
“No, my… I mean, my dad is usually there, but he was….” Cory’s voice trailed off, and David felt like letting the subject go. It seemed quite obvious to David that Cory was embarrassed or ashamed, or both.
“I meant what I said, Cory. I’m here if you need to talk to someone.”
“Thank you, but I don’t want William to find out why I left.”
“I won’t say anything to him.” David walked around to the side of the counter where Cory stood. “But when it comes to you, I think you could tell him you have three heads and he wouldn’t care. He’s become quite attached to you.” David felt a little bit relieved when he saw the smile tug at the corners of Cory’s mouth. “Has anyone checked your bruises? I mean….” David drew a circle around his own face.
“They’re okay.” Cory looked down at the floor again when he added, “This isn’t the first time.”
David resisted the urge to ask the question that immediately came to mind and was thankful when he heard William’s thundering footsteps coming down the hall. He moved back behind the counter to check on the food just as William rushed into the kitchen. “Okay, towels, face cloth, soap, toothpaste, and there was even a robe in there.”
“Okay, well, I think Cory’s looking forward to a swim, so I’ll come and get you when the food is ready.” David watched the two boys exit the kitchen and head left to the pool, and then found himself staring at the frayed bottoms of Cory’s dirty jeans. “Cory? If you want to bring me your clothes, I’ll make sure they get washed.”
William was explaining, excitedly, about all of the pool toys he’d found earlier as he pulled Cory out of the kitchen and down the hall toward the pool, leaving David alone with all of the many questions that he’d not been able to bring himself to ask. Where was Cory’s father? Why had Cory run away to Edmonton and not Calgary? What had really caused the bruises on Cory’s face? Was it related to drugs? Was Cory being abused? Was letting Cory around William the worst judgment call David had ever made?
JERRY turned after shutting his car door and headed up the stairs to the mansion, waving to Kitty as she guided her bright red BMW to the opposite end of the semi-circular driveway. He knew that he was a little later than what he’d told David earlier in the evening, but he was still pretty sure that he’d be in time to say goodnight to William and spend some quality time with David in the pool or their bed—or both.
He tested the door and found it open. Pushing the heavy door aside, he entered the darkened foyer, surprised by the squeals of laughter coming from the other side of the house. It wasn’t that he’d expected to find no life in the house at just after 10:00 p.m., but he hadn’t anticipated hearing this kind of noise until their trip to the mall tomorrow.
The smell of the food guided him to the kitchen. Shrugging out of his suit jacket, he turned the corner to find David, William, and Cory sitting at the expansive kitchen table, all three of them sharing a laugh. “I’m home,” Jerry said, his lips curling into a smile almost involuntarily.
“Dad!” William was out of his chair within seconds and had his arms wrapped around his dad’s waist; Jerry couldn’t help but notice that William and Cory were both wearing damp swimming trunks. “Look who I found.”
“Hey, chief,” Jerry said as he smoothed his hand over his son’s head, wondering where the bruises on Cory’s face had come from. “Cory,” Jerry nodded at the young man, “I’m glad to see you’re safe. William was quite worried about you.”
He noticed the nod that Cory offered. “I’m sorry if I caused anyone any worry, sir.”
“Sir?” Jerry laughed and watched William return to his seat beside Cory. “Jerry’s fine.” Jerry finally moved to sit beside David, leaning over quickly to plant a kiss on his lips. “Looks like we’ve both had a busy night.”
“Are you hungry?” David asked. Jerry considered the question while he shut his eyes and felt David’s hand massaging the back of his neck. “William and Cory have already eaten their weight in mac and cheese, but there’s still some left, or I could make—”
“I’m good, thanks, baby.” Jerry leaned in for another quick kiss and then turned to William. “How about you two go for another quick dip before bedtime so I can talk to David?”
Jerry was surprised at the look that Cory gave to David, but kept his mouth shut. When William and Cory were gone from the room, Jerry leaned in and gave David a proper kiss. He held on to the soft skin at the nape of David’s neck for a few moments and then pulled back to look into those nervous brown eyes. “Looks like Cory might be worried about what I was going to say to you.”
“I think he’s very confused. He’s run away from home.”
“Yeah, I kinda figured it would turn out to be something like that,” Jerry sighed and let his chin fall into his palm.
“Are you angry?”
“Angry? Why?”
“Well, some people might think it shows a lack of judgment letting a stranger into the house, especially around a young boy.”
“He’s not a stranger to William,” Jerry said as he scrubbed his hand over his face. “Besides, I trust your intuition when it comes to kids before anyone else’s.” Jerry leaned forward when he saw the smile spread across David’s face. “How long is he staying?”
“I don’t know,” David said after he stole another kiss from Jerry. “I guess we’ll have to check with Sara or someone else at Child and Family when we get back. Cory says he has no other family.” David shrugged and let his hand move its way slowly up Jerry’s forearm until he felt the soft, thick hairs of Jerry’s beard. “I think there might be a very sad story attached to that young man.”
“And you want to make it all better, don’t you?”
“I’m not that obvious, am I?”
“I’m just teasing you, baby.” Jerry pulled David to him until David was sitting in his lap.
“I know.” David went willingly and settled himself on the firm muscles of Jerry’s thighs. “So, was it all a huge success?”
“Kitty seems to think so. Sold most of the pieces that I had there and had a few people ask about special commissions. She looked very smug when she brought over an elderly couple—big time ric
h—who were interested in seeing samples of portraits. Apparently, they want one done of their new grandchildren.”
“I was very proud of you tonight, Jerry.” David leaned forward and ran his hands over Jerry’s scalp. “And how cute was William when you introduced him to that couple from France?”
“And what about that tall, blond kid who had you cornered for a good half-hour?” Jerry chuckled as David pulled a face, obviously trying to convey that he had no idea to whom Jerry was referring. “I seem to remember him touching your arm and shoulder several times.”
“Please,” David said as he punched playfully at Jerry’s bicep. “I’m old enough to have been his kindergarten teacher.”
“I know, that’s what I’m saying.” Jerry wrapped both of his big arms around David; he knew there would probably be another slap for that observation. He took a deep breath and relaxed his grasp a little as he felt David’s body settle against his.
“Were you happy with the show, Jerry?”
“It’s nice making money, that’s for sure, but I just don’t care about the socializing part of it.” Jerry felt himself cringe inwardly at the memory of the many hands he’d had to shake, the forced smiles. He knew that most people had an impression of him as antisocial and curmudgeonly, and he knew he didn’t really do anything to correct this impression. And Jerry had always been fine with that, had always been content to stay on his ranch, alone and free from the drama that other people tended to bring. But even Jerry had to admit that when he felt David and William so close at the art gallery, when he’d been able to look up and see them, all of the socializing and smiling and hand shaking hadn’t really bothered him as much as he’d dreaded. “Listen, David, I want to thank you for bringing William tonight. I never realized what a difference it would make to have the two of you there.”
“You’re very welcome, baby.” David was able to move his arms a little more and took advantage of Jerry’s loosening grip to lose himself in the sensation of moving his hands slowly over the silk shirt that Jerry was wearing. David leaned in for a slow kiss, his lips curling in a mischievous grin when he felt Jerry’s growing erection beneath his own. “After we get the boys to bed, I’ll have a surprise for you.”
An Earlier Heaven Page 9