DUMPED

by Lucy Hawkins

  “What a bastard,” Daniel said.

  No kidding. “It took him ages to open up to me. And now he sees you, someone he knows has done something he shouldn’t, and he… He just doesn’t want you to take advantage of me. Not that I think you will,” he added quickly.

  Daniel let the last of the rocks fly and turned to Hank without watching to see how many times it skipped. “How can you possibly trust me after what I did to you?”

  Hank shrugged. “You’re my brother. I know you’ve done a lot of bad stuff in your life, but… I don’t know. I just always thought there had to be a reason for stealing. From the sound of it, it wasn’t like you spent the money.”

  “I didn’t. Not really.” He slid down the trunk of the willow to sit at the base, and Hank followed suit. “The last car I ever stole was owned by a man named Eduardo Ramirez.”

  “I told you, I’m not going to ask—”

  “Well maybe you should,” Daniel said. “God knows you’ve earned an explanation. I stole everything you had. You at least deserve to know why.”

  He wanted to know. He’d wanted to know for over a year, and now Daniel was offering an answer without demanding anything in return.

  “The car I stole was a Ferrari Americana, and it was beautiful. I didn’t know at the time how much money it was worth. I just knew I needed the money. I only got half a million for it. Anyway, about two years into us living together, Eduardo’s men discovered where I was living.” Daniel closed his eyes and shuddered. “They showed up at the house one day while you were at practice. Said they’d slit your throat and mail me pieces of you. I couldn’t take that chance. I thought if I stayed away, they wouldn’t be able to find you.”

  “You… used that money to keep me safe?”

  Daniel laughed without humor. “No. I used that money to pay off a drug lord whose car I stole. Otherwise, he was going to kill you and me both. I would have taken the money if it had just been my ass on the line. You don’t know these guys. They wouldn’t just kill me. The things they’ve done to people…” He shook his head.

  A bee droned past them, and Hank reached out to tug on a strand of the willow tree. “You know, I thought about you every day you were gone. Wondered where you were and if you were safe. I knew you wouldn’t have done what you did unless you had to. I was never mad at you.”

  “Maybe you should have been.”

  “Why? Because you made a mistake?”

  “A mistake is calling someone by the wrong name. Stealing three million dollars to pay off a debt accrued by stealing a car isn’t a mistake. It’s a felony. I should be in prison again.”

  “I’m not going to press charges,” Hank said. “I’m doing okay right now. I’ve got the inn. You’re back. I have Alex. I have everything I need to be happy.”

  Daniel ran his hand through his thick black hair. “I was supposed to be your big brother, the one who protected you and took care of you. And instead, I’m living off your charity.”

  “Don’t think about it like that. If our situations were reversed, would you still help me out?”

  “Of course,” Daniel said without hesitation.

  “There you go. We’re family. I’m not just going to give up on you.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “All I ask is that you’re completely open with me. If you have a problem, if you’re ever in trouble again, let me know.”

  Daniel nodded.

  “And I’ll do what I can with Alex,” Hank continued. “Once he gets to know you, I’m sure he’ll come around.”

  Twenty-Four

  Alex

  They had three hours until the wedding—one hundred and eighty minutes to ensure the nuptials of Mr. Joshua Stein and Miss Sara Farmer went off without a hitch—and the photographer was missing. If either of the couple had bothered asking Alex, he would have told them that this particular photographer was notorious for bad service. Showing up hungover, sleeping with the bridesmaids—you name it, he’d done it. But they’d booked the photographer before the venue and, therefore, before Alex.

  Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he scrolled through his contact list until he found the man. Not that he hadn’t already tried calling at least a dozen times, but maybe this time he would actually pick up. A new email popped up. Oh, thank God. Contact.

  The relief was short-lived. Instead of an email from the photographer, it was yet another one from Grant. The fifth in the past week.

  “I don’t fucking have time for this,” he muttered, deleting it without reading.

  “Everything okay?”

  He turned to find Daniel staring at him from the doorway of the kitchen.

  “Yeah um… It’s…” If he had to keep up the ruse that everything was fine for one more minute, he was going to go insane. “No. No, it isn’t. The photographer’s gone missing, and unless we can somehow make another one appear, the bride and groom are going to be stuck with low quality camera phone pictures.”

  A dull throb pounded at the base of his skull, and Alex reached back to massage with one hand.

  “Okay, take a deep breath. It’s not going to do anyone any good if you pass out.”

  While Alex wanted to protest, he did as Daniel said and some of the tension seeped from his body.

  “Good. Now unclench your teeth. That might help with the headache.” He waited until Alex did as he said before continuing. “If you’re looking for a photographer, I might be able to help.”

  Alex raised an eyebrow. Over the last two weeks, he’d tried his best to be more accepting of Daniel. Not just because Hank was insistent he do so, but because his mother’s words kept coming back to him. People changed. He did want to believe Daniel had, but his main concern was that Hank wasn’t taken advantage of again.

  “Who do you know in Redwood who could possibly make it on such short notice?” he asked, keeping his words even.

  “Me. I mean, I’m not professionally trained or anything, but I dabbled a bit.”

  That could mean any number of things. It might mean Daniel was decent with a point-and-shoot, or that he’d bought a Photoshop subscription and used it a couple of times. Or it might mean he’d been in a few amateur competitions, maybe even won a time or two.

  “How good are you?” Alex asked.

  “Competent in Photoshop, and I own a Nikon D750. Bought after, in case you were wondering,” Daniel added.

  Heat bloomed in Alex’s cheeks. He had been.

  “That’s what I thought. Anyway, I’d be willing to stand in if you need.”

  How could such a simple offer make him feel like the world’s biggest asshole? There was a reason he’d been hard on Daniel. He wanted to make sure Daniel was legit and that he wasn’t just saying he’d cleaned up his act to get back in Hank’s good graces so he could take advantage of him again. But it seemed Alex’s fears were unfounded.

  “If you could, that would be amazing,” he said. “Something tells me we’re not going to be seeing the photographer they hired any time soon.”

  “Cool. Hank’s in the kitchen giving orders like he’s a general, so I’m gonna go grab my camera from the cabin.”

  “Hey, Daniel,” he said, as Daniel pulled the door open. “Thank you. I honestly don’t know what I would have done.”

  Daniel nodded. “You’re welcome.”

  People changed. And although Alex had initially had his misgivings, it seemed Daniel had done just that.

  Looking down at his phone, Alex checked off the box marked ‘photographer.’ The flowers had already been delivered and the interior of the inn decorated to match the color scheme. Purple dahlias and white roses lined the banister leading upstairs, held in place with gold ribbons. Outside, the hand-carved Chuppah—made by Sara’s father—stood near the willow tree. Instinctively, Alex checked the weather for the fifth time. The forecast promised clear skies for the next three days.

  He strode into the kitchen where half a dozen hired staff tried not to bump into each other while preparing a number of tapas-style s
mall plates. Hank had spent a full day reading up on what exactly ‘kosher’ entailed so that he wouldn’t accidentally offend the wedding party. As it turned out, that wasn’t necessary. Most of the hired staff were with the catering company the bride and groom had booked in advance.

  “How’s everything coming?” Hank asked, pressing a travel mug of coffee into Alex’s hand.

  Alex took a long drink. “You’re a saint. The photographer’s a no-show, so your brother offered to step in.”

  “Daniel?”

  “Unless you have another brother, yes.”

  Hank grinned. “Just the one. That was great of him to offer. He’s a great photographer. Sold a few to a postcard company, if I remember correctly.”

  Huh. Maybe the photographs would turn out all right, after all. “Other than that, it looks like everything’s in order. The rabbi texted to let me know she’ll be here in about an hour, and so far, I haven’t heard any screaming coming from upstairs, so at least the bridal party is okay. I should probably check the groom’s lake cabin to see about the groomsmen.”

  “Everything’s going to be fine. You’re gonna kill it.”

  Hank pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, and Alex let himself relax into it for just a moment, closing his eyes. Then he pulled back and straightened his shoulders.

  “I certainly hope so. The Farmers are from Redwood, and if I don’t do well, I’ll have to live with Jeanette and Samuel bringing it up for the rest of my life.”

  Fortunately for Alex, the hours leading up to the ceremony passed with no other bumps along the way. The guests started to arrive thirty minutes early, talking and mingling on the lawn. With everything squared away, Alex grabbed Hank and dragged him out to say hello. In addition to being fun, it was a good way for the two of them to drum up business. The more personable they were, the more likely guests were to come back and stay.

  He’d just finished saying hello to the groom’s aunt when someone cleared their throat behind him. Alex turned, Hank’s arm around his waist, to face none other than Charlie Jefferson. Anger flared, but he tamped it back down and then realized how Hank was holding him. There was no way Charlie could interpret it as anything other than romantic.

  “Charlie.” Hank’s voice was stiff. “I didn’t know you knew the bride and groom.”

  “Sara’s my cousin. Jeanette’s my mom’s sister,” he explained. His eyes flicked between the two of them and Alex gritted his teeth, expecting some cutting remark. Instead, Charlie looked oddly remorseful. “I um… I wanted to talk to the both of you. I have some stuff I need to say.”

  Alex crossed his arms and leaned into Hank’s embrace. He needed all the support he could get.

  “I know I was a dick to you in high school. You were this weird kid, but you weren’t doing anything wrong. I hadn’t… I didn’t know a lot of gay people, and I didn’t understand it at the time.”

  “You threw rocks at me. It wasn’t just little jabs. You physically hurt me.” He’d tried to stay silent, but it was too much. Charlie needed to understand the severity of what he had done. “I was scared to go to class. Walking in the halls was a nightmare.”

  “I… I know. And I hate that I did that to you. I was a stupid kid, and I know that isn’t an excuse. It was wrong of me.”

  Yeah, it was. Alex bit back the reply. Charlie was trying to apologize. At least, he thought he was. No apology had actually been made so far. But he seemed sincere enough.

  “My sister, she um… She came out a couple of years ago. She’s trans, see. I didn’t know just how hard it was. She’s been threatened a couple of times, and I just—seeing her go through that, it reminded me of how horrible I was to you,” Charlie said. “So, I’m sorry. Really, really sorry. And I don’t expect you to forgive me, ‘cause what I did… that was pretty fucked up. But I thought I’d tell you.”

  Something clicked into place. The day he’d run into Charlie on his way to the grocery. He’d thought Charlie was there to pick on him even further, but in fact, he’d just been trying to make amends. And Alex’s mom had mentioned Charlie’s sister… Oh. She’d known.

  “What you did was horrible,” Alex said. “You made me scared to live in a town I should have felt safe in, and that’s not okay. But I’m glad you’ve realized that. So, I forgive you. I think it took a lot of nerve to actually admit you were wrong.”

  Charlie nodded. “I thought you’d laugh in my face. Or punch it.” He looked expectantly at Hank. “The apology was for you too. I didn’t know you were gay. And if I had, I wouldn’t have done any of those things.”

  “I saw how you treated Alex, and I knew I couldn’t tell you. So, I spent the entirety of my high school career in the closet,” Hank said. “But I forgive you too. I hope you don’t expect me to apologize for beating the shit out of you on the lake that day.”

  “No.” Charlie laughed. “No, I don’t expect that. I deserved every punch.” He looked around, seeming to realize that people were taking their seats. “Anyway. I just wanted to say that. I’m sorry. And um… yeah. I’ll see you around.”

  “Well,” Alex said as he walked away, “that was certainly unexpected.”

  “Which part? The apology or the part about his sister?”

  “Both,” he admitted. “I never thought he’d feel one shred of remorse. I mean, those rocks broke the skin.”

  They wouldn’t ever be friends. Too much had happened in their past to ensure that, and while Alex knew Charlie was sincere, he didn’t think he could look at him without remembering what he’d done. Still, it was nice to know that the biggest bully he’d known was at least sorry for what he’d done, even if it was ten years in the making.

  “He saw us together,” Alex said.

  “Yeah.”

  “Does it bother you?”

  Hank frowned. “Why would it bother me?”

  Alex shrugged. “I dunno. You guys were close in high school. You were friends before you beat the shit out of him. I mean, I know you said you weren’t hiding the fact that you were gay or anything, but no one in Redwood knew it until you and I started dating.”

  “I don’t mind people knowing. I don’t even mind him knowing. I like being with you, and if other people have a problem with it, they can deal.”

  The words soothed some of the raw feeling still in Alex’s chest. Hank wasn’t Grant. They’d established that over and over. And yet, there was still part of him that feared Hank was ashamed and embarrassed to be seen around him. Just like Grant had been.

  “Smile!”

  They both looked up as Daniel snapped a photo of them.

  “You know you’re supposed to be taking pictures of the guests,” Alex said.

  “I am. You two are guests.”

  Hank shook his head. “Not technically.”

  “Anyway,” Daniel said firmly. “It’s my camera. And if I want a picture of my brother and his boyfriend, I’ll take it. It’s not like it’ll end up in the wedding album. Now actually pose. I want a good shot of the two of you.”

  Alex wrapped his arm around Hank’s waist, smiling. At the last minute, he stood up on his toes and pecked Hank on the lips.

  “Got it.” Daniel looked down at his camera. “Oh, that’s great! I’ll have to give you guys a print of that.”

  He chuckled and walked away, snapping candids of the guests as he went.

  “You know,” Alex said, “last time we had a wedding, we both got pretty lucky.”

  “Yeah? I vaguely remember that,” Hank said, looking bemused.

  “Something tells me it might just happen again.”

  Hank’s hand slid down and he squeezed Alex’s ass as they walked back toward the inn. “Believe me, I’ll hold you to it.”

  Twenty-Five

  Hank

  “Where’s the closest theatre?” Alex asked, walking out of the bathroom with a towel draped around his waist.

  Hank looked up from the bed. “Hmm?”

  “The closest theatre. Is there one in Albany? I can’
t remember.”

  “I have no idea.” Why the hell would Alex think he knew where the closest theatre was? It wasn’t like Hank had much interest in it. His only experience had been watching Alex in their high school production of Guys and Dolls. Not exactly Broadway.

  “Okay, what about an art gallery?”

  “I don’t know. I would say Albany there, too.”

  “Is there, like, a local theatre group? Or a choir?”

  “Alex,” Hank said, hoping he sounded at least a little patient, “I’m going to issue a blanket statement on all things artsy: I don’t know.”

  Where was all this coming from? They were doing well with business, so it wasn’t like Alex didn’t have enough to keep him busy. Most nights, he only got six hours of sleep. Getting his mind to shut down was a monumental task. Sex seemed like the only thing that could quiet his thoughts, and sometimes even then it wasn’t enough.

  Letting out a frustrated growl, Alex ran his fingers through his hair. It had started to grow out, the tips curling wildly after a shower. How curly would it get if he let it keep going? It was worth finding out.

  “I’m bored,” Alex said irritably.

  “How can you possibly be bored? You have three weddings you’re planning and Hazel’s baby shower.”

  “Yeah, but that’s work. I want to sing or act or do something.” Alex threw his hands in the air in a dramatic flourish. “Back in the city, there was this chorus I performed with for gay guys. We sang at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts and the Brooklyn Museum, and every year we had this Holiday Slay. It was amazing.”

  Hank hated the wistful tone Alex’s voice had taken on. There wasn’t much to do in Redwood. Everyone knew that. Moving back from a bustling place like New York City, it was no wonder he was bored.

  “Maybe you could start something local. A choir or something.”

  The exasperation was plain on Alex’s face. “I want something fun, not something I have to organize. All I do is organize.”