Pins and Needles

by A. J. Thomas

  “That was quick,” Tonya said, almost squealing. “And you got a sterilizer too?”

  “Artistic Designs had a spare we’ve never opened. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to help out when younger artists want to branch out on their own. And I’m totally willing to beg my old boss for stuff if it means getting to work with the crew from Hawk’s. You guys are kind of legendary.”

  “Says the most promising tattoo artist under twenty in the state of Texas? Hah. Besides, we’re not Hawk’s anymore. Although so far his version of retirement has involved fishing every morning and coming over here to give us advice on how to set everything up.”

  “Do you think he’ll actually work here?” Davey asked, his eyes wide with something that might have been hero worship.

  “Davey,” Tonya said patiently, “how many workstations did Sean say we’re setting up?”

  “Four.”

  “Uh-huh. Enough for you, me, Sean, and Papa Hawk. This way, he doesn’t have to worry about the Houston shop, he can take time off whenever he wants to take another road trip with his girlfriend, and he’s still got a place to hang out.”

  “Once they hit the road, who’s to say they’re going to want to settle down again?” Nate suggested. “Just two lovebirds, a motorcycle, and the open road…. It’s got a certain mystique.”

  “It would be awesome to watch Hawk Sterner work,” Davey said eagerly. “But what is Sean going to call the place? I mean, without Hawk, it’s just….” Davey shrugged.

  “Not Hawk’s, right?” Tonya said enthusiastically. “I like Painless Steel, but Sean’s squeamish about piercings, believe it or not.”

  “Painless Steel?” Davey cackled. “Oh, that’s cool!”

  Nate watched the two of them unpack tattoo machines, wishing Sean was there to get excited about everything too. Holding Sean in his arms at the bar and watching his drunken smile had been just the balm Nate needed after a formal evening with his family, and watching his eyes light up as he set up the new workstations would be just as perfect.

  “Pins and Needles,” he said randomly.

  “Huh?”

  “Pins and Needles. For the shop. It’s how I’ve felt ever since me and Sean met. Excited, nervous, and a bit terrified to see what happens next.”

  Tonya smirked. “That’s only because someone was trying to kill him half the time.”

  “Partly.”

  Davey began pulling what looked like random machine parts out of a box. “Huh. ‘Painless Steel’ or ‘Pins and Needles’…. That’s tough, they’re both fun.”

  “Guess we’ll have to see which one he likes.”

  “Or open a chain,” Nate suggested, staring at the petition again and pretending not to notice the way Davey gaped at him.

  “Nate lives in his own little world where the word impossible only exists in other people’s vocabulary. You’ll get used to him.”

  Davey just laughed and went back to unpacking.

  Sean’s new Jeep, which was actually so old Nate was surprised it was still running, pulled into the disabled parking spot in front of the shop. Sean climbed out, taking each step with care. It wasn’t quite the same as his old Jeep, but it was as close as Sean could find with an automatic transmission. He stared at Nate’s sedan, then set his new cane on his shoulder and strolled toward the shop. His gate was relaxed and looked natural if you didn’t know to watch for the way he favored his left leg.

  Nate tucked the petition back into his bag and grabbed the burgers he’d picked up on the way over.

  “Hey,” Sean called, waving at Tonya and Davey. “You guys have the place looking like a tattoo studio already.”

  “Except for chairs, and supplies, and a cash register and computer,” Tonya said, shifting a jewelry rack to the back of the counter.

  “You beat me over here,” Sean said with a smile. He lowered himself onto the couch beside Nate, running his hand from Nate’s knee up his thigh in greeting.

  “I did the best-man thing. The rest of the reception was just lunch and pretending not to be miserable.”

  “I can’t believe your mom actually talked them into a big reception.”

  “You and me both. Got you a burger,” he said, passing over the fast-food bag.

  “What about you?”

  Nate shook his head. “You got to sleep off your hangover. I got to add to mine with obligatory toasts. And a not-so-obligatory Bloody Mary.”

  “Sorry,” Sean said, taking the bag. “And you went to Whataburger for me. Thank you!”

  Nate settled back against the couch, draping his arm around Sean’s neck. “Always.”

  “Hey, Hawk called,” Sean said between bites of burger. “He wanted to know if we were both going to be here today. And he asked if I’d seen something of yours, but then he wouldn’t say what it was and just said he’d come over tonight.”

  “Ah… seen what?” Nate asked, stalling. He’d committed to his gift idea when he’d first brought the petition to Hawk, but that hadn’t felt quite as weird as presenting it to Sean.

  Sean finished his burger quickly and shrugged. “I asked, but he wouldn’t say. What was he talking about?”

  Nate grabbed the handles of his briefcase and took a deep breath. “Come upstairs with me?” he asked, nodding to the elevator. He got up and offered Sean a hand, pulling him close as he helped him to his feet.

  Sean looked nervous, but he smiled as Nate leaned in to kiss him gently. They climbed into the tiny lift together and rode up to the top floor, where contractors had already spent the previous week knocking out most of the superfluous walls. It would still take a lot of work before it was livable, but glass doors and massive windows opening onto a patio overlooking the store facade were already perfect. From the patio he could look out over the parking lot and Galveston’s seawall. From what would soon be Sean’s living room, the facade itself blocked out the view of the parking lot and street below, so all he could see was a thin ribbon of sand, the ocean beyond, and the endless sky.

  “Whatever it is, you can just say it,” Sean said as Nate leaned against the window and stared out at the water.

  “If you don’t like the idea, promise me you won’t be angry? Because it’s just an idea, it’s not…. I mean, I’m not committed to it one way or the other, you know?”

  “No. That’s why I’m confused.”

  “Here,” Nate said, holding the petition out to Sean, his grip on the papers so tight he almost crumpled them.

  “What’s this?” Sean asked.

  “A really late Christmas present.”

  “Christmas was kind of nuts,” Sean pointed out.

  “Valentine’s, then.”

  The papers shifted as Sean skimmed them quickly. His expression grew serious, and he focused. “I’m not a kid,” he said. “And he wouldn’t want—”

  “He said you wouldn’t want to,” Nate said quickly. “He cried when I suggested it, even though he’d probably smack me for telling you that. He’s already signed it. If you want to, all you’ve got to do is sign it, then go through a quick hearing, and it’s official. I know you’ve made him the beneficiary for your accounts and your trust, but this… well, it’s forever. The state would even reissue your birth certificate.”

  “He signed it?” Sean’s voice cracked as he flipped through the pages.

  Nate glanced at Sean, then looked away quickly. Sean sniffled beside him and wiped his eyes.

  “It’s not much of a gift if you don’t want it. But if you decide you want to go through with it, I’ll represent you both at the hearing.”

  “You—”

  “It won’t actually change anything,” Nate said quickly.

  “How do you figure?”

  “Because it’s just making what’s already there official. He’s been your dad for the last ten years, and he always will be. Just like you’re always going to be his son. But I thought, well, this way the whole world will recognize it, and you can both just say it without having to e
xplain anything to anybody.” Nate shoved his hands into his pockets. For a long moment, Sean was perfectly still beside him, not saying a word. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” Nate said. “I guess it was a stupid idea, and I—”

  Sean tackled him so hard they both almost tumbled to the ground, wrapping his arms around Nate so hard his back popped under the pressure. Nate brought his arms up around Sean, holding him as Sean trembled against his chest.

  “You okay?”

  Sean nodded against his shirt and squeezed him tighter. “I never thought he’d—I mean, I’m….”

  When it seemed like Sean wasn’t going to answer, Nate ran his fingers through Sean’s hair.

  “Thank you,” Sean said, his voice so soft Nate hardly heard the words. “Thank you so much.”

  “I was planning on it for Christmas,” Nate whispered just over Sean’s ear. “I’m just sorry it took me so long to get it done. All the CPG stuff, then closing on this place, and then the wedding….”

  Sean trembled, chuckling against him. “Well, you were a step ahead of me. I was thinking about a Valentine’s gift too. But….”

  Nate pulled back and stared at him. “It can’t be as presumptuous as mine.”

  “Oh, it totally is.” Sean dug into the pocket of his baggy jeans and pulled out his bulky key ring. He grabbed two identical keys, each black with red flames printed on them. “Tonya, Hawk, and Davey have got keys to the front door of the shop, which you’ve already got. This one will open the back door and the lock on the stairwell, and it’ll work the elevator. If you want it.”

  “A key?” With red flames on it. Nate took the key and turned it over, smiling brightly.

  “I know I can’t ask you to move in with me,” Sean said, his tone nervous. “But I thought—”

  “Why not?” Nate cut him off.

  “Because you love your house. You’ve got so many memories there, and… I don’t know.”

  “Do you want to live with me?”

  Sean swallowed hard and lifted one shoulder in a half shrug.

  Nate leaned in and kissed Sean’s neck, eagerly working his way up to his earlobe. “Come out on the patio with me?” he asked, shoving the glass door open with his ass.

  Sean buried his face in the crook of Nate’s check, smirking. “Did you mean that the way it sounded?”

  “Hell, yes. But not just yet. You’re right about the memories. If this is going to be our home, I think we should start making new memories around the place. Come hang out with me until Hawk gets here. If we’re outside, we’ll hear him when he pulls up.”

  “I can’t believe you did this,” Sean whispered, holding the petition for adoption close to his chest. “I never expected to have an official family again,” he admitted.

  Nate kissed Sean’s temple and wrapped his arms around Sean’s waist. “You and me both.”

  More from A.J. Thomas

  Anders Blankenship never intended to hike the Appalachian Trail alone, but when his boyfriend cancels, Anders steels his courage, leaving the abusive relationship to tackle the long-distance hike. Though a hiking virgin, he’s glad he made the decision when he receives threatening messages from his ex. Luckily, Kevin, an experienced backpacker, takes him under his wing.

  Kevin Winters isn’t looking for a hiking partner, let alone a fling with a cute man on the rebound. After learning he has the autoimmune disorder that killed his father, Kevin left his family to wander remote trails. Convinced his future holds only pain and death, Kevin refuses to get close to anyone. The family sourdough recipes he recreates over a campfire are his only solace.

  In the wilderness, Anders and Kevin discover a lot of common ground. While the future holds uncertainties they may not be ready to deal with, it might also hold the chance for happiness.

  A night of drunken confusion at nineteen resulted in Patrick Connelly fathering a child. Determined to be there for his son, Patrick walked away from a sport he loved and forever hid his sexuality. After Patrick’s brutal divorce and a vicious hate crime, his son, Jay, has become obsessed with graffiti. Hoping for a fresh start, Patrick moves Jay to his childhood home in Seattle. Within two weeks, Jay is arrested again. On his way to pick Jay up, Patrick stops an assault, then finds himself in handcuffs too. Thinking things can’t get any worse, he’s confronted by the sexiest man he’s ever seen—his son’s new probation officer, Ken Atkins.

  The hardest part of Ken’s job is working with difficult parents, and the undeniably handsome Patrick Connelly is going to be a difficult parent. A chance encounter and steamy hookup with Patrick leave Ken blindsided. As they work together to try to keep Jay on the right path, the passion between them proves impossible to resist. When the assault Patrick prevented comes back to haunt them and Jay gets into trouble again, Ken must convince Patrick that ensuring his son’s happiness doesn’t have to mean sacrificing his own.

  Least Likely Partnership: Book One

  Doug Heavy Runner left the life of an openly gay Miami police officer and returned to his home on the Salish-Kootenai Indian Reservation when his mother got sick. In the two years since she passed, he’s carved out an empty life as a small-town deputy, relying on out-of-town one-night stands to keep him sane. Then he meets Detective Christopher Hayes, and they share a wild night so incredible Doug breaks his own rule and allows a one-night stand to grow into a weekend of amazing sex.

  When Christopher travels from San Diego to Montana to deal with his abusive brother’s suicide, he doesn’t expect to find the man he spent the weekend with to be handling his brother’s case. He certainly doesn’t mind spending more time with Doug—but then an arsonist destroys the house Christopher inherited from his brother, and Christopher and Doug discover they are the primary suspects.

  As they investigate, they discover Christopher’s dead brother has set them on the trail of a psychotic pedophile who will stop at nothing to silence his last victim. However, the search for the victim goes horribly wrong, leaving Doug hospitalized and Christopher at the mercy of the killer….

  Least Likely Partnership: Book Two

  When his vicious cousin Alejandro makes a violent late-night visit, San Diego homicide detective Ray Delgado gets a brutal reminder of why he left his family behind. Alejandro wants Ray to find his sister, Sophia, who disappeared from the UC San Diego campus, before the FBI digs too deep into his business.

  Special Agent Elliot Belkamp spent his entire life jumping from one place to another, but his new assignment assisting a FBI task force offers him a chance to settle down. When Elliot catches a missing person’s case as his first assignment, the last person he expects to find poking around the victim’s dorm room is Ray, a one-time hookup he’s more inclined to punch in the face than kiss hello. After discovering Sophia’s disappearance is linked to a massive computer-based theft that has two powerful crime families ready to declare war, Elliot focuses on his investigation and tries to ignore Ray. As the search for Sophia turns dangerous, Elliot and Ray discover that tackling organized crime might be easier than resisting the urge to tackle each other.

  Least Likely Partnership: Book Three

  Life in small-town Montana has become hell for former San Diego homicide detective Christopher Hayes. No one will hire him, he has made the seething racism his lover Doug Heavy Runner faces at work worse by adding homophobia to the mix, and his most recent jog through town ends when two gay-bashing teenagers hit him in the head with a rock. Deputy Sheriff Doug Heavy Runner has never overcome the abusive relationship that traumatized and shattered him as a young adult. The memories, the lingering shame, and the fear he has never acknowledged have left him resigned to endure the discrimination he faces in Elkin. But he can’t stand it when Christopher becomes a target for that same hatred.

  When the mutilated body of one of the boys who assaulted Christopher is found in Doug’s garage, Christopher and Doug return from a vacation in San Diego and uncover a tangle of secrets, lies, and tragedy lurking beneath Elkin’s small-town façade. With the
ir relationship at a crossroads, they’ll have to work together to catch the killer and maybe find a paradise of their own.

  Readers love A.J. Thomas

  The Intersection of Purgatory and Paradise

  “If you like a good mystery/suspense/drama with lots of angst, police detectives, broken men, a sweet loving sexy romance, and some hot man-sex this is for you!”

  —MM Good Book Reviews

  “The Intersection of Purgatory and Paradise is about facing those demons and moving forward, with a satisfying mystery thrown in…”

  —Prism Book Alliance

  The Way Things Are

  “I was immediately drawn into the story and fascinated with some of its unique aspects.”

  —Hearts on Fire Reviews

  “Overall, this book is friggin GREAT! Absolutely recommend!”

  —Love Bytes

  A.J. THOMAS writes romantic suspense. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Literature from the University of Montana and worked in a half-dozen different jobs from law enforcement officer to librarian before settling down. Life as a military spouse has tossed her around the country so many times she doesn’t know how to answer when people ask her where she’s from, but she delights in living as a perpetual tourist, visiting new places and discovering amazing things.

  Her time is divided between taking care of her three young children, experimenting with cooking and baking projects that rarely explode these days, and embarrassing her husband with dirty jokes. When she’s not writing, she hikes, gardens, researches every random idea that comes into her head, and develops complicated philosophical arguments about why a clean house is highly overrated. Her work has won multiple awards, including the 2013 AMB Ovation Award for Best LGBT Interracial Romance, and the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Contemporary Fiction.