It was several minutes before he could find his way out of the white noise, clear the gray haze enough to see them again.
They fell like dominos. Rosalia went first, facedown on the pillow. Doug followed her, twisting at the last second to her side. TJ managed to remain upright, kneeling above them for only a moment more. He turned and fell to his back on Rosalia’s other side.
He needed to get up, pitch the condom and clean up, but every ounce of strength was gone, his bones turned to mush.
Rosalia and Doug must have felt the same as neither of them moved, the only sounds their labored breathing. Finally, Rosalia flipped to her back, flopping like a fish on the shore to do so.
“Holy shit,” she said.
TJ chuckled.
“I wish I had the strength to laugh,” Doug said, his voice deep and sleepy. His friend was well on his way to passing out.
TJ’s grin grew. He was tired too, physically worn out, but energized at the same time. “I take it that means you all loved that as much as me?”
“So much love,” Rosalia whispered.
TJ knew she was talking about the act, but there was something in her tone that made him think she meant something else. Or maybe it was his heart that heard it differently.
Love was an emotion he had very little experience with. In his lifetime and up until this point, he’d loved two people. His mom and Doug.
Now…
He reached out and took Rosalia’s hand, giving it a quick squeeze. Hers remained limp. Glancing over, he realized both his lovers were out, down for the count.
He stood gingerly, muscles stiff from the workout he’d just given them. After a quick trip to the bathroom, he returned to the room, leaning on the doorjamb to look at them.
All the reasons he’d given himself for why he should walk away fled. This was where he was meant to be.
TJ had never felt more certain of anything in his life. Reality be damned. He was stealing the fairy tale, keeping it.
Forever started tonight.
Chapter Nine
Doug glanced up from where he was editing a video at the table in Rosalia’s RV and spotted Justin’s truck driving toward the campsite.
Finally, he thought. He and Rosalia had been waiting for TJ to return all day.
So far, they’d only managed to launch their weather balloons prior to three fairly substantial fall storms, marking this as their least successful research trip to date. He knew Rosalia was frustrated by the lack of storms. After all, it was mid-November and they were quickly approaching the end of the line. If something didn’t break soon, the entire three-month venture was basically a bust.
Of course, while the research had floundered, the romance had flourished. For six weeks, Doug had lived in a constant state of…well…ecstasy. He, TJ and Rosalia fell into bed every night, touching, kissing, exploring, learning each other’s bodies.
But it was so much more than just sex. They were bonding emotionally as well, spending hours around Rosalia’s small dining booth, talking, laughing, discussing everything from politics to religion to Game of Thrones.
They shared more on a personal level as well. He and TJ had stayed up all night a few weeks earlier, holding Rosalia as she talked about her cancer scare, the surgery, and her fear—though alleviated by her doctor and online research—that she might not be able to have kids.
A couple of nights ago, it was Doug who’d fallen apart, when it dawned on him that Jake had been dead six months. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d reached for his phone during that period to call the man, to tell him about Rosalia. And TJ. Doug could almost imagine Jake’s face when he dropped that bomb.
Not that the shock would have lasted for long. Jake had worked on Compass Ranch for well over forty years. Doug and TJ had shared a chuckle, though their eyes had been misty, as they’d tried to guess what Jake would say about them. TJ thought it might be something to the effect of Silas being a bad influence on them, showing them they didn’t have to choose if they didn’t want to. They’d heard Jake joke more than once about Silas being a greedy bastard, claiming two true loves instead of settling for just one.
Doug decided Jake’s response would be something much simpler. In fact, he could almost hear the blunt old man harrumphing, then saying, “It’s about time.”
The best part, however, was TJ. Ever since turning that corner back at the beginning of October, he hadn’t looked back. While he still hadn’t talked to Rosalia about his dad’s alcoholism—he was worried about her reaction, given her grandfather’s death—he had shared quite a bit about his mother, telling stories about her that even Doug had never heard. He’d been struggling the last few years to understand TJ’s unshakable need to remain true to the promise he’d made to his mother, but hearing him talk about her, seeing how much he adored the woman, was enlightening.
Doug and Rosalia had spent most of the day lost in their work. So much so, Doug hadn’t even realized dusk had settled in on them until he saw the headlights of Justin’s truck.
Rosalia was sitting across from him, her forehead creased in concentration as she studied the data they had acquired thus far.
“He’s back.”
She looked up, then out toward the road. “Good.”
He and Rosalia had woken up later than usual, TJ already gone. Doug figured he must’ve left pretty damn early, considering he hadn’t even heard him getting dressed. TJ and Justin had planned to run errands in a nearby town, stocking up on dwindling supplies.
Doug hadn’t expected it to take them so long.
He and Rosalia walked outside, ready to greet him. Doug frowned when he saw the passenger seat empty.
“Where’s TJ?” Rosalia asked when Justin climbed out of the truck.
Her question seemed to take Justin aback. “Gone. Didn’t he call?”
Doug’s chest tightened. “What do you mean, gone?”
“I dropped him at the bus station at the crack of dawn. He said he needed to get back to Compton Pass. Woke me up to ask if we could leave earlier than planned. Guess he figured it was no big deal for me to drive him since we were going to town anyway.” Justin gave them a shit-eating grin. “Said you two were sacked out, dead to the world. Busy night?”
Justin and Eric had spent the last six weeks trying to wrap their heads around the fact that both Doug and TJ were sleeping in Rosalia’s bed. It had been entertaining to watch them slowly put the pieces together without ever working up the courage to come right out and ask. Eric still blushed whenever the three of them emerged from the RV together, but Justin, true to form, had found his sea legs enough to start teasing them about it.
Rosalia looked around the campsite, then at Doug. “Do you think he left a note and we missed it? Did he tell you why he was leaving, Justin?”
Justin shook his head. “No. Said he’d wait until a proper hour, then call you from the bus station to explain.”
Doug pulled his cell from his pocket, dialing TJ’s number. He frowned when he heard TJ’s ring tone in Justin’s camper.
Eric descended, holding TJ’s phone. “Hey, TJ,” he called out, not looking up from the phone’s screen. “Doug’s calling you,” he said with a grin.
Glancing around, Eric realized TJ wasn’t there. “Where’s TJ?”
“Why do you have his phone?” Rosalia asked without answering.
Eric pointed to the spot where Justin always parked his truck. “Found it on the ground there this morning. Figured it fell out of his pocket when he was getting in the truck. Tucked it in my jacket for safekeeping and forgot about it until it started ringing just now.”
“He doesn’t have a phone,” Rosalia murmured.
Doug sighed. “That would explain why he didn’t call.”
“I don’t understand why he would leave without talking to us, without saying goodbye.”
There was the slightest bit of panic in her voice, and Doug knew where her thoughts were going. TJ had admitted to both of them that he’d be
en on the cusp of leaving several times in September because he’d felt like an interloper, like the one piece to the puzzle that didn’t fit. They’d reassured him, and Doug had truly believed those initial fears had been alleviated.
“It’s too soon to panic,” Doug said. “I’m calling Sawyer.”
“Your uncle? The sheriff? Why not just call your dad? Or brother?”
Rosalia had a point, but she didn’t know about Thorn.
Of course, Compton Pass wasn’t that freaking big. If something had happened, his whole family would know it. Sawyer had popped into his mind because Doug figured he’d have the firsthand knowledge. The only thing that would have dragged TJ from their warm bed this morning was Thorn. God only knew what the bastard had done this time, but Doug suspected it was bad.
He clicked on Sawyer’s number without responding. It was up to TJ to talk to Rosalia about his dad, pride be damned. Doug intended to make sure that conversation happened as soon as they were all in the same state again.
“Hey, Saw. Did you call TJ this morning?”
He heard the tone of surprise in his uncle’s voice when he replied, “Yeah. Sorry about the early hour. It was a hell of a night.”
“What happened?”
“Didn’t he tell you?” Sawyer asked.
“No. Caught a ride on an early bus with the intention of calling me from there. He dropped his phone at the campsite.”
“Not surprised,” Sawyer said. “Poor guy was pretty shaken up. His dad left rehab and hitched a ride back home. Guess he figured he’d make up for lost time. Got blackout drunk and fell asleep with a cigarette in his mouth. Their house is gone, burned to the ground. Thorn’s in the hospital, in rough shape. Smoke inhalation and second-and third-degree burns pretty much all over him.”
“Fuck,” Doug muttered.
“What is it?” Rosalia asked, stepping closer, concern written all over her face.
He reached out to take her hand, giving it a quick squeeze. “TJ left on the bus this morning. Figure he’ll be rolling into the bus station in town anytime now. Think you could swing by and pick him up?”
Sawyer agreed. “No problem. Sort of surprised you didn’t drive him.”
“Would have if the prideful bastard had asked.”
Sawyer chuckled. “Boy always did have more stubborn than sense. You heading back?”
“Yeah. I’ll be on the road all night.”
It was obvious his uncle didn’t like that idea. “You sound beat, Doug. I’ll get TJ. He can spend the night in your bedroom at the ranch. Jody and Lucy and my wife are itching to get their mothering hands on him. He’ll be well-fed and sleeping between clean sheets in just a few hours. You get some sleep and head out at first light. Last thing I want to do is knock on your mama’s door and tell her you fell asleep at the wheel.”
His uncle had a good point. Doug knew his family. Knew they’d take good care of TJ until he could get there. “Sounds like a better plan than mine. Will you ask him to call me when he gets there?”
“Will do.”
He and Sawyer said their goodbyes.
“Well?” Rosalia prompted.
“His house burned down.” That was far from everything, but Doug was standing on shaky ground. A few hours ago, he’d been on top of the world, but now he was worried. TJ had always taken that vow to his mother very seriously, and Doug had convinced him to toss it aside, to leave town and his dad and go on an adventure.
While TJ had been all-in the past few weeks, how would he feel about things now? Doug knew his friend well enough to appreciate TJ was bound to feel guilty as hell. But he didn’t know how TJ would react to that guilt.
Would he try to push Rosalia and Doug aside, pull away from them?
He might try, but Doug was made of sterner stuff. What TJ had in stubbornness, Doug had in persistence. He intended to be the winner at the end of this battle.
“Oh my God. Was his dad home?”
Doug nodded. “He’s in the hospital. Burns. Smoke inhalation. My family is going to put TJ up for the night.”
“We can leave right now. Take the RV and get Justin and Eric to follow with the other two vehicles.”
“Uh, Rosie?” Eric interrupted, holding out his phone. “We’ve got activity on the radar. Conditions lining up. Could be a twister. Not too far from here. Two-hour drive.”
“No,” she whispered.
“I wasn’t going to leave until morning,” Doug said, too many things hitting him at once. He was worried about TJ, still waffling on racing halfway across the Midwest tonight, and now this.
“I, um…shit.” Rosalia looked just as torn.
“You have to go,” Doug said, letting her off the hook. “It’s your job, Rosie. You don’t have a choice.”
Her expression proved she already knew that. “We’ll go. Set off the balloons, get what we can. As soon as the storm passes, I’ll follow you to Compton Pass. With any luck, I’ll only be a day or two behind.”
It was a good plan. Except for the part where she was rushing off to chase tornadoes without him. If he could rip himself in half and travel in two different directions, he’d do it in a New York minute.
He looked at Justin and Eric. “Take care of her.”
Eric nodded earnestly, and he expected Justin to make a joke. Instead, his friend walked toward him and patted him on the shoulder. “Gonna guard her with our lives. You know that, man. TJ needs you. I mean, I can’t imagine what he’s going through. Lost his home and his dad in the hospital. Times like that when a man needs his best friend.”
It was the most serious thing Justin had ever said to him. And it was exactly what he needed to hear.
“You’re right.”
He helped the rest of the team pack up the campsite, then watched as Rosalia led the way in her RV, Justin and Eric following in their truck. It was a chilly night, and he and TJ hadn’t bothered setting up their tent since following Rosalia to her bed.
“Fuck it,” he muttered. If he hadn’t stayed up half the night last night, making love to Rosalia and TJ, he’d be in a better state and able to drive. As it was, he knew his uncle had been right to suggest he wait. He didn’t have it in him to drive ten hours straight in the dark. He’d sleep in the cab of his truck and take off first thing in the morning.
Before he did that, though… He reached for his phone and searched for James in his contacts. He had a few phone calls to make, and he was going to start with his brother, then his cousin Jade. Then maybe Vaughn.
He was a man on a mission—and he was bringing in the Compton recruits.
Chapter Ten
TJ sat on the stump of an old tree he’d chopped down a couple of years earlier due to disease and looked at the pile of wet ash in front of him.
He hadn’t owned much, but everything he had was gone now. Childhood toys, old sporting equipment, the ancient video camera Seth had let him keep. Everything was just…gone.
TJ glanced at the bottle of whiskey in his hands.
“You going to drink that?”
He jerked, surprised when he saw Austin, Bryant and James walking toward him. He hadn’t even heard them pull up in Austin’s truck.
TJ shook his head. “No. I’m not.” He’d found the damn thing in a bush near where their front porch used to be. He could only assume his father had hidden it there to keep TJ from dumping it out, and then forgotten about it. TJ didn’t have a clue how it had survived the fire and the firefighters and all the equipment they’d used to douse the flames.
James stepped next to him, studying what was left of the house. He worked as a volunteer firefighter in Compton Pass, so TJ assumed he’d been part of the squad that had worked to save his home.
“Doug called. He’s on his way home.”
TJ frowned. “What? Why?”
James rolled his eyes. “Because he’s worried about you. Talked to Sawyer last night, who filled him in on the fire.”
TJ was running on fumes right now. Two nights ago, he was up unt
il the wee hours, losing himself in Rosalia and Doug. He’d only managed to grab a few hours of shut-eye before Sawyer called to tell him about the fire. He had considered waking Rosalia and Doug to explain, but it was barely four a.m., and he knew they’d want to come with him. He couldn’t do that to them. This was his mess to fix. So he’d bought a bus ticket online, packed up his stuff and gotten Justin to drop him off. He figured he’d call to tell them where he was once he was well on his way home. They could finish up the last few weeks of the research stint and then…
It was the “then” he hadn’t been able to figure out. A lifetime spent living in the moment had fucked up his ability to see much farther than the end of his nose.
He hadn’t managed to sleep a wink on the bus. A mother and her small child were behind him, and the kid kept wiggling, kicking the seat. He’d spent last night dozing restlessly in a chair by his dad’s hospital bed. His dad, drugged to the gills for pain, had never opened his eyes, never realized he was there.
Now, his eyes were dry and scratchy, his head hurt, and he was too tired to contemplate his next move.
“I was going to call him to explain, but I lost my phone.”
Austin walked over to the rubble and kicked his boot through some of the charred wood. “Doug told us. They found it at the campsite, figure it fell out of your pocket.”
Bryant squatted down, picking up what looked like a melted record from a pile of ash. “Sawyer went to pick you up at the bus stop, but he must’ve just missed you. Seth and Jody were hoping you’d stay at their house. Where did you go?”
“I walked to the hospital.”
Austin’s brows flew up. “That’s a good three, four miles.”
He shrugged. “Needed the time to think.”
“You didn’t have enough time on the bus?” James asked sardonically.
TJ snorted.
“How’s your dad doing?” Bryant asked.
“He’ll live.” TJ noticed the way Bryant winced at his tone. If he weren’t so fucking sick and tired of this shit, maybe he’d summon up some guilt over sounding upset that his dad was still alive.
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