“Did I lose you?”
“No, sir. I was just wishing you were my dad. He’s not gonna be okay with this.” His throat clogged as he said those words.
“No, I don’t suspect so, but you’re a grown man now, Colt. He needs to lead his life, you need to lead yours. Just because you’re family, doesn’t mean you owe him anything. You’ve been an incredible son to him. Let that be enough.” The words were candid and clear. Dr. Knox didn’t walk the fence this time like he normally did, and Colt stayed quiet again.
“You do need to call Coach Atkins. He’s called all night long asking if I’ve heard from you.”
“I’ll call him now. Thanks, Doc. I’m in Hawaii, Kauai actually, so I’ll have to look for a meeting, just in case I need it. I hope I don’t need it.”
“Let me take care of that for you, I’ll look right now and send you a message. Take care, Colt. Call me if you need me.” The phone disconnected and Colt paused before making the next call. He’d actually said the word ‘him’ and the world hadn’t imploded around him. As Colt pulled his car into the grocery store parking lot, he made the call to his coach.
“Colton Michaels answering service, what the fuck do you want?” Colt laughed; he needed that laugh. His coach was in a joking mood this morning.
“Did I interrupt cooking class?” Colt asked.
“Fuck you very much. Next time you ditch a wedding, text me. I sat in that fuckin’ church in a fuckin’ suit and tie for two fuckin’ hours.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“I think you don’t give a shit.”
“I kind of do,” Colt said and laughed at the huff he got. “So where does everyone stand?”
“As far as the team, our official statement is that we’re as curious as everyone else. After I heard from you, we’re moving it to, we stand behind you and the decisions you make. Is that what we need to say?”
“I guess so.”
“All right, I’ll have PR make contact with you in the next twenty-four hours. I suggest you lay low for the next few days. By the way, your bride-to-be has told me that you have forty-eight hours to make this right. That was fifteen hours ago.”
“I don’t give a fuck what that conniving bitch says about anything,” Colt blasted back.
“I thought so. It’s why I started the conversation with our plan, not hers.” Colt was silent for a minute. The coach was quiet as well. There was one thing, or person rather, left unsaid. When the coach didn’t automatically say it, Colt finally asked.
“My dad…?”
“Yeah, he’s a concern. Did you know he’s dating a friend of Maryia’s?” Coach Atkins dropped that little bomb so solidly it took him a minute to replay the words in his mind.
“What?”
“They were hot and heavy last night. I wondered if you knew,” Coach Atkins said on a chuckle.
“Goddamn. There’s gotta be a fifty fuckin’ year age difference between them.” Colt sat in the front seat of his car, staring at the grocery store, seeing nothing. He couldn’t have been more shocked.
“Forty-seven years, per her. They’re in love. I think you’ll be calling her Mom soon.” His coach gave a full-fledged laugh on that one.
“Damn, which one is she?” Colt asked, praying he hadn’t had sex with her.
“Super skinny blonde, big boobs… Elena, or Helen. Who the fuck knows? While we were sitting in that church for two hours last night, Knox and I decided we were double teaming you on this. You’ve been good to that old man, and I’m not sure he can say the same when it comes to the way he’s treated you. Look, I’ll have PR call you. The way things stand right now, we’re behind you. Call Knox, he’s worried.”
“I spoke to him a minute ago,” Colt said. Nothing would have changed, but knowing these two stood behind him gave him courage like nothing he had ever experienced before.
“Good. Stay low. Call if you need us,” Coach Atkins said.
“Thank you.”
“And fuckin’ call me before I put the damn tie on next time.” The phone disconnected. Colt sat in front of the grocery store, completely relieved. At least his paycheck wasn’t angry over this decision. Thank God! The relief was pretty staggering until he remembered he needed to call his dad. And what the hell was up with him dating Maryia’s friend? Which friend? Skinny blonde with the big boobs described just about every one of them he had met. Images of his father stroking off in his bedroom came back to mind, and he dropped his head to the steering wheel. Surely not! That made his decision; he’d wait to call his father.
On a deep sigh, Colt pulled the internet up on his phone and Googled what vegans ate for breakfast. Colt had a lot to learn, really quickly.
Colt grabbed a cart and followed the ingredients list on his phone. He grabbed every possible fresh fruit he could find. A corner aisle shelf held coconut water so he grabbed a case. Peanut butter, oatmeal, grained breads, muffins, soy crumbles. Colt looked down at the foods, studying them all closely, and somehow, none appealed to him. He walked to the other end of the store and found the eggs, butter, and bacon. Bacon! Colt loved bacon.
He warred with the bacon. Did vegans hate all things animal food related? Colt put the bacon back. Then he realized the eggs came from a chicken. Did that mean no eggs? Certainly not! Colt put the eggs back, but then a sound came from across the aisle. He looked quickly over his shoulder. The bacon was actually calling his name. Colt palmed his phone and again Googled information on being a vegan.
Did vegans have a card carrying membership to PETA?
Colt stood there several minutes reading everything he could find on a strictly vegan diet. Did Jace eat cheese? The more Colt thought about it, the more confused he got. He decided he’d get the bacon and the eggs. If Jace didn’t like them in the house, he’d remove them immediately and swear to never bring them in his presence again.
On the way out, Colt grabbed a box of Hawaiian coconut cakes and a boxed coffee cake. Surely there weren’t any meat products in either of those delicacies. As he strolled to the front of the store, he saw an aisle of health food. He didn’t pay any attention to what he was getting, because to him it all looked terrible. Colt loaded the cart down, put a couple of extra cases of protein drinks on the bottom. He worried how Jace got his protein. He pushed the buggy to the only checkout line open and waited his turn.
The woman checking the groceries would probably know where he could take Jace for a night on the town. When he got to the front of the line, he began asking her questions about this particular part of the island.
“Where’s the best place to take my partner dancing?” Colt asked, hoping he’d said enough about Jace and what he was looking for. The woman looked up, but never stopped the movement of her hand over the scanner, letting the beeps sound off every few seconds.
“The Reef,” she said, and Colt immediately started typing in his phone.
“What about a nice dinner?”
“Seafood or steak?”
“Both?” Did vegans eat seafood? Probably not. Colt looked down at the tofu and gave a small groan. Did this mean he signed on to be a vegan?
“There’s a bar in the restaurant. Very good. It’s at the end of town. Right down this street. No reservations. Tell them Tilly sent you. You’ll have a good time.” She winked at him, and he hoped that wink meant what he thought it might.
“Cool, thanks.” Colt quickly entered the information into his phone. She worked fast, and he was bagged up and out the door in less than thirty minutes of arriving. Could he be lucky enough that Jace might not have woken yet? Maybe! Things definitely seemed to be going his way right now.
Colt backed out of the parking space with every intention of calling his father when he got on the road. What the hell was wrong with his old man? Maryia’s slutty friend had to be less than twenty-five years old, and every bit the money grubbing whore Maryia turned out to be. No way whoever his dad dated would get her hands on his money. He was done wasting what he had. He’d put lim
its to his father’s spending a long time ago. What did she think she was getting?
Completely disgusted, Colt dropped the phone in the cup holder, deciding he’d make that call later. He’d call Maryia too. His gut churned at the thought, but he ignored the feeling; it didn’t matter. Jace had accepted him back and hadn’t made him grovel. Everyone in Colt’s life manipulated and used him. Jace had done neither. However, he had doubted Colt’s presence at first and that made Colt smile. Then Jace kissed him and made love to him, without ever questioning his integrity. That just fucking rocked.
Another huge revelation from last night, sober sex was great sex! Okay, well perhaps it had nothing to do with sobriety and everything to do with Jace. Sex with Jace always amazed, but last night just topped every fantasy he’d ever had. Definitely the best sex of his life. Colt never wanted to leave Jace’s side again. He would prove himself, show Jace he meant every word he said. He’d work hard to be a man fit to walk beside Jace. Someone Jace would be proud to have next to him. Colt wanted to be a proper partner in every sense of the word. Forever and always, and those thoughts had Colt grinning ear to ear.
Jace hadn’t made him beg. Exactly a Jace thing to do.
Colt drove the fifteen minutes home and pulled to the front of the house. Funny how he hadn’t noticed how run-down the place looked last night or this morning. The porch appeared new. There were stacks of lumber and shingles on the side of the house. Large buckets of paint sat right beside the steps leading up to the front door. Colt had missed most of those last night. He wondered if Jace hired the work out or planned on doing it himself.
After parking his car, he grabbed the groceries from the back and juggled them all in his hands. Colt hated unloading groceries, always had. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t manage the cases of protein drinks and decided he’d have to make a second trip after all. Colt banged through the front door and turned to the kitchen right as Jace came through the other side door. His hair was a mess. He wore his swim trunks from last night, pulled down low, and he looked hungover. To Colt, Jace was about the best looking man he’d ever laid eyes on, and he couldn’t contain the grin he felt plastered back on his face.
“Oh, I wanted to have breakfast ready—” Colt started to say as Jace stopped in midstride, looking Colt over.
“You’re really here,” Jace said, in the same moment, and Colt chuckled.
“You don’t normally drink very much do you?” Jace stood there as Colt managed to get the groceries to a random counter before dropping them on top. He kept his eyes on Jace, anxious now. Would Jace still want him this morning? How had the thought never occurred to him in all the planning he had just done?
“No, not at all. I won’t be doing it again either.” Jace bypassed Colt and went straight for a can of guava juice in the refrigerator. Colt spotted the bottle of white willow bark in Jace’s hand and lifted a brow.
“Headache,” Jace mumbled, popping open the cap. Colt got it. He knew all too well exactly how Jace’s body felt right now. He turned, resting his weight against the counter, pushed his sunglasses up on his head, and crossed his arms over his chest.
“You can change your mind about me being here,” Colt finally said. He tried to keep his face from giving away his true feelings, terrified of what Jace might say now that he’d sobered up. As he waited, his heart pounded so hard in his chest he wasn’t sure he would be able to hear the response.
“My ass is a little sore.” Jace gave him a grin and leaned back against the counter, popping the pills in his mouth. He swallowed them down in one gulp. Colt barked out a laugh. The words calmed him in the way Jace always seemed to do.
“I wanted to make you breakfast in bed. I know it’s kind of lame, but it’s what I wanted to do. I’m sorry I didn’t get back here quick enough to surprise you.” Colt pushed himself off the counter, and stepped forward, moving closer to Jace. He stopped as he got within a foot of him.
“We’re gonna need to hit the high points again. Why you’re here, what happened, how long you’re going to stay. I think I got it down, but I’m not a hundred percent sure.”
“All right, whatever you need.” Colt stood there in front of Jace, concentrating on not reaching out to touch him. Jace needed to make their next move on his own.
“Okay, I’m going back to bed. My head’s killing me.” Jace left the kitchen without touching him, but he also hadn’t kicked him out either. That had to be a good sign, right?
“A Bloody Mary would help that hangover.” That earned him a loud groan and Colt laughed.
“You don’t have to make me breakfast.”
“It’ll help. And I want to,” Colt yelled back. He still stood rooted in the same spot in the kitchen. Jace didn’t say anything more, but he heard the mattress strain as Jace lay down. Okay, he wasn’t kicked out. Things were still good. After Colt put the groceries away, he started preparing their breakfast. Solid game plan—break! Colt clapped his hands and started to work.
Chapter 22
Jace laid there, watching the ceiling fan rotate, waiting for the white willow bark to work. He didn’t move a muscle. His body hurt, his head was killing him, and he still had cotton mouth even though he’d drunk two big glasses of water and downed the full can of guava juice. Please God, let the pills kick in soon.
He found if he didn’t move, his head wouldn’t throb, and he could think. So he was sprawled across the bed, not moving a muscle, listening to Colt banging pots and pans around in his kitchen. The kitchen of the house he’d just bought. The one he and Colt had vacationed in ten years ago. What the fuck?
The smell of bacon frying hit Jace and his stomach rolled. Colt didn’t know he was a vegetarian. Of course he didn’t know. How would he know something like that? And why was that the first question Jace thought of lying here in this bed? Better questions were like, what happened to make Colt leave his wedding? Why had he thought to come here? Did Colt come here to be with him or was it an accident? Nostalgia of old times and Jace just happened to be here.
This whole thing made no sense. And his eyes cut over to the nightstand to see if they had used the condoms he stored there when he arrived. Relief was staggering as he saw the box opened, laying on its side. At least they’d been safe last night, but why did he have to have a hangover at such an inopportune time? Jace needed to get his ass up. Forget the hangover and take a shower. He needed to get his wits about him. He needed perspective and better clothing. After a minute more of letting the white willow bark take hold, Jace forced himself from the bed and headed straight for the bathroom. He needed to face Colt, clean and clear. Without question, he knew he could accomplish at least one of those things.
Jace showered, washed, and dried his hair, brushed his teeth, plucked a couple of stray hairs and dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a button down. He’d bought both after he had arrived on the island. He looked the best he could. Certainly not power clothes, but also not swim trunks. He looked himself over in the mirror one more time and pushed his freshly dried hair behind his ears, instead of tying it back.
Okay, he had this… maybe.
Jace slowly opened the door and saw Colt lying across the bed, a tray covered in food sat at the end of the mattress. Colt ate a piece of bacon, looking about as hot as Jace had ever seen him. The five o’clock shadow in the early stages of forming, the stubble outlined Colt’s perfect lips. Images of Colt’s lips wrapped around his dick immediately sprang to mind, and Jace had to shove those thoughts aside. Not now! He mentally scolded himself. Colt looked up at him and stopped in mid-bite, chewing it down quickly before taking a gulp of his coffee.
“Is it okay that I eat bacon? I can toss it out if you don’t want it here?” That confused Jace, and he looked closer at the contents of the tray, moving slower toward the bed. The tray was loaded with oatmeal, toasted bread with peanut butter, island jellies, waffles, pancakes, macadamia muffins, and every kind of sliced fruit Jace could think of. A protein drink sat next to a can of guava j
uice that sat next to a bottle of orange juice. To the side of all the food was a small plate of bacon, eggs, and toast.
“How did you know?” Jace asked, lifting a piece of dry toast. Could his stomach handle food? He sniffed at the toast before taking a small bite.
“Know what?” Colt placed a paper napkin over his plate, lifting it from the tray as he moved off the bed.
“Where are you going?” Jace asked, again confused. Were they having breakfast separately?
“I battled with myself about bringing this in here. I know you’re a vegan, and I’m a carnivore. I’ll ditch it. Hang on.” Jace stopped Colt as he stepped around him.
“How did you know what I eat?” Jace stared straight into Colt’s eyes, still very confused, operating six steps behind in everything between them this morning. There was too much at stake for him to be this far off his A game.
“I told you last night, I’ve followed your life. I’ve read every interview, everything written about you,” Colt said with a shrug of his shoulder. The words seemed honest and sincere. They stood there, looking at each other, but neither spoke, and Jace realized they were both back to being nervous. He didn’t like that.
“You can eat meat. I don’t care.” Jace forced a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood, but the chuckle turned real at the look of relief on Colt’s face.
“Thank God! I thought you were going to make me eat this.” Colt looked down at the tray and cut his eyes back up. “No offense.”
“None taken. I’m not a PETA activist. I just like to eat like this. It’s better for me or at least I feel better,” Jace said, and Colt nodded, but made no move to sit back down. Colt picked up a piece of bacon from his plate and took a bite off the end; his eyes never strayed from Jace.
“Can we go to the kitchen table?” Jace asked after what felt like a lifetime of standing there silently. “I think it would be easier to talk there.”
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