by T. A. Chase
He and Owain traipsed along the trail while Pharaoh darted back and forth between them and the brush. They didn’t talk for about thirty minutes as they got accustomed to the flow of hiking with packs and gear. Once they settled into a rhythm, he drew close to Owain.
“Cai told me about a shaft or two that was stuffy,” he said.
Nodding, Owain said, “A couple of the guys on shift with me noticed the air was getting thick in them. One’s played out, but we’re still getting coal from the other. I made sure to tell Pa and Timmons about it.”
“And also Cai,” James pointed out.
“Yeah. Have to cover all my bases. I can’t be 100 percent sure how much Pa will tell Timmons and shit. Not that Pa would endanger any of us, but he’s a stubborn SOB.”
James snorted. His own father was just as stubborn, which was why Nicholas and Bedwyr, Owain’s father, butted heads. “Luckily, they hadn’t started installing the new ventilation shafts in the other tunnels. The engineers will start drawing up the specs. Then the guys can put it in.”
Owain eyed him. “Why all this worry about ventilation? Especially in a shaft that’s played out.”
“Methane and carbon monoxide don’t know if a vein has any coal in it or not. It could be dangerous and any kind of explosion could cause a chain reaction with the rest of the mine. We haven’t had anything catastrophic happen in a decade. I’m doing my best to keep that streak going.” James scrubbed his hand over his jaw.
“I, for one, appreciate it.” Owain grinned.
Rolling his eyes, James replied, “I’m sure you do, and so does everyone else, even if they don’t say so. I have heard how happy the shareholders are because better safety lowers insurance costs and that means more money for them.”
As he finished, they walked into a clearing. A small stream bubbled along the western edge while pine trees formed the rest of the barrier. There was a fire circle already dug in the middle of the clearing and a pile of dried wood next to it.
“Do we need to put the food up in the trees? Have there been any bear sightings?” He dropped his pack and the fishing gear close to the pit.
“I called the park ranger that covers this section of the trail and he said there hasn’t been any, so we should be all right. Though we could put it up when we leave for the cave, to be on the safe side.” Owain shrugged. “Did you want to put a tent up now? Or wait until we get back?”
James tried to remember what the weather forecast was supposed to be for the rest of the day. “It’s supposed to be a nice day out and there’s no rain either. I don’t think we need tents at all.”
Nodding, Owain moved their packs to the base of one of the pine trees. “We can just leave it here. Pharaoh will keep an eye on it, won’t he?”
“Yes.” Whistling, James brought Pharaoh back. He crouched and held the dog’s head so their gazes met. “Guard.” He motioned to their stuff, turning Pharaoh to face the pile. “Stay and guard.”
Pharaoh woofed once, then lay down by the tree, resting his chin on his crossed paws. He gave James a pitiful look, but James shook his head.
“That’s not going to work, boy. You’ll be able to run around when we get back,” he promised. He grabbed his spelunking gear, then gestured for Owain. “Let’s head out. I want to get a good hike in before it starts to get dark.”
His friend didn’t say a word, just picked up his own stuff and led the way toward their newest adventure. James was excited. He’d never explored this particular cave system.
When they got closer, Owain glanced over his shoulder to say, “We have to go through an abandoned mine first, but, just a few yards in, it opens up into a large cave system. I’ve only charted a couple of the caverns. Figured we could map a few more this weekend.”
“Works for me.”
A sign marked the mine entrance. He poked Owain in the shoulder. “Do we have permission to be here?”
“Actually, this is an old Callahan mine. I guess if the owner’s son is here, that’s permission enough, right?” Owain smirked.
“Jackass,” James muttered, knowing Owain hadn’t had permission the first time he’d gone into the mine. Not that he could complain. Over the course of his own spelunking throughout the years, there had been times when he’d gone into places without talking to the authority in charge of them.
Owain laughed as he tugged out his gear and put it on. James did the same before they checked each other’s harnesses and belts. They also made sure their headlamps worked. James hooked his carbon monoxide detector onto his chest strap along with a small GoPro camera to record their trip.
He turned it on while Owain shoved the gate to one side then slid between it and the splintered wooden frame supporting the mine’s entrance. After doing the same, James took a deep breath. While there was a slight musty taste to the air, his lungs didn’t protest, which was a good sign. It meant there was a good flow of clean air coming from somewhere farther back in the cave.
“All right, Owain. Lead the way.”
James’s heart skipped a beat in excitement. This was one of the things he loved most about coming to Willow Hollow and spending time with Owain.
Chapter Six
CAI FELL in line behind his cousin Samuel and Sam’s family. He cringed at the screech of the youngest of the six kids. Sam’s wife shot him an apologetic glance, but Cai managed a smile for her. Hell, if it annoyed him for the few seconds he heard it, she had to be going crazy, considering she spent twenty-four hours a day with the kid.
“Cai, you made it.” Ma strolled over and enveloped him in a hard hug.
He pressed a kiss to her cheek while giving her a gentle squeeze back. “Of course I made it, Ma. I’m not an idiot. You and Dilys would skin me alive if I missed this, especially since Davy’s party is right after church.”
She punched him in the stomach, then whirled around to greet the pastor. Cai barely managed to refrain from rolling his eyes. Had she really thought he’d miss church? He’d never considered doing it while in Willow Hollow. Being such a close community, the gossip flowed quickly from one’s mouth to another’s ear, and several people would’ve called him out about not being in the family pew on Sunday.
“Hey, bro.” Owain slapped him on the shoulder. “You have a good weekend so far?”
He grunted as he shook the pastor’s hand. “How are you today, Edwin?”
“Good. Glad to see you both here. I know your parents will be happy to have you with them.” Edwin stared at Owain, who grinned.
“I’m sure they will, sir.” Owain shook hands with Edwin, then pushed Cai down the aisle to where Ma and Pa sat. “You would think this is the first time I’ve been here all year,” he muttered in Cai’s ear.
“Well, you haven’t been here in a couple of weeks,” he pointed out. “I wasn’t even sure you’d make it today since you weren’t home when I left.”
“I came straight from dropping James off at his place.” Owain slid into the pew before kissing Ma on the cheek. “See, I’m here.”
She smacked him on the chest. “Good for you. I would beat your butt red if you hadn’t been.”
Pa nodded at both of them, but stayed silent. Cai leaned forward to meet Dilys’s gaze.
“Is Davy behaving himself?” he asked.
She snorted. “The little brat’s beside himself. He kept asking why we needed to go to church and why couldn’t his party be right now. I told him we needed to honor Jesus first because Jesus and God were the reasons he was here. He doesn’t understand.”
Davy’s five. He thinks the world revolves around him. Jesus and God are abstract concepts to him. Cai just winked at her instead of giving voice to his thoughts. His family already prayed for his soul. To be honest, he didn’t think most of them prayed for him to suddenly decide he liked girls. He couldn’t be sure what his pa asked God for and he never got up the nerve to question his ma on her prayers. Was she disappointed that her oldest son was gay and she might not get grandchildren from him?
Owain wiggled his eyebrows at her. “It’s always nice to know how much you love me.”
Huffing, she crossed her arms over her ample chest and turned away from him. Cai pinched Owain’s side.
“Don’t antagonize her,” he murmured. “She’s already irritated by this whole party. Rich has been giving her shit about allowing me to come.”
“The man’s an asshole. I don’t understand why she just doesn’t lay down the law. We know who really runs that family.” Owain shook his head.
Cai shrugged. “She did. At least about this. I’m taking the high road. It’s his problem. Not mine.”
“Right.”
Ma shushed them just as the music started up. The beginning notes of the melody drifted over the congregation and Cai relaxed. As much as he didn’t like organized religion, Cai liked the hymns and the concept of a loving Father watching over his wayward flock. Unfortunately not all humans believed as he did, which sucked.
Forty-five minutes later, the service ended and Cai stood, stretching as he turned. He froze when his gaze landed on James Callahan leaning against the back wall. Why he never expected to see the man in church struck Cai as weird. He gave himself a mental slap upside the head. There was only one church in Willow Hollow. Where else would James go? More than likely, it was simply because he tried not to think of James, period.
James caught his eyes and smiled. There was a hint of hesitation in the gesture, making Cai wince inside. God, was he such an ass that James would think he didn’t want anything to do with him? Probably. You’ve been a complete jerk to him for as long as you’ve known him. Cai wanted to protest, but arguing with himself just made him crazy and didn’t solve anything.
He nodded back, and a little gleam of joy flashed in James’s eyes. Cai’s cock stiffened, causing him to turn away. No getting hard in church. That’s just wrong on so many levels.
“Oh look… Jim made it,” Owain said when he spotted James in the back.
Whirling around, Ma searched for James. She pushed her way through the departing crowd to catch him as he stepped out of the church. Cai followed her as closely as he could, not sure what was going on. He got there in time to see her throw her arms around James and hug him tight.
“Thank you so much,” she was saying as Cai edged closer.
“You’re welcome.” James hugged her back, then eased away. He looked at Cai. “Hello, Cai.”
“James.” Cai squinted at his ma. “Why were you thanking him?”
She frowned. “None of your business, nosy. But if you must know, I was thanking him for getting Owain back in time for church this morning.”
He glanced over at James, who blinked as though Ma’s statement surprised him, and then he nodded.
“Right.” He dragged the word out to let her know he didn’t believe her.
“I’m your ma, Cai. You’ll believe what I tell you.” She slapped his arm before wagging her finger in his face. “I’ll see you at Dilys’s in an hour.”
“Yes, Ma.” He watched her walk off.
James’s chuckle reminded Cai that he was standing next to him. “She’s a force to be reckoned with, huh?”
Cai nodded. “I expect most mothers are.”
“True. My mother can be when she wants something.” James rubbed his hands on his jeans like he was nervous, which struck Cai as odd.
Whenever they talked at the mine, James seemed in total command of the room and anyone else in it. Cai thought about all their meetings and realized they hadn’t really ever just chatted. He usually did his best to avoid spending any more time with James than he had to for work.
“Owain said it’s Davy’s birthday and he had to come back early for the party,” James commented while they shifted to the edge of the walkway so the other townsfolk could get to the parking lot.
Nodding, Cai motioned to where Dilys stood, chatting with a few other ladies. “Yeah. Command appearances by all the family in town and pretty much every person who lives here.”
“I’m sure Davy is excited about it.” James rocked back on his heels. “I remember how much I hated my parties. My mother had one for me every year until I turned sixteen and told her I didn’t want to endure them anymore.”
“Endure? I thought I was the only one in the world who hated parties.” A sudden kinship flared between Cai and James.
James shrugged. “It’s not so much parties. I don’t mind small gatherings with a few friends. I wasn’t popular in school. Probably because of my family name. Also, I never felt like I fit in there. I think I always wished I was here with Owain, going to class in the little school.”
Cai raised his eyebrow. “You didn’t have friends? I’m not sure I believe that.”
“I had friends. Just not a lot, and to be honest, I think most of them only hung out with me because my family had money.” James scuffed the toe of his boot into the dirt. “God, I sound like I’m whining. I’m not really. I know my life is so much better than most people’s. Just sometimes I get a little pouty, though I try not to do it out loud in front of anyone.” He grinned.
Cai couldn’t help but grin back. “I get that. My life isn’t quite on the level of yours, but it’s not horrible. Yet there are times when I want to just grab a beer and sit on my back porch, wallowing in my own misery for an hour or so.”
“Exactly. It’s not like you’re ungrateful for what you have, either. It’s simply you like to think about what it would be like if things were different.” James cringed when Dilys shouted Cai’s name. “Guess you have to get going. Don’t want to piss your mother—or sister—off.”
“I don’t know why they need me to go with them,” Cai muttered. For the first time in forever, he was disappointed having to leave James’s presence. He’d enjoyed their short conversation. It was odd to think they had something in common, even as weird as it might seem to others. “It’s not like Pa, Owain, and Rich won’t be there to help them get things set up.”
James leaned closer and Cai got a whiff of the intriguing spicy scent of James’s cologne.
“Maybe your mother’s afraid you won’t come if they don’t haul you along when they leave,” James spoke into Cai’s ear, warm breath washing over it.
Shivering, Cai licked his lips and cleared his throat before he commented, “She does know me. I wouldn’t, though. Davy wants me there. His father is a complete bigoted asshole, but I can deal with him as long as he doesn’t upset my mother, Dilys, or Davy.”
James rested his hand on Cai’s shoulder and squeezed tight. “Your priorities are straight, man. Assholes exist everywhere. No point in stressing yourself out. Just ignore him, though it’s probably harder to do that when he’s your brother-in-law.”
“Usually Owain runs interference,” Cai admitted, and then he sighed. “I better go before Ma comes over to drag my ass out of here.”
“Try to have fun. If you want a drink afterward, you can stop by my place. I have cold beer and a willing ear to listen as you bitch about him.”
His offer surprised Cai, but what shocked him more was the fact he was seriously considering taking James up on it. What the fuck? Is the end of the world near or something? Maybe I’m still in bed, dreaming, though would this be a wet dream or a nightmare?
“I just might take you up on that beer,” he confessed.
“Cai! Get your ass over here,” Dilys yelled, and he winced.
James’s chuckle caused heat to pool in Cai’s groin, and he fought the urge to thump himself. Getting hard at church was probably a sin, plus he didn’t want James to see how he affected him.
“I’m pretty sure swearing is a sin, Dil,” he shouted back, then faced James. “I’ll see you later. Have a good day.”
“You too.” James held out his hand.
Cai didn’t think touching James was a good idea with the way he’d been reacting, but he shook his hand. A
little bit of sweat popped out on Cai’s forehead. He shot a look over at his family, only to see Owain smirking at him. Taking the high road, he refrained from flipping his brother the bird.
He stalked over to his truck, ignoring the calls from his family. He didn’t feel like talking to any of them right then. After getting behind the wheel, he pulled out of the parking lot and headed home. Davy’s present had been left on the kitchen table. It was doubtful Owain had remembered it since he’d come straight to church from James’s house.
Of course, going home might not have been the best decision he made, considering once he got inside, he didn’t want to leave. A beer and sitting on his back porch watching the dogs run around the yard sounded a helluva lot better than spending time with his family right then.
Standing in the middle of his kitchen, he looked around, then took a deep breath. “Get your ass in gear, Rees. If you don’t, someone’s going to come hunting you. The sooner you get there, the sooner you can leave.”
Cai snatched up the wrapped present and left.
PARKING BEHIND his brother’s truck, Cai shut off his vehicle and sat there for a minute, dredging up the energy to climb out. Before he could move, someone pounded on his driver-side window. He turned to see Owain standing outside, a huge shit-eating grin on his face.
“Get your ass out here, bro. Ma and Dil are getting ready to send a posse for you. Davy’s been asking when you’ll be here as well.” Owain motioned to the double-wide trailer being assaulted by waves of children and adults.
“I didn’t take that long,” he muttered as he climbed out.
“Took long enough for them to worry you wouldn’t show up,” Owain teased, walking along beside him and bumping their shoulders together. “Hey, I saw you talking with Jim.”
“Yes.” That was all he was going to say about their conversation. It wasn’t anyone else’s business.