Vetted: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by A. M. Williams

  After that conversation, we moved on to other, lighter topics. Once our food was delivered and we’d been eating for a while, August said, “I don’t remember if I ever told you I have a sibling.”

  I paused while putting a fry in my mouth, my mind flashing back to when I’d been told about his brother a few weeks prior.

  “I don’t think you have,” I drawled while I chewed. Don’t ask me why I said it that way instead of confirming he didn’t. Chalk it up to not wanting to ruin the balance between us.

  “Well, I have a brother. He lives with me.”

  I paused again, this time with my burger halfway to my mouth. August had a brother, and he lived with him? How did I not realize that? I was across the street from him.

  I took that bite of my burger and thought about what August had just revealed to me while I chewed. Once I swallowed, I wiped my mouth and asked, “Is there a reason you didn’t tell me this before?”

  I looked at him as I waited to see what he would say. I wished he’d look at me, but like earlier, he was staring at the table.

  “Not really. It’s just…” He paused and seemed to think over his words before saying, “There’s some stuff with him and his past that’s hard for me to talk about and think about. Because I don’t want to get into that with you, I just never… brought him up.”

  That seemed like a flimsy excuse to me, but I wouldn’t push it either. I could tell based on the tightness in August’s shoulders and what he said that he really didn’t want to talk about that.

  “What’s your brother’s name?” I asked, hoping that would get his mind off whatever was bothering him.

  “Richard.” He cleared his throat. “Rich.”

  I nodded. “Okay, Rich. When do I get to meet him?”

  August glanced at me and asked, “How’s this weekend sound? You can come over for dinner one night?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I can do that. That sounds great.”

  He grinned at me. “Great.”

  We moved on to other topics and didn’t hit on anything else that was too serious or heavy, which was a relief after earlier. I wasn’t sure I could handle much more serious talk right then.

  Once August dropped me off at the house with a kiss on my cheek and I’d watched him pull into his driveway across the street, I stood and watched as he climbed out.

  For the first time since I’d been home, I really studied his house.

  I’d looked at it, sure. But I’d never really paid too much attention to it. Now that I was looking, I saw the second car in the driveway and the light on upstairs. I could chalk all that up to August having a second vehicle and leaving a light on in his bedroom, but as I watched, the light upstairs went out when one turned on downstairs.

  Someone else was there. That someone was August’s brother, Rich, a brother I didn’t even know he had. A brother I’d never met and never heard about.

  Part of me didn’t like that I hadn’t known that. That seemed like something that would have come up when we dated before. That was an important bit of his life.

  But based on how tense he’d gotten when he mentioned his brother, there was something else there that was bothering him. I didn’t know what it was, and I wasn’t sure I’d discover it when I met Rich, either. If he was anything like his brother, he’d keep things close to the vest.

  I wouldn’t know what it was until one of them told me.

  I sighed and turned to go inside. I could worry about August and his brother at another time. Instead, I wanted to savor my great date and think about what might come next.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  BRITAIN

  THE REST of the week passed quickly and before I knew it, it was Saturday and I was crossing the street with a chocolate chess pie in my hand. I was meeting Rich today.

  I was nervous.

  He was his brother, so had to be important to August if he was living with him.

  I blew out a breath as I climbed the stairs to the house and pressed the doorbell, waiting anxiously for someone to answer the door.

  I heard the lock flick and my eyes widened as I saw who was standing there.

  It had to be Rich. He looked almost identical to August, just a little broader, a little tanner, and his hair was a little longer.

  “Hey, Britain,” Rich said, stepping back so I could come inside. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too,” I said, crossing the threshold.

  “Let me get that from you,” he said, taking the pie from my hand as he shut the door. “August is already out back getting the grill set up. Thanks for the pie, though, you didn’t have to bring anything.”

  I shrugged and followed Rich through the living room and into the kitchen.

  This was the second time I’d been in August’s house. The first time I hadn’t paid too much attention, but I tried to get a better look as we walked through the downstairs.

  Besides the furniture, there wasn’t too much to see because they had almost no decorations. I noticed one wall that looked like it had nails in it, but no pictures, which I thought was odd. I pushed that from my mind as Rich led me into the kitchen, rationalizing that it could be a holdover from the previous owners.

  That would be a little odd considering how long they’d lived there, but there were weirder things.

  “You want a beer?” Rich asked.

  “Sure.”

  He set the pie down and reached into the fridge, grabbing a beer and popping the top off before handing it to me. “You can head on out to see August.”

  “But I’m here to meet you,” I teased.

  He shook his head. “Yeah, but knowing my bro, he’ll get mad if you don’t see him first.”

  I sighed and shook my head, acting like I was put out when I really wasn’t. “The things we do for him…”

  Rich laughed. “You got that right. I’ll be out in a minute.”

  I nodded and raised my beer in a salute before turning to head out back.

  I was just as impressed with the back porch the second time I saw it as the first time. I couldn’t believe that August and Rich had done this mostly by themselves. I caught sight of August on the concrete patio just outside the porch and called, “Hey there, hot stuff.”

  He was crouched with his head stuck inside the bottom of the grill. It looked like he was messing with the propane tank. At my words, he jerked, and I winced as I heard his head hit the edge of the grill.

  “Sorry!” I called, setting my beer down and heading out to him so I could check his head. “I didn’t realize you didn’t know I was out here.”

  He was wincing as I got to him and rubbing his head. I moved his hand out of the way and checked to see if he’d broken skin. It didn’t look like he had and I didn’t feel a bump, but I kept my hands on his head, lightly massaging as I said again, “Sorry.”

  He leaned into me. “Don’t worry about it. Let me finish up.”

  I released him and stepped back as he poked his head back in, only to emerge a few moments later. “I was just checking to make sure everything was connected, so when I turned this on, we didn’t have an issue.”

  I nodded.

  “You don’t have a beer?” He asked, flicking a few knobs on the grill.

  “Oh, I do. It’s on the porch.”

  He jerked his chin back toward the porch in question. “You head on up and sit down. I’ll be up in a min.”

  I nodded and did just that, snagging my beer from where I’d left it—it was already sweating from the heat—and sinking down onto the comfortable cushions of his couch.

  I used the opportunity of sitting on the porch by myself to ogle August. He was wearing some khaki shorts and a t-shirt, which was pretty simple in the scheme of things, but he looked good in them.

  The shorts hugged his butt just enough that I wanted to go out there and take a bite out of his ass, and the shirt was just tight enough that it looked like his biceps were straining against the constraints of his sleeves.

  It was a
good look for him, that was for sure.

  “You need another beer?” Rich asked, making me jerk.

  I looked to my right and saw him standing behind the armchair, smirking at me. I felt my face heat and shook my head. “Nope, I’m good.”

  He chuckled. “If you say so.”

  I pursed my lips and glared at him. He just smiled at me and walked around the chair to drop into it.

  “So, let’s get to know each other,” Rich said. “I know you’re a vet. What else is there to know about you?”

  I shrugged. “Not too much to tell, really. You know my parents?”

  Rich shrugged and sipped his beer, staring in the yard toward August. “Yes, but no. I’ve met them a few times, but I’ve not been around them like August has.”

  I nodded and looked into the yard myself. Maybe it would be easier for the two of us if we weren’t looking at each other. “Okay, well, I came home because of what’s going on with them.”

  “Your dad’s illness.”

  I nodded. “Yeah. I was in the military, an Army veterinarian. When I found out about my dad, I looked at my contract and saw that I was coming up on my commission being up. So, I came home once that was done.”

  I looked at Rich again and caught him looking at me. Rich tilted his head and looked at me for several moments. But before he could say anything, August called, “You got everything ready for the grill?”

  “Yeah!” Rich called back. “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.”

  He went inside and came back out a few minutes later with two platters. I couldn’t see everything, but I could see kabobs, what looked like chicken, and some foil wrapped packets. I was curious what was being made but wouldn’t ask. They were making dinner, and I was happy to eat whatever it was.

  Rich came back to the porch and sat back down. “You were in the military?” He asked, sipping his beer.

  “Yeah. I joined when I entered vet school. The Army has a scholarship to help pay for your schooling, up to three years, and I took advantage of it so my parents wouldn’t have to pay. Also, because it was something I’ve wanted to do for a while, give back to my country.”

  Rich nodded and looked at me thoughtfully again, but he said nothing.

  “I’ll go back and check everything in a few,” August said, stepping onto the porch. “What are you two talking about?” He asked, dropping onto the couch next to me and throwing an arm over my shoulders.

  “I was just telling Rich about being in the military and coming home.”

  August tensed. I knew that he was still up in arms about my military career, but he needed to work on getting over it. It was a part of my past and likely a part of my future.

  “I hadn’t mentioned my reservist duty.”

  “You’re in the Reserves?” Rich asked, pulling my attention back to him.

  I nodded. “Yeah. I’d love an active spot somewhere close to here, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to be happening. My recruiter could get a spot here quickly by some act of God, but she hasn’t been able to find a full-time slot for me.”

  “So, you want to go back full-time?” Rich asked, his gaze flicking to August and then back to me.

  I nodded, trying not to think about how tense August still was behind me and why Rich wore a worried look. “Yes, if possible. I didn’t want to give my commission up but did because family is important to me. If I got a full-time spot, I’d want it to be close to here if possible so I could be close to my parents. With my dad’s illness, I don’t want to be far, you know? But since that full-time spot doesn’t look like it’s happening…” I trailed off and shrugged. “Not something I really need to worry about too much right now. I’ll worry about it when it happens.”

  Rich’s eyes flicked to August beside me again, and I was about to turn to look at him when he abruptly stood. “I’m going to check the grill.”

  I watched him leave us, and I worried that my talking about the military had soured the evening.

  “Don’t take his reaction to heart. He has some things he needs to work through related to the military. It has very little to do with you and more to do with those things.”

  I sighed and sipped my beer, keeping my eyes on August who looked like he was angrily working at the grill. “You say that, but it’s easier said than done to think about it, you know?”

  Rich nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

  I wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but he said, “I’m going to talk to him, see if I can get him to calm down and come sit with you while I finish up with the food.”

  I nodded and watched him go to his brother, wondering what he meant with his last comment and not knowing if I’d get the chance to ask him.

  DINNER WITH AUGUST and his brother was a lot of fun. Once we got over the issues from earlier with me talking about my time in the military, it was smooth sailing.

  Rich was funny and worked as a park ranger, which seemed to suit him based on what he was saying. He talked about his job and also his frequent camping trips. I was curious about those trips since he hinted at going on them a lot and staying gone for a while, but I wasn’t sure how that question would be received.

  I was content to talk about whatever, though.

  Once we finished eating our delicious dinner of chicken, veggies, and my pie, Rich cleaned up and left August and I on the back porch sitting together on the couch. August hadn’t turned a light on for us, and it was slowly getting dark.

  That was fine. I was snuggled up into his side, pleasantly full from dinner and the beers I’d consumed earlier. With the fans whirring and a full belly, I was just relaxed enough I could probably fall asleep if I tried.

  Neither of us spoke for the longest time, and it was nice to just sit and be.

  I remembered my parents doing something similar to what I was doing with August, but I’d never understood how they could just sit outside in silence. They’d sit there for hours together, sometimes reading, sometimes not.

  Now that I was doing it with August, I could see the appeal. It was peaceful to do something like this. You didn’t worry about filling the silence. You were just able to be.

  “Thanks for coming over,” August whispered, running a hand through my hair, relaxing me further.

  I smiled and said, “No thanks needed. I didn’t mind, and I like Rich. He’s really nice.”

  “Yeah, he is.”

  We lapsed into silence again and I sighed before pushing myself upright. As content as I was, I couldn’t stop the thoughts that were creeping in now.

  August looked at me with a question in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  I shrugged and looked out at the dark backyard. “I don’t know. I just feel…”

  I trailed off, not sure how to explain what I was feeling. I felt a little like I was in the midst of a maelstrom.

  On one side, I had my hopes and dreams for a career in the military working with animals. On another, I had my parents that needed my help. On yet another, I had August, who I was reconnecting with and remembering how good it was to be with him.

  “You look ready to bolt,” he said, running a hand down the back of my head and through my hair.

  I sighed at the sensation. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

  Biggest of which was wondering what August and I were doing. I knew we were testing the waters, but after that? What if I got an active duty slot? What if I stayed reserves, but had to move at some point?

  They were things I needed to figure out, and we needed to talk about. But as he continued to run his fingers through my hair, I knew tonight wasn’t the night. We’d had a good night, and I’d gotten to meet his brother, who was really nice.

  I didn’t want to ruin that by bringing up my thoughts and fears.

  What I wanted, though, was something I hadn’t yet gotten from August.

  I turned on the couch so I could see August more fully. Because I was leaning against him, when I turned, I was close enough for my breath to fan across his
cheek.

  He turned his head toward me, a question lingering in his eye. But I ignored it and went for it.

  I kissed him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  BRITAIN

  PRESSING my lips against August’s was a like coming home. There was that familiarity between us as the kiss started; that moment of remembrance of how it used to be.

  But then it changed, we’d changed.

  August hadn’t moved at first, and his lips stayed unmoving, but he quickly got over that and took over the kiss as his lips became pliant under mine.

  What started as a sweet kiss on my end quickly turned into so much more.

  August’s hand was still in my hair and fisted in it, tilting my head back so he could kiss a line down the column of my throat to the neckline of my shirt. Goosebumps rose in his wake and desire pooled in my belly.

  He worked his way back up and pressed his lips against mine, devouring me this time.

  He pressed his tongue into my mouth before sucking mine into his and pulling me into his lap, throwing my legs on either side of his hips.

  The new position allowed me to press closer to him and feel the hard ridge in his shorts as I settled myself in his lap.

  Feeling that sent a thrill of excitement and another frisson of desire through me.

  August must have felt the same because one of his hands gripped my ass as his hips thrust up toward me.

  I grew wet at the sensation of the seam of my pants against my clit and moaned low in my throat.

  August pulled back, and I blinked my eyes open, sure I looked wild and wanton.

  “Inside?” he asked, panting slightly, his hair in slight disarray from me running my hands through it.

  I nodded, wanting badly to go inside.

  August put his hands on my thighs and held me there as he stood. I wrapped my legs more fully around his waist as he walked us to the house. I didn’t pay attention to anything as we walked inside, through the kitchen and living room to the stairs.