Home to Cedarwood

by Megan Slayer

  Chapter Six

  Colin left Jordan alone in the aisle and rushed through the rest of his shopping. Bread, lunch meat, ketchup, juice boxes, two bags of frozen green beans, cans of ravioli and spaghetti that Gage loved, plus salad mix and tomatoes. He pushed the cart up to the registers and, while he waited for his turn, he texted his brother.

  Farin strode into the store with Gage beside him. “I heard the ping and assumed it was you.” He ruffled Gage’s hair. “The kid had enough sprinkles that he should be flying low for the next hour.”

  “I’ll bet.” Colin handed over the couple of coupons to the cashier.

  She accepted his money and gave him the change without saying a word.

  “Thanks,” Colin said. He pushed the cart forward and put the remaining bags into the buggy. As he walked out to the SUV with his brother and Gage, Gage jumped behind Colin.

  “What’s wrong?” Colin asked. He moved to the side of the parking lot aisle and looked at his son. “Why are you hiding?”

  “That’s my other bully.” Gage inched around Colin, hiding himself between Colin and the line of parked cars. “He calls you names, too.”

  Oh? Colin pushed the cart forward but stole glances at the woman and little boy. The kid seemed like any other kid. Chatty, happy and energetic. The mom…she looked anything but happy. She stopped at the painted-on crosswalk on the pavement, then glared at Colin.

  “It’s people like you that bring this town down,” she snapped. “Come on.” She yanked the boy’s hand, dragging him into the store.

  “People like me?” Colin snorted. “So that was the bully, eh? He seemed pretty harmless, but I see where he gets his ideas.” He parked the cart beside the SUV. “Don’t worry about him, kid. It’ll pass.”

  “Sure, Dad.” Gage rolled his eyes and climbed into the vehicle.

  Farin shrugged. “Looked like a winner.”

  Colin groaned. He loaded the groceries into the SUV, then pushed the cart into the corral and headed back to the car. Just before he opened the driver’s-side door, he heard footsteps.

  “Why are you here?” The woman and the boy stood beside him. She rested her hands on her hips. “This is a nice town. We’re good to each other. We don’t need people like you…destroying the moral fiber of our town.”

  He narrowed his eyes. Destroying the moral fiber? What exactly did she think he was doing? “I’m shopping with my son and brother. What’s moral-fiber destroying about that?”

  “You’re”—she dropped her voice to a whisper and covered her son’s ears—“gay.”

  “Wow.” Colin opened the driver’s-side door. “I’m gay. Big deal.” He slid behind the wheel. “Oh and you can stop leaving flaming shit on my front porch. I’m not moving. Good evening.” He closed the door, leaving her with her mouth open. Colin backed out of the parking space, then headed across the lot to the road. “That was terrible. This kid treats you like crap?”

  Gage nodded from the backseat. “He punches, too.”

  “Is the principal doing anything?” Farin asked.

  “Sure. He’s in ISS all the time,” Gage said. “I told you he wasn’t the only one.”

  “What’s ISS?” Farin asked.

  “In-school suspension, just like when we were in school.” Colin drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “Gage, just keep your chin up and ignore him. If it keeps up, I’ll take care of it.” He pulled into the driveway and parked by the rear entrance of his half of the duplex. “Hey, Gage? Why don’t you go inside with Uncle Farin?”

  “Okay.” Gage ran around the vehicle and grabbed his uncle’s hand. “I want to read the school house book again.”

  “Again?” Farin grinned at his brother. “At least the kid likes to read.”

  “He does have a whole bookstore full of books to choose from. Thanks, Farin.” Colin hefted the bags from the back of the SUV. “I owe you one.”

  “Yeah. When I get a boyfriend…well, never mind. He’d have to have a kid for me to turn this around on you,” Farin said. “And your kid just went into your half of the house. Call me if you need me.”

  “I will.” Colin took the bags inside and put the groceries away. He’d wanted to distract Gage from his problems. Instead, Gage sat at the bar.

  “Dad? Will you teach me to fight?” Gage asked.

  “No.” He finished with the groceries. “You’re not fighting anyone.” He paused. “What I will teach you is how to play baseball.”

  “The guys don’t care if I can play baseball.” Gage folded his arms.

  “Why don’t we try?” He herded Gage back to the car and gathered baseball gloves, a couple of baseballs and a wooden bat. “If nothing else, swinging at the ball will make you feel better. You can hit it instead of that kid.”

  “Okay.”

  He drove to the baseball fields. He’d expected someone else to be practicing. Oh well. Better for him and Gage. “Get the equipment and we’ll hit some balls around.”

  “Fine, Dad.” Gage left the backseat and dragged the bat into the caged area of the field. “Is this where you used to play?”

  “Sure is.” He chuckled and carried the rest of the equipment toward the pitcher’s mound. His glory days had been spent on this very field. “I helped the high-school team go to state on this field.”

  “You did?” Gage’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

  “I am.” He nodded to home plate. “Stand there and hold the mitt. You remember how to catch, right?”

  “Yeah.” Gage swatted the mitt. “I remember.” He paused. “Dad?”

  “Yes?”

  “What’s state?” Gage asked.

  “A really big competition. Like the World Series for high-school baseball, but not that big.” He shrugged. “It’s a big deal.”

  Gage rolled his eyes. “Uh-huh.”

  “Pay attention.” Colin tossed the ball to his son. He’d never thought he’d have this moment—playing catch with his own boy. The importance of the moment etched in his brain. Things weren’t great—his business wasn’t as solvent as he wanted, his son was having issues at school and he was lonely—but things weren’t horrible, either. He had a son, a home, his brother and a business. “Toss the ball back. You can do it.”

  Gage hurled the ball. “Incoming.”

  “You don’t have to shout that.” He caught the ball and noticed the police car in the lot. Now what… The police were making rounds, right? He spotted the officer leaving the car and his breath hitched. Jordan.

  “What?” Gage hustled up to him. “Not the cops again. I haven’t been bad.”

  “I’m sure it’s fine. Get back into place and we’ll practice again. Once you get steadier with catching, we’ll move to hitting.” He nodded to the plate. “Gage.”

  Gage sighed and groaned but took his position.

  Jordan approached. “I thought I saw a game starting. Need another player?”

  Did they want company? Colin waited a moment before he gave in to his desire to include Jordan. “Hey, Gage. Do you want company?” Colin asked and met Gage’s gaze. “Should we let the cop play?”

  Gage shrugged.

  Colin nodded to Jordan. “That’s about as much of an okay as you’re going to get.”

  “Cool.” Jordan practically ran over to where Colin stood. “I’ve gone past this field a hundred times and thought about you. Thought about our games. You were great.”

  “We both were.” Colin gestured to Gage, who trotted over to him again. “I want you to meet someone, Gage.”

  “I know Officer Hargrove.” Gage stood tall and grinned. “He talked to our class about street safety.”

  “Second week of school. We each get a second-grade class. I didn’t know that Gage was your Gage.” Jordan smiled, but sheepishly. “I wish I’d put two and two together.”

  “You know everyone, Gage. How come you didn’t recognize him?” Colin asked. “I feel so left out.”

  “I didn’t know him without his uniform on,” Gage said.
“But I like him. He was nice.”

  “Would you like it if he came over sometime?” Colin asked. “Can I have a friend come over?”

  “You have friends besides Uncle Farin? Who knew?” Gage laughed. “Dads don’t have friends. They’re dads.”

  The tips of Colin’s ears burned. His cheeks heated. “Welcome to my world. My son excels at embarrassing me.” He wanted Jordan to not care, but maybe care a little. “Join us.” He’d opened the door for friendship. Would Jordan walk in or walk away?

  “Give me a moment. I need to get rid of a few things.” Jordan hurried to his cruiser to lock up his revolver, belt and badge. Once happy his things were secure, he tucked his keys onto the clip in his pocket, then hustled back to Colin and Gage. “Sorry.”

  “For what?” Colin lobbed the ball in Jordan’s direction. “You’re fine.”

  Jordan caught the ball. “Ready, Gage?” He flexed his hand. He’d forgotten the sting of leather against his skin. He missed the smell of the ball, the grass, the buzz in the air and the camaraderie of his fellow players. He soft-tossed the ball to Gage.

  “I can’t catch.” Gage dropped the baseball. “See?”

  “You need to practice.” Colin grinned. “Jordan can tell you I wasn’t great at catching to begin with.”

  “You weren’t? I thought you were the bestest player, like, ever.” Gage hurled the ball to Colin. The ball clunked in the dirt, then bounced up at Colin.

  “It’s true. I wasn’t always the best.” Colin slid his gaze to Jordan. “Remember?”

  Jordan admired the interplay between Gage and Colin. He wished he had relationships like theirs in his life. He blinked as memories hit him hard. He waggled his fingers. “Throw to me.”

  Colin stepped back a few feet, then tossed the ball. “Your turn.”

  “Thanks.” Jordan hurried forward to make the catch. The moment the ball slapped in his hand, he felt as though he’d been hurled back to their high-school days. He turned his attention to Gage. “Your dad and I were in tee ball when we were five years old. Colin’s dad, your grandfather, wanted him to be the best. Your dad couldn’t catch. We’d hit the ball out to him and he’d let it roll past him or he’d drop it.”

  “I did.” Colin blushed. “I needed to practice.”

  “We moved up to the peewee league together, but your dad was on a different team.” Jordan slung the ball back to Colin. “I used to look for him. He was the guy who couldn’t catch.”

  Gage bent over in a fit of giggles. “Dad can’t catch.”

  “I got better,” Colin said. He shared a grin with Jordan. “Grandpa decided I needed to practice.”

  “He did?” Gage continued to laugh.

  “He did.” Jordan caught the ball once more. “While everyone else worked through the fifth grade, your dad spent his afternoons practicing. I didn’t think he’d be any good when we all came back for winter practice, but he surprised everyone.” Still did. Colin had a depth to him. A worn, weathered man who understood people and had been through the wringer but kept coming back. Jordan admired him.

  “I kind of forgot about my spelling tests in favor of baseball practice.” Colin’s blush deepened.

  “I can stop working on my spelling words?” Gage’s eyes lit up. “Yes.”

  “No,” Colin replied. “You need to keep up with your studies.”

  “You do,” Jordan said. “If you want to make something of yourself, you have to have an education.” He sucked in a breath and paused. Damn it. He’d interjected in a place he didn’t belong. “Sorry.”

  “No, you’re right.” Colin winked. He tossed the ball to Gage. “Keep trying, but you have to keep working on your schooling.”

  Jordan stopped talking and observed the dynamics between Colin and Gage. He’d been given a gift by being included in their game of catch. He thanked the gods and his decision to stop when he’d driven by and seen Colin and Gage out playing catch. He liked being around both of them. He liked listening to them argue and be a family.

  “Are you in there?” Colin hurled the ball at Jordan. “Think fast.”

  “I am.” Yet, the ball nicked his shoulder. “Damn it.”

  “Language.” Gage doubled over in laughter again. “You swore.”

  “I did.” Jordan retrieved the ball. “I should’ve been paying attention.” He rolled his shoulder. He’d feel the bruise in the morning. “You knew I wasn’t watching.” He grinned, but glared at Colin. “Were you trying to hit me?”

  “Actually, I wasn’t.” Colin hustled across the grass to where Jordan stood. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have lobbed that at you.”

  “Maybe I liked it.” Jordan swept his gaze over Colin. The man had aged well. Despite the few lines around his eyes and the gray hairs starting to color his temples, he still looked hot.

  “I’ll bet you did.” Colin notched his chin in the air. “I’m going to help Gage. Why don’t you toss to him?”

  “You bet.” He lingered another moment. “Thanks for including me.”

  “In this? It’s just catch.” Colin winked again. “Don’t get too excited. It’s not a date or anything.”

  Oh? Did that mean a date was possible? He hustled over to the pitcher’s mound and picked up Colin’s glove. The scent of the leather curled around in his nose. He detected a faint hint of Colin’s cologne in the air, too. Something about those two scents soothed him. He slapped the ball in the glove and waited for Colin to kneel behind Gage.

  “Okay, hold the glove like this and watch the ball.” Colin positioned Gage. “The more you watch the ball, the better.”

  “If you’re watching, then you know where the ball is. Even if you can’t catch it, you know where to go to retrieve it.” Jordan held up the baseball. “Ready?”

  “Listen to Jordan. He’s right.” Colin extended Gage’s arm. “Keep your eye on the baseball.”

  Jordan stood on the pitcher’s mound and ran through a battery of stretches and other moves he’d picked up from his friends who were pitchers. He nodded at Colin twice, then shook his head.

  “Just throw the ball.” Colin rolled his eyes. “This isn’t the pros.”

  “You never know. Gage might be the next best thing to come out of this town.” He lobbed the ball at Gage and Colin.

  Gage lurched forward, but didn’t make the catch.

  “See? That’s good,” Colin said. “Like that. You didn’t get it, but you knew where it was going.”

  “Dad.” Gage picked the ball up and tossed it to Jordan. “Let’s try again.”

  Jordan laughed. “He sounded just like you.”

  Colin stood behind Gage. “Maybe.”

  “He did. You could be just as relentless.” Over the next fifteen minutes, Jordan played catch with Gage and Colin. He threw the ball and only two out of the twenty or so pitches were caught, but no one seemed to care. They were having fun. Jordan marveled at the moment. He could see himself having this kind of family time with them. Maybe he wasn’t so against kids after all.

  “Okay. Time for a break.” Colin stood. “Gage, there’s a cooler in the back of the car. I can see you. Why don’t you grab three bottles of water? There’s trail mix in there, too.”

  “Yes.” Gage threw the glove on the ground and sprinted to the SUV.

  Jordan kept the glove on and held the ball while he crossed over to where Colin waited for his son. “That was fun.”

  “Yeah.” Colin scrubbed his sleeve across his forehead. “I forgot how out of shape I am.” He laughed. “Guess I’ll take my runs more seriously.”

  “You’re fine.” He held on to the glove. “If you want a running partner, I’m game. I hate running alone.”

  “That might be fun.” He bowed his head. “Gage opened up a little. He’s been stressed out. School and the kids there.”

  “And the insults? Are they going away?” Jordan asked. “We had a program at the school and worked with the staff on tolerance.”

  “Yes and no.” Colin shrugged. “You can pr
each it all day long, but if no one is listening, you’re just wasting oxygen.”

  “That doesn’t mean we can’t model what tolerance looks like.” Jordan folded his arms.

  “Would you want to hang out again?” Colin asked. “Farin hates baseball, so if we both show Gage how to play, maybe he’ll enjoy it more. I know he’s not a fan of sports, but I want to give him an outlet.”

  And have a reason to be around Colin again? Uh, yeah. “That sounds good.” He bumped shoulders with Colin. “Just keep it fun. If he thinks it’s a job, then he won’t like the sport.”

  “Don’t I know that.” Colin didn’t move away from him. “Before my father died, he used to run my ass hard on those plays. I hated sprints.” He met Jordan’s gaze. “But that’s how I got better at them. I swore I’d do so well Dad wouldn’t make me do them again.”

  “You stole a lot of bases.” Jordan sucked in a ragged breath. Every fiber of his being screamed to make a move and come on to Colin. Nothing permanent, but something to force them to take the next step. “Do you ever think about our glory days? Those long bus rides, the sweaty nights in the locker room…me?”

  “I have.” Colin cleared his throat. “I’ve thought about all of it.” He faced Jordan. “I wondered what might have been. Did you?”

  “Uh-huh.” He gripped the baseball glove. “Not a day goes by that I haven’t thought about you. I made a mistake. I’m sorry. I made you look stupid. You were so brave. I knew you liked me and I made you feel foolish.” He licked his lips and sighed. “It wasn’t right and I want to make up for that.”

  Colin bridged the gap between them and kissed Jordan on the lips. The woodsy scent of his cologne wrapped around Jordan, and the heat of Colin’s breath warmed Jordan’s cheeks. When Colin pulled away, the blue in his eyes flashed. “I’m not a fool,” Colin murmured.

  The kiss lasted seconds, and Jordan doubted anyone saw them, but the connection remained. His lips tingled, and his heart fluttered in his chest. He’d been kissed in public by Colin Baker. Kissed! Holy shit.