Chapter Four
The fire blazed in the fireplace as Jackson and Mike sat on the couch, drinking wine after dinner. Outside the log house, rain pelted against the windows as the wind howled in the chimney.
“It was a beautiful day. I didn’t think the forecast called for rain,” Jackson said as he turned his attention to the rain coming down in torrents.
“That’s mountain weather for you. You can never tell what mother nature is going to throw at you. On a night like this, I would hate to be camping.”
“I don’t know. I’ve been camping in worse. There is something relaxing about the sound of rain on a tent.”
“I had enough camping back in the Army. It wasn’t always so bad when we were inside in the barracks, but when we were deployed in the desert, we lived in tents for months.”
“Were you in Iraq?”
“Yeah, I was in Iraq. It wasn’t like the news showed it. We didn’t have explosions every day. I worked in the motor pool, keeping all those hum-vs running, but the heat nearly killed me.”
“I bet. No wonder you came back to the mountains.”
“You can say that again. It’s never too hot in Copper Falls, even in the summer. Jackson, I think I've told you about me, but you haven’t said a word about you. Go ahead tell me all about yourself and what brings you to the mountains,” Mike said, as he leaned back on the couch.
Jackson sighed, “There isn’t much to tell. I am your stereotypical corporate attorney. I work too many hours. I used to be ambitious and am proud to say I made partner by thirty-five.”
“You still haven’t told me what brings a good-looking man like you to a town like Copper Falls by yourself. If it’s none of my business, just tell me. I can take a hint.”
“Here goes, I promised myself I wouldn’t talk about it, but since you asked and you have been so willing to share your life with me I'll tell you the truth.”
“Any time you’re ready,” Mike said as he sipped the wine.
“I just got out of a relationship, a long one. I guess I was thinking that I needed some time to myself. It’s been good. I’ve been fishing, running. I even found time to read.”
“Sounds like you’re doing all right. I know the feeling. I've been divorced for two years. Me and my ex-wife are good friends, but it’s been hard finding someone who understands my life and my devotion to my son.”
“This is a first for me. I've never been single before. When Chris left me, it did something to me, broke me in a way I have never known,” Jackson confessed as he blushed, realizing he had said the name Chris, a dead giveaway that he was gay.
“Chris?” Mike asked.
“Yeah Chris. I guess I let the cat out of the bag on that one,” Jackson said waiting for Mike to jump up and leave, making some customary excuse.
“How long were you with Chris?” Mike asked, not leaving.
Jackson swallowed hard. Mike wasn’t running away. “Ten years, to tell you the truth. I did a lot of changing for him. I didn’t know that then, but I can see it now. I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”
Mike set the wine glass down and said, “Because I asked, that’s why. I know how tough break ups can be. I was with Lisa, my ex-wife, since I got out of the Army. It was hard when we broke up. She has been and will always be my best friend, but when I came out, we decided that it wasn’t fair for her to be married to me, not when I needed the space to figure out who I was.”
“So,” Jackson whispered, “you’re not straight?”
Mike shook his head, “It took me years to be able to say that, but no, I am not straight.”
“Okay,” Jackson said as he considered what was next, what Mike not being straight meant.
The rain fell outside, the fire crackled indoors, and Jackson stared at Mike unsure what to say. He had never felt like this before, this cautious about what to say or do.
“This Chris fellow must have been good looking, wasn’t he?” Mike asked as he gazed at Jackson.
“I’m not going to lie, he was, but that was all he had going for him. He was the highest maintenance man I ever dated,” Jackson admitted.
“The good-looking ones always are, in either sex,” Mike commented.
“How did you know he was attractive?” Jackson asked as he poured another glass of wine.
“In case you don’t know this, and I’m sure you do, you're incredibly attractive and, from what you have said about your job, successful. It only stands to reason that you would be with a good-looking guy.”
“I see your logic. Thanks for the compliment, but I promise you I've seen the error of my ways.”
“And what would that be?” Mike asked as he moved closer to Jackson.
“I've had plenty of time to think about things. Next time, I don’t want just a pretty face. I want something real with a genuine person who does more than look good. I want a man who is going to love me for who I am and not my money or my looks,” Jackson said as he stared into Mike’s blue eyes.
Mike reached for the glass of wine in Jackson’s hand, carefully removing it from his grasp and placing it on the table. “You are more than money and a hot body. You have kind eyes. You are compassionate, and you seem hell bent on looking after me. The fact that you’re an amazing cook makes this even harder.”
Jackson bit his lip as he looked at Mike, “Makes what harder?”
“This. I promised myself I wouldn’t get involved with anyone like you, just out of a relationship looking for a little action. You move too fast for me, but there's something about you, something down to earth that makes me think you don’t belong in a place like Charlotte and you aren’t on the rebound.”
“Where do I belong?” Jackson whispered as he slowly moved closer to Mike.
“You belong right here, with me, tonight,” Mike replied as he caressed Jackson’s hand.
Jackson wanted to kiss Mike, ached to feel his lips on his own, to run his fingers through Mike’s blond curls. Tilting his body toward Mike, he gazed into his eyes, their faces inches apart as Jackson asked, “What is this? Is this just tonight?”
“Let’s not talk about that now,” Mike said as he pulled Jackson toward him, kissing him as Jackson closed his eyes, melting into Mike’s arms. Mike’s kiss was passionate yet soft. It was the kind of kiss that sent shivers of anticipation all through Jackson’s body. Jackson could feel his body responding to Mike in a primal way, his nerves tingling, his heart pounding.
It was Mike that pulled away first, breathing heavily as he slid back on the couch. “That was something else. You are amazing. Do you know that?”
Jackson tried to make sense of what happened. He wasn’t used to being kissed without any follow up, “What’s wrong?” he asked as he stared into Mike’s eyes, searching for a reason.
“Nothing is wrong at all. I don’t want to go too fast, not tonight.”
“You don’t?” Jackson asked, trying to make sense of the man sitting beside him on the couch.
“Not yet. I would love to, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never been the sort to rush into anything.”
“What do we do now?”
“Come here, lean back, and let me hold you beside the fire. That’s what we do now. Tomorrow I want to take you for a drive in the country. We can check out some of my favorite places. What do you say? Are you up for it?”
Leaning back, Jackson snuggled against Mike’s big, strong chest. Jackson murmured his answer, “I would like that. A drive in the country sounds wonderful.”
“Good,” Mike answered as he ran his hands through Jackson’s hair. “We could make it a date.”
“A date,” Jackson repeated as he gazed into the fire, listening to Mike’s rhythmic breathing. He had never known anyone like Mike, a man that was willing to wait, to take his time. There was something different about this, something new. Jackson felt like Mike may be a man worth waiting for, something he had never known in his life, something he knew was missing.