Jake walked into Eli’s station and sat down. “I’m gonna head out soon. You almost done?”
Eli was rushing around the room, finishing up the last of the clean-up. “Jesus, I thought that last girl was never gonna shut up. How much time do I have?” This was only the third time he’d be watching Dylan. Luckily, it was Nick’s fourth doctor appointment, and he seemed to be coming around some. Well, he still hid out in his room, but he’d been eating dinner with them without argument. That was definitely progress.
Jake just laughed. “You’ve got plenty of time.” He slouched down in the seat, stretching one long leg out, with his hands clasped on his stomach. Eli could feel Jake’s eyes on him, but he didn’t have time to even wonder what the look was for.
Eli’s phone rang on the counter next to Jake, but he didn’t want to stop what he was doing. “Can you see who that is?”
Jake looked at the screen then stood up. The smile from seconds ago was gone, as he shoved the phone at Eli and said gruffly, “Chris.”
Jake was about to leave the room when Eli grabbed his arm tightly. He stood in between Jake and the door and answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Hey, Eli. It’s Chris.”
“Hey, man. What’s up?” Eli kept an eye on Jake the whole time and wanted to laugh at the damn-near pout he was sporting.
“There’s a band playing at Donovan’s tonight. Are you free?” Eli knew by the tick in Jake’s jaw, he could hear everything Chris was saying.
“Thanks for asking, but I think I’m gonna pass.” Eli held Jake’s gaze…watched as his body started to relax.
“Tonight? Or in general?” Chris asked.
Eli knew he had to be crazy to go down this road again, but… “In general.”
“It’s the big guy, right?” Chris replied.
Eli saw the smirk forming on Jake’s face. “What?” Cocky bastard.
“Yeah, I figured.” Chris sighed into the phone. “The last time I was there the guy looked like he wanted to cut my dick off and feed it to me.”
Jake nodded his head and opened his mouth, but Eli quickly covered it. “Listen, Chris, I gotta go. Have a good one, man.” After Chris said goodbye, Eli ended the call, removed his hand from over Jake’s mouth, and pointed at him. “Not a fucking word.” He turned on his heel and walked down the hall to the front of the shop.
“He was talking about my dick,” Jake said from behind him and snickered.
Eli stopped short making Jake bump into his back. “He was not talking about your dick.”
“Did you tell him I have a big dick? ‘Cause I’m trying to figure out how else he would know.” Jake raised an eyebrow, looked at the ceiling, and tapped a finger to his lip. Kenz and Ryder immediately tuned in to their conversation, both looking on in amusement.
“I may have told him you are a big dick.” Eli turned for the door again.
“So, you talked about me?” Jake teased, and Eli could hear Kenz and Ryder snicker.
Eli turned around again. “You’re a dumbass, and we’re gonna be late to get the kids. Did you remember to pick up some more iced tea?”
“No, I’ll get it on my way home. Should I pick up some dinner too?” Jake replied, finally taking things seriously.
“Yeah, that’d be good. I don’t think either one of us will want to cook by the time you get home,” Eli responded.
“Okay. Can you look and see if Dylan has any homework tonight? I don’t want him to do it too late.” Jake pulled his keys out of his pocket.
“Yeah, but if he needs help with math, that’s all you. I don’t math.” Eli smirked then looked over Jake’s shoulder to say goodbye to Kenz and Ryder as Jake turned around to face them.
In unison, Jake and Eli both said, “What?” at the look on Kenz and Ryder’s faces. They were staring at them with a mixture of amusement and utter shock.
Ryder leaned toward Kenz and whispered loudly, “Are we in an alternate universe?” He grabbed Kenz’s arm excitedly and shouted, “The Mandela Effect!”
Kenz smacked Ryder on the back of his head. “Stop watching those damn conspiracy theories.”
Ryder pointed at Jake and Eli but kept his eyes on Kenz and yelled, “I feel like I’m in the fucking Twilight Zone!”
“What the hell are you talking about, man?” Jake asked.
Ryder put his hands up in front of him, still looking at Kenz. “All I’m sayin’ is, if they buy a fucking minivan, we’re havin’ an intervention.” Then he looked at Eli and Jake. “And there better be donuts.”
Eli seemed to catch on exactly when Jake did. “Shut up, asshole.” Jake chuckled. “Don’t forget to lock up.” He shook his head but glanced at Eli before opening the door. The look he gave was like he was seeing Eli for the first time. “You ready?”
He didn’t know why Jake even waited for him when they each had their own car in the lot. Still, he answered, “Yeah,” as they left together.
Thirty minutes later, Eli was sitting on a stool at the peninsula in the kitchen, with Dylan sitting next to him. He figured while Dylan started his book report, he could finish a drawing for a client. They sat in silence for a while more with Eli trying not to laugh as Dylan stuck his tongue out of his mouth and squinted like he was trying to think of what to write.
Eli picked up the book next to Dylan. “You like Stan Lee?”
“Yeah.”
“Me too.”
“You know who Stan Lee is?” Dylan stared at Eli in awe.
Eli laughed. “I knew who Stan Lee was before you were even born, kid.” He flipped through the book. “So, why’d you pick him?”
Dylan thought for a moment then shrugged his shoulders. “Did you know he created Spider-Man? And not just Spider-Man, but Thor and Iron Man and Black Panther…”
“Wow. All by himself?”
Dylan thought about it for a second and shook his head. “No, he had help sometimes, and he didn’t draw them.” His eyes widened and a huge smile formed. “I bet you Uncle J could draw a superhero.” Dylan scrunched up his nose. “He’d probably call him Fart-Man or Super Fart.”
Eli tried to suppress a laugh but ended up snorting instead which had Dylan in stitches. “Yeah, you’re probably right. He’d get the bad guys to surrender by threatening to gas ‘em.”
Dylan held his stomach and let out a full-on belly laugh. When the laughter died down, Dylan turned back to his book report. He sat for a moment and stared at the paper. “You know, Stan Lee’s brother helped him sometimes.” His eyebrows drew together, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears as he sniffled. “Do you think Nick will be okay?”
Jake stood behind Nick in the doorway of the kitchen, watching him to see how he’d react to hearing what Dylan had just said—because there was no way he didn’t hear. Nick didn’t move, but he also didn’t run away.
Eli gripped Dylan’s shoulder. “Yeah, buddy. He’ll be okay. You know why?”
Dylan shook his head and wiped a tear from his cheek.
“Because he’s got a really strong brother who loves him a lot and won’t ever give up on him. And he’s got an uncle who would do anything for him, even let him yell and scream mean things at him if it’s what makes Nick feel better.” Jake’s heart was pounding so hard he felt it in his whole damn body. “Everyone deals with sadness in different ways. Sometimes they cry, sometimes they get scared, and sometimes they get angry. Once Nick can let all his anger go, he’ll be okay again.” Eli pushed on Dylan’s shoulder and laughed. “We could always call Fart-Man.”
Fart-Man?
Jake heard Nick let out a small laugh, and he immediately looked down at his nephew. It was the best damn sound he’d ever heard.
“Yeah, I bet he’d help Nick.”
“I bet he would.” Eli paused for a second. “You know I’m here too, right? For all of you.”
Dylan vigorously nodded his head. “I’m glad you are.”
Me too, Jake thought, right before Eli said, “Me too. Okay, so…how about you start that report? Just write about what you admire about Stan Lee, but make sure you add in important facts. Like the part about his brother and why he started writing.”
When Dylan turned back to his paper, and Eli started drawing again, Nick looked up at Jake like he wasn’t sure what he should say. Jake signaled with his hand for him to back into the foyer again.
“I didn’t mean to make him cry,” Nick said softly.
“I know, bud.”
“Can we…? Does he have to know that we…?” Nick looked down and sighed.
“No one needs to know but you and me, okay?” Jake felt a glimmer of hope when Nick nodded. By now he’d usually be up in his room, but he didn’t run and hide tonight—even after he’d heard what Dylan said.
“So…what do we do?” Nick looked nervously at the kitchen.
Jake handed Nick the food and held up a finger. Then he went over to the front door, opened it, and closed it loudly. “Hey guys! Dinner’s here!” he yelled, and for the first time in a month, he’d made Nick smile ever so slightly.
“Yes!” Dylan shouted.
When Jake and Nick entered the kitchen, Nick took the food and brought it over to the table. He didn’t look at anyone, but he was there. Not only being a part of family dinner, but the perma-scowl he’d had for weeks was pretty much gone.
Jake looked across the room at Eli, and when the guy smiled it sent a wave of comfort throughout Jake. There was no way in hell Jake could get through any of this without him. Damn, I’m getting sappy. Maybe I need that intervention. He laughed and Eli looked at him, confused. Jake just shook his head as he walked over to the cabinets and took the plates out.
The four of them sat down at the table, and Dylan began telling everyone about Fart-Man. Nick sat quietly and listened, and every now and then, he’d smile slightly. Jake’s eyes found Eli’s across the table, saw relief reflected back in his eyes, and realized he genuinely cared about them. A month ago that would’ve scared the shit out of Jake, but as he looked at his nephews, he knew they needed people in their lives who had their backs—and not just Jake. They needed a family. Well, as normal as a makeshift family could be. Somehow, Kevin, I don’t think you and Maggie talked about farts at the table, he thought with a chuckle.
Jake put his fork down and sat back. “Yeah, I could see drawing a superhero—but there is no way the guy would wear tights.”
Eli barked out a laugh and tossed a rolled-up napkin at Jake’s head.
“What kind of weapon would he have?” Dylan continued. “Like Spider-Man has his web, Thor has his hammer…”
“Hmm…” Jake thought for a minute. “An eggsterminator.”
Dylan laughed and rolled his eyes.
“A sonic ripper,” Eli added, and waved a hand in front of his scrunched-up nose.
“A stink bomb,” Dylan yelled, cracking himself up.
The three of them came up with more ridiculous names. Nick hadn’t left the table yet which was a miracle. Jake caught Eli’s eyes across the table again, and it truly hit him how natural and easy this all felt…and how Eli fit right in.
“A butt blaster.”
Everyone at the table stopped for a second at hearing Nick’s voice. He peeked up at them hesitantly from his plate, focusing on Dylan last, and slowly the left side of his mouth lifted in a small smile.
A huge grin spread across Dylan’s face, and he yelled, “Yeah! A butt blaster!”
Nick smiled and looked back down at his plate, Dylan beamed like his big brother hung the damn moon, and Eli looked at Jake and mouthed baby steps.
They spent the next few hours on homework and a little TV before the boys went upstairs. Jake followed them up but stopped and walked back down to the family room. He caught Eli’s eye. “Don’t go anywhere.”
Eli’s mouth curved in a provocative grin as he nodded his head.
Eli rinsed the last dish and put it in the dishwasher. There really wasn’t much clean-up considering there were no pots or pans to clean. Once he was done, he sat back down at the counter and continued drawing his client’s design.
He had a hard time getting his head in the right place, though. So much had happened tonight. Dylan almost broke his heart. Man, he was getting attached to that kid, and he had no idea if it was a good idea. Hell, who was he kidding? It was already too late. Dylan just had such a pure heart, wanted everyone to be happy, and felt it to his core if they weren’t. That was a lot of weight for a ten-year-old to carry on his shoulders.
And Nick… That kid shocked them all tonight. He was trying; for the first time since the accident happened, he was really trying to put an effort in and start to heal. And fuck if Jake didn’t need that.
Jake.
Eli tapped the end of his pencil on the island and pictured Jake’s face when Nick joined in the conversation tonight. The guy needed a break, and finally, tonight he got one. Eli had been so damn worried about him. Jake was trying to be strong for everyone else, but he just wished Jake would realize he wasn’t alone in all this.
When warm lips landed on his neck, Eli jumped and felt a shiver down his spine. But when those lips parted, and Jake’s tongue ran across his skin, Eli sighed and leaned his head away, giving the guy more room. He reached a hand back and gripped the nape of Jake’s neck, running his fingers through his brown hair.
Jake reached around and stroked Eli through his jeans while Eli panted and turned his head, taking Jake’s mouth. He spun his body around on the stool until Jake was standing between his legs, but with Jake’s height, the angle was weird.
Jake’s tongue swept across Eli’s jaw and down his neck. Eli tried to stand up, but Jake had him caged in. “What if the boys come down?”
That got Jake’s attention. He leaned his forehead on Eli’s. “Fuck.” Jake looked around then smiled wickedly. “Laundry room.” He stood up and dragged Eli with him, pulling him in and closing the door.
There was no lock this time, so they had to make it fast. The room was cramped with their large bodies, a long counter for folding clothes with cabinets underneath, and the washer and dryer. Jake was a big guy, but Eli was six foot himself. Eli hopped up on the counter and dragged Jake between his legs, grabbing his face and pulling until he was close enough to take his mouth again.
Jake’s knee slammed into a cabinet underneath the counter, and they laughed against each other’s mouths. “Fuck that hurt.”
Eli swept his tongue into Jake’s mouth while tugging the guy’s jeans open. Jake had Eli’s open first, and he yanked on the waistband, making Eli lift up until his bare ass hit the counter. That was all Jake needed; he sucked Eli down, and Eli’s head fell back and hit the wall. “Shit,” Eli rubbed the back of his head, and Jake laughed around his cock. Jake took his own dick all the way out and started jerking it.
The pace was fast with Jake sucking and stroking like he was in a damn race and Eli’s orgasm barreling toward explosion at high-speed. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” he hissed in a hushed tone as he released in Jake’s mouth. He bit his fist to keep from being too loud because the damn room had an echo. Eli shuddered through it before Jake let his spent dick slip from his mouth. Jake’s body twitched as he let go, cum hitting the cabinet in front of him, and his eyes closing for a second.
When he straightened up and opened his eyes, the bastard looked really fucking proud of himself. Eli was about to call him out, but Jake shut him up with his mouth. He took Eli’s face between his big hands as the kiss slowed down to a rhythm they’d never had before. It felt intimate in a way they’d never been with each other, and Eli could feel his world tilting.
Jake slowly pulled back, nipping Eli’s bottom lip. He slid his hands down to Eli’s neck, and there was no way he didn’t feel the rapid pulse beneath his skin. Jake was silent for so long, he was making Eli squirm.
Eli furrowed his brows. “What?”
The way Jake was staring at him was so intense it sent a shiver down Eli’s spine. “I feel about one percent confident in how I’m taking care of these boys.” He placed a hand on Eli’s face, stroking his cheek with his thumb. “But when you’re here, the other ninety-nine percent falls into place.”
Eli was floored. He floundered for a moment, processing what Jake had just said to him. “I—”
“Uncle J?” Dylan called out, and they both whipped their heads toward the door. His voice sounded too close for him to be upstairs.
Jake and Eli stared at each other wide-eyed for half a second before Eli hopped off the counter. They both yanked their pants back up, bumping into each other and trying not to laugh. “Shit,” Jake whispered in a panic. “What do we do?” He looked like he was trying to hold in a laugh, but it came out as a puff of air against Eli’s face.
Eli snorted then covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking. He caught his breath and whispered, “You go. I’ll clean this up and sneak out once you’re upstairs.”
Jake nodded his head and was about to open the door when he turned back around and kissed Eli one more time. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” he whispered back as he pushed Jake toward the door.
Jake slipped out of the room, closing the door quickly behind him. “Hey, bud. What’s up?” Their voices were muffled, but Eli could hear every word.
“What are you doing?” Dylan asked.
“Oh…uh…I was just getting some laundry ready for tomorrow. Why are you up?”
“Can I have a drink?”
In a slightly louder voice, Jake responded, “Yeah, let’s get you a glass of water and bring it upstairs.”
“Okay,” Dylan said then added, “Oh no!”
“What? What’s wrong?” Jake questioned a little too persistently.
“Eli forgot his drawing and all his pencils here.”
Eli slapped a hand to his forehead. “Shit.” He held his breath.
“Oh, yeah, uh…he was really tired. I’ll bring everything with me to work tomorrow.”
Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Dylan said, “Okay,” again and the voices got further from the laundry room. Eli listened for footsteps on the stairs and through the ceiling above him. Slowly, he opened the door and quietly made his way across the kitchen. He had to leave his things since Dylan had already seen them on the counter.
He opened the front door as carefully as he could, making sure it locked behind him as he shut it. As he walked to his car, in the late-night chill, he felt lighter than he had in almost a year.
“Hey, Avery. What are you doing here?” Eli’s voice carried down the hall, and immediately, a wave of unease spread across Jake’s body. His lawyer coming into the shop probably wasn’t a good thing.
Jake put down the disinfectant and headed out to the front. Avery looked so out-of-place in his expensive gray suit, clean-shaven face, and not a strand of his dark blond hair out of place. He stood in front of the register, and it wasn’t the first time Jake saw Avery eyeing Ryder—but not in a rip-your-clothes-off-and-fuck-you way. No, he seemed annoyed. Let’s face it, Ryder had a knack for getting on people’s nerves sometimes, but for the most part he was a pretty laid-back guy.
As Jake got closer, he heard the conversation more clearly.
“There’s gotta be a time you don’t wear the monkey suit.” Ryder looked Avery up and down. “You don’t wear that shit to bed, do you? Or in the shower?” Avery’s eyes squinted for just a second, but Jake didn’t miss it. That last part pissed Avery off. “I wouldn’t mind finding out.”
Shit, Ryder. The guy had no fucking filter.
Avery opened his mouth, and Jake was sure what was to come out would not be an offer for Ryder to share a shower. No, Avery looked more like he wanted to drown Ryder in the ocean.
“Avery,” Jake said quickly before things could escalate. Once Avery looked away from Ryder at Jake, his whole demeanor changed.
“Hey, Jake. Sorry to drop in like this, but uh…” he glanced at Ryder, a flash of irritation crossing over his face again, “is there somewhere we can talk privately?”
Jake caught Eli out of the corner of his eye, walking a client back to his station. He gave Jake a worried look, as if to ask if he was okay. Jake smiled and nodded even though he had no idea what Avery wanted to talk about. “There’s a coffee shop two doors down, and I have thirty minutes before my next client. That enough time?”
“Yeah. That’s plenty of time.”
Jake turned to Ryder. “Hold the fort.”
Ryder saluted Jake, and just as Avery was opening the door, he said, “Don’t forget…whenever you need help with that suit, I’ll be here.”
Jake groaned and shook his head, giving his friend an incredulous look.
Avery stopped, held the door open, and looked back at Ryder. “My memory is long. Trust me.” Damn, if looks could kill, Jake would be down one tattoo artist.
As Jake followed Avery out the door, he heard Ryder say, “Hot damn.”
They each ordered a coffee and sat at a table in the corner of the small coffee shop. Jake nervously bounced his knee under the table and turned his coffee cup around and around.
Was Avery going to tell Jake he’d lost custody? Were his financials not enough? They didn’t even have the court hearing yet. Could they just do that?
“Hey.” Avery paused until Jake looked up at him. “I didn’t mean to make you so nervous. It’s not that bad, Jake, just something you’re not going to be happy about.”
Jake’s brows drew together. “What’s going on?”
“I heard from your parents’ lawyer.”
“Yeah? And?”
“They’re claiming you won’t allow them to see the boys.”
“What the fuck!” Jake’s voice echoed through the shop, but he didn’t give a shit. “They never fucking asked to!”
Avery glanced uncomfortably around at the people staring then back at Jake. “I know. Calm down.”
Jake sat back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest, and tried to rein his anger back in. “Sorry, I’m just—fuck. Are they fucking kidding me? Avery, I swear to you, they haven’t tried to reach out since the funeral. They threatened to call a lawyer which, as you know, they fucking did, but then it was like out of sight, out of mind. Fucking crickets.”
Avery leaned forward, with his elbows on the table. “Jake, believe me, I know. That’s why I said as much to their lawyer. Unfortunately, though, I think we have to one-up them. Invite them over to see the boys on Sunday through their lawyer. Let the guy come too, if he wants. Hell, anyone can see how uncomfortable those boys are around your parents.” Avery took a sip of his coffee. “And I can be there too.” He looked down and sighed. “I haven’t really had a chance to see Kevin’s boys since the funeral.”
Jake felt like a complete asshole. He wasn’t close with Avery, so it never occurred to him how much Avery was hurting from all this. Jake lost a brother, but Kevin was Avery’s best friend. “Shit, Avery. Why didn’t you say anything? You know you’re always welcome to see the boys.”
Avery shrugged. “You’ve had a lot to deal with. So much has changed, and I’m not family. Guess I figured, as your lawyer, I’d focus on making sure they stayed with you. After that, I’d start coming around as a friend.”
“Fuck that,” Jake snapped, and Avery appeared surprised. “That’s gonna be a couple more weeks. I want you there Sunday, because I trust you to make sure things don’t crash and burn, but I want you there as a friend too.” Jake took a sip of his coffee before adding, “You should know, I want Eli there…and my parents are not going to be happy about that.”
Avery gave a small laugh. “No, they aren’t, but I get it. He’s your person.”
Jake thought about that for a second, picturing Eli’s face, and just the thought of him calmed Jake down. “Yeah. He is.”