The Corner Hitch was Ross’s favorite place to hang out in downtown Coldbrook Bend. It had sentimental value. He first met Alan at the Corner Hitch not long after leaving Middleton. Although their first meeting was somewhat rocky, they soon became good friends. It became a regular spot for them to meet with or without Alan’s partner, Diego.

Ross was sure that almost half of the town’s population showed up at the Corner Hitch at one point or another. It was a typical small-town bar, but he found it more welcoming than most. The bartender Jake was one of the reasons why. He knew how to mix quality drinks, treat everyone like a friend, and keep secrets when necessary.

“Anything special tonight?” asked Jake as Alan and Ross strode up to the bar.

“Just a beer for me,” said Alan. “Something light. If you have anything new that would be great.”

“I’ve got a lighter craft beer just in. It’s like a pale ale but not quite so hoppy.”

“That works for me.”

“Make that two,” added Ross.

As they settled at a small round table on the opposite side of the room, Alan asked, “So when are you getting a dog? Boomer could use a friend.”

Life was too unsettled to consider a permanent commitment like a pet. Looking for apartments in the city would be even more complicated with a pet in tow. Ross said, “Every time I think about it, I wonder whether I can be that dedicated day in and day out. I like the time I spend walking Boomer, but I do it when I want to, and I think that’s enough for now. Maybe Dak and Brody need to add a dog to their family.”

“Nope, I already struck out there. You know, Auntie Erin’s pretty sweet on you these days. You must have impressed her when you were hanging that painting. I have to admit that I’m a little bit jealous.”

Ross smiled and wanted to tell Alan about the commissioned painting, but he held his tongue. Auntie Erin insisted that it needed to be a surprise and that it would be part of the celebration of Alan’s next birthday in July.

“Do you wish that you had one of my paintings, too? Is that why you’re jealous?”

“Oh, yeah. Diego loves art. You might have noticed some of the things he owns that we put up in the house. He said that he has more than a dozen great paintings back in Veracruz. I love the bold colors in your paintings. They would be great in the house.”

Diego came from a wealthy family in Mexico. They were collectors of art along with other items made accessible by ready cash. For Ross, it sounded intimidating to have his work mounted next to a piece by someone famous.

“I don’t have much time right now, but trust me, the two of you will be first in line when I start actively working at the painting again. For right now, Diego keeps Rhea and me busy. I’m exhausted when I get home in the evening. I want to curl up and watch a movie or sit here with you drinking beer.”

“I guess you don’t ever get to rest. Diego is restless and ambitious. He sent me a text just before I got here, and he was excited about the meetings in Des Moines.”

Ross grinned. “I guess we’ll have donuts in the office in the morning. Diego always brings donuts when he signs a new client. Is he stopping by here when he gets home?”

“Yep. He’s an hour or so away, but I told him to come straight here and have a drink with us.”

A rowdy group of five men entering the bar suddenly disrupted the conversation between Ross and Alan. Cold air swept in behind the gathering, and Ross instinctively pushed his chair slightly closer to the wall away from the entry to the bar. “They look like a rough bunch,” said Alan.

Ross quickly scanned the group. Two wore camouflage jackets. Two wore red plaid quilted lumberjack-style jackets, and the fifth wore a dark blue parka. When the man in the parka tugged the stocking cap off his head, Ross recognized the face. It was Puck, and he looked slightly uncomfortable.

One of the men in camouflage declared, “Welcome back to the living, Puck!”

Ross lowered his head into his hands. It was a painfully inappropriate comment to make. Alan said, “Wow, that guy looks like he’s going to be sick.”

The man in camouflage slapped an arm around Puck’s shoulder and softly spoke a mea culpa. “Aw, shit, man, I’m sorry. Stupid of me.”

Puck’s response was inaudible, buried in the call of one of the other friends for a round of beers from Jake. The bartender smiled and tried to sound cheerful. “It is good to see you back, Puck.”

Alan followed Ross’s gaze. “Do you know them? You’re acting like you either know them, or you think at least one of them is the hottest guy you’ve seen recently.”

Alan was closer to the target than Ross wanted him to know. “The guy in the parka is named Puck.”

“Like in hockey?”

“Yep, like in hockey. Puck.”

“How do you know? Does he live in your apartment complex or something?”

The thought hadn’t occurred to Ross. It was possible that they lived in the same apartment complex. He only knew two other people that lived in the building. He met both of them while hauling garbage to the dumpster. They needed a little extra help, and he happily volunteered his services.

“I don’t think so. I met him at the grocery store.”

“Uh oh. The gay singles bar of small towns.”

“What?”

“You’ve never heard that? Since small towns don’t usually have gay bars, the grocery store can be one of the best places to meet guys. It happens all the time, or so they say. One guy drops the box of mac and cheese on the floor, and the new acquaintance bends down to pick it up. That’s like saying yes to a first date.”

Puck still looked uncomfortable. His hand trembled as he raised a bottle of beer to his lips. Then he pulled out his cell phone and stared intently at the screen.

Ross shook his head and turned his attention back to Alan. “I never heard that. Maybe I should spend more time at the grocery store. I’m not meeting guys anywhere else.”

“So what happened when you met…Puck?”

“He was cradling an adorable baby in one arm while he tried to carry groceries in the other. I learned when my sister had her baby that you can’t do that. Grocery stores have baskets and carts for that situation. Trying to balance with your hands is a recipe for disaster.”

“Let me guess. The baby cried, and he dropped the groceries.”

Ross nodded. “That’s a pretty good assessment. He was embarrassed, and he looked exhausted, so I helped him get things under control. I dangled my keys for Addie.”

“Addie?”

“The name of the baby.”

Alan swallowed a mouthful of the beer. “Wow, you remember a lot of details.” He focused his attention on Puck for a moment. “I guess he’s not so bad looking, but he looks like those guys I tried to avoid in high school. I’m sure Coldbrook Bend has a few of them, too.”

“The guys you tried to avoid?”

“Yeah, the ones that called me, ‘Little fag soldier,’ or worse. Every new place my dad got stationed had guys who looked like Puck living in the nearby town. Enough of them were openly hostile that I learned to avoid them. I had enough problems fitting in with the other military brats on the base.”

“Damn, that sucks. I guess there are some good things about living in a town with only one stoplight. Kids figured me out by junior high. I couldn’t hide it, and they treated me like anybody else. Of course, I loved to paint, hated sports, and built sets for the drama club. I might as well have worn a name tag that said, ‘Hello, I’m gay.’”

Alan chuckled softly. “Why does Puck look so nervous? Was he like that at the grocery store?”

Ross told Alan a short version of what he heard in the parking lot. “This might be the first time he’s been out since he brought the baby home. I can’t imagine what it would be like losing your wife so soon after the child is born. It’s enough of a change to have a baby come along. Then you have to do it on your own without somebody else helping out.”

“Shit, and having to deal with grief.” Alan sipped his beer in silence. He looked across the room at Puck again and watched him nod while holding his bottle just an inch from his lips. He held it like a tiny shield protecting his face from the rest of the world.

Ross said, “I hope he’s doing okay.”

One of the men in camouflage raised his bottle. “A toast…to our best buddy. We missed you!”

Puck raised a hand to wave off the attention. He took a step backward to create more personal space. After swallowing the rest of his beer, Puck spoke to the man near his right shoulder. His voice was too soft to understand. Then he turned and headed to the restroom in the rear of the bar.

Ross leaned in close to Alan and asked, “Would it be horribly inappropriate to follow him to the men’s room?”

“Why on earth would you do that?”

“I want to make sure he’s okay.”

“With all due respect, Ross, don’t you think he would have come over here to say hi if he wanted to talk to you?”

“Maybe he didn’t notice.”

Alan shook his head. “I guess you do have a way of charging right into a situation whether you’re invited or not. I remember when you introduced yourself to me here at the Corner Hitch.”

“I wasn’t that bad, was I?”

“You invited me to your place about ten minutes after meeting me.”

“Aww, shit,” said Ross. “Now you make me sound like a slut.”

“To be fair, it was an invitation to go swimming. Maybe you were only trying to be friends, but then again, maybe you wanted to see…”

“I thought you were hot. Diego’s a lucky guy.”

Alan blushed. “Well, thank you, and now that we’re friends, you’re not so bad yourself. You look like you walked out of an ad for Minnesota tourism with a caption, ‘Scandinavian men of solid stock.’”

Ross rolled his head back and laughed. He pushed his chair away from the table and said, “I’m going to use the restroom.”

When Ross stepped through the door, Puck was busy splashing water on his face in the lavatory. He stopped in mid-motion and said, “Hey, sorry. I’ll get out of your way. It’s a little cramped in here. I just needed to wake myself up.”

Ross looked over his shoulder into the mirror. “Do you remember who I am?”

Puck feigned surprise and pointed at the reflection. His index finger shook. “Ross! The guy from the grocery store. Yeah, I remember you now.”

“How’ve you been doing? How’s Addie?”

Puck turned around. “Did you follow me in here to ask that? You could have asked at the bar.”

For a moment, Ross wondered if he should make up a story. Instead, he decided to be honest. “Yeah, I guess I did. I didn’t know how to ask with all your buddies around.”

Puck’s gaze was intense. Ross couldn’t stop staring. Puck’s voice dropped to a whisper. “No, couldn’t be…”

“Couldn’t be what? And is Addie okay? It must be hellishly tough to do that all on your own.”

Puck reached out both hands and gripped the sides of Ross’s face. “Forgive me for this.”

Ross held his breath while Puck leaned forward and kissed his lips. It wasn’t a simple peck. It was something passionate and desperate. When it was over, Puck looked more haggard than before.

Ross’ throat felt dry and cottony as he attempted to speak, “What? Why did…”

Puck placed one hand on Ross’s chest pushing him away. He growled, “That didn’t happen. I’ve got to go. Addie’s fine.” He pushed the restroom door open and disappeared.

Ross gasped as he attempted to catch his breath. It all happened so fast. Ross wasn’t sure if it was true. He knew that Alan wouldn’t believe him.