Jory didn’t expect a call from Thiessen so soon. Seeing his picture pop up on the screen sent a sudden surge of urgency through him and he fumbled to pause his game. “I gotta take this.”

Jaren groaned and tossed his controller down on the coffee table. “Come on, cuz. We’re so close to beating this thing!”

“I know, I know. Give me like, five minutes.” He grabbed his phone and walked into the kitchen, putting some distance between himself and Jaren before he answered. On the other end of the line, Thiessen’s voice was strangled and snuffling, like he was two seconds away from a complete meltdown. Jory’s heart slammed against his ribcage. “Hey—are you okay?”

“No,” Thiessen’s voice cracked and the broken sound he made split Jory in two. “I’m not. Not okay, not at all. I can’t do this. I can’t. It’s all wrong, it feels so wrong. What is wrong with me? Why don’t I feel anything?” He sobbed into the phone. Jory didn’t say a word; he let it all come rushing out.

“I’m just…empty. Seeing him again, I should’ve been happy. I should’ve felt something, for god’s sake, but I didn’t and it hurts. It fucking hurts, Jory! I prayed for this moment for so long… I begged god every night to send Bo back to me because life felt so meaningless without him. Four years is a long time to wait.”

“It is,” Jory murmured. “It’s a very long time.”

Thiessen sniffed, then barked out a laugh. “I don’t miss him anymore. I don’t love him anymore, and I don’t know when that happened. Doesn’t matter I guess. Everything is so fucked up in my head right now. I’m numb. I feel empty, like a shell of the person I used to be, and that’s the thing. I’m not the same person anymore, and neither is Bo. It’s like he’s a stranger now. Never thought I’d say that. God, I’m so confused and my head hurts and I—” He hiccuped a soft whimper. “I miss you. I could really use a hug right now. I wish you were here...”

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m with you in spirit. I’ll be right here when you get back and I’ll give you the best damn hug ever, alright?”

The phone line went quiet for a little bit. Then, softer, Thiessen asked, “Are we okay?”

Jory’s chest squeezed at the sadness in Thiessen’s voice. “Sweetheart, if this is about our argument, it doesn’t matter. I should’ve handled the situation better, but you surprised me and I locked up. I didn’t want to say something that would scare you off and then when you got upset, I was too busy kicking myself for being an idiot, but no. I’m not going anywhere, not while you need me.”

“What if I never stop needing you?”

“Then I guess you’re stuck with me,” Jory joked.

“I think I love you and that scares me, but I’m starting to realize that I need you in my life. You’re my sunshine on a cloudy day, the little blip of happiness when I’m upset. I want to be with you and I… I want to be the person you end up marrying, the man who will be your forever and I know I’m emotional and messed up right now, but I mean it. I do. I don’t wanna lose you, Jory.”

“You’re not gonna lose me, Thee.”

“You promise?”

“Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye,” Jory singsonged.

Thiessen giggled. “God, I love you.”

“You’d better.” At Jaren’s wounded moan from the living room, Jory chuckled. “I’d better get back to the game before my cousin has a cow. We’re super close to beating this boss we’ve been stuck on and he’s got his panties in a twist.”

“Sounds fun.”

“Right. Jaren is a tad bit aggressive when it comes to video games, so I fear for my life. Text me and when I get rid of him, I’ll ring again and see how you’re doing. I want you to go grab Peri and treat yourself to something tasty, because I am almost certain you haven’t eaten today. Am I right?”

Thiessen grumbled. “Yeah.”

“Chin up, beautiful, and remember to smile. This, too, shall pass. It might pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass. Hang in there.”

“Thank you, Jory. Talk to you soon.”

“Love you, Thee.” Damn, it felt good to say that. Grinning like a fool, he hurried back into the living room and flopped down on the old recliner. Seth’s recliner. Maybe it was finally time to retire it, once and for all. To say goodbye to the past and hello to a new future. Jaren gave him a weird look, but didn’t say anything. Jory grabbed his controller and propped his feet up.

Thiessen loved him. He was coming home. Life was good.

“Let’s game.”

Breaking the news to the Gentrys was shockingly easy. When he explained to them how he felt, Della began to cry, dabbing at her eyes with a wadded up tissue. For a moment, he thought she was upset, but then she smiled that motherly smile at him and drew him into a tight embrace.

“Oh, honey. We never expected you to stay. I just thought you would want to know,” she said softly, patting his cheek. “I’d never condemn you for choosing to move on with your life. I know that your home life was more than a little rough, but I truly hope you’ve found happiness. Tell me, Thiessen. Are you happy?”

Thiessen swallowed the knot in his throat. “I am. Coming back here… It’s too much. It feels so foreign and filled with bad memories. Sundog Park is home now. I have a nice place and good friends and I’m surrounded by people who support me.”

“And a boyfriend?” Della looked at him knowingly. His face grew warm, but he nodded anyway. “I had a feeling. Honey, I’m so very proud of you. You were dealt a bad hand, but you kept your chin up and you didn’t let it beat you. Don’t you worry about Bo. He’ll be fine. He’s got a long road ahead of him and hopefully happiness on the horizon.”

“Thank you,” he eked out. “I-I should tell him.”

“You want me to come with?” Peri asked.

“No. I need to do this alone, I think.” He didn’t want to. Honestly, he wanted to find somewhere to hide. His anxiety was riding him hard, but he needed to do this. To say goodbye, and if anything else, to give Bo closure. He deserved that much. Thiessen reached for the doorknob, took a deep breath, and went into Bo’s room.

The man lay propped up with pillows, aimlessly swiping across the screen of a tablet. He glanced up when Thiessen walked through the door, smiling, although it was uncertain. Probably because Thiessen had made such a hasty retreat the last time he visited.

“Hi.”

“Hey.” Thiessen took the seat next to him, his knee bouncing up and down. “I’m sorry for yesterday, for running out on you like that. It… It scared me, honestly. Coming back here, to this town? It messed with my head.”

Bo’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Coming back?”

“I moved away, yeah. Four years ago. I couldn’t stand living in a place that hated me for who I was, and everyone thought you would never wake up. I had to put distance between us because it hurt too bad, you know? Peri and I moved to a small town in Indiana, to live with her uncle for a few months. We made a clean break, got a new start.”

“You’re happy?”

Thiessen smiled sadly. “I am happy, and that’s the thing. I can’t stay here, Bo. This isn’t my home anymore and you… I mourned you as if you’d died. I said goodbye, so this is a shock. I had to move on with my life for my own mental health, because I was killing myself with the guilt and the anger and the sadness.”

Bo glanced down at the tablet in his lap. It’d gone dark, but he stared at it like it hadn’t. Thiessen saw his Adam’s apple bob, like he was trying to keep from crying, and he felt like an asshole. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Love you,” Bo whispered.

“I know.” And that’s what killed him. “But you’ll love someone else. It might take awhile, but you’ll go through therapy and get stronger and move on with your life, just like I did. It sucks at first, but… You work through all these emotions until finally, you feel happy again.” He rubbed his teary eyes, his hands shaking now. “I’m glad you get a second chance, Bo.”

Bo closed his eyes. Tears dripped down his cheeks, one at a time, but he nodded. He understood. Thiessen stood up and squeezed his hand in one last goodbye. “Take care of yourself.” He left the room on wobbly legs and when the door clicked shut behind him, he began to unravel. Peri was at his side before he could say a word, hugging him with everything she had.

“So proud of you, Thee,” she whispered.

“Can we please go home?”

“We should probably go back to the hotel and get our bags first,” she said with a wink.

He snorted through the mess of tears and snot, laughing despite himself. “Har har.”

“You know you love me.”

He did, more than Peri would ever know. If it wasn’t for her, he might’ve given up. He might’ve taken the easy way out and quit life before it started to get good again. She was his rock and he loved the shit out of her, but right now, he wanted Jory. Knowing that the man was waiting for him was the only thing keeping him together.

When they finally hit Sundog Park, Thiessen’s pulse began to thump between his ears, an anxious excitement rising up. Soon. He was so close. Peri dropped him off at his place and told him to call her in the morning, then took off. The poor girl looked dead on her feet after the eight-hundred mile trek back home, but it wasn’t anything a little sleep couldn’t fix.

Thiessen didn’t have time for sleep. He stopped at home long enough to take a shower and pack some clothes, then drove to Jory’s place. He pulled into the drive and before he ever killed the engine, he could hear the barking of his pup. Yip, yip yip. He smiled and hurried up the steps of the porch, raising his hand to knock, but he never got the chance.

The door swung open and there was Jory—his Jory—and damn if he wasn’t a sight for sore eyes. Emotion clogged up his throat and try as he might to blink the tears away, they kept falling. Jory’s smile was lopsided and boyish and when he opened his arms, Thiessen launched himself across the threshold. He collided with the man’s broad chest and Jory held onto him like it was the last thing he’d ever do.

“Easy,” he crooned when Thiessen began to sob. He rubbed his hands up and down Thiessen’s back and the touch was soothing. Thiessen took a shaky breath and pressed his face into the crook of Jory’s neck. The spicy scent of Jory’s aftershave tingled his nose, but it was welcome. It was so welcome.

“I missed you,” he mumbled. “I don’t know how else to explain it, but you’ve wedged yourself so deep into my heart that if you were to leave, I might bleed out. I know it hasn’t been that long, but I can’t imagine a life where you’re not in it. You make me happy. You feel like home.” He let out a shuddering laugh. “You are home.”

“You’d better mean those words, Thiessen Ward. I told you before, I’m not looking for something temporary. The next man I marry is the last man I marry. My happily-ever-after, just like in those romance novels of yours.” He grinned and Thiessen’s heart fluttered.

Jory took Thiessen’s hands and pulled them to his chest, kissing his knuckles, first one hand and then the other. “I love you. I’ve sort of loved you since the first time we kissed, but I didn’t want to scare you off.”

“You won’t. I feel calm when you’re around. You’re safe. You’re my shelter in the storm, the other half of my heart. God, it really does feel like some sappy romance novel, huh?” Thiessen snorted softly. “But I really do want this. I want us, for better or for worse. We could have a long engagement and a huge wedding in a year or two or five. Think about it.”

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Jory replied before claiming Thiessen’s lips in a slow, sweet kiss. His dark eyes were flecked with warmth, hot cocoa on a cold winter night, and Thiessen knew. This was meant to be. Jory coming into his life when he did wasn’t a coincidence. He was never a big believer of fate, but that’s what it felt like.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“And what do you think?”

Jory smiled. “I think that I want to take you to my room, undress you slowly and sleep next to you tonight, skin to skin. I missed you, Thee. When you walked away, I thought for sure you would be gone forever and it scared me. The idea of losing you scares me. I’m so glad you’re home.”

“Me too,” Thiessen whispered, threading his fingers through Jory’s dark hair before leaning in for a kiss. One kiss led to another, until they were tangled together between the sheets, making up for lost time. That night, he fell asleep to the lull of Jory’s heartbeat, wrapped in the warm embrace of a lover.

That night, he knew he was home.