CHAPTER SEVEN
Luke nearly swerved into another car as he parked his truck at the garden supply. He was so fucking distracted lately. All he could think about was Jack. He’d jerked off twice that morning, once in bed and once in the shower, and just thinking about the man had his dick stirring again. He was officially obsessed. Maybe he should be annoyed by that, but every time he thought about seeing Jack again, he smiled.
Ugh. His mama would flip if she knew what he was doing, any of it—his being gay, his going out with a much older man. But the BDSM? If she knew about that, she’d probably call his doctor and maybe the police. But there was no reason for her to find out. He just had to keep being discreet.
His cousin Dale was behind the counter. “Hey, Luke. What’s up? You look cheerful this morning.”
He wasn’t about to tell him the truth. “It’s just a nice day, is all.”
“Still hot as”—Dale glanced at some elderly customers—“heck out there.”
“Is it?”
Dale frowned at him. “It’s eighty-eight.”
“Huh. I guess it just seems better today.”
“Are you okay?” Dale seemed ready to call a doctor, or worse—Luke’s mama.
“I’m fine.”
“Whatever. You’ve just seemed different the last few times I’ve seen you.”
Dale saw him almost every day, so he must be talking about how Luke had been since he’d discovered just how compatible he and Jack were.
“Can you keep a secret?” Luke asked.
“Sure.”
He couldn’t. He’d ratted Luke out in kindergarten when he’d written a less than flattering message about their teacher on the board—in Luke’s defense, she kept trying to baby him and make him sit down during recess—and Dale’s ability to keep his mouth shut hadn’t improved since.
“I’m thinking about going to school,” Luke said.
“Seriously? And that has you happy?”
“Lucy’s been happy since she started classes.”
Dale seemed to consider that. “Yeah, but she’s just baking shit. That’s not real school.”
Luke raised his brows. “Have you said that in front of her?”
“Uh…no. She’d kick my ass.”
“Have you actually talked to her about her classes? She’s working damn hard.”
He snorted. “Not like I do.”
“You’re standing behind a counter.”
“I unloaded a truck this morning.”
“Dale.”
He sighed. “Fine, whatever, but why do you want to go to school?”
“So I can do something different. I want to get out of here.”
“You’re not going to RCC?”
He didn’t want to give Dale too many details. “I’m not sure where I’m going, but once I have my degree, I can go wherever I want.”
“You’d really move away?”
Luke shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.” Not if things worked out with Jack. But what things were those exactly? Hot kinky sex was all Jack promised. He needed to get out of there before he said too much. “Do you have my order ready?”
Dale frowned; then something must have fired in his underused brain. “Oh yeah, it’s ready. I put it on the Sumner account, so just pull around and we can load it up.”
No doubt, Dale would pass the word along that Luke was planning to go to school, but Luke had already argued about it with his mom and dad, so it wouldn’t be a shock. And if everyone was talking about him wanting to get a degree, maybe they wouldn’t notice what was going on between him and Jack.
Luke’s next stop was Tregar Accounting. He’d worked as an assistant to Scott during tax season last spring, despite his mother’s insistence that the farm couldn’t make it through planting season without him. If they actually let him do any of the heavy work, he might believe that. As it was, it was just a ploy to keep him home.
Scott had been surprised by how skilled he was with math and spreadsheets and by how quickly he learned. Luke was hoping he’d recommend him for the program at UNC-G.
When Luke stepped into the office, Scott’s assistant wasn’t at her desk, so he knocked on the door of Scott’s office.
“Come in,” he called. “Oh, hi, Luke. You need more work?”
“That’s not why I stopped by, but if you need someone…”
“I could certainly use you starting in January.”
“If I’m here, I’d love to work for you again.”
Scott raised his brows. “You planning on being somewhere else?”
“Yes, sir. I’m applying to accounting programs at UNC-G and GTCC. If I get in, I’d like to start in January.”
“Oh, wow. That’s fantastic. I don’t think you’ll have a problem getting accepted.”
“I hope not. Would you be willing to fill out a recommendation for me for UNC-G?”
“I’d be happy to. Do you have a form for me?”
“It’s online, but I’ll email you the address.” Luke pulled out his phone and took care of it. “I really appreciate this—and you offering to hire me again. As soon as I hear from the schools, I’ll let you know.”
“You’re welcome on both counts.”
The outer office door opened. Luke turned to see who’d come in, and froze. It was Jack.
“Hey, Jack, come on in,” Scott called.
Luke’s pulse ramped up, and a cold sweat broke out on his neck. This was not good. If he couldn’t see Jack without thinking about standing in front of him, naked, doing everything Jack commanded, he’d never be able to hide their relationship.
He swallowed hard and turned back to Scott. “I should get going.”
“You don’t have to leave. I just—” Jack glanced at him and stopped speaking. Luke sank his teeth into his lip to keep himself from saying something stupid.
Finally Jack shook his head as if to clear it. “Sorry, I’m distracted today. I don’t want to keep the two of you from whatever—”
“No, I—I’m done.” Luke began moving backward toward the door.
Scott wore an odd expression. Shit, he was making a fool of himself.
“Um…Mama’s expecting me for lunch.”
He opened the door and rushed out. Did Scott think he was a lunatic now? Did Jack think he couldn’t even make his own lunch plans? Shitfuck, he had to get himself together or this—whatever he had with Jack—wasn’t even going to last until their second date—scene—whatever.
***
“What the hell was that about?” Scott asked, looking from Jack to the doorway where Luke had just disappeared.
Jack blew out a long breath. He didn’t want to lie to Scott. “You and I have been friends since we were in preschool.”
“Are you going to start up again about me peeing in the sandbox?”
Jack laughed. “I wasn’t, but now…”
“Shut up! And what does that have to do with Luke getting all tongue-tied and you…” He waved his hand about, obviously at a loss for words.
Jack couldn’t keep joking around. He needed to get these words out even though his heart was beating so hard, he wondered if it would give out. “My point is that you know me really well. You know—I hope—that I’m a good person, someone you can rely on. I don’t want that to change.”
“Jack? What’s going on?”
“Before I say any more, I need to know that you’ll keep this confidential. You can’t even tell Melanie or your mom, especially your mom, though I have this odd feeling she somehow already knows.”
“Knows what?” The combination of wariness and horror on Scott’s face made Jack think he’d guessed it.
“Promise to keep this a secret?”
Scott nodded. “I promise.”
“I’m sort of seeing Luke.”
“Seeing him? As in dating him?” Scott stared like he was trying to decide if he was dreaming.
“Kind of.”
“What does ‘kind of’ mean?”
“We’re both unsure. I don’t know where it’s going to go.” There was only so much of the truth Scott could handle. Even if Jack wanted to reveal his own sexual proclivities, he’d never betray Luke that way.
“So you’re gay?”
Jack shook his head. “I’m bi, actually.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Bisexuality is a real thing.”
“No, I mean the man part. The—oh God, are you kidding me?—Luke part.”
Jack ran a hand through his hair. “You see why I asked you to keep it secret?”
“Yeah, I do, but he’s a kid.”
“He’s twenty-one,” Jack reminded him.
“And you’re thirty-eight. And…seriously, you’re gay too?”
“You mean ‘too’ as in like Brad.”
He nodded.
“I like women too. Brad doesn’t.”
“So who in this town doesn’t like dick?”
Jack turned toward the door. “This was a mistake.”
“No, wait. I’m sorry. I’m not being fair. Like you said, I’ve known you almost my whole life. I didn’t stop being Brad’s friend, and I’m not going to stop being yours. I’m just…surprised, okay?”
Jack took a breath and faced him again. “Yeah, I get that. I should’ve told you a long time ago.”
“Maybe, and maybe I wouldn’t have been ready to hear it then. But do you really think dating Luke is a good idea?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. But there’s something between us. After months of not doing anything about it, we decided to see what happens.”
“And of course Miss Susanna doesn’t know?”
Jack shook his head. “Luke is a grown-up. He doesn’t need his mama vetting his dates.”
“Are you sure about that?”
What was he implying? “You think I’m going to harm him.”
“No, I don’t mean it like that, just… Where can this go?”
“The same place as any other relationship.”
Scott frowned. “You’ve sure got a lot stacked against you, especially here.”
“Are you against us?”
“I’m not going to rat you out, and who knows, sometimes the craziest things work out to be the best. Just be careful.”
“He’s not that fragile.”
“Be careful for yourself. I don’t want you getting hurt if things go south.”
Scott was right. Jack did have a lot to lose—the inn, his heart. “I’m not counting on this being a forever thing.”
“Yeah, but if his family finds out, that won’t be good for you, regardless of what happens with Luke. Luke’s brother, Dan Jr., has won the shooting contest at the county fair every year since I can remember.”
“He’s not going to shoot me.” God, Jack hoped not, anyway. He missed his parents now that they were off touring America in an RV, but at least he didn’t have to worry about them getting involved in his dating life.
He’d weather whatever came his way. Cal faced down a hell of a lot of protest when his relationship with Beck became public knowledge, and Pax’s gallery was doing even better than it had been a year ago. Of course their partners weren’t nearly twenty years younger than them, nor did the whole town think they needed coddling like they did about Luke. But fuck that. He should be able to go out with anyone he cared about.
“I’ll be careful, and thanks for supporting me even if you’re not sure I’m right.”
“You’re a good friend, Jack. You always have been.”
“Thanks. I wouldn’t want to have to stop hanging out with the kid who peed in the sandbox three times in the first week of preschool.”
Scott narrowed his eyes. “Don’t you dare—”
“Here are the forms you need. I was close by, so I thought I’d just bring them to you.”
Scott took the folder Jack held out. “Thanks. I would see if you wanted to get some lunch, but I’ve got a client coming in ten minutes, so it looks like I’ll be eating the granola bar in my desk instead.”
Jack frowned. “That doesn’t sound very filling.”
“Maybe I’ll get a break after the meeting. Text me sometime later this week, and we’ll get together then.”
“I will,” Jack said. But not until after Wednesday. He was going to be a distracted mess until he could get his hands on Luke again.