I stood under the spray of water and closed my eyes. Images of the night before flashed through my mind and I felt myself smile. I’d been on dates before, but nothing could compare to my evening with Zach. He’d thought of everything, from the flowers and the food, to the blanket and even the fishing. I’d told him once that I’d never fished before and not only had he remembered that, he planned a way to give me that experience.
That right there was what got to me the most. The thought and consideration he had put into the planning of our date. It made me feel special, like I was as important to him as he was becoming to me. The way he’d felt in my arms, the expression on his face as he came in my hand, it was all absolutely perfect, and I couldn’t wait to do it all over again.
Over the last few weeks, I’d gotten to know Zach better and I felt myself falling for him. The night before, there had been a definite shift in our relationship and I knew that I wasn’t falling anymore, I’d already fallen as deep as any man could go. I was completely and totally in love with him. And it didn’t matter that I didn’t know his name for sure or that he hadn’t told me everything about himself. I loved him, the heart and soul of him. I loved the way he laughed and the way he smiled and the smell of his skin and the taste of his lips. I loved his sharp mind and his compassion for animals and other people.
I loved him.
I lowered my head under the spray and sighed, letting the truth of my feelings enter my heart and travel throughout my blood stream until it had filled every cell in my body, down to the marrow of my bones. My head spun with the knowledge and my heart raced, but something deep inside me settled, like finding the final piece to a puzzle.
I switched off the faucets and pulled a towel from the rack to dry myself with. As I stepped out of the bathroom, my phone began to ring with a familiar ring tone, and I hurried into my room, wrapping a towel around my waist. Grabbing my phone off the charger on the table beside my bed, I swiped across the screen.
“Hey, man!” I said, feeling a smile stretch my face.
“What’s up, Jer?” Brandon asked.
“Not much,” I replied. “You? Are you home or on a job?” Brandon had started working for Micah around the same time I had, and we’d quickly become friends. Out of all the men I worked with, I’d have to say that Brandon was my best friend and I’d missed him terribly while I was gone.
“I’m in California actually. Some big-wig Hollywood producer has been making enemies. Apparently, he’s slept with most of the actresses that have worked for him, including the married ones, and now somebody wants him dead,” he explained.
“Sounds interesting,” I said.
“I wish it were,” he moaned. “So far it’s been one boring meeting after another. I’m about ready to take a shot at the guy myself just to liven things up.” I didn’t even try to hide my laugh. Brandon was a great guy and I knew he was only joking.
“You better not. I don’t have time to go there and bail your ass out,” I teased.
“You’d do anything for my ass and you know it,” he purred through the phone.
I barked out a laugh. “You wish,” I shot back. Brandon and I loved each other, but there had never been more between us than brotherly affection.
“So, talk to me,” he said, suddenly sounding very serious. “What’s going on with your assignment? You’ve been gone a long time. Getting any closer?”
I let out a sigh, trying to decide how much to tell him. “To be honest, I really don’t know. I mean, I’m almost positive it’s him; my gut tells me it’s him, but he still hasn’t told me anything that would help me confirm it.”
“Have you tried breaking into his place when he’s not around? Maybe there’ll be something there that’ll clear things up one way or another,” he suggested.
“No!” I shouted before I could stop myself and Brandon grew silent. I clenched my jaw as soon as I realized I’d yelled at my best friend.
I knew that Brandon had only said it because he wanted to help, but I didn’t want to do that. I already felt guilty enough for not telling Zach why I was really there; I didn’t need to add to it by snooping through his personal space. I had always been willing to do whatever it took to follow through on my assignments, no matter who was involved. But with Zach it was different. I still wanted to find out who he was, but I wanted him to be the one to tell me. As ironic as it was, I wanted to keep the trust I’d earned with him.
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
“What’s going on, Jer?” Brandon asked seriously. I could hear the worry in his voice.
I pursed my lips and let out a long, slow breath. “He’s a good guy, B. A really good guy, and I just feel bad for lying to him,” I explained.
“Oh my God! You like him, don’t you?” Brandon gasped.
“Yes. I think he’s a nice guy and I don’t want to see him get hurt,” I insisted, bending the truth.
I told myself I wasn’t completely lying to my best friend. Zach was a nice guy and I really didn’t want to see him get hurt by all of this. I knew I hadn’t told him the whole truth though and it felt strange. Brandon and I usually shared everything with each other, but I just wasn’t quite ready to share this yet. It was all still so new, but it was real. Without a doubt, whatever was happening between me and Zach was real.
I heard him sigh through the phone. “I know you better than anyone, Jer, and I know there’s more to this than you’re telling me. Just promise me you’ll be careful, alright?”
“He’s not dangerous, B. I don’t know why Micah wants him found, but I know for sure that he’s not a dangerous criminal,” I assured him.
“I wasn’t talking about being a dangerous criminal. I was talking about him being dangerous to your heart. What happens when he finds out why you’re there? You think he’ll be able to forgive you?” Brandon asked gently. I knew he was only watching out for me and he made a good point, but I didn’t want to think about any of that just yet. Imagining the look of betrayal on Zach’s face when he found out why I was really there made my chest ache and my stomach roil, so I pushed it to the back of my mind to be dealt with at a later time.
“I am being careful. I promise,” I whispered.
“Okay, good. You know I love you, man. You’re like my brother and I support you no matter what. You know that, right?” he asked.
“Yeah, I know that and the same goes for me,” I said. I swallowed hard around the lump in my throat. Brandon was the best friend I could have ever asked for and I was lucky to have him in my life.
“I know that too,” he said, and that time I could hear the smile in his voice. “Okay, I better get ready for another long, miserable day of standing in the corner while Mr. Douchebag Extraordinaire conducts budget meetings then goes out to an expensive restaurant and back to a hotel room with a woman who, by the way, is not his wife. Oh, did I forget to mention, he’s married too.” I could practically hear Brandon’s eyes roll.
“He sounds like a real prince,” I said sarcastically.
“Prince of the assholes, maybe. Seriously though, you don’t think I could get away with shooting him? I’d be doing society a favor. They may even give me a shiny medal for it,” Brandon joked.
“If only it were that easy, my friend,” I laughed.
“Fine. I’ll play nice,” he grumbled. “You take care and I’ll talk to you again soon.”
“You too,” I said.
I ended the call and then flopped back on the bed with a sigh. I hated keeping anything from my friend, and I felt awful for lying to him, but I was a selfish asshole and I wanted more time with Zach; more time to explore this thing between us, before I had to tell him the truth.
I rolled my head to look at the clock and, realizing how late it was, I jumped off the bed and ran to the bathroom to finish getting ready. I’d just finished pulling my clothes on when I heard a knock at the door. Zach stood on the front porch, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his khaki shorts as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet as if he were nervous. He stopped as I opened the door and smiled up at me.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Yep. Now it is,” I drawled, giving him a sultry look. Zach rolled his eyes, but I could see the smile on his face as he ducked his head. I laughed. “Come on in, I just have to grab my shoes and my wallet, and I’ll be ready to go.”
Zach followed me into the house and shut the door. I went to my bedroom and grabbed my wallet off the dresser and shoved it into my back pocket then I went back out to the living room and sat down to put my shoes on.
“Is it busy out there?” I asked as I tied my laces.
“Oh my God, yes! It’s nearly wall-to-wall trucks and campers out there. I’m not sure we can take any more customers, but I’m happy for Edith that it’s been another great turnout,” he said.
I stood up and walked towards him, my brows pinching together the closer I got. “So, there’s lots of people out there?”
“Yeah,” Zach answered cautiously.
“Hmmm. Then I guess we better do this now, so nobody catches us.” I waggled my brows at him and he smiled as he realized what I was talking about.
Most of the regular customers were nice people who didn’t care what you did as long as you left them alone to fish. But there would be a lot of new faces that weekend and not all of them would take too kindly to seeing two guys holding hands or, God forbid, kissing. We’d have to be careful how much affection we showed each other outside of our cabins.
Zach’s hands landed on my biceps as I leaned down to kiss him. It started out gentle at first, but it didn’t take long for passion to ignite between us. Before I knew it, I had him backed against the door, my hands cupping his ass and his fingers tugging at my hair as his tongue dipped and swirled inside my mouth.
I pulled back and he let out the sexiest whimper that had me diving back in for more. I felt like I was drowning in him, and yet I was thirsty for more. Much more. After a few minutes, I backed away again and leaned my forehead to his. We were both panting heavily, our breaths blowing out in tandem as we breathed each other in.
“We have to stop,” I told him.
“Why?” Zach asked.
I pulled my head back, so I could see him. “Because if we don’t, I’m going to pick you up over my shoulder and carry you back to my bedroom and I won’t let you out of there until we have to work on Tuesday,” I warned him. Air whooshed out of Zach’s lungs. His eyes were dark and heavy-lidded, and his lips were swollen and wet. He looked totally debauched and it was sexy as fuck.
“I don’t see a problem with that,” Zach challenged, arching one eyebrow at me. I buried my face in his neck and groaned loudly. I could feel him chuckling against me and I savored the moment, breathing in his scent.
“I thought you were nice, but it turns out, you’re not nice at all,” I grumbled.
His hands cradled the sides of my head and I felt him lay a kiss on my temple. That was enough to have me melting against him and I kissed him sweetly. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him I loved him, but I was afraid he would think it was too soon and I’d scare him away, so I kept quiet for now.
I held him for a few more seconds and then backed away reluctantly. “Come on. Why don’t we get out of here and you can show me how Bradbury Lake celebrates Memorial Day?”
Zach smiled at me as I held the door open for him and followed him outside. The weather was perfect for the outdoor festivities. It was warm, but a gentle breeze kept us from getting too hot and the fluffy white clouds overhead gave us relief from the sun’s rays.
We walked beside each other around the lake, our arms brushing against each other. I wished I could hold his hand, but I didn’t want to risk causing problems, so I shoved my hands into my pockets instead. Several of the fishermen called out to us as we passed by and we waved to them and wished them luck with their catch.
We made our way over to the bait shop and stepped inside. There were five older men in there and, from the sounds of their teasing, it was clear that they’d been friends for a long time. Zach and I sidled past them and made our way behind the counter to see Edith. She gave us each a hug and then pointed in the direction of the men.
“These guys are a hoot. You should hear them trash-talking each other about who’s going to catch Moby Dick. They all think they’re going to win the five thousand dollars this year,” she said with a grin.
“I don’t know, I think Jeremy here could give them a run for their money. He caught a big one last night.” Zach looked very proud as he brought up the picture on his phone of me holding my fish and showed it to Edith.
“That’s very impressive. I guess you are alright with gross, squirmy things,” she teased.
“Yes, ma’am, I am,” I joked back. She gave me a playful swat on the arm. “How’s your niece?” I asked.
“Oh, she’ll be fine if she can keep her mother from driving her crazy. I swear, my sister got all the worrier genes in our family,” Edith said with a shake of her head. “Anyway, what are you two up to today?”
“We just thought we’d see if you needed any help before we join in the fun,” Zach answered.
“Aww! You boys are sweet, but I’ve got plenty of help this weekend and you boys deserve some time off. Now get out of here and I better not catch you doing any work. Anyone asks you for anything, you just tell them to ask one of the other guys around here.” Edith gave us each a look that said we better not argue with her.
“Okay, okay. We’re going,” Zach laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.
We left Edith to her work and walked out, shaking our heads at the men who were still debating which fishing lure would be best for catching the elusive Moby Dick. We chuckled as we got outside, and my stomach rumbled when I caught a whiff of something delicious cooking on the grill.
We headed over to where a big buffet of food was spread out. There were all kinds of meats, from burgers and hot dogs to pork chops and ribs. Platters were overflowing with potato salad, pasta salad, macaroni and cheese, and corn on the cob. Homemade cookies, brownies and pies covered a separate table along with a giant watermelon that had been cut in the shape of a basket and filled with a fruit salad.
My mouth watered, and we quickly grabbed some paper plates and began filling them. After we’d gotten all the food we wanted, we carefully made our way over to an empty picnic table and sat down. We talked and ate until we were full and then we grabbed the poles and tackle box that Zach had brought along and headed down to the dock.
We kicked off our shoes and let our feet dangle in the water while we baited the hooks and cast our lines out. After a few minutes, Zach set his pole down beside him and leaned back on his hands. I did the same, looking out over the water and keeping an eye on the little red and white bobber floating along the surface.
Zach tilted his head back and closed his eyes, humming quietly to himself. I looked over at him and saw a peaceful smile on his face. The sun shone off the lighter blond strands of his hair, giving him an ethereal glow. He very well could be an angel, I thought. He was certainly one of the kindest, gentlest, most caring people I knew.
“What song is that?” I asked quietly.
Zach looked over at me in surprise. “Sorry, I didn’t even realize I was humming. It’s an older song, one from a few years back. My brother used to love it. We worked together at the same pizza place after school and he’d turn that song on every night when it was time to clean up. He’d belt out the lyrics at the top of his lungs and dance around while he was sweeping the floors.” A small smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he lost himself in the memory.
“Is he older or younger than you?” I asked him, smiling at the happy look on his face. His smile slid away though and a deep sadness crept into his eyes, making me wish I’d never asked that question.
“He was younger,” Zach answered quietly. I hated to see him looking so unhappy, so I reached over and took his hand, wanting to offer him comfort. I hadn’t missed the fact that he’d used past tense that time and my heart hurt for him. Had he lost both his mother and his brother?
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked.
Zach tightened his grip on my fingers but shook his head. “Maybe another time, but not today. Today is supposed to be about having fun,” he insisted.
“Okay,” I said gently. We turned our attention back to our bobbers, but they’d barely moved. After a few minutes of silence, I spoke. “I wish I could lay you down on this dock, strip you bare and eat cherry pie off of your body. That would be fun,” I said in a casual voice, as if I were talking about the weather.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zach’s head swivel around to face me. His jaw hung open and I had to stifle a laugh. My shoulders shaking gave me away though and Zach shoved my shoulder. “You’re an ass,” he laughed.
“I never said I wasn’t,” I said with a laugh. Zach shook his head, but I was glad I was able to distract him and bring back his good mood from earlier.
We fished for a while then played a few games of cornhole and hillbilly golf in which Zach and I teamed up and beat each of our opponents. Zach laughed at my competitiveness and I tried not to get too worked up when he swiveled his hips in a victory dance that shouldn’t have been seductive, but totally was with the way he moved.
We took a long walk around the lake and then headed back when we started to get hungry. It had been a wonderful day and I couldn’t remember when I’d smiled or laughed so much. I kept waiting for some flaw to appear that would make Zach seem less desirable, but there was nothing. Everything he did, I found adorable or sweet or sexy.
We ate dinner and, when it started to get dark, we spread out a blanket in the grass near the edge of the lake and lay on our backs to watch the fireworks. They shot off over our heads, filling the night sky with bright splashes of reds and blues, purples and greens.
I scooted closer to Zach and took his hand. His fingers were calloused from hard work and they scraped against my skin in a deliciously teasing manner. The sensation sent a tingle all the way up my arm and out the top of my head. I turned to look at him, but he was already staring at me. A flash from another firework revealed the heat behind his gaze.
Our mouths crushed together in a series of wet, hungry kisses and our hearts beat against each other in a rhythm more powerful than the blasts echoing above us. I was totally lost in the taste and the feel of him, so it took me a moment to realize that Zach was pushing at me frantically. I pulled away from him, my eyebrows scrunching up in question and my breathing labored.
He wasn’t looking at me though, but something just over my shoulder. That’s when I heard it. The loathing and disgust from another person who felt it was their right to scream vile obscenities at us. I was on my feet in a flash and I turned to face the man who had just spit on the ground at my feet.
“You think you can come here and just flaunt your filthy homo ways around all these families? There are women and children here who don’t need to be exposed to the perversions of a couple of faggots like you,” the man snarled.
I could feel Zach as he stood up beside me and I instinctively angled my body in front of his to protect him. “We were just minding our own business and we’d appreciate it if you’d do the same. I think it’s time you move along,” I told him. My voice was calm, yet forceful.
“Don’t you dare tell me what to do,” the man roared. His face was mottled with rage and he swayed slightly on his feet.
I held my hands up in a placating gesture. “Sir, we’re not looking for any trouble. I can tell you’ve had a bit too much to drink, so maybe you should just head back to your camper and sleep it off,” I suggested. A small crowd was beginning to gather, and I really didn’t want any trouble, but I was ready to take matters into my own hands if necessary.
“Come on, let’s just go,” Zach urged from behind me.
I turned to look at him over my shoulder and I could see the fear in his eyes. That’s when the man decided to jump me. He’d taken me by surprise which gave him the upper hand, but only momentarily. I’d let him get a couple of hits in, just to make things fair, and then I was going to set him straight.