Chapter Twenty-Two

LEO WAS running an hour late by the time he got back to the staff room to pack up his stuff and leave the hospital. Considering the day he’d had, that wasn’t too bad.

He had a headache, just pressure behind his eyes, and driving in the slushy rain across town on a dark winter evening wasn’t exactly enticing.

Jackson had called a few days ago and asked him for a date, which was just too cute. How was Leo supposed to say no to that? So he didn’t, and agreed to meet Jackson in a neighborhood with a less-than-stellar reputation because Jackson had something to show him.

Mitch had said that was the most ominous thing he’d ever heard of and had implemented a panic distress call system just in case the worst happened. It was nice, knowing his best friend had his back, but Mitch hadn’t quite forgiven Jackson for his “I’m straight” comments and had decided to be a bitch about everything Jackson-related. Leo was sure the novelty would wear off soon enough.

There was a parking lot to one side of the converted factory building, and Leo parked in one of the free spaces and gripped his phone in his pocket as he walked around to meet Jackson.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said. Jackson was leaning against the wall, one foot kicked back, typing away at something on his phone.

“Don’t worry.” He leaned down and kissed Leo’s cheek, just quickly, then grabbed his hand. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“I want to show you something.”

“You do know you sound like a serial killer right now?”

Jackson laughed brightly and tugged Leo’s hand. “Come on.”

He unlocked a side door to the building and threw the light switch just inside the door. With a low, metallic thwang the huge space brightened under industrial lights.

“It’s a scary old industrial unit.”

“Well, yeah, right now it is. It won’t be when I’m done with it. This,” Jackson said grandly, stepping into the space and spreading his arms, “is the new Lone Wolf Brewery.”

“You’re relocating the business?”

“Yep,” Jackson said, looking exceedingly proud of himself. “At the moment I’m out in the middle of nowhere and—don’t tell her I said this—Valerie’s right. I’m practically a hermit. All I’ve done in the past five years is work my ass off to get the company stable.”

Leo followed him around as Jackson explained his plans, how he would divide the space, rebuild some of what he had before, but better this time, because now he knew exactly what he needed to make it a success. Leo could see it in his mind’s eye, the way Jackson described the brewery and bar and restaurant.

“But this place is in the middle of nowhere. And it has a shitty reputation. Jackson, if you’re going to go through everything to bring the business into the city, then surely you want to give it the best chance possible?”

“No, see, things are changing around here. There’s lots of investment happening in this area, and we’re going to ride that wave. Gentrification is about to become my new favorite word.”

Leo laughed. “Okay. Well, I’m glad you found something that works for you. It’s certainly a change in direction.”

Jackson nodded. “Yeah. It’s going to mean changing up my business model. I can’t supply other bars while running my own; that would be madness. I’m hoping I can still do the wine thing. I’ll be able to tell on that once I get an architect in here.”

“Do you have one? An architect, I mean.”

“Not yet. I should by the end of the week, though. Dad’s going to get in contact with someone he knows.”

“Wow.”

“There’s more.”

“More?” Leo laughed.

“Yeah.”

They went back outside, round the building to the front entrance, where Leo was already imagining folding glass doors and a patio that brought the outside in, and how, once developed, the bar could become a cornerstone of this new community.

Inside the front door was a tiny but opulent hallway leading to a very old-fashioned elevator. They went inside, Leo choosing not to ask questions just yet, watching when Jackson hit the button for floor four. Out of five.

“Is this an apartment?” he asked, unable to keep his curiosity contained as they exited the elevator and approached a shiny door.

“Condo.”

“Jackson.”

He turned back, beaming. “I bought it.”

“You did what?”

“I bought it,” Jackson repeated, holding the door open to let Leo inside. “A few days ago. At the same time I bought the unit downstairs.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I found the condo first, actually, then found out about downstairs. Isn’t it perfect? This place is about thirty minutes away from my parents’ house. Far enough that they won’t try and make me go over every night, but close enough that I can actually see them from time to time. Closer to my friends too.”

Twenty minutes from the hospital, Leo thought.

The condo was beautiful, seriously beautiful, and Leo understood the appeal. It was all a bit much, though.

“Jackson….”

“Hmm?”

“Why?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know what you’re expecting of me here. I don’t know what this is supposed to mean.”

“I’m not expecting you to move in,” Jackson said in a rush. He’d been running his hand over the smooth wooden work surfaces in the kitchen, an almost-reverent dreamy smile on his face. That smile slipped really quickly. “I mean, not unless something’s happened? Do you need somewhere to stay?”

“No, no, everything’s fine. I like living with Mitch.”

“That’s good. This is just somewhere closer,” Jackson said. He stepped up to Leo. “If you want to stay here some nights, that would be good. It just means I’m, you know, within the city. Rather than miles away.”

“Are you going to be okay with that?” Leo asked. He reached up to brush his fingers through Jackson’s hair, gently putting it back in place.

“What do you mean?”

“I know you like where you live now. How you can just shift and run whenever you want.”

Jackson nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I can get out to neutral territory in about thirty minutes if I need to. And the old brewery is only an hour away.”

“It wouldn’t be the same as having all that countryside right on your doorstep.”

Jackson fell quiet for a moment, clearly thinking. “I guess there will be an adjustment period. I did grow up here, though. It’s not like I’ve lived in Nine Mile Falls all my life.”

“Okay.”

“I get what you’re saying,” he said in a rush. “I do. I just… I guess it feels like a good move. Like this is a good time for me to shake things up in my life.”

“I like that idea,” Leo said, daring to smile a little.

“Good.” Jackson looked relieved.

“Is this the date?”

Jackson laughed. “Not yet. I was going to take you to dinner, actually.”

“Dinner sounds good. I’m starving.”

Jackson locked up the condo and led Leo back down to where they’d both parked, Jackson’s shiny red truck next to Leo’s silver Prius.

“Jackson?” Leo called, stopping Jackson before he got into his car.

“Yeah?”

“Tell me you’re not keeping the chandelier.”

Jackson grinned. “I quite like it, actually.”

“We may need to discuss that further.”

He stepped in closer and let Jackson pull him into a hug.

“I think I feel it,” he murmured. “The bond.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Now Jackson was holding him, it had come rushing in. The sense of peace, of completion that he got when he was close to Jackson was difficult to name. He had a full sort of feeling in his chest and a tingling in his skin that could be ignored as one of a hundred other things.

“Good,” Jackson murmured, and Leo was smiling as he walked down to his own car.

Not a serial killer, he texted to Mitch before following Jackson to the restaurant.