Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 96165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“Except for the part where he was still a dick about your sexuality. If I caught him in a couple of stupid wisecracks, I can imagine there were a lot more when you were alone.”
“Some.” Linc’s expression became tight and pinched. “We didn’t really talk about it much, but it was always there some, a tension that hadn’t been there before. But for whatever reason, he kept it between us. Didn’t let it keep him from asking me to stand up at his wedding. I don’t pretend to understand how his brain worked, but you painting him as all...toxic isn’t the Wyatt I knew.”
“I get that.” And he did. He wasn’t ever going to know the Wyatt that Linc had cared so deeply about, wasn’t ever going to be able to make sense of all of Wyatt’s contradictions. The bully and the mean drunk. The best friend and the lifesaver. He’d known one a little too well and the other not at all. And that made his jaw clench, made his shoulders tense with a loss he’d never really considered that much, the loss of a guy he’d never get to know, the loss of a future where Wyatt might have redeemed himself, been the brother Jacob had needed and the friend Linc had deserved.
Nodding, Linc resumed the work, sliding into more of the thoughtful silence that Jacob liked almost as much as their deeper conversations. He liked that they could tackle heavy shit as well as just hang out, no obligation to make small talk. Working together, building something real and tangible together, was immensely satisfying, as was the way Linc respected his interpretation of the directions and asked his opinion about equipment placement. Similar to at work, feeling like Linc finally saw him as an adult equal made his shoulders lift and step lighten, a deep contentment settling over him.
“How much more do you think we’ve got to do here?” he asked after a while.
“You sound like Junior.” Linc teased, easiness between them fully restored, at least for now. “Honestly, we might have to finish up tomorrow morning if we run out of daylight tonight.”
“That’s okay. And I can do it if you’ve got other things to do.”
“Nah. I’ll be here.” Linc shrugged.
“Don’t worry, the next time I want to spend the weekend with you, I’ll figure out something with fewer screws.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. Screws aren’t all bad.” Linc raised an eyebrow and all of a sudden Jacob was right back in his bed the night before, panting and begging, the good kind of sweaty and desperate.
“I think I left my hoodie at your place last night. Could I stop by after we finish up here?” They were alone, and there was no reason why he couldn’t just come out and ask to hook up that night, but using the excuse gave them both an out, didn’t require him to look quite so needy.
“Suppose you could.” Linc’s eyes flashed hot and dark, full of promise for another late night. Good. Maybe he’d never be Wyatt, but he could at least be something to Linc, something he wanted and craved, even temporarily. And maybe that would be enough. It would have to be.
He was about to continue their little flirt when the sound of footsteps gave him pause.
“Food break!” Jacob’s mom called from the patio, and they dutifully set their tools aside and headed in. She and May had set out more water, brownies and fixings for sandwiches.
As they finished eating, the baby started fussing in her playpen, and Linc scooped her up before May could. Taking her back to the table, Linc bounced and patted the baby while Junior peppered him with more questions about the construction process. Jacob went ahead and cleared the table for his mom, taking the dirty dishes to the sink, where she was already washing up.
“Now, that’s nice to see,” Mom said in a low voice, eyes darting back to the dining area. “He’s so good with them.”
Hell. Not her too. Jacob stifled a groan. “Don’t go getting ideas.”
“Who me?” Her expression was too carefully innocent to be believed. “I’m just pointing out the obvious.”
God, what a mess. He desperately wanted to tell his mom that any matchmaking was likely to be futile, but it wasn’t his place to out Linc or even insinuate. And it wasn’t like he had a hold on Linc himself. That much was painfully clear.
“Way too soon,” he said instead, trying to force his jaw to loosen up.
“Yeah.” His mother’s shoulders deflated. “You’re right.”
He was. But maybe Linc had a point too—maybe there would be disappointment and hurt feelings if Linc ever did come out. Jacob didn’t think anyone else would make stupid accusations like the nastiness Wyatt had spewed, but what did he know? He hated to admit it, but Linc was right that him coming out would change how people saw him. He couldn’t completely discount those worries. And behind all that was his own worry—no, not worry. Certainty. Certainty that whatever he had with Linc wasn’t ever going to be enough to tempt Linc into anything other than knocking boots on the down low.