Better Than Friends (26 page)

“I’m sorry. You have this… childlike quality when things aren’t going your way that’s…. It’s funny. That’s all. Look, it’s not ideal, but here’s the plan. I have trail mix, waters, and some chocolate in this backpack. We’ll certainly be ready for something more substantial when we get back to the cabin but we’ll be just fine. The falls are another half hour up this path. Can you make it or do you need to turn back?”

His solicitous offer was delivered in a way that made it hard to say no. I apologized for my temper tantrum and assured him I was fine to continue.

“Good. So no more bellyaching, right?” I nodded and jumped down from the rock.

“I’ll keep quiet.” I held out my hand when he pulled out the trail mix.

“You don’t need to be quiet, but any more whining and you’ll be over my knee, honey.” Jack winked evilly and smacked my ass hard before turning back up the path.

I knew he was playing with me, but fuck, my dick stirred to life in my jeans at the very idea of Jack’s threat. I gulped once and followed him, wondering if I was demented. How did he get me so hot by saying such crude things?

A
S
PROMISED
,
the waterfall was stunning. The rushing water could be heard before it was visible, but when we finally reached the end of the trail, I had to admit it was certainly worth the trek. A long ledge of stone sat high above a relatively small pool of water, which gave way to a jutting rocky creek for the water to run through. Majestic trees surrounded the area, providing a sublime backdrop to the generous cascade of the high falls.

We sat on a huge flat stone to rest and eat our humble snack while enjoying the unbelievable serene beauty of the forest. Jack handed me another water bottle, making a point to keep all the used containers in a separate section in the backpack.

“Have some more trail mix too.” He set the snack bag on the rock between us and nudged it toward me.

“Didn’t you mention chocolate earlier?”

“That was if you behaved.”

“You’re hysterical. Hand it over, big guy. I need a reward for the last two and half hours of my time and an incentive to repeat the action. I’d prefer alcohol, but chocolate works in a pinch.” I held my hand out expectantly.

Jack grinned from ear to ear. “I guess you earned it, but we’ll break it up so there’s something to look forward to over the next couple hours. Deal?”

“I don’t really think I can argue since you’re the one holding the goods. So… yes, sir. Whatever you say.”

Jack laughed, the cheerful sound echoing around us playfully. I smiled, thinking there really was no place I’d rather be just then despite aching feet and an empty belly.

“I’m not much of an outdoor type, but….” I stopped to allow Jack to finish his next round of amusement at my expense. “But this is really nice and—”

“Nice? You can do better than that.”

It was my turn to giggle as Jack scowled and leaned back on the rock, staring out at the massive falls fifty-plus feet away from our perch on the slick rock surface. He looked so stoic and noble. And a little serious. I amended my adjective quickly, thinking I might have offended him.

“Amazing.”

“What?”

“It’s not nice, it’s amazing. It’s incredible and spectacular. Better?”

“Much. And since we’re giving compliments, I’ll say this: you’re not nearly the pain in the ass I thought you’d be when you found out we left our lunch behind. You’re actually a very good sport.” Jack leaned in and kissed the side of my head.

“First of all, fuck you. And second of all, you threatened me!”

Jack’s mischievous smile made me a little wary, but I laughed when he slung a companionable arm around my shoulder and planted a sloppy wet kiss on my cheek.

“Yuck!”

“Shh. You’ll disturb the wildlife. Here. We’ll begin our chocolate rationing now.” Jack pulled a bar from the backpack and broke off two small pieces. “Open up. Stick out your tongue.”

I did as Jack said and unconsciously closed my eyes too. I felt the softest touch of his tongue as he licked my upper lip and the side of my tongue before he placed the small piece of chocolate in my mouth.

“Open your eyes.”

When I opened my eyes, Jack’s handsome face was just inches away from me. I reached out and traced his strong jawline with my thumb while I savored the milky chocolate in my mouth.

“You are so damn sexy.”

I started to argue, but something in the way Jack was looking at me made it impossible to do anything but agree. Not only was it plain he wouldn’t appreciate the challenge, but he was also obviously sincere. When he wrapped his arm around me, I leaned into his side, telling myself to stop fighting this and take him at his word.

We sat quietly for a while, listening to the sounds of Mother Nature: the wind whistling in the trees, the powerful rush of the nearby waterfall, and the closer trickle of the water running over and through the rocks below our perch.

“Did you grow up hiking and doing the outdoorsy thing?”

Jack chuckled and held me a little closer at his side. “No, not at all. I’m a city guy like you, but once I started riding bikes, I found myself being a little more adventurous. I was with Peter the first time I came out here. We found that cabin when we were hiking off-trail. Back then the trails weren’t so easily defined. But well, that was fourteen years ago. A lot has changed.”

I knew we were talking about the forest on one hand, but I couldn’t resist the opening Jack was giving me.

“Can I ask about Peter? I get that it’s old news and it’s none of my business, but….”

Jack squeezed me even tighter, the sound of his deep chuckle reverberated between us.

“Sure. Ask away.”

I turned in his arms to try to gauge his mood. Was he really okay talking about the past or was I about to ruin a perfect nice day by dredging up ghosts? Jack’s expression was almost carefully neutral. I decided to go for it, and retreat if necessary.

“Is it strange being friends with your ex?”

“That’s what you want to know?”

“Yeah, I know Kelly is your sister and you’re close with her, but she’s Peter’s best friend too. It seems unusual to be close enough to attend his wedding, but obviously you are. I guess I’m just curious.”

“Hmm. Well, maybe it is unusual, but like you said, it’s old news. Time helps. And… fuck, we’ve got a two-hour hike back to the cabin anyway. C’mon, handsome, let’s start walking. We can tell secrets all the way back.”

Jack stood gracefully and pulled me to my feet. I wasn’t anxious to begin the long trek to the cabin, but I was interested in the story he promised to tell. My aching feet protested, but I trudged on behind Jack until we reached a portion of the trail where we could walk side by side.

“Peter and I are friends because at the end of the day, that’s all we were. The rest was sex between two consenting adults. The part that was initially difficult was that I realized it later than he did.” Jack let out a chagrined half-laugh before continuing. “I met him when he was thirteen. I thought he had a crush on Kelly and I did my brotherly duty to scare him away from her. They ended up becoming friends just as my world was unraveling. Hal left, my mom was an alcoholic… you remember the story. Anyway, I didn’t see him much until he was twenty-two when he and Kelly moved to DC for graduate school. He went to Georgetown and she went to George Washington. They didn’t know anyone else, so they lived together. I was living in Baltimore then, so I was able to check in on her and visit more often.

“Now, I knew Peter was gay because he came on to me pretty hard once when he was eighteen, but he didn’t share his deep dark secret with his family until he’d moved out of state. It didn’t go well. His mom thought he and Kel were a couple. She was even willing to overlook them living “in sin” together in DC because she figured it was just a matter of time before they married. Long story short, Momma was devastated, Peter was a mess, and Kelly asked me, as a nice ‘older brother,’ to offer her best friend any advice I could about how to live life as a mostly well-adjusted out gay man in the city. I did as she asked. End of story.”

I looked over at him to see if he was pulling my leg. He looked deep in thought but not haunted. I gave him the “keep talking” hand motion he often gave me, which had the desired effect of making him smile as well as talk.

“It’s funny how things evolve, and sometimes even more peculiar is how you assume they will evolve… and they don’t.” Jack shrugged. “I wasn’t looking for a relationship when we first got together. We never committed to each other that way. So basically we were friends who had sex, and we never became more.’

Jack threw me a sidelong glance before continuing. “Peter was always super focused on building his career. Once he landed his first real job, his goal was to be the best, most sought-after young lobbyist in the capital. He traveled constantly. I know he still does a fair bit of traveling, but it’s nothing like when he was trying to establish himself. At first I didn’t mind. I divided my time between my job as a bartender and some work I did repairing motorcycles for one of the Harley shops outside the city.

“But the dynamic changed. He was gone, I was here, and yeah, the sex was still hot, but we didn’t have much to talk about afterward. The other complication was money… too much money. Peter was making more money than he could spend. He started buying things that… I don’t think it was done consciously but I think it was to make up for being gone so often.” Jack shrugged. “First a motorcycle, clothes, vacations. Eventually he bought me a bar. Level. Kelly and Kevin bought in too, but no one put as much in as Peter, and he gifted me more than half ownership. It took me some time to understand it, but what he was doing was supplying material substitute because he couldn’t give me what he was beginning to see I wanted. It would have gone on like that for… who knows how long. I finally had to say out loud the shit he wanted left unsaid. Things had changed but I wanted a real relationship. He didn’t. The end.”

I wasn’t sure what to say. Sorry seemed inappropriate. But on some level I was sorry for the hurt.

“I knew in my head we were too alike in the wrong ways to be compatible in the long run but I’ll admit it took me some time to come to terms with once again being left behind.”

Whoa. I gave him a sharp look and ended up tripping over an exposed tree root. Jack’s hand shot out to steady me before I took a nosedive into the dirt.

“Sorry. Shoot. These stupid hiking boots are—”

“Right.”

“What did you mean ‘left behind’?”

“Nothing. I… I don’t know. Work is easier. I can fix my bikes in peace and quiet or go hang out at the bar when I feel the need to be around people. Both businesses give me balance in a way. Plus they keep me busy. Helps keep me out of trouble and get my mind off things I can’t change.”

I nodded. I understood that sentiment entirely too well. It was why I didn’t mind working eighty-hour weeks.

“Do we get to stop again soon? I’m hungry and tired.”

Jack gave me a “you’ve got to be kidding” stare but agreed to a short rest.

“Here. Drink some more water.”

“I’m not thirsty. Just tired. Is there any public transportation coming by? A tour bus or something?” I sat heavily on a tree trunk, stepping in a huge muddy pile of mulch in my haste to be seated. I pulled my mucky boot out and briefly closed my eyes in defeat. “Great.”

Jack raised his eyebrows and turned away to hide the amusement on his face.

“What is so funny?”

“You. Hiking boots are supposed to get dirty. Shows character. You’re a little fussy about your footwear, eh?”

“Fuck off and gimme some chocolate. I’m dyin’ here.”

“You’re melodramatic here. And I’m not giving you any more chocolate unless you drink some water. You’ll get dehydrated if you’re not careful.”

“I had no idea you were so bossy.” I took the bottle he handed me, allowing my irritation to show.

“I don’t wanna drag your sorry ass for the next hour and a half, that’s all. Drink up and quit whining, honey.”

“Hour and a ha—can’t we call a cab?”

“C’mon. Let’s play a game to get your mind off your feet and your stomach. How about a round of
Jeopardy
?” He handed me a piece of yummy goodness, and I whimpered with joy.

“O-kay.” I struggled to my feet. “I get to pick the category, though.”

“Naturally.” Jack chuckled as he took my hand and pulled me back toward the main trail.

W
E
PASSED
the next hour making up
Jeopardy
questions based on the categories we started at the restaurant on our first “real” date. I chose movies as our beginning topic and peppered Jack with as many trivia questions as I could think up.

What were the names of the seven dwarfs in
Snow White
?

Who starred in the first Tarzan movie?

Who wrote the book
Alice in Wonderland
was based on?

I quickly caught on that Jack was a Disney wizard. He’d watched the movies or read the books countless times to his niece and nephew. Of course, talking about Petra and Blake evolved into discussions about family and children. I wanted to steer away from family in a general sense, but I asked Jack if he thought about having kids of his own.

“No. Not really. I love kids, but I’m forty-two and—”

“Plenty of people start families well into their late thirties and forties now,” I observed.

“Sure. But… I don’t know. If I was with someone who really wanted kids, I could probably be persuaded, but I wouldn’t want to parent alone. My ex talked about having a family, but….” He shrugged as though he really had nothing more to say about the subject. He took a deep breath and gave me a distracted half-smile.

“Peter?” That was news to me. I knew Jay wanted a family, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the newlyweds became daddies one day, but I’d figured the interest was more on Jay’s side than Peter’s.

“No.” Jack barked out a short laugh. “That’s a good one. I was talking about Shane.”