Something Like Winter (59 page)

“
I don’t want to forget
what we’ve been through,” Ben said. “Not any of it. Even the
painful memories belong to us.” He shrugged. “That’s who we are.
Coming here was just to help us get on our feet.”

“
Really? I thought we were
running away together.” Tim meant it as a joke, but it didn’t sound
that way.

“
Nah. There’s nothing we
need to run from. Not anymore, although the idea has a certain
romantic appeal to it.” Ben nudged him. “Besides, what about
Chinchilla?”

“
She can come with
us.”

“
And Samson?

“
Absolutely!”

“
Allison too?”

“
Sure, why not?” Tim
grinned. “
And
her
husband. Hell, we’ll bring all of Austin with us.”

Ben crinkled his nose.
“That would sort of defeat the point.”

“
Maybe. I’m just having a
hard time picturing what life will be like when we go back to
Austin. I’m tired of living alone.”

“
Oh.” Ben eyed the valley
in silence for a moment. “Yeah. That is kind of weird. Jace and I
scrounged every penny we could to buy that house. So many things
happened there. Good or bad, every memory is special to
me.”

“
I understand,” Tim said
gently. “In a way, I feel the same about where I live. It’s never
easy for me to talk about, but I was with Eric in his last
moments.”

“
You were?”

He nodded. “We were at home
together, instead of some horrible hospital—” Tim shook his head.
“People talk about a haunted house like it’s a bad thing, but it’s
not always. Not when it’s someone you love.”

Ben looked relieved. “I
know exactly what you mean.”

“
I’m glad. So, the idea of
me living with you seems somehow disrespectful to Jace’s memory,
but I also can’t expect you to sell your house and move in with
me.”

“
No,” Ben sighed. “I don’t
like either of those options.”

Tim swallowed. “If none of
that were an issue, would you want to live with me?”

Ben pretended to mull it
over. “Yeah, but not if I’m constantly serving you frozen pizzas
and Cokes while you lounge around on the couch.”

“
Hey, it worked in high
school!”

“
Maybe on special
occasions, then.” Ben’s eyes searched his. “We could just stay
where we are. You’ll come visit me sometimes, or I’ll go to your
place. It’ll keep things fresh.”

“
I don’t want fresh,” Tim
said. “I want to get old and smelly with you. Eventually
you’ll
want
me to
keel over first, just because you’re so sick of being around
me.”

Ben laughed. “Trust me,
that will never happen.”

“
How about somewhere new?”
Tim said. “Still in Austin, but a place that belongs just to us. We
can take it slow, put our houses on the market, and see what
happens. If they sell, we’ll both be making a sacrifice, leaving
something behind.”

Ben chewed his lip. “That
house
isn’t
Jace.
I can take the memories with me. Just like you can with Eric,
right?”

“
Right.” Tim scooted
nearer, wrapping an arm around Ben. “So you’ll start a new life
with me?”

Ben stole a kiss. “I
already have.”

Epilogue

Twelve seasons. Starting in
summer—as they always seemed to—but now they were leaving another
one behind and entering autumn. Three years of living together in
this little house, surrounded by trees and land and hope. Ben had
found the real estate listing. The photos didn’t look like much
since the house was hidden away deep on the lot. As it turned out,
that’s what made them fall in love with the place.

Ben and Tim still lived in
Austin, but on the outskirts. They had land, enough that they
rarely heard another car or saw any sign of civilization, apart
from the occasional airplane overhead. When they were at home, the
world existed only for them, just like it had once in a den at his
parents’ house or in Ben’s teenage bedroom. Their little bubble
world had come together again after all this time. Austin was still
there when they needed it—the gallery, the theater, Allison, and
Marcello. But when they were done, they returned home to
solitude.

Of course they weren’t
completely alone. At the very beginning they had been four. When
Chinchilla had first met Samson, the dumb dog had chased right
after the cat. Samson stood his ground, waiting patiently until
Chinchilla was close enough. Then he swiped—claws extended—hitting
Chinchilla directly on the nose. Tim was painfully reminded of the
time Jace had decked him. Regardless, that had ended the dispute of
who was in charge. Samson reigned supreme for the next two years,
eventually becoming fast friends with the dog.

When Samson died, he did so
quietly. Curled up at Ben’s feet one night, he simply slipped away.
Ben had cried for days, Tim joining him a few times. In a way,
Samson was the last piece of Jace lingering behind long enough to
make sure Ben was okay. And now he was. Ben would never be alone
again, never have to search for someone to love him because Tim did
so with all of his being. But losing part of their family still
hurt.

“
He was always Jace’s cat,”
Ben had said afterwards. “Now he will be again.”

They buried Samson in one
corner of the yard, planting flowers over his grave. A year later
the flowers were still there, pink, white, and yellow. Tim was
watering them now, Chinchilla standing solemnly at his side. When
he was finished, she raced off across the yard, looking for a new
game.

Tim returned to the back of
the house to put away the watering can. He passed Ben, who was
stretched out in a lawn chair with his eyes closed as he soaked up
the sun, a forgotten book on his lap. Tim’s heart pounded. Why was
he so scared? After all this time, after years of being together,
this should be the easiest thing in the world. He second-guessed
himself as he slowly wound up the garden hose and then walked back
to where Ben rested. A cloud blew over the sun, shadow chasing
across his body.

“
You awake?” Tim said so
quietly that he thought Ben might not hear.

Ben turned his head,
smiling at him with brown eyes like melted chocolate. They made Tim
weak, even still. “Yeah. Nearly dozed off.”

“
Okay.” Tim stood there
awkwardly. Maybe this wasn’t the right place. The right time. But
of course it was. Where else could this happen but in their own
little world. “Uh, could you sit up for a second?”

Ben looked puzzled, but he
sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the deck chair. “Are you
okay?”

Tim chuckled madly. “Ask me
that again in a second.” Then he reached into his pocket, took out
the ring, and fell to one knee. The words he had planned were lost
in his throat. He simply held up the ring and gave Ben a look of
such hope that it was enough.

And then Ben cried, and Tim
was sure he had made a terrible mistake, but as the sun came back
out again, so did Ben’s smile. Looking just as embarrassed as Tim
felt, Ben nodded and held out his hand.

“
Oh!”

Jace’s ring was still on
Ben’s finger, but this didn’t bother Tim. These days he felt a bond
with the man who had been smart enough to love Ben from the very
beginning. After all, Jace had been there for Ben at a time when
Tim couldn’t, and for that he was eternally grateful. Tim never
expected Ben to take off that ring, so instead he reached for Ben’s
other hand.

“
There’s a reason God gave
you two ring fingers,” he said, sliding on the platinum
band.

Ben stared at it in wonder
for a moment before throwing his arms around Tim’s neck and kissing
him. Ben’s tears gracing his cheek, Tim hoisted him to his feet and
held him near. As the wind blew through the trees, the first leaves
breaking loose to fly free, they swayed together to a song only
they could hear, their love perfect now, as it would always be
until the end of their summer-filled days.

__________

Acknowledgements

I’m the luckiest boy in the
world! At least I feel that way when I consider all the wonderful
people that help me with my books. As usual there’s my elite guard
of Linda Anderson, Zate Lockard, Katherine Coolon, Kira Miles, and
my mom. Yeah, that’s right! I’m a mama’s boy! This time around I
had even more company than usual. M.J. Sanchez generously lent her
talented tongue to the Spanish sections of this novel. Without her,
Tim wouldn’t have been nearly as skillful at seducing Ben, so he
owes her too. I’m also forever indebted to Claire King for casting
her all-seeing eyes (she wears microscopes for glasses!) over this
book to make it as presentable as possible.

And last, but oh my
goodness not least, are the incredible incomparable unstoppable
fans of
Something Like
Summer
. Thank you for making the first book
such a success. I love you guys!

Also by Jay
Bell

Kamikaze Boys

If the world is against
you, don’t give up. Find yourself a kindred spirit. Then you can
start fighting back.

They say Connor, the one
with the crazy eyes and creepy scar, tried to kill his old man.
Lately he’s been seen hanging out with David, the gay guy who
always eats lunch alone. They make an odd pair, the loser and the
psychopath, and bad things happen to people who mess with them. Not
that Connor and David are looking for trouble. Even when taking on
the world, they seem more interested in each other than
fighting.

Kamikaze Boys is a story
about breaking the chains that bind you and using them to beat down
anyone that gets in your way. Better yet, it’s about holding hands
with the guy you love while doing so.

For more information,
please see:

www.jaybellbooks.com

Also by Jay
Bell:

Something Like
Summer

Love, like everything in
the universe, cannot be destroyed. But over time it can
change.

The hot Texas nights were
lonely for Ben before his heart began beating to the rhythm of two
words; Tim Wyman. By all appearances, Tim had the perfect body and
ideal life, but when a not-so-accidental collision brings them
together, Ben discovers that the truth is rarely so simple. If
winning Tim’s heart was an impossible quest, keeping it would prove
even harder as family, society, and emotion threaten to tear them
apart.

Something Like Summer is a
love story spanning a decade and beyond as two boys discover what
it means to be friends, lovers, and sometimes even enemies. This
full-length, gay romance novel is available in paperback, Kindle,
Nook, and other eBook formats.

For more information,
please see:

www.jaybellbooks.com

Also by Jay
Bell

The Cat in the
Cradle

To set out into the world,
to be surrounded by the unknown and become a stranger. Only then
would he be free to reinvent himself. Or fall in love.

Dylan wanted one last
adventure before the burden of adulthood was thrust upon him. And
to confront the man he hadn’t spoken to since their intimate night
together. Stealing a boat with his faithful companion Kio, their
journey is cut short when they witness a brutal murder. A killer is
loose in the Five Lands and attacking the most powerful families.
Dylan—a potential target—seeks sanctuary from an unpredictable
bodyguard named Tyjinn. Together they decide to turn the tables by
hunting the killer down. Along the way, everything Dylan thought he
knew about himself will be challenged, but if he survives, he
stands to win the love he never dreamed possible.

The Cat in the
Cradle is the first book in the Loka Legends series and
features twenty-five original illustrations created by Andreas
Bell, the author’s husband.

For more information,
please see:

www.jaybellbooks.com