Cole mumbled as the buttons flicked open and Tara hung his soaking wet coat on one of the pegs. “What?”
“Dalton.”
Tara helped him off with his boots. “Dalton? What about Dalton?”
“He’s out in this, no coat, just a t-shirt.”
She was shocked into silence. After a few moments she gasped out. “Why?”
Cole ran his hands over his face, wishing the stiff cold embedded in his fingers could dull the ache in his chest. “I was fillin’ out job applications and Dalton asked me what I was doin’.”
“And what did you tell him?”
“I said there was no use in staying in St. Paul now…”
Tara’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she could talk. “You idiot! What were you thinking? Don’t you realize how much he cares for you?”
“It was stupid. The relationship’s different with just me and Dalton.”
“We have to find him,” Tara said.
“I’ve looked everywhere.”
“They’re discouraging travel because of the storm. But they should have the roads plowed early in the morning.”
“What if something’s happened to him? It’s all my fault,” Cole added.
“He’s fine. You’ll see. You can straighten this mess out.”
“I hope you’re right. I’m tired of losin’ people who’re important to me.” Cole walked to the bedroom and closed the door before Tara could reply.
The deadbolt opened. Cole reached the door before the knob could begin to turn and yanked it open. Dalton’s eyes were the size of half dollars and the expression of shock on his face was priceless. Cole yanked him into a fierce hug. Unable to contain himself, a strangled sob escaped from Cole. After a few moments, there was a tap on his back.
“Ah, Cole. You can let me go, please. It’s a little hard to breathe.”
Cole released him and glanced to find Tara standing with a smile. “Where’d you go? I looked everywhere.”
Dalton shrugged. “I started to go to campus. But I’d forgot my coat and shit, so I went to Zach’s place. We talked for a while, but by then I couldn’t get back home because of the storm. Apparently the weather did something wonky with the cell phones, too—mine wasn’t working. But Zach drove me home this morning.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me, too.”
“You’re both dumbasses. Now talk to each other,” Tara said.
Dalton nodded and breathed deeply. “That’s kinda what Zach told me, too. Actually, I think he literally used the term dumbass. But we need to talk.”
Cole nodded, overwhelmed by a strange combination of relief and anxiety. They sat at the table and Cole looked over at Tara.
“Oh no, this is between you two,” Tara said, “I have homework to do. Next week is spring break and all my profs have decided we needed tested before we leave. Let me know when breakfast is ready.” Tara turned and left the room, closing her bedroom door firmly.
Cole watched the door for several long moments, then turned and met Dalton’s gaze. “I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’ve been out of balance since Tara…well, I guess since she broke up with us.”
“I know, and I know you and Tara were a couple before I came along. But I need for you to know something. And I’ve kind of been avoiding telling you because our relationship was too much at once and I was as giddy as a junior high kid.”
“Whatever you need to say, you can tell me.”
“Okay, but promise me one thing. Think about what I’m saying before you answer. Wait, let’s set the timer, and you can’t say anything for five minutes.”
Cole raised his brow slightly and grinned. “Okay, I think I can do that.”
“Here goes, then. I’m in love with you. I love everything about you. I love your sense of humor. How you are so protective of your friends, of me. The way you took care of me at Tara’s birthday party. I love waking up with your arms around me. You’re so sexy. I love the way the hair on your chest fans out across your muscles. I love your furry butt. But most of all I love when we’re together. I could see myself growing old with you.”
“What about the third person?”
“Wait! Five minutes.” Dalton tapped the timer on his phone. “Okay, your question. I’d love to have a third—what we had with Tara was incredible. But if the third person leaves, that doesn’t mean we are over, too. I think all the relationships have to be just as strong as ours.”
Cole leaned back, his emotions a whirlwind of confusion and elation.
How do I feel about Dalton? Sex with him is amazing, but sex isn’t enough. Can I honestly say I want to spend my life with him?
Somewhere along the three-minute mark, Cole reached his decision. They sat quietly, and Cole relaxed for the first time in weeks. When the timer sounded, he grabbed Dalton’s hands.
“Leave it. I don’t want to wait another second to answer you. I love you, too. I didn’t realize how much you mean to me until this minute. I love everything about you. You’re so damn smart it’s intimidating sometimes. I love your sense of humor. It’s as weird as mine. You’re so hot. If I could figure out how to stay in bed with you twenty-four seven, that would be my fantasy. I love your body. I love to snuggle with you, and even more I love it when I wake up with your morning wood knocking.” Cole grinned, as Dalton turned red.
“You’re right. If we have a third again, it can’t screw up our relationship. And if we never find a girl who wants to be with us, then we will have a good life together.”
Dalton started forward and Cole lunged and wrapped his arms around him. They held each other in a warm embrace. A few moments passed and Dalton pulled away. He smiled at Cole’s concern when he reached over and turned off the alarm on his phone. “That was driving me crazy.”
Cole broke into a chuckle and nodded. “Fair enough. I’m ready to eat now that we have that settled. I didn’t get my midnight snack last night because of you.”
Dalton waved his hands in the air. “Oh no, alert the authorities, Cole didn’t get his snack.”
“Or breakfast, don’t forget breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day.”
Cole started pulling food from the fridge and called to Dalton. “Go ask Tara if she wants an omelet. I’m in the mood for an omelet. Then get your butt back in here and chop veggies.”
“Yes, sir!” Dalton walked off with one of the largest smiles seen in their house in weeks. He returned in a minute, pulled out the knife and cutting board to begin chopping vegetables. Tara walked into the room as Cole finished the last omelet and slid it onto the plate. He motioned for Dalton and Tara to grab a seat and then sat their plates in front of them.
The trio ate in a relaxed silence and the food quickly disappeared. Cole was still worrying the last bit of food from his plate when Dalton smiled at them. “Hey, next week is spring break and I had an idea.”
“I have to work most of the week, sorry,” Cole said.
“Oh, so do I. I was just thinking we should take a couple of days to relax,” Dalton said.
“And do what?” Cole asked.
“Go to one of the water parks at the Wisconsin Dells. I’ve heard some of them are a blast. And they’re only about three hours away.”
“Okay, I’m sure I can get someone to cover for me.”
They both turned to Tara. “You wanna go, too? If you have other plans that’s cool,” Cole said.
Tara sat without responding for several seconds, looking at first one and then the other of her former lovers. Cole could see the conflicting emotions playing across her face. He was about to let her off the hook, when she nodded. “Sounds good. Jody’s parents are flying him to Cabo for the break, so he’ll be gone. I’d like a few days to chill out.”
Dalton squeaked, immediately embarrassed, but the smile on his face never wavered. “Fantastic. I’ll get it set up.”
The door to their suite popped open and they carried their luggage into the room. They’d brought far more clothes than they needed, but somehow when they were packing, the extra stuff made sense. Dalton looked around the suite and into the single bedroom. “Tara, you can have the bedroom and Cole and I will sleep on the hide-a-bed.”
“You sure? You might want the privacy.”
“No, we’re good out here,” Cole agreed.
Cole looked out the balcony door to see the dome of the water park. “Let’s change. I wanna go play!”
“Race ya!”
Discarded clothes flew around the room as they changed into their swimsuits. Dalton realized what they’d done as he pulled on his trunks. But since Tara didn’t say anything, he let it go. Within a few minutes, they were all dressed for a summer beachside outing. They were giddy with anticipation, the chance to let off a little steam appealed to them all.
They made their way through the maze of hallways sending them to the park’s entrance. Once inside, the size of the place amazed them. The warm haze of a tropical rainforest filled the vast building, hiding a population of hundreds. They strolled through the multiple paths and levels to figure out which rides to hit later.
“Hey, let’s get a cabana—then we’ll have a place to put our crap,” suggested Cole.
“Sounds like a plan! I’m already tired of carrying all this stuff,” Tara said.
Dalton took the massive beach bag Tara had packed for them and tossed it over his shoulder. “No need for you to carry all the junk. But getting a cabana sounds like a great idea. They have some right on the edge of the wave pool.”
They soon were comfortably settled into one of the poolside huts. Cole flipped his towel onto one of the chairs and pointed to the atomic slide. “Come on! I want to try that one first.”
Dalton nodded, then without thinking grabbed Tara’s hand and pulled her with them. “Come on, let’s go. They have a ton of rides.” Tara smiled and followed with only a moment’s hesitation. The next hours flew by at an unprecedented speed. The trio rode, surfed, slid and floated until they were exhausted. Each time they reached the limit of their endurance, they would collapse in the cabana for sleep, only to rise after a short rest and go at it again.
The fun and activities rekindled feelings of fulfillment Dalton carried from when they were together. He smiled as they rode the huge rubber raft through the drain ride to be plunged into darkness, screaming through each one as they enjoyed the entertainment. The good-natured horseplay between them as they moved from one ride to another brought back feelings of unity between the three.
They raced to their cabana from the latest twisting turning plunge. Cole collapsed into the chair and ran his towel over his chest. “I’m beat. What if we head back to the room? I wouldn’t mind a nap before we grab some dinner.” He grinned at the other two. “Or we could eat, then catch some shuteye before going back to the park.”
“I’m all for food, then a nap,” Dalton said.
Tara nodded in agreement. “Yeah, food first. I’m starved. I think you two have dragged me to every ride here, twice.”
Dalton grinned and dropped into a chair opposite Cole. “Twice? I think some of those suckers we’ve been on a half dozen times. And they should rename the slide thing to
instant enema.”
“Eww. Gross,” squealed Tara. But after a pause she grinned. “It was a bit…bracing.”
Dalton kicked Cole when he started to comment. “Let’s grab a burger.” Dalton caught the expression on Cole’s face and chuckled. “It won’t hurt us to have one burger. Tonight you can pick healthy crap for us.”
Cole paused for a moment as if he were going to argue, but smiled and nodded. “Sounds good.”
They found a line through one of the food shacks and filled two trays with goodies, none of it meeting Cole’s healthy standards. They grabbed one of the available tables and spread out everything to share. Cole licked his lips at the cheese-covered mound Tara rammed her fork into.
After a few bites, Tara grinned at him. “You want some? It’s chili-cheese fries.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
Tara giggled. “If I ate all this I’d be sick. Go ahead and take what you want.”
Cole speared a healthy bite of the concoction and crammed it into his mouth. He looked like a chipmunk while he tried to chew the mass of food. A blob of cheese leaked from the corner of his lips and without thinking, Dalton leaned over and licked it off. They both realized what he’d done an instant later, and snapped their gazes to Tara.
Her head was down and she gave no indication she’d seen the tender moment, much to their relief. But the conversation cooled considerably while they finished eating. Dalton tossed the remains of their meal into the trash and noticed Tara staring into space. He reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “Hey, what’s up?”
She gave Dalton a guarded smile. “Just enjoying the time with you two. It’s been awhile since we’ve hung out together. This is fun.”
Dalton hesitated for a heartbeat, then hugged her. “I’m glad you’re having a good time. It’s great being with you again, too.”
Dalton tossed the last evidence of their meal into the trash and motioned for the other two. “Come on. I’m ready to get into some dry clothes and have the nap you promised.”
A few minutes later, part of which involved a short race between Cole and Dalton, they were back at their room. This time Tara ducked into the bedroom to change while the guys stripped out of their wet suits and pulled on a pair of basketball shorts, and nothing else. They were lounging in the chairs texting friends when Tara moved to the kitchen. She dug through the snacks they’d brought from home, keeping her back toward the two of them. Dalton waited for a moment before clearing his throat.
Tara glanced back and sniffled. “What?”
“Just wondering if you’re okay.”
“I’m fine. It’s just…”
“What’s up?”
She stood up and turned to the pair, a tear rolling down her cheek.
“What’s wrong, Tara?” Cole asked.
“It’s just, that you’re… You two…” she sniffed again and wiped her face. “You’re such a cute couple.”
Dalton and Cole’s eyes became as large as saucers as they stared at her in disbelief for a few moments before looking at each other. They slipped closer to Tara and leaned against the breakfast bar separating them. They both moved as if they were stalking a frightened snowshoe hare. Tara wiped her face again, which by this time was red and splotchy. “I’m sorry, guys. I didn’t mean to ruin the trip.”