“He’s been spending time with me. He’s standoffish, tries to keep his distance, but every once in a while, he’ll lose himself, forget he doesn’t want to have fun with me. Took him to the arcade the other day. The little butthead kicked my ass at everything, even the go-karts. I would have thought I’d have him on that one.”
They both chuckled.
“These kids are something else, aren’t they? Know how to do every damn thing without being taught, seems like. Hell, sometimes I have to ask Wyatt to help me with something if it has to do with my computer. Kid’s a fucking whiz.”
“They grew up with that shit; we didn’t.”
“Wyatt’s always telling me I’m too old for stuff. Once you get to know Sean more, he’ll do the same. You know my kid asked me once if they had TV when I was young?”
Holden let out a deep, scratchy laugh. The sound seemed to travel directly to Roe’s cock. Fuck, he was sexy.
“And he always asks me how I survived without a cell phone. I showed him photos of a pager once, and he was so confused. He couldn’t figure out the point of them—oh, and the old car phones. Remember those?”
They shared another chuckle. “God, yes. Big and clunky. So I get to look forward to my nephew reminding me I’m an old-ass man? Is that what you’re saying?” Holden teased.
Roe got serious for a moment. “It’ll happen, and you’ll love it when he does—just because he amazes you sometimes. At least that’s how I am with Wyatt. I know Sean isn’t your son, but he’s your family all the same. Never expected to have kids myself. Wanted them, but didn’t think it was in the cards.”
Roe took a swig of his drink as Holden looked at him with his eyebrows pinched together as if confused, like maybe he wanted to ask why, but he didn’t. “I never wanted kids, knew I wouldn’t have them. I always figured Marilee would. Just didn’t think it’d go down the way it did.”
“I hear ya, man. Life is like that sometimes.” They were both quiet for a moment, leaning against the railing and staring out into the night.
“Sure is pretty out here. Nothing but nature and bugs,” Holden said after a moment. “When I can’t sleep in Atlanta, it’s never this quiet.”
“Wait until you wake up with a thousand mosquito bites.” He wondered if Holden struggled with sleeping a lot. He seemed to like his space at night, since this was the second time Roe had seen him out here late. “Still, I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
“You ever leave?”
He was surprised, for some reason, that Holden was keeping the conversation going. “I did. When I was eighteen and graduated, I was out of here. Went to college, moved to DC. Had a lot of fun partying, learning who I was. Then I did the work-your-ass-off lifestyle where the most important thing was how high I could climb the ladder and how much money I could make.”
Holden’s eyebrows squeezed together in shock. “No shit?”
“What, you thought I was nothing more than a country bumpkin?”
“I didn’t say that, but I have a feeling you see me as some city slicker.”
“Lies!” Roe finished his beer.
“But you came home.”
“I did.” Roe nodded. “This is where I belong. Maybe I am just a country bumpkin?”
“I think your son might tease you for being old if he hears you saying country bumpkin.”
Roe didn’t know why it hit him just right, but the response made a laugh burst from his lips. “You fucker. Just remember, I’m assuming if I’m old, you are too. We look about the same age.” Really, though, as much as Roe joked, he didn’t feel old. He knew he wasn’t. There was a whole lotta life left to live.
“Don’t feel it, man. Not at all.”
“I was just thinking the same.”
Christ, he was enjoying this. Roe liked to simply stand there and talk with Holden. There was something about him that felt like they just clicked. Holden might think he was crazy if he knew Roe was thinking that.
He heard the goats making noises in their pens. Crickets started going crazy. Yeah, this was home. He loved it.
“You might hear me clanking around in the barn in the coming days. I’m gonna clean it up, maybe build some new shelving. I’ll try not to start too early.”
Holden surprised him by saying, “I can help.”
“Don’t have to, but I’m not gonna turn down an extra pair of hands.”
“I’d think you were crazy if you did.” Holden smirked, making heat pool in Roe’s gut.
There was a vibration sound, and Holden pulled his cell out of his pocket. It was late for a phone call, but Holden said, “I need to take this. It’s my boyfriend.”
His…oh shit. Being gay himself, maybe he was supposed to have some kinda radar for that or something, but if Roe did, his was broken where Holden was concerned. Or hell, maybe he was just out of practice after being away from the city for so long. All he knew was, he sure as shit hadn’t expected Holden to say he had a boyfriend. “I’ll, um…I’ll let you get to it. I need to head to bed anyway.” He gave Holden a simple nod, then headed for his house. Just his luck that a man would show up in Harmony, who attracted him in a way Roe hadn’t felt in a long time…