Busted (9 page)

“Do you two need a time out?”

“What?” Joe asked.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Chris growled.

“Play nice or I’ll get the hose,” Steve threatened.

This wasn’t exactly what Steve had in mind. He’d hoped that getting Joe and Chris together would give Chris the kick in the ass he needed to ‘fess up to actually being Alex. Sure, Joe’d be mad, but Steve had seen the pictures and heard how Joe had talked about Alex. He’d get over it. And Chris had looked so damn happy.

Unfortunately it was definitely not working. He hadn’t expected a tearful confession or some girly touchy-feely moment, but he’d at least figured they wouldn’t be at each other’s throats.

“What’s going on?” demanded Chris.

“I invited him over. Got a problem with that, Gagnon?”

Chris looked at Joe and stalked over to the pool, drinking his beer as he went.

“Yeah, I love you too,” Joe muttered as he passed. Chris heard it, he could tell by the way his shoulders tensed.

“Okay, Steve, I mean, thanks for inviting me over, but maybe I better go.”

“No,” Steve said. He didn’t want Joe going. Crap first impression or not, he hoped that maybe they could salvage something. “My house, my invitation. Chris can cope or go home.”

Reluctantly Joe nodded. He didn’t want to come between Chris and Steve. They worked together and lived next to each other. Alex and Chris were clearly estranged. From what Joe could tell, Chris had no intention of changing that.

He had wanted to get in the pool, but with Chris there he thought better of it. Instead he went back to the table and sat down with Mike and Linda.

“Well, that was interesting,” Mike said.

“Oh? How, exactly?” Joe asked. He took a bite of the burger he’d left there. It was, not surprisingly, pretty good.

“Watching you and Chris.”

“He’s a jerk,” Joe said, a little petulantly. Which, while true, wasn’t the whole truth. Joe found the conflict a little exciting, too. He loved Alex, but while he was playful and happy and enthusiastic and sometimes a little needy, there were times he felt a little… thin. Like there was something missing, or something he was holding back. It was the one thing that had always stopped him before he said ‘I love you.’

Chris may have been holding something back, but it wasn’t how he felt about Joe. He was clear about that, and there had never been any question about his existence. He was as real as anyone Joe had ever met.

“Sometimes,” Mike cheerfully agreed. “That was pretty bad, even for him.”

“Guess I bring out his best,” Joe muttered. The thought that he actually did set Chris off hurt a little.

Mike watched Joe intently, trying to gage his feelings. There was something going on between Joe and Chris. Joe might not have seen it, but Mike had seen the look on Chris’ face when he saw Joe was there. It was a mix of fear and hope, two expressions Mike couldn’t ever remember seeing from him.

“Ah, he’ll get over it,” Mike said cheerfully. “So, you’re dating his brother?”

Joe broke into a smile. “Yeah. Alex. We met about four months ago. He’s great. Sweet and happy and charming and fun.”

“Sounds like you really like him.”

“I love him,” Joe said. It just slipped out, but it was true. That only made him feel all that much worse about the feelings that Chris had brought out in him.

“Strange that we’ve never heard about Alex,” Linda said. It was the first thing she’d said, and Joe noticed she was staring intently at him.

Joe shrugged. “My family doesn’t talk about me, either. It happens.” That didn’t make it any better. Last time he heard, he had four nephews and three nieces. He’d never met any of them.

“Still.” The way she was looking at him was making Joe uncomfortable.

“You’d have to ask Chris about that,” Joe said.

“But I’m asking you. Chris has always been a little… difficult to get a handle on.” She smiled, but it didn’t make Joe any more comfortable. There was something disconcerting about her. It felt like she was trying to look straight into his soul. He found he’d rather she didn’t.

“We only met a few days ago. Alex hasn’t ever said anything about his brother. Sounds like Chris hasn’t either.”

“There are such strange echoes around you both,” she said. Joe frowned at the cryptic comment.

That was enough bizarre conversation for him. Joe took another bite of his burger, though mostly so he wouldn’t have to talk. He wasn’t feeling all that well.

Chris had grabbed a chair by the side of the pool, positioned so he
didn’t
have to look at Joe Hennessey. Looking at him would have been bad. Joe was frustrating, and terrifying, and attractive enough that he knew he’d never be able to keep his cool.

Instead he stripped off his shirt, slipped his sunglasses on, and lay back in the chair. The sun felt good on his skin, warm and comforting. He liked Connecticut well enough, but there were times when he missed Arizona, missed the baking heat and open spaces of the small town he’d grown up in.

The sun was no problem for him. He tanned easily, a gift from his mother. The same native genes that gave him his nose, straight black hair, and hairless chest. He rubbed at himself a little self-consciously. Even Joe had more hair on his chest than Chris did. He tried very hard to not think about how he knew that.

He watched Toby playing in the pool with Bobby and Amy, Steve’s kids. Toby was the youngest by a few years. Bobby was six, and Amy was nine. The kids got along great anyway, which was always a relief. Toby spent as much time with Mary as he did at home. Chris sometimes felt a little guilty about that. They were better off without Megan, but still, he should have been able to manage.

Toby’s scream brought Chris to his feet. The boy was lying on the ground on the other side of the pool, holding his knee and crying. Chris crossed the distance in four strides, almost falling himself as he ran on the hot concrete patio blocks that ringed the pool. He was there in seconds, cradling Toby as he cried.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay. Papa’s here, Toby.” He hugged the crying boy to him, stroking his hair and trying to take the pain away. It didn’t work, it never did, but that never stopped Chris from trying.

When Toby’s crying faded to sniffles Chris gave him one last hug.

“What happened, Toby?”

“I slipped, Papa,” Toby mumbled into Chris’ shoulder.

Chris sat down carefully, still cradling Toby. With his feet dangling in the water he looked Toby over. One knee was bleeding, the skin abraded away.

“I see. Looks like you landed pretty hard there, sport.”

Toby nodded. His eyes were bright, tears leaking down his cheeks. Chris pulled him close and kissed the top of his head.

“We’re going to need to get it washed out and make sure there’s nothing in it. Can you be a big boy for Papa?”

“I c’n,” Toby said.

“Good boy. Hold on tight, okay?” Chris’ voice was soft and reassuring. He hated this part, hated doing anything that might cause his son pain. But it had to be done. “Squeeze if it hurts. That’s all right.”

Chris reached to his right and grabbed one of the pool toys that were scattered around, a plastic cup in the shape of a fish. Not too big, but big enough. He scooped up some of the pool water and poured it over the scrape.

Toby squeezed hard as the chlorinated water washed over the cut. It stung, but he tried to be strong, like his Papa. Even still, he whimpered a little. Chris kissed him again.

“You’re doing really well, sport.” He took a look at the cleaned out scrape. It wasn’t anything big, just a few layers of skin missing and some blood.

“Looks okay,” Chris said. “I think you’re gonna live.”

“Really?”

“Yep,” Chris replied. “But… maybe it needs more water!”

And with that he fell over into the pool, pulling a laughing and shrieking boy with him. Chris was laughing himself. There were two splashes as Bob and Amy jumped in, and soon the four of them were roughhousing in the water, Toby’s scrape forgotten.

From the deck Joe watched. Chris was so different from what he’d seen. The way he handled Toby was caring, and sweet. It gave Joe a warm fuzzy feeling, the way Alex never had. Not that he’d ever admit that to anyone. Not even himself, really.

Despite Joe’s denial, Mike saw the dopey grin that was clear on his face. He glanced back to see what Joe was looking at.

“He really loves that little boy,” Mike said.

“I can tell,” Joe said. “Where’s his mom?”

“Rotting in hell, if there’s any justice.” Joe turned to see Mary, Steve’s wife. She was getting a chicken breast off the grill and came to sit next to Joe.