Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66516 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66516 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“Ready to go?” Abe asked from behind him.
“Yes.” Jason dropped the phone in his pocket. “Isn’t your new friend going to come give you a hug good-bye?”
Immediately, Abe started laughing and then coughing. “Quit it,” he said. “I’m too tired to laugh and you’re too cocky to be jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” Jason said. They walked toward the exit doors. “I’m just pointing out that the doctor had a not entirely professional interest in you.”
“He’s married,” Abe said. “I saw the ring.”
“So was I,” Jason countered. “And why were you looking to see if he had a wedding ring?”
“I wasn’t looking! It was just there.” He shook his head. “You’re cute but silly. The guy was doing his job. That’s all.”
“I’m not cute and his job doesn’t include staring at patients.” They left the hospital and headed toward the car.
“He’s supposed to treat me without looking at me?” Abe asked as he threaded his arm though Jason’s and leaned against him.
“He wasn’t looking. He was staring.”
“Ah. I see.” Abe paused. “How does one discern the difference?”
“You were there. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice how he kept looking into your eyes every two seconds.”
“Okay. Eye contact during conversation equals lust.” Abe nodded. “Got it.”
They reached the car and Jason opened Abe’s door. “The guy was coming on to you,” Jason said. “I’m an expert on the subject, so you’ll have to take my word for it.”
“I’m familiar with your come-on technique, and as I recall it was something like, ‘You want to go home and fuck?’” Abe said as he got into the car.
“I was more suave than that. Otherwise I wouldn’t have landed you.” Jason winked and carefully shut the door. He jogged to the driver’s side, climbed in, and turned on the ignition. “Okay. We’re alone, with no interruptions.” He backed out of the parking space and started the short drive home. “Tell me what happened. Is the pollen count high? Did your allergies set you off?” When Abe didn’t respond, Jason flicked his gaze to the side. “Abe? What happened?”
“I’d never keep something involving your kids from you, but I’m fine, so—”
“My kids?” Kris couldn’t find her way to trouble with a GPS device on a one-way road. Jason clenched his jaw. “What did Donny do?”
“Jase, I’m—”
“What did he do?”
With a sigh, Abe said, “It was an accident and I’m sure he’s sorry.”
They drove in silence for a few minutes while Jason gathered his thoughts. “I used to worry what Kristen and Donny would think of me because I’m gay,” he said, his voice low but steady. “Angela told me over and over that it didn’t matter, that I was their dad and who I dated had nothing to do with how they felt about me.” He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and ground his teeth. “But it impacted how I felt about me, so I didn’t believe her. When she filed for divorce, I assumed I’d never be able to live the life I’d planned. I thought I’d be alone with no family.”
Abe didn’t interrupt, but he reached across the console and put his hand on Jason’s thigh.
“But now that’s changed.” Jason put his hand on Abe’s. “You changed that.” He cleared away the sudden thickness in his throat. “I don’t want you to decide being with me is too hard.”
“I won’t,” Abe assured him. “I love being with you and your kids. They’re not going to drive me away.”
“Good.” Jason sighed in relief and rolled his shoulders, trying to shake off the tension that had been bogging him down. “But Donny isn’t a baby anymore. He’s thirteen and he needs to learn to behave.” He swallowed hard. “I’m his father. It’s my job to make sure that happens.”
“You’re right,” Abe said. “We’re almost home. Can we talk about this after I take a shower and get the hospital smell off me?”
“Yes.” Jason grinned at him. “I’ll even wash your back.”
THE BUZZING phone woke Jason the following morning. By the time he figured out what the noise was, it had stopped. But then it started again a couple of seconds later. He didn’t want to wake Abe, who was lying on his chest, so he gently shifted to the side until Abe was resting comfortably on the mattress. Then he got up, snagged the phone, and checked the display as he walked out of the room. Before he could return the three missed calls he had from Angela, the phone started vibrating in his hand.
“Hello,” he said quietly.
“Hi, Jason. We’re in front of your house. The kids have their keys, but I didn’t want you to worry about who was coming in, so I wanted to call you first.”
“What time is it?” he asked.
“Seven.” She sighed. “I’m sure you had a late night, but they did too. They’re very concerned about Abe.”