
Two days before his wedding, Jeff Whitacre showed up on the front porch of his best man's house with an overnight bag and a forlorn expression. "I've been banished," Jeff said plaintively when Delany Beckett opened the door and let him inside. "Marianne says I'm in the way, so I'm banished."
"You won't be in the way here," Del assured him and took him back to the guest room. He'd been expecting this, actually -- he'd offered the spare room to Marianne if either of them needed some time alone.
Jeff sat despondently on the bed and then moved when Del shooed him aside so he could put on fresh sheets. "Everywhere I look there's someone stringing beads on a necklace or taping rosebuds onto pins or sewing buttons onto a dress. Even my mother's gotten into it and she's about as domestic as a bottle of Cabernet. And of course, Jesse is getting into everything. How come he's not banished?"
"Because he's two," said Del, amused, and bent to make hospital corners with the top sheet. "I bet he's having the time of his life, with all those aunties around."
"He is," Jeff said gloomily. "Grandmas, aunts, great-aunts, and his mommy, and no daddy to deal with. So Oedipal." His cell phone buzzed; he checked the number and sighed. "Excuse me a second." He stepped out of the guest room and into the hall.
"Sure," Del said. He occupied himself with spreading the comforter over the bed and putting on the pillow cases as Jeff's phone conversation grew increasingly louder.
"You were supposed to make hotel reservations when you made the flight reservations," Jeff said, coming back from the hall. "That's how you plan things. I can't put you in my house -- I'm not even staying there, Marianne's family is. My mom's place is full with her family." He sighed again, heavily this time, and said, "Hold on a second." He held the phone to his chest. "It's Theo. My numbskull half-brother."
"And he forgot to make hotel reservations," Del finished for him.
"Bingo. He remembered to make reservations at the Lodge, but not for tonight. And his flight lands in three hours and I'm supposed to pick him up, and I just --" He made an aggravated growl. "Can he have the couch?"
"Yeah, of course, tell him it will be fine."
"Thanks, man." Jeff said into the phone, "Del says you can have the couch. Yes, yes, I'll tell him. All right, see you when you land." He hung up and shook his head. "He says thank you and to tell you," he winced, "you're a rock star. He's so flaky it's unbelievable. I bet he forgot the wedding was this weekend until this morning."
"But he's still coming," said Del and sat on the freshly-made bed. "That's good, right?"
"Yeah," Jeff said and sat beside him. "This is nice. It's firm."
«It's better for your back. You need to take better care of your back, boyo."
«I take care of my back.» Jeff lay back and stretched his arms over his head. "I haven't seen Theo much since my dad's -- our dad's -- funeral."
"That's a long time," Del observed. "Ten years, right?"
"Yeah." Jeff was quiet a moment, and Del didn't press it. Jeff was often reticent on the subject of his father. "I wish he could have known Jesse."
"I bet he'd be glad you're finally making an honest woman out of Marianne," Del said and grinned at Jeff, who nudged him with an elbow.
"Hey, that's my woman you're talking about. Show some respect." He added softly, "He loved Marianne. They were pretty good friends." He looked back at the ceiling. "They got along better than he and I ever did."
"If my dad up and left when I was a teenager I'd be pretty pissed off at him, too."
"I should have been over the teenage rebellion a long time ago."
"At least you're trying to be friends with your brother," Del said. "That's something."
"I thought about asking him to be my best man but he'd probably lose the rings."
"He can't be that bad."
"He can be much worse," Jeff said. "This is the kid who forgot to pack any clothes for summer camp one year."
«Kids don't think about stuff like that."
"He remembered his Game Boy and his catcher's mitt. Just nothing practical like underwear or socks. This is also the kid who never remembers birthdays or anniversaries, got into two different car accidents because he didn't switch out of reverse, and had a different boyfriend for every day of the week during high school."
"He survived the accidents, buy him a datebook, and teenage boys are like that. I doubt you dated the same girl for long in high school, either."
"But I didn't date ten different girls in one year."
"That's not a new one for every day of the week."
"Well, you get what I mean."
"Yeah, I do. But no matter how flaky he's been in the past, this is the kid who's your younger brother," Del said and Jeff smiled, still looking at the ceiling.
"I'm glad he's coming, anyway. He'll meet Jesse, meet my friends, meet more of the family..." Jeff nodded to himself. "It could be worse."
"That's a ringing endorsement there, bud."
Jeff laughed and pushed himself up. "I have other things to worry about than my dopey half-brother. Like, does my actual best man have the ring?"
Not offended, Del said, "The box is on the dresser in my room." Jeff just needed reassurance, and he was happy to give it.
"And the speech?"
«Written out on index cards and next to the rings."
Jeff whistled. "I'm impressed. How about the bachelor party?"
Del laughed. "We're still going fishing. Look, I promised Marianne no strippers, so it'll be a good, tasteful time. Your flaky half-brother is welcome to join in."
"I don't think that boy has been fishing in his entire life," said Jeff. "I think he'd enjoy fishing as much as he'd enjoy strippers. What is it with gay guys not getting the appeal of a naked woman?"
"Well," Del said comfortably, "we're gay. So, while you look at naked breasts and think -- well, nothing, basically, because your brain has turned off -- we look at naked breasts and think, 'Yawn. When's Project Runway on?'"
Jeff laughed, as Del had hoped he would. "You know, when Theo came out I didn't freak out only because I knew you already. He should thank you for that sometime."
"Glad to have been of service," Del said, and Jeff nudged his foot.
"You helped demystify things for me. That's practically a good deed. Think of the karma points."
"I'm sure my karma is full up," Del said and pushed himself off the bed. "I'm going to make up the couch for Theo. He'll probably be tired from travelling when he gets here." Jeff got up too and followed Del to his linen closet, so Del put a set of sheets and a coverlet into Jeff's arms. "Make yourself useful and put those on the couch, please."
"Yes, sir." Jeff carried them into the living room and put them down, and Del followed with pillows and pillow cases. "You don't have to go to a lot of bother for him."
"He's a guest, too," Del said as he spread out the bottom sheet. "Tuck that under the cushion, please. I won't make as big a fuss over him as I will you, since you're the groom and all --"
"And banished," Jeff reminded him as he tucked.
"And banished," Del said, "but I can't not make a fuss over him at all." He laid out the top sheet with a snap and Jeff smoothed it down at the end of the couch. "Besides, I think it'll be fun to get to know your brother."
"I don't know about fun," Jeff said as he helped Del spread the coverlet. "Maybe it will be. A lot can change in ten years."
"And his father had just died," Del said. "Nobody's at their best under those circumstances. I'm sure you weren't."
"I wasn't," Jeff admitted. "I was kind of a mess." Del handed him a pillow and a pillowcase, and he obediently followed Del's example of stuffing the pillow into the case. "Things were said... I'm not surprised my stepmother isn't coming to the wedding."
"Did you invite her?"
"Yeah. I thought it would be a nice gesture. But she's sending Theo instead, which is the best I can hope for." He gave the pillow back to Del. "And maybe we'll reconcile this family after all."
"Also the best you can hope for," said Del.
\*\*\*
They took Jeff's truck to the airport in Bakersfield, since Jeff said the three of them would never fit into Del's Beetle. They got coffee at the airport coffee shop and watched the lone luggage carousel where Theo had said he would meet them. The airport was tiny and mostly deserted, which Del thought would be true even for a major hub at this time of night, and Jeff said Theo would be easy to spot.
"He's enormous," Jeff said. "One summer he was this tiny, little runt and the next he was almost as tall as I was. Then he was taller."
«Is that him?" said Del, pointing to a young man who was walking in from the tarmac. Del could see some family resemblance between him and Jeff as he squinted in the yellow fluorescent light: his hair was not quite as dark as Jeff's, and his face was missing Jeff's craggy lived-in lines, but like Jeff he was solid and tall as a sequoia tree, his shoulders and chest broad. Del was often the tallest person in the room unless Jeff was present, but he thought this kid would tower over him.
"That's him," Jeff said and tossed his coffee cup into the trash. "Theo!" He waved, and the kid grinned and waved back before ambling over to join them. Theo dropped his garment bag and backpack, and then Jeff and Theo hugged each other awkwardly, slapping each other on the back a few times before letting go. "Nice to see you, kiddo," Jeff said. "This is Delany. He owns the couch you'll be sleeping on."
"Delany, hi!" Theo exclaimed, showing bright white teeth in a disarming smile. His eyes were hazel in this light, much lighter than Jeff's deep brown. "Thanks so much for putting me up. It's so nice of you when you don't even know me. I was at work all day and then traveling and I thought I remembered everything, but I realized halfway here I'd never gotten a hotel room for tonight and we're not checking into the other place until tomorrow, and I thought, Oh, fuck, a hotel on a summer weekend, on short notice, in a little town like Tehachapi?"
"Hi, Theo," Del said, a little taken aback by Theo's verbosity as well as the sheer brilliance of his smile. "Just call me Del."
"Okay. Del. Okay. Nice to meet you."
"We have hotels," Jeff said dryly, steering them both out to the parking lot. "Not many but we have them. And if I were feeling really mean I would have told you to get a room here and rent a car to drive out."
"I'm glad you weren't feeling mean, then, because I haven't driven here since I was sixteen, and I don't remember the way to Tehachapi from here or where anything is once I got there, if I got there. Well, I could probably find my way to the high school again, and your mom's house, and where my mom used to live. But I have no idea where your house is. Or Del's. Where's Marianne and the baby, Jeff?"
"Home, putting the wedding together," Jeff said and glanced at Del, who was just listening in amusement. Jeff liked to talk but Theo, apparently, loved it. "Though I'm sure Jesse is taking things apart as quickly as his mom gets them finished."
"She's doing it herself?" Theo said, sounding surprised.
"With help from her sisters," Del put in. "Marianne's very craftsy."
"That is so cool," Theo said. "I thought girls nowadays had wedding planners to do everything, like in the movies."
"Marianne is thirty-five," Jeff said. "She's not really a girl anymore."
"Sorry, the ladies," Theo said. "The womenfolk. Oh, hey, you got the truck you were talking about!" Jeff unlocked the doors with the keychain remote and Del took Theo's bag to hang it in the back of the extended cab. He clambered in after it, and Theo climbed into the passenger seat. "I love this truck," Theo said, running his hand over the dashboard.
"It's a fine one," Del said.
"I don't have a car at home," Theo said. "It's just not practical, and public transit in Austin is pretty good so I don't mind taking the bus and stuff. What do you do, Del?"
"I'm a physical therapist," Del said as Jeff got into the driver's seat. "That's how I met your brother."
"Oh, okay," said Theo. "I thought maybe you worked at the restaurant, too."
"Nope. I dated one of his chefs for a while, though. Jeff busted a knee about seven years ago -- it was seven, wasn't it?"
"Yup," Jeff said and started the engine.
"Seven years ago," Del said. "Playing pickup basketball. I helped him put it back together."
"Awesome," Theo said. "I love professions like that, when you're really doing something or making something. I think I'd go crazy if I had a job where you never saw a result no matter how hard you worked."
"I take it you're not a stock broker," Del said, and Theo threw back his head to laugh a big, hearty laugh.
"Not even. I teach elementary school. Hey, Jeff, we need to stop by your house and get your guitar. Marianne said I could borrow it."
"Theo," Jeff told Del, "is singing at the wedding."
"Oh," Del said, "okay." It sounded to him like Marianne's way of including Theo in the ceremony. He hoped Theo could actually sing. It was hard to tell from his speaking voice, rich as it was.
"We'll stop by the house." Jeff stepped on the gas and they sped up to get onto the freeway.
"So," Del said, "you teach?" Somebody trusted Jeff's flaky brother with their children?
"Yeah!" Theo said and twisted in the seat to talk to Del. "Kindergarten through second grade at a Montessori school. It's awesome. The kids are so much fun, it's like I get paid to play all day. I just love it. I want to do it forever."
Del laughed, unable to stop himself. Theo's enthusiasm was contagious. "It sounds like you enjoy it."
"Oh," Theo said, "it's incredible. My kids are amazing. We garden and do a lot of hands-on stuff, and we go on all these field trips, and we have the older kids from the middle school and high school in to do demonstrations and plays and things for the little kids a couple times a month." He fell silent. Del could see him fidget. He said to Jeff, hesitation in his tone for the first time, "You might like it for Jesse."
"Marianne is thinking of putting him in the private school she went to."
"Oh. Okay." Theo looked out the window. His fingers tapped a nervous rhythm on the sill.
Del glanced from one dark head to the other. "What are you planning to sing?"
"I don't know," Theo said quietly. A few miles passed where none of them spoke. "I'm thinking something by the Beatles. Everybody likes the Beatles, right?"
"I love the Beatles," Del said.
"They're okay," Jeff said.
"Marianne loves them," Del reminded him.
"Yeah, she does."
"Okay," Theo said, sounding relieved. "Good. The Beatles it is. I mean, I could do some songs I sing with the kids but I don't think 'She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain' is really appropriate."
"You could sing 'You Are My Sunshine," Del suggested.
«Yeah, no, the verses are sad. We always skip the sad verses with the kids." He looked out the window again, and Del thought, Talk to your brother, at Jeff as hard as he could.
However, he did not suddenly develop telepathy so Jeff drove on, oblivious. Del finally said, "The bachelor party is tomorrow. Do you think you'll want to come?"
"Depends," Theo said uncertainly. "I don't like strip clubs. Naked women really aren't my thing."
"Good," Del said. "We're not going to a strip club. We're going fishing."
"Oh," Theo said, "I haven't gone fishing in a long time. Not since my dad died."
Jeff cleared his throat.
Del said, "Well, you're coming with us. Jeff can teach you what you need to know, and even if you don't catch anything it's nice to sit in the sun and listen to the water."
"That sounds a lot better than a strip club." Theo turned around to give Del another of his dazzling smiles.
\*\*\*
All the lights were on in Marianne and Jeff's house, and it was noisy with activity and chatter when the three men arrived. At the sight of his father, Jesse squealed and held up his arms to be picked up, so Jeff scooped him into his arms and gave him several noisy kisses while the boy wiggled and squeaked with happiness. Theo had a look of wonder at this, and smiled shyly when Marianne took his hand and said, "Come meet my sisters. They're your family now, too."
With both the Whitacres being exclaimed over by Marianne's sisters, Del went to find Jeff's guitar. He paused a moment in the living room to say hello to Mrs. Bodie, Marianne's mother. She put down the dress she was hemming and patted his cheek when he gave her a kiss. "Did Jeffrey forget something?"
"I'm on a mission for his guitar," Del said. "His brother's arrived and he wants to practice."
"I think it's in the study. Or the baby's room. We've moved things around a lot." She started to set aside the dress she was sewing. «I'll help you look.»
"I'll find it," Del said and patted her shoulder. «You've got enough to do.» He went to the study first, which was more a catch-all room. Here Jeff played his guitar, wrote up his recipes, managed his restaurant, and tied his fishing lures. Marianne stored one of her sewing machines in here and often had a quilting frame set up, and one part of the floor was scattered with Jesse's Duplo blocks and Tonka trucks. The guitar was leaning against Jeff's desk. Del picked it up and put it in its case, and then paused a moment to look at the pictures on the walls.
Most of the pictures were of Jeff and Marianne, of course, from their life together as well as before they met. Several of these had been taken out of their frames to be used as decorations at the wedding reception on Saturday. The ones that remained were of the restaurant staff over the years, or family and friends at various parties and events.
There was only one of Jeff and Theo together. Theo looked about five, which would put Jeff at twenty-one, and while the two of them stood beside each other there was at least six inches between them. Del knew from what Jeff had told him before that they'd never spent much time together when Theo was a child, and then after their father died, Theo's mother moved back to her hometown in Texas. There had been little contact between the two brothers until recently, and Del had the impression it was mostly due to Marianne.
Del tucked the guitar case under his arm and followed the sound of conversation to the kitchen. All four of Marianne's sisters, her mother, Jeff, and Theo were there, the sisters hot-gluing and stitching and assembling, while Jeff had been drafted into holding a bridesmaid dress so Mrs. Bodie could check the hem. To Del's surprise Theo was sitting cross-legged on the floor with Jesse on his knee. The baby chattered away happily to him, most of the words unintelligible to Del, but Theo seemed to understand just fine. Jesse was unmistakably Jeff's child, with big dark eyes and unruly dark hair, and Del could see some family resemblance between Jesse and Theo, too, in the length of their limbs -- Jesse was going to be at least as tall as his father -- and the shape of their mouths.
Del stopped at Jeff's side. "Found the guitar."
"Thanks," Jeff said, looking perfectly comfortable with a satin dress pinned to his shoulders. "The best man, ladies, taking care of business," he said, and Marianne's sisters beamed at him with approval. "We should get out of your hair."
"Looks like you've got --" Del glanced around the kitchen. Every surface was covered with wedding favors and decorations in various states of assembly. "Lots to do," he finished, and Marianne came over to kiss his cheek.
"Take good care of my sweetheart," she said, and at that Jeff swept her into his arms and bent her back for a kiss.
"I'm counting the hours, babe," he said when he brought her upright, and Marianne laughed, blushing. Jesse and Theo both watched this with wide eyes, and Theo looked at Del, shy again. Del smiled uncertainly and looked away while Jesse laughed and pointed at his parents.
"Mommy and Daddy are silly," Theo interpreted, and Jeff let go of Marianne to scoop up Jesse again and toss him in the air. Jesse shrieked with delight.
«Give Daddy kisses,» Jeff said and Jesse gave him a kiss and patted his cheeks with both hands. «Be good for Mommy and Grandma, okay?»
«Okay,» said Jesse, head bobbing. Jeff held him close for a moment and then gave him to Marianne. Del looked at Theo again -- the younger man was smiling quietly, and when his eyes met Del's his smile widened. He stood and joined Del to take the guitar case.
«Thanks. I got distracted.» He added, his tone a mix of wonder and pride, «With my nephew.»
Del wanted to pat his cheek for being so entranced with Jesse, but he just said, «No problem. Ready to go, Jeff?» he added more loudly, and Jeff nodded, looking reluctant. He gave Marianne one more hug and kiss, and Del led them out to the truck. "Now that you've met the family," Del said to Theo, "what do you think?"
"That's a lot of sisters," Theo said, looking a little stunned. "Jesse's awesome, though."
Jeff chuckled as he unlocked the passenger door. "He's two. He's a bit young for 'awesome.'"
"Well, he is," Theo mumbled, and Del gave his back a quick pat before climbing into the cab again.
Del's little house, dark blue and snug, waited for them amid a cluster of firs and rosebushes. Theo insisted on carrying his bag and the guitar case inside so Jeff let him. Del followed so he could watch them. They were not comfortable with each other, that much was obvious. As Del saw it, Theo wanted to love his brother but didn't quite know how, and Jeff hadn't noticed how Theo was trying to connect with him.
If Theo was more comfortable with children, no wonder he'd gravitated to Jesse when surrounded by all those strangers. Del suddenly wished he'd stayed in the kitchen and helped Theo adjust. Marianne's sisters could be intimidating, particularly in a pack like that.
Pointing down the hall, he said to Theo, "You can put your stuff in the bathroom. Do you need anything to eat?"
"Yeah, please, I'm starving." Theo put the guitar by the sofa where he'd be sleeping and carried his bag to the bathroom.
"I thought I'd whip together some omelets," Del said to Jeff, who nodded, looking miserable. Del put his hand on Jeff's shoulder. "Hey. Tonight and tomorrow night, and then you'll be married and all this nonsense will be over."
"I miss them," Jeff said. "I know the wedding is Marianne's dream and she's been waiting a long time for this, but I just want to get back to normal life."
"Soon," Del said and squeezed Jeff's shoulder. Theo came into the kitchen then, and his face did a strange little twist before he threw himself onto one of the chairs at Del's little table. "How about an omelet, Theo?"
"Sure," Theo said. "How can I help?"
"You can grate the cheese." Del got out a block of cheddar, a bowl and the grater, and gave them to Theo. He took out a carton of eggs and a pan as Theo started grating, and Jeff pushed himself up from the table.
"What else? If we had time I'd make some hollandaise, but it's a bit late at night for that."
"I think I have bacon." Del rooted in his fridge and gave the package he found to Jeff. "Fry that up and I'll add it to the eggs."
«This will be delicious," Theo said. "You know, Jeff, I don't think I ever heard how you and Marianne met."
Jeff glanced at him. "She worked for me at the restaurant."
"Yeah? And then what?"
"And then we started dating."
Del sighed as he whipped the eggs with a fork. "She was pretty young when you first met, right? Fresh out of high school, when you first hired her?"
"Yup." Jeff pushed the sizzling bacon around the pan with a spatula, and Del wondered if Jeff honestly didn't feel like talking about it right now or he just didn't want to talk to Theo.
"That was before my time," Del told Theo, and then paused while he poured the first part of the eggs into the pan. "They'd been together for years by the time I met them."
"I can't even imagine being with someone for fifteen years," Theo said.
"Neither can I," Del said.
"I was eleven. Jeff and Marianne have been together longer than half my life."
"They've been together for half of mine."
Jeff cleared his throat. "You both are making me feel old. Stop it."
"You are old," Del said and punched his arm.
"Careful," Jeff said, waving the spatula at him, "I have utensils and I know how to use them."
Del pointed to the pan. "Don't let the bacon burn while you're getting your macho on."
Theo stood to give Del the plate of grated cheese. He wrapped what remained of the block in plastic and put it in the fridge, and then put the grater into the sink. "What else can I do?"
"Just relax," said Del. "These will be ready soon." He sprinkled cheese onto the eggs, and followed it with some crumbled pieces of bacon from Jeff's pan.
Theo sat at the table again, then got up. "Sorry. I've been sitting all day. I guess I'm restless."
"The rosebushes could use some trimming," Jeff said. "If you need to expend some energy."
"You don't need to trim my rosebushes," Del said, rolling his eyes, and took a plate from the cupboard. He slid the omelet onto it carefully -- he'd learned amazing things about cooking between knowing Jeff and dating a chef -- and handed it to Theo. "Eat."
"Thanks." Theo inhaled the scent with a rapturous expression and sat at the table to eat.
"You're spoiling him," Jeff said as Del poured more eggs into the pan.
"You heard the boy. He's starving." He looked at Theo, who was eating happily.
Jeff looked, too. "I don't know. He looks pretty sturdy to me."
Theo wiped his mouth and said, "My stomach was on the verge of growling. Del saved me from certain embarrassment."
"He's pretty good at that."
Del shook his head, sprinkling on cheese and bits of bacon, and folded the omelet over. "Eat this," he said once he'd slid the omelet onto a plate for Jeff. "Stop talking about me."
"Yes, Del. Thank you, Del," Jeff said in a dutiful tone and sat at the table, too.
Del started an omelet for himself and tried to watch Theo and Jeff without their noticing. They both bent over their plates, concentrating on eating rather than looking at each other, and both their legs were long enough to stick out under the opposite sides of the little table. They both looked up, startled, when Del put his plate on the table.
"So," he said and picked up his fork. "What do you do aside from forming the minds of small children?"
Theo swallowed whatever was in his mouth. "Oh, you know. The music scene in Austin is pretty cool, so I go to clubs a couple times a week. And, you know, date, hang out. All the usual stuff."
"You're into music?"
Theo nodded, head bent over his plate again. "I like it a lot. I like singing."
"Could have done it for a living if you'd just focused," Jeff said, and Theo looked at him through his shaggy bangs.
"I don't want to do it for a living."
"No," Jeff said, "you want to teach kids all your life."
"And you want to run a restaurant and write cookbooks all your life," Theo said evenly. "What's your point?"
"My point," said Jeff in the same even tone as Theo, "is that you could do better."
"And my point is that I'm doing fine. I'm happy and I'm good at what I do."
"I bet you're great at it," Del said, and Theo gave him a small smile of thanks.
Jeff sighed and finished off his omelet with a few big bites and stood. "I'll clean up." Theo handed Jeff his plate, and Del finished his omelet quickly to hand over his. Jeff took them to the sink to rinse them off and put them into the dishwasher.
"I should practice," Theo said and went into the living room to get the guitar. "Is it okay if I play outside? Will it bother your neighbors?"
"No," Del said and got up to help with the washing up. "Mrs. Stevens is the closest one and she's hard of hearing."
"I'll keep it down anyway. It's only polite." Theo picked up the guitar and went out the back door to the porch.
"That," said Jeff as he stacked the pans in the washer, "is what our fights are like now. I guess it's better than yelling and punching each other."
"It's obvious he loves teaching and he's good with kids," Del said and hauled himself up onto the counter. "You didn't need to say anything about the music. I wanted to hear more about his school."
"He could have gone to Berklee Conservatory," Jeff said. "He's got the talent."
"But he went to another school and got a teaching degree and is happy."
"Hey," Jeff said, frowning, "I thought you were on my side."
"I am on your side, which is why I'm pointing out what an idiot you're being. If you're trying to be his dad, don't. You're not his dad. And if you're trying to be a good, older brother, don't go about it like this. The guy's twenty-six, not eight.»
Jeff rolled his eyes. "I'm going to bed. What time are we getting up tomorrow?"
"Early. Set your alarm for four." Jeff waved good night and went into the guest room, and Del went out onto the porch to keep Theo company.
The younger man had perched himself on the porch swing, his long legs crossed, the guitar resting on his thigh. Del recognized the tune Theo was softly playing, and he joined him at the other end of the swing to listen.
Theo didn't stop playing when he said, "I don't think he wanted me to come."
"He did," Del said. "He does. He wants you here. You're the only family he's got, aside from his mom and some frail great-uncles."
"He'll have a lot more after Sunday, with all those sisters of Marianne's."
"In-laws," Del said. "It's not the same, really. It's not like blood."
"Do you have brothers?" Theo looked up at him.
"Two. And a sister. I know how brothers can be, especially older ones."
Theo shook his head. "I bet neither of them were teenagers when you were born."
"Well, no," Del said. "We're all about three years apart."
"See, I didn't even know Jeff was my brother until I was about five," Theo said, and stopped playing to hang his arms over the side of the guitar. "Before that I thought he was just someone who knew my dad. And then I figured it out when I realized Dad's name wasn't Dad, and Jeff called him that because Dad was actually his dad." He shook his head. "But see, he still thinks I'm that six-year-old kid who doesn't understand the world."
"I think he knows you're an adult, Theo," Del said gently.
"Then how come he was talking to me like I haven't already decided on a career? For God's sake, if I wanted to be a singer I'd be a singer. But I wanted to teach, so I'm teaching. And I love it. And if it gives me the opportunity to sing sometimes, that's okay, but I'm doing important stuff there." He stopped and let out a deep breath, and put the guitar aside. "Sorry. I'm pissed off now."
Del reached over to rub Theo's back. It was tense under his palm for a moment or two, and then Theo sighed and relaxed, hanging his arms on his knees and letting his head droop.
"That feels good," Theo murmured.
"Good," Del said softly and moved up his hand to rub the back of Theo's neck. He was tense there as well, so Del dug in his fingers, massaging him deeply.
"You're good at this."
"This is what I do," Del said, smiling a little. "I help people feel better."
Theo practically moaned and Del paused. He usually found it easy to keep his professionalism, but he usually wasn't massaging a patient on his back porch in the dark while crickets chirped and wind made the pines rustle. He brushed his hand down Theo's back and then took his hand away.
"Thanks," Theo said and straightened up. "That helped. It did."
"Good." He smiled at Theo, trying to keep it light. "So, tomorrow. There's the fishing trip in the morning, and then we'll drive up to the lodge, and that night there's the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and then the wedding is Saturday night at eight."
"I don't think I should go to all of that," Theo said after a pause. "It'll be all Jeff's friends at the bachelor party. If it's okay I could just stay here and play guitar and watch TV and stuff."
"Okay. You will come to the rehearsal and dinner, right?"
Theo shrugged a shoulder. "I only brought one suit."
"It's informal," said Del. "You could wear what you're wearing now. You look pretty good." It was just a striped button-down Oxford and chinos, but they fit his lanky frame perfectly and brought out the green in his hazel eyes.
Theo looked down at himself with a muttered, "Thanks." He looked back up at Del. "What has Jeff told you about me?"
"Not much," Del said. "That you were forgetful as a kid."
"Flaky, you mean," Theo said. "It's okay. I know."
"Absent-minded," Del said. "But creative people tend to be, I've found. They've got other things to think about than if they remembered the milk. And you must do okay with the kids, so you can't be as terribly flaky as Jeff thinks you are."
"Yeah, I do okay." He stretched his neck from side to side. "He's never thought much of me, you know. It's my fault his parents divorced so Dad could marry my mom."
"Being born is never the kid's fault," Del said, surprised that Theo would be so cavalier about the circumstances of his birth. "Your parents made a choice and you were the result."
"Jeff thinks it's my fault. He said so at my dad's funeral. Our dad's." He looked down at his heavy work boot as it scuffed along the porch floorboards. "And my mom wasn't a slut, either, no matter what Jeff thinks."
"Jesus," Del murmured and closed his eyes. "He doesn't really think that."
"Maybe not anymore, but he used to. He called her that to her face at the funeral. I mean, I get how grief makes people crazy, but she still hasn't forgiven him for that."
"Yeah," Del said. "I think he knows that's why she's not here."
"Yeah. But it wasn't like a boss screwing his secretary out of boredom, you know? I mean, she was his boss, for one thing, and it takes two to commit adultery. Nobody was a saint in this."
"I know," Del said. He made the swing sway with his foot as the wind softly blew through his hair and over his face. Wind chimes rang from his neighbor's back yard. "Relationships end for all kinds of reasons. That's what sucks about them. They never last."
"Sometimes they do," Theo said, looking up at Del, shaggy bangs almost but not quite long enough to hide his eyes. "Sometimes they last forever. Look at Jeff and Marianne."
"Their forever is just getting started. The odds are good for them, though. They've already had fifteen years of practice. They've already found everything they want in another person." He paused. They'd barely met, but in his experience it was usually easier to confess to strangers than to friends. "I used to date one of Jeff's chefs, but then he left me. We're still friends, mostly, and he still works at the restaurant. He's going to be at the bachelor party and he's bringing his new boyfriend to the wedding. But sometimes -- I can't help it -- I wonder what this new guy has that I didn't, because as far as I can tell, the answer's 'not much.'"
Theo said, "Maybe I should come to the bachelor party after all," and then looked away, blushing.
Del raised his eyebrows at Theo, charmed. "You want to make my ex jealous?"
"Shut up," Theo mumbled, his hands rubbing together restlessly.
"Why? It was such a sweet offer. You should absolutely come along and be my fake date."
"Forget I said anything."
"No," Del said cheerfully. "I'm going to gloat instead."
Theo rolled his eyes. "Okay. I'll be your fake date. I'll be sure to snuggle you a lot so he'll get jealous and realize what a great thing he lost. So, should I call you honey or snookums?"
"You can call me snookums," Del said, and they grinned at each other.
"Why would anybody leave you?" Theo said softly, the grin turning gentle. "You're kind of amazing."
Del didn't know what to say for a moment, and he turned away from Theo to regain his composure. "Why does anybody break up with anybody? You grow apart, you realize you're not in it for the same reasons, you realize you're not happy. Sometimes, you're just not happy and it's enough."
"And he wasn't happy."
"Basically. He said he was tired of waiting. I'm not entirely sure what he was waiting for."
Theo nodded and picked up the guitar again. He started picking out a tune absently. "My last boyfriend was like that. He was a good guy. He didn't do anything wrong. It wasn't big or dramatic. It was just, he didn't feel like forever."
"And you want forever?" Del said.
Theo concentrated on the song a few moments before he answered. "I want that hope."
Del pushed the porch swing slowly with his foot. "So, you're not seeing anybody right now?"
"Not anybody serious, no. Too flaky." He glanced up with a smile.
Del nodded and watched the wind make the branches of the pine trees sway. "You're not that flaky."
Del was never certain who moved first, but he moved and Theo moved, too, and Theo took hold of Del by his collar and kissed him. Del's lips parted, his tongue touching Theo's, and Theo stifled a groan and gripped Del's shirt in his fist. Del threw a leg over Theo's thigh and held Theo's face, teasing Theo's mouth with his tongue. He ran his hands down Theo's neck and over his shoulders, as Theo clutched at his shirt with trembling hands.
They broke away from each other and leaned their foreheads together, Theo breathing hard. Del whispered, "I think Jeff would kill me if he knew about this."
"So we won't tell him," Theo said, and when he glanced up at Del there was a glint in his eyes, hazel and gold and green, bright and full of life. Del sighed regretfully and slid off the swing.
"I'm sorry. You're gorgeous, you really are, and at any other time I'd be all over you, but you're my best friend's brother."
"And I live a thousand miles away," Theo said. "And I'm sure Jeff has told you about my exploits in high school, since he likes doing that."
"He told me a few things," Del admitted.
"I bet he didn't tell you I had one boyfriend all through college," Theo said. "And that we were together until last year."
Del was quiet a moment. "No, he didn't. That was the guy who didn't feel like forever?"
"Yeah." Theo sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "Look, you can believe what you want to believe about me. But I think you're more observant than that. I'm not here to mess with you or break your heart. I just want to see my brother get married. You being gorgeous and awesome is just, you know, a bonus."
"You find a lot of things awesome," Del observed.
"I spend a lot of time around five-year-olds," Theo said. "I'm used to using small words." He reached for Del's hand and wove their fingers together. "If you don't want me that's one thing, but I think you do."
"I do," Del whispered. "I do."
Theo smiled and stood, enormous and broad, and held Del's face to give him a slow and sweet kiss. Del stood as they kissed and pushed against him, reveling in his long, hard body. "Oh, yeah, you want me," Theo whispered, amused, "and I want you."
"Wanting a thing doesn't make it right," Del whispered.
"Are you that scared of being close to someone?"
Del looked at Theo and licked his bottom lip, not failing to notice the way Theo watched his mouth, the way that his eyes darkened and his breathing came out faster. Del held onto Theo's hips and nudged his cheek against Theo's palm. "I don't meet someone I click with like this every day. But eventually you're going to get on your plane and go home, and then what?"
"Phone sex?" Theo whispered, and Del chuckled dryly and looked away. "I don't know, man. We could just see what happens. Isn't that part of the fun of these things? Just seeing what happens next?"
Del swallowed hard. "I want amazing things to happen next. You deserve it."
"Then let's do it." He kissed Del's forehead and then his mouth, and Del thought he could be reckless, just this once.
\*\*\*
They went quickly through the house to Del's bedroom, Del turning off lights as he went. Theo shut the bedroom door, and gave Del a long, slow, lustful once-over as he leaned against it. "Beautiful," he said softly. "Most beautiful man I've ever seen."
«Right back at you,» Del said and pulled Theo to him. He kissed Theo fiercely as they fumbled with buttons and tugged at each other's clothes. Del got one of Theo's arms out of the sleeve of the T-shirt beneath his button-down, and Theo pulled away, laughing as he pulled off his shirt and dropped it on the floor.
"Holy," Del began and swallowed with a dry throat. Theo was gorgeous clothed but amazing shirtless: broad-shouldered, well-muscled, his chest deep and his torso long. Del ran his hands over Theo's chest, fascinated, until Theo impatiently grabbed him again for another hard kiss.
"Too many clothes," Theo muttered and pulled Del's shirt over his head, not bothering with the remaining buttons.
Del had a low platform bed and it shifted a little under Theo's weight when Theo threw himself onto it. Del climbed on top of him, straddling him, and bent to kiss him. Theo held Del by the hips and arched his body, his tongue flicking out to tease until Del kissed him deep. "Clothes," he muttered finally, tugging on Del's jeans.
"Yeah," Del said and undid them quickly as Theo did the same, and they both shoved their pants down to their thighs and wrapped themselves around each other, kissing desperately. Del rubbed against him, wanting the heat of Theo's skin as much as he wanted the hardness of Theo's cock.
"Wait, wait," Theo said finally, pulling his mouth away, "I want, I want --" He wrapped his long fingers around Del's prick and Del gasped and buried his face in Theo's neck. Theo patted his back with a soft chuckle, and then pushed Del onto his back and slid off the bed, onto his knees.
Del laid his hand over his eyes and let his legs sprawl open. He felt Theo's breath on his skin before the soft touch of his tongue, and he reached for Theo's shoulder, his stomach quivering.
"Relax, Del," Theo whispered, gently rubbing his thighs. "You're crazy-tense."
"Sorry, I'm-- I mean, you're--"
"I'll take care of you," Theo said. Del opened his eyes and looked down at Theo, and touched the side of Theo's face with his fingertips. Theo pressed Del's hand to his mouth in a gentle kiss, and held onto it as he slid Del's cock into his mouth.
Del breathed through his mouth, his eyes wide. The blowjob was good -- Theo's mouth was hot and his tongue was agile -- but Del had never had anyone hold his hand like this, just hold his hand like it was normal. "Theo," he breathed and clutched Theo's hand tighter as he shuddered and came.
Theo pulled off and wiped his mouth. He then got onto the bed with Del and threw a leg over his hip. He was smiling, too, and his big hand took Del's again, warm and grounding. Del played with his hand, running his thumb over the inside of Theo's wrist and measuring the length of Theo's fingers against his own. "What do you want to do?" he said, and looked up into Theo's eyes. "Whatever you want to do, I think I'll be okay with that."
Theo thought about it, biting his lip, and said, "I want to watch you smile." Del chuckled and Theo said, "And more stuff later, but I like this right now. I feel like I've won something."
Del blinked a few times. "C'mere," he said gruffly and rolled Theo onto his back. Theo went easily, smiling again and letting his limbs fall open so Del could lie on top of him. Del kissed Theo's mouth slowly, keeping his eyes open for as long as he could. Theo breathed harder beneath him as his hands moved slowly over Del's back, and he grunted when Del slid his mouth down Theo's neck and over his chest.
He is so big, Del thought as he touched Theo's body. There's just so much of him. Del couldn't even wrap his hand entirely around Theo's upper arm. He nibbled at Theo's muscles and Theo laughed.
He kept his hand on Theo's belly as he sucked Theo off, sliding it up sometimes to rest over Theo's heartbeat to feel it rapid and steady under his palm. And then down again to Theo's stomach, which trembled and fluttered as Theo moaned. Del sucked him slowly, until Theo grabbed at his hair and gasped, "Del!" and Del pulled up to catch Theo's come on his tongue.
Del flopped onto his back and ran his hand over his face. Theo groped for his hand and grasped it, and Del found he had just enough energy to smile.
"Sorry about the noise," Theo whispered.
"No problem. Jeff sleeps like the dead." He looked at Theo and reached over to run his fingers over Theo's profile. Theo rolled onto his side and pillowed his face on Del's hand. Del stroked Theo's lips with his thumb. "We should sleep, as much as I'd rather stay up. We should leave for the lake by five."
"I'd rather stay up, too," Theo said. "But on the other hand, my flight home doesn't leave until Sunday."
"So we have some time. Just not tonight." Del stroked Theo's lips once more and pulled his hand away so he could shove off his jeans and pull down the blankets. "Come on. Under the covers, kid."
Theo stripped off his clothes as well and got under the blankets with him. "Does Jeff knowing make you nervous?"
"Not nervous." Del wrapped an arm around him when Theo laid his head on Del's shoulder and pressed his lips to Theo's dark hair. "Jeff has enough on his mind. If he notices you didn't sleep on the couch we can just say you fell asleep in here, talking."
"Yeah," Theo murmured. "Talking.» He was quiet a moment. «I'd rather not lie to him. I mean, we don't have to make a big announcement or anything, but if he notices we should just say we like each other.»
Del smiled down at Theo. "Yeah. Yeah. I like that."
"Okay," Theo said. "No big deal." He patted Del's chest and moved off him to lie his head on the other pillow. "Will there be a place for me to sleep on the boat? I'm not a morning person at all."
"We'll find a place for you," Del said. "We can tuck you between the nets and the tackle boxes. You fold up small, right?"
"I'm this big when I want to be." Theo peered at Del through a circle he made with his fingers and Del laughed.
"Sleep, you. We'll find a place for you in the morning."
"Good night, Delany." Theo leaned over and lightly kissed his lips, lay down his head and closed his eyes.
"Good night, kid," Del said and reached over him to turn out the light.
\*\*\*
Jeff was obnoxiously chipper in the morning, whistling as he started the coffee and dropped slices of bread into French toast batter. "You're not supposed to cook," Del said, grumpy and still half-asleep. "I'm supposed to do stuff like that."
"Don't be an ass. I like cooking and you just woke up." He gave Del a bowl, and Del gave its contents a sniff: cream cheese and marmalade. "Stir."
"Okay," Del said and sat at the kitchen table to stir the mess together.
"So," Jeff said from the stove as he turned toast from one side of the other, "where's Theo? Did he get lost looking for the bathroom?"
Del started guiltily but kept stirring. They'd agreed to be straightforward with Jeff, after all. "He's still asleep."
Jeff didn't say anything for a bit, just hovered over the cooking toast and soaked up the last bit of batter with a few more slices. "You slept with my brother?"
"Yeah," Del said, not looking up from the bowl.
"Oh, for God's sake, Del! You just met!"
"I know that,» Del said with a sigh. «It's just, we've hit it off, really connected, and you know I don't meet people that often. It's not going to get in the way of the wedding."
"I'm not worried about the wedding," said Jeff. He slid a spatula under a few slices of toast and put them on a plate. "I just know you. I know that with Carson, the only time I've seen you in an actual relationship, you weren't yourself the whole time. You were on your guard, with this guy you were supposed to be in love with, and you were tense and miserable. I don't want you to do that again, and I certainly don't want you to do that with my brother."
"I wasn't in love with Carson," Del muttered. "And Theo and I are both aware it's just a weekend. What do you want me to do with the topping?" he added, hoping Jeff would let the subject drop.
"It just goes on the toast." He scooped up a few more slices from the griddle. "Delany... I don't know, man. Don't get his hopes up."
"I'm going to wake him up," Del said and escaped to his bedroom.
Theo still slept, one long leg exposed, his arms wrapped around his pillow. His back was strong and sleek, his face peaceful. Del sat on the edge of the bed and tugged Theo's earlobe until he stirred and made a muffled, irritated noise. "What?" he said finally and peered at Del. He smiled, suddenly and beautifully, and sat up. "Hey. Good morning."
"Good morning," Del said and kissed him, morning breath and all. "Breakfast is ready, Jeff knows, and we need to leave soon."
«Wait, what?» Theo blinked at him.
«Jeff knows. Come eat.»
"Okay," Theo said with a jerky nod. "What should I do?"
"Put some clothes on and come eat French toast," Del said. "It'll be okay."
"Jeff's never met anybody I've dated before," Theo said. "I have no idea how he's going to react."
"He's already threatened to break your neck if you impugn my honor." Del grinned and Theo scowled as he threw the blankets aside and swung his legs over the bed. Del started to rise to get out of his way, but paused at the sight of him, long limbs and bulging muscles, and put his hand on Theo's shoulder. Theo looked at him, one eyebrow arching, and then smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. Del held him by the shoulder and kissed him back leisurely, as if their breakfast wasn't cooling in the other room and Jeff wasn't banging around pans with a little more intent than earlier.
Finally Del pulled away and stood. "It's going to be a long day," he observed.
"As long as I finish it intact, I'm happy," Theo replied.
\*\*\*
They finally got on the road twenty minutes later than planned, and Theo stretched out in the little seat of the extended cab and went back to sleep. He had the guitar and his backpack with him, along with a novel he'd brought with him for the flight and another taken from Del's collection, but Del thought he wouldn't get much reading done even if he woke up long enough. Jeff was determined to have him cast a line or two before they left Lake Isabella.
Familiar pick-up trucks and a sedan were parked at the lake shore by the time they arrived and the sun was starting to come up. The boat belonging to Jeff's head chef was already out on the water, waiting for its passengers to climb aboard. Del jumped down from the truck as soon as Jeff parked, waved to their friends and reached into the cab to pull on Theo's booted foot. "We're here."
Theo sat up, blinking, and smiled at him in the same delighted way as earlier. "Cool. Sunscreen?"
"Wait until we get out on the water. There's a lot to do first." He reached into the cab to snag Theo's backpack and taunted him with it. "Come out, come out, little Theo."
"Little," Theo muttered and climbed out of the truck. He stretched his arms up over his head, and his T-shirt crawled up to expose a bit of belly. Del licked his lips and glanced back at the trees that lined the lake, wondering if he could make an excuse to take Theo back into them any time during the day.
"Hey!" Carson slapped Del's back, and Del managed to smile at him. "You guys are late. Who's this?" His eyes swept over Theo, and he gave Del a questioning look.
"I'm Theo," Theo said cheerfully as he hung an arm around Del's neck. Del held his wrist and smiled back at him. "Jeff's brother."
Carson's eyes flicked from Del to Theo and back. "Really."
"Really," Theo said, and Jeff looked as skeptical as Carson now. "Thanks to him I was introduced to Del, and, well, one thing led to another."
Del shrugged. "Sometimes you're just swept off your feet."
"You're absolutely right, snookums," Theo said sweetly.
Del beamed at him and nudged his ribs with an elbow.»Oh, you.»
Del introduced Theo to the rest of the groomsmen, and they all packed up the boat and went out on the water. Theo promptly found himself a nook beside the cooler and promptly fell asleep, his baseball cap angled over his face to protect it from the sun. Del took a place near him, which meant he had to pass out the beers and Cokes but also meant he could watch Theo as he twitched and mumbled to himself. If he turned his head so that sun shone on his eyes, Del gently turned him back.
After an hour or two Jeff moved from near the outboard motor to the end of the boat where Del sat. He cast his line and watched the lure bob, and waved off the beer that Del offered him. "So," Jeff said eventually as the boat rocked and small waves slapped against the sides.
"So," Del said. "What do you think of your last day of unmarried life?"
"It's not bad." He stuck a toothpick in his mouth to chew on. "Can I tell you something?"
"Always."
Jeff wore a cowboy hat to keep from getting sunburned, and he took it off for a moment to sponge perspiration from his forehead with his arm. He resettled his hat back on his head. "I am... a little weirded out at how not worried I am."
"You have no reason to be worried."
"No, I know. I've been waiting for cold feet to hit and it hasn't. I hope this doesn't mean Marianne is the one who'll get scared."
"Marianne's put up with a lot from you over the years," Del reminded him. "If she were going to leave she would have done it already."
"I don't know, man, things change when people get married." Jeff shook his head slowly.
«I'd get married in a second if I could," Del said.
"It's just a matter of time," Jeff said. "People will come around." They were silent a while as the lake lapped around them. "Would you, really, if you could?"
"If I met the right guy, of course. I don't know if that's ever going to happen."
"It will. It would happen faster if your standards weren't so high." He leaned past Del to look at Theo. "Though there's no explaining him."
"He's gorgeous," Del said patiently.
Jeff held up his hands. "No details, please. I guess I'm surprised that's all you need.»
Del tugged his fishing rod and said, "It's just a weekend. It's just for fun."
"Okay," Jeff said. "So you're not thinking about--"
"Oh, good God, no. We just met."
"I was worried for a second." He pulled in his line and recast. "It's a scary thing, marriage. All this meaning and history and shit, and nobody knows how to do it right. My parents divorced, Marianne's parents are divorced, two of her sisters are divorced, Theo can't--" He glanced over his shoulder.
"Theo can," Del said, glancing back, too, but Theo appeared to be sleeping on, unaware of the discussion about him. "He was with the same guy all through college. Did you know that?"
Jeff was quiet a moment. "No. We didn't talk much then."
"You should have," Del said. "You've missed out on a lot with him, starting with the fact that yes, he could have a long-term relationship despite the family history." He recast his line, unhappy with the lay of the lure.
"Yeah, I guess." Jeff's line jerked, and he reached behind for a net. "I got something, I got something!"
Del laughed and put the net in his hand, and Theo woke at the commotion and cheered him on, and proudly held the cooler open when Jeff caught the fish in the net and brought it into the boat.
\*\*\*
Around ten they all came to shore. Two of the chefs from Jeff's restaurant cleaned the catfish they'd caught while the rest of the men started a fire and got to work on the meal: cobbler in a Dutch oven, potatoes wrapped in foil, onions and peppers sliced and peeled to cook with the fish. Theo was assigned most of the slicing, and amused himself with singing songs Del remembered from elementary school himself: "John Henry" and "Darling Clementine" and "Down by the Bay." The others nudged each other and smirked at him, particularly when he sang about polka-dot whales, but stopped after Del, and then Jeff, joined in.
Del had been assigned prepping apples for the cobbler, and he was nearly done peeling and slicing them into a big, plastic mixing bowl when Carson sat on the log beside him with the dry ingredients in tiny Tupperware containers. "This was a great idea, Del," Carson said. "This is the most fun I've had at a bachelor party in years."
"Good," Del said and pushed the bowl toward him. "This is ready for you."
Carson took the bowl and started mixing in cinnamon and sugar. "I like campfire cooking," he said. "It's like cooking at its most stripped-down. If this was the restaurant, there'd be candied pecans and a caramel sauce, at the very least. And every cobbler would be baked in its own ramekin, with a dollop of whipped cream mixed with cinnamon on top." He paused and looked at Del. "I should suggest that to Jeff."
"It sounds delicious," said Del. "Just completely unlike Jeff."
"Sometimes even the most sophisticated palates want something simple," Carson said with a shrug. "Like a turkey dinner with mashed potatoes. No rosemary, no garlic, just turkey and gravy." He looked up again. "How'd you end up with Jeff's brother? I thought he lived in Texas."
"He does," Del said.
"So, how did you meet him? I didn't think he visited that often. Jeff's never mentioned him coming until the wedding."
"Did I slice the apples thin enough?" Del said.
Carson gazed at him, his head tilted. "Oh, Delany... you met him last night, right? And now you think you've started something you're not prepared to deal with."
"I think he's a nice kid and I like him," Del said and gathered up the corners of the plastic sheet that had caught the apple peels and cores. "I think I'm going to enjoy myself with a hot guy."
"And when his being hot isn't enough," said Carson, "you're going to dawdle and reconsider, and ask yourself a thousand times if he's the right one, and by the time you decide he is, he'll be back in Texas with another guy."
Del clenched his jaw. Across the campsite, Theo was watching them, an onion and a paring knife dangling from his hands. "It's just a weekend," Del said finally. "We both know that."
"I don't know, Delany. The way he's been watching you, I'd say he thinks it's more than that." Carson picked up the mixing bowl and took it to the fire where the Dutch oven was warming in the coals.
Del stared after him, then crossed the campsite and dumped the leavings from the apples into a big, rusty metal garbage can. He smiled at Theo when the other man joined him with his own collection of peels. "Hey."
"Hey. You two fighting?" Theo jerked his head toward Carson.
"No. He was telling me like it is." He looked to the trees and sighed. "If I weren't the best man I'd suggest you and I skip the rehearsal tonight and find something more interesting to do." He slanted a look at Theo. "Wanna... go for a walk instead?"
"I would," Theo said and hooked an arm around Del's neck as they ambled off into the trees.
They hiked for quite some time, until they passed through a grove of pine trees to a green meadow. "This is my favorite place around here," Del said and Theo turned to take in the view: the gray granite mountains across the lake, the serene waters below, the sturdy, fragrant pines.
"I can see why. It's gorgeous." He looked at Del and then kissed him, holding him by the shoulder. Del held Theo's face and kissed him back, and then kissed Theo's neck, which tasted like coconut from his sunscreen and was warm from being out in the sun all day. He pulled off Theo's baseball cap and raked a hand through his hair so he could grip the back of Theo's head and kiss him again.
He whispered, "You're so gorgeous, Theo, so sexy and sweet," and Theo laughed again, soft against his cheek.
"So're you, Del. Delany." He pulled back and looked at Del with fond eyes. "Jeff's lucky to have a friend like you." He wound his arms around Del and pulled him close. "They're all lucky, and I bet they have no idea."
"Stop it," Del said, hiding his face in Theo's neck. "You're making me blush."
Theo held him and patted his hair, chuckling. "Nope. I like you. I'm not going to stop telling you anytime soon. I bet there isn't a thing about you I won't like."
Del rocked his head against Theo's shoulder. «Don't say that. There could be a dozen things.» He looked up at Theo. «But I like everything I know about you.»
Theo tilted Del's face up and kissed his forehead. "One more thing to like. You're so sweet."
"I'm not. Not really. I'm a mess. I have no idea what I'm doing with you."
"You're having a good time." Theo regarded Del thoughtfully. "I wish I'd thought ahead enough to bring a condom so you could fuck me here."
Del shivered at the image of Theo beneath him on the grass. "There's plenty of time for that."
"Promise?"
"Oh, I promise," Del said softly. They stood there a moment, and Del was sure Theo was picturing the same thing he was: the two of them on the grass, naked in the sunshine. Del said, "We should get back to the others. The food'll be ready and I want to try that catfish."
Theo took his hand, and they wound through the trees back to the lake.
\*\*\*
They all left the lake after they'd eaten and cleaned up the site, and went their separate ways to meet again for the rehearsal that evening. Del let Jeff and Theo have the showers first -- his own in the master bath and the one in the tiny guest bathroom -- and when he came out of his own shower later, they both were watching ESPN companionably on the sofa. They weren't talking, but they weren't arguing either, and Del figured that as good as he could hope for.
"Are you two packed?" he said, and they both started guiltily.
"Mostly," Jeff said and got up from the couch. "You're picking up the tuxedos on the way, right?"
"Yes." He asked Theo, "Who do you want to ride with? Jeff and I are taking separate cars."
"Oh, um--" He glanced from one to the other.
"Better go with Del," Jeff said. "I'll have stuff for the wedding in the truck."
"Okay," Theo said. "Can we stop at a pharmacy on the way? There's something I'd like to pick up." He gave Del a look from beneath his lashes.
Del smiled at him, unable to stop himself. "Okay."
"And on that note," said Jeff, "I'll be on my way. See you guys up there. Don't forget the rehearsal starts at six. And don't forget the guitar," he added to Theo, who nodded.
"Don't worry. See you there."
Jeff left, his bag under his arm, and Theo kicked back on the couch, his long legs stretched out. "I wish we could stay here a little longer, but I guess there are responsibilities."
Del sat on the arm of the sofa and put his hand on Theo's shoulder. "'Fraid so. But after we get up to the lodge and all the wedding stuff is over, I'm sure we can find some time to ourselves." He rubbed a circle into Theo's shoulder with his thumb.
"Hey," Theo said softly, "c'mere," and pulled Del off the arm of the sofa onto his lap. He kissed Del, his hand warm on the back of Del's neck, and Del rested his palms on Theo's chest and kissed him slowly.
He pulled away reluctantly, even though Theo's lips were as succulent and tempting as ripe strawberries. "Let's not start anything we won't have time to finish. I have errands to run."
Theo sighed but stood anyway when Del got off his lap. "You're the responsible friend, I see."
"Yup. I'm always the designated driver. Get your bags, let's hit the road."
They packed their luggage in the trunk of Del's Bug, and Theo put the guitar case in the back seat. Their first stop was the pharmacy as Theo had asked, and he came out with a small paper bag and a big grin. After that they got tuxedos from the rental shop, and then Del turned the car to the mountains outside Tehachapi for the drive to the lodge where the wedding would be held.
Theo was quiet as they got out of the town and took a road that wound through wind farms and apple orchards. He said finally, "I'd forgotten how varied California is."
"I love it here," Del said. "It's not like the rest of the state, even. It's like its own world."
"Since we moved, the only times I've been back was to go to Disneyland. L.A.'s like its own world, too, really, but not like this. Not like stepping back in time." He paused. "Not a place you could put roots down in and stay a while."
Del swallowed hard. "That's why I stayed. But wouldn't you miss Texas?"
"I was born here. Maybe I've just been waiting for a reason to come back."
That reason's not me, Del thought, but couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.
\*\*\*
The lodge where the wedding would be held was on a mountainside, overlooking the valley and Tehachapi below. Del and Theo checked in, and after he dropped off the tuxedos and his luggage in his room, Del had a peek at the patio where the chairs and decorations were set up for the wedding. The lodge would provide most of the décor for the wedding and reception, but all the personal touches were provided by Marianne's family: the little bouquets on the tables, the flowers thrust into the bows tied to each chair, and the white filigree arch with more flowers woven throughout. There were photographs of Jeff and Marianne on each table, dating back to when Marianne was only eighteen and a new waitress at Jeff's restaurant, standing stiffly with the rest of the staff, right through to a recent family portrait.
"They did a great job, didn't they?" said Jeff from the doorway to the dining room. Del went to him and hugged him quickly.
"It looks great. It looks like a garden."
"That's the look my girl wanted," Jeff said. "I think this is exactly what she wanted down to every detail. Weird, huh? Getting everything you want, I mean."
"Wouldn't know," Del said and patted Jeff's back. "Come on, let's dole out the tuxes."
They went up the stairs to Del's room. On the way they passed Theo's room, where the door was open. Theo sat on the bed, practicing on the guitar for the next day. "Hey, Jeff," he said as they passed.
"Hey," Jeff said, and when Del nudged him he added, "That sounds really good."
"Thanks," Theo said.
"If you see any more of the groomsmen, will you tell them to come to my room?" Del said. "I want to get the tuxedos out to everyone before rehearsal."
"Okay," Theo said, bobbing his head. "I will. When does it start?"
"Six o'clock," Del said and checked his watch. "Not much longer."
"I'm going to get my tux," Jeff said to Del, and Del gave him his room key. When Jeff had gone on Del sat cross-legged on the bed beside Theo, and then lay back and put his arm over his eyes.
"Tired already?" Theo said, still playing.
"Yeah. I was up half the night entertaining a guest." He removed his arm to look at Theo. "How are you holding up?"
"Fine, I guess. Marianne's sisters have all come by to say hi, and Marianne wants me to watch Jesse during the rehearsal."
"See?" Del said. "You're part of the family already." He touched Theo's back and sighed. "I should go do best man stuff. Come to my room if you get bored, 'kay?"
"Can I come even if I'm not bored?" Theo grinned at him.
"You can come for any reason you want," Del said and gave Theo's back one more caress before he left.
\*\*\*
Theo managed to keep Jesse quiet during most of the rehearsal with a combination of toys and half-whispered songs, but the moment Marianne and Jeff walked up the aisle, Jesse wiggled down from Theo's knee and ran to them. Jeff picked him up and carried him out to the dining room on his arm, the rest of the wedding party following.
Del was last, and excused himself from the matron of honor -- Marianne's just-younger sister -- to help Theo clean up Jesse's toys. Marianne came back after a few minutes and said, relieved, "There you are! Theo, thank you so much. I know he's a handful." She knelt on the floor to gather up the last of the fabric blocks and a stuffed turtle.
"He's two," Theo said. "They're supposed to be handfuls at that age. By the time I get them, they usually have all their teeth, though."
Marianne laughed. "I think I'm going to like being your sister." She glanced at Del, and then stood and touched both their shoulders. "Come on. Food. The roast beef is supposed to be excellent." She picked up Jesse's bag and went back into the dining room.
"Do you ever get the feeling," Theo said, "that people have been talking about you?"
"All the time," said Del.
They went into the dining room, and at first Del couldn't find his place card. Theo waved to him. "Del! You're here."
Del sat in the chair at Theo's side. "Did you do this? It was next to Marianne's mom earlier."
"I didn't," Theo said, shaking his head. He added quietly, "I think it could have been any number of people here. Matchmakers, the lot of them."
Del smiled back and then swallowed hard. "Weddings do that to people," he replied just as softly. "Makes 'em a little crazy."
After the meal and the toasts and speeches, there was music and board games in the lobby. Del begged off from them, though, and took his wine glass outside to the lodge's garden. There were tiny, white Christmas lights strung in the trees, and they softly lit the way to a footbridge that arched over a small creek. He went to the middle of the footbridge and looked over the handrail to watch the water and think.
His life was not an exciting one, but it was stable. Lovers, his job, his friends -- these were all things he considered slowly and carefully. If this meant loneliness, then he dealt with the loneliness. If this meant missed opportunities, then he moved on. He rarely had one-night stands, and certainly not one night that stretched into two or three. And Theo was a stranger, even if he was Jeff's brother. Jeff hardly knew him.
"What are you getting yourself into, Delany?" he muttered and drank some champagne.
There were footsteps on the wooden bridge and Del looked up, a practiced smile on his mouth that turned genuine when he saw it was Marianne. "Hey, bride-to-be."
"Hey, best man." She joined him and he slipped an arm around her waist. "Why aren't you in at the party?"
"I needed a little quiet time."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm just fine," he said, smiling at her. "Why aren't you in there, enjoying your special day?"
"My special day doesn't start for," she checked her watch, "another hour and thirty-eight minutes. And then I turn into Bridezilla."
"It's about time. I've been wondering when you'd crack."
"Oh, I've already had three nervous breakdowns," Marianne said. She rubbed Del's back over his suit jacket. "Anyway, we were talking about you. And my new brother-in-law, who's already won over my son. That's a good sign. Kids know."
"Yeah," Del said, watching the dark water of the creek.
Marianne stroked his back, then said, "See, the thing is I've seen you do this before. You meet somebody great, and then you hesitate and keep on hesitating, and by the time you make up your mind that this person is worth the effort, they've already moved on."
"You waited for Jeff," Del said.
"There was never any question in my mind if he loved me or not," Marianne said. "It was everything else that took some time. Look, all I'm saying is love doesn't find you every day."
"I met him yesterday," Del said. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
Marianne patted his back. "Doesn't matter. When it's right, it's right. I knew Jeff was for me the second I laid eyes on him. Come back to the party, okay?"
"In a minute," Del said. Marianne gave his back one more pat and went back into the lodge. Del finished his champagne and followed. No games for him, he decided, even though Theo looked at him with longing, and he bid everyone good night and went to his room.
He was brushing his teeth when there was a knock on his door. He opened it and grinned around his toothbrush when he saw it was Theo. "Come on in," he mumbled and went into the bathroom to spit out his toothpaste.
"Missed you at the games," Theo called to him and sat on the bed. He was unbuttoning the cuffs of his dress shirt when Del came back out. "I was hoping we could talk some."
"We can talk here." Del hesitated a moment, then went to him and took hold of those enormous hands. "Or we could not talk at all."
Theo tilted his head, regarding him in what Del suspected was the same way he used when his students tried to pull something over on him. "You think this is a booty call?"
"Isn't it?"
"I wouldn't mind actually talking."
"Okay," Del said and let go of his hands. "What about?" He went to his suitcase to find a T-shirt.
"You. Your life. You know a lot more about me than I know about you."
Del grimaced. "I'm not that interesting."
"Okay," Theo said slowly, "how about we talk about the fact that my brother's getting married tomorrow and it's freaking me out a little? About as much as it's freaking you out, I'm guessing, which is why you're avoiding everybody -- unless you're always like this and everyone else is just used to you."
"Why is it freaking you out?" Del said, determined to avoid the rest of Theo's question, and pulled on a T-shirt.
"I don't know. I mean, you've got brothers and sisters, right? Are any of them married?"
"Yeah, my sister and my oldest brother."
"Was it weird, watching them do this?"
"Weird? No." Del sat cross-legged on the bed. "I was happy for them. Envious, too, but happy. I like seeing my family find people to love them."
"Yeah," Theo muttered, and then lay back, his arm under his head. "Happy but envious is pretty much what I feel."
"You want that forever, huh," Del said.
"Yeah. Stupid of me, I know."
"It's not stupid." Del hesitated, then reached over to gently stroke Theo's hair with his thumb. "It's natural. But you've got plenty of time to find what you're looking for."
"I'm not that patient," Theo said, giving him a measured look through his spring-leaf eyes, and he grasped Del's shirt. Del inhaled and licked his lips. "But I guess it can wait one more night, right?"
"Right," Del said and let Theo pull him over and kiss him senseless.
\*\*\*
As Del watched Marianne walk down the aisle, he wondered how many brides did so to the Beatles. Theo softly played one of their sweeter love songs and Jeff had to swallow hard a few times as Marianne walked to him. When she reached him he closed his eyes, and Marianne cupped his cheek in her hand and wiped away his tears with her thumb.
"It's only good luck if the bride cries," she whispered, and Del gave Jeff some tissues to wipe his face before the pastor started saying the vows.
Marianne's mother was holding Jesse during the ceremony, but he got free and crept up the aisle to lean against Theo, his fingers in his mouth as he watched his parents. When they kissed, Jesse laughed a hearty chortle and ran to them, like he knew what was supposed to happen next. Again Jeff scooped him up and they both kissed him, and Jeff held Jesse on his arm as the three of them walked back up the aisle to the recessional.
It was a good wedding. No big disasters, no drama. The cake was delicious, people laughed in the right places during Del's speech, and Theo hit all the right notes when he sang and played for Jeff and Marianne's first dance.
After that, the music was taken over by the lodge's DJ and Theo put the guitar away in its case to join Del at his table. "You sounded great," Del said and laid a hand on Theo's back.
"Thanks.» He leaned back against Del's hand.
«When Jeff said you could sing I didn't think about how you'd actually sound,» Del said and stroked Theo's back with his thumb. «Singing kids' songs isn't like singing for an audience, I bet.»
«Honestly? Kids are tougher. They let you know when you miss a note or mess up the words.» He looked out at the dance floor, then back at Del, a small smile on his lips. "Will you dance with me?"
"Yeah," Del said softly. Theo beamed and took his hand to lead him out. He put his arms around Del's waist, and Del took one of his hands and held it to his chest. He leaned their heads together, closing his eyes with a sigh.
"You look great in a tux," Theo said after a while.
"Thanks. You look great in a suit."
Theo laughed. "Thanks." He took hold of a button on Del's jacket and rubbed it between his fingers. "You know," he began but didn't continue.
"What?" said Del.
"I was just thinking, two thousand miles isn't really that far. It's a day's flight or two days' drive. And I bet you'd love Austin." He looked at Del, as much hope as there was worry in his eyes.
"Oh," Del said. "Wow. That's an interesting suggestion."
"Interesting suggestion?" Theo said, the worry in his eyes increasing. "It's an invitation. I want you to come out and visit me. I'd show you a great time."
"Theo..." Del laid his head on Theo's shoulder a moment. «I don't think I should.»
Theo tilted his head, his brows drawn together. «Why not? Come out to Austin for a couple days. We'll go to some clubs, you can meet my friends...»
"I can't start anything with you." Theo stopped dancing and looked at him, perplexed. "I like you, I do, and you're so hot, but I'm not your forever, Theo. I'm just not."
Theo was quiet a moment. "What are you waiting for?" he said quietly. "Are you waiting for perfection to just find you? Or a sign from God?"
"No, of course not."
"So, what are you waiting for?" Theo was still frowning. "Or are you just scared?"
Del rolled his eyes and finally dropped Theo's hand. "I thought you understood that this was just for fun."
"I am having fun. I'm having so much fun I want to do it again." He looked away, a muscle in his jaw jumping. "I guess I just understood it different from you." He left Del on the dance floor and went through the doors to the garden.
Del stood there a moment, not sure what had just happened, and then left the floor, too, and got himself another glass of champagne.
\*\*\*
The lodge staff took care of cleaning up the reception, quietly clearing tables and sweeping up bits of paper and flower petals while the last few remaining guests picked at leftover cake or slowly danced to the piped-in music. Del pulled open his bow tie and left his jacket unbuttoned, and wandered around the dining room until he couldn't find any more reasons to stay there and went out onto the patio instead.
He almost went right back into the dining room when he saw Carson sitting at one of the picnic tables with Nicky, the new boyfriend -- a slim, blond man who never said much but who always had a hand on Carson somewhere, his shoulder or his back or his knee. Del didn't know much about him, and he was okay with that.
"Hey, Del," Carson called to him and Del turned back with a tight smile. "Come on, have a seat. It's gorgeous out here."
Del sighed but joined them, as it would be rude otherwise. He sat on the bench beside Carson and looked out at the bridge and the dark woods beyond. Nicky smiled at him and put his hand on Carson's knee. "It was such a beautiful wedding."
"Yeah, it was," said Del. "I had very little to do with it, though."
"You were still a part of it," Nicky said, and now his hand was rubbing Carson's knee and Del made himself look away.
"A very small part. I held the rings."
"And kept Jeff sane for two years," said Carson as he put his hand on top of Nicky's.
"That part was easy," Del muttered and looked away again. "Have you guys been over the footbridge? It's peaceful."
"It's too dark for exploring," Nicky said. "We're just enjoying the stars and this wonderful champagne."
"Nick," Carson said, "do you mind if we--" He gestured between him and Del, and Nicky nodded, stood, and kissed Carson's forehead.
"I'll be in the room. Good night, Delany."
"Good night," Del said and watched him go inside. "Asshole," he muttered when he turned back, and Carson nudged him hard with his elbow.
"Quit it. You two would be friends if you'd give him half a chance." Del snorted, and Carson added, "It is much too late for you to pull the jealous act. You were perfectly happy to let me go."
Del leaned back against the table and looked up at the stars.
«I also noticed that Jeff's brother left you on the dance floor."
"Yeah," Del said with a sigh. "He did. He invited me to come to Texas and visit him."
«Well, you stand up to that jerk and tell him absolutely not.» Del looked at him with narrowed eyes, and Carson grinned. «I'm teasing, you moron. He left you, looking very pissed off, so I guess you didn't accept his invitation.»
Del sighed. «I did not.»
«And why not?» "
"Because I can't start anything with this guy. We barely know each other."
"So you go to Texas and you get to know him better. If you have a good time, ask him to come back here, and if you have a bad time, tell him thanks and goodbye. That's the way the rest of us do it." Del sighed again, and Carson leaned forward. "I didn't meet Nick the day after I left you. I met him after a couple of months, after a lot of disastrous dates and guys who weren't even worth learning their names."
"I hate dating," Del said.
"I know you do. And you're terrible at it. Now, if I were single and some gorgeous guy just walked off a plane and into my life and then invited me to visit him in Texas, I'd go, just for the adventure."
"I'm not you," Del muttered. "I need to know. I need to be sure.»
"And how are you ever going to be sure without taking some risks? Or in this case, one really big risk. One really tall, gorgeous, guitar-playing, works-with-children risk."
"You don't understand."
"I understand perfectly, baby. I was in love with you for three years." Del looked at him and Carson shrugged. "What? It's not like you didn't know. I loved you to pieces. But I couldn't wait anymore for you to decide you loved me back."
Del started to answer but decided closing his mouth would be a better idea.
"Anyway," Carson said. He reached over to pet Del's hair. "Here's the thing. Someone you want wants you. Maybe it'll work out. Maybe it won't. You just have to hope it will, because hope, my dear Delany, is the entire point."
Del leaned back into his hand. "He is pretty perfect, isn't he?"
"He is."
"But long-distance--"
"Too much work?" Carson raised an eyebrow.
Del glared at him. "It's hard enough to keep a relationship going when you live in the same house."
"I think I'm going to give up now and go to my boyfriend," Carson said and rose with a sigh. "You're depressing me and I'd rather go be life-affirming."
"Good night, Carson," Del said as he started to walk away, and Carson turned to him.
"I'll always love you, you know that? I want you to be happy."
"I wish I knew how," Del said. Carson came back and kissed his forehead.
"You can start by crossing the bridge. You'll like what you find there." He went into the lodge.
Del blinked after him, confused, and then realized what Carson meant and ran across the bridge.
The woods were dark, lit only by the Christmas tree lights and the lamps from the lodge behind him, but there was a path through the trees and not far to go until the trees parted to a small meadow. Del paused when he saw Theo sitting on a stump, his long legs sprawled out, his suit jacket on the grass and his face tipped up to the moonlight as if it warmed him like sunshine.
Every instinct in Del said to leave him alone, Theo was better off without him -- except for the small, hopeful part, the one he rarely listened to, that said, The worst that will happen is he'll say no.
«Theo,» he said and Theo opened his eyes. His expression was neutral when he saw Del.
"Delany."
«Can I talk to you?»
Theo swallowed and looked away a moment. «You don't have to worry about driving me to the airport tomorrow. Marianne's sister Katie is driving me."
"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about."
Theo frowned, then gestured to the stump. "Okay. I guess there's room for two."
Del crossed the meadow and sat beside Theo on the stump. He took a deep breath and figured the best thing to do was just say it. "Okay," Del said. "Here's the thing. We don't know each other except in this weird context of Jeff getting married, so everything's exaggerated and compressed."
"Okay," Theo said slowly.
"So, this is a crash-course in me," Del said. "Everything in my life has gone according to plan. I live in the same town I was born in, I went to the same college my parents went to, I have the profession I decided on when I was a teenager. The only time things haven't gone according to plan is I never met that perfect guy." He stopped and swallowed. "Until Thursday night, when you walked off the plane, all words and legs and that amazing smile."
"And wanting forever," Theo said. "Which you made quite clear you're not."
"Well," Del said, "what if I was wrong? What if I'm so scared of not being your forever that I never take the chance to find out?"
Theo looked at him as if he had started speaking in tongues. "Dude, you are fucked up."
"I know. I know."
"Is that how you and Jeff got to be friends? You both have an enormous fear of commitment?"
"Basically. We had to talk about something during therapy sessions." He stopped, swallowed again, and said, "So. How about giving me another chance?"
Theo exhaled, thoughtful. "I don't know, Del. I'm not crazy about you running hot and cold."
"Just tonight--"
«Oh, so you just want to get laid."
"Just tonight," Del repeated, "and tomorrow. And then whenever you want. If you want, I'll come out and see you. I've never been to Texas," he added, hope in his voice.
Theo started to smile. "I'd love to show it to you. But then what, Del?»
Del said, «I don't have a plan. For once in my life, I don't have a plan. I'm willing to hope.»
Theo pounced, kissing him with a mouth that was open and wet. Del melted into him, hands against the soft cotton of his shirt, and couldn't decide where to start, the tie, the buttons? He pulled at Theo's shirt and touched the smooth skin of his back, and Theo bent his head against Del's neck and shivered.
«We should go inside,» Del whispered and licked his dry lips.
«Um, actually,» said Theo and took out a small bottle of lubricant and a condom from his back pocket. Del raised his eyebrows. Theo confessed, «I was kind of hoping to get you alone during the reception.»
«Outdoor sex,» Del breathed. «You have the best ideas.» He kissed Theo and sucked on his lip as Theo pulled the bowtie from his collar and started unbuttoning his shirt with trembling hands.
Del pulled Theo down onto the grass. He got Theo out of his shirt and his pants undone as Theo pulled off Del's tuxedo and kissed his chest. «You have the sweetest freckles,» Theo whispered and licked Del's nipple. Del groaned and bumbled at the fly of his tuxedo trousers until Theo laughed and pushed his hand out of the way. His hand shook even so, and Del watched Theo's face and panted for breath as cool night air caressed his skin.
He rolled Theo under him and knelt over Theo's hips. Theo watched him through half-closed eyes as Del mapped his body from shoulders to hips, first with his hands and then with his tongue, and he moaned, «Del,» sometimes in a choked voice that made Del's belly tighten.
Theo pulled Del down by his shoulders and kissed him. His lips were soft, the only soft thing about his body, and they yielded to Del's mouth so willingly. His jaw was sandpapery with five o'clock shadow, and his fingers rough with calluses as he ran them over Del's shoulders and arms.
«Gonna fuck me, right?» Theo growled when Del moved his mouth to Theo's neck. «Tell me you're gonna fuck me.»
«I will do anything to you that you want,» Del said and nipped at his shoulder. «Take off your pants.»
Theo laughed and shucked them off, and when he was nude Del had to just stop and stare. Theo was so long and broad, so comfortable in his skin that he met Del's gaze frankly and grinned. «I think you kind of like me.»
«I think you're kind of right,» Del said and fell onto Theo. He kissed Theo desperately as their cocks rubbed together, and Theo's hands pushed and pulled and squeezed. Del slicked his fingers and worked them one by one into Theo, sucking on his neck as he buried his fingers in Theo's tight body.
He stroked Theo deep until Theo threw back his head and said, «Del, please," in that gravelly choked voice. Del grabbed the condom from the grass and tore it open, rolled it onto his prick and lifted Theo's leg over his shoulder. Theo made soft helpless sounds in his chest as Del pushed into him.
It took them a few minutes to find a mutual rhythm but then they did, Del pushing forward and Theo pushing right back. Del wrapped his hand around Theo's cock and jerked him, tight and probably too rough, but Theo said, "Yes, uh-huh," and shoved into his fist. He lifted his other leg over Del's shoulder and Del bent over him, moving his hips fast and his hand faster, until Theo's back arched and his feet curled against Del's back and he came, hot and slick, over his belly and Del's hand.
Del rested his hands on the grass and watched Theo's face, watched him suck oxygen in between his teeth as Del fucked him, and when Del started to shudder and gasp Theo pulled him down and kissed him. He kept kissing Del until the shivering stopped and Del slumped against him. Theo's big hands splayed over his back and held him in place, their gasping breaths no louder than the wind in the trees.
\*\*\*
They dressed again only for decency's sake, shirts on but unbuttoned, socks rolled into pockets, and scurried through the quiet lodge to Theo's room. "Could I--" Del said, and Theo pulled him by the hand into his room before he could finish.
They tumbled onto the bed, kissing each other, and shed their clothes and crawled under the sheets. Del turned on the bedside lamp and touched Theo's face, ran a hand over his chest and back up his neck."You're beautiful," he said and Theo blinked at him with those springtime eyes. Del rubbed his thumb over Theo's lips and traced his ears, his almond-shaped eyes, the wide set of his forehead and his square jaw. Theo smiled and Del traced his dimples as well. «You kind of wreck me.»
Theo gave him a puzzled look. «What? Why?»
«I feel like,» Del began, and then bit his lip. «Okay. This is going to sound weird.» Theo looked at him patiently. «You could have anybody you wanted, so what do you want with me?»
«Oh, Delany,» Theo said and pulled Del to him so that Del sprawled across his body. «That thing I said earlier about you being fucked up? I had no idea.»
«There you go,» Del said. «That's one more thing that's wrong with me.»
«There's nothing wrong with you,» Theo said, and repeated it, more seriously, «There's nothing wrong with you. You're amazing. You're gorgeous. You took care of everybody all weekend, even me, when you didn't know me at all. And you got my brother safely married, which I think we all know is nothing short of a miracle.»
«That was all Marianne,» Del said. «I had nothing to do with it.»
«You got him to the church on time, dude,» Theo said. «Miraculous.» He stroked his thumbs over Del's cheekbones. «I think I have to kiss you just for that.» Theo stooped and kissed him, gentle and slow, and then moved his mouth lightly over Del's face, pressing small kisses here and there as if he meant to kiss every freckle. Del cupped his head and held Theo close, exhaling.
After a few minutes of soft kisses, Theo said, "You know, when I get back, everybody's going to ask how the wedding was and I'll have to say it was the best wedding I've ever been to because I met this great guy. Then they're going to want to also meet this great guy, and what will I tell them?" He looked at Del, the picture of innocence.
Del touched Theo's nose. "I don't know. Labor Day weekend, or is that too soon?"
"I think Labor Day weekend sounds perfect." He stretched up to kiss Del. «Fly out Friday, fly home Monday. We will have such a good time."
"I bet we will." They rested their foreheads together and Del flicked out his tongue to touch Theo's lips. "But I'm scared to death."
"Well, stop it. There's nothing to be afraid of when hope is involved." Del nodded, and Theo moved onto his back and pulled Del gently to him, an arm around Del's shoulders and a hand buried in Del's hair. "You'd better come and see me. We'll have a great time, and we'll figure out if this is just wedding-induced madness or something a little more substantial."
"Those are some big words, there," Del murmured, smiling.
"It comes from hanging out around adults again." He traced lazy figure eights and circles on Del's back.
"Okay," Del said. "No fear. I will be fearless. Brave, even."
"That's my Delany." He kissed Del's forehead.
"If you call me Delany, I get to call you Theodore."
"No, no, no," Theo protested. "It makes me feel like one of the Chipmunks and I don't have the squeaky voice."
"No, you don't," Del said and moved on top of him. "You have," he kissed Theo's chest, "a lovely," he kissed Theo's stomach, "very masculine," he kissed Theo's hip, "amazing baritone." He sucked Theo's cock into his mouth, but had to pull off and laugh when Theo squeaked.
\*\*\*
Half the wedding party was at breakfast when they came to the dining room in the morning, and Del hoped everyone else was too tired and contented to notice that he and Theo practically glowed with satisfaction.
Carson winked at him, though. Del smiled self-consciously back and filled his plate from the breakfast buffet, and decided to blame the heat in his face on the warming dishes.
They joined Mrs. Bodie and Mrs. Whitacre at their table. «Delany,» Mrs. Whitacre said, «tell me what your plans are for today. I can't decide which of the lovely activities they offer here that I'd like to try.»
«I have no plans,» said Del. He glanced at Theo and Theo beamed at him. «Just a slow, lazy day until I take this one back to the airport.»
«No plans sounds lovely,» said Mrs. Bodie. «I think I may do that, myself.»
«I don't think I've ever seen you have an idle hour,» Mrs. Whitacre said. «Certainly not an entire day.»
«There's a first for everything.» He touched Theo's leg under the table and Theo laced their fingers together and held his hand all through breakfast.
\*\*\*
Saying goodbye to Theo in the tiny Bakersfield airport was far harder than Del thought it would be. He held Theo's face and kissed him, and Theo kissed him back every time he tried to stop. "They're calling your flight," he whispered finally. 
"There's only eight of us," Theo said, still kissing him. "It's a short line."
Del kissed him a few more times, then put his hands on Theo's shoulders and stepped firmly out of kissing distance. "You need to get on board."
"All right," Theo said grumpily. "Can I call you when I change planes in San Francisco?"
"You'd better.»
"Can I call you when I get home?"
"You'd better." He stroked Theo's shoulders.
"Can we have phone sex when I get home?"
"Absolutely," Del said, laughing.
"Can we have phone sex when I get to San Francisco?"
"Probably not. We should wait until you've got some privacy."
"Fine." Theo looked at him, tenderness in his eyes. "And you're coming in two weeks. No backing down."
"I'll be there." He looked at Theo, knowing he had to say goodbye and unable to actually say the words. "Okay. Get on your plane. I'll see you in two weeks."
"Yeah, yeah." Theo started to the gates, which consisted of a security guard and a doorway, and then stopped and turned back. "Del!"
They looked at each other for a moment or two, and then Theo raised his hand in a small wave goodbye. Del returned it, and then Theo got into line to board the plane. Del waited until the plane was safely in the sky to go home.
\*\*\*
Two weeks later, as the plane landed in Austin, Del couldn't stop fidgeting. Even though he and Theo emailed several times a day, talked on the phone several times a week, IM-ed each other every day and Del had even gotten a webcam so they could see each other, he was nervous. What if Theo didn't meet him at the airport? What if Theo had only been humoring him all this time? What if he just didn't want Del anymore?
He reminded himself that Theo had said, "I can't wait to see you," just the night before, and that they'd confirmed the details of Del's flight three times, and Theo had emailed him that morning just to say, "I can't wait until I can kiss you all I want."
Nothing to be afraid of, Del thought. The man you want wants you.
They had arranged to meet at the baggage carousel for his flight, and Del stood with his hand wrapped tight around the handle of his suitcase and remembered to breathe. All around him people reunited, hugging, kissing, greeting each other with cries of joy. "No fears," Del whispered. "He'll be here."
Someone tapped him on the shoulder and Del whirled to see Theo smiling at him, delight in his hazel eyes. "Hey," Del breathed. "Hey, forever."
Theo's smile grew even wider. "Hey, forever.»
End
Your Forever: The Eight of Wands
Copyright © 2010 by Jenna Jones
ISBN: 978-0-60370-945-3
All rights reserved. No part of this eBook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address Torquere Press, Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680
Printed in the United States of America.
Torquere Press, Inc.: Single Shot electronic edition / March 2010
Torquere Press eBooks are published by Torquere Press, Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680

