“It was fun,” Jesse replied. “Lake wore the fancy ballroom dress I got him for Christmas. He was beautiful.”
Jesse’s words filled Jacob with love and warmth. “I don’t want to keep you from your boy.”
“No,” Jesse growled. “Lake is fine. Now tell me everything. And start at the beginning this time.”
As Jacob filled Jesse in on the events from the night, it helped him process everything as well. He’d been a dick. Thinking that James had been drinking even though he’d known the boy had been working.
Luckily James didn’t seem to remember that. He’d been too busy freaking out about the kiss. And kicking Jacob out of his apartment.
“Well.” Jesse was trying to hold back his laughter. Jacob could tell. He knew his brother better than anyone else in the world. “It could have gone better.”
“No kidding.” Why had Jacob thought that his brother would be helpful?
“But,” Jesse drawled. “At least you know that James is attracted to you.”
“He was vulnerable,” Jacob argued. “That was why I stopped the kiss in the first place. It didn’t mean anything.”
“It meant something to you,” Jesse corrected. “And I think it meant something to him.”
Of course it meant something to Jacob. It was obvious that James had a bad night, wasn’t quite himself, and Jacob couldn’t blame the boy for needing comfort. Something terrible had happened. It wasn’t Jacob that James had wanted. James was all alone after a rough shift. No matter how much Jacob’s heart wanted to claim the boy for his own, he knew better. As soon as James had come back to himself, he’d rightly kicked Jacob to the curb.
“Are you listening to me?” Jesse demanded.
“No,” Jacob lied. He’d heard it again and again. Especially over Christmas. Now that Jesse was happy and settled down with Lake, Jesse was intent on Jacob getting a boy of his own. Like it was something that Jacob hadn’t already tried on his own.
“Yes you are,” Jesse told him. “You’ve got your foot in the door. Now what are you going to do about it?”
“Did you hear the part where I said he panicked and kicked me out of his apartment?”
“Of course he freaked out,” Jesse said. “He kissed the man he thinks hates him.”
“I don’t hate him,” Jacob practically yelled.
“I know that. You know that. The boy does not know that,” Jesse said. “You just told me how you accused him of being drunk when you knew he was on shift at the firehouse.”
Jacob groaned. Not one of his finer moments. “I was worried he’d ridden that death trap home while drunk. He could barely stand!”
“Because he was exhausted,” Jesse pointed out.
“He needs to get rid of the bike,” Jacob grumbled.
“And when you’re his Daddy, you can tell him that. So make it happen.”
If only. Jacob had tried and failed so many times.
“Think about it this way,” Jesse said. “You have the several days with him without having to worry about school or his brother. Take advantage of it.”
His brother’s words echoed the same thought he’d had himself. “We’ll see.”
“Stop seeing and show the boy what he’s missing,” Jesse ordered. “Lake wants more friends.”
“The boy isn’t a little,” Jacob pointed out. The statement rang untrue to his own ears. He’d seen when James had been dancing in his cape. Heard when James admitted to wanting to be a superhero. He was utterly perfect.
“Doesn’t have to be little,” Jesse said. “Lake is friends with everyone.”
“That’s because your boy is a sweetheart,” Jacob said. “Not sure how he ended up with an asshole like you.”
Jesse laughed again. “My baby loves me and thinks I’m perfect.”
