He kept talking as they reached the stairs and headed up, one step at a time, telling Rye all about the places he’d visited. Rye walked behind him, his hand on Jake’s back, as always. And at the top, Jake stopped and turned around and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.
“Don’t say it today,” Rye chastised, hugging Jake back.
Jake groaned. “But—”
“Nope.”
“But if I don’t saythank you”—Jake paused to emphasize the words, and Rye sighed and rolled his eyes—“then how will you know how much I appreciate you?”
“You don’tneedme to go down the stairs anymore,” Rye argued, but Jake shook his head.
“It’s still better with you here. And since you don’thaveto be here...”
Rye’s eyes showed his skepticism, but he shook his head and then stretched up. Jake met him halfway in another of those short, light kisses that was all warmth and love. And god, he did love it.
Too soon, Rye pulled back and stepped away, slipping his hand into Jake’s. He started toward the back door, Jake following. When he paused at the slider, he glanced back at Jake, frowning a little. “I probably should have told my mom I’m staying here the whole time she’s gone. Remind me to text her later? I think their ship will be at sea until the day after tomorrow, and then they’ll spend a day in Juneau. I don’t want her to worry if she calls home and I’m not there.”
Jake nodded. “Yeah, good point. I’m glad she’s taking this trip.”
“Me too.” Rye smiled again, but his smile faded as he reached ahead of them to open the slider door. “She, um... she admitted to me that she never went anywhere while I was gone. She didn’t want to be out of town in case I came back. That... that whole time. She never went anywhere.”
Jake’s stomach clenched as he followed Rye inside and then shut the door behind them. When he turned back to Rye, Rye’s eyes had dropped to the ground, and his free hand was shoved deep into the pocket of his joggers, his shoulder hunched with the deep tinge of shame.
He shook his head lightly, though he was pretty sure Rye didn’t see, and he gently tugged on Rye’s hand, bringing Rye closer to him. Then he wrapped his boyfriend up in another warm hug and pressed a kiss into his hair.
“It’s not your fault,” he whispered, repeating words he’d had to say so many times before. Rye tensed, but nodded, and Jake knew he was fighting with himself over it, as he sometimes did. “And she’s going to have the time of her life with Jon and Tanya. A week and a half on a cruise ship. I bet Alaska is just gorgeous this time of year.”
“Yeah. She said it’s something she’d always wanted to do. I think she wanted me to come, but then, uh, I think she was also a little relieved when I chose not to.” There was no sadness in Rye’s voice at the last words, and Jake was thankful for that.
He didn’t ask for clarification—maybe Shirley had been relieved or maybe not—and instead, he just kissed Rye’s hair again. “We should get to town, yeah?”
Rye pulled back and then glanced behind him at the clock on the wall with a grimace. “Ah, yeah. Give me a couple minutes to get changed.”
After one more light kiss on the cheek, Jake watched Rye head off to the extra bedroom, where he was staying for the week. He disappeared inside, though he didn’t shut the door. Jake limped over into the kitchen and made himself a quick cup of coffee, which he poured into a thermos to take on the road with them. By the time he was finished, Rye was on his way back down the hallway, now dressed in a pair of dark-gray jeans and a stylish black V-neck sweater with the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. His hair had been pulled back into a neat low bun, and he shouldered his messenger bag, a gift from his uncle Jon for his birthday back in February.
God.
Jake’s heart leapt in his chest, and when Rye looked up at him, his eyes sparkling, Jake gripped his thermos tighter. Oh, wow, he was much too handsome.
“Ready?” Rye asked, stopping at the end of the hallway, oblivious to the tightness growing in Jake’s chest.
Jake swallowed hard and nodded, though he couldn’t stop himself from staring at Rye another moment longer.
Rye’s eyebrows arched, and he tipped his head toward the front door. “Come on, slowpoke. Or I’ll be late.”
“Yeah, yeah, uh—” Jake coughed to clear his throat and pushed himself away from the counter. “Sorry, just, um...” His eyes wandered to Rye’s lips, and he suddenly wanted another of those soft kisses. Or maybe one that wasn’t quite as soft. He shook his head and stepped around the kitchen island toward Rye, who reached out his hand with a smile.
“You’re not staying, are you?” Rye asked as their hands clasped together. “You don’t have to, I think. I was okay after you left yesterday since I’m mostly stayingin the back office. Janice says she’s had a lot more customers than last summer, so she’s glad to have me there to help with the bookkeeping and everything. Plus her online shop is doing well, and so there’s a lot for me to do helping with that.”
Rye seemed completely confident, which just made Jake want to kiss him even more, and he kept talking as they headed out the door and to Jake’s car. Before they parted at the end of the walkway, Jake stopped and gently pulled Rye toward him. Rye came willingly, bringing one hand up to rest on Jake’s chest.
“You’re beautiful,” Jake murmured, lowering his head to rest against the top of Rye’s.
Rye laughed. “You say that all the time.”
“Because it’s true.”
He felt Rye shake his head, but Jake wasn’t having it. He brought his hand up to cup Rye’s cheek, and then tilted Rye’s head back, ever so gently. Their eyes met, and Jake felt a flutter of desire low in his belly. He breathed deeply to steady himself. “Youarebeautiful, Ryan Davis.” His thumb smoothed along Rye’s cheekbone. “May I kiss you again?”
