Nate drinks his beer. So far, he’s been executing hisplan perfectly. A bit more, and Owen will be out of his way, maybe even out of town. That doesn’t mean Will is going to fall back into Nate’s arms, but it will make it a whole lot easier. He’ll give the man some time to lick his wounds, then it’s back to hunting season.
“I know what you’ve been doing.”
Nate tenses at the sound of the voice behind him. “I’m drinking beer and enjoying the music.”
“You’ve been talking about Will and Owen, turning people against them.”
Nate puts down his glass and turns on his stool to face Bradley. “That’s a serious accusation.”
“Are you denying it?”
“Nope.”
Bradley turns red, which isn’t hard with his ginger complexion. “Will has been through enough. You and the other fuckers around here should leave him alone.”
Nate shrugs. “I think it’s mighty high of you to tell people what they should and should not do. After what happened to poor Joel, you would think Will has learned his lesson.”
Bradley shakes his head. “You and I both know the truth is more complicated than that.” He leans closer, making Nate tense and wonder if he’s about to be attacked. “I saw you, Nate. All those nights you spent sitting here quietly… spying on Will. This has nothing to do with Joel and has everything to do with your crush on him.”
A crush?Nate snorts. A crush sounds cute and innocent. What he feels toward Will is anything but those things, and he’ll be the first to admit it.
“Excuse me if seeing the man who drove my best friend to take his own life catches my attention.” Nate cocks his head. “Maybe it’syouwith the crush, Bradley. You and Will sometimes work alone out there in the woods, don’t you?”
“Watch your mouth. I’m a married man, and Will’s my best friend.”
Nate shrugs. “Hey, I’m not one to judge. What happens in the woods, stays in the woods. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
Bradley grunts and walks away.
Nate glances at his watch. It’s getting late, and although he doesn’t work tomorrow, he rented a new slasher he’s been dying to watch. They better make the blood seem real. He’s sensitive about these things.
*
He parks in front of his house. It’s a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of town, and like most neighborhoods in this county, there are woods everywhere. He used to be afraid of ghosts that hide between the dark trees, so his poor excuse of a mom, who had enough of his nightmares, dragged him outside in the middle of the night and into the nearby forest. He must have cried for hoursuntil the sun came up and she finally returned to take him home.
That didn’t stop his nightmares, only made him keep them to himself, which was likely her whole point.
He turns on the light on his porch and fishes for the keys in his pocket.
“Nate.”
“Jesus!” He spins around, automatically reaching for his gun. “Fuck, you scared me.”
“Sorry.”
Once his heart slows down, Nate moves his hand from his holster. “Where’s your truck?”
“Not far. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine.” Nate crosses his arms. “What do you want?”
“To talk.”
“About?”
“You know about what.”
He still needs Will to say it, since you can never tell how much someone knows. “Use your words, Will. I’m not into guessing.”
