“What about this?” I asked, pulling out a pewter figurine of a Labrador. “Mom likes dogs.”
Leo shrugged. “Put it in the maybe box?”
Sitting cross-legged on the concrete floor, I reached over, then dropped the figurine in. It felt nice to just do some normal brother stuff with Leo. Despite our differences, we’d come to appreciate each other over the years, and I knew that he loved me the same as I loved him.
And it helped to have someone so different in my life. I could turn to Leo for things I couldn’t ask anyone else, just like he had an easier time admitting his feelings to me than he did to other people. It had been a huge gift when I came out of the closet, but now, I realized he might be able to help me with another kind of problem, too.
“Hey, I wanted to tell you, I kind of got a job offer.”
Leo tugged a box down from the top of the stack. “Oh yeah?”
“It’s not my favorite kind of work, but I’d be joining the team of an amazing woman. If it turned out to be a good fit, I’d have the opportunity to travel the world, maybe for the rest of my life.”
Leo frowned, then handed me the box. “That’s exciting,” he said. “Although the part where you go away for the rest of your life isn’t my favorite.”
I nodded. “Right. It’s a lot. But I would start off in Texas for a couple years first, so I wouldn’t be too far. On the other hand, it would really get in the way of writing this book.” I opened the box, pulled out a strand of Christmas garland, and then shoved it aside. “I have no idea how to make decisions about my career,” I admitted.
“The book, don’t worry about that,” he said, waving his hand to dismiss it. “You can keep writing in your free time, and even if you sell it, it won’t provide for you in the long run.”
I frowned, not so sure it was that easy. I felt invested in the project, but I could see Leo’s point, too. “So you think I should take the job?”
“Probably, unless you get a better offer first. If it’s not the right team for you, you can always leave, and it’s important to get some experience on your resume.” He leaned against the stack of boxes, and I noticed the dust on his white T-shirt. “I’m proud of you, Shawn. Completing your degree, getting an attractive offer right out the door. You’ve accomplished a lot, man.”
I smiled, glad to hear him say it. Even when Leo and I were teenagers and fighting all the time, I still always just wanted his approval. “Thanks,” I said. “And yeah, you might be right. I’m going to seriously think about taking the offer.”
He opened the top box on the stack. “Oh shit,” he laughed. “Remember this?”
“Mom’s Santa beard!” I laughed. It was looking a little worse for wear, with the hairs all stringy and not so white anymore, but I’d recognize it anywhere.
Leo held it up to his face, then sneezed. “Should we take some pics for Mom?”
I grabbed my phone. “Strike a pose.”
* * *
I was just finishing putting the garage back together when Cass came wandering up from the back. He was wearing a black Slayer T-shirt with the sleeves cut off, and his skin was kissed by the sun. I got a thrill seeing him, even though we’d just hung out a few hours earlier.
“Hey, Shawn. Where’s Leo?”
I glanced at the door to the house. “He just left a minute ago to take a phone call. I said I would clean up.”
Cass’s lips curled up in a grin. “Does that mean we’re alone?”
I stuck my hands in the pockets of my shorts, then swung my hips from side to side. “For a minute,” I said, then laughed as Cass ran forward and took me in his arms.
For just a second, I threw myself into the kiss. I nibbled on his bottom lip and clawed at his shoulders while Cass hitched me in the air and bounced me on his hip.
“I can’t wait to really get my hands on this again,” he growled, grabbing my ass.
I whimpered, then dropped my feet back to the ground. Before stepping back, I stroked my fingers up his bulge. “Me, either.”
The door to the house rattled, and Cass and I jumped back from each other right before Leo stepped out. He’d changed into a clean T-shirt and held a mug of coffee in one hand. “Leo, I was just going to come find you.”
Cass and I exchanged a glance. I’d barely touched him, and now we had this distance between us again. It was painful, but at least I had a few years’ practice needing to touch that guy when I couldn’t.
“How’s it going?” Cass asked.
“Good. I just had to convince one of our clients that going public with his new boyfriend one month after leaving his husband was a bad look.”
