His only intention was to hold the ladder, eyes focused overhead on the errant tin, but Dustin accidentally placed his hand square on Seth’s nicely rounded butt. Despite a layer of denim between Dustin’s hand and Seth’s skin, Seth might as well have been naked. Dustin jerked his hand away. “Oh my God! I’m sorry.”
Seth let out a nervous-sounding chuckle. “’S okay. Been awhile since I’ve been publicly groped.” He slowly ascended the ladder, with Dustin’s gaze glued to the twin mounds of flesh undulating under the worn seat of a pair of Levi’s.
A few melodic thumps sounded against the metal roof, and a memory returned of a much younger Seth clambering up probably the same ladder, effectively dousing the flames of Dustin’s libido. The skinny, awkward Seth of yesteryear had definitely filled out, though he probably wasn’t most folks’ idea of gorgeous, and heightwise, he topped Dustin’s own five foot seven by two inches, at most.
Brushing strands of chestnut hair away from his face, Seth didn’t visibly display any known style, seeming to go for a natural look. Brown eyes speckled with flecks of gold blinked down from a face that either lived in sunscreen or never saw the sun, and a slight hint of pudge pooched over his belt. This boy really needed to get outside and chop some wood. From the top of his head down to his worn tennis shoes, Seth McDaniel seemed designed by nature to blend in, not stand out.
“Does this remind you of anything?” Dustin asked.
“Hmm?”
Dustin couldn’t suppress a grin. “Remember when we climbed up on the roof and your aunt came running out and caught us?” He pictured Irene storming out of the kitchen door, apron flapping.
Seth climbed down the ladder, chuckling. “She almost wore a flyswatter out on our backsides. I never figured out how she always managed to show up when we were getting into stuff we weren’t supposed to.”
Dustin knew, but wasn’t sharing. Scent. It was all in the scent. He changed the subject instead. “How’re the repairs coming?”
“Not bad, but I’m having a hard time finding a contractor in these parts—once I finally located the phone. Can’t get a signal out here on my cell.”
“It’s summer. Contractors stay busy in the summer.” “Yeah. I figured as much. I made arrangements for someone else to take over some assignments for me back home so I can stay longer.” “Assignments? What kind of assignments?”
“I have a photography studio in Chicago. Weddings and other social functions, mostly, the occasional fashion or magazine shoot. I do a little freelance work too, for small press publications.”
Dustin couldn’t help noticing the pride behind the words; however, “Stay longer” sounded risky. Regardless of Irene’s wishes, Dustin couldn’t imagine Seth wanting anything to do with a lifestyle so radically different from the way he’d been raised, and it took a hearty soul to deal with the odd assortment of personalities that made up the passel. And the longer Seth stayed the more likely he’d be to stumble over the family secrets, if he hadn’t uncovered them already. Asking without directlyaskingmight prove tricky.
Even among townsfolk, blurting, “Ever feel a little furry?” was considered rude, for some carriers never fully transformed, and walking around in human form with a possum tail one night a month wasn’t cause for boasting. However, those individuals did make good perimeter guards, helping to ensure the safety of the passel when they were at their most vulnerable.
“Dusty, let me ask you something.”
“Sure. Anything.” Folks around there learned to lie convincingly from an early age.
“Did Aunt Irene have a cat or a dog?”
Certainly not a question Dustin expected. “Not in a few years. Why?”
“Well….” A lovely hint of pink tinged Seth’s cheeks. “I’ve found animal hair everywhere inside. And the day I first arrived, it looked like some poor creature got stuck in the kitchen and tore the place apart, foraging for food.”
“You don’t say.” Dustin made a mental note to have a little heartto-heart talk with the Johnson boys. And he supposed the missing-pet theory answered the “does he or does he not know?” question.
Out of the blue, Seth blurted, “Damn but I’ve missed you. While in Chicago, the memories faded, but being here, seeing you again, I remember the good times we shared and the trouble we got into. We wore my parents ragged!”
The reference to Seth’s parents effectively chilled the atmosphere. Dustin desperately grasped at straws to bring the easy exchange back. The last thing he wanted to do was make Seth uncomfortable. Being back must be weird enough for the poor guy without reminders of why he’d left. “Feel like taking a walk?”
“Huh?”
“Well, you were only eight when you left here. I bet you don’t even remember how big this place is. Wanna go check out some cool places where we used to play?”
Seth studied him with his dark eyes, and Dustin couldn’t fathom why he’d made the offer. He’d done what he’d set out to do: find out if Seth was okay and get a general idea of when he might be leaving. The smart thing to do would be hop in his truck and leave. Dustin wasn’t feeling particularly smart at the moment.
Seth took his time to answer, finally responding, “I suppose the house won’t go anywhere while I’m gone.”
Tension melted off Dustin. “Well, let’s go.”The less time spent together the better!his self-preservation mentioned.Get some distance before an accidental touch turns to a giant zap!He effectively bound and gagged his nagging inner voice.
The sun beat down, turning the broom sage into a radiant mass of gold. A gentle breeze kept the day from being miserably hot. Out of long habit, Dustin opened the old metal gate, having learned long ago the right way to hold the rusted-out relic so it didn’t scrape the ground. Of course, whenever he came here, he usually wore a body small enough to simply crawl underneath.
They followed an old cow path behind the house and down to a creek, the sound of water rushing over rocks growing louder by the minute.
Seth’s face lit up. “We used to play soldier here. We built a log fort beneath the hill over there.” A nod indicated the direction. “We sure did. And we hunted arrowheads under the rocks over there in the creek.”
