River Town Box Set Read online

  Dak growled. “You just wish you’d thought of it.” He set the bottle on the coffee table near the flowers and planted himself at one end of the living room couch. “Like mother like son. The flowers are back.” He patted the center cushion of the couch and said, “Come and sit. What’s our plan for the evening? I thought we could watch my superheroes for our movies.”

  Brody slowly meandered over to the couch. He asked, “Superheroes? You mean Spiderman? Thor? Things like that?”

  Dak noticed a hesitation in Brody. He looked slightly pale. Dak wondered if something was up. For the moment, he decided to pin it all on the upheaval caused by Brody’s mother’s death. It was one more reason to keep the evening upbeat in tone. Dak said, “Of course. Men in spandex. You gotta love that. Did you want to munch on anything ahead of time, or should we wait for the pizza order?”

  Sitting at the opposite end of the couch, Brody observed, “You’re in an incredibly good mood. Did you make up with Lewis or something?”

  “Lewis? Oh puh…lease. That’s over and done, and maybe that is part of why I feel so good. I’m free, and I don’t have to worry about my behavior on the boat. I can just be Dak, and everybody else will have to contend with it.”

  Some of the color began returning to Brody’s face. He said, “I like you doing you. It’s your best role hands down. I don’t want you to be anybody else.”

  Dak tilted his head to the side and asked, “Are you okay this evening? You look a little pale, and you sound a little hesitant.”

  Brody tried to brush it off, “It’s nothing. Don’t worry…” He interrupted himself. He pulled a ring from his pocket and held it up. The light from the floor lamp behind Dak reflected off the gold. “I found this.”

  “It looks like a wedding ring.”

  “It is,” whispered Brody.

  “You’re not gonna tell me that gay great-uncle was married when he died, are you?”

  Brody started to laugh, but then his stomach twisted the sensation into a knot. He said, “It was Mom’s.”

  Dak’s mouth dropped open. He whispered, “I thought that was all over when he left. I thought she would have tossed it out with the garbage.”

  “Me, too.” Brody reached up and wiped at the corner of his eye.

  “Aww, fuck,” moaned Dak. “Come over here and sit next to me. We’re not gonna do this all night, so you’ve gotta get it out of your system. I promise not to moan about asshole Lewis, and you forget about this for a few hours.”

  Brody scooted himself to the center cushion, and Dak took care of the rest of the positioning. He reached out and wrapped a thick, muscular arm around Brody’s waist pulling him up close. Brody gasped momentarily before he leaned his head back against Dak’s chest.

  “There might have been some seriously sucky behavior going on in the shadows, but you’re the best, Brody. I mean that. Don’t let this shit drag you down.”

  Brody turned to the side resting his cheek against Dak’s muscular body. He placed a hand on Dak’s bicep and snuggled in close whispering, “Thank you.”

  Dak didn’t expect to take control of the evening. Planning and executing an event wasn’t a significant part of his skill set. Brody was much more suited to that kind of work. Unfortunately, it was clear that his best friend was struggling, so Dak needed to belly up to the bar, get serious and keep the evening moving in a fun direction. He raked his fingers through Brody’s hair and asked, “Are you gonna hang in there with me?”

  “Yeah, I will. I just needed this moment. You knew what to do. This feels good.”

  Dak smiled. “Yeah, it does.” Being so close to Brody was obviously going to be a good thing. He let his hand drift down Brody’s back and slowly rubbed. He thought it would help them both relax until Dak felt stiffening between his legs.

  He was sure Brody was able to feel it, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he pulled his head back and stared up into Dak’s face. He said, “I don’t mean to whine again, but I’m going to miss you.”

  “Aww, man, don’t get going down that path already.” The dark brown eyes were intoxicating and so close. Brody’s lips were perfectly shaped when he spoke. It was like staring at Leo on the boat, but that was after they’d both had a few drinks. Dak and Brody were completely sober. There was no hint of alcohol on Brody’s breath.

  Dak knew that he was slipping down a path that he should avoid, but trying to stop it was like trying to stand up in shoes with no tread on the surface of a barge in an ice storm. There was nothing to grab to stop the slide. Brody was close, and he needed comforting of some kind.

  Brody reached out a hand and touched the side of Dak’s neck. It caused an electric sensation to race up through Dak’s body from the base of his spine. He reached one hand up to cover Brody’s, but he didn’t pull it away.

  Brody blinked his eyes twice, and then he rose upward bringing his face even closer to Dak’s. He said, “I love your blue eyes.”

  Smirking nervously, Dak said, “But maybe you hate my red hair. Gingers are like…never picked first for the team in gym class.”

  Brody’s fingers crept up the side of Dak’s neck until he touched the hair just behind Dak’s ear. His lips were just inches away. “Thank you, Dak. I needed this.”

  “Okay, yeah. I’m glad it’s helping. I mean, I hate to see you…”

  Brody closed the rest of the distance between their lips and kissed. At first, Dak thought it might be just a peck, but he soon found out Brody was serious. He pressed his soft lips firmly against Dak’s and leaned the weight of his body forward. Dak found himself pinned to the arm of the sofa.

  He considered bolting. He thought about pushing Brody off onto the floor, but he’d wondered what the kiss would be like for so long. Instead of slowing the action down, Dak licked Brody’s lower lip. Lips parted, and their tongues touched.

  Dak’s cock raged in his jeans when Brody slid a hand between their bodies finding a nipple with a thumb. “Fuck,” murmured Dak as he began kissing his best friend with all the raging hunger that built up through years of suppressed desire. He let his own hands wander free, and he gripped the back of Brody’s head holding him close while they kissed with fierce passion. The other hand slid down to cup Brody’s small but perfectly round little ass.

  He could hear Brody gasp for breath when he broke the kiss and slid his lips back down the side of Dak’s neck. He kissed that sensitive spot just below the ear and continued downward. Brody gripped the neck of Dak’s T-Shirt in his fist and pulled it open so his kisses could land on a bare collarbone.

  Dak brought the hand gripping Brody’s ass around to the front and tugged at the button at the top of his jeans. It came loose, and Dak began to slip his rough fingers down inside.

  Brody immediately pulled back shaking his head and insisting, “No, we can’t do this Dak! This is all wrong. We’re both vulnerable. We can’t do it when we’re feeling this way!”

  Dak was speechless for a few seconds. He stared up into Brody’s eyes, and then he shrugged his shoulders to pull the T-Shirt back into place. He whispered, “It was good. I would never hurt you. You know that.”

  Breathing deeply, Brody sat upright on the middle cushion and leaned his head backward. He pulled his hands up to his face and said, “I know you wouldn’t. I trust you more than anyone in the world, but I don’t think either of us was thinking.”

  “You know, that’s not always bad.”

  “It’s just not…” began Brody. Then he continued, “I”m just not ready. I’m sorry. You can go if you want to. I think I fucked up the evening.”

  Dak shook his head and reached out to grip Brody’s thigh. “No. Uh-uh. You don’t get rid of me that easily. I heard you promise pizza and three movies, and I’m gonna collect. We’ve got champagne, and we’re gonna celebrate. I got rid of a louse, and you have a big ol’ place to live in. The future looks bright, Brody Sexton, and the night is ours.”

  Dak wished he had a camera for what he saw next. He’d never seen s
uch a relaxed, genuine smile on Brody’s face. Most of the time when he smiled, it looked like there was something painful just behind his eyes. For a few brief moments, that was all gone. Brody smiled, and then he laughed. He said, “You taste so good. I always thought you would.”

  “You fucker,” growled Dak. “Don’t even talk that way. You’re gonna get me riled up again, and this time I might hold you down.” He mimicked Brody. “I thought you would. So how long have you been thinking about that?”

  “You would hold me down? Damn, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Get that phone out and order some pizza. You know me. Anything but black olives and onion. If you insist on onions, get it on half and no more kisses tonight. We’ll both have garlic breath.”

  “I think the kissing is banned for at least a month,” said Brody.

  “Only?” asked Dak.

  Brody ignored the comment and pulled his phone out. He ordered a large pizza with pepperoni, sausage, and extra cheese. He ordered Diet Coke to drink remembering Dak’s story about starting to drink it to control calories and eventually deciding that it tasted good.

  After placing the order, Brody picked the remote control up off the coffee table and tossed it to Dak. “Find the first movie, and I’ll go get glasses for the champagne. I don’t know if Mom had proper flutes, but I know she had wine glasses.”

  Dak called toward the kitchen, “Did I tell you how much I love that you have the TV in the living room? Little prissy Lewis always made us watch things in a tiny six-foot by six-foot room with the most uncomfortable chairs on earth.”

  Returning to the room with champagne flutes in one hand and a corkscrew in the other, Brody asked, “Isn’t that just a little bit of an exaggeration? I’m not sure you’re the most reliable authority on Lewis.”

  “He sucked, and I was stupid,” said Dak as he flipped through movie choices on the screen. He glanced up at Brody and said, “We shouldn’t need the corkscrew.”

  “It’s just a precaution. I’ll let you do the honors.”

  Dak let out a heavy sigh. “You make me do everything. Next thing you know I’m going to be the one you make do the heavy work when…”

  Brody interrupted him. “Don’t go there. Just don’t. I’m going to be confused enough in the morning when you get back on board the boat as it is.”

  11

  Brody

  The remainder of the evening was as fun as Dak promised. They watched three movies, downed an extra large pizza between them, and finished the bottle of champagne with a beer or two thrown in.

  Brody didn’t let Dak leave until 2:00 a.m. to make sure the alcohol wore off enough so that he could make his way back home safely in the truck. Dak offered, “I could always just spend the night.”

  “On most nights I would be happy for that to happen, but tonight, I’m not sure I trust myself.”

  Dak smirked and said, “I’ll take that as a sideways compliment.”

  They spent most of the evening cuddled up close on the couch. Brody and Dak reversed the position that resulted in kisses earlier in the evening. Brody stretched his long, lean body out on one end of the sofa, and Dak curled up resting his head against Brody’s chest. He pawed at the broad, slim chest like he was preparing a pillow for the evening.

  Brody thought that he could enjoy evenings like that for the rest of his life…if they were with Dak. A running commentary on the movies bounced back and forth between them all evening long. They commented on costumes, choice of romantic partners, and the need for a seriously hot pair of male superheroes to get together outside of the Batman and Robin closet.

  By the time Dak stood at the door ready to leave at 2:00 a.m., Brody was happy that he felt too exhausted to make a scene out of being sad. He was already worried that he was going to miss Dak more than ever before.

  Dak said, “It’s just a month. It’s long enough to get over being sick of having me around and decide that you’re looking forward to my return.”

  “Is that the way you’ll feel about me?” asked Brody.

  “You want me to be honest?”

  “Of course, I do,” said Brody.

  “I think I’m gonna miss you as soon as you shut the door.” Dak didn’t stick around to see Brody’s expression in response. He turned toward the street and ambled the few steps to his truck.

  Brody held the door open until Dak disappeared out of sight around the corner. After he closed the door, he turned around and leaned his back against it. His brain immediately tried to make sense of the entire evening, and it was impossible. It was so much more than just the social evening they planned, but Brody knew he had to be careful about jumping to any conclusions at 2:00 a.m.

  He collected the dirty dishes from the coffee table and carried the pizza box to the recycling bin on the back porch. The dishes filled the last empty spaces in the dishwasher, and Brody turned it on before heading to bed.

  As he stripped out of his clothes, he discovered the wedding ring still in his jeans pocket. It was something to contemplate in the morning, too. It was a big, emotional day, but Brody needed sleep. He drifted off within five minutes of laying his head on the pillow.

  It wasn’t really a hangover. Brody’s head wasn’t pounding, and he didn’t feel nauseous. Instead, a general numbness afflicted his brain and his body. He crawled out of bed and completed his morning tasks like a robot with a low-energy battery.

  By the time he entered Home Pro, Brody still felt disconnected from the world around him. He was aware that it was the day Dak was heading down the river, but the thought didn’t go any deeper than that.

  Brody dropped his mother’s wedding ring on the dresser so that he wouldn’t lose it somehow during his work day. He stared at the ring, and he expected to feel some kind of emotion strike him in the gut, but nothing was there.

  Seb stepped into his path just inside the store. He said, “Good morning, Boss. Last night as I was about to dig into the chicken parmesan with…” Seb stopped himself. “Anyway, I thought of something else I should tell you.”

  Brody said, “You might need to hang onto it. It’s a busy morning, and I’m not sure I’ve got the time for a long story.” He couldn’t think of anything in particular that was going to take up his time, but Brody wasn’t sure that he could properly process any new information. He felt like he had a head stuffed with either cotton balls or marshmallows.

  “It’s about that uncle of yours, Boss. You know, Clyde Miller. I remembered another detail. I thought you would want to know.”

  Brody understood enough of the comment to know that it was something he wanted to hear. He shook his head trying to clear the cotton before he asked, “You know something else? I’m happy to hear it. Let’s sit in the office. My balance might be a little off this morning, too.”

  Seb smiled. “Big night, eh? I thought you would want to hear about Clyde.” He followed Brody into the office and wiggled his right hand in a tiny wave at Lacey. Brody gestured at the chair on the opposite side of his desk, and Seb sat.

  “Well, as I said, we were sitting there at dinner, and I had my fork in my hand, and that’s when the thought occurred. It’s so strange how things like that happen. It doesn’t show up in your head when you’re talking about it, but later when you’re doing something else, well, there it is.”

  Brody nodded. “Okay, yeah, that happens to me, too, but what was it? What did you remember?”

  “He was good friends with one of the Tarrant boys. You know, one of the two sons of the founder of the factory.”

  Everyone who lived in town most of his life knew a lot about the Tarrant family. Edgar Tarrant started a company with his friend Albert Morehouse. They called it Tar-Mor, and it was the biggest employer in the area. Members of the Tarrant family still held the lion’s share of the top management positions in the company.

  “How do you know they were friends?” asked Brody.

  “People saw them hanging out. They visited the bars downtown together both here an
d in Zephyr. I also remember hearing that Wiley Tarrant went to the Twin Cities with your uncle on the weekends.”

  Brody tried to make sure he was tucking away the names in his head. He had Wiley Tarrant and Tar-Mor. He said, “That is helpful, Seb. Thank you. Now I need to get to work. I’m sure Lacey has things for me to do. Monday and Friday are paperwork days.”

  Lacey wasn’t concerned at all. After saying goodbye to Seb, she told Brody he was caught up, and there was little of an urgent nature in the office until Monday. Brody vaguely remembered that he tried to work ahead all week long to make sure his head was clear for the evening with Dak.

  As he exited the office to make his morning rounds through the store, he said, “Give me a buzz if you need me, Lacey.”

  “Sure thing, Mr. Sexton. I’ve got payroll to do, but that’s usually all straightforward.”

  Brody decided to roam the store for much of the morning spot-checking the quality of their presentation to the public. He made sure prices were tagged correctly and the labels on shelves corresponded accurately with the items present on the shelves. His employees greeted him with smiles, and he could hear the sound of relief in their voices when he told them their area of the store looked great.

  Brody didn’t find anything more than two items missing price tags and one situation of two sizes of nails reversed on the shelf. He kept a tight store, and he was proud of it. Any small mistake could be enough to cause a customer to go elsewhere in the world of competitive retail.

  Stories of customers driving an hour or more to Home Pro to take advantage of the quality of service trickled in regularly. Brody beamed when the stories eventually impacted the bottom-line sales figures in a positive direction.

  By the time lunch rolled around, Brody’s thoughts had drifted back to Dak. He was undoubtedly on the river by noon, and he said they were headed south first. Although he brought a sandwich to work for lunch, Brody decided at the last minute to drive downtown.

  He bought a hot dog and an iced tea downtown at the ice cream stand and walked the short fifty yards or so to the river bank. There he found a flat-topped stone where he could sit and eat while he watched the river roll by. He wondered what the kisses the night before meant for the future.