It’d been nice having someone around while his kids were at his ex in-laws. The visits weren’t much to write home about, but they would companionably chat about work or watch a game. The company was nice, but … that didn’t account for the still indescribable contentedness he had in Landon’s company. He’d had it once or twice with guy friends in high school, a co-worker in his earlier twenties, but he hadn’t been close to many folks after the kids got older and life got more demanding.
He’d lost himself in his marriage at some point. Bethany had too. They freely admitted it to each other the day she came to him with the idea to finally separate. They were not much more than roommates. And life’d been good, simple, but he wasn’t sure when he’d started feeling so old. He hadn’t realized he had no one other than his kids and Bethany until he’d actually been on his own again.
That was what he figured these feelings were with Landon, like he finally had a friend again. A guy to pal around with. Someone who wasn’t around to judge or talk about bills or expect anything from him. He loved his kids, and his family had always been important to him, but there was an easy peace that came with being around Landon.
“Hey, man,” Landon said with a wave as he plopped in a chair next to Jay’s desk, pulling Jay out of his thoughts.
“Hey. What’s up, man?” Jay leaned back in his chair and stretched a bit.
“Wanna come to my house this weekend? We’re doing a catfish fry—me, Mitchell, Brittany, and my folks. It’s kinda tradition the weekend before Thanksgiving. You can bring the kids.”
Jay hadn’t met Landon’s two closest friends yet, but he’d heard plenty about them. “Bethany is coming down from Atlanta and taking the kids this weekend. They’re spending the weekend with her parents, then off to hang out in the big city with their mama for Fall Break. So it’ll just be me rattling around the house.”
“Oh, yeah. Forgot you mentioned that. Well, definitely stop by then, if you feel up to it.”
“Great, I’ll plan on it.”
“Awesome.” Landon stood and went to drop his mileage log sheets on Ms. Lynne’s desk. “Y’all have a good afternoon. I’m taking an extra load out tonight.”
“Have a good afternoon, sugar,” Ms. Lynne said with a pleasant smile.
Jay went back to his work, but didn’t get far into it before Ms. Lynne sat in the chair Landon had just vacated. “Somethin’ I can do for you, Ms. Lynne?”
“You and Landon sure seem to have gotten close.”
Jay frowned at how she seemed to be accusing him of something, though of what, he wasn’t sure. “Yes, ma’am.”
She leaned in, conspiratorially. “Friendly word of advice.”
Jay put down the pen he’d been writing with and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his chair. “What’s that?”
“Be careful. You’re an attractive man, don’t wanna give him no wrong ideas, is all.”
Jay frowned. What the fuck did she mean by that? Ms. Lynne seemed fond of Landon, had worked with him for years. He didn’t understand the disapproval that came off her in waves. “I don’t think I get what you mean?”
“Look, I don’t like to tell people’s business. And I love that boy, known him since he was a little guy.” She looked around as if someone might be listening around the corner. “Landon is a bit fruity, if you know what I mean.”
Jay clenched his jaw. Yeah, he knew what she meant and it was fucked up of her to talk shit about Landon when he wasn’t here to defend himself. What if she’d said these lies to someone who’d take it out on Landon’s ass physically; someone who wasn’t Landon’s friend? “Ms. Lynne, I’m surprised at you.”
“Now, don’t look at me like that, Jay Hill. I don’t never gossip and you know that.” He did know that. She was loud and rough around the edges, but she was never one to talk out of turn. That was why this whole thing was surprising to him. “I just know you have him around your kids. I don’t mind what a grown man chooses to do on his own time, but you know how they are…”
“Ms. Lynne.” Jay’s voice was full of warning.
“I’m just sayin’. ‘Bout the only people who don’t know it are his parents. Everybody knows when he goes down to Jackson, he’s goin’ to that gay bar. My nephew Tim seen it with his own eyes.”