Landon glared at his father. “Why do you feel the need to have this conversation, Daddy?”
“Like I said, I’m not accusing you one way or the other, son, I’m just letting you know I see Ms. Lynne putting together ideas, asking things.”
Landon grimaced and flicked his eyes back toward the office. “I thought she did look a little funny when she asked about my weekend.”
“You know that old biddy don’t got nothing better to do with her time. She won’t rightly go running around telling everyone, but even one person could be a problem.”
“Well, nothing to worry about,” Landon told him, hoping his smile was convincing, but not looking his daddy full in the eye so’s to tell either way. He hated lying out-right to his parents, so he decided to go with that vague answer. Whether it flew or not, his daddy just popped the door with his knuckles twice.
“Have a good weekend, son. Stop on by the house if you want. Your mama’s always asking how you are.”
He tossed a two-finger wave at his daddy, smiling as he turned the key in the ignition, starting up his truck. He set out for home, wondering if he should tell Jay about Ms. Lynne and his daddy’s conversation. Seemed like real life might be catching up to them sooner rather than later. But that seemed about Landon’s luck on most things.
***
Jay thought Landon seemed a bit quieter than usual when he’d arrived at his house, but after they’d started working on the deck, sawing and hammering, Landon seemed to lighten up. If there was one thing he learned from his daddy, nothing eased your soul like working with your hands, creating something useful.
“We’ve done more this afternoon on this thing than I’ve managed in the six months I’ve been in this house,” Jay said.
“Well, you know us young guys, we got more stamina. Get things done quicker.” Landon winked at Jay.
“I don’t hear all that many complaints about my age from you in other places,” Jay snickered. He didn’t know where his ability to be so light hearted about his sexual relationship with Landon came from, but he rarely found himself second guessing teasing about it. Nah, he wasn’t all that overly friendly with Landon outside either of their four walls, but when it was just the two of them, he found himself more relaxed than he ever remembered being.
So many changes were happening, so much newness had been a part of his life lately, he didn’t really even have time to balk at it, otherwise he’d just be sitting in a corner catatonic, way he figured it.
“So…” Jay said, turning back to measuring and marking on a two-by-four. “I talked to my old marriage counselor.”
Landon’s head popped up and his mouth wobbled up and down like a goldfish before he regained his composure. Jay felt a tug in him to kiss the surprised look off Landon’s face, but he really wanted to get the words out.
“I don’t know who it shocked more, me or the doc. Didn’t do all that much talking when we used her first time around, so when I called in, she thought I may have finally snapped.”
“Did you?” Landon sounded so serious, Jay felt the guffaw start in his chest before it belted out of him. “Well, it’s a legitimate question.”
“I thought so. I guess I was worried I was taking all this too well.”
Landon’s expression gave away nothing, which was a first in a while. Landon usually was particularly easy to read, especially for Jay. Jay’d decided once they started exploring whatever it was that transpired between them, the least he could do was be open with Landon. He didn’t want anyone getting hurt, and it was Jay’s life that was the more complicated of the two right now.
“What’d she say?” Landon asked.
“Well, I was almost expecting a referral to a friend who might be able to talk me out of my new-found attraction for men,” Landon snorted. “But, one good thing about the doc being a baby—one of the reasons I’d discounted her help to begin with—she was a bit more enlightened than that.”