A Better Man (The Men of Halfway House) (29 page)

"Dad?" Matt asked, looking at his father from head to toe wearing standard jeans, a white T-shirt, and a shy smile. "I don't think I've ever seen you in anything but a suit."

"I know, right? I told him the same thing," Alex said as he walked in with Lindy, both wearing work clothes as well.

"Get your ass in here, Sammy," Julian teased as Sam made his way up the steps into the doorway.

Matt remained grounded in the same place in the living room as he was slowly surrounded by those he considered his family. He looked over to Julian with awe in his eyes then smiled.

Julian fought the feeling of breathlessness. This was how he wanted to make Matt feel every day.

They all turned to Julian and waited for instructions of what needed to be done. He exhaled heavily and channeled his focus then immediately began to pair them up and give them their tasks.

Julian and Matt alone could not have completed the last bits of to-dos in time for the final inspection, but with the additional crew who willingly jumped at the chance to help Matt finish the house, they would be able to deal with everything well before the inspector's arrival.

* * * *

Later that evening, Julian and Matt sat at the dining room table eating dinner. Matt looked up at the ceiling fan then over to the kitchen area. He couldn't believe everything was finally finished.

"You never cease to amaze me, you know," he said to Julian.

Julian chuckled. "Um, thanks, I hope."

"You did it, just like you said you would," Matt said. He couldn't believe they were sitting here, a year later, with the house completed and ready. The only thing left was the final interview with the state representative.

"
We
did it, Matt." Julian raised his beer in a toast as he emphasized the proper pronoun. "I couldn't have done it…" Julian cleared his throat. "Any of it without you."

And Matt couldn't have gotten through this past year without him. He raised his beer to the toast then reached over to kiss Julian.

"You need to get to bed," Julian chastised. "You've got the interview with the state rep tomorrow and you need to be well-rested."

"But I'm wide awake, a bit wired actually," Matt said with a sigh as he stood. "I'm not sure I can fall asleep. What if—"

"Oh no you don't," Julian said, cutting him off. "Bed, now." He stood and started clearing the table.

"I'm not going to sleep yet." There was no way in hell Matt was going to calm down enough to actually fall asleep. His mind raced with potential interview questions and scenarios.

Julian walked over to him, crossed his arms, and raised an eyebrow. "I never said you were going to go to sleep. Get your ass in bed while I finish here. Then, I'm going to tire you out until you have no choice but to pass out and get some rest,
capisce
?"

Matt felt a wicked grin form on his face. He may not be Italian but he got the message loud and clear. Without saying another word, he simply turned on his heel and headed for their room, leaving Julian laughing in the background.

* * * *

Matt reached to turn off the alarm. He couldn't believe it was already nine.

The morning of the interview.

The last step in finally opening this house to others.

Officially.

"Stop it," Julian mumbled, still half-asleep.

"What?" Matt asked innocently.

"Stop worrying so much. You're going to be fine," he said, pulling Matt back into the warmth of his embrace.

Matt quickly settled in again, thoughts still racing through his mind.

"The rep is going to love you. Stop it," Julian whispered in Matt's ear.

Matt worried his lower lip. Technically, everything was in place. The house had passed all building codes and the corresponding inspections, workshops for the residents were planned out and ready for implementation, relationships with local businesses were in place for resident employment, and a plan for a counselor to be accessible had been agreed to as well. Everything was in order. At this point, his only worry was that he would blow this interview somehow.

"What are you worried about?"

Matt shook his head and pushed himself closer into Julian's embrace.

In a swift move, Julian lifted himself off the bed and straddled Matt, grabbing his wrists and pinning them above his head.

"What?" Matt asked, a bit unsettled.

"You are not going to fail," Julian said firmly. "Do you understand?"

Julian looked at him with a firm, unyielding gaze. Obviously, failure was not an option.

Matt cautiously nodded.

"Not good enough," Julian said as he tightened his hold on Matt's wrists.

Matt squirmed a little beneath Julian, which only served to make the heat begin to rise in him when he felt Julian as aroused as he was.

"Simple yes or no." Julian's firm stare burned into him. "Did you start this halfway house even though you ran into people who may have told you it was a bad idea?"

"Yes," he responded without hesitation. That was an easy question. He had encountered enough resistance in the beginning with the only support being offered by Sam.

"Did you finish within the one year deadline you set for yourself?"

"No," again he responded without hesitation.

Julian glared.

"
We
finished within the year," he responded with an equally challenging glare.

Julian's hold on his wrist softened and he slowly began to trace circles on the inside of Matt's hands.

"If you don't pass this interview today, will you sell this place and move on?" Julian asked softly.

"Of course not," he responded with outraged conviction.

"So what are you worried about?" Julian asked simply. "If, for some insane reason, this rep can't see how amazing you are and how much you help people around you regardless of…" Julian paused. There was fire in Julian's eyes mixed with a hint of vulnerability that rose on those difficult occasions when he tried to open up to Matt.

"Regardless of how messed up someone may be," Julian continued. "Then you'll just schedule another interview until you get the green light from someone who sees how great you are for a place like this."

Julian lowered himself to deliver a slow, demanding kiss.

Matt welcomed the kiss and enjoyed the gentle slide of tongues. Those slow torturous kisses Julian gave him that let him know he would be there with him. Julian finally released Matt's wrists and cradled his face, holding him in place as he deepened the kiss. Matt wrapped his legs around Julian, trying to create some friction.

Julian immediately withdrew with a grin. "You need to get ready for this interview. The rep's going to be here in an hour," he finished and pulled away from Matt.

Matt groaned. "You're a tease."

Julian laughed as he finally got out of bed. "We'll pick this up once you finish the interview."

Resigned, Matt got out of bed and grumbled all the way to the bathroom.

After a long, relaxing, hot shower, Matt emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his hips and his hair still slightly wet. Laid out on the freshly made bed, he found the dress pants and shirt Julian must have readied for him. He smiled at the pink tie next to the shirt—a last ditch at rebellion against his mother. If she saw him wearing that, she'd immediately object, and maybe that was why he had picked this color for his tie rather than the default red or blue choices he had always made.

He finished drying himself off and got dressed. Julian walked in just as Matt was putting on his tie. He looked at Julian with his black jeans and fitted black T-shirt. The basic black mixed with his leather cuff and biker boots gave him a look that was dangerous, yet sexy as hell.

A smile spread across his face.
And he's all mine.

Julian walked over to Matt and straightened his tie.

"You look good," Julian said as he finished pulling up the knot then flattened his hands on Matt's chest.

"You look hot," Matt responded with a grin.

"Thanks," Julian said quietly. "I'm going to be out back during your interview with the rep. If you need me, just let me know."

Matt immediately tensed when the doorbell rang.

"I'll be out back," Julian repeated as he placed a gentle kiss on Matt's lips. "I made some fresh coffee for you guys. Just be yourself and everything will be fine." He brushed his thumb on Matt's cheek before turning to exit.

Matt took a deep breath and hurried to the front door. He certainly didn't want to keep the representative waiting and risk making a bad first impression. He took another deep, relaxing breath before opening the door.

"Good morning," said the small woman with a broad smile who didn't appear as scary as Matt had expected.

"Good morning, ma'am," Matt responded as he opened the door farther, welcoming the woman into his home.

"You must be Matthew Doner," she said as she extended her hand. "I'm Karen Waterhouse and I will be asking you a few questions and taking a look around if that's okay?"

The interview went well. Once she asked Matt about his reasons for starting a halfway house, his passion shone through so much, Karen was clearly captivated by Matt and his intentions. He told her about Liam and how his friend had been the driving force for his decision and how he wanted to do proud by his aunt and her wishes. He thought about Julian and his brother, but kept that to himself.

"It's this type of passion we hope to find in our program directors," the representative confided.

Matt could not have been more relieved when she finally admitted she could see no reason for any issues with granting the license.

Matt shut the door behind her as she left with a smile and a promise that her office would be sending paperwork to back up what she had said. He waited for a second, just long enough for her to be out of hearing range and then let out a 'whoop'.

This was him being the person he was meant to be and creating something new, making a difference—exactly what his aunt wanted him to do. He felt strong and driven with purpose now that he had achieved what he'd set out to do, completely independent from his parents and his old name. Every single inch of this house was his and Julian's and they had finished it together. They still had a few minor details they needed to do, but most were cosmetic and they had a while before their first guest was due to arrive.

Sharing the news with Julian was a mix of hugs and kisses. It felt so perfectly right. Matt insisted on calling it an early night and picking up where he and Julian had left off that morning as a celebration. Julian didn't argue; evidently he knew better than to resist.

That evening, Julian made slow, torturous love to Matt. Gone was the rush to wake for an early start for work the next morning. There were no appointments, no deadlines. Their bodies slid against each other with an unhurried, casual glide. Not the friction of desire to reach that point of climax in a hurry, rather, a slow reassurance of their love for each other. A full body caress. They each peaked more quietly than normal, yet, somehow, it felt more intense that night than usual. They held each other tightly until, finally, sleep was inevitable.

* * * *

Julian slowly woke as the sunlight began to filter through the blinds, accenting the corner of the room. He looked over to the alarm clock and saw it was still early. Funny how mornings were easier for him now even without an alarm clock to wake him.

Matt's rhythmic breathing provided a clear indication he was still asleep.

Julian thought about everything that had happened since he had walked into the house a year ago. It seemed that Matt, even on that first day, had brought something out of him no one else could. Whether it was a smart-ass mouth, or a memory that was so hard to recall he had never spoken of it to another, Matt somehow seemed to look past all that and love him anyway, regardless of his flaws.

Everything happens for a reason.

He remembered his mother's words. He had never been late with a payment or had done anything else even remotely irresponsible. He had been spiraling downhill for almost two years nonstop—until he answered the ad for a handyman. Everything in his life changed after that day.

The emotions rising in him threatened to take over. He softly kissed the shoulder of the man who was the reason he was a better man today.

Matt. His anchor. The only person who had ever been able to break through the huge protective wall he had taken a lifetime to build. He loved Matt more than he imagined it was possible to love another person. Julian couldn't envision a future without him.

Matt shifted in his sleep, adjusting in his arms.

He scooted closer to Matt, searching for additional contact.

Matt shifted again, naturally adjusting to the contours of the embrace. The feel of Matt against him was a soothing balm. Julian sighed as the tension left his body.

He pressed his cheek to the back of Matt's head. "I love you," he whispered softly.

"I love you more," Matt sleepily responded.

Julian worried he had woken Matt. He listened closely to the rhythm of his breathing. Steady, level, still sleeping. Julian smiled. Even in sleep, Matt's instinct was to love him.

He laid his head on Matt's shoulder and pressed a tender kiss on the warm skin as a second wave of sleep threatened to take him. Matt was his blessing and his future and he damn sure was never letting him go.

~The End~

About the Author

Jaime Reese is the alter ego of an artist who loves the creative process of writing, just not about herself. Fiction is far more interesting. An avid fan of a happy ending, she believes those endings acquired with a little difficulty are more cherished.

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