Something Like Rain (Something Like... Book 8) (44 page)

“Again,” Jason said when William joined him at the table, “you take me to the nicest places.”

“If you want fancy, go on a date with Marcello.”

Jason smiled. “Is that what this is?”

“Why not?” William replied, finally ready to admit it himself. Besides, this was the perfect segue to what he really wanted to talk about.
Move to Cape Cod and be with me.
He would approach it with a little more tact than that. “Jason—”

“Your drinks,” the waitress said. “An iced tea and a Mountain Dew.”

Jason grinned at him like he’d ordered champagne when in truth William had only remembered his favorite soda. William made small talk, not wanting to be interrupted a second time. He became antsy while waiting for the waitress to return, grateful when she came and plonked down two plates.

“Two orders of enchiladas, one sunny side up. Enjoy!”

Jason’s stared, aghast. “Enchiladas? From a bowling alley?”

“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,” William said. “They’re the best!”

Jason didn’t seem convinced. “That’s a lot of cheese. And grease. I see that wasn’t enough for you.”

“Gotta have the eggs too,” William said, pulling the plate toward him. “Good source of protein. Are you on a diet or something? You haven’t put on a single pound since I met you.”

“Because I usually don’t eat things like this! I’m sure you don’t have to worry about it. You’ll probably burn the calories by towing a boat back into port, you swimming with a rope between your teeth.”

William laughed. “I’m still working on that trick.”

“Have you saved any lives yet?” Jason asked, poking at his food.

“I’ve rescued people, but I wouldn’t say that I saved any lives. Just because someone’s boat is taking on water doesn’t mean they would have drowned. We’ll help them get to another vessel, or airlift them if the situation is a medical emergency, but saving someone is different than saving a life.”

“Still pretty awesome though.” Jason took a bite and looked surprised. “And so are these!”

“I knew you would like them!”

“It just so happens I saved a life,” Jason said.

William leaned forward. “Really?”

“Yup. Someone brought a squirrel to the animal shelter I volunteer at. We do pet adoptions, not wildlife rehabilitation. This was just a baby someone found while out hiking. I did some research online and found you’re supposed to make it possible for the mother to get the baby back, but these people weren’t sure they could find the spot again. Long story short, I hand-fed that little bugger until it was big enough to be released into the wild.” Jason laughed as if he was being funny, but William was enraptured.

“That’s amazing. Seriously.”

“It’s nothing,” Jason said. “Not compared to what you do.”

William disagreed. “I love that you volunteer now. Animal lives are just as important as human lives.”

“I sure love them,” Jason said with a wistful sigh. “I’m trying to improve things at the shelter. We’re doing good work there, but the cats are stuck in tiny cages. The dogs at least have pens, and those can be improved too, but the cats are the hardest. I saw this shelter online where each cat has its own space. There’s enough room for them to move around, and they even have access to a small outdoor enclosure. It’s going to take a lot of money, but I’ve got some fundraising ideas.”

William was torn between feeling impressed and concerned. “It sounds like you’re really setting down here.”

Jason shrugged. “I guess so. There’s still a lot I don’t know about Austin, but it already feels more like home than Houston ever did.”

William took a few bites, considering the implications. “Do you ever feel like trying other places? Or are you going to spend the rest of your life here?”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead. I don’t know. I’ve never really traveled, but I also don’t feel like I’m missing anything. Some people can’t wait to see the world. I guess I’m more concerned with trying to find a home.”

“A family is important too. Do you feel like you’ve found one?”

Jason seemed overwhelmed by the question. “Sometimes. Ben and Tim… I love them. I know I should get a place of my own. I’m way too old to be— See? I was going to say living at home! That’s crazy. They aren’t my parents, but a lot of the time, it feels that way. I know they want me to stay, and I don’t want to leave. I’ll have to eventually, but for now…” Jason clenched his jaw and wiped at his eyes. “Spicy!”

He’d had one whole bite and that had been minutes ago. The enchiladas weren’t making him tear up. Jason becoming so emotional at the mere thought of getting his own place had William worried about his own hopes. “I’m really glad you’re doing so well,” he said anyway, when really a little part of William wished Jason wanted to escape from Texas. As it stood now, asking him to move to Massachusetts would be akin to asking Jason to leave behind the only family he’d had since he was a child. “It’s good that you’re with people who love you.”

“It’s nice having someone there,” Jason agreed. “When I come home, I’m not alone.”

Something else William couldn’t promise. They wouldn’t see each other for days at a time due to his schedule, and he might be deployed elsewhere for entire weeks.

“What about you?” Jason asked. “I picture you living in a big room full of bunk beds. Sort of like you always see in movies. Is it like that? Because my first thought is how any guy finds time to jack off. Especially since the showers are public too.”

“Public might not be the right word,” William said, “and I have a little more privacy than that. I still manage, although Internet pornography is strictly forbidden in the barracks.”

Jason was appalled. “Seriously?”

“Yup! Don’t ask me why. Magazines and such are still okay, oddly enough.”

“Now I know what to get you for Christmas.”

They tackled their food, William not tasting much because his plans were steadily unraveling. Uprooting Jason for two years when he’d only been in Austin a little longer than that wouldn’t make him happy. Not when he realized how often he would be on his own in a strange new town and an entirely different state.

“I wish you could stay,” Jason said wistfully, pushing away his half-finished plate of food. “Every time you’re back, it makes everything better. You have no idea.”

“I do,” William said. “It gets harder and harder to leave.”

“What happens if you go AWOL? The Coast Guard won’t find you here. There’s no water around for the ships.”

“You mean vessels, and you’re forgetting about the air assets.”

Jason snorted. “You talk weird.”

“I’m about to use the head,” William said.

“Huh?”

“That’s how we say restroom.”

Jason laughed. “What else? Say more.”

“Aye-aye. We’re in the mess right now, I buy my groceries from the commissary, and I berth on the third deck of the barracks.”

Jason was laughing and shaking his head. “Why don’t you speak like normal people?”

“Because we like to pretend we’re on a boat, even when we’re not.”

Jason grew solemn. “You’re halfway through. Do you realize? Only two more years to go.”

“Assuming I don’t make a career of it.”

“What? I don’t like the sound of that!”

“Nothing has been decided,” William said hurriedly.

Jason looked sullen. “So you have a choice?”

“Aye-aye. That’s how we say yes. Just in case you haven’t caught on.”

Jason continued to frown. “Do you want to stay longer?”

“I don’t know. I’m just getting started as a rescue swimmer, so it’s weird to talk about quitting.”

“Okay,” Jason said, “here’s the deal. If I beat you in a game of bowling… Forget that, I don’t stand a chance. If I get a strike, or what’s the other thing called?”

“A spare.”

“Right. If I get either of those, you have to come home after four years.”

“Okay,” William said.

“Say it like you mean it,” Jason said.

After a moment, he caught on. “Aye-aye.”

He used the restroom and finished his food. Then the game began. He thought he had nothing to worry about, but Jason was determined. His concentration was unwavering, his motions controlled. At first this didn’t help much, but he started hitting pins with most throws. Jason insisted on another round after the first, and in the middle of it, he got his spare and flipped out, leaping toward William and grabbing him in a hug. “Yes! You saw that, right? You’ll keep your promise?”

“I’ll try,” William murmured.

“Don’t just
try
! This is legally binding! I’ll take the entire Coast Guard to court if I’ve got to.”

“Okay, okay,” William said with a chuckle. “Just leave the lawyers out of it.”

They finished the game and decided to go elsewhere. William felt a strange mixture of happiness and sorrow as they strolled across the parking lot. “You know that you’re free,” he said. “Don’t you? If you find someone else, a guy who can be there for you, I don’t want you to push him away because of me.”

Jason groaned. “I know! You make sure to tell me that every time we see each other. I get it. We’re not together. At least you think we’re not.”

William looked over at him sharply. “Is that really how you feel?”

When they reached the car, Jason sat on the trunk. “Does it matter? You’ve made up your mind.”

William sat next to him. “It does because I don’t want you to be alone.”

“I’m not. I’ve got Ben, Tim, Emma, Marcello, Chinchilla… And a bunch of furry orphans. We’re like a club. I’m not alone.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I do,” Jason said, “so drop it. It’s up to me if I move on or not.”

“Okay.” William poked his finger into Jason’s ripped jeans, tickling his knee. “I can fix these for you.”

“You know how to sew?”

“All part of my training.”

Jason shook his head. “You’re full of it.”

“I’m not! It’s the second phase of becoming a rescue swimmer. The sewing classes were really intense.”

“Needle and thread,” Jason said incredulously. “That kind of sewing?”

“We have machines too, but yes.”

“During all your time training, I pictured you swimming against waves or doing endless pushups, not sewing curtains!”

“I needed to learn how to repair parachutes and other safety equipment, but I did plenty of pushups too.”

“I don’t buy it,” Jason said. “The truth is out. I bet you made your own uniform.”

“Maybe I’ll sew something for you.”

Jason laughed. “Do it! That would be so funny.” He narrowed his eyes. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”

“Wait and see. So where to next?”

“We could go back to my place,” Jason said innocently. “Maybe watch a movie. Or something.”

“Or something?” William asked. Then he smiled and leaned over for a kiss. “Aye-aye.”

* * * * *

William walked down the stairs of his mother’s house. He had left Jason’s house early in the morning, yearning for exercise. The lawn needed cutting, so he had done so while pushing the mower along at a jog. Now that he was cleaned up, he hoped to find his Kate making pancakes as she so often did when he came home for a visit. The kitchen was silent, meaning she had gone to work. After grabbing a bowl of cereal, he found his brother sitting on the living room floor, feet pulled close so he could clip his toenails.

“Do you have to do that here?” William complained. “I’m trying to eat.”

“Then go back to the kitchen,” Errol said. “This is the living room. It’s for living. That’s all I’m doing.”

“That’s debatable.” William sat on the couch. “Shouldn’t you be looking for a new place to live?”

“I’m on it, believe me. After two months of being here, I might as well be eight again from the way Mom treats me.”

William watched as a crescent-shaped toenail soared through the air and was lost in the carpet. Maybe their mother had a good reason for treating him like a child. “Please tell me you’re going to vacuum afterwards.”

Errol shot him a glare. “Why are you so grumpy? Usually when you come back from Jason’s place, you’ve got your birthday face on.”

“My what?”

“You know, like you’ve got piles of unopened presents and a cake loaded with candles in front of you. That sort of face.”

William stabbed at his cereal with his spoon, forcing the multi-colored loops to submerge. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Baby brother, if it’s lady problems… No,
love
problems, then you’re talking to the right guy. That’s all I’ve got!”

William considered him. Bad advice was better than no advice, he supposed. “I feel like I’m holding Jason back. I’m hardly ever around, but he’s still waiting for me. He doesn’t see anyone else or even try to date, as far as I can tell.”

“And that’s a problem?”

“I don’t want him to be lonely. He deserves someone who can be there for him every day.”