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“No, I’m going to take care of something. I’ll catch you guys soon.” He gave Cooper a quick kiss before walking out.

“Come on. Let’s go play,” he told Coop, grateful for the distraction.

***

W
es hadn’t been lying when he told Braden that Jessie had a bad day. Most of the time she was fine, but she had days where she just missed her mom, where her young brain tried to make sense of why her heart hurt so much.

Today had been one of them.

But for the past couple hours, even before Braden called, she started to be her typical, happy self again. They made hot chocolate and he let her put as many marshmallows in it as she wanted, and they talked about maybe getting a puppy. She loved Jock, and Wes figured it would be good for her to have a dog to call her own.

So, though he’d been telling the truth, his words to Braden had been partially an excuse as well. Braden was right. He hadn’t done anything since before they lost Chelle.

There’s nothing wrong with having a little fun once in a while.

“Hey, Jess?” Wes kneeled in front of her as she sat at the table, coloring. “How would you feel about hanging out with your cousins and aunt Lydia tonight? It’s okay if you don’t want to, but—”

She dropped her crayon. “Sure! I like the bunk bed. We turn it into a fort. Can I get a bunk bed?”

Well that had been easy. “I don’t know about the bunk bed, but I’m sure Lydia will let you make the fort with theirs.”

She jumped up before he could say anything else and started shoving her feet into shoes and looking for her jacket. Apparently aunt Lydia’s house was much more fun than theirs. Was he really that boring? Sure he didn’t go out a lot or always have something funny to say, but he wasn’t that bad to be around. “I’m going to go pack your clothes, kiddo.”

While he got everything in a backpack for her, he called Lydia, who he knew wouldn’t mind watching her. She of course said yes, so after Jessie was all packed, Wes jumped into his car and drove her over.

He hardly got a hug out of her before she ran into the room for one of her cousins to make a fort for her.

“So what are you doing tonight?” Lydia rose a brow at him. Her husband clapped Wes on the shoulder and laughed, as if to say,
good luck, man.

Wes shrugged. “Just felt like getting out of the house. I’m going to go play some pool or something.”

Lydia mixed some pudding in a bowl. “She likes Braden a lot.”

The hairs on the back of his neck stood. Why did his sister always feel the need to stick her nose in his life? “She does.”

“Do you?”

“Lyd... Don’t. Plus, how irresponsible of me would it be to get into a relationship with a man so soon after losing Chelle? When things fall to shit, she’s the one who would suffer.”

She turned to face him. “
When
? You can’t even say
if.
Why does it automatically have to be
when
?”

That was his cue that he needed to leave. Wes walked over and kissed his sister on the forehead. “Thank you for everything. I’m going to go.”

She sighed. “People love you, Wes. Don’t try and make it so hard. Stop pushing people away.”

He knew with that she didn’t mean Braden. “You’re my sister. You know I love you.”

“Knowing and feeling it are two different things, though.”

“Do you even care, Wes? Honestly, do you give a shit that I’m leaving? I can’t be in a relationship where the other person won’t let me in. Not anymore.”

He ignored those memories of Alexander. “Thanks for keeping Jess tonight. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

She shook her head and he gave her a hug before walking out. He ran home real quick to change before heading out again. When he put his hand on the doorknob to open the door, someone knocked.

Wes found himself smiling. Fucking Braden. The man never gave up. He pulled the door open.

“You look a little disappointed to see me,” Noah told him.

“Just surprised.”

“I came to drag your ass out of the house. Maybe you didn’t realize it, but they have dollar beers.”

Wes laughed, and it felt good. Braden was right. He needed a night with his friends. “Where do you think I’m going?”

Wes grabbed his jacket and stepped outside.

“Ride with me.” Noah headed toward Coop’s truck and Wes followed.

He knew Braden must have said something to him. If not, Noah wouldn’t have been here. If he’d been sitting with his sister, she would have been throwing questions at him too fast for him to answer. Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about that with Noah.

It didn’t take them long to get to the bar. The parking lot was packed, music thumping through the building.

“Looks like opening weekend is going well,” Wes told him.

“Yeah, it looks great inside. The owner’s some guy named Mason. He was flirting with Braden and the man didn’t even realize it.”

Wes got a foreign, tight feeling in his gut. “Yeah.”

Noah chuckled. The bastard. He knew exactly what he was doing. He might not come out and ask questions like Lydia would, but he definitely played the game. “Good to know. Maybe I can plan a threesome with them tonight.”

Noah let out a loud laugh. “Point taken. I’m minding my own business. Be glad I don’t try and get under his skin like you did the first night you met Coop.”

He’d been pretty drunk that night. Wes had a beer or two sometimes, but he wasn’t much of a drinker, so it didn’t take him much to get drunk. “Blame the alcohol. And I’ve fucked Braden twice. That’s all there is. It’s not the same thing as you and Cooper.”

“Twice?” Noah cocked a brow.

“Have you always been so nosey?”

“Again, point taken.” Noah parked the truck and they got out. They made it to the door before he said, “But I’m here. If you ever need to talk, I’m here.”

Wes nodded. He knew that, and appreciated it.

––––––––

“D
o you play any better when you haven’t had an arm injury?” Braden poked Coop in the side with his pool stick.

“Funny. You’re a regular comedian. Oh look. Noah got your boyfriend to come out tonight.”

Braden turned to look behind him as Wes and Noah headed their way, each with a beer in hand. There had been laughter in Cooper’s voice. He’d said something that Braden himself would have said but it still rubbed him the wrong way. He crossed his arms, taking Wes in. Those muscular legs wrapped up in denim that, if he had it his way, he’d remove.

He wore a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves pushed up his arms. Damn it, he’d always had a thing for forearms. Loved the muscles there, the masculinity of them, the brushing of dark hair.

The asshole of course had to look good tonight.

“So it just takes Noah to get you out of the house, huh? I’ll have to remember that.” Braden leaned against the pool table. Wes stopped right in front of him.

“Jealous?”

“Maybe a little.” He made an inch with his finger and thumb.

Wes’s brows drew together as though he didn’t expect that reply. “I was on my way here when he showed.”

Braden grinned and held out the cue for him. “I knew there had to be a reasonable explanation. I’m Braden Roth, remember?” Wes took the stick from him and Braden continued, “Wanna play?

Wes moved closer to the table. “Yeah, yeah I do.”

They played a few games of pool, sometimes Wes and Braden against Noah and Coop, and one game with just Wes and himself. Braden stopped drinking as soon as Wes arrived, because two things became very clear.

First, Wes was in the mood to drink.

Second, the man couldn’t handle his alcohol for shit.

He wasn’t a sloppy, crazy drunk, but...hell, it was almost like it just unlocked him a little. As though he didn’t keep himself so closed off when he had a little drink in him. He kept close to Braden and laughed a lot, and made the rest of them laugh, too.

They moved to a small table where the four of them sat down and bullshitted. Mason made his way to the table at some point, bringing them another pitcher of beer.

“Where are you from?” Wes leaned back in his chair and asked.

“Denver. I owned a few restaurants out there but got sick of the city. Sold ’em all and moved here.” He wiped his hands on a towel before slinging it over his shoulder. “What about you guys?”

They went down the line, Cooper explaining he’d lived here since he was a kid, Braden that he’d been here almost a year, followed by Noah then Wes. There was only one other person working the bar, so Mason excused himself after that.

Wes leaned toward him. “Noah was right. He wants you.”

“Most people do.” Braden winked at him.

Wes punched him in the leg but Braden grabbed onto his wrist, holding Wes’s hand there, and damned if he didn’t just let it rest on Braden’s inner thigh.

Noah and Cooper mumbled something about going somewhere or doing something, but Braden wasn’t really paying attention. He just knew they’d left them alone.

“How’s the Squirt?” Braden asked.

“Turning her cousin’s room into a fort. She was pretty damn happy to get out of the house.” His voice was slightly somber when he spoke.

“Eh. Don’t take it personal. Forts are pretty cool.”

He smiled when Wes laughed.

Under the table, Braden locked his fingers through Wes’s as they rested on his leg. He turned when he heard a familiar laugher and saw that a few of the guys from the firehouse came in and were seated at the bar.

“Am I allowed to be glad you came?” he said to Wes.

“When I’m drunk, you’re pretty much allowed to do whatever you want.”

He had this sexy, sweet, loopy look in his eyes. His brown hair messier than it usually was. The urge to rub his cheek against Wes’s facial hair hit him. Jesus, he liked seeing Wes like this. Hated the fact that he had to be drunk to feel free, but Braden couldn’t stop staring at him, either. He was all responsibility, seriousness, but right now he was just...Wes. He realized that he liked Wes a little more than he’d thought.

“Dance with me, Wesley.” Braden nodded toward the dance floor as a slow song played.

Wes frowned. “There’s guys from your firehouse here. Cooper said he didn’t know you were bi until he got with Noah, and that no one at the station knows. I just assumed it was something you wanted to keep to yourself.”

Braden didn’t work that way. He was right that none of them knew, but it wasn’t because he purposefully kept it to himself; he just hasn’t been with any men in Blackcreek until Wes. “Nah. I’d have to give a shit what other people think for me to want to keep it to myself—which I don’t, if you were wondering. You’re sexy as hell and I want to dance with you. You’re much more agreeable when you’re drunk, so this might be my only chance.”

He waited for Wes to say no. Waited for life and responsibilities and whatever it was that Wes kept hidden behind his walls to reemerge. But it didn’t. Without letting go of his hand, Wes stood and led Braden to the dance floor.

***

W
hen was the last time he danced? Wes couldn’t even remember. He and Alexander had gone out once in a while at the very beginning of their relationship, but it hadn’t been long after they’d gotten together that Chelle got sick the first time. It hadn’t been as bad then, and she’d fought hard and beat it. But he’d also flown back to Colorado on a lot of his long weekends off to see her. That had put a damper on them going out too much, and once Chelle got healthy again, it just never picked up.

Wes used to love to dance. Loved the feel of another man’s body against his, his hands on muscled back, chests touching, music playing, others packed around him doing the same thing.

It was erotic as hell, and he hadn’t even realized he missed it until Braden asked him to dance.

They found an empty spot. He wrapped his arms around Braden, who did the same to him, and just let himself feel. Feel the heat of another man, the strength and muscles and masculinity. Took in the woodsy scent and the feel of facial hair against his skin.

Braden’s hands traced paths up and down his back as they moved together. In this moment, he didn’t have any of the other shit on his mind. Chelle was still here and Jessie was happier and he didn’t wish like hell it wasn’t so hard to let people in.

“I love to dance,” he found himself saying.

“Yeah? Then I’m glad I asked. It’s not as hard to make you happy as you want to believe.”

Did he want to be hard to please? No, he didn’t. But he knew Braden was right about one thing, he didn’t always let himself take pleasure in all the things he should.

“You know I’ve only danced with one other man besides you?”

That statement almost made Wes stumble. He forgot sometimes that Braden was bisexual. Logically he realized he’d just brought it up before they danced, but when he thought about how Braden touched him right now, and the two times they’d been together, it just didn’t always compute.

“Do you have a preference?” he found himself asking, knowing that he wouldn’t if he wasn’t tipsy.

“No.”

“Bullshit. When you see your future, do you picture a man or a woman?”

“You volunteering?” Braden asked. When Wes froze up, he added, “Relax. I’m kidding.”

Not ready to let go, aware that the song had changed and gone into another slow one, he made himself chill out and waited for Braden to continue.

“Like I said before, it’s not really like that. You know me, man. It’s not as though I’ve put a lot of thought into settling down and starting a family someday. I’m not adverse to it if it happens, but I’m not out there looking for it, either. But I guess if I’m thinking about my future, it matters less if it’s a man or a woman and more how they make me feel and how I feel about them. Sexually, I love being with men and I enjoy being with women, too. There are differences—things about a man I fucking love and I enjoy the softness of a woman sometimes, too. But if we’re talking, what, love? Then I guess that’s what matters—who I fall in love with. The rest is just details.”

He envied the way Braden saw the world, the fact that he didn’t play by any set of rules other than his own.

“Life is short.” He brushed a finger over the back of Wes’s neck. “I want to be around people who make me happy, and who I do the same thing to. Someone who can handle me,” he laughed. “You and I both know that person might not be out there, and I’m okay with that, too. There’s a whole lotta fun to be had in this world, Wesley.”