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  “Good?”

  Jarrett grinned. “Yeah, I’m good, dammit. Ya got yer damn wish. Let’s go see my brothers.”

  Thayne chuckled. He’d won that round but the day promised to be interesting in a way neither of them could have possibly anticipated just ten minutes before.

  ****

  Jarrett had been surprised that his father was in town and even more shocked that he was apparently there just to see him. Langley, Virginia, where he worked, was a five-hour drive to Pocahontas County. He wondered if he’d just flown to Lewisburg and then driven the rest. Either way, it was obvious he’d made a true effort. If he was honest with himself, Jarrett had mixed feelings about seeing him again. He’d always wanted to be accepted for who he was. When he’d come out to his family, it hadn’t been a decision he’d taken lightly. He’d had to work up the courage for almost a month before he finally sat them down and told them he was gay. It hadn’t gone well. Jase was too young to understand, Steel had been pretty neutral and accepting on the subject, and Elijah had been outright rude and angry. Jarrett had been hurt by Elijah’s rejection even more than his father’s. He really hoped that the time for mending fences had arrived because, as Thayne already pointed out, he missed them like hell. He found it odd that Thayne had figured him out so well. His lover was a very intuitive man.

  Lewisburg, West Virginia, the home of Carnegie Hall and Jarrett’s family home for many years, was an hour and a half drive from the Red Hills Mine so he settled into the passenger seat and navigated as Thayne drove the truck. Jarrett was only slightly offended when he reached for the radio and Thayne smacked his hand away from the dial.

  “Oh no you don’t,” Thayne growled. “I’m driving and that means I pick the music.”

  Jarrett smirked at him. “Who made that rule?” He absently rubbed his hand.

  “I swear to God. I refuse to drive any more long distances with you if I have to listen to Bluegrass. Banjos make my balls shrivel.”

  Jarrett couldn’t stop the laugh that burst out of him. He watched Thayne struggle not to smile as he stared out the windshield and drove.

  “Fine. What shit are ya gonna make me listen to?” Jarrett finally asked.

  Thayne reached into the center console and pulled out a CD, handing it to Jarrett. “Here. I brought this and a few others. Put that one in.”

  Jarrett stared at the CD. It was a Stevie Wonder album. He flipped the CD over and checked the date. 1973. Okay, that works for me. He opened the case and inserted the CD. It started up with a song Jarrett hadn’t heard forever. The beat immediately made him want to dance and Jarrett hadn’t danced in years. When Stevie started singing “Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing. Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing, Mama,” Thayne began singing along, tapping out the song’s beat on the steering wheel and nodding his head. Jarrett couldn’t help but grin like an idiot. He was filled with happiness as he watched his lover. Thayne turned and looked at him with a grin on his face. His eyes were twinkling and Jarrett reached across the console. Thayne immediately reached out and took his hand.

  “Okay, this isn’t bad,” Jarrett admitted, grudgingly.

  Thayne squeezed his hand, keeping his eyes on the road. “I’m happy you like it. Old school rock and soul are my favorite genres.”

  “I guess I better get used to it then.”

  “Yeah. Well, there’s a whole lot more in there.” Thayne indicated the console with a nod of his head as Stevie sang. How he’d managed to slip the CDs into the console without him noticing had Jarrett wondering. He reached in and pulled out two more CDs, reading the covers. Anita Baker and Bruce Springsteen. He held up the Springsteen Born in the USA CD.

  “I’m on Fire? Damn, I love that song,” Jarrett said.

  “Yeah?” Thayne glanced at Jarrett with a big smile on his face. “Maybe there’s hope for you after all.”

  Jarrett snorted and then closed his eyes, relaxing back in the seat as Stevie sang to him.

  Chapter Five

  Jarrett’s family home was a sprawling ranch house situated outside the town off the main road leading into Lewisburg, on a large plot of land. It was surrounded on three sides by forested land and pretty in a picture postcard way. It was early fall and the weather was getting colder but winter wouldn’t set in for a few months yet. Thayne imagined that the house must look gorgeous when blanketed by snow but at the moment, a plethora of brightly-colored leaves were interspersed with green and the picturesque beauty of the landscape was breathtaking.

  Thayne drove the truck up a driveway through an opening in the split-rail fence that marked the one-story house’s frontage. It was still early and the sun was high in the sky as Thayne parked the truck on the gravel drive and got out before closing the door. Jarrett shut the door on the other side and walked around to meet Thayne at the back. The expression on his face was grim but determined, and Thayne really hoped for Jarrett’s sake that they weren’t walking into a hornet’s nest. If his brother, Elijah, got mouthy, Thayne was going to shut him down if Jarrett hesitated.

  Thayne was only slightly surprised when the front door opened and a tall man, little older than a teenager, walked out. The moment he spotted Jarrett, he grinned widely and ran down the pathway toward them. Jarrett instantly began grinning and he turned to Thayne.

  “That’s Jase,” he said as the man tore across the drive and flung himself into Jarrett’s outstretched arms.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” he said, his words muffled in Jarrett’s neck.

  “Hey, buddy, look at you!” Jarrett lifted him off the ground in a huge bear hug and swung him in a circle. Jase wasn’t a small man. He was much thinner than Jarrett, but he was equally as tall which gave him an ungraceful gangliness that Thayne thought was almost endearing. When Jarrett set him back on his feet, both of their faces were glowing.

  “I can’t believe how much I missed you, Jarrett,” Jase said. He had what Thayne was beginning to suspect were a common trait among all the Evans, deep dimples on both cheeks and blue eyes. Jase’s eyes were darker than Jarrett’s but not as bright as his father’s. He was a handsome man, but Thayne had a hard time thinking of him as little more than a teenager. He was fresh-faced and young, with no lines on his face and a lot more freckles than Jarrett. His hair was blond with a hint of red, and Thayne thought he was adorable. His brows were much lighter than the black of Jarrett’s but his lashes were also blond like the hair on his head. He was stunningly handsome and it was becoming clear to Thayne that the Evans men had some seriously good genes.

  Jarrett turned toward Thayne. “Jase, this here’s my partner, Thayne,” Jarrett said, his drawl more pronounced than it usually was.

  Thayne had begun to notice that he was beginning to slip into it more and more since they’d come to West Virginia.

  Jase grinned at him and he reached out to shake his hand. “Hi Thayne. Nice to meetcha.”

  “Nice to meet you, Jase,” Thayne said, shaking the kid’s hand.

  Jarrett was beaming, his own face more relaxed than Thayne had probably ever seen it, clearly overjoyed at seeing his youngest brother. He reached up and scratched a hand through Jase’s hair, messing it up. “I missed you, kid. Where’s the others?”

  “Over here!” Another man came down the walk. He was shorter than Jarrett and Jase but he was devilishly handsome with dark eyebrows and hair that was equally dark. Thayne noted an interesting streak of pure white that ran through the center of his head toward the back like a skunk. If Thayne didn’t know the tendency the Evans family had for prematurely white hair, he’d believe the man had dyed his hair like a Mohawk. Since it wasn’t a military cut, Thayne could only assume this was Steel, the sculptor. As soon as he got close to Jarrett, he threw his arms around him. He was a couple of inches shorter than Jarrett but he was stockier, with a pair of linebacker shoulders. His face was covered with a scru
ffy full beard and mustache that was also graying and he reminded Thayne of a big fuzzy teddy bear. He grabbed Jarrett and hugged him hard, grunting against him before leaning back and gripping Jarrett’s forearms so he could get a better look at him. He grinned.

  “Goddamn you look good, brother,” he said.

  Jarrett hugged him again. “Missed ya, Steel.” When he let him go, he turned to Thayne. “This is my partner, Thayne.”

  Steel looked straight at Thayne as Thayne held out a hand to shake but he was shocked when the man stepped close and scooped Thayne up in a bear hug.

  “Heard you saved my brother’s life,” Steel said. “Can’t thank you enough for that.”

  Thayne watched Jarrett gaze at them fondly over Steel’s shoulder and as surprised as he was, he found himself returning Steel’s tight hug. After a few seconds, Steel let go of him and set him back on the ground.

  “Nice to meet you, Steel,” he said.

  “Where’s Elijah?” Jarrett asked.

  “He’s coming later,” Jase answered. “Come on in. Daddy just went shopping. We told him to pick up steaks.”

  “Sounds good, though I don’t each much meat anymore,” Steel remarked.

  “Part-time vegetarian?” Jarrett asked. “You should know Thayne is a tofu-eater too.”

  Thayne watched Steel’s eyes light up and he looked at him with new interest. “Really? Are you vegan or vegetarian?”

  “Closer to a vegetarian than a vegan but since meeting Jarrett, I seem to be slipping back to my old habits and eating burgers more often. I try to stick with fish or chicken if I have to eat meat, but you know your brother, red meat all the way.”

  They began walking toward the front of the house. “Well, you’ll be having steak tonight, Thayne. My Daddy’s no doubt picking up some T-Bones. Those are his favorite.”

  Jarrett’s brothers were both very nice guys and Thayne was beginning to think spending some time with the Evans family wasn’t going to be much of a chore at all. Then again, he hadn’t met Elijah or had the time to talk to Jarrett’s father yet.

  The path to the house was dotted with highly polished metal pinwheels that turned in the breeze and hanging from the eaves across the front porch were several wind chimes of painted metal and glass that appeared to be homemade. The craftsmanship was beautiful and Thayne wondered whether Steel had fashioned them all. They walked into the house and Thayne was surprised that it looked just like anyone else’s house, clean and neat, smelling like furniture polish with gleaming hardwood floors and antique furnishings of oak and cherry. The living room had high ceilings with exposed wood beams and the walls were painted a creamy beige that made everything look fresh. The upholstered furniture was a mix of brown leather sofas and soft brown and beige woven fabrics on the club chairs which looked exceedingly comfortable.

  Thayne would have described it as a thoroughly masculine place if it hadn’t been for the needlepoint pillows on the couch. Country-style oval rag rugs covered the dark hardwood floors in several places. As soon as they came inside and shut the front door, a tall woman with long gray hair came out of the kitchen. When she saw Jarrett she grinned widely and threw out her arms.

  “Jarrett, come here, darlin’.”

  Thayne watched as his lover stepped into the older woman’s arms to hug her tightly.

  “Auntie Edie,” he said, kissing the side of her gray head.

  Thayne could see tears in her eyes as she held him and hugged him close. There was a familial resemblance and Thayne realized that she must actually be an aunt rather than simply a housekeeper or cook.

  “Damn, I have so much more respect for you than I ever did before,” Jarrett said. “How is it you ever watched after four men and their laundry after Mama passed?”

  “You boys was easy to look after, Jarrett, and you was never disrespectful. Your laundry may have stiffened over the years but I still got it clean,” she said.

  Thayne could only imagine what she’d meant by that. He’d thrown a few socks under the bed before leaving home himself but at least he’d retrieved them, terrified what his mother would find if she decided to look for teenage passion where it shouldn’t be found.

  Jarrett kissed Edie on the cheek and then let her go. He pulled back as her chubby cheeks reddened. “Auntie Edie, this is my partner, Thayne Wolfe.”

  She turned and pinned him with her blue gaze, her face wrinkling with age at the corners of her eyes. She held out her hand and Thayne grasped it. “Thayne Wolfe, welcome to our home,” she said.

  Thayne gripped her hand and he shook it. “Pleased to be here.”

  “Mark told me he ran you two down in Bluefield,” she said. “I’m glad. It’s been far too long since I had all my boys home at once.”

  Thayne had guessed correctly then. Auntie Edie was family and it sounded like she’d been around for many years. He was glad they’d come. So far, Jarrett had been embraced by everyone. If things continued in this vein, it just might turn out to be a good visit for him. He could only hope Elijah’s arrival wouldn’t add undue tension to Jarrett. Though he’d relaxed some, he was still wound tight and his teasing demeanor was curiously in hiding.

  “Come on into the kitchen. I was just makin’ a salad and Jarrett, you can help me while your brothers fire up the grill out back for them steaks Mark’s buyin’.” She smiled and then hooked her elbow in Jarrett’s, turning him toward the back of the house. She looked over her shoulder and caught sight of Thayne. “You too. I wanna get to know the man who saved my Jarrett’s life.” She smiled at him and Thayne smiled back.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He followed Jarrett and his aunt into a large kitchen. It was a typical farmhouse kitchen with a deep sink, a huge island in the center with a butcher block countertop, and antique painted white cupboards that had spots where the paint had worn off over the years, leaving bare wood beneath. The appliances were gleaming stainless steel and quite obviously new, and there was a long farm table with benches on either side. It was set for seven and there was a vase of freshly cut wildflowers in the center along with a napkin holder and two sets of salt and pepper shakers that matched the bright Fiestaware plates and soup bowls. The drinking glasses were mason jars and the whole place smelled amazing. There was something steaming in a stock pot on the modern six-burner stove and as Thayne walked over and looked in, he identified it as chili.

  “That’s the homemade stuff Jarrett likes. I figured I might as well whip up a batch of it since Mark told me he was comin’ home,” Edie said.

  Jarrett joined Thayne at the stove and reached for a spoon lying on a plate beside the pot. He was grinning from ear to ear. “Aunt Edie makes the best Texas chili on the planet, Thayne.” He dipped the spoon into the pot and scooped some, bringing it up so he could blow on it to cool it. He met Thayne’s gaze and held it out to him. “Taste.”

  Thayne’s stomach did a little flip-flop. The gesture was so sweet and unpracticed that he suddenly got butterflies as he looked at his lover. Instead of taking the spoon, he took hold of Jarrett’s wrist and brought the spoon forward, taking a bite and leaving half for Jarrett. The chili was spicy and delicious. He let go of Jarrett’s wrist and watched him pop the spoon in his mouth and saw his eyes close as he savored it.

  “Damn that’s good,” Thayne said, nodding.

  Jarrett opened his eyes and glanced at him. “I told you.” He smiled. The front screen squeaked and Edie raised her head, cocking it to hear.

  “That you, Mark?”

  There was no answer but Thayne could hear footsteps approaching the kitchen. He glanced quickly at Jarrett who was looking at him as well. They were both trained to anticipate danger even when there shouldn’t be any, but after what they’d dealt with over the last few months, they were exceptionally cautious. Both of them were armed but with Edie there, if things got dicey, both knew their first prio
rity would be to keep the older woman from harm. Jase and Steel were in the backyard so they were safe for the moment. When a tall man stepped through the doorway, Thayne knew in an instant who it was but that didn’t help him relax much.

  Elijah Evans looked so much like Jarrett, he could have been his twin. His military buzz cut was pure white, his face nearly identical to Jarrett’s, square jaw, slashing black eyebrows, and lines in both cheeks where dimples would have been if he’d been smiling. His eyes were also blue but darker than Jarrett’s. It was weird seeing a man who looked so much like Jarrett with those darker eyes and Thayne was thrown off by it for a split second.

  Elijah nodded at Jarrett, barely acknowledging his presence and ignoring Thayne completely as he walked over to Edie and bent to kiss her cheek. In his black leather jacket, blue jeans, and olive green camouflage muscle tee, he reminded Thayne so much of Jarrett the first time he’d ever seen him, it was strange. This was Jarrett yet not Jarrett.

  “Hi, Auntie. Is that chili?”

  “Ain’t ya gonna greet your brother, Elijah? Where’s your manners? We have company.” She frowned deeply at him and Thayne glanced at her for a minute and then turned to Elijah, holding out his hand.

  “Hi. I’m Thayne Wolfe, Jarrett’s partner.”

  Elijah eyeballed him for a moment and then manners forced him to stick out his hand. “Elijah Evans,” he said, shaking Thayne’s hand. He stared at him for a moment, seeming to appraise him before tearing his gaze away and dropping his hand.

  Thayne glanced at Jarrett who stood nearby and was heartsick when he saw the pain in Jarrett’s eyes. He was trying hard to mask it but Thayne could see it as clearly as the nose on his face.

  “Jarrett,” Elijah said with an almost imperceptible nod of his head.