Jett
The second we pass the weathered ‘ Welcome to Cannon Beach’ sign, my heart starts pounding like crazy. I’m glad Wes is behind the wheel because otherwise, it’s likely we would’ve ended up in the ditch.
I wipe my clammy hands against my jeans, focusing on my breathing and the beautiful scenery, and all the familiar places that hold so many bittersweet memories.
Wes reaches for my thigh and squeezes it gently. “You okay, babe?”
I nod as I continue to count my inhales and exhales. Like always, Wes knows exactly what to say to redirect my brain from spinning out of control. It’s like he’s completely in tune with my moods.
“So, we’ll be staying in my bedroom, which is no more than a loft over the kitchen, and I gotta warn you, it’s an old house. The walls are paper-thin, and everyone will be able to hear everyone’s business.”
I stare straight ahead, the comforting weight of Wes’ hand on my thigh grounding me. “Okay.”
“So as much as you wanna be all over me, because I’m Mr. Irresistible, you need to rein it in, lover.” He waggles his eyebrows.
I snort. “Right. I’ll do my very best. Lover.”
“Good. Because I know how you get, especially with me being so beau-ti-ful and all.”
I groan. I should never have told him that. Twice. “You’ll never let that one die, will you?”
“Nope. Never.” He taps his forehead. “Committed to memory forever and ever.”
Wes turns down a small road, quaint houses on both sides with picturesque front yards.
I remember this neighborhood. The homes are older here.
Two of my classmates from elementary school lived close by.
I went to a birthday party once, on one of the rare occasions Dad let me.
He picked me up right after I ate a slice of birthday cake, so I missed the guy who made balloon animals.
All the other kids spoke about it at school and how cool it had been.
I push back the memory and focus on Wes. He’s got sunglasses on, so I can’t see his eyes.
“Are you nervous?” I ask.
He smiles that slow smile of his that makes me weak in the knees. “Yeah, a little, maybe.”
“Me too.” It feels good to admit it.
Wes pulls up a narrow drive, leading to a small cottage-style house. He turns off the car, then faces me. “They’re gonna love you. Not just because I like you, but because you’re amazing.”
“Okay,” I whisper as I take in the house. It looks unbelievably cozy, like a real home, with small flower beds in the front and a tall tree with birdhouses in different colors. I point at the tree. “This is cute.”
Wes pushes his sunglasses up on his head and smiles. “Yeah, Granddad and I made these over the years. One for every spring to welcome the birdies.”
“I love that. It’s a nice tradition.”
“It is.” Wes bumps my shoulder. “So, they obviously heard the car, but they’re waiting for us to come inside.
They’ll be climbing the walls by now.” He laughs.
“They don’t wanna scare you away. But just a warning, once we’re inside, they’ll be all over you.
Especially Grandma. She’ll love on you and feed you every chance she gets. ”
“Okay,” I say for the hundredth time. While it’s a little overwhelming, I don’t feel panicky because I’m with Wes. I squeeze his hand. “Let’s go.”
We grab our bags from the trunk, then head up the couple of steps to the front door. Wes knocks a few times, then, without waiting, he throws the door open as he calls out, “The prodigal son has returned! You can come out now!”
I snort.
“What?” He frowns, then leans in and steals a quick kiss. I suck it up like a glimpse of sunshine on the first day of spring. Eager footsteps soon close in on us.
“Hello, hello!” An older woman comes rushing, engulfing Wes in a hearty hug. “Wes. Good to see you.”
“G-ma!” Wes laughs, and they sway from side to side as they hug for several seconds until a woman, a shorter carbon copy of Wes, separates them.
“M-y t-urn, M-Mom,” she says, then hugs Wes. She’s only around 5 feet tall and completely disappears in his embrace.
“Mamasita!” Wes grins, squeezing her. “I missed you.”
“Mmmissed you t-t-oo, hhhhoney.”
An older man, whom I assume is Wes’ granddad, lingers in the background, shaking his head fondly. He eyes me, then holds out his hand. “It’s like this every gosh darn time. You have to pick a number. I’m Robert, but just call me Rob. Good to meet you.”
I shake his hand, warm and calloused. It’s a good handshake, solid, like he means it. “Jett. Good to meet you, too, sir.” My mouth’s dry, and I swallow a couple of times. “Nice place you’ve got here.”
Rob taps the wall with his knuckles. “Still standing. It’s a good house. They built them well in the 40s. Not like these modern concrete horror shows.”
I nod. I know what he means. “Yeah, I like older houses too. More soul.”
“Exactly.”
Wes joins us, grinning, his cheeks flushed a pretty pink. “Oh, good, I see you’re old friends by now.” He leans over and hugs his grandfather. “Hey, Granddad.”
“Hey, kiddo. Good to have you home.”
“Thanks.” Wes is exactly how he always is, completely at home in his own skin. I see where he gets it from because I instantly feel the warmth in the house and from the people who live here.
“Everyone, this is Jett.” Wes eyes me quickly, then continues. “My boyfriend. Jett, this is my mom, Evie, and my grandma Brenda.”
Brenda holds out her hand right away. “Jett! Welcome. I remember you and that sweet mother of yours.”
As always, when I meet people who know my parents, I don’t know what to say. On the outside, my family is the picture-perfect image of the middle-class nuclear family. But that’s not how I remember the years in Cannon Beach.
“Nice to meet you,” I murmur. “And for inviting me for Thanksgiving.”
“Of course,” Brenda chirps. “It’s been a while since our Wes brought someone home, so we’ve been mighty excited.”
I feel Evie’s eyes on me, but she hasn’t said anything yet. I hold out my hand. “Hi, nice to meet you.”
She tilts her head, then accepts it. “J-Jett. Wwwwelcome.” Wes has told me about his mom and her accident. He’s never made it sound like there’s anything wrong with her, and now I see why. Evie radiates the same kind of fierceness as Wes, like she knows exactly who she is.
“Thank you. It’s a beautiful home you have.”
“And something smells amazing!” Wes licks his lips, inhaling audibly. “G-ma, did you make your world-famous banana bread?”
“Sure did, sweetie. C’mon. Put down your bags, then let’s go out back. It’s nice and sunny today.”
“For once,” Robert grunts. “Been wet all darn week.”
“No fishing then, huh?” Wes pats Robert’s shoulder, then grabs my hand and pulls me with him inside the house.
“Nope. Maybe we can head out while you boys are here.” Robert looks at me over his shoulder. “You fish, Jett?”
“Uhm, not really.”
“We’ll teach you,” Wes says, leading me through the den and out onto a back deck.
“Ain’t nothin’ to it,” Robert agrees. “Just wishin’ and hopin’ for the best. Kinda like life.”
Wes laughs like he’s heard that a hundred plus times.
In the backyard, a table is set with a flowery tablecloth and mismatched coffee cups and plates. In the middle of the table is a vase with daisies, and the paper napkins have daisies on them too.
“You boys are down here,” Brenda says, pointing to the end of the table. “That way you have a nice view of the garden, Jett.”
“Thank you,” I rasp. “Everything looks amazing.” I take in the banana bread and a large plate with sandwiches.
“C’mon,” Wes says, plopping down on a chair. He rubs his hands. “This looks so good, Grandma.”
“I m-m-made the… sssssandwiches.”
“They look amazing, Mom. Egg salad.”
Evie nods, then sits next to Wes. I sit on the other side next to him, and he scoots his chair closer to mine.
Wes pats his stomach. “Love egg salad.”
Evie laughs, a lofty sound, and her eyes light up in the prettiest blue, so similar to Wes’. “I know.” She turns to me. “D-do you, Jett?”
I nod. “Yeah, I love it too. Haven’t had it in ages. These look amazing.” I accept a sandwich as Evie holds out the plate in front of me.
And they are amazing. Everything is. The banana bread is just the perfect mix of crunchy and spongy.
Wes and his family catch up, but make sure to include me.
I relax in the chair, sipping on a glass of homemade iced tea.
The air is chilly, but I feel all warm and toasty inside.
Wes’ family reminds me of my sister and her family, from the easy laughter to the welcoming hugs.
There’s no pretense, just genuine affection and interest in each other.
No one rushes Evie when she struggles with longer words.
Wes’ hand rests on my thigh under the table the entire time, the occasional squeeze a quiet comfort.
After lunch, we walk the short distance to the beach, Wes holding my hand.
As I take in the wide expanse of the bluish-gray ocean in front of me, my heart stops for a second.
My lungs tighten at the immense beauty before me.
Wes throws his arm casually over my shoulder and leans against me.
I like how openly affectionate he is in front of his family.
I thought it would freak me out, but I actually love it. It feels like I belong to him somehow.
“I forgot how spectacular the ocean is this time of year,” I whisper.
“It’s beautiful,” Wes says softly. “I miss it.”
He looks straight at me instead of the ocean. I turn to face him, looking over his shoulder at his mom and grandparents, walking further down the shore, their backs to us. “I wanna kiss you so fucking bad right now,” I say, my eyes fixed on his plump lips.
“Then do it.” His voice is deep, tinged with warmth.
“Kiss your boyfriend.” His smile lights up his entire face, and the sun makes his eyes shimmer.
I wrap my fingers around the collar of his windbreaker, tugging him against me.
I brush my lips against his, and he hums, his eyes fluttering closed.
An overwhelming feeling of gratitude surges in my chest. For this moment.
For Wes bringing me here to Cannon Beach and letting me create new memories—happier ones—with him and his family.
I close my eyes and kiss him. It’s chaste and innocent, just a mere brush of lips against lips. “Thank you,” I whisper.
His voice catches. “For what?”
I wrap my other hand around the back of his neck and tilt his head, kissing him deeper. He clings to my padded denim jacket as he comes undone in my arms. “For everything.”
I feel his smile against my lips, the small curve of his mouth. “It’s nothing,” he says, his voice raw with emotion.
I release his collar and cradle his chin. “It is. You have no idea, do you?” My chest tightens, but I’m not afraid.
His eyes grow wide. “Of what?”
“Of how much my life has changed since I met you. How it changes every day, bit by bit, for the better.”
His eyes soften. “Jett—” he croaks. I kiss him again, swallowing whatever he was about to say.
I just want to taste him, draw out the kiss, and prolong this feeling of lightness for as long as I can.
I’m falling for him. I know I am. It’s scary as fuck, but I don’t want to run away from it either.
There are still so many things I want to tell him, that I need to tell him.
The words burn on my tongue every time we’re together. Maybe soon I’ll be ready.
“Wow,” Wes pants when we break away, his eyes swimming with desire. He adjusts himself, then nods down the beach at the three small figures. A mist is gathering over the ocean, covering the sun in a milky-white blanket. “We should catch up with them.”
“Yeah.”
He leans in, his breath warm on my chin. “But we should definitely pick this up later.”
My mind instantly goes to all sorts of dirty places, like Wes’ face, buried in the sheets as he squirms on my cock. “What about the paper-thin walls?” I ask, my voice heavy with lust.
Wes winks, then pulls me with him down the beach. “You’ll just have to gag me, I guess.”
A laugh burst from my lips. “What?!”
“Yeah, you know, stuff your briefs in my mouth while you ram your huge cock into me.”
“Jesus. It’s hardly huge.”
“Sure feels huge.”
I shake my head, squeezing his fingers. We walk at a rapid pace. It’s getting cold now that the sun is disappearing in the mist. Further up the beach, Wes’ family is waiting for us, and when we reach them, they all smile, jumping in place to stay warm.
“Done gazing at the sea?” Robert hums knowingly.
“Yep,” Wes says.
Brenda shivers, then stuffs her hands into her coat pockets. “We should head back. We have a lot of preparations for tomorrow.”
“Whatever you need help with,” I say. It’s been years since I had a proper Thanksgiving, and I want to soak it all up.
“Y-y-you can help m-m-me w-w-with… the… st-st-st… Ugh,” Evie groans.
“I’d love to. I haven’t made it before, but I’m sure you know what you’re doing.”
She nods, pride pooling in her eyes. “I do. I’ll t-t-teach you.”
We head back, more running than walking. It’s cooler now because of the wind, but not freezing. I should’ve put on my beanie.
“My mom likes you,” Wes whispers as we trail behind his family back to the house.
“I like her too. I like all of them.”
Something flickers in Wes’ eyes, not exactly relief, but definitely elation. “I like you,” he says. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of those words.
I suck in a breath, then wrap my arm around his shoulders. “I really like you too, Wes.”
He throws me a blinding smile, then breaks free from my hold and takes off, yelling over his shoulder, “Last one home is a dork!”
“You’re the dork!” I yell back, grinning. He sprints faster, his family shaking their heads at him.
And just like that, I fall a little bit more.