Chapter 2
Two
Rafael
“I don’t know why you don’t go on a long vacation somewhere. Go spend a month on the beach, slipping off into margarita comas every night.”
I laugh, holding the phone closer to my ear. “Because you know damn well that isn’t me. I have to be doing more than that.”
“Lo se.” Derick sighs. “I’m your little brother; I’m supposed to give you a hard time for being a stubborn ass.”
“And you’re doing a good job,” I say, in between chuckles. “But you and I both know I’m stuck in my ways. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
“Sí, and your ass is as old as they come,” he chirps.
I roll my eyes, knowing it’s pointless, because he can’t see me when we’re in two different states. “You’re not too young yourself. I’m only six years older than you.”
“Yeah, but you’ve hit the age of retirement.”
I scoff. “From the army at age forty-two.”
“Still. Next time I talk to you, you’ll probably tell me about all the sweaters you knitted and your herb garden.”
Opening the fridge, I reach for a water bottle and twist the cap with my elbow as I slam the door shut with my back. “I was thinking more like potholders and something for Leslie to tie over your mouth to keep you from talking so much shit.”
“Sounds too kinky for Leslie.”
I spit my water out after my first sip. “Look, as much as I’d love to keep this fun conversation going, I need to get some yard work done before Clara next door reminds me of the HOA rules.”
“Good ole Clara. Now there’s someone who needs a hobby.”
“Yeah, I’ll gift her some knitting needles and cilantro seeds.”
“Good to see something might come of my brilliant ideas after all. Call me and let me know how the side gig is going. Stop being such a recluse over there in that big house of yours.”
Leaning against the counter, I scrub a hand over my face. “It’s not that big, and a guy like me needs a lot of room to walk around in at night.”
“Ah, still sleepwalking I see.”
“Yup. It’s gotten bad again after not having much to do and leaving my house less.
” And when I leave the house before waking, bad things happen.
Most I can’t remember. I’m waiting for some of it to come back and bite me in the ass, but none of what I’ve done while lacking clarity has caught up to me yet.
He knows about it but likes to shove it under the rug and pretend it isn’t there most days after helping me cover my tracks.
“And that’s why you need to come visit soon. We all miss you. You’re no longer in the service and can live wherever you want. It would certainly make everything easier.”
His way of slightly bringing up the unavoidable without bringing it up. “Except I’ve built my life here.”
“What life?”
I roll my eyes, turning around to remove my toast from the toaster. “My house and job. I’m comfortable where I am. I’ve finally gotten to know my neighbors’ names and I have favorite restaurants I go to.”
“A house and restaurants? That’s what’s keeping you there?”
“It’s more about what it’s keeping me away from.”
He sighs. “He moved out into the country, so the chances of you ever running into him—”
“There’s still a chance. We both love Christmas and more than likely will end up at the same places in town.
” Or I might slip into my car while sleeping and drive to his parents’ house like I did last time I visited my family.
Awake me knew what we had was over, but unconscious me has not fully come to terms with it.
Or with the law, apparently. I plate my food, reaching for the jelly in the nearby cabinet.
He sighs. “Look, I just miss you, okay. Ma does too, and so does everyone else.”
“I’m sure your wife doesn’t miss me starting small fires with matches at midnight.”
He lets out a snort. “No, but we’re not opposed to tying your ass to the bed when you stay over again.”
“And here I thought you two weren’t kinky enough.”
He huffs. “Weren’t we supposed to hang up?”
“I was waiting for you,” I tease.
He stifles a laugh. “Come home soon. If not to live here, then to visit.”
Staring at the knife in my hand, I nod as if he can see me. “I’ll do my best.” I pop open the jar of jelly and spread it on my toast. I’ve never been a big breakfast guy.
“For Christmas maybe, since you already missed Thanksgiving.”
“I said I’ll do my best, didn’t I?”
“Yeah. I was just hoping your best wouldn’t be a year from now. He knows you have us here and that we were also a big part of your life. He also knows you’ve been getting help for your condition.”
“Weren’t we supposed to hang up?”
“I’m waiting on you,” he muses.
I bark out a laugh, bringing my food slowly to my lips. “I’ll talk to you later. I need to take Huey outside soon. He’s giving me the evil eye.”
“I still think it’s weird you take your pig for a walk. I think it’s weird you have a pet pig in general.”
“And I think it’s weird you want to keep me on the phone all day.”
He lets out a short huff. “Alright, cabron. I’ll talk to you again soon.”
“You will. Later.”
“Later.” The line goes quiet and I shove my phone in my back pocket. Huey grunts at me, nudging his nose at his leash that he managed to knock onto the floor.
“I know, buddy, I know. I got started a little late today. Three months of no job and having nowhere to be will do that to ya.”
He grunts again, spinning around in a circle, and I laugh, chowing down on the reminder of my toast so fast that too much goes down my throat at once, making it painful to swallow.
“I almost choked for you,” I tell him, lowering my face. “You happy now?”
He sniffs the air, nudging at his leash again, and I shake my head, leaning over to snatch it off the ground. “Of course you aren’t. Not until you have all the older women in the neighborhood saying how cute you are from across their lawns.”
If my brother was here, he’d say that engaging in conversation with my pig for so long was another reason I need to go back home and be around people again. I’ve been trying to leave my house more, but loud noises still get to me, causing me to stand on guard.
“The PTSD is probably the reason for the sleepwalking,” my doctor said at our first meeting.
It doesn’t matter what it’s from or that I’ve been in therapy for the last three years.
All I know is that it ended my marriage to my high-school sweetheart.
He should be the one I’m strolling outside with on sunny, cold afternoons, not a pig I found tied to the railing in the middle of the highway.
Huey makes a decent companion, though. For now.
I’ve put the dating scene on hold, at least when it comes to meeting people online.
The connection was never there. Keeping up the conversation was too much of a chore, and the last guy wasn’t a fan of me wanting to feed him his pasta or wash him during our shared shower after a quick fuck.
Rory liked it when I took care of him. We both needed it. Me more than him sometimes. Kneeling down, I attach the leash to Huey, and he drags me toward the door, nearly making me lose my footing once we’re outside. I quickly shut the door behind me, tugging back on the leash.
“Hold on, boy. You’re in such a hurry today.”
I let him guide me across the street to the neighborhood park, and he wiggles his ass as he picks up the pace.
I match his steps, and then my eyes catch on a man wearing two different shoes and an orange sweater with “The Nightmare Before Christmas” pajama pants.
That’s one way to turn heads. He lifts his face, opening his eyes wide at the sky as if he’s chasing as much sunlight as he can reach.
He’s breathtaking. Honey-colored, medium-length hair, golden eyes and rosy cheeks.
“You’ll hurt your eyes doing that,” I yell from two feet away, and his head lowers, his eyes bouncing around.
“Too late for that,” he answers and goes back to looking up at the sky.
“Nice pants,” I call out, scooting closer so Huey can eat something he sees in the grass.
“What are they? I was reaching for my black yoga pants but I didn’t want to make my boyfriend late so I grabbed what I could.”
“You don’t know what you’re wearing?” And when he’s unable to make full-on eye contact, it dawns on me. He’s blind. Fuck, I’m an idiot. An insensitive one at that.
“No. I’m blind. My friends keep suggesting I try this app, but I haven’t been ready to take that step yet.”
“Your boyfriend couldn’t have helped out?”
He pushes out a breath. “He could have, but he was already waiting for me in the car. Said I was going to have to figure this all out on my own eventually. I do have a neighbor who sometimes comes over and helps. He’s working today, though, and I woke up kinda late.”
“That makes two of us.”
“Huh?” His face twists.
“The waking up late.”
“Oh. Yeah, for me it’s the not really having anywhere to be anymore, but I really wanted to come to the park with Travis while he taught his yoga class so I could get out of the house.”
“The park’s always a good choice.”
It’s not until he’s jumping back against his chair with flaring nostrils that I realize Huey is nibbling at his shoe.
“Shit. I’m sorry.” I tug on the leash, shortening it, and Huey grunts.
His face softens as he presses his hands to his knees, leaning forward. “And who do we have here?”
“This is Huey.” I smile, lifting him up, and he wiggles as I sit on the bench with him in my lap. “He’s a pig.”
His face lights up. “Is he a pet?”
“Yes, and this is his favorite park.” I guide Huey close to his hand and his smile causes my stomach to flutter.
“I think it might be mine now too.” He pets Huey between the ears and laughs when he rubs his wet snout into his palm.
“Yeah. Like I said, it’s a good place to be.”
A great place that quickly becomes less desirable when a sweaty six-foot redhead shows up. “There you are. You found a place to sit.”
“Yeah. I stumbled and fell a few times first.”
“Independence is good for you, remember?”
“I know, but it’s also hard when I’m still not finished with therapy.”
“I know, babe. You’re getting there, though, and I’m so proud of you.” The unwanted presence is about to lean down and then his eyes fall on mine. “Make a new friend while waiting for me?”
Honey’s golden-brown eyes lift when he remembers Huey and I are right next to him. Honey is what I plan on calling him from here on out, whether or not we meet again. Which I really hope we do.
“Yeah, actually.” His lips stretch wider. “This is Huey and . . .” His lips fold in. “I didn’t quite catch your name.” His eyes circle around my face.
“Rafael.”
“Well, Rafael. As nice as it is to meet you, there’s a diner calling our name, and I can see we’ll be ordering it to go after examining my lunch date’s clothing choice.”
“Oh, of course,” I say, setting Huey on the ground. “We have somewhere to be soon too, so I totally get it. It was nice meeting you both.”
“Yeah. Same here,” Honey says. “Bye, Huey. It was especially nice meeting you.” He lowers his face closer to where he hears Huey grunting.
“Okay, come on, babe. You know there’s always a long wait when we take too long to place our order.” Red grabs onto Honey’s hand and yanks him up from the bench a little too quickly for my liking. I laugh when Honey waves in the wrong direction, saying, “Goodbye again.”
“Later.” Except I’m not sure if later is possible, but he did mention using an app soon, and I’m hoping it’s the one I recently started working for.
If it is, I’ll have to start watching it very closely, to make sure I’m the first one available to take whatever job he might have for me.
Maybe it’ll be choosing the right pants to wear, even though I still think he went with the right choice today.
You can never go wrong with pajama pants or “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
And maybe coming to this park more will also make it to the top of my list if that means getting to see him while I’m here.