Chapter 6 Fletcher
FLETCHER
It’s been four weeks since Vince moved into the in-law suite.
He’s joined us a few times for dinner, but otherwise, I’ve barely seen the guy.
It’s like we’re two ships in the night, passing each other on our way to work.
When I leave to start my day, he’s still asleep, and by the time I get home, he’s already gone.
He did help me pack away the Halloween decorations last weekend, which ended up being a great afternoon. He’d said more to me in those two hours than he ever has, and I laughed more than I had in a long time.
But then he went straight back to his room… and I haven’t seen him since.
It’s good for him, I guess. It keeps him from feeling pressured to be around us, since that’s not why he’s here.
But I’d be lying if I said I liked it. I want to know if he’s okay.
More than that, I want to know him. Vince has a softness to him under that hard exterior, and it intrigues me.
Not to mention, he’s just plain sexy. I’ve been attracted to him since he started working at Graham’s Bar.
I’ve just never had the opportunity to get to know him. He keeps everyone at arm’s length.
After my usual Friday romp at the bar with a few of my coworkers, I pause at the door on my way out. “Hey, you.”
Vince presses his lips together in a small, pained smile. Oh, sweet man. I hate how he suffers.
“Need something?” he asks.
“No. Just wanted to say hi. Feel like we keep missing each other at the house.”
His dark eyes search mine, like he’s trying to read between the lines.
“Georgie made cookies the other night. Peanut butter with Reese’s Pieces in them. They’re really good. I saved you some, which might have cost me my left kidney, but who knows.”
Vince chuckles. “You didn’t need to.”
“I know. But I wanted to.”
A small crowd enters, so I step out of the way so he can stamp each person’s hand. Through the window, I see more people coming. His day is just starting, while mine is finally over.
I touch his arm. “I’ll let you work, but come up for the cookies when you get home, okay? I’ll wait up.”
Something flashes in Vince’s eyes too quick for me to read. Surprise, maybe? “Yeah, I will.”
When I get home, Bones greets me with his usual gusto, then joins me on my bed when I curl up to read.
He only sleeps with me when Georgie isn’t here, which is fine.
I prefer it that way. The beast takes up too much room.
But tonight his presence is welcome. I ache for company more than normal, even if it’s a one-hundred pound dog.
I keep thinking about that look on Vince’s face when I invited him up, the confusion in his eyes about being here.
He’d been pretty insistent about doing things on his own once he got here, so I didn’t want to get in the way or cause him any more embarrassment.
He’s going through enough hell as it is.
But maybe Vince needs me to press. Or at the very least to show him it’s okay to come around. He can still be his own person and be my friend.
I get restless as midnight draws closer. Graham’s Bar closes at midnight, and he’s usually home by 12:30. But it’s after one in the morning when my phone rings.
I sit up, smiling when I see a number I don’t recognize. It must be him. “Hello?”
Vince doesn’t answer right away, his breaths jagged, as if he’s trying to calm down.
“Vince? Is that you?”
“Can you… fuck, can you come get me?” His voice is rougher than usual. “My leg’s acting up. I don’t think I can drive.”
“Yeah, of course.” I’m already on my feet. “Where are you?”
“Still at work.”
That surprises me. Has he just been waiting it out, hoping he could drive?
“Okay. Hang tight. I’ll be right there.”
I slide into my slippers and rush out the door.
Vince’s beat-up Ford Escape is in the back of the parking lot when I get there, the lights off. I pull into the spot next to him. Vince moves stiffly from one vehicle to the other, avoiding my eyes.
“Thanks,” he mumbles, closing the door.
“No problem.”
Vince says nothing the entire way back to the house, but I can tell he’s hurting. He keeps rubbing his left thigh, like he’s trying to undo a knot. When he finally climbs out, it’s with immense effort. I walk beside him to his door, ready to offer support if he needs it.
He pauses before entering. “I don’t get it. I was fine all night. Just some dull pain. But the minute I sat down, my damn leg cramped up so tight I could barely breathe.”
I frown. “Do you think the hot tub would help? Maybe ease the muscle?”
He considers it. “Maybe. Don’t have a swimsuit, though.”
“I’ve got a spare. Give me a minute and I’ll grab it for you?”
He slowly nods. “Okay, yeah.”
After running inside to change, I take Vince the extra swimsuit.
While he changes, I uncover the hot tub and start the jets.
Steam curls in the night air, and the water glows a vivid blue from the colored lights.
Before getting in, I go inside to grab a couple of water bottles from the fridge.
I consider grabbing the cookies Georgie made, but decide against it. I don’t want crumbs in the water.
Vince is climbing in when I return to the backyard, and my heart skips a beat at the sight of his broad shoulders and smooth skin. I mean, I knew he was solid, but damn. When he turns around, giving me a view of his front side, I nearly swallow my tongue.
What I wouldn’t give to lick that smooth chest… and some other not-so-subtle parts.
He sinks into a seat by a jet, shoulders dipping below the waterline. “Oh, that’s nice.”
His little moan does things to me I haven’t felt in a long time, and I adjust my swim trunks before climbing in.
Settling in across from him, I look up at the dark sky, if only to keep my eyes off him. “You know, you should feel lucky.”
“Why’s that?”
“Very few people get to enjoy my hot tub.”
He chuckles. “Is that so?”
“Mm-hmm.”
He stretches his arms out along the edge, angling his back against the jets. “Well, thank you.”
The cool fall air combined with the heat of the water is pure bliss. The stress of the day melts away.
“You’ll have to join me when it’s raining. That’s my favorite time to be in it.”
“You use it in the rain?” He seems genuinely perplexed, like nothing about sitting in the rain sounds fun to him.
“Oh, yeah. It’s the best. I love it in the snow too, but we don’t get that here.”
“Where did you live that you had snow?” he asks.
“Washington. My wife… well, ex-wife and I met in college in Olympia and moved here after we got married so she could be closer to her family.”
Vince looks like he wants to ask more, but he closes his eyes. After a few minutes, he shifts in his seat, face pinched as he rubs his temples.
“Here. Drink some water.”
He squints hard as he reaches for the bottle, and it slips through his fingers when he tries to grab it. With a curse, he fishes it out, uncapping it slowly. After taking a few swallows, he sets it on the ledge, then quickly turns to lean over the side, as if he’s going to throw up.
I move to sit beside him, touching his back. His skin is hot to the touch—too hot. Fuck. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. “Are you okay?”
Vince doesn’t answer for a long time, his breaths coming out slow and labored. “I don’t—I don’t feel good suddenly.”
“Let’s get out.”
He tries to stand, but his legs buckle. I quickly put an arm around his waist. “Easy, big guy. I’ve got you.”
He moves unsteadily, gripping the edge with all his strength as he swings each leg out.
I help him up the deck and into the house. He’s shivering even though his skin is still too warm, drying the water quickly.
“What’s happening to me?” he asks, rubbing his temples again.
He’s clearly asking himself that question more than me, but I answer anyway. “You got overheated.”
He glances at me, then curses under his breath in disbelief. “Didn’t think it would matter. I take hot showers every day.”
“Yeah, well. A hot tub is different. Not only is it hotter than a shower, but you’re sitting in it. And with all that steam…”
He looks away, ashamed. “I guess. Sorry.”
“No, don’t be. We’re both learning what you can handle now. It’s okay.”
I go to the fridge and grab a neck cooler from the freezer before draping it around his neck. Vince immediately drops his head back in relief.
“I use these at work all the time. They help. But I’m going to draw you a bath. So sit tight.”
“What? Why?”
“To cool you down. I used to do it for Georgie when she got overheated in the summers.”
“I don’t need—”
“Yes, you do, Vince. You’re way too hot right now.” I touch his forehead to emphasize my point.
Vince cracks a smile. “I could take that as a compliment.”
My stomach flutters, surprised that he could flirt when feeling so shitty. Wait, is he flirting? I can’t be sure. I didn’t think Vince was gay.
“Stay here,” I say, squeezing his shoulder.
There is no way Vince will fit in the tiny bathtub in Georgie’s bathroom, which means he needs to use mine. I go through my bedroom to the master bath to start the water. It takes a few minutes to find a temperature that is cool to the touch, but warm enough to be comfortable.
While the tub fills, I return to Vince. He’s looking at a picture on the wall. “Is this Georgie?”
I smile at the photo. It’s one of my favorites. “Yup. She went through a mermaid phase when she was seven. Had a tail for the hot tub and everything.”
“That explains the purple hair.”
“Oh, yeah. She’s had purple, pink, and teal. Sometimes, all at once.”
He laughs weakly. His skin is still way too flushed, sweat beading at his temples.
“Come on. It should be about ready.”
I have a pang of embarrassment when we enter my bedroom. It’s not messy, by any means, but still. It’s my personal space, and it’s been a while since I’ve had a man in here.
A long, long while.
Vince doesn’t hesitate to lower himself into the oversized oval tub, keeping his suit on.