Chapter 7 #2
As he jogged along the scenic road, his gut churned as he relived the horrible week after the relationship was outed and the whole town was talking about them.
In a way, it had been a relief to walk away from it all, to come home to Gansett, to be free of the judgment that had followed him around the town he’d once thought of as home.
He’d put his life on the line more than once to protect the people of that town, only to have many of them turn their backs on him once they’d discovered his big secret.
Even colleagues he’d considered friends had let him down, treating him like he was radioactive.
His only “crime” was living his truth. Granted, he should’ve lived his truth with someone who wasn’t one of his supervisors, but why hadn’t Gary borne the brunt of that lapse?
Why had he been the one to take the fall?
He’d thought about talking to a lawyer about that question, but the idea of following through with that process exhausted him.
With the general now in prison, John had felt free to fully explore his sexuality.
Being with Gary in his first real relationship had been amazing.
Until it wasn’t. And now he was left heartbroken as well as unemployed.
Did he really want to tear the scab off those wounds and air out the entire episode in court?
Maybe the municipality would settle rather than allow it to go that far.
If he didn’t bother, he’d have little to show financially for the eight years he’d spent in uniform other than a small percentage of his pension that he planned to invest once he received the payout.
The dilemma weighed on him in a way nothing else had since his father’s trial had dominated his thoughts.
He hated being in that headspace and craved the mental and emotional freedom he’d experienced prior to the meltdown at work.
After a lifetime of hiding who and what he was even from the people closest to him, was he ready to go fully public with the truth?
Cindy had been shocked when he’d told her, but not in a bad way.
Her reaction was proof that he’d done a good job of hiding himself from everyone.
His thoughts were all over the place when he jogged into the parking lot at the bluffs, planning to sit for a while and stare out at the ocean, as if the answers he needed might be found in the vast blue sea that crashed against the island’s northernmost point.
This place calmed him like nowhere else could, tied as it was to beautiful childhood memories. He loved being on the island and was tempted to snap up the job at the Wayfarer so he could stay indefinitely.
As he approached a bench that overlooked the ocean, he noticed another man sitting there and recognized him as Niall Fitzgerald, the singer from the Beachcomber.
“Hey.” John wiped sweat from his face with the hem of his tank.
Was it his imagination, or did he catch Niall checking him out as he dropped his shirt over his abdomen? “Is this seat taken?”
Niall slid over to make room for John on the bench. “Nope.”
John let his gaze wander over Niall’s long legs that were stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. “I didn’t realize you were a runner.”
“I didn’t realize you were.”
“I suppose it wouldn’t be obvious to either of us since we know each other from a bar.”
Niall grunted out a laugh. “True.”
“Not playing tonight?” John asked.
“Mostly weekends this time of year.”
John could listen to his Irish accent all day. “What do you do the rest of the time?”
“I work at Island Breeze Studios as a backup musician.”
“That’s cool.”
“I guess,” Niall said. “I left a pretty big career back in Ireland to come here, hoping to break out in the US, but so far, it’s not proceeding according to plan.”
“I’m sure it just hasn’t happened yet, because you’re crazy talented.”
“Thanks.”
“How did I not know there was a recording studio on the island?”
“It’s owned by Evan McCarthy.”
“Ah, okay.”
“He grew up here. His folks own the marina in North Harbor.”
Evan’s father was Big Mac, who wanted to see John about the security job. “My brother and sister are married to Evan’s cousins. I knew them from when we came here as kids.”
“That must’ve been fun.”
“It was,” John said wistfully. “It was the best part of our childhood. My grandparents owned the Sand & Surf. My siblings and I came every year the day after school ended.”
“Your parents didn’t come?”
John shook his head. “No, just us.”
“How fun. Did the grandparents spoil you guys?”
“Like crazy.” The only good memories John had from those miserable years were created on this island.
“Are they still living?”
“They are. They’re living in a cottage at my mom’s place and doing great in their mid-eighties.”
“That’s amazing.”
“We’ve told them they need to live forever because we can’t imagine life without them.”
“That’s very sweet. You’re lucky to have them.”
“And we know it. How about you? Is there a big family missing you in Ireland?”
“Not so much. I was adopted out of foster care when I was eleven, and my folks are getting on in years. I get home once or twice a year to see them, and FaceTime and such.”
John had so many questions he wanted to ask about the first eleven years of Niall’s life, but since he didn’t offer more information, John didn’t press him.
“Hey, would you be interested in a home-cooked meal?”
“Uh, is that a rhetorical question?”
John laughed. “My stepfather was cooking up something that smelled pretty good when I left the house. You’re welcome to join us.”
“I probably stink from running.”
“There’re like six showers in the house, and I can loan you some clothes.”
Niall gave him a side-eyed look. “Are you sure they won’t mind?”
In his past life, it never would’ve occurred to John to invite a friend home for any reason. In this life, he had no doubt his friend would be welcome. “I’m positive.”
“Then I’d love to. Thanks for asking.”
“Let’s go.”
They got up, stretched out the kinks from sitting and took off at an easy pace back toward the palatial house his mother now called home.
Unlike the home he’d grown up in, this house was full of love and acceptance and peace.
Perhaps in that home, he could finally and safely come out to his mother and the rest of the family.
He’d give that some thought, too. He had a lot to think about, but as he ran along with Niall, he pushed all his other worries aside to enjoy the sunset and the start of a new friendship.