Step by Step E-Book

K.C. Wells

• Herausgeber: Dreamspinner Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 437

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

Jamie's life is one big financial mess, and it really isn't his fault. However, the last thing he expected to find in the library was a Good Samaritan. He might have been suspicious of Guy's motives at first, but it soon becomes apparent that his savior is a good man who has been lucky in life and is looking to pay it forward. Guy being gay is not a problem. Jamie's not interested… or so he thinks. Guy is happy to help Jamie, and the two men get along fine. But when Jamie's curiosity leads him from one thing to another, Guy finds himself looking at the young man with new eyes. What started out as a hand up is now something completely different….

Leseprobe

Step by Step

By K.C. Wells

Jamie’s life is one big financial mess, and it really isn’t his fault. However, the last thing he expected to find in the library was a Good Samaritan. He might have been suspicious of Guy’s motives at first, but it soon becomes apparent that his savior is a good man who has been lucky in life and is looking to pay it forward. Guy being gay is not a problem. Jamie’s not interested… or so he thinks.

Guy is happy to help Jamie, and the two men get along fine. But when Jamie’s curiosity leads him from one thing to another, Guy finds himself looking at the young man with new eyes. What started out as a hand up is now something completely different….

Table of Contents

Blurb

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Epilogue

More from K.C. Wells

Readers love K.C. Wells

About the Author

By K.C. Wells

Visit Dreamspinner Press

Copyright

As always, a huge thank-you to my team of betas:

Jason, Bev, Debra, Helena, Mardee, and Lara.

You are the best!

Chapter One

TODAY CANNOT get any worse.

As an afterthought, Jamie Stevens cast a mental eye heavenward. You wouldn’t do that to me, right?

Whatever plans God had in mind for Jamie, he wasn’t sharing.

“Jamie, you listening to me?”

He resisted the urge to resort to sarcasm. It always went over Dad’s head anyway. “Yeah, still here, still listening.” Not that he was going to hear anything new.

“I just said, sorry, kid, you’re gonna have to suck it up and get a job.”

“A job?” Jamie was close to yelling into his phone, and only the fact that he was in the library put a brake on his mouth. Do they ever listen to a word I tell them? Jamie clenched his fist, closed his eyes, and counted to five. Slowly. “Dad, I already work three jobs.”

Scrap that. I worked three. Jamie was still angry about the phone call he’d gotten that morning, informing him that his services would no longer be required. Looks like I need to find another one.

Dad snorted. “Then you should be rolling in dough. Why d’you need to ask for money if you have three jobs?”

Jamie told himself for the millionth time that it wasn’t Dad’s fault. Neither of his parents had been to college, and they seemed to have no clue how much it cost to get a decent education in modern-day America. But he knew that wasn’t it. Dad’s mind was on other things.

Divorcing Mom was pretty high up on the list.

As if to prove a point, his dad’s voice softened. “Look, Jamie, you know what’s going on. The lawyers are robbing me blind. If I’d known it was gonna cost this much to become a free man again, I might have reconsidered and stuck it out.”

Yeah, like that was going to happen. Jamie had lived through four years of his parents’ hell: arguing, name-calling, slamming doors, and bitter recriminations, with each of them laying the blame for the breakup solidly on the other’s doorstep. He was amazed it had taken that long for Dad to move out.

Jamie sighed heavily into the phone. “Yeah, I know.” This was going nowhere. “I’m sorry I disturbed you at work. I’ll let you get back to it.”

“Hey, wait a minute.”

Jamie paused, about to disconnect the call. “What?”

“If you were in trouble, you’d tell me, wouldn’t you?”

He caught the genuine note of concern in Dad’s voice, and just for a second, Jamie weakened. Tell him. Tell him you’re about to be kicked out of your dingy little studio apartment because you’re three months behind in the rent. Tell him you can’t afford to pay for next semester’s tuition.Tell him you’re in a mess.

Before he could respond, his dad gave a quiet laugh. “Yeah, of course you would. You’re a smart kid. Smarter than your old man, that’s for sure. You’re in college, for Christ’s sake.” Dad’s voice changed, and the note of pride that rang out was enough to make Jamie clam up. “I don’t tell you often enough how damn proud I am of you. Me and your mom. Our Jamie, a lawyer.”

“I’m not a lawyer yet, Dad,” Jamie reminded him. And right now it’s looking like I never will be. “Speaking of which, I’d better get back to my studies.” He had to get off the phone before he broke.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll talk to you this weekend. You gonna come by the house?”

“Sure,” Jamie replied despondently. He knew when the weekend came, he’d make some excuse. The last thing he wanted to do was sit on his dad’s couch and listen to his latest tirade about how the fucking divorce lawyer was shafting him, how Mom was making things difficult for him, et cetera, et cetera.

He said his good-byes and disconnected the call. He was about to pocket the phone when it warbled the arrival of a text. Jamie stared at the message in disbelief.

Time’s up. I’ve got a new tenant. You have until Sunday night to move out. Leave your keys on the coffee table. And you still owe me three months’ rent. I’ll be in touch to work out how you’re gonna pay that.

Jamie’s gut clenched and cold sweat popped out on his brow. This isn’t happening. He wanted to forget he was twenty years old, put his head in his hands, and bawl his eyes out. Right then he felt like some little kid learning to swim who’d been flung into the deep end and couldn’t keep his head above water.

Jamie was about to go under.

He leaned forward and put his head on his arms, his breath fogging the varnished surface of the table.

No wonder God had kept quiet. This latest bombshell was enough to break him.

Jamie closed his eyes and fought hard to hold back the tears, reminding himself that adults didn’t cry, and certainly not in the middle of the public library.

Except in that moment, he wasn’t an adult. He was a frightened little boy who needed a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a lifeline to cling to.

When a quiet cough pierced the silence, Jamie wanted to growl. No one had better fucking tell me I’m behaving inappropriately. He raised his chin, his mood defiant, ready to tear someone a new asshole.

Facing him in a chair across the table was an older guy, maybe in his late thirties. Brown hair, warm brown eyes, beard. A barrel chest, black shirt open at the neck, black leather jacket, unfastened. The guy was watching him, his expression neutral.

Jamie wasn’t about to sit there and be the focus of some stranger’s attention. He hoisted himself upright and grabbed his phone and backpack.

“Excuse me.” The stranger’s voice was deep, rich.

Jamie said nothing, but returned his stare.

Leather Jacket Guy studied him. “You look like you’re having a really bad day.”

It was on the tip of Jamie’s tongue: Ya think? Geez, mister,you have no fucking clue. Not that he’d have dared. His mom had brought him up better than that. “Something like that,” he muttered.

“Look, I know it’s none of my business, and you’d be quite within your rights to tell me to take a flying leap, but… I’m just about to go and grab a coffee. Maybe you’d like one? Or tea, juice, water, whatever.” The guy smiled. “It might help to talk about it to a complete stranger. Get it off your chest.”

Jamie stared at him. What the fuck?

There was that smile again. “I’m not even sure why I’m offering. Believe me, this is not something I do, go around inviting guys out for coffee. It just seems to me like you need to talk. I’m offering to listen. That’s all.”

Jamie was vacillating. A coffee sounded good right then, something with flavor and a rich aroma. But going with some strange guy who asked him out of the blue? He tried to figure out what his gut was telling him, but that was no use: his insides were still in turmoil after that last text.

Out of habit, Jamie went to his default. He went to the eyes.

He’d always told his classmates that the way to know if someone was a secret homicidal ax-wielding maniac was to look in their eyes. Windows to the soul, and all that. The way Jamie figured it, one couldn’t hide maniacal tendencies. Something like that was bound to reveal itself in the eyes. Of course, he knew it was all bullshit. Having never met a secret homicidal ax-wielding maniac—that he knew of, at any rate—he had no idea if his theory was valid.

So what if it was pure bullshit? It was Jamie’s bullshit.

Leather Jacket Guy’s eyes were warm. More than that, they appeared sincere. And there was something else, a flicker of recognition, as if the man knew what Jamie was going through.

It was enough.

Jamie nodded slowly. “Okay. Coffee sounds good right now.”

The guy beamed. “Excellent.” He got up from his chair and walked around to where Jamie stood, his hand extended. “The name’s Guy.”

Jamie shook it. “Jamie.”

Guy gestured toward the door. “Shall we go?”

Jamie nodded and followed Guy from the room, his thoughts a mess.

What the hell am I doing?

He didn’t have a clue, but in his present emotional state, it had to be better than sitting in the library feeling sorry for himself.

JAMIE STARED at the board, not really seeing the list of beverages. He was still thinking about that text. Now what? He was mentally going over a list of friends who might be able to give him their couch for a few days while he tried to sort out somewhere more permanent. He hated having to do it, but right then he had little choice.

“What would you like?” Guy asked, next to him.

“Huh?” Jamie yanked himself back into the present. “I’m sorry, I was miles away.” He peered at the board. “Could I have a mocha tesora, please?”

“Sure.” Guy smiled. “I’m thinking a large one.”

Jamie attempted a smile, but it wasn’t happening. When his belly grumbled loudly, he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him. To his relief, Guy made no comment. Instead he gestured to an empty table near the rear of the coffee shop.

“Why don’t you grab that table for us, and I’ll bring the drinks?”

“Sure.” Jamie walked over to the table, fighting the urge to shake his head. The whole situation had that surreal quality. A perfect stranger invites me for coffee and I say yes, just like that? Jamie put his reaction down to the stress of the afternoon. He’d gone to the library after his last class to do some work toward his LSAT and to look into ways of funding law school. The irony hadn’t missed him: lawyers were ruining his life.

He knew part of the reason for accepting Guy’s suggestion was Guy himself. Apart from the whole eyes thing, he seemed pretty normal.

Jamie resisted the urge to snort. What’s normal, anyway?

Guy joined him, bearing a tray containing two large cups, one topped with whipped cream and a dusting of chocolate powder. The other cup smelled of gingerbread and was poured over ice. Not only that: there were two plates with the most delicious-looking chocolate brownies Jamie had ever seen. He raised his head to stare at Guy, who merely shrugged.

“I was in need of a pick-me-up, which can only mean chocolate in my book, and there was no way I was going to sit here munching away while you weren’t.” Guy narrowed his eyes. “You wouldn’t want to make me look bad, right?”

Like Jamie was going to fall for that one. It did serve to prove his instincts correct, however.

Guy was a nice… guy.

“Thank you,” Jamie said sincerely. He looked closer at the brownie. “Are those bits of pecan in there?” He licked his lips.

Guy arched his eyebrows. “But of course. Only the best brownies have pecan bits in them.” He bit back a smile. “Dig in.”

Jamie did just that.

The mocha had exactly the right amount of chocolate for Jamie’s tastes, and he did his best to avoid the embarrassing cream mustache. The drink warmed his insides, and the brownie definitely filled a hole.

When the plate held nothing but crumbs, Jamie sagged against the back of the chair. “That was awesome.” He still had half the mocha to look forward to.

Guy was a slower eater. After taking a bite of his brownie, he regarded Jamie with a speculative glance. “Okay, suppose you tell me what’s gone wrong today?”

Jamie snorted. “If only it was just today.”

Guy forked off another piece of brownie. “From what I could make out—and I really didn’t intend to eavesdrop, I assure you. It was just that you sounded so low, and you looked even lower, that I couldn’t help myself. But I digress. You have three jobs?”

Jamie nodded, his hands wrapped around the warm cup, inhaling the rich aroma. Then he remembered. Shit. “Actually, I lost one this morning. Surplus to requirements, and all that. Guess I need to go find another to replace that one.”

“So either you love working,” Guy said with a smirk, “or your circumstances demand it. I think I’m going to go with the latter.”

Another nod.

“Care to start at the beginning? I’m a good listener.”

Jamie studied Guy for a moment, unsure of where to begin.

Guy obviously took his silence for nervousness. “I know you don’t know me from Adam, so here is Guy Bass in a nutshell. I’m thirty-eight, single, but I was married once. I’ve lived in San Francisco all my life. I have two kids who are probably your age, and that means I’ve done enough parenting to have tried helping them through the various trials and tribulations of growing up. You looked like you could use a friend, so I’m offering you a shoulder to cry on, someone to vent to, whatever.” He shrugged off his jacket and placed it over the back of his chair. Guy leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “Chances are you’ll never see me again, but maybe talking to a stranger will help. You never know. I might see solutions where right now all you see are problems.”

Jamie smiled. “You had me at ‘a good listener.’” He picked up his cup and took a long drink. When he finished, he expelled a couple of breaths. “I didn’t think getting an education would be this difficult.”

“Are we talking academically or financially?”

“Financially. My parents didn’t set up a college fund—they were always telling me they’d make sure I had everything I needed, and they’d saved up on their own for this. I qualified for a partial scholarship, and they were going to pay the rest. If I wanted money for anything other than tuition, books, clothing, or food, the deal was I’d get a job. I had no problem with that.” He scowled. “And, of course, everyone was so keen to give me a loan.”

To his surprise Guy scowled too. “It’s not the way to go about things, having someone graduate with a ton of debt hanging over their heads.” When Jamie stared at him, Guy shrugged. “Just saying. Time was when working your way through college was what everyone did, unless mommy and daddy could afford to pay for everything. A lot of people of my parents’ generation have no idea how much things have changed, and for the worse.”

Jamie hadn’t expected that. “Exactly. My parents have no idea.”

Guy gave him a nod of commiseration. “So. Your parents put money aside for your tuition. What went wrong with the plan?”

Jamie stared into his half-empty cup. “They did. A year ago they finally had enough of screaming at each other and decided to get a divorce. All of a sudden, the money they’d put aside for my education got diverted. Now they need it to pay the divorce lawyers.”

“Aw, crap.” Guy’s face fell. “That sucks. Not just that you’re in a bind financially, but that their marriage couldn’t be saved.” He shook his head. “Although sometimes it really is the best way.”

“Are you divorced?” Jamie asked. Guy’s demeanor spoke of personal experience.

Guy nodded. “But that was a long time ago, when I was twenty.” When Jamie widened his eyes, Guy sighed. “Yeah, I wasn’t married for long.” He gave himself a shake. “Anyway, back to you. That’s why you have two jobs, to be able to continue your education?”

“Yup.” Jamie stared morosely at the brownie crumbs. “Just over a year left, and then it was supposed to be on to law school. I’m looking at scholarships and funding now.”

“Wise move. Law, eh? Do you know where you want to study?”

“Here, in San Francisco.”

Guy smiled. “Good choice. Our DA studied here, you know.”

Jamie nodded. He knew all about District Attorney Cole Daniels. He had always been one of Jamie’s idols, not that he’d ever admit it to a living soul.

“Is that everything?” Guy asked.

Jamie shook his head. “I thought that between the scholarship and the loans, I’d be able to manage, but man, it’s been tough. And then….” He forced himself to take a breath.

“Hey.” Guy’s voice was soft. “Drink what’s left of your mocha before it goes cold. It’s not like you have to be anywhere right now, is it?”

Jamie shook his head.

“Okay, then. We have plenty of time to talk. Take your time.” His brown eyes were kind.

Jamie picked up his cup, drained it, then licked his lips to remove the last trace of mocha. Guy watched him, his hands resting on his jeans-clad thighs, his legs crossed.

When he was calm again, Jamie met Guy’s gaze. “These last couple of months, it feels like life has been throwing obstacles into my path, and every one of them required money.”

“Such as?”

“I was having problems with my wisdom teeth, so the dentist decided to remove them all.”

Guy winced. “Ouch. Don’t want to think what that cost.”

Jamie nodded gloomily. “My parents’ insurance paid for half of it, but there was no way they could pay the rest, so there went $800 from my college savings. Not to mention all the time off I had to take, both from my classes and my jobs.” Which was probably the reason they called to let him go. Shit.

“You have to maintain a good GPA for your scholarship, right?”

Jamie nodded again. “I couldn’t afford to fall behind. I spent a lot less time sleeping and worked my ass off to keep up with my classes. Of course, with no money coming in from the jobs, things were getting kinda tight. I thought one way of cutting down on expenses was to move out of the dorm and find myself somewhere cheaper to live, downtown.”

“That makes sense.”

“But then they changed my hours at the diner, and at the coffee shop too. Less money coming in, and more and more things eating up my finances. Like my laptop. It up and died on me, so I had to pay for a new one. And I had to find $355 to register for the LSAT.”

“LSAT? That’s the test you have to sit before you can go to law school, right?”

Jamie stared at him in surprise. “Yeah, it is.” He hadn’t expected that.

Obviously he was shit at hiding his reactions, because Guy smiled. “Let’s just say I know a few lawyers. When are you taking it?”

“In June. That’s the earliest I can take it, and the deadline to pay was April.” Jamie sighed heavily. “I had to struggle to pay this semester’s tuition. It took everything I’d saved. I figured it wouldn’t be so bad if I got a little behind on my rent.”

Guy winced again. “Why am I thinking it did get bad?”

“Because that text I got in the library was my landlord telling me I’m about to be evicted. I have until Sunday to find a place to stay.” Jamie pushed out a bitter laugh. “So to quote you, in a nutshell, I can’t afford to pay the rent so I’m gonna be homeless, plus I owe three months’ back rent, I’ve no more money to pay for tuition for my final year of prelaw, and at the rate they keep cutting my hours, I’m not going to be able to survive for what’s left of this semester.” He put his head in his hands. “I keep asking myself, what was the point of working so damned hard all the way through high school to leave with a GPA of 3.9 if I can’t get to do the one—the only thing—I’ve wanted my entire life?” He closed his eyes in an attempt to force back the tears that threatened to appear. I am not going to sit here and cry like a baby in front of Guy.

The sound of a throat clearing.

Jamie raised his head. Guy was looking at him, and for the second time in less than an hour, Jamie caught that flicker of emotion in his warm brown eyes.

Guy tilted his head to one side. “Suppose….” He broke off, picked up his cup, and drank what was left of his coffee. He dabbed his lips with the paper napkin and met Jamie’s gaze once more. “Suppose I was to say I might be in a position to help you?”

Chapter Two

JAMIE STARED at Guy for a moment, and then snorted. “Well, unless you have a magic wand hidden in your jacket pocket so you can roll back time, I don’t see how.”

Something that resembled a brief spasm of pain flickered across Guy’s eyes. “Yeah, wouldn’t we all like one of those?” he said quietly. He straightened in his chair, his hands clasped on the table in front of him. “I’m going to tell you a story. When I’m finished, we’ll see if we still have anything to talk about, okay?”

“Okay,” Jamie agreed, intrigued.

Guy studied his hands. “I won’t go into details, but when I was twenty—you’re, what, twenty, twenty-one?”

“Nearly twenty-one.”

Guy smiled. “Thought so. Anyhow, when I was twenty, I was in a mess financially. Different circumstances to yours, but the result was just the same. I’d have gone under but for a chance meeting with the guy who changed my life.”

Jamie couldn’t take his eyes off Guy’s face. The first time he’d looked at him in the library, Guy had seemed gruff; a burly man who wouldn’t have appeared out of place on a construction site. But now, while he was speaking, his expression was almost… soft. Tender.

“Stephen wanted to help me. He’d had a mentor when he was younger, someone who’d really set him on the right path, and Stephen wanted to pay it forward. He took me under his wing, gave me a place to stay, helped me through college. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without his help.”

“He sounds like an amazing man,” Jamie noted.

“He was.” When Jamie arched his eyebrows, Guy gave a sad smile. “He died about six years ago.”

“You were close to him.” It wasn’t a question. The knowledge was right there in Guy’s facial expression, in the air of grief that clung to him even now. And something else. Several thoughts were already speeding through Jamie’s mind. Why would someone do all that? Because it went beyond altruism. An alarm bell began clanging in Jamie’s head. All he could think of were the articles he’d read online recently about students finding themselves “sugar daddies” to help pay their way through college. Uh-oh. Is Guy about to suggest what I think he’s about to suggest?

Guy nodded. “He was a lonely man when we first met, but that changed.” He cleared his throat. “Which brings us to you. I’ve tried all my life to help those in need. I give to charities, I help out on fund-raising campaigns, but you present me with a more personal goal. I’d like to help you out, the way Stephen helped me. Whatever you need, Jamie: a place to live, financial aid so you can concentrate on your studies instead of burning the candle at both ends, a mentor, I suppose.”

Jamie gaped. “You… you’re serious.” It was still sounding too good to be true. “Can I ask you about—”

“Would you hear me out first? Then I’ll answer your questions.”

Jamie gave a single nod. “Sure.” The way Guy’s story was going, Jamie had a sneaking feeling he knew how it was going to end. His stomach clenched. Aw crap.

Guy took a breath. “I don’t work anymore. I put together a company that did very well. I sold it last year, and I’m basically set for life. I have a few projects that bring in an income. What I’m saying here is, I’m in a position to help you.” He smiled. “Maybe we could help each other.”

Holy. Fuck.

“You and this Stephen… you were, like, a companion to him?” It was a politer term than the one in his head right then.

Guy nodded, and Jamie’s heart sank. Damn. I hate being right. Of course, he could have Guy pegged all wrong. There was always the possibility that Jamie had his wires crossed.

Only one way to find out.

“Can… can I ask you something really personal?” he ventured quietly.

Guy tilted his head, his brow furrowed. “Well, you can ask. I’ll have to decide if I want to answer.”

“Fair enough.” Jamie took a deep breath. “Are… are you gay?”

Guy blinked. “Well, sure.” His eyes widened. “But you’re not.”

Jamie shook his head very slowly.

Guy expelled his breath in a sigh. “Serves me right for assuming. I could’ve sworn….”

“You thought I was gay?” Jamie was stunned.

“Uh-huh. Seems I was getting the wrong signals.”

Jamie only wished he had.

He put two and two together and didn’t like what he came up with. “You calling yourself Stephen’s companion—that’s a euphemism, right? Your relationship was… sexual. Financial help, in exchange for… sex.” He set his jaw. “Which any way you look at it is prostitution.”

Guy widened his eyes. “Oh, God, no. It certainly didn’t start out that way. He wasn’t like that,” he stressed vehemently. “But over time we grew closer, and then, yes, the relationship developed into something more physical.” He went back to studying his hands again. “I’m sorry, Jamie. I thought you were a good-looking, young gay guy in need of help. I shouldn’t have made such an assumption.”

What surprised Jamie was that he was sorry too. Not for being mistaken for a gay guy—he had no problem with gay people—but that for just a moment back there, he’d felt a glimmer of hope that there really was someone looking out for him. Guy’s offer had seemed too good to be true.

That’s because it was. Guy’s offer definitely came with strings attached. Okay, he hadn’t come right out and said as much, but Jamie could read between the lines.

“I’m sorry too,” he said at last. “I’m guessing this changes things, right?” He sighed. “It sounded great, but I’m not who you think I am, clearly.” Jamie got to his feet. “Thanks for the mocha and the brownie. It was nice to meet you.”

“Wait.”

Jamie stilled, his gaze focused on Guy, his cheeks warm.

Guy gestured to his chair. “Sit down a sec.” When Jamie remained where he was, Guy sighed. “Please?”

Jamie retook his seat, and Guy sat back and studied him, his lips pressed together, and Jamie squirmed under such careful scrutiny. Then Guy leaned forward.

“What if the offer is still on the table?”

Jamie frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Guy smiled. “Your situation hasn’t changed. You still need a hand up out of the financial hole you’re in, and I can give you that hand. And I do need to repay what Stephen did for me. That hasn’t changed either. So here’s what I’m suggesting. I’ll give you a place to live that I guarantee is better than the place you’re about to be kicked out of. I’ll pay for your tuition. I’ll help you get set up for law school. In fact, I’ll pay for you once you get in.”

“And in return?” Jamie waited for the punch line.

“That’s it. No strings. Well, there is one. In return, you’ll work your ass off to become a brilliant lawyer. You’re smart, Jamie—a GPA of 3.9 tells me that—and you’re motivated.”

Jamie’s heart pounded. “And it doesn’t matter that I’m straight?”

Guy’s smile widened. “Well, you’re the one who has to live with that particular disability.” He winked, and then his expression grew more serious. “No, it doesn’t matter.”

Jamie stared at him. “I suppose,” he began slowly, “that once I’m a lawyer, I would be in a position to help someone, just like you’re offering to help me.” He liked the sound of that.

Guy nodded, smiling. “That’s the idea.” He cocked his head. “And here’s another. Why don’t you come with me now? I’ll show you the house. Then you can decide.”

Jamie had to smile at that. “You obviously think the house will be a deal-changer.”

Guy grinned. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

Jamie took a moment to do a quick mental assessment. His initial impression of Guy hadn’t altered, in spite of his new knowledge. Knowing a little of his history only helped cement the idea that Guy was a good person.

He said no strings, remember?

Jamie came to a decision. “I’ll look at the house.”

It couldn’t hurt, could it?

Guy beamed. “Great. Then let’s go.” He rose to his feet and pulled on his leather jacket. “How did you get to the library?”

“I walked. My apartment is above a restaurant in Chinatown.”

“Okay. My car is around the corner from the library on Jones. I’ll bring you back when we’re done.” He smiled. “That all right with you?”

“I wouldn’t want to put you out. I can always use the train to get home.”

Guy snickered. “Not from Brisbane, you won’t. There aren’t any stops nearby. And it’s no trouble, I assure you. We’re only about twenty-five minutes from my house.” He peered at Jamie. “I understand this is asking a lot. You’ve only just met me, and here I am about to take you off someplace and you’re depending on me to bring you back. If you want to text a friend, just to let them know where you’re going, I’d understand completely. I’d go so far as to say it’s a good idea. ‘Be safe’ is a damn good motto to live by.”

He had a point.

Jamie nodded and got out his phone. He knew he’d have a lot of questions to answer from Ryan later on, but it did make sense. It also confirmed his assessment of Guy.

“Still coming?”

Jamie took a deep breath and put away his phone. “Yeah. Still coming.” He followed Guy out of the coffee shop, his mind in a whirl for the second time that day.

I sure didn’t see my day going like this when I woke up this morning.

He was anxious to see how it would end.

FROM THE outside, Jamie could see why Guy might have thought the house was an attractive part of the deal. It sat on a corner, with terracotta walls at street level, beneath a steep sloping gray-tile roof with three dormer windows set into it. The front of the house curved around to the left, leading to a garage, and on the right was a paved area with a white fence around it.

It was a cute house, sure.

Once he got inside, however, Jamie was pretty much sold. It was a beautiful house.

“Okay, here’s where I put on my tour guide hat,” Guy said, placing his jacket over the back of a wrought iron armchair in the airy entrance hall. He gestured to the area. “To be honest I don’t really use this part much, but it comes in handy when I throw parties.”

“Do you do that often? Throw parties, I mean?” Jamie put his backpack on the floor next to the chair and then took off his jacket.

“Now and again. I’m overdue for hosting one.”

“I like how the wall curves,” Jamie confessed, “and how the windows follow the curve, filling the room with natural light.”

Guy pointed off to the right. “That staircase goes to the basement. We might as well start at the bottom of the house and work our way up.” He led Jamie down the steps into a large open-plan space. At one end was a wall covered with a white screen, and in front of it were several couches and armchairs.

Jamie grinned. “A media room. It’s like you have your own movie theater down here.”

Guy nodded. “It’s something else I like to do. I organize movie nights and invite a lot of friends over. Everyone brings their own snacks—useful when some of them have allergies—and we spend an evening down here.”

Jamie really liked that idea.

Guy headed back up the stairs, pointing to a small room. “Utility room, with washer and dryer.”

They reentered the entrance hall, and it was then that Jamie noticed. “There are no doors down here.” Instead there were archways through which other rooms could be seen.

“Nope. The architect was definitely a fan of open plan.” Guy walked through an archway into a U-shaped kitchen, done out in rich cherry wood. Past the kitchen was the living room, with part of it taken up by a dining table and eight chairs. French doors at the end of the room opened out onto the backyard.

Guy paused. “Impressions so far?”

Jamie sighed. “I love your home.” And it did feel like a home. There were framed photographs and prints on the walls, and the hardwood floors gave the rooms a warm glow. Rugs provided splashes of color, contrasting with cream walls. He could imagine a roaring fire burning away in the fireplace on cold nights.

“Upstairs is boring compared to here, but I’ll show you,” Guy said as they went up the staircase. “There are three bedrooms, two of which have a full bath, the other a toilet and sink, but there’s a separate bathroom downstairs.”

They reached the top, and Jamie found himself in another open-plan area with three doors leading off it. The smallest bedroom was lit by one window, but there was plenty of room for the queen bed. Next was a larger room with two windows and a bathroom.

“This would be your room, if you choose to accept my offer,” Guy said.

Jamie liked it. There was a lot of light, which seemed to be a feature of the house. The king bed looked comfortable, and there was an armchair below one of the windows. Below the other was a large oak desk with a high-backed chair in front of it.

Jamie smiled. “Looks like this would be a great room for a student.”

Guy chuckled. “Very astute. This was my room when I first moved in with Stephen.”

Jamie frowned. “Wait a moment—this was Stephen’s house?”

Guy sighed. “It’s a long story. Why don’t you let me show you the master bedroom, and then we’ll go downstairs and I’ll make us some coffee.”

“Sure.” Jamie followed him into the large, airy room, complete with a bathroom and closet. Guy opened a pair of french doors and stepped out onto a deck. Jamie joined him and stared out at the garage and yard. A porch ran along the side of the garage, supported by trellis pillars, covered with greenery. Jamie peered at the porch, unable to hold back his smile. “Is that a hot tub under there?”

Guy grinned. “I saved the best till last.”

Jamie was impressed, but he couldn’t get his head around the fact that Stephen had once owned the house. What happened there?

Guy stepped back into the bedroom, Jamie behind him. Once he’d locked the doors, he smiled. “And now for that coffee I promised you.”

As Jamie followed him down the stairs, he went over in his mind the story Guy had told him in the coffee shop. Clearly there was a lot more to it, but then again, Guy had said as much.

When they entered the kitchen, Guy pointed to one of the chairs at the round table. “Grab a seat while I set up the machine.”

Jamie did as instructed, watching Guy filling the reservoir with water. He liked the atmosphere in the house. It felt… restful, and in Jamie’s book, that was huge. The last couple of years before Dad moved out had been so bad that Jamie had hated going home. He’d avoided it as much as possible, until Mom had made some very pointed comments. Once Dad had found an apartment, Jamie thought things might have improved, but no. It seemed Mom was finding out how difficult life was without his dad around.

Jamie knew the toxic atmosphere came down to his parents. He felt bad for his younger sister, Sara, who was only fourteen and stuck with the situation for a while longer. Jamie compared the tension at home with the vibes he was getting from Guy’s house. Right then Jamie was relaxed, perhaps for the first time in weeks.

Jamie was always one to go with his gut.

“Yes,” he said decisively.

Guy turned around, his forehead furrowed. “Yes? Did I ask a quest—” He stopped, mouth open. “Yes, as in, you’ll take my help?”

Jamie smiled. “Yes.”

To his surprise Guy didn’t smile. “Why?”

“Excuse me?” That wasn’t the reaction Jamie had expected.

“Why say yes?” Guy studied him. “Don’t get me wrong, the offer still stands. I’m just making sure you’re on board for the right reasons. For instance, are you saying yes because you have no place to go as of Sunday and you’re desperate?” He turned back to the coffee machine. “Because personally I think basing any decision on desperation is the worst thing you could do.”

Jamie liked that Guy wasn’t letting him jump in with both feet.

He leaned back in his chair. “Okay, yes, I’m desperate, but that’s not why I agreed.” He paused, thinking how best to put into words what was essentially a gut feeling. “I believe you.”

Guy paused, coffeepot in hand. “You do?”

Jamie nodded. “I believe you when you say all you want to do is help.” He shrugged. “And besides, I… I get a good feeling about you.”

Guy studied him a moment longer before breaking into a grin. “It was the hot tub, wasn’t it?”

Jamie was happy to go along with that. “Okay, yeah, you got me. I’m lusting after your hot tub.”

Guy laughed and finished pouring the coffee. He brought the mugs over to the table and then sat down. “Well, seeing as I seem to have found myself a roommate, I have another suggestion.”

Jamie wiped his brow in mock apprehension.

Guy snickered. “Relax. This one is easy. Unless you have someplace to be this evening, why don’t you stay for dinner? We can spend the time getting to know each other.”

Jamie considered the proposition. Guy had just taken a huge weight off his shoulders, and the thought of having dinner sounded very relaxing. “I think that’s a great idea.”

Guy waggled his eyebrows. “I wouldn’t relax quite so fast. You don’t know what’s on the menu yet.”

Jamie laughed. “That’s one thing you’ll learn about me. My mom calls me a human garbage disposal. She says I’ll eat anything.”

Guy arched his eyebrows. “Now that is a challenge.”

Jamie was feeling better and better about his decision.

This is going to be okay. I feel it.

Chapter Three

GUY WAS in the kitchen, chopping up vegetables prior to roasting them in the oven, so Jamie took the opportunity to look at the many photos he’d glimpsed earlier. There were photos of Guy with two little kids, a boy and a girl, but they’d obviously been taken a few years previously: Guy didn’t look much older than Jamie was. When he came across the photos of Guy with an older man, Jamie knew he was looking at Stephen. He gazed at the picture with interest. Stephen was a handsome man, silver-haired with a kind face. He was sitting in an armchair, with Guy at his feet, and they were looking at each other. What struck Jamie most were their facial expressions. It was as if the camera had captured something really personal—he felt he was intruding on a private moment.

What were they thinking when they gazed at each other in that moment? What were they saying to each other? Jamie knew what he saw on their faces was love, something he hadn’t seen his parents share in a long time.

“Yes, that’s Stephen.”

Jamie gave a start. He’d been so lost in the little world contained in that photo, he hadn’t realized the chopping sounds had stopped. Guy stood beside him, eyeing the photo with obvious affection.

“How did you two meet?” Jamie asked him.

“We were in a bookstore. I’d chosen a couple of textbooks and gone to pay for them, but when I got to the register, I didn’t have enough.” Guy smiled. “Stephen was behind me in the line. He offered to pay for them. I refused, but he said it would be his good deed for the day, and I didn’t want to deprive him of that, did I?”

Jamie had to smile. “He sounds like a nice guy.”

“He was. I thought from the first time I laid eyes on him that he was good looking. He clearly took care of himself. When he suggested going for a coffee, I said yes.” He shrugged. “I wanted to spend more time with him.” Guy turned and walked back into the kitchen, and the chopping sounds resumed.

Jamie followed him, wanting to hear more. “What was he like?” He sat at the table, then leaned forward.

Guy paused, the knife in his hand. “My first impression was that he was lonely. He had no immediate family to speak of—he was a confirmed bachelor. I think he liked the idea of having another person around.” He used the knife blade to push the vegetables into the roasting pan. “If you like sweet tea, there’s a bottle in the refrigerator. Help yourself. I’ll have some, if you don’t mind pouring me one. The glasses are in the cabinet next to the fridge.”

Jamie busied himself with his task. “You said you were in a similar financial situation to me when Stephen offered to help you,” he said as he poured tea into two glasses. “Can you talk about it, or is it personal?”

Guy hesitated, a bottle of oil poised above the vegetables. “If you’re going to be living here, chances are pretty good that you’ll meet Carla, my daughter. So maybe it’s time that we bring all this out into the open.” He drizzled the peppers, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, and red onions before shoving the pan into the heated oven. Guy joined Jamie at the table and took a long gulp of tea.

“So. Where to begin?” he said with a half smile. “Have you heard the one about the seventeen-year-old guy who got really drunk one night at a party in his final year of high school and screwed his best friend? And then said friend confided a couple of months later that, hey, guess what? She was pregnant.”

Jamie gaped. “But… you’re gay.”

Guy sighed. “Back then, I was this nervous kid who was just figuring out that guys were far more interesting than girls. Miranda was the only one who knew I was having doubts about my sexuality. Except that sounds all wrong. I was waking up to the fact that I was gay.”

“And knowing that, she still had sex with you?” Jamie shook his head. “Man, that is just… twisted.”

“Maybe she thought I wasn’t serious. Maybe she thought she could ‘turn’ me.” Guy air-quoted. “Frankly I’m still amazed that I managed to get it up enough to do the deed.”

“And what about birth control? Pills? Condoms?”

Guy held up his hands. “You got me. I was too drunk to think clearly that night. Miranda said later that she was going to, quote, ‘make me pull out’ before we got to the end.” He scowled. “You can tell her family is Catholic, right? Anyhow, the proof that her plan was an epic fail is the twenty-year-old twins who continue to bug me.” He smiled. “Carla, not so much. She’s a sweetheart. She’s getting married in June. Patrick is another matter entirely.”

“So she tells her parents she’s pregnant and….”

Guy leaned back, his arm over the back of the chair. “They insisted I do the ‘decent thing’ and marry her. Christ, I was just about to go to college, and they wanted us to get married.”

“What did your parents have to say about all this?”

“Once they got over the shock, all they could think about was that they were going to be grandparents, albeit a little earlier than they’d anticipated. So there I was, just turned eighteen, with a wife and twins on the way, going off to college. Miranda stayed with her parents and looked after the kids.” He scowled. “Not exactly what I’d call a good start in life, but hey, I had no one to blame but myself. And maybe the tequila.”

“I’m guessing the marriage didn’t last all that long.”

Guy snorted. “By the time I was nineteen, I’d had enough. Every time I went home—which wasn’t often enough, according to my wife and in-laws—Miranda was on at me about something or other. It wasn’t too long before all of that began to take its toll on my studies. My grades were slipping, I wasn’t sleeping, and to top it all, I was surrounded by some of the most gorgeous specimens I had ever seen, and I couldn’t tap a single one of those fine asses.”

Jamie nearly choked on his tea.

Guy widened his eyes. “Shit. I’m sorry. I forgot who I was talking to for a minute. I apologize, Jamie. I just felt comfortable around you.”

Jamie waved his hand. “Hey, it’s okay.” He cleared his throat. “You… you were faithful to her?”

Guy stilled. “Maybe that surprises you, but it was how I was brought up.”

Fuck. Jamie got the impression he’d just insulted his new roommate. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I had no right to—”

“It’s okay,” Guy interjected. “Seriously. I know fidelity isn’t something you see a lot of these days. But yes, I was faithful to her, up to the point where I decided enough was enough. There was no love between us, and there was never going to be. I knew it wasn’t going to last, so… I made up my mind to go see Miranda and tell her I wanted a divorce. But first I drove home, sat my parents down on the couch, and told them I was gay.”

Jamie stared at him. “Were you nervous?”

Guy chuckled. “Hell yeah. I didn’t think they were the sort of parents who would reject their kid if he turned out to be gay, but yes, I was nervous about how they’d take the news.” He sipped his tea.

“Were they shocked? Surprised?” Jamie couldn’t imagine how his own parents would react to such a bombshell. Then he sighed internally. Yeah, I can—they’d be arguing as to who was the one to blame for me being gay. He counted himself fortunate for having dodged that particular bullet. There had been a few kids in high school who’d come out, and from the sound of it, the aftermath hadn’t been pretty.

“A little of both, I suppose,” Guy admitted. “Once they got over the initial shock, they were supportive—until I told them my plans. That didn’t go down so well. I told them they weren’t about to lose their grandchildren. Carla and Patrick would always be my kids, and I intended on staying part of their lives. That calmed them down a touch. The real fireworks began when I drove to Miranda’s house and told her and her parents the same thing.”

“How did she take the news?” Jamie finished his tea.

Guy snorted. “Let’s just say, not well.”

“But she knew you were gay. For God’s sake, she knew that when you slept with her. How could she expect you to stay married to her?” Jamie found himself growing irate, and he wasn’t altogether sure why. It seemed to him that Miranda had tried to… trap Guy, and that made his blood boil.

Look at me. I barely know the man, and I’m getting all fired up about his ex-wife.

Guy leaned forward, his forearms on the table. “I have no real idea what was going on in her head. I just told her I wanted out, and that I’d give her grounds for divorce—I’d cheat on her, if that was what it would take. Of course, that was when her parents stepped in. They said they had no wish to see their daughter locked in an unhappy marriage, so yes, I could have my divorce, as long as I paid child support until the kids reached the age of eighteen.”

“How much could they have expected you to pay toward the upkeep of the twins? You were a student.” Jamie stared at him as the penny dropped. “Shit. That’s why you were in such a financial mess when Stephen met you.”

Guy nodded. “My parents weren’t well-off by any means, so I was working a couple of jobs to help pay my tuition. By the time the divorce was finalized, I had three jobs and it still wasn’t enough.”

Jamie gave a slow nod. “So when you heard me talking on the phone to my dad, it sounded all too familiar.”

“Yup. I’d already decided to offer you some help if you needed it before we left the library. But when I heard the rest, that decided it for me.” Guy got up from the table and went to the refrigerator. He removed a packet of pork chops and started preparing them.

“Can I do anything to help?” Jamie asked. “I’m a lousy cook, but I can put together a salad.”

Guy gestured to the refrigerator. “There’s lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, avocado, and whatever else you can think of to go in a salad, in there. Salad bowl’s in the cabinet to the left, and there’s another cutting board in that drawer. Knives in the knife block.” He gave Jamie a firm stare. “I can trust you with a sharp knife, right? I’m not going to be doing any emergency runs to the hospital because you’ve cut your hand off, am I?”

Jamie snorted. “I’m twenty, not six, and yeah, I can handle a kitchen knife.” He pulled out a cutting board and then regarded the knife block. Grinning to himself, he removed the biggest knife and held it up. “This should do the job.”

Guy glanced up and his eyes widened. “Christ, you could carve up an elephant with that one.” He reached for another, but Jamie stopped him.

“Gotcha.” He made no attempt to hide his grin this time.

Guy narrowed his eyes. “I’m going to have to watch you, aren’t I?”

Laughing, Jamie replaced the knife and pulled out a smaller one. Another trip to the refrigerator to collect his items and he was ready to rock and roll. He began tearing off handfuls of lettuce. “Anyway, back to your story.”