Read Online Busted by Zachary O'Toole - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Zachary O'Toole
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might not have seen it, but Mike had seen the look on Chris’ face when he saw Joe was there. It was a mix of fear and hope, two expressions Mike couldn’t ever remember seeing from him.
“Ah, he’ll get over it,” Mike said cheerfully. “So, you’re dating his brother?”
Joe broke into a smile. “Yeah. Alex. We met about four months ago. He’s great. Sweet and happy and charming and fun.”
“Sounds like you really like him.”
“I love him,” Joe said. It just slipped out, but it was true. That only made him feel all that much worse about the feelings that Chris had brought out in him.
“Strange that we’ve never heard about Alex,” Linda said. It was the first thing she’d said, and Joe noticed she was staring intently at him.
Joe shrugged. “My family doesn’t talk about me, either. It happens.” That didn’t make it any better. Last time he heard, he had four nephews and three nieces. He’d never met any of them.
“Still.” The way she was looking at him was making Joe uncomfortable.
“You’d have to ask Chris about that,” Joe said.
“But I’m asking you. Chris has always been a little… difficult to get a handle on.” She smiled, but it didn’t make Joe any more comfortable. There was something disconcerting about her. It felt like she was trying to look straight into his soul. He found he’d rather she didn’t.
“We only met a few days ago. Alex hasn’t ever said anything about his brother. Sounds like Chris hasn’t either.”
“There are such strange echoes around you both,” she said. Joe frowned at the cryptic comment.
That was enough bizarre conversation for him. Joe took another bite of his burger, though mostly so he wouldn’t have to talk. He wasn’t feeling all that well.
Chris had grabbed a chair by the side of the pool, positioned so he didn’t have to look at Joe Hennessey. Looking at him would have been bad. Joe was frustrating, and terrifying, and attractive enough that he knew he’d never be able to keep his cool.
Instead he stripped off his shirt, slipped his sunglasses on, and lay back in the chair. The sun felt good on his skin, warm and comforting. He liked Connecticut well enough, but there were times when he missed Arizona, missed the baking heat and open spaces of the small town he’d grown up in.
The sun was no problem for him. He tanned easily, a gift from his mother. The same native genes that gave him his nose, straight black hair, and hairless chest. He rubbed at himself a little self-consciously. Even Joe had more hair on his chest than Chris did. He tried very hard to not think about how he knew that.
He watched Toby playing in the pool with Bobby and Amy, Steve’s kids. Toby was the youngest by a few years. Bobby was six, and Amy was nine. The kids got along great anyway, which was always a relief. Toby spent as much time with Mary as he did at home. Chris sometimes felt a little guilty about that. They were better off without Megan, but still, he should have been able to manage.
Toby’s scream brought Chris to his feet. The boy was lying on the ground on the other side of the pool, holding his knee and crying. Chris crossed the distance in four strides, almost falling himself as he ran on the hot concrete patio blocks that ringed the pool. He was there in seconds, cradling Toby as he cried.
“Shh, shh, it’s okay. Papa’s here, Toby.” He hugged the crying boy to him, stroking his hair and trying to take the pain away. It didn’t work, it never did, but that never stopped Chris from trying.
When Toby’s crying faded to sniffles Chris gave him one last hug.
“What happened, Toby?”
“I slipped, Papa,” Toby mumbled into Chris’ shoulder.
Chris sat down
“Ah, he’ll get over it,” Mike said cheerfully. “So, you’re dating his brother?”
Joe broke into a smile. “Yeah. Alex. We met about four months ago. He’s great. Sweet and happy and charming and fun.”
“Sounds like you really like him.”
“I love him,” Joe said. It just slipped out, but it was true. That only made him feel all that much worse about the feelings that Chris had brought out in him.
“Strange that we’ve never heard about Alex,” Linda said. It was the first thing she’d said, and Joe noticed she was staring intently at him.
Joe shrugged. “My family doesn’t talk about me, either. It happens.” That didn’t make it any better. Last time he heard, he had four nephews and three nieces. He’d never met any of them.
“Still.” The way she was looking at him was making Joe uncomfortable.
“You’d have to ask Chris about that,” Joe said.
“But I’m asking you. Chris has always been a little… difficult to get a handle on.” She smiled, but it didn’t make Joe any more comfortable. There was something disconcerting about her. It felt like she was trying to look straight into his soul. He found he’d rather she didn’t.
“We only met a few days ago. Alex hasn’t ever said anything about his brother. Sounds like Chris hasn’t either.”
“There are such strange echoes around you both,” she said. Joe frowned at the cryptic comment.
That was enough bizarre conversation for him. Joe took another bite of his burger, though mostly so he wouldn’t have to talk. He wasn’t feeling all that well.
Chris had grabbed a chair by the side of the pool, positioned so he didn’t have to look at Joe Hennessey. Looking at him would have been bad. Joe was frustrating, and terrifying, and attractive enough that he knew he’d never be able to keep his cool.
Instead he stripped off his shirt, slipped his sunglasses on, and lay back in the chair. The sun felt good on his skin, warm and comforting. He liked Connecticut well enough, but there were times when he missed Arizona, missed the baking heat and open spaces of the small town he’d grown up in.
The sun was no problem for him. He tanned easily, a gift from his mother. The same native genes that gave him his nose, straight black hair, and hairless chest. He rubbed at himself a little self-consciously. Even Joe had more hair on his chest than Chris did. He tried very hard to not think about how he knew that.
He watched Toby playing in the pool with Bobby and Amy, Steve’s kids. Toby was the youngest by a few years. Bobby was six, and Amy was nine. The kids got along great anyway, which was always a relief. Toby spent as much time with Mary as he did at home. Chris sometimes felt a little guilty about that. They were better off without Megan, but still, he should have been able to manage.
Toby’s scream brought Chris to his feet. The boy was lying on the ground on the other side of the pool, holding his knee and crying. Chris crossed the distance in four strides, almost falling himself as he ran on the hot concrete patio blocks that ringed the pool. He was there in seconds, cradling Toby as he cried.
“Shh, shh, it’s okay. Papa’s here, Toby.” He hugged the crying boy to him, stroking his hair and trying to take the pain away. It didn’t work, it never did, but that never stopped Chris from trying.
When Toby’s crying faded to sniffles Chris gave him one last hug.
“What happened, Toby?”
“I slipped, Papa,” Toby mumbled into Chris’ shoulder.
Chris sat down
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