Chapter Six

It had been a long time since he'd been in the grocery store, and in all that time, nothing had changed. Not the board right inside the front door with business cards and written notes all over it, and not the gossipy cashiers who worked behind the counter.

Jaron grabbed a cart and swung Bobby up and into the seat. Bobby chuckled as Jaron made an airplane noise before settling him inside. He latched the cloth seat buckle that hung from the back of the seat. It probably wouldn't do anything to protect Bobby much, but it couldn't hurt either.

Jaron ignored the curious cashiers and dug the list out of his pocket. The whole time his hands shook, and he felt as if he were in high school all over again.

He had to remove his keys to get it all the way out, but he managed, putting his keys back. He handed the list to Bobby. "Okay, what does it say we need?"

Bobby blinked at him before he ran his finger over the word Milk. "Cookies."

Jaron raised his eyebrows with a grin and then leaned in enough to point to the first word. "Milk."

"Milk," Bobby repeated.

"Yep. To the milk aisle, Jeeves." Jaron made a show of pushing him farther into the store, making Bobby laugh. He put one arm up, holding Bobby in place when he turned the corner faster than expected.

One cashier walked over to the other one and leaned in, whispering something to him.

Jaron didn't know what they said, but they looked in his direction.

He had known the grocery store was the hub of all the gossip. Not even the restaurant rivaled it, although he had a feeling whatever gossip the mongers spilled around town started at the restaurant the day he arrived.

God, he'd almost forgotten how small towns worked. In the city, the gossip never really touched him at all. He had made connections so deep he considered them family, even though they didn't share any blood connections. Or he made no connection at all. Hardly anyone was just his friend. No one who cared would ever gossip about him. They'd tell it to him straight, having a conversation. Andrew was especially like that. Pickleville was different. Things were slower, and with that slowness came boredom. His presence had broken up the monotony for those bored few who had seen him in the restaurant, and those who would listen to the embellished story about them that day.

His presence in the grocery store would fuel the gossip fires for a while. People would get used to him and stop caring what he did, and during the entire process, Jaron would know not one of them truly cared. And that was okay because he hoped it would change for a select few. If it didn't, he'd find a different spot to call home.

"Leanne Shembarger's daughter is pregnant. Poor girl is only fifteen years old. You ask me, she should give it up for adoption." At least he wasn't the only one at the shit end of the gossip.

Jaron rolled his eyes at the two women standing in front of the coolers on the right side of the store. He smirked at them. "Excuse me."

One of them moved over, paying them little mind. "I heard it was Travis Heath who got her pregnant."

Okay, he might not want to pay attention, but he did when he heard Travis' name because he had been such a player back in high school.

The other woman waved away that comment. She had blonde hair and teased it until it resembled a light-yellow hive of bees. It didn't move at her animated gesture. "I don't believe that. He hardly leaves his farm since his father passed away. And he's never messed with an underaged girl."

Jaron grabbed a carton of milk and moved past them, refusing to listen anymore. He didn't like it when people made him gossip fodder, so he wouldn't do it to Travis Heath.

"What's next on the list, Jeeves?"

"I'm a snuggle bear. Not a Jeeves." The way Bobby said Jeeves was cute because he put an a at the end.

Jaron chuckled. "I forgot." Jaron leaned in and pointed to the next word. "Eggs."

Bobby repeated it, running his finger across it as if memorizing the sound each letter represented. The eggs were in the cooler next to the milk, so Jaron grabbed a dozen quickly.

"Next?" Jaron repeated the same process. "Bread."

"Bread."

They went down the bread aisle, and Jaron grabbed a loaf. The bread and cookies were across from each other, so Jaron pointed to the next word. "That says cookies."

Bobby's eyes lit up. "I want the little man cookies." Bobby pointed to the packages with elves on them.

"The fudge ones?"

Bobby nodded. Jaron grabbed them off the shelf and placed them in the cart.

"Good choice," someone spoke from behind Jaron. The voice was deep enough the guy could have said just about anything, and it would have sounded good.

Gossip about him and he shall appear. Travis Heath stood in front of the crackers, searching the shelves.

He'd gotten hotter since high school. And taller.

Jaron came to the guy's shoulders. Or probably did, anyway. It was hard to tell from down the aisle. What hair Jaron could see poking from under his cowboy hat, looked darker than Jaron remembered.

"I haven't seen you two in town before. Are you new to Pickleville?" He had a kind smile, but those eyes held a sparkle of mischief that told Jaron he better steer clear. If he didn't, he may find himself falling into Travis' charm.

"Something like that."

"You here to stay?" Travis said casually while looking over the crackers in the aisle. "Damn it. Why is it she needs the most obscure friggin' cracker on the planet," he said under his breath.

Jaron raised his eyebrows. "Which cracker?"

"Wheat thins or something like that."

Jaron spotted what Travis needed. "What flavor?"

"I have no idea."

"Well, they have two different flavors to choose from."

"Where?" he asked, his eyes scanning the shelf.

Jaron picked up a box and held it out. When Travis took it from him, their gazes met. "Thanks."

"No problem." Jaron cleared his throat and looked away.

Travis took his cell phone out of his jean's pocket and dialed. Before he even started talking, Jaron took off down another aisle and away from temptation.

"Papa, we should get the sandwich cookies too," Bobby complained.

"Next time." Jaron pointed to the next thing on the list. "To the vegetables, snuggle bear."

Bobby grinned and ran his finger over the word, whispering it to himself.

They didn't encounter Travis in the store again. It wasn't until they'd checked out and headed for home that Jaron saw him sitting in a fancy black truck. He had the driver's window rolled down and rested his tanned arm on the frame.

"Hey."

Yes, Jaron saw him. Yes, he pretended he didn't know Travis spoke to get his attention.

God, Jaron didn't even know why he ignored him other than the attraction was definitely one-sided and then there was the part where Travis didn't seem to recognize him. That left a minor blow to Jaron's ego, not that he hadn't expected it.

"Hey." Okay, ignoring him the second time was plain rude.

Jaron raised two fingers but didn't bother turning around. As it was, his hands were full of Bobby and groceries. He wasn't about to let go of either one of those things just to acknowledge Travis.

Travis pulled the black truck into a parking spot in front of the hardware store, which happened to be a store ahead of them. Travis leaned toward the open window. "Would you like a ride somewhere?"

"No. Thanks anyway." Jaron didn't stop. He walked faster until Bobby protested the speed.

"You sure?"

"Very." How many times had Jaron carried groceries and had a hold of Bobby's hand as they made their way home? Hundreds. And it usually took two buses too. Walking a couple of miles was easy compared to that.

And he didn't know Travis. Not really. They hadn't been friends in high school and, while Travis hadn't bullied him, his friends had. If he learned anything from growing up in Pickleville it was not to trust easily.

"I'm Travis."

Jaron stopped walking long enough to meet Travis' gaze. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. Why did he expect the richest, hottest guy in town to remember the little queer who'd gotten bullied every day since seventh grade?

Whatever.

Jaron started walking again. "Am I walking too fast, snuggle bear?"

Bobby shook his head and stuffed his thumb into his mouth. His brow wrinkled as if something bothered him.

"What's wrong?"

"Is that man going to hurt you?" Bobby lisped when he spoke around his thumb.

Jaron stopped and bent down. He made the best mean face he could. "You see this face."

Bobby nodded and smiled, his tongue poking out around the bottom of his thumb when he did.

"You think he'll bother us if I make this face?"

Bobby giggled, but the smile died when he looked at something over Jaron's shoulder.

"I'm suddenly regretting my decision to get out of the truck." Travis' voice startled him.

There wasn't a way to hide his reaction. He dropped the groceries, the milk tipping over onto its side, as he put a hand to his chest and sucked in air.

Travis chuckled and picked up his groceries. "Let me help."

Jaron stood. "Fine, I guess." When Bobby leaned into Jaron, he picked him up. If Jaron let Bobby walk beside him, he would plaster himself against Jaron, making walking awkward and Jaron had created enough awkward situations for himself around Travis already. They'd only exchanged a few words. "Thanks."

"It's my pleasure." They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, Jaron very much aware of Travis' presence beside him. Jaron's suspicion about their height difference was correct. Jaron came up to Travis' shoulder. His bigness didn't stop there, though. He had the farm boy thing down to a science with his wide shoulders and long legs. His tight jeans and snug t-shirt left little to the imagination, and still, Jaron wanted a picture of the guy naked.

Travis cleared his throat. "Couldn't help but notice you never gave me your name."

Jaron smiled. God, the guy was charming without trying. "Very observant of you."

Travis grinned. "Guess I'm just good that way."

"I guess so." Jaron rubbed circles on Bobby's back.

"Who's your little friend there?"

"My son, Bobby."

Travis reached over and tugged a lock of Bobby's hair gently. Bobby turned his head away. "How old are you, Bobby?"

Bobby held out a hand and all five of his fingers without facing Travis.

"Five. Wow, you're almost as old as me." Travis winked at Jaron when their gazes met.

Of course, Jaron blushed. He had one of those faces that showed everything he felt at the exact moment he felt it. He hoped Travis wouldn't interpret the blush correctly and figure out Jaron's attraction to him. He didn't feel like getting his ass kicked. Bobby certainly didn't need to see that, not after Tracy.

Bobby turned back and eyed Travis with a level of suspicion he hadn't had before Tracy's death. Maybe his caution was healthy after everything that had happened, but it still broke Jaron's heart that Bobby had to grow up a little faster in that one area.

Bobby took his thumb out of his mouth. "You're old like Papa."

Travis' eyes widened, and he let out a surprised chuckle. "Is that right? What do you think, Dad?"

Jaron chuckled. "I think you calling me Dad is weird."

"If I had your name, I'd call you by that."

There went that heat climbing into his cheeks again. "It's Jaron."

"So how long are you in town, Jaron?"

"A while."

After that, the questions stopped, and a companionable silence fell between them.

It wasn't until they stood in front of Jaron's house that Travis spoke again. "I just figured out why you look so familiar. You're Jaron McAllister."

"Yes."

Jaron set Bobby on his feet and dug for his keys. He unlocked the door and let Bobby inside. "I'll take those. Thanks for carrying them." Jaron smiled as he took the bag of groceries from Travis.

Travis pulled a cell phone from his jeans pocket. "Do you have a cell phone?" When Jaron nodded, Travis asked, "Can you text?" Jaron nodded again. Jaron didn't prefer using it, though. So he never carried the thing around with him.

"Let me get your number," he said stepping just inside the door.

"Why would you want it?"

Travis fiddled with his phone. "We can catch up."

"Catch up on what, exactly?"

"I get what you're not saying, okay. I was never your friend in school, but I would like to be now."

"Why?"

"Why do I have to have a reason to be your friend?" Travis' forehead got a cute wrinkled look between his eyes. The irritation in his voice gave Jaron pause, though.

"Forget it. Just get out of the way so I can close the door." Jaron made a shooing motion with his fingers.

Travis just stared at Jaron as if he'd lost his mind.

"Take no for an answer." Spoiled rich kids needed to learn they couldn't have everything.

Travis sighed and put his phone back into his pocket. "Fine."

Well, okay then. Travis could take no for an answer. That was an important thing to know about a person who lived in the same town. It paid to know who the creeps were.

Jaron rattled his phone number.

Travis turned, pulling his phone out again. "Tell me again."

Jaron repeated it before going inside.

It didn't even take Travis five minutes to send him a text. Just wanted u 2 have my #

Thanks

Can I ask u a ? Without u going off the rails.

Off the rails? I guess.

I thought u were gay in high school.

Did u?

R u?

Yes.

Bobby?

I had a good friend who got pregnant. She didn't know who the father was and I was there through most of the process. She put my name on the birth certificate.

O

What about u? Wife? Kids?

No and no. Love kids though.

Jaron smiled. I think if someone doesn't like kids they are a little weird. Rumor has it u got some high school chick preggos.

Lol. Nope. Just a rumor. Want 2 do something some time? Go out?

Don't know if that's a great idea.

Why not?

Idk. How did he say he had too much baggage? Plus, the attraction was there. No doubt about it. It was awkward to have a friendship with someone he felt that attracted too, when the other guy didn't feel it. Right?

Hell, he didn't know.

It's just hanging out.

Idk.

Why?

Aren't you afraid my gay will rub off?

Nope. Already halfway there anyway.

Wait. What! Did Travis just tell him he was bisexual?

Jaron sat at the kitchen table and stared at that last text.

Huh, he never saw that coming.

Jaron decided to change the subject. Do you know anyone hiring?

So you're gonna play it like that? Fine. My mom is looking for a housekeeper. That's about it. U need a job?

Yes. Very badly. Think she would hire me?

U want to b my mom's housekeeper?

Can't b picky right now. I got a kid to feed. Plus, Jaron could see himself liking a job like that. The solitude alone would fit his personality.

Right. Call my mom then. Her name is Beverly. She's in the book. Tell her I told you to call.

Thanks.

Any time. Got to drive. Ttyl.

U don't drive and text? lol.

Nope. And I don't fuck high school children. Just for the record.