Chapter 24

24

“Ihappen to know that Thomas is the worst cook on the planet, so my money is on Chinese takeout.” River took Kacey’s hand, trying to gauge his boy’s mood.

Both he and Thomas knew very well that bringing Sam and Kacey together was going to cause as many issues as they hoped to solve, but it didn’t serve any of them to let things go on as they had been. River wanted to go to the club without having a plan in the back of his mind in case Thomas and his boy were there.

“Why don’t you just go? I—I think this is a bad idea. Me and Sam… it’s complicated.” Kacey had been chewing on his lips, making them bleed, making them raw.

“We’ve discussed this, boy. There’s no point in going over it again. We’re here, now, and I expect that you will make me proud, as always.” He led Kacey up the sidewalk, nodding to the doorman who was obviously expecting them.

“Uh-huh.” Kacey tugged one of the growing curls alongside his head, pulling hard. Worry poured off his boy.

He pulled Kacey onto the elevator and gave the boy’s ass a love tap as the doors closed. “Remember who you belong to, boy.”

“I couldn’t forget. You got my soul.” Kacey leaned into him with a sigh. “I promise. I’m just nervous.”

“I know.” He hugged his boy to his side. “Just remember who you are and you’ll be fine.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll try to be good. I promise.” The elevator opened, and they were heading toward Thomas and Sam’s.

The door opened before they got to it, Thomas greeting them both with a smile. “Hey, River. Kacey. Come on in. Good to see you both.”

He shook hands and ushered Kacey inside. “Good to see you too.”

“Evenin’, y’all.” Kacey took off his ballcap and put it in his waistband at the small of his back.

“Living room is this way. Sam is just getting together some snacks in the kitchen.”

“I don’t think I’ve visited you before.” Thomas’s apartment was neat and comfortable. He assumed Thomas was the reason it was so tidy and Sam was responsible for the comfortable. It worked.

“No, I don’t think so. Have a seat.” Thomas gestured to a couch.

“Thank you. They’d already discussed things and decided the evening would be informal, so he pulled Kacey to the couch to sit with him.

Sam came dancing in. “Mister! Guess what! We got the grant! How do you feel about spending a summer in Argentina studying cowboy culture there?”

“It’s yours? Congratulations!” Thomas caught Sam up and hugged him tight. “That’s amazing, sweetheart.”

He stood as Thomas let Sam go and offered a hand. “That sounds like a great opportunity. Congrats.”

“Thank you, Master River.” Sam shook his hand, and River was pleased to see Kacey standing up, holding out one hand.

“Congrats, O’Reilly.”

“Thanks. I can’t wait. Three months researching where the cowboy culture started, drinking maté, and the Iguazu Falls… It’s a dream come true.” Sam winked at Kacey. “All those cowboys that teased me about going to grad school can just fuck off, right?”

“Yeah.”

He put an arm around Kacey’s shoulders. “Kacey’s learned more than most about whose opinions matter and whose don’t. I’m glad you didn’t listen to them.”

“Yeah. Yeah, me too. It’s been a ton of work and a long time coming.” Sammy blinked suddenly and rolled his eyes. “God, where are my manners? It’s good to see y’all. We can celebrate together. We have a bottle of wine we’ve been saving just for this news.”

“Just water for us, please. But please enjoy it yourselves.” River pulled Kacey back down on the couch with him and winked at Sam. “Maybe we can celebrate with delivery cake.”

Thomas rested a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Dessert is an excellent idea. Perhaps we can walk dinner off with a stroll and find some ice cream.”

“Totally.” Sam didn’t even flinch. “Did you guys want Chinese? I know Kacey likes sweet and sour chicken…”

He smiled at Kacey, catching his gaze, making sure his boy knew he was being looked after. “Does that sound good to you, boy? Or are you venturing out these days?”

“I’m easy…”

Sam snorted softly, and Kacey’s lips firmed.

Well, this was going about as well as expected.

He sighed.

“I also like sweet and sour chicken, so we’ll order that, some pork fried rice, and I think I’d like some scallion pancakes to share.”

“Make that a large fried rice, sweetheart, and I’ll have my usual. Thank you.”

“Absolutely, Sir.” Sam gave Kacey a curious glance. “You want to come help, man? You can pick and choose?”

Kacey looked at River, eyes wide.

He wanted to kiss his sweet, nervous boy’s lips, but there was nothing learned by that. Not right now. Instead he gave Kacey a nod like the boy had been asking his permission and said, “He’d love to help. Go on, boy.”

Kacey nodded reluctantly, but he stood, following Sam like he was going to his execution.

Thomas watched them go, then rolled his eyes. “Those two.”

“I hope this was a good idea. Kacey just can’t seem to let it go.”

“My Sam seems certainly to know where his buttons are. I suppose we’ll see.” Thomas looked at him. “So, still not drinking?”

“Well, it can be a slippery slope for me, as you know. And I think Kacey has, perhaps had, a bit of a problem. I’m sure one glass of wine wouldn’t hurt, but the all-or-nothing approach seems to be easier with him.”

“If it works, it works. Whatever they need. I’ll make sure not to offer again. How is he responding? I heard Noel was staying with you with that charming little hooligan.”

“Well, you know how I feel about Noel. I’ve missed him and it’s great to have him back in the city for a while. Tyson is helping Kacey see things in new ways, as I’m sure you can imagine. I think they’re becoming friends. Kacey really likes him.”

“Excellent. I think that Sam is simply⁠—”

“Oh bullshit! I don’t give a fuck about that!”

“You fucking liar! You’re the best of everything, and you know it!”

“Grow the fuck up!”

He stood quickly, and Thomas with him, but Thomas put a hand on his arm and made a gesture to wait. The best of everything… his poor boy. Was Kacey ever going to believe he was enough?

“Why? Because you’re the model of mature? What was that snort for, huh?”

“Because you’re the pickiest asshole in history. You won’t eat anything green. No vegetables. Nothing but fried shit and things that are red.”

“I was sixteen! It was years ago! I’ve changed!”

“Are you sure? How?” Sam’s voice snapped out, and there was a second of utter silence. “Shit, Kace. I’m sor⁠—”

“Fuck you, asshole. Keep your fucking apologies. I don’t want them.”

“Look. I said I was sorry. You’re going to have to start accepting it from me at some point, you know. People can fuck up and then do better.”

“This is doing better?”

River was itching to go in there. Or call Kacey out. But Thomas was practically holding him back at this point. What in the world was their history? “They’re worse than siblings.”

“They sort of were. Sam took Kacey under his wing, mentored him, when he left home. I think Sam didn’t understand what that meant, and he got hurt and moved on to grad school. Kacey stayed and treaded water.” Thomas shook his head. “Sam had a family, a middle-class life, a good chance. Kacey didn’t, but Sam wasn’t mature enough to help him.”

“Hm. And that wasn’t Sam’s responsibility.”

There was a crash in the kitchen, and Thomas sighed. “Boys.” Somehow Thomas managed to sound stern without raising his voice. “That better have been an accident.”

“Totally, Sir.” Sam sounded a little breathless.

“I knocked a cup over. I’m cleaning it.” Kacey bit out the words.

He snorted softly, and Thomas’s lips twitched.

“You think they’re okay?”

Thomas shrugged. “Probably.”

“Probably?” This was concerning.

“The screaming has stopped. That’s got to be an improvement over the cursing. I may have to implement a no-cursing rule for a few weeks, though. Just to make him think.”

“You’re diabolical.”

“Thank you.”

Thomas’s very slight smile made him laugh. Since Thomas wasn’t letting him leave the room, he sat back down. “Kacey has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. I’m trying, but I haven’t figured out what it is he really needs. A hobby? School? A job? It’s frustrating.”

“I can only imagine. It’s got to be ten times as frustrating for him. Sam seemed to think he had a hard time in school, but that he was perfectly intelligent. Just ill-cared for.”

“Sam is insightful. I agree, and further, I think he’s been told he’s stupid by someone—family, lovers, who knows. Whoever it was made him believe it.” Kacey had talent, for one thing, but the only thing he was missing was formal education. He was thoughtful, and he was more than capable of learning.

“Life did that, Master River.” Sam came in, red-cheeked and tight-lipped. “His folks. His lovers. His friends. Me, I guess, even though I wasn’t trying to.” Sam knelt next to his master, cheek on his thigh. “I swear, y’all. I wasn’t—I didn’t try to hurt him. I was just all caught up in my own shit, so I sucked as a friend. I just left him dangling.”

“Everything isn’t about you, Sam. Jesus. This guilt crap is for the birds. I managed just fine. I’m a goddamn grown-up. I aged up. I’m sorry I came to you when I was down and out. It was stupid.” Kacey stood there, lip curled, staying out of reach. “I apologize for bothering y’all, and it won’t happen again. The food ought to be here shortly.”

“Hm.” He leaned forward in his seat. He had no intention of calling Kacey to him, that was something the boy needed to figure out for himself—and was plenty capable of doing it. “I actually thought it was a very smart move. Don’t you think, Thomas?”

Thomas nodded, following along with him easily. “I do.”

“When you’re trying to escape a fire, you need to move out of its path.”

“Just so,” Thomas agreed.

“So you move as fast as you can, as far as you can until you’re clear of the smoke, right? Scope out your surroundings and find somewhere safe, even if it’s temporary.”

“Of course. And so much the better if it’s friendly. But many take in people just because they need help. Just because they’re human. We all are.” That was generous of Thomas considering how many cowboys seemed to take up residence on his couch. “Everyone needs help sometimes.”

“Doesn’t mean you don’t get to be angry that your house burned down.”

Kacey was a little wild around the eyes, and he asked Sam, “Are they always like this?”

Sam bobbed his head. “Yeah, and it’s frustrating at first, but there’s a rhythm to it. It can help, if you let it.”

River snorted, but somehow Thomas kept a perfectly straight face. Damn him.

“You’re a smart boy, Kacey. I think you understand what we’re getting at.”

“Yeah, and it’s real decent of y’all to say. You did good, and I owe you, prob’ly more than one.” Kacey went over to the chair across the room and perched on it for all of fifteen seconds before his phone rang. He stood and grabbed the phone. “’scuse me, y’all. I got to take this.”

Then Kacey stepped out onto the balcony.

He watched Kacey walk out, feeling utterly bewildered and more than a little hurt. “That’s decent of me to say? To say? Did he just call me a liar?” Were they sleeping in the same goddamn bed?

“Master River? Can I please translate from Texan for you?” Sam met his gaze. “That means, ‘thank you for saying that about it being okay to be mad, but I’m more than a little tender there so I’m giving you a hint to drop it’.”

He squinted at Sam, less confused now and more incredulous, and sighed. “Drop it. O… kay.”

Thomas just shook his head. “Trust me, you have it easy. You got a translator.”

He leaned forward, trying to see what his boy was up to. “I don’t even know what to say about taking a phone call in the middle of a conversation like this, but if he didn’t want to talk anymore, that was well-timed. Wasn’t it?”

“The call-me text, Sir.” Sam sounded very confident.

He glanced at Thomas. “Why do I feel like I’ve got a teenager in the house?” Oh. Tyson. That naughty little shit. “Excuse me.” He stood and went to the balcony door. “Tell Tyson goodbye and come inside, please. Now.”

He got a shocked glance, parted lips. “I gotta go, buddy. I’ll talk at you later.”

He held the door for Kacey, eyes glued to his boy as they came back inside. “Kneel there.” He pointed to a spot a foot or so from the couch. “I can’t fathom what Tyson could possibly need from you in the middle of the day with his Master at home, but I plan on finding out.” He had no intention of asking anyone anything. But now that he understood what was going on, he couldn’t allow it to just blow over either. “It must have been very important to pull you away from a conversation with your Master. Very, very important.”

“Yes, sir.” Kacey held his gaze, eyes oddly calm and clear now, then very deliberately knelt.

He nodded. “Okay, then.” They’d deal with that privately. And possibly discuss how he didn’t speak Texan. In the meantime, there was Sam to deal with. “Have a look at Sam. He has apologized to you, and I haven’t heard whether you accept it. You’ve accused him of making this about him, though I don’t think what he’s feeling is guilt. It’s responsibility. Like you would to any friend you feel you’ve let down.”

Kacey’s eyes locked with Sam’s for a long moment; then he tilted his head. “It’s all good. Water under the bridge, right, buddy?”

“Yeah. Okay, that’s cool.” Sam didn’t seem more relaxed. In fact, he frowned. “But I do want to have a bridge, Kace. We don’t have to be friends, if you aren’t into it, but I don’t want to be your enemy.”

“That’s fair enough.”

“Ugh.” He blinked, surprised he’d done that out loud, then caught Kacey’s gaze and held it. “I don’t speak Texan, fine. But that sounded like you just told the same person who waded into a fistfight to back you up to fuck off. Could someone please translate that for me?”

“Sure.” Kacey’s voice was flat with a barely contained rage. “That was I’m tired of fucking fighting. I’ll take responsibility for being an asshole. I’ll accept whatever apology there is to accept. Sam is my good friend, and I owe him and Mister Thomas here a ton for putting up with me for as long as they did. I’m sorry I took the phone call. I’m sorry I used to like stupid food. I’m sorry I got Sam in trouble. I’m tickled as all get out that Sam gets to go to Columbia or Uruguay or Brazil or whatever.” He looked at Sam. “Did I miss anything?”

“You upset Master River.” Sam shrugged. “It’s always good to apologize to your master, regardless. It’s the safest thing.”

“Good to know.” Kacey lifted his eyes to River. “And I’m sorry for upsetting you.”

Why, oh why, had he given up drinking?

“Thank you, boy. It wasn’t intentional.” He glanced at Thomas. “All of that was in ‘fair enough’?”

“I’m afraid so.” Thomas didn’t even crack a smile.

“I’m going to be a little more straightforward if no one minds and just ask you to come here for a hug.” He opened his arms for Kacey.

The tension in Kacey’s shoulders dissolved, and his boy almost leapt for him, pushing right into his arms.

He held his boy, happy and relieved. He lowered his lips to Kacey’s ear and whispered, “All of that, and you weren’t even in the dark. I’m proud of you.”

“My head hurts, and I want a shot of tequila,” Kacey whispered back, but he got a hard hug for his words.

“Food will help some of that. And your reward will be so much better than tequila.” The door buzzed and Thomas went to get it, which River took as a sign. “Will you give Sam a hug too?”

“Stop pushing, please. I’m at the edge.” Kacey got off his lap, reached down and squeezed Sam’s shoulder. “I’ll grab plates and forks.”

Well, he understood that well enough. He watched Kacey leave the room, then looked at Sam. “Thank you, boy. Are you all right?”

“Fine, Sir. I wish my good news had come in tomorrow. My Mister and I will celebrate then.”

“You have a lot to be proud of and you should definitely celebrate. We won’t stay much longer. I’m sure there will be time for your wine tonight.”

Thomas brought the food into the living room and set it on the wide coffee table. River pretended not to notice and kept himself busy pulling containers out of bags as Thomas had a hug and a moment with Sam, forehead to forehead.

When they separated, Kacey appeared like magic with plates and forks and serving spoons. “Ta-da.”

“Brilliant. I’m hungry.” River did think Kacey was brilliant, and he intended to make sure that Kacey understood that the only opinion that mattered anymore was his.

Now that things were settled with Sam, he patted the couch for Kacey to join him. He picked up the sweet and sour chicken to share and accepted a fork.

They fell on the food like ravenous beasts, the tension having burned a million calories.