14. Derek

A dozen conversationsinstantly filled the vacuum left by the hipster"s great escape. The weight of stares on the back of his neck didn"t bother Derek much.He was used to it. He"d been drawing disapproving looks ever since he was fifteen and ran the truant officer off their property with a shotgun.Small town gossip was vicious, but it died quick enough once he"d learned not to pay attention.

Briar hadn't learned that lesson yet.He looked like he"d been rescued from a nightmare only to realize he"d fallen into another.His wide eyes darted frantically between the whispering tables, and his cheeks flamed apple-red.

"Shit," Briar murmured, burying his face in his hands.

The incandescent rage that had flared in Derek the moment he spotted Briar with another man began to slowly ebb.It infuriated him that Briar could go from climbing him like a tree to sharing a meal with someone like that in a matter of days.The guy had the stamp of the city all over him, oozing arrogance and pretentiousness like a stink from his pores.

In the space of a few precarious heartbeats, Derek had imagined wringing both their necks.But it passed quickly. Because of his size, he"d learned to control his temper at a young age.One second of accidental roughness meant a trip to county lockup for someone like him.

He should have just ignored them, but Briar looked so unhappy that Derek couldn"t resist trying to help.

Someone as bright and kind as Briar Phillips should always be smiling.

"You alright?" Derek kept his voice low, just for Briar's ears.He felt a little lurch in his chest when Briar lifted his head to meet his eyes.

"Peachy," Briar responded, injecting a manic cheer into his voice that contradicted the pinched look on his face."Just enjoying a pleasant meal with good ol' Peter.I should've known only a crazy man would drive three hours for a blind date."

"Peter, huh?" Derek's gaze shifted, tracking the man as he exited the washroom.

Good ol" Peter was still bricked up beneath the wet spot on his slacks, but he'd shoved his hands in his pockets to disguise the tent.As he picked his way between the tables, he met Derek's eyes and gave him an aggressive chin-nod.

Derek only smiled.

"Oh, God. Save me," Briar moaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Derek couldn't resist rubbing it in a little."Branching out from your usual tastes?"

"I'm starting to think I don't even know what my tastes are—except bad for me."

"Uh-huh." Derek's tongue curled around the sound, a touch of mockery in his tone.His eyes lingered on Briar for a moment, dissecting and probing, and then he came to a decision.A devilish urge came over him, and he said brightly, "Well, sorry to interrupt.Y'all enjoy your dinner."

He'd only just started to turn his back when a panicked Briar grabbed him by the elbow.

"Wait!" Briar yelped desperately."I'm coming with you."

Derek waited. Of course, he waited.Even if it was the stupidest thing he'd ever done, he couldn't leave the kid sitting there, flustered and embarrassed, while half the town watched.

He was acutely aware of the way Briar's hand never left his elbow as he scrambled for his wallet.Briar stuffed a fistful of bills into Cherilyn's hand as she passed by.

"For pain and suffering," Briar said earnestly.His date was closing the gap, so Briar tossed him a wave and shouted, "Sorry!Emergency! I covered the meal—enjoy!"

Derek didn't begin walking again until he knew Briar was behind him, but he didn't acknowledge him either.He shortened his stride so the smaller man could keep up, and he didn't say another word until they reached the sidewalk.

Briar hesitated. He looked at Derek longingly, then sighed and turned in the opposite direction.

Derek unlocked his truck. "Get in."

"What? No, I—"

Derek didn't let him finish. He grabbed him by the back of the neck and steered him toward the passenger side."I said get in. There's no way in hell you're walking home after ditching that asshole in the middle of a date.He's liable to come after you."

"He's a pharmaceutical rep from Boise," Briar protested."Not Freddy Kreuger."

But he climbed into the cab of the truck, hopping to make the leap with Derek's lifted rims.

"You grew up in the city. You can't be that na?ve," Derek disgustedly.

Briar sniffed and lifted his chin, looking irritable."I make a conscious choice to think the best of people."

"Yeah?" Derek asked dryly. "How's that working out?"

"It's what I did with you," Briar shot back.

Derek shut his mouth with a grimace, swallowing hard.He still remembered how hyper-vigilant Briar had been that first night, the way he'd watched him like he was a rabid animal. He hadn't noticed exactly when Briar began to treat him differently, but he knew he liked it too much.

"Just let me out around the block," Briar suggested, pointing out the window, as if Derek hadn't been driving these streets all his life."I can cut behind the Dairy Queen to get home."

Derek didn't know what crazy, self-destructive impulse had him undoing all his hard work pushing Briar away.All he knew was that he didn't want to let him go.If he did, if he let him go home to a bowl of cereal and an empty apartment, he knew instinctively that he'd never get him back again.He"d shut the door once, but he didn"t think he had the strength to do it again.

"Come catfishing with me," he blurted.

Briar's face registered surprise, quickly morphing into bemusement."Like real fish or the internet kind?" he asked."Because I've had enough of that."

Derek laughed despite himself."Real fish. Big ones. Night's the best time to catch ‘em."

Briar picked at the plastic pants that clung to his thighs like a second skin."I'm not really dressed for it…"

Derek forced himself to shrug."Your call," he said sharply."I just figured it'd take your mind off things."

Briar hesitated, looking worried, and part of Derek hated himself for making him so wary.But the other part hated himself for what he was doing right now.It wouldn't lead anywhere good.

"Sure," Briar said, sighing dramatically."Why not? My date just reminded me about why I need to start assimilating with local culture.The idea that someone out there looks at me like I was looking at him makes me want to puke."

"You'll never be like him," Derek said, flipping a U-turn and heading toward the reservoir.

The drive was a long one, filled with the hum of crickets and the subtle roar of Derek's rebuilt engine.Briar cranked his window down and stuck his head out to catch the breeze, tilting his face up like a dog scenting the wind.

Derek parked at the top of the reservoir, and Briar insisted on helping unload the heaviest gear.Derek allowed it. He'd raised enough younger siblings to know it wasn't about whether they made his load easier; it was about their pride.

A beaten path led down to the water, surrounded on both sides by rows of tall switchgrass.The path opened onto a grassy bank, dotted here and there with tangles of sweetpea and purple camas. Beyond a grassy knoll was the lake, glowing silver in the moonlight.

"I figured you'd bring a lawn chair," Briar said, watching in surprise as Derek shook out a blanket.

"Nah. Catfishing is all about taking your time and relaxing.I've lost count of how many times I dozed off waiting for a bite."

"You know how to relax?" Briar teased, settling down on the blanket and removing his socks and shoes.A faint smile played around the corners of his mouth, and Derek smiled back despite himself.

He raised an eyebrow, mock offended."Don't I look like a master of relaxation?"

Briar's laughter was light and silvery.He tilted his head back to look up at Derek, examining him closely, his gaze lingering on all the places his muscles bulged beneath his shirt.Derek felt his body responding under the intense scrutiny, and he couldn't resist flexing just a little.

"Yeah, I can see you're a real couch potato," Briar said sarcastically."I never would've guessed."

"I'm a man of many layers. There's a lot you don't know about me," Derek retorted, feeling ridiculous and playful.It was dark and balmy, and he was alone in one of his favorite places with someone who was quickly becoming one of his favorite people.It was impossible to be in a bad mood.

"That, I believe." Briar stretched out one leg and gently nudged him in the back of his calf with his bare toes."Is one of those layers knowing how to catch a fish?"

"Not much of a mystery." Derek chuckled as he set up the rods and reels."Oregon only has small channel cats here and there.Nothing like they see back east.So, a standard pole should do the trick."

"Standard?" Briar choked. "It's taller than me!"

"That ain't saying much," Derek said, casting him a sideways smile.He was gratified when Briar smiled back, delightfully unoffended."But gear don't matter much in the long run.It's all about patience."

"Oh, perfect," Briar said wryly."I'm the soul of patience."

For the first time in what felt like a very, very long time, Derek threw back his head and laughed.

"I am!" Briar protested, placing one hand over his heart in mock indignation and saying pompously, "I didn't throw my drink in that jackwagon's face, did I?"

"You've got Herculean restraint," Derek said.

Briar snorted and flicked a pebble into the water."I do. I'm basically a saint now."

"Saint Briar, the patron of bad dates?"

"And problematic scrapyard owners," Briar added tartly."Oh, and savior of abandoned puppies.That was my first miracle."

Derek's mood instantly soured. He glared out toward the water."I didn't abandon her. I'm never home, and she can't keep trailing after me at the salvage yard. It's not safe.You're going to find her a better home than she ever had with me."

His gaze was fixed on the lake, but he heard the soft rustle as Briar edged closer.His hand rested tentatively on Derek"s chest, light as a butterfly.

"I didn't mean anything by that, Derek," Briar said softly."I know you care for her, and I guess you have your reasons."

Derek stared down at Briar's palm.It was directly over his heart, and his heartbeat was starting to race beneath it.He jerked backward, putting some space between them.For a second, neither of them could look at each other.

Briar gave an embarrassed little cough and said, "Anyway, she's sleeping on my couch now.See? The neighbor feeds her and takes her for walks when I work late."

He pulled his cell phone from the obscenely tight back pocket of his pants.With a few taps, he'd called up an app with footage from one of those wi-fi security systems.Derek peered over his shoulder, taking in the grainy, grayscale image of Sabbath stretched out on her back across two cushions.Her paws were crooked up and her tongue was lolling, like she was happily dreaming of belly scratches.

"Thank you," Derek said, voice thick."That means…a lot."

Briar only smiled, tucking away his phone."It's not for keeps. I'm just hanging onto her until you realize how silly you're being."

Derek shook his head, but he bit his tongue.He didn't want to start another argument.Not tonight.

They settled side-by-side on the blanket, and Derek taught him how to bait the hook with practiced ease.

"These fish are getting a better meal than I did," Briar remarked, frowning as he sandwiched a chunk of raw steak between a piece of stinky cheese and chicken liver.The tip of his tongue stuck out from the corner of his mouth as he concentrated, drawing Derek's attention to his lips.They were strangely shiny, like he'd put on some kind of balm for his fancy date.Derek couldn't stop staring.

"They deserve a good meal," Derek replied, "since they're going to be our meal when we're done."

"Is that what you normally do?"

He shrugged. "These days I mostly catch and release.But there were plenty of times when what I hooked meant the difference between everyone back home getting enough to eat or not."

"That must have been really hard," Briar said.His eyes were large and solemn, reflecting moonlight."Makes me grateful that I only had to worry about feeding myself."

"Worry is worry." Derek met his eyes, and this time he didn't look away."I'm just glad the kids never had to shoulder the same burdens you and I did."

Briar edged closer, and the sides of their hands accidentally brushed."Your siblings, right? You talk about them like they're your children."

"They are." Derek smiled grimly, and in one smooth motion, cast his line into the water. Briar's hook sank next to his, and they settled back to watch.A faint breeze picked up, smelling of rich, damp earth and the subtle mung of swampy water.

The silence was companionable, but Briar couldn't seem to go more than a few minutes without making a noise.He hummed and bobbed his head to a tuneless melody Derek didn't recognize.

"You're gonna scare off all our bites at this rate," Derek warned.

"Sorry," Briar said contritely.He paused, sounding embarrassed and a little vulnerable when he admitted, "I've never been fishing before."

Derek wasn"t surprised, but he couldn't imagine that kind of life.Not even for a city boy.

"Ever?" he asked incredulously.

"Nope. I didn't even know night fishing was a thing around here."

Derek nudged him lightly, shoulder to shoulder, and said, "It's one of the only good parts about living here.There's something about the quiet that makes all your troubles fade to the background for a few hours.It's just you, the water, the stars."

"And good company?" Briar asked.There was a soft, hopeful note to his voice.More obvious than he probably intended.So nakedly honest it made Derek wince.But he couldn't bring himself to slap him down again.

"Yeah," he agreed, reaching out to cup the soft fluff of Briar's hair."Good company."

For the next few hours, Derek patiently taught him the ins and outs of fishing.Briar was a quick study, far more perceptive than he let on, though he seemed more interested in cracking jokes than catching anything.At least until he hooked something for the first time.Then he turned into a beast, hopping around excitedly as he reeled, a ridiculous spectacle in leather pants and bare feet.

"I got it! I got it!" he crowed.

A waterlogged branch broke the surface, and his face fell.Derek snickered. With great dignity, Briar handed Derek his rod so he could cut the line.Then he collapsed back on the blanket, arms spread out dramatically, and declared, "I don't want to do this anymore."

"It just takes time," Derek said mildly as he cut the line and set Briar's fishing pole aside.Briar"s wooden catch bobbed and then sank in the silvery ripples of the lake."You'll have better gear and be better prepared next time."

"You saying the fish don't admire my fashion sense?" Briar asked, plucking at his plastic pants.They'd been sticking uncomfortably to his thighs for the past hour, and Derek had done his best not to notice how they squeaked when he moved.

"Not so much," Derek said, diplomatically, he thought.

Briar wrinkled his nose and looked downcast."They probably weren"t the best choice, but they"d been sitting in the bottom of my drawer for a year.I could hear them crying."

"The only thing to do with pants like that is burn them," Derek said with a laugh."But they"d just melt."

Briar stuck out his bottom lip in a campy pout."I guess the lip gloss was a mistake too.Not even Peter noticed."

Derek couldn't help but glance once more at his shimmering lips.He had no interest in primping, but Briar"s strategic application of cosmetics transfixed him.He'd never met a man who did more than wash with bar soap and slap on some aftershave.

Briar was unique. His brand of soft openness was like a siren's song to a man who'd denied himself all luxury his entire life.Derek wanted to touch him so badly.It didn"t even have to be sexual.He just wanted the connection, like a child reaching for something fancy and breakable in a department store.

"Is that what it is?" he asked curiously.

Briar slanted him a look from the corner of his eye, slightly defensive, and said, "Nothing crazy.I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself in a place like this.It's just that the clinic air gets dry, you know, and I figured it'd be better not to show up to my date looking like I'd just sucked off a vacuum cleaner—"

Without thinking, Derek reached out and wiped at the gloss with histhumb.He'd expected it to feel unpleasant and sticky, but Briar's plush bottom lip was like velvet beneath the callused pad of histhumb.He couldn"t look away. Why did he have such a fascination with thisman"s mouth?

Briar froze. "You can't start this again," he whisperedhoarsely.

His breath was a hot, panicked flutter against Derek'sfingers.

"I know." Derek's voice wasragged."I just…I can't seem to stop myself when you'rearound.I don"t knowwhy."

Briar's tongue darted out to lick the tip of his thumb, and his breathhitched.His free hand curled into the grass so hard he ripped out a clump by theroots.He couldn"t resist pushing for more, pressing his thumb inside, anxious to test the moist warmth of hismouth.

Briar pulled away at the lastminute.His tone was firm when he said, "I'm gay, Derek, but I'm notdesperate.Just because a man wants to fuck me doesn't mean he's going to treat meright.I learned that the hard way. So, if you're going to repeat the bullshit you pulled at the scrapyard, you can forgetit.I deserve better thanthat."

Pull back,Derek's mind was screaming, before it's toolate. But he had the sinking feeling that it was already toolate.He'd been hooked from the moment he saw those big, wary gray eyes blinking up at him through a crack in thedoor.

He'd didn"t intend to break the promise he"d made to his mother long ago, but he was so tired of deprivinghimself.His cock had been aching nonstop forweeks.Relief was so close, if only he could grabit.

"I'll treat you so good," Derek saidhoarsely.He slid his palm up to cup Briar's cheek, gratified when his lashesfluttered."I"ll give you what youneed.I can"t promise much, but I can promisethat."

Briar's smile was tremulous, and his tone was wry when he said, "Well, as long as youpromise."

They shared a smile, acknowledging how stupid they both were, and then Derek did what he"d been longing to do allnight.He leaned in and kissed the velvety gloss right off those beautiful lips.