Page 35 of Good Friends
Bingo.
Morris pointed. “Maybe Gavin grabbed it by mistake.” He laughed. “He’s new around here, too.”
Porter had already taken a step toward the open doorway when he nearly stumbled.
That has to be a coincidence, right?
“Um, thanks.”
“No problem.”
Porter felt his pulse race as he tried to talk himself down the closer he drew to the helicopter.
It’s not him. It willnotbe him.
In fact, Porter tried to come up on the guy’s blind side, hoping to simply snag the package and turn and run without even saying anything to him.
Unfortunately, from the sun’s angle Porter cast a shadow into the cabin as he approached, and the guy stood and turned.
He wasn’t sure who was more shocked, him or Gav, when they stared into each other’s eyes.
Chapter Eleven
Gavin’s first instinct had been to want to throw himself into Porter’s arms and kiss him. The guy looked like hell, dark circles under his eyes and wearing a grief-stricken expression that appeared even worse than the day they’d said good-bye at TIA.
He’d even taken a step toward Porter when he pulled himself up short and his brain struggled to make sense of this.
How thefuckdid he find me?“What thehellare you doing here?” Gavin demanded.
Then Porter looked down, at the cart, at the FedEx packages there, parts Gavin had been waiting on for this job.
Porter rooted through them, coming up with one and holding it up. “This isours,” he hoarsely said. “Delivered by mistake.” Gavin realized he was turning to leave.
“Wait!” Grief that Porter wasn’t pulling him into his arms for a hello kiss swirled with confusion and anger that he just showed up out of nowhere, and—
Oh.He spotted the SRQ security badge on the lanyard around Porter’s neck.
Porter stopped, but had stepped back.
This just wasn’tcomputing. Gavin wasn’t able to formulate a coherent thought. “Why are you…here?”
“Old friend offered me a new job,” Porter quietly said. He didn’t evensoundright, sad, like he was close to tears. “Making twenty grand more a year. It’s my second day.” He eased back another step.
Gavin took a step toward him, unable to help it, hating himself for how much he wanted to throw himself into Porter’s arms. “Why did you do it?” he asked. “Why?” He sniffled back the tears that were bound and determined to escape. “That’sallI want to know.Why?”
Confusion filled Porter’s face. “I just told you—it was twenty grand more a year. It’s what I was going to talk to you about that afternoon when you called me. I was on my way out the door to meet Kevin Axelrod and the owner for dinner here in Sarasota to discuss salary and other terms.”
Anger struggled for dominance once more. “That’snotwhat I’m talking about! Youliedto me!”
“What?When?”
“You were at the fucking Toucan that weekend, and you told me you were home when I called you. Don’tbullshitme, Porter!”
More confusion filled Porter’s expression, triggering fear in Gavin. “I spent Friday night at the Toucan, yeah. But I left early Saturday, after breakfast, and drove home.”
Gavin blinked. “What?”
“I was in a shitty frame of mind and wasn’t in the mood to be there. It worked out for the best, because Kevin called me to come talk to them to discuss this job. I didn’t lie to you. I wish you’d tell me what happened, Gav, I—”
