Page 12 of Finally
“First bands and now babies. What are you two talking about?”
“Oven pancakes,” Jack said with a laugh. “They’re Gray’s specialty. They’re delicious and he can put them together from what I keep in my fridge and pantry, which let’s be honest, isn’t much.” When Jack had been at the height of his depression, he’d rarely wanted to socialize outside of the house, so Gray had come over to keep him company, and if he had forgotten to eat, Gray made him Dutch baby pancakes.
“Yeah, well, knowing how many guys Gray takes to bed, he probably has a set morning after breakfast recipe the way other guys have a first-time-they’re-making-someone-dinner meal, and since he never knows whose house he’s at, he has to have a recipe that uses basic ingredients.”
“Kevin…” Jack sighed, hating how disparaging that sounded and yet not sure how to say that without implying there was something wrong with Gray’s sexual history.
Gray picked up the phone. “I don’t spend the night with hookups and my skills in the kitchen aren’t the reason anyone has gone to bed with me. It’s a recipe my dad taught me. Hedidn’t do much cooking in our house growing up, but for special occasions, like Mother’s Day or my mom’s birthday, he got us up and we made her breakfast.” He trailed his fingers down Jack’s cheek. “Seeing Jack first thing in the morning is a special occasion to me.”
“Fine.” Kevin sounded exasperated. “Jack, call me when Gray leaves tomorrow. I need to tell you about this potential guy.”
“I have him covered on that front too, Kev. Have a good night.” Gray ended the call, and Jack breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thanks for getting him off my back. Between him and Eric, I feel like the only thing anyone talks to me about these days is potential boyfriends. Jaime getting married has them hyperfixating on my love life.”
“Our friends mean well, but they have no idea what they’re doing.” He wrapped his arm around Jack’s back and walked them over to the table.
“In their defense, they probably think I’m falling apart, but Jaime’s been my friend for half my life. I want him to be happy, and I like Oliver.”
“You’re a genuinely good man, Jack Storm.” Gray bent forward and kissed Jack’s forehead. “The best.”
Swallowing down the thickness in his throat and hoping the shiver that went through him in reaction to Gray’s touch wasn’t outwardly visible, Jack said, “Go ahead and sit. I’ll bring the food over.” It’d give him a chance to get his body under control and an opportunity to return Gray’s kindness by taking care of him, even if it was in a small way.
“You sure?” Gray cupped Jack’s cheek and searched his eyes. “I can help.”
“Of course.” Jack hoped he sounded less out of breath than he felt. “Putting the food on the plates will only take a second.” He licked his lips. “Should I open a bottle of wine?”
“Sounds good.” Gray tipped his head down, and for a crazy second, Jack thought he was going to kiss him, but then he traced his fingers around the perimeter of Jack’s ear and pulled away. “I’m looking forward to this dinner.”
Chapter 4
“How long has Kev been trying to set you up with people?” Gray asked as he cut his steak.
Jack swallowed his potato and then dabbed his napkin against the sides of his mouth. “We’re talking about Kevin Rodley.” He arched his eyebrows. “At some level, he’s been trying to set me up since the moment he found out I was single.”
“Kev really is a master meddler,” Gray said with a chuckle. “Although with me, it’s less about him coming up with actual guys he thinks I should meet, and more about him pointedly expressing disapproval about the way I handle my personal life.”
“For a person not in a relationship, he is oddly obsessed with getting everyone coupled up.”
Shrugging, Gray said, “It’s something he wants for himself so he’s sure everyone else should aspire to it too.”
“That’s very true. He’s coming from a good place.” Jack rubbed his lips together and furrowed his brow in thought. “Now that I think about it, we should be coming up with someone for Kevin.He’dactually appreciate a setup.”
“Are you implying thatyoudon’t appreciate it?”
Shrugging, Jack said, “I know our friends are trying to help me and I appreciate the sentiment, but the actual dating people part?” He shook his head. “Not so much.” He drew in a deep breath and then looked down at his plate and poked at his meal. “Not at all.”
Unable to maintain any sort of distance when Jack looked that downtrodden, Gray reached his hand out and rubbed it up and down Jack’s arm. “It’s been that bad?”
Giving him a weak smile, Jack said, “No. I’m being dramatic as usual.”
“You’re not dramatic, Jack.” Gray had no idea who had planted that particular seed in Jack’s head, but he wanted toextinguish it. “What’s the problem exactly? Are they jerks like that guy from last week?” He swallowed and then forced himself to ask the question he really wanted answered, “Or is it that you aren’t ready yet?”
“Not ready?” Jack drew his eyebrows together. “You mean because of Jaime?” He shook his head. “I’m happy to say that I am well and truly over that relationship. Seeing him and Oliver together was like a miracle cure on the healing front, and now I wonder how I could have spent so many years thinking we could work.”
Gray had wondered the same thing, but he didn’t express that opinion out loud. “So, what’s the issue?”
“Honestly?” Jack sighed. “I think I’m not meant to be in a relationship.”
