Page 142 of Smoky Mountain Dreams

Christopher’s lips turned up gently. “Pretty sure he’sstraight as they come, but I’m glad he’s not your type since the chances of meever having a body like his are nigh on zero.”

“Nigh on zero, huh? A little time around your family, and Ihear the Appalachian creeping in.”

Christopher smiled and leaned back in the seat, peering outat the gray winter skies and the brown trees ringing the parking lot. “Do youbelieve in God, Jesse?”

“I used to.”

“But you don’t anymore?”

“Not really.”

“Not since Marcy?”

“It was before that. I don’t know. It happened sometime whenBrigid was four or five. She was making up a very logical and completelyincorrect explanation about where the wind came from. See, she’d learned fromsomewhere that light came from the sun—it traveled through space to the earth.She’d also learned that Neptune is apparently the windiest planet. So she’ddecided that the wind came from Neptune, through space, to Earth. It wasbrilliant, but obviously incorrect.”

“She was a smarty-pants.”

“Sometimes she still is. Definitely still a magical thinker.”

“Yeah.” Christopher smiled fondly. “She’s special. Imean…she’s tough and strong, and yet so…I just want to love her until she’sokay, you know?”

“I do. It’s something I really appreciate in you because shehasn’t made it easy.”

“Maybe I like a challenge.”

“Well, we’re doomed then, since we were both easy as hellwhen we started.”

Christopher snorted. “Nah, our situation is plentychallenging. Believe me.”

Jesse nodded and reached over to lace their fingerstogether. “That it is. Anyway, after that Neptune explanation, it was like alight bulb went on for me. I thought, ‘This is what happened. Someone wastrying to explain life and they made it all up. Every last bit of it.’”

Christopher sat with Jesse’s words. He heard them but itdidn’t change the fact that he still believed. “That makes sense. I believe inGod, though. And Jesus. I believe in the Jesus whose greatest commandment wasto love thy neighbor. I don’t think I have to go to church, or not be gay, ordo anything at all other than try to love my neighbor.”

“That’s a good philosophy.”

“I don’t think I love Bob, though.”

Jesse squeezed Christopher’s fingers. “Well, if I didbelieve in Jesus and God, I think I’d have to say that the Bible seems to implythat the only person who successfully loved everyone was Jesus, right? So, Ifigure you try and do your best. Jesus will understand. Especially when itcomes to Bob.”

Christopher laughed, but it hurt in his chest. They sat insilence for a few minutes until Christopher leaned into Jesse’s shoulder. “I’mtired. Can we just get my stuff from the hotel room and go? Will you take mehome?”

“Of course. The kids are missing you. We’ll get home andorder pizza. Maybe watch a movie with them. Something low key. Something fun.”

Christopher had meant his Gran’s house, but the thought ofJesse taking him back to the place where they might build a life together waseverything he needed. It was the home he wanted.

“Hey, Jesse?” Christopher sat up, still gripping Jesse’shand.

Jesse’s warm, brown eyes met his. “Yeah?”

“I love you.”

A heart-melting smile, and a sweet, vulnerable expressiontouched Jesse’s face as he leaned over, placed his hands on the side ofChristopher’s face, and whispered, “I love you too, babe. I love you too.”

Chapter Twenty-eight

ITWAS PAST MIDNIGHT WHENChristopher woke Jesse, rubbing against him inthe bed in the guest room, eager to get his hands on skin, his mouth on cock,and his cock in Jesse’s ass. If Jesse would let him. After the chaos of thefuneral, he didn’t want to be taken—he wanted to be the one doing the takinginstead.

Jesse blinked blearily. “Christopher?”