Page 55 of Smoky Mountain Dreams

Jesse’s reply came through immediately after he’d pressedsend and the length of it made it clear to Christopher what had taken so muchtime.

Is it just a fuck you want? Because, ahhell, I have no rhymes for “the kids aren’t in bed yet, and won’t be for awhile because Brigid and Will are having post-trick-or-treat let’s-drown-ourselves-in-candysleepovers, but if you’re up for just hanging out, I’d like for you to comeover.”

Relieved, Christopher thumbed in:

I hear from kids these days

That fucking is so passé

Conversation is all the rage

An address please and I’m on my way

Jesse’s reply didn’t come as quickly and Christopher pacedthe porch, grinning, his heart doing jumping jacks in his chest. Sex would begreat, sure, but seeing Jesse, talking with him, seeing where he lived—that wasgood enough. His body tingled and a bubble of laughter felt trapped in hischest.

Jesse’s reply let those feelings loose and he laughed out loud.

Jesus, fuck, who knew couplets

Could get me hot as a fried cutlet

Sorry for that bad rhyme

I really wanna “make you mine”

In the sense of “cock in ass”

But the kids are awake! Alas!

Just know I’d screw you if I could

I’m in the cul-de-sac, two-twelve Sourwood

It’d been hard enough to get the Halloween sleepoversarranged. And not because the parents weren’t willing to send the kids off inthe care of a man known around town for being queer, though that had proveddifficult at times in years past. And not because parents weren’t eager to gettheir sugared-up children out of their own hair, but because Brigid hadn’twanted to lose time working on the origami crane project to “suck up to girlswho don’t get me.” Jesse had thought he was still a few years away from boutsof misunderstood angst, but Brigid’s new tween status had proved him wrong.

Will, for his part, was willing to let his sister boss himinto another evening of endless folding, but now that Charity and Meredith werehere, and the cranes safely stored in Jesse’s bedroom, Brigid had loosened upand seemed to be having fun.

After texting Christopher, he’d made sure Brigid and thegirls were good to go in the basement withThe Hunger Games,popcorn, and half-a-dozen board games. Then he’d gone upstairs to encourageWill and his pal Frankie-Jones in their building of an elaborate fort in Will’sbedroom.

Now he felt safe to leave them to it while he waited forChristopher to arrive. Heading into the kitchen, he grabbed a bottle of MerryEdwards Sauvignon Blanc from the wine cooler and poured himself a glass. Heclosed his eyes and took the layers of the wine apart the way he did with theatmosphere of a room—full-bodied, balanced, creamy, with Bartlett pear andgentle green melon. It finished dry and elegant, a refined wine.

He considered Christopher’s wide green eyes and full-lippedsmile. Chris struck him as the type of guy to have a stronger opinion on beersthan on wine. Homey, warm, and comfortable. Southern.

Jesse checked to see he had some microbrews in the fridgeand then returned to stand by the kitchen window, gazing out toward the roadwhere Christopher’s car would wind its way up the side of the mountain hopefullyany minute now.

“Dad?” Brigid’s small voice came from behind him.

“Need more popcorn, sweetheart?”

“No.”

Jesse turned to her and observed her pale face and saw thatshe was holding a sheaf of square white paper. “I thought we weren’t going tomake cranes tonight?”

“Just three, okay? I’ll go back down after we both make three.”

He’d called Dr. Charles earlier in the week to talk aboutthe cranes, and the therapist had said it was fine. A coping mechanism. A wayto feel in control and accomplished in a world that had failed her. Still,Jesse wished that her teacher had never sent that damn book home. Things hadbeen crane-crazy ever sinceSadako and the Thousand PaperCraneshad been required reading.

“All right.” Jesse sat at the kitchen table and Brigid slidinto the seat beside him. He studied her newly too-large nose and chin inprofile as she counted out six sheets and then handed three to him and keptthree for herself.