Page 15 of The Way Home (Pathfinders Lake Romance #5)

Jeremy

I sat on the bleachers, staring out at the field, with a mix of nostalgia, hope, and dread.

This was my home once and could be my home again.

Or maybe not. What the hell would I do if they selected someone else?

Surely there were other candidates with more experience, more education, and more charisma.

Besides being an alumni and a legacy player who followed his dad's footsteps, I wasn't sure what else I had going for me.

Except for the fact that it was a small town.

If you didn't already live in Stony Creek or the surrounding area, there really wasn't a reason to come here, aside from Pathfinders Lake.

The lake offered plenty of recreational activities, but there were a few lovers who traveled here because of the local legend.

It was much lesser known than the love lock bridge in Paris or writing letters to Juliet in Verona, but it had gained a small following, particularly among those whose romances couldn't always be lived out in the open.

They sought out the monument, and it continued to grow larger every year.

Had a football coach visited with their lover and decided to stay? Or was there another homegrown hero in competition?

Scanning over the field, I imagined the lights, the crowd stomping their feet in the stands, the marching band blasting rally songs between plays, and the sound of helmets crashing into each other as the quarterback got the ball. Damn, what I wouldn't give to get to experience it all again.

My phone rang, pulling me out of the fantasy. I knew who it was before I even looked at it. I swear the man had a sixth sense. I fished it out of my pocket and answered, “Hey, Dad.”

“How'd it go?”

I let out a soft chuckle. “Just getting right to it, I see. No ‘how is my favorite son in the entire world?’”

“Yes, right, and how is Riley?” My dad asked with a tease.

I replied with as dry a tone as I could muster. “Ha. Ha. You're so funny.”

“Yes, I know. It's one of the things Jackie loves about me. Well, that and my huge —”

“Dad!” I cut him off.

A laugh rang through the phone. “I was going to say heart. If you thought it was going to be anything else, then you need to get your mind out of the gutter. Speaking of gutter… have you reunited with anyone while you've been back home?”

I scoffed at his comment. “ ‘ Speaking of gutter?’ Psh . Are you implying I have trashy taste? Because… rude.”

“No, Son. Nothing like that, though I wouldn't mind if you brought the same person home twice. I don't think I've ever seen the same face at Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

He wasn't wrong about that. I wasn't big on relationships, and, thankfully, my dad and Jackie had always been accepting and welcoming of whoever I brought home, no matter their gender.

Holidays always made me panic, though. Knowing Riley would be there and would be weird with me, I felt like I needed a buffer or a shield, someone who could distract everyone away from the heaviness that sat between us.

Lucky for me, a lot of folks wanted to hookup just for the holidays and to have a place to go so they wouldn't be alone.

Being pansexual and not particularly picky gave me a wide variety to choose from.

“So… no fun reunions then?” My dad prompted.

Well, a kiss that lingered on my lips days later and waking up with Riley snuggled in my arms, but I couldn't exactly tell him that. “I believe you called to ask about my interview. Can we get back to that, please?”

My dad laughed his big, belly laugh. “Fine, fine. You're the one who didn't want to just talk business. I was only following your lead. How are you feeling about it?”

I let out a heavy sigh. “I either knocked it out of the park, or I made a complete fool of myself.”

“I'm sure it's the first one, Jeremy.”

“Thanks, I hope so, but I also think I kind of blacked out through part of it, so there's no way of knowing. It would be easier to run down a field with a team of goliath players chasing me down. That I could do, no problem, but it turns out interviewing for a job you really want and not just any old job to earn a check comes with a bit more pressure.”

“I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn’t think you were the right person for it.

It was my team, too, remember? I'm sure they love you now as much as they loved you back in school. Try to relax. Find something to do to get your mind off of it for a bit. I have zero doubts they will be calling you and offering the job soon.”

My dad was my first coach, way back in my Pop Warner days, when the uniforms were bigger than we were. He'd always been good at the pep talks. Hearing his certainty brought me a smidge of relief. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Of course! Okay… on a completely different topic, how's everything going with Riley? Are you two getting along? Your mom's been really worried but remains hopeful.”

I clicked my tongue for a moment as I decided how much to reveal.

When we were dating as teens, I'd been getting ready to introduce Riley to my dad, but then he showed up with his mom.

At first, I thought it was a dream come true, the perfect situation, where we could be together more because our parents were together.

Except, Riley began to push me away, and I never got to have my dad meet him as my boyfriend.

Now I didn't know what we were to each other.

It was all kind of murky, but I knew without any doubt that I liked being around him again, even when it was difficult.

Well, a little bit of truth went a long way. “It's been a little awkward at times, but it's also been really nice. I've missed him very much. We haven't really gotten to spend a lot of time with just the two of us, especially as adults.”

“I understand. We became a family, and soon after you each went your separate ways. I know you didn't get to choose having Riley and Jackie in our lives, but I love them both so much, and I don't know where we would be without them.”

“I love them both, too.” I'd loved Riley first, of course, but Jackie had quickly become very special to me when the Carter and Rodriguez families blended.

She filled a hole I didn't know was there.

My dad and I had always gotten along just fine, but she added something wonderful to our dynamic.

I really lucked out in the stepmom department.

“Please tell Jackie not to worry. We're going to be fine.

I'm really happy he's staying at the cabin with me.”

“Good, good. I'm glad to hear it. Now get off your ass, go for a run, and stop second-guessing yourself. Oh, and call me as soon as you hear something, which I suspect will be soon.”

“Thanks, Dad, I will. Talk to you soon, love you.”

“Love you, too, Son.”

He was right. The first step was getting off my ass.

I put my phone away and stood up. If I wasn't wearing my nicest—and only—suit, I might have started running up and down the stairs of the bleachers to burn out the anxiety I felt.

I was on school property, and the panel of people I interviewed with were still conducting other interviews.

It probably wouldn't be a great look to be seen sweating through my suit.

Home first. Then a run. That's what I needed.

As I was driving along the windy path toward the cabin, my thoughts returned to Riley.

Of him climbing into my bed and breathing intently to help me relax.

Of him waking with his hand rubbing over my chest. Of him staring at my erection before running away.

All those images in my mind had me adjusting myself and spreading my legs wider.

A good fuck would help burn all this stress off, too.

If Riley hadn't been at the cabin and things were…

normal … I would have opened one of my apps and seen if anyone was nearby and DTF.

But things were anything but normal and also closer to what I wanted than ever had been.

I couldn't imagine hooking up with anyone else now, because Riley was the one I truly wanted.

I loved sex, and I enjoyed different bodies, but it was always him I wished were with me as I lost myself momentarily in others.

I was stuck in this permanent state of need and desire with no outlet but myself.

When I got home, I sat in the car for a moment, trying to regain some sense of control.

Except everything felt out of my control at the moment.

The job, Riley, my future. Luckily, enough dread seeped back in that my cock managed to settle.

Thank God for small existential crises .

A run was definitely a good idea. Run first, then fuck. Even if it was just my own hand. Hopefully the combo would be enough to relieve some of the tension and stress.

Feeling the urgency to move, I ran into the house and bee-lined straight to my room.

I heard a brief “hey” come from the kitchen, but I ignored it.

If I stayed to talk to him, I would just end up picturing his eyes gleam with hunger and licking his lips as he stared at my cock.

Maybe Riley hadn’t licked his lips this morning before escaping the situation, but the image came to mind and it was hard to shake.

Shedding my suit, I changed into a tank top and joggers as quickly as possible.

My dress shoes were swapped for running shoes, and with my water bottle in hand, I was ready.

As I came out of my room, Riley stood near the hallway, hands on his hips and a worried look on his face.

He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off.

“I’m going for a run. I’ll be back in a bit. ”

“Oh. Okay. Did you, uh, want company?”

The offer was tempting but also the last thing I needed right now. “Sorry, darling. I need to push myself and run hard, so if you can't keep up with me, I wouldn't bother.”