“I want to ask you something,” Levi said. “Since it’s only three o’clock. I know you probably miss your brother and are eager to see him again, but did you want to spend some time in my home before I drive you back?”
George’s bright smile calmed Levi’s nerves. “Yes. Please. I’ll just text Orry and let him know we’re, um, that I want to see Ginger again. Which is totally true.”
“Are you going to tell him anything about us being intimate?”
“I will.” He sank against the bench seat. “We need to sit down and have a long, serious conversation. Not just me coming out and seeing you, but also him lying to me on Thanksgiving. We definitely need to talk about that.”
“How do you think he’ll feel about you seeing me?”
“Honestly? I think he’ll be upset, and I think he’ll blame you because you’re older and way more experienced, and it doesn’t help that I haven’t come out to him yet. I don’t think he’ll be mad about that but definitely hurt.”
“Do you think it will help if I say I have nothing but the best of intentions?”
George snorted. “I don’t know, because I don’t have the best of intentions.” He wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive way that took any possible sting out of the words. “I don’t want to go home and go back to being the person I was before, Levi. This week has been too important to me.”
“It’s been important to me, too. You’re the only other person besides Robin who knows what Grant did to me.”
“Then, to borrow your words, I thank you for your honesty and your trust.”
Levi couldn’t resist leaning across the seat to kiss George. “Then let’s go say goodbye to the cats.”
And that was part of it, but not all of it, once Levi parked his pickup near his home. They spent more time naked in his bed than playing with the cats, and Levi was okay with that. He liked George in his bed and in his life, and he wanted the younger man there as often as humanly possible going forward.
Chapter Seventeen
George was not ready to leave the sanctuary of Garrett, California, but he had another life to return to. As much as he would have liked to chill in Levi’s home forever, the real world beckoned him back into its less interesting embrace. After swapping hand jobs—George wasn’t quite ready to go down on Levi yet—and playing with the cats, they climbed into Levi’s truck for the trip back to San Francisco.
They stopped along the way for a takeout dinner to eat in the cab. George wasn’t a huge fan of fast food but the restaurant Levi chose had a grilled chicken sandwich that seemed acceptable, plus a side salad option instead of fries. They entered George’s neighborhood a little after eight that night, and George’s gut soured the closer Levi got to his place. Their vacation at Clean Slate had been the best kind of dream. The real world wasn’t quite as awesome.
Levi found a spot on a side street to park. “Do you want me to walk you to your place?” he asked.
“Okay.” They were over a block away from the house, and George wasn’t sure about walking around alone, especially after dark. It was a relatively safe neighborhood, but still.
“Excellent.”
Levi carried George’s bag, and they walked close without touching. Other homes were brightly lit with people moving around inside, testament to all his neighbors living their lives. Cars passed them on the street, carrying other folks to their Saturday evening plans. Or perhaps home from a late dinner in a nice restaurant. So many possibilities for people who didn’t hide themselves away from the world.
At the big house’s door, George produced his keys. “You don’t have to come inside if you aren’t ready to, um, I don’t know.”
“Announce to your neighbors that we’re dating?” Levi supplied, smiling. “I’m comfortable with whatever you are. Would you like me to walk you to your door like a proper date would?”
“We weren’t on a date.”
“Technically, no, dates don’t last a full week. But we’re also doing our own thing, remember?”
George grinned. “I think I like the idea of our first date being a ranch vacation. It’ll be an easy anniversary to remember.”
“Then I’d like to walk you to your door.”
“Okay.” George’s belly wobbled with nerves but he slid his key into the lock and turned the knob. He was not surprised to see Derrick, Slater, Dez and Morgan having another Monopoly tournament in the living room, with two mostly empty six-packs and a pizza box nearby. Slater rolled the dice and their quartet looked up to see who was home.
“Hey, you’re back,” Slater said. “Hi, Levi. What did you think of the ranch, George?”
“It’s breathtaking,” George replied. “I loved it there, and I am amazed you gave up living there.”
Derrick playfully pinched Slater’s cheek. “That’s because he loves me too much to keep playing with horses.”
Slater swatted his hand away. “I lived there for as long as I was meant to, and it was time to move on. Give other people a chance to enjoy its magic. Looks like Levi took good care of you.”
Coming from Derrick or Dez, George might have read more into the statement, but Slater was typically a blunt person. “He did. He and Robin even did a trick riding demo for the guests, which was really cool.”
“Until Faith announced she wanted to be a trick rider too,” Levi added with a chuckle.
“Faith?” Dez asked.
Levi described the family they’d met and befriended, while George kept glancing at his stairs. He’d texted Orry roughly what time he thought he’d be back almost an hour ago and hadn’t gotten a response yet, so he had to be working at the bar. “Anyway, I’m going to walk George upstairs. He’s had a long week, and I imagine a nice soak in a real tub sounds like heaven right now.”
“Amen,” Derrick said. “Those showers in the guesthouse are utilitarian at best, and not very big. I doubt Morgan would be able to turn around in one.”
“Don’t say that.” Dez reached across the board to punch him in the arm. “I’m still trying to convince Morgan we should make a reservation for next summer. It sounds like fun.”
Morgan grunted.
George said goodnight to his friends and led the way upstairs, key at the ready. Other than going downstairs to get the mail, George wasn’t used to coming and going with any great frequency. But he was starting to enjoy coming with Levi—in more ways than one. The apartment was expectedly empty and dark. Orry must have been out all day, assuming George would be home before dark, because whenever Orry worked late and George went to bed, he always left the microwave light on so Orry didn’t come home to the dark.