Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Holden added the pancakes to a stack on a plate. When he nodded at Clint as if to say he could have some, Clint shook his head. “I feel bad busting in on your morning. I was out at the store, picking up some things, so I thought I would see if I could stop by. I have a favor to ask.” Clint sat on one of the barstools across the counter from them.
“What’s up?” Roe asked, looking slightly concerned.
“It’s nothing big, but I have a friend, August Reynolds? I don’t think you know him since you were a few years ahead of us in school. He moved after eighth, but he recently came back. Him and his husband got a divorce a couple of years ago.”
“Husband?” Holden asked. “We’re gonna make this county gay one way or another.”
The three of them chuckled.
“He’s got a fifteen-year-old son. He’s had a hard time of it since the divorce. August moved him out here for a fresh start, but he doesn’t have any friends yet. He’s a little angry at the world, but I know he’s gotta be a good kid. I was thinking maybe we could plan something where Sean and Wyatt would be around? Y’all can come to my place for a cookout, or we could meet up at Movies with Goats one night? I really want him to feel at home here.”
Because he was a selfish son of a bitch and didn’t want to lose August. He’d just gotten his old friend back and didn’t want him to leave again.
“Absolutely,” Roe replied easily.
“The boys will make him feel at home. They’re good kids,” Holden added.
“Yeah, I know. Y’all have done a real good job with them.”
Roe beamed with pride. There wasn’t a thing in the world he was prouder of than being a father to Wyatt. “What do you think would be best? We’re happy to have everyone at our place for a barbecue. Vince will actually be in town tomorrow.” Vince was Holden’s best friend from Atlanta. “He finally had enough and broke it off with that asshole who’s been stringing him along for years now. I just hope he sticks with it this time.”
“Yeah, me too.” Clint liked Vince a lot. He was good people.
“If that will seem too much like a setup for…”
“Reese,” Clint answered Roe, who then continued.
“Reese. We can definitely do Movies with Goats too. Whatever y’all think is best, we’ll work it out on our end and make it happen.”
He’d known that was exactly what Roe would say. It was the kind of man he was. “Perfect. Let me ask August. They’re coming to my place today. We can plan it for next weekend?”
“Sounds good. We’ll keep Friday blocked off and set plans when we hear back from you,” Roe told him.
“Thank you, guys. I really appreciate it. I want this to work out for them.” Holden cocked a brow, but Clint shook his head. “Nah, we’re just friends. Hell, I’ve seen him twice in the twenty-eight years since he left, and those were both within the last week. He was a good friend to me when we were kids, though. We kinda fell right back into it like no time at all had passed. He was my first kiss with a boy…” Clint smiled at the memory, unsure why he’d shared that with them.
“Uh-oh,” Holden replied. “I grew up with a sister who watched a whole lot of Lifetime movies, and I’m telling you, first kisses moving back home to small towns is anything but friends. That’s some soulmate shit right there.”
Roe elbowed his partner. “Excuse my husband. He’s an overgrown child.” They weren’t married, but Roe and Holden had started calling each other husbands a while back. It’s what they were emotionally to each other.
“Excuse my husband. He’s an overgrown child,” Holden mocked playfully.
That discomfort hit Clint again, an unfamiliar want he’d never had when he’d looked at happy couples before. He was losing his damn mind. “Thank you both. I’ll let you know ASAP. I’ll head out so you can have your breakfast.”
“Look forward to hearing from you,” Roe said as Clint waved goodbye.
He drove back to his house and started carrying groceries inside. He got all sorts of different drinks—soda, lemonade, tea, and fruit punch because he wasn’t sure what Reese liked.
He also got chicken breasts and hamburgers, in case Reese didn’t like one of them, chips, the stuff to make this pasta salad he liked, but also store-bought potato salad, which wasn’t his favorite, but he only had so much time. He figured he would do some meat with barbecue sauce and some without. He also got some freshly cut fruit because he was a lazy motherfucker and it was much easier to find ways to eat fruit when it was already cut up for you.