Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Sammy clamped a hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay. I forgive ya, and welcome to the club.” We both laughed, my chest feeling lighter. “When I decided I wanted to move back home, Em was worried—about us bein’ accepted, about me bein’ out for the first time around everyone I know, about bein’ the only out queer people in Ryland. Somehow, I knew it’d be okay, and now I already got my own cousin addin’ to the LGBTQ population. I think that’s a reason to celebrate.”
I smiled, liking this closeness with him, wishing we’d had it our whole lives. “That sounds good to me,” I replied, but then I lingered, and said, “I love him so much it hurts. I didn’t know that was possible. Is it that way for you?”
“Yeah,” Sammy replied. “Yeah, it is. That’s how we know it’s real.”
“Did you ever struggle with any of it? In your head, I mean? Comin’ to terms with it and, like, shit you hear people say? Hell, I don’t know what I’m sayin’. I wanna be with him. That’s not the problem. Sometimes the outside shit fucks with my head, though.”
Sammy was quiet for a moment, clearly thinking. “I figure it was a little different for me. I had a whole lot longer to accept it. There wasn’t any real question for me. Plus, I never had the same life as you—the family, the friends.” Which was sad, considering we were family ourselves. “I get it with your daddy and all. He’s not open to this. But you’re bein’ true to who you are. You’re with Sutton. All you can do is take it one step at a time.”
“Thank you.” I pulled him into a hug, making sure he knew how much I appreciated this and how much I loved him too.
When we got back to the house, Emerson and Sutton were laughing together about something.
“We figured we’d get the grill going so Sutton and Jasper can stay for dinner,” Emerson told Sammy.
“Sounds good to me,” Sammy replied. “Though we should probably clean up a bit so we don’t stink ’em outta here.”
I put my arms around Sutton’s waist from behind, letting my chin rest on his shoulder. “We can get the grill goin’.”
“Perfect,” Sammy replied.
They explained where everything was, then headed for their room. I nuzzled Sutton’s neck, kissing him. I was excited for tonight, wanted to be a couple with Sutton around people who wouldn’t judge us, who had similar experiences as us. Another small step ahead, but it felt like more.
“I love you, Sutt.”
“I love you too.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Sutton
The weekend after we had dinner with Sammy and Emerson, we met Shelly Kemper, a local real estate agent, at the house on Stone’s Throw Lane, a dirt road just outside of Ryland. It was located pretty far back. Hell, I hadn’t ever seen the house or the land myself, which said a lot.
Ms. Kemper was waiting outside her car when I pulled my truck to a stop behind her. One look and I knew, fucking knew this was the place for us.
The house wasn’t anything special. We’d known that when we saw it online. It was smaller than our place now and could use a lot of work, but that wasn’t what we were buying it for. No, that was the property. It was five whole acres, with woods behind it similar to what Jasper’s folks owned.
There was a small pond that needed to be cleaned out and have some drainage work done on it. It was only about three feet deep because of the debris, and when it rained a lot, it would get too full and back up. But those were things Jasp and I could do ourselves, the kind of things we wanted to do ourselves.
Even outside of that, the land needed work too.
“We’d need to get a tractor in here to get it all cleaned out,” Jasp said.
“And Ms. Kemper said we’d need a new septic system if we’re planning on expanding the house.”
The price on this property was good, almost too good to be true, but also because it was kind of a dump. The work would cost money, something we didn’t have a whole lot of, but…
“If we snatch it up,” I told Jasper, “the upgrades can happen slowly. We don’t gotta rush, but she’ll be ours, and eventually we can make it into everything we’ve ever wanted.”
“Yep. I don’t even gotta look. I want it,” Jasper replied.
“Don’t go out there sayin’ that. We gotta play our cards right. We shouldn’t be gettin’ ahead of ourselves so we’re not disappointed if it don’t happen.”
“It’s happening, Sutt. I can tell ya that right now.”
I chuckled. “Let’s go. We’re keepin’ her waitin’.”
We got out, and I had to remind myself to chill the fuck out. I couldn’t believe this was even a possibility—a property that would be ours, not his folks’. A home that was ours, not Jasper’s because his folks wanted him to live there.