Over and Back Read online

  Grant stood and slowly wandered the room while everyone talked, glancing out the window. He turned back to the others and then looked out again. “Bull,” Grant said rather softly. “Do you remember that guy you threw out of the club a couple weeks ago, the one you got the tip for me from?” He stepped away from the curtain, and instantly Hank felt tension enter the room. “I think he’s sitting in a car just down the block.”

  Bull was on his feet in a flash, abruptly leaving the room. Hank thought it strange until Bull returned. “You’re right.” He had an iPad with him and showed the screen to Grant. Hank got a look as well at the same time. “It looks like he’s settling in. How did you know it was him?”

  “The car,” Grant said. “I saw him and Billy getting into a dark Corvette after we closed that night. I remember because he was so confident and sure of himself, and then when I saw the Vette, I wondered what he was compensating for.” Grant wagged his pinkie, and Hank couldn’t stop laughing. “Sort of a ‘sorry about your penis’ moment.”

  “OMG,” Kevin said, laughing. “No Corvette for you.”

  Angus grinned as he drew Kevin closer. “Goof,” he said in his light accent that made just about everything sound sexy.

  “I wonder what he wants,” Spook said as he came up next to Bull. “I think I need to find out.” He turned, and the back door opened and closed. The only indication he’d moved was the shifting of the air inside the house; otherwise Spook had been silent. That was how Spook had gotten his nickname, apparently. Both he and Bull had paramilitary and mercenary-type pasts that were rarely talked about. Bull had mentioned to him once that the things he’d done would scare most people out of their wits, but he had shared a few things with Hank. Mostly he and Spook tried to keep their shadowy pasts out of their present lives. But that didn’t always work.

  Nothing happened for a while, and Hank wondered if Spook had changed his mind. Then he appeared on the screen by the driver’s-side door, and the man inside nearly hit the roof. He didn’t lower the window, and the car moved forward. Bull pulled the image back as the Corvette started down the street and rolled to a stop. Then the guy got out, and Spook approached again. This time, it looked as though the guy was threatening to pull a weapon.

  “I wonder if he needs help,” Hank asked, just as Spook stopped.

  The two men stood sizing each other up for a few moments, talking quickly, and then Corvette Guy checked the back of the car, reached down, and pulled something out of the tailpipe, then tossed it away before driving off. Spook turned back toward the house and came in through the back door, rejoining them. Then he and Bull excused themselves.

  “Come on and eat,” Zach said, rolling his eyes as they left but saying nothing more. Everyone else filed in, and Hank waited for Grant, getting in line at the counter behind him. “They need to powwow or something,” Zach explained.

  “I wonder who that guy is?” Hank asked.

  “Bull will take care of it.” Zach seemed confident, and Hank got a plate and grabbed a sandwich and some of the coleslaw and cucumber salad. He took a seat at the table, with Grant sitting next to him. “This is the kind of stuff I want him to take a vacation from,” Zach told Spook’s husband, Jeremy, who nodded.

  “Tell me about it. I’d hoped we could have intrigue-free lives for a few weeks, but that isn’t about to happen. Not with them,” the two of them groused softly and then sat down.

  BULL STEPPED into his home office, with Spook behind him. “I don’t like this one bit. All this time and he shows up now.”

  “Who is he and what does he want?” Spook asked without preamble. They knew each other too well to beat around the bush.

  “He goes by a number of names.” Bull took a deep breath. He hated feeling like part of his world was being threatened. It made him want to lash out, but that was probably the wrong thing to do in this situation. “I think he wants something I can’t give him, and I wouldn’t even if I could.” Both he and Spook had pasts with plenty of secrets. This was one of Bull’s, and he had to keep it locked away. The thing was, Bull instantly knew that Spook understood. It seemed one of the reasons their friendship had developed in recent years.

  Spook nodded. “What do you want to do about him?”

  Bull thought, and a growl rumbled in his throat. “It’s been years since he’s showed his face. Right now I think we need to circle the wagons and keep our powder dry. Let’s not antagonize him, at least for the moment. That’s only going to build his determination.”

  Spook nodded. “We make it look like he doesn’t matter.”

  “Hopefully he’ll lose interest and crawl back down whatever hole he came out of.” Bull wasn’t so sure that was going to happen, but for now, it was probably the right thing to do.

  “Okay. I’ll follow your lead if you think that’s best. But I am going to keep an eye on him. It’s good to be prepared if we can.”

  Bull clapped Spook on the shoulder. “That’s why you’re the best.” He smiled, and some of the tension eased from his gut. He wasn’t sure if this was the best course of action, but it was the path that would cause the fewest issues. There was also the possibility that if he saw Bull had backup, it would be enough to get him to move on. Only time would tell. “Let’s go back out and join the group. They’re going to be wondering what we’re up to.”

  Spook nodded and they left the office.

  BULL AND Spook joined the group a few minutes later and sat next to their partners, each soothing them gently but offering no further explanation.

  “To the trip,” Tristan said as he raised his glass. “It’s going to be amazing.”

  They all touched glasses as the tension in the room dissipated, replaced with excitement and anticipation that Hank felt as well. It had been a long time since he’d taken a vacation.

  Danny had been the one who’d actually put this whole group thing together, but he’d backed out when he decided he didn’t want to be in Hank’s life any longer. Five years. They’d been together that long and shared a house for three of them. The house in question had been Danny’s, so Hank had moved out. Hank knew that as much as he wanted to blame Danny, there was plenty of fault on his side as well. But Hank had at least recognized his flaws and was working to correct them, getting back on the right path. And he’d thought that was what Danny had wanted.

  His leaving had really made Hank question his entire recovery. More than once temptation had come calling. It was so close all the damn time, and yet he’d weathered it so far. Hank had come to see it as a test of his will. Somehow he had indeed come out the other side, and now he had to figure out a way to move forward.

  “Will we need to get together again?” Grant asked.

  “I don’t think so. But I created a Facebook Messenger group for all of us so we can share things we think of as the trip gets closer. If you have a question, be sure to ask. It’s going to be warm in Italy, so pack accordingly. We can do laundry in Florence. I checked and there is a laundromat a little ways from the hotel, so pack with that in mind… as lightly as you can.” Zach seemed to have everything planned and down to a T.

  “You’ve thought of just about everything,” Grant said, and Hank had to agree. The one thing Zach hadn’t taken into consideration—because there was no way he could know—was that Hank was still wondering, weeks after agreeing to have Grant as his roommate on the trip, how he was going to survive it. Even now he found himself watching him out of the corner of his eyes. Hank took in the small bites Grant took of his sandwich, the way he set it down, and how those long, slender, almost elegant fingers curled around his can of Diet Coke.

  “You could have a beer, you know,” Hank offered.

  Grant shook his head. “I don’t really like beer very much.” The way he said it, with a hint of longing, made Hank wonder if that was all there was to it. He drank the rest of the soda, and Zach passed him another can. “Thanks.” Grant’s hand shook slightly as he took the can and opened it. Hank wondered what was lurking below the surface. It fascinated him that Grant, as beautiful and as nice as he was, with those perfect lips and piercing but warm eyes, could be flawed the way he was. That made him feel better in a way. Not that he had any intention of acting on the attraction that had his gut twisted into a pretzel.

  The table conversation continued, but Hank found himself on the outside. It seemed Grant did too. The others all had a bond, probably through years of friendship, and they caught one another up. Not that they purposely excluded him and Grant or anything. It had the feeling of a kind of family gathering, and they were the guests at the party.

  “I thought we should get together to talk about what we’re bringing,” Grant said from next to him. “I mean, it doesn’t make sense for both of us to bring a hair dryer or….”

  It sounded like a good idea. “We have to watch the kind of appliances we bring. I got some plug adapters from my parents. So if you don’t have any, don’t go out and buy them. I have it covered.” Hank also wondered if he should bring a computer to check email and things. There was no use bringing two of those. “Getting together for lunch is probably a good idea.” Hank made sure Grant had his number and he had Grant’s in his phone. “Next week?”

  “Sure. That sounds great,” Grant agreed. “What are you doing in the few days between when the club closes and we leave on the trip?”

  “Harry asked me to help uninstall some of the equipment they are going to keep and put it into storage. You?”

  Grant smiled. “Same.”

  Hank kept the flash of worry off his face. He had been counting on having a few days of not seeing Grant to try to get him off his mind for a while. He wished he understood his reaction to Grant. Even now, Hank grew warmer and his pulse quickened just being near him. Okay, Hank knew the reason. There was no denying he was attracted to Grant, but things would be so much easier if he saw Grant as just a friend, without all the rest.

  “Great. At least we’ll be busy.”

  “No doubt about that,” Grant said, checking the time on his phone. He seemed nervous, and leaned forward to look down the table to where Bull and Harry sat, talking quietly.

  “Yes, Grant?” Bull said once he saw him.

  “What did that man do? The one Spook scared off.”

  Grant had guts, Hank had to give him that, or maybe he was that naive. Few people ever asked Bull about his business. Hank had learned some time ago that Bull and Spook—and maybe even Harry, though he wasn’t so sure about him—had pasts that weren’t exactly squeaky clean.

  Bull didn’t get angry, though. “He isn’t a good person. Let me just say that trouble has a tendency to follow him wherever he goes. I don’t want him in my club or anywhere around me, but it looks like he has some sort of business that he thinks I can help him with.” Bull appeared threatening as hell, and wore a slight scowl that Hank took as a warning to let the subject drop. “You did good, Grant, really good. I appreciate your powers of observation.”

  “Umm, thanks,” Grant said awkwardly before blushing and glancing down at his plate. Hank wondered if Grant wasn’t praised very often, and it pissed him off.

  “I mean it. Remembering the car was brilliant. Where did you learn that skill, or was it a coincidence?”

  Grant blushed deeper. “I remember a lot of things. Ummm, thanks, Bull.” He turned away and ate the last of what was on his plate. It seemed to Hank that Grant was trying to ignore the rest of the people at the table. It was an interesting reaction. No one else seemed to take any notice of it, but Hank found himself watching Grant.

  “Are you okay?” Hank asked, and Grant nodded. “Not used to being the center of attention?”

  His answer was a shrug. “Thank you so much for lunch,” Grant said, then stood. “There are some things I need to do before I go into the club tonight.”

  Zach stood and hugged Grant when he got close to him. “Don’t let Bull work you too hard, and we’ll talk soon.” Zach really held Grant tightly, and Hank wished it had been him. A pang of longing, maybe tinged with jealousy, ran through him. They finally stepped away from each other. “Be sure to let us know when your passport arrives.”

  Grant hugged most of the guys and shook hands with the others, then left the house. Hank was finishing up the last of his food just as Grant returned. “My car won’t start,” he said quietly.

  Hank got to his feet. “I’ll take a look at it.” He followed Grant outside and had him try to start the car, but the engine didn’t turn over. “Pop the hood,” he told Grant, then checked that everything was connected, peering deep inside. “Here it is.” One of the starter wires had come loose.

  “Did you find out what’s wrong?” Zach asked from the lawn nearby. “Do you need tools?” He held up a small toolbox, and Hank waved him over. Zach approached, and Hank was quickly able to fix the issue.

  “Try it now,” Hank said, and the old car started right up. He closed the hood and put the tools away. “You’re all set. Just a loose wire. Should be fine now.”

  “Thanks,” Grant said with a smile aimed Hank’s way this time, and Hank almost wished he’d gotten a kiss instead. He chastised himself and stepped back, waving as Grant drove off.

  “He’s a real nice guy,” Zach said. Hank had almost forgotten he was there. “You could do a lot worse.”

  Hank handed Zack the closed toolbox. “I don’t need anyone right now. But thanks.” He turned and went inside. Maybe it was time for him to go too.

  THE NEXT two weeks seemed to fly by, and yet there were times when the clock didn’t want to move at all. Those happened at the club when Grant would meet his eyes and smile with impending excitement.

  “My passport came,” he whispered over the bar one evening. Grant was so excited, he nearly dropped his tray of glasses.

  “That’s good. Let’s have lunch so we can talk over last-minute arrangements,” Hank offered, and they made a plan to meet at Café Louis the following day. “Now go and deliver the drinks,” he teased with a smile as Billy came up, scowling sourly as he waited for his order. “What’s got you all pissed off?” Hank asked him quietly while he filled the orders.

  “I guess I’m not good enough to be paid while we’re closed.”

  Hank wasn’t sure if Billy was on a fishing expedition or not, but he wasn’t taking the bait. Jealousy wasn’t very pretty.

  “I heard some people have already been offered jobs.” Billy motioned toward Grant, who was definitely earning his paycheck tonight. The club was hopping, busier than usual. Hank figured it was folks getting in their partying before the closure.

  “What plans do you have while we’re closed?” Hank asked, trying to change the subject.

  “No trips to Italy,” Billy snapped. “You could have asked me. I would have gone with you.” He’d flirted with Hank plenty of times and definitely made his desires known, but Hank wasn’t interested in him. He was nice to Billy, but he knew Billy liked to stir the pot. Billy had to have a swirl of drama going around him at all times, and Hank just wanted to keep out of his sphere.

  “I never thought of it. Sorry.” That was a lie. He had thought about it, but Zach had told him that Billy wasn’t welcome. Zach had also confided that Billy wouldn’t be returning after the closure either. Asking him to come—no matter how badly he needed someone to share expenses—would create conflict that Hank didn’t need. Not that having Grant for a roommate was going to be conflict-free, but Hank figured he could control himself. And Grant wasn’t the troublemaker Billy was. “There you are,” Hank said, completing Billy’s order and moving on to the next. He didn’t have time to talk, and Billy shouldn’t either.

  “Is that all you have to say?” Billy pressed.

  Hank shook his head and sighed, continuing to work. Billy could be pissy if he wanted, but there was nothing Hank could do about it. Management had made the decision, and they hadn’t asked his opinion.

  “I don’t know what you want me to tell you.” The bar was busy, and Hank was working as fast as he could. “Give me a minute and I’ll have your order up for you,” he said to one of the other waiters. He figured it was best to hide behind professionalism.

  Billy stayed put while he finished the order. Hank took a quick breather—for a second he was caught up. It wouldn’t last very long, so he took the opportunity to look out over the club. Grant passed around the side of the packed dance floor, hustling the way he normally did.

  “What’s that little smile for?” Billy asked, pulling Hank out of his momentary daze. “Oh, I see.” Billy looked to where Grant took a second to smile back at him. “I get how things are.” Billy hefted his tray of drinks.

  “I doubt that,” Hank said as Billy sauntered away. Hank rolled his eyes and went back to work as orders suddenly flooded in.

  As the night drew on, things eased up. Hank had never been so grateful for last call in his life. He took care of the last orders and finally took a deep breath.

  “What’s with Billy tonight?” Grant asked when he brought back a tray of glasses.

  “Whatever is going on, it isn’t worth worrying about. I found out he isn’t coming back after the closure and you are, so….” Billy could be jealous and petty all he wanted. It didn’t change anything.

  Grant nodded and hurried away to continue clearing tables.

  By the time the club was locked up tight, Hank was so exhausted, he could barely see straight.

  “Tell me what’s going on with Billy,” Bull asked once Hank had the bar buttoned down for the night. Hank wished he could say he’d tell him in the morning, but instead he pulled out a stool, sat, and explained about the conversation with Billy. “That’s part of the reason he isn’t coming back,” Bull said. “We don’t need that kind of drama, and he’d rather stir things up than do his job.”

  Hank should have known Bull was well aware of what had been going on. He didn’t miss much in his club.