Love Life & Circumstance (16 page)

With an uncharacteristic cold beer in hand, Elijah took a seat on the top step of the porch and flipped open his phone. He guessed the smile on his face when Seth’s voice broke through on the other end probably made him look like a love sick fool, but shit, if he didn’t just grin bigger because of it. “Well hey there you; just thought I’d ask if you have a date for this evening. And, if ya don’t, I know a very willing and slightly horny builder that just might like to cook ya dinner.” Elijah teased though he already knew how he wanted the night to end.

He really needed to talk to Seth about the plans he’d made. Elijah never realized how fast things would move. But, Bubba was as eager as ever to secure the deal and buy the construction company. The paperwork had been drawn up and was now in the hands of their lawyers. A few T’s to be crossed and I’s to be dotted and the sale of Deacon & Son would be complete. His house was going on the market as was his father’s home, and all of the cars and trucks. The only thing Elijah planned to keep was his own truck and car. Everything was going in his bid for a fresh start; he only hoped Seth would come with him.

“So you think you can woo me with food huh? I might not be great in the kitchen, but I might prove harder to catch than ya think, Elijah Deacon. Anyone would think I was an easy lay.” Seth’s playful banter brought a wicked grin to Eli’s lips.

“You know I really like it when ya play hard to get. Now kiss Hope from her daddy and let her know I love her. If you could, drop in and pick up my wine from Vino Vino on the way home; it’d be much appreciated. Don’t know how ya can drink this beer.” He pulled a face as he looked at the beer bottle. He’d never acquired a taste for the stuff. Elijah hated the tinny taste it left in his mouth.

“Well,” Seth virtually purred on the other end of the phone. “Does this mean you’ll be staying again tonight? A man could get used to this…could become sort of a habit if ya ain’t careful.”

“Hmm, one I’m hoping you won’t wanna break. Now get to it. I’m horny as hell and missing my man.” Elijah chuckled at the sudden gasp down the line and hung up. He was as nervous as all get out about revealing his plans and hoped Seth would understand the craziness behind his sudden rash plans.

Three hours later, Elijah paced the porch. He was tense with nerves. The food was cooked and keeping warm. Even though Elijah had burned the chicken on the first go round, he’d easily rescued the meal thanks to Seth having a well-stocked fridge. Candles dotted the porch. New cushions and his mama’s patchwork quilt spread over the huge porch swing. As manly as he was, Elijah really enjoyed it when they ate outside like this. Christ, Seth was turning him into a hopeless romantic fool, and heck if he didn’t enjoy that too.

After checking on the new batch of chicken in tomato and basil sauce, Eli s retrieved the salad, bread rolls and pasta. He placed it all on the table he’d set up by the swing just as the sound of Seth’s truck rumbled to a slow stop on the far side of the porch. Elijah watched, a frown creasing his brow when Seth seemed to purposely be preparing himself before exiting the truck. Elijah’s hands shook. Hope…Christ if anything was wrong…no! It couldn’t be Hope, as her father, the hospital would have called him if anything was wrong. So, what was it that had Seth looking so God damned perplexed? Elijah cursed under his breath. The last thing he needed tonight was some motherfucker upsetting Seth. Especially, since his own news was probably gunna cause the guy to blow a fricken’ fuse.

The suspense was killing him, so instead of waiting, Elijah stepped off the porch and all but tore the truck door off its hinges. Lines of tension creased Seth’s eyes, and he looked as though someone had hit him with a solid strip of two by four. Eli reached out his hand and pulled Seth from his seat and had to stop himself from burying the guy against his chest. Seth was a grown man not a child, but hell, Elijah wanted to protect him. Seth brought out a protective instinct in him that drove Elijah to distraction. Instead of acting on his impulse, Elijah ran the pad of his thumb over the chiseled features of Seth’s jaw.

“What’s got you all worked up, hmm?” Using his finger, he tilted Seth’s jaw so that he had to meet Elijah’s questioning eyes. Even when brooding, Seth was captivatingly good looking, and Elijah leaned in to steal a kiss. He blinked in shock when Seth turned away from him and moved away.

“Hey, what the fuck’s gotten up your ass?” Elijah protested as he followed behind the other man, seeing none of Seth’s usually playful swagger. In its place, a straight stiff back emphasized the degree of Seth’s bad mood.

“Great, just fucking great,” Eli scoffed. He didn’t like this, not one bit. Whatever the hell was going on inside Seth’s head had him riled up good.

“I’m fine, been a long day s’all, let’s eat, ok.” Seth’s words were cold, and the lack of feeling in them caused a knot to form in Elijah’s gut. “Looks like you went to a lot of trouble. You didn’t have to do this. Especially not for me.” The declaration that Seth thought himself unworthy of a cooked meal and a few beers startled Eli, and the ‘I don’t give a shit’ attitude behind Seth’s mood royally pissed him off. If Elijah didn’t know better, he would’ve sworn Seth was spoiling for a fight. What the fuck had he done to cause such a hostile mood?

Eli served up the food even though any appetite he’d had was a long time gone. He played with his food, uncomfortable with the lingering silence that hung between them. He finally broke it. “I cooked because I wanted to. I like doing things for you. Plus, I wanted to talk. I have some news that I wanted to talk through with you. But, it can wait. I can tell you’re not in the best of moods and this is important. I don’t want to go into it until your head’s in the right place.”

With their food barely touched, Elijah cleaned off the table and gave Seth some space. By the time he’d wrapped up the leftover food, washed the dishes and poured himself another large drink, Eli’s own mood darkened. He didn’t like the gnawing sensation eating at his insides. The last time he felt it, he’d lost his father. And if rule of thumb and Seth’s mood were anything to go by, it looked like he was about to lose something else.

“Shit!” Elijah felt powerless against transpiring events, but he wasn’t one to back down. There was no way in hell he was going to lose Seth unless the man actually wanted out. Downing his drink for liquid courage and pouring what had to be his third, or was it his fourth drink, Eli stepped out onto the porch hell bent on clearing up the issue causing the gap between them. The alcohol was definitely having an effect, not that Eli had ever needed help before in broaching a subject. But this one was huge, life changing for them both, so yeah…a little extra bravado was definitely needed.

Back on the porch, Elijah drew in a deep breath. The air was so heavy his lungs felt as though they were drowning in the cloying grip of humidity. Sweat beaded and ran down his spine, and the low roll of thunder somewhere in the distance threatened to bring in another storm. At least, that one would be more welcome than the one brewing between him and a not very happy Seth. Whatever the hell was going on inside the man’s head needed to be spilled real damned quick. Elijah didn’t give a shit if Seth was rarin’ for a fight; he leaned in behind the bristling man and splayed the huge expanse of his hands across Seth’s tensed shoulders and squeezed.

“I had some news I needed to talk with you about tonight, but it can wait. First, I’d like to hear that Hope is well, and then get to whatever the fuck’s eatin’ at you. I’m waiting, Seth, and I ain’t going anywhere till we sort through this shit.” Elijah squeezed again, and then stepped back to give Seth some personal space.

~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~

Seth’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly as Elijah dropped his hands and backed away.  It was so damned hard to think when the man was close to him. All he wanted to do was bury his head against that broad chest and let Eli tell him everything was going to work out. Instead, he enforced a distance between them; a self-protective maneuver.

He’d left the hospital in high spirits, swung by and picked up Elijah’s wine and made a last minute stop by the law firm he subcontracted with downtown. He didn’t work with many local attorneys, but he’d worked with Blaine Woodham while he’d still been in Atlanta. He respected the man’s integrity. When he’d moved to Headland to be closer to Bethany, Blaine had immediately contracted his services for briefs and boiler plate paperwork. He could have left the stop until the next day and wished he had. The paperwork stuffed in his briefcase on the seat of his truck brought reality crashing down around his ears. Elijah was leaving, and taking Hope. His niece’s name triggered. Hope…Elijah had asked him a question.

“Hope’s doing great. She’s strong and determined, just like her daddy.” Seth struggled to keep his voice even when he felt like his world was falling apart. “Pediatrician expects she’ll be ready for the bottle within the next few days.”

“Yeah, we already knew that.” Irritation combined with confusion in Elijah’s voice as the man paced across the porch.

“I’m sure she’d be happy to see her daddy if you want to go on to the hospital.” He stumbled in surprise when Elijah grasped his bicep and tugged him around. Hurt flared in those stunning blue eyes.  Seth’s hands clenched into fists to keep from reaching up to soothe Eli’s furrowed brow.

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” The question rang loudly in the quiet. Seth stood mute staring up at Elijah. Hell no, he didn’t want to get rid of the man. He wanted to drag him to the bedroom and curl up in those strong arms. He needed to hear Eli tell him he wasn’t selling everything he owned and skipping town with Hope. But, neither was likely.  The legal documents spoke volumes.

“No.” Seth jerked away from the touch that seared his skin, but Elijah was so big and so close. He needed space. He couldn’t think with Elijah so close to him. Quickly, he sidestepped the larger man and jumped off the porch, whistling for Rocky. The lab bounded by Elijah and together the rounded the house for the backyard; Rocky darted straight for the back fence line where the squirrels usually chattered down at him. Though he listened for it, the slam of the front screen door didn’t come.  Seth half turned to find Elijah only a few steps behind him sporting a thunderous frown.

“God damn it, Seth. We are going to talk.” Long legs ate up the distance he’d put between them. He turned to face the other man and strong arms locked around his chest trapping his arms at his side.  The tantalizing smell of sweat and Elijah filled his nose.  The pain in his chest boiled over and eradicated the anger he tried desperately to hang on to, the anger he needed to keep from falling apart in front of Elijah. A shiver worked its way down his spine, and his head fell forward so that his forehead rested against Eli’s chest just above where his heart thudded strongly in his chest.

“Don’t leave me.” Three words that said way too much. He tried to bite them back, but they spilled out. The closest he’d ever come to begging in his life. They ran like a litany in his head. Ever since he’d driven up and seen Elijah standing on the front porch, he’d kept his mouth closed to keep from blurting them out.

“What?” Elijah’s fingers slid under his chin and tried to lift his head up. Seth burrowed in closer turning his face away from those brawny fingers. The arm still around his chest tightened. They stood silent for a minute and then another. The squirrel on the fence argued with a barking Rocky. The air thickened as the storm drew closer. For a split second, Seth allowed his heart to hope, and then Elijah spoke. “I’m not going anywhere, Seth.”

The lie skated across Seth’s heart and found the one ember of anger left burning. Seth grabbed it and fanned it as thunder crashed around them. His body stiffened, and he brought his hands up to flatten against Elijah’s barrel chest. He shoved, and the arm around him fell away.  Fat drops of rain splashed onto the ground.

“You’re so full of shit, Elijah. How can you stand there and tell such a lie.” He backed away, head shaking as he bit down hard on the inside of his cheek. He needed to shut the fuck up. Blaine would not appreciate him stomping all over the attorney client privilege, even if it was the client himself in question.

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Seth. Ever.” Elijah stalked forward, gaze locked on Seth.  Lightening illuminated the sky behind him.
Damn, he is magnificent
. Seth firmed his lips and forced his cock to stop the mental dialogue. Magnificent, definitely, honest, Seth wasn’t sure about yet.

“And, I’m to believe that because you’re a preacher’s son?” An ignoble snort escaped Seth. “Everybody knows preacher’s kids are the rowdiest ones in the bunch.” Fury tightened Elijah’s features. He stopped just short of Seth, looming over him so that Seth had no choice but to look up.  Cold rain speckled his cheeks.

“I don’t know what’s crawled up your ass between our phone call and your arrival here at home, but I won’t stand here and listen to you disparage my dad’s reputation, or my own. I’m leaving. When you think you can be civil, call me.” Spinning away, Elijah strode across the yard, paying no mind to the weather. Agilely, he leapt up the steps and slammed the screen door open. Seth stood in the downpour and watched him go, a lump the size of Texas in his throat. What the fuck was he doing? He wanted the man, wanted every second he could get before Elijah disappeared.

“Elijah. Wait.” Just inside the back door, he ran headlong into the other man. Firm lips crushed his and those solid strong arms caged him against Eli’s broad chest. His fingers tunneled into Elijah’s hair, holding him close. Tongues mated and danced. The storm outside intensified, electrifying the air. The need for oxygen finally broke them apart. Seth sucked in one breath and then another.

“I thought you were actually going to let me leave.” Elijah’s low voice barely registered over the wind pounding the house. Seth didn’t answer, just brushed his lips across Elijah’s again.  “Still not talking, hmm.” Elijah’s hand slid down his spine and up again. Seth almost whimpered.  “S’okay.  You’re in my arms instead of across the room. We can work with this.” Another brush of warm lush lips melted his resistance further. Not once since his mother’s death seventeen years ago, had Seth been held so tenderly. Was Elijah toying with him? Did he purposefully set out to make Seth fall in love with him while knowing he was leaving? The need to be closer to Elijah warred with the need to protect himself.