Coming Home- Rock Bay 1 (5 page)

T
ALLY
collapsed on his bed that afternoon, feet tired, body aching, but unable to keep the smile from his face. There had been a few hiccups, but all in all it had been a pretty good day. He honestly liked his new job. He wished he could say he liked Lex, or even that he disliked him, for that matter. He wished he could say
anything
concrete about Lex. The guy confused the hell out of him. He was the definition of hot and cold. Well, lukewarm and cold at least.

Tally realized he had obviously done something to wrong the guy, but for some reason he just couldn’t place Lex anywhere in his past. He would have thought he had everyone he used to torture burned into his subconscious. He sure as hell felt awful about the ones he did remember, like that cute little pudgy James kid who’d made the mistake of suggesting he might be looking at guys. He’d been so terrified that one of his friends might notice the same thing that he’d tormented the kid for a good part of the year just to make sure he knew that Tally was no one to mess with.

Maybe on my day off I’ll look him up and apologize.
Tally cringed at the idea of facing that kid down.
Not that he’d accept it. He’d probably punch the crap out of me.
Didn’t matter. He didn’t remember what the kid’s last name was—only remembered taunting him with the nickname Jamie, since he’d obviously hated it.

Tally closed his eyes, thinking he’d just lay there for a minute more then get up and find some way to help his grandmother around the house, but when he woke, the daylight had turned to a misty twilight that darkened his room to a near pitch black. He could smell something lovely and fattening wafting up from the kitchen.

“Hey, Grams, whatchya makin’?” He’d wandered down the narrow stairs, yawning and pulling on a hooded sweatshirt. The nights were much colder out on the coast than they’d been in Seattle. Gram’s kitchen was as sunny and happy as it had been the night before, filled with the scents of Italy and the oldies that she had pumping from her small countertop radio. There was a pan cooling on the top of the oven.

“I made baked ziti with lots of extra cheese—just like you used to like it when you were little.”
Tally’s mouth watered. The fantastic smell mingled with his memory of tomatoey cheesy perfection. “That’s really nice of you. Hey, do you want me to get some groceries after work tomorrow?” He didn’t have money for much, but he already felt bad for freeloading.
“If you had money for groceries I doubt you’d be here, now would you? Just keep your job, and I’ll be happy. You couldn’t have picked a nicer boy to work for.”
“So everybody says,” Tally murmured.
He pulled plates out from the cabinet and put them on the table with silverware and water glasses. His grandmother puttered around the kitchen, chopping vegetables and mixing salad dressing in a bowl. That was another thing about her he loved. Tally had never seen a bottle of store bought salad dressing, pasta sauce, any cake mixes—nothing. She made everything from scratch. Her food was the only thing left that still seemed like home to Tally.
“Did you have a good first day?”
“Huh?” Tally said, snapping his head up. “Oh, yeah, it was pretty good. A little tense at first, you know, but whatever. It’s not like they don’t have a reason to stare.”
“You think people are still worried about what your father did? That was so long ago.”
“It could be me too. You remember how I used to be. Going to try my best to change their minds, though.”
“And working with Lex? How was that?”
“Not sure yet. He doesn’t like me much, that’s for sure. But I’m going to do a good job for him.”
“I’m glad. That’s the best you can do, after all. Sit down, Tally. Let’s have some dinner.”

T
ALLY
went to his room after the dinner dishes were done, stripped off his work clothes, and put them into a basket by his door. Then he gathered up a towel and slipped on a pair of sweatpants before he headed to the bathroom at the end of the narrow Victorian hallway. He nearly had to duck under the doorframe of the bathroom, and it felt like his shoulders barely fit through.
These old houses weren’t made for guys like me.
Then he hung his towel on the old brass hook and went back to dig through his duffels for the bag of shower supplies he remembered seeing on the hallway floor at his old apartment building.

As soon as he walked back into his room, he noticed the smell of coffee, most likely emanating from the pile of clothes he had in the hamper. He hadn’t smelled it before, probably because he’d been around it all day.
Guess everything I own will smell like French Roast soon enough.
Could be worse. It smelled pretty great on Lex, for damn sure. Every time Lex had brushed by him in close proximity, Tally had inhaled, loving the odd blend of coffee, vanilla, cedar, and warm sexy man. Of course, as soon as Lex was gone he’d silently berate himself for drooling over any part of his hot as hell but prickly boss. As much as his personal history would beg to differ, Tally wasn’t a huge fan of trouble, and a crush on his boss? Trouble times ten.

The shower was hot and delightfully intense. Obviously nobody had ever talked his grandmother into buying environmental showerheads. Tally was grateful. The pounding pressure of the water on his neck felt amazing, and it was easy to tilt his head back and close his eyes. It wasn’t as easy to dissolve the tensions of the day. He was both excited and apprehensive to see what the next one held in store for him. The day had ended earlier fairly well, with a barely less-thanhostile Lex bidding him good afternoon after he’d cleaned up as much as he could. Tally could only hope they weren’t back to ice water come morning.

Very early morning.
Tally groaned.
How does Lex do this open to close every day?
He understood why the guy would want to have a helper or,
gulp
, someone to take over for him part of the time. Tally imagined that eventually he’d be in the store by himself running the till and making drinks while Lex took a much needed break. He tried not to freak out at the thought of facing those people without Lex at his back. Lex on his own was a bit nerve-wracking, but in a group of slightly hostile Rock Bay residents there wasn’t anyone Tally wanted standing next to him more. They liked Lex and respected him, and oddly enough, Tally already trusted him as well. At least in a public setting.
He stepped out of the shower and dried off with one of his grandmother’s fluffy cream-colored towels that were covered with bouquets of pink garden flowers. Then Tally pulled his sweats and a tank top back on before leaving the bathroom.
“Night, Grams. I’m going to go to bed,” he called from the landing. He could hear sirens and gunshots coming from the television. When he’d come upstairs earlier she’d just been starting Law and Order. He smiled to himself.
Gotta love Grams.
“Goodnight, Tally,” she called distractedly. “I’ll see you tomorrow, dear.”

A
NOTHER
day with Tallis Carrington. Lex sighed. He hadn’t slept well, even though he’d been more tired last night than he could remember being in a long, long time. The day before had been a strange sort of emotional purgatory. Not quite hell, but way too uncomfortable to be anything close to contentment. He’d wavered for hours between remembered hatred, strong attraction, and the odd new feeling that perhaps Tallis Carrington was gone and the Tally that had taken his place was actually a decent human being who’d come upon harder times than he wanted to admit.

Don’t be a moron, Lex Barry. The saying “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” didn’t come out of nowhere.
Even so, Tally was probably the saddest wolf Lex had ever seen. He sighed as he pulled on a freshly washed pair of jeans and a soft black T-shirt that was worn and comfortable against his skin. He didn’t want to go downstairs and deal with his conflicting feelings. He didn’t want to be having feelings at all. He didn’t mind acknowledging Tally’s good looks. It was a fact; the guy was gorgeous. It was the rest of it that bothered Lex—the butterflies, the wavering between anger and admiration, the odd, annoying impulse to pull Tally into his arms and tell him that everything would be okay.

Jesus! Moron city!
Lex knew he needed to teach Tally the ropes, and quickly, so he could leave Tally alone in the shop and not torture himself constantly with Tally’s proximity. His original intention in hiring an employee, which was to finally have a few minutes in the day where he wasn’t working, seemed secondary. He just needed to escape.

Lex locked his apartment door and trotted quickly down the stairs to the hallway below. He knew Tally would be waiting for him, and, as he’d said yesterday, it was showtime.

T
HE
day had gone well. Better than Lex could’ve imagined. He’d expected hiring someone would be more work than doing the work himself—at least for a few weeks. But Tally was smart, and he picked things up faster than Lex could’ve hoped. Lex was confident that he’d be able to leave Tally alone in the shop soon. And he needed to be able to. Being near the guy was driving him nuts. It was nearly impossible to keep up the cold facade around him when Lex was genuinely curious. He wanted to know what’d happened to change Tally so much, where he’d been, why he seemed so sad and worn down. That prostitution or homelessness comment stuck in Lex’s head. He couldn’t forget the total lack of hope on Tally’s face when he’d said that.

Jesus. Knock it off. His problems are not yours to solve. Nor are they any of your business.
Lex locked the door to his shop and grabbed the can of trim paint that was sitting at his feet. His mother had said their baseboards were getting chipped, and Lex knew it hurt his father’s knees to bend down like that. He thought he’d at least do the dining room and the living room that night and maybe look at the other rooms after he had Tally trained and could take some more time off. He set the can of paint on the floor under his glove compartment and started his car, ready to drive the short distance to the house he’d grown up in.
His parents’ house looked a lot better than it had in years past. Lex’s shop had been successful enough that he’d been able to help them with painting and paid for a few renovations and landscaping in the front yard. It meant a lot to Lex that he could help them. They’d never had enough money to pay for much, but he’d always been certain they loved him and Emily. Not every kid could say that. He worked hard to make sure he had enough to cover his own bills and do some things for them now and again. Of course, he had to talk them into accepting. He rolled his eyes and glanced at the can of paint on the floor. His father wasn’t going to let him do the work without putting up a decent fight.
His dad had been fully retired for five years. He’d spent the previous thirty doing janitorial work and maintenance in the town hall building. Their family had always been invited to the city’s holiday parties and the Carrington’s Fourth of July barbecue—which was always full of the country club elite and their designer-clad children. Lex hated them. He hated how they flourished on the backs of people like his father, who made sure their expensive little world was clean and sparkling. It had prodded both him and his sister to be successful, though. Neither one of them wanted to have to smile at the rich assholes of the town while they were looked at like servants.
He hauled the can of paint from the floor of his car and grabbed a few other supplies he’d bought from the trunk before struggling it all to the front door and banging lightly with his toe so they’d let him in.
“Lex, darling, what are you doing here?” His mother had on her kitchen apron and was carrying a dripping pot.
“You said the baseboards were looking chipped. I was going to take care of the dining room and living room tonight. I’ll get to the rest as soon as I can. I’ve been pretty busy.”
“Oh, yes, dear. That’s very sweet of you.” She backed away from the door to let him walk through with his supplies. “Are you still having a hard time finding someone to help you? I swear, the people in this town. What do they think you’re going to do with their children? Convert them?”
“Mom, I’m sure it’s not that.”
Actually, he was pretty sure it was. He’d been looking for an employee for months, and while no one had a problem eating at his cafe, every time he’d found someone interested in working there the kid would come back with a disappointed face, saying their parents wanted them to concentrate on schoolwork or that a job would disrupt the football season. It was frustrating as hell.
Lex didn’t know why he didn’t correct his mother’s assumption that he hadn’t hired anyone yet. Well, that wasn’t true. He knew exactly why he was hiding that volatile little piece of info. Telling his mother that he’d hired Tally, no,
Tallis Carrington
, wasn’t going to be fun. She’d witnessed a few of his private breakdowns after he’d been tortured to the point of near tears back in high school. She hated the memory of Tally and the years of damage he’d done to her son’s selfesteem. Lex didn’t blame her. It had taken him a long time to get over what’d happened to him back then. He wasn’t sure if he
was
over it yet, to tell the truth. But the past two days had been eye opening for sure. Even if he wasn’t quite done with the past, it was hard to keep blaming the guy who it seemed Tally had turned into.
Lex’s mother had gone back to the kitchen to finish up with the dishes she was in the middle of doing, but his father wandered in from the family room with a bowl of ice cream. Lex smiled. He knew exactly where the whole exchange was headed.
“Let me change, son, and I’ll help you with the painting.”
He’d been putting down his drop cloth and getting the wall taped off so white trim paint wouldn’t get all over the blue.
“Dad. I got it this time. You can help me when I come back and do the crown molding.” He pointed at the ceiling, where the molding looked faded, although not chipped like the baseboards.
“I’m not an invalid.”
He’d been ready for it. “I know, and you’d probably make a straighter paint line than me, too, but I’m here now, so what’s the point of you doing it? Plus, isn’t there a Mariners game on? You know I think baseball is boring.”
“It’s just the beginning of the season. I don’t have to watch.”
“Dad….”
“Okay, but let me know if you get to the crown molding. Your cut lines are wavy.”
Lex chuckled. His dad always had to have the last word. But it didn’t bother Lex. His dad was opinionated and stubborn, but he was loving, and he’d accepted Lex when most other men in the area would’ve been disgusted. It couldn’t have been easy getting older for him, either. He’d always been the competent type. But he’d been forty when Lex was born, and as much as he didn’t want to admit it, his body didn’t work quite like it had when he was younger. Lex didn’t want to be annoying about it, but he wanted to help.
He made quick work of the baseboards in the dining room. It wasn’t a very big room, and he hadn’t had to move any furniture. The living room was going to be a different case. His parents had long since moved the TV and big, comfy, overstuffed chairs into the family room off the kitchen, but the living room had his mother’s old, out-of-tune upright piano and the furniture set she’d inherited from her parents, which in Lex’s opinion was ugly and overly formal for their little craftsman house. He did his best to keep his mouth shut about it, though. His mother loved the old junk.
He was in the middle of moving the ugly, and heavy, furniture away from the walls when his mother stopped in. Her hair was curling wildly away from a pink-cheeked face, a sign that she’d been standing over the steamy sink finishing the dishes.
“You’re moving fast, darling. Do you need help with the furniture?”
“It’s okay, Mom. I brought some furniture movers.” He held up one of the smooth plastic discs. “They make everything really easy to move.”
“Interesting. Hey, listen, what ever panned out with that pharmacist gentleman that Amy told me about at Easter dinner?”
Oh, Jesus. Did that woman ever keep her mouth shut?
“What pharmacist?” He decided to play dumb until his mother lost interest… hopefully. He’d already ignored Amy’s not-so-subtle hints that he should give the guy a call—if you could even call a sticky note with a phone number slapped to his chest a hint at all.
“Lex, why won’t you give him a try? You’ve been single for so long.”
Because it’s easier than getting hurt.
“I’m too busy. Don’t really have time for a relationship right now, and it wouldn’t be fair to the other person.”
His mother shrugged. “You’re such a handsome man, honey. I hate to see you alone.”
Lex didn’t want to be alone. Not really. But it seemed like what he did want was impossible. Respect, love, companionship… nobody cheating on him with his supposedly straight college roommate. The best part about that last one was they thought it was harmless since they asked him to join in when he walked in on them.
I knew there was a reason I didn’t date.