Finding Home (2 page)

“I’m so sorry,” Amy apologize sincerely. “I didn’t mean to startle you, but I just got off and can give you that ride now.”

Dillon looked at the clock on his iPod and realized it was already nine o’clock. “Yeah, I’m ready.” He stuffed his book back into his bag, picked up his duffel, and followed Amy out to her car.

*****

Amy hadn’t been kidding when she said her grandma’s motel was clear across town. It took them over twenty minutes to get there. When they pulled up in front of the office, which was painted a light blue color, the vacancy sign was lit which made Dillon feel better. He was exhausted after having traveled so long and wanted nothing more than to shower and collapse into bed.

Dillon walked in the door with Amy on his heels. “Grams!” she exclaimed happily as she practically bounced behind the counter to hug the short, chubby, white haired woman who’s smile was so big it lit up the room. Just being in her presence was calming Dillon’s nerves, which was strange to him.

“Amy, sweetheart, I wasn’t expecting to see you until Sunday! What a pleasant surprise,” her grandmother greeted her, pulling her in for a hug. Dillon had to look away. He’d never in his life had that kind of warm welcome, and it made him feel uneasy, like a voyeur, watching it.

“Grams, this is the young man I was referring to on the phone.” Dillon looked back up, and Amy was gesturing toward him. Her grandma had a sad smile on her face as she looked him over.

“I’m Dillon Turner, ma’am. It’s nice to meet you,” he greeted her. He knew he needed to stay on her good side in order to be able to rent the room, but the politeness was just something he had always attained.

“My name is Doris,” she corrected him. “Doris Banks. Ma’am is so formal, but I appreciate your manners, young man.”

Dillon nodded, acknowledging her compliment. “All I have is cash,” he informed her, changing the subject. “Will that work for me to rent the room?”

Her eyebrows scrunched up, and she tilted her head sideways to study him. It reminded him of the way Amy had done the same thing back at the Greyhound station. “I normally require a credit card in case of damages.”

Dillon’s heart dropped into his stomach. He didn’t have a credit card and wasn’t sure what he was going to do. “I’m very sorry to have wasted your time, Doris.” He bent down to pick up his bag as unshed tears threatened to spill over. Dillon wasn’t a crier, and he rarely ever felt sorry for himself, but he’d also never been faced with having to sleep outside before. That’s the one positive thing his parents ever did for him. He’d always had a roof over his head.

What was I thinking by leaving and not having a real plan? Fuck!

“Now wait just one minute, young man,” Doris demanded. Dillon’s head snapped up to see her hustling around the end of the counter. “You will not be going anywhere. I have every intention of renting you a room, just as I have faith that you will not do any damage to my property.”

The fact that she had faith in him, a total stranger, took him by surprise. “I don’t understand…” Dillon was confused. “Why would you do that for me?”

Doris put her hand on his arm and he nearly recoiled; he wasn’t used to being touched by anyone in a nice way. “You are in need of a place to stay, yes?” she asked.

“Yes, very much so, but why put your trust in someone who hasn’t earned it? This makes no sense to me at all. No one ever does nice stuff for me without wanting something in return.” Dillon was completely baffled. 

“All I ask in return is that you respect my property and pay on time. I have no reason not to trust you. You look like a nice boy who needs a break. The weekly rate is one hundred and fifty dollars and I’ll need you to fill out this form.” She pushed a clipboard and pen across the counter that she had made her way back behind.

Dillon took the pen and filled out as much as he could, then handed it back to her along with the cash to pay for the room. She filed the paperwork away and handed him a key. “You’ll be in room ten. It’s just around the corner, third door from the end. There’s an ice machine between eight and nine and the vending machines are here in the lobby.” She gestured toward the back corner. “If you need anything else, I’ll be here for a few more minutes. Otherwise, my grandson Adam will be here for the remainder of the night.”

“Thank you so much, Doris. You don’t know how much I appreciate this.” Dillon put the key in his pocket and turned to face Amy. “I’m not sure what I did right to find you today but you’ve been a total angel. Thank you!” He expressed his true gratitude with what he hoped was a convincing smile.

“You’re welcome, Dillon.” She smiled warmly at him again. “Hey, here’s my number in case you need
anything
while you are in town.” She wrote on a slip of paper and tucked it in his pocket, then winked at him and turned to leave. “See ya Sunday, Grams!” she hollered as she exited the office.

“My granddaughter isn’t always so subtle when it comes to men,” Doris informed Dillon with a devilish grin as she leaned against the counter. “But she is beautiful, yes?”

“She is gorgeous,” he agreed. “She’s just not quite the right gender for me.” Dillon put his hand over his mouth and blushed instantly. He really had no idea why he’d said that to her. He was usually not so forthcoming with strangers, but Doris made him feel comfortable without even trying.

“Ah! Well, that’s okay, too. Her brother Adam is incredibly handsome, and he has all the right parts for you. As a matter of fact, that’s him right there.” She pointed to the man walking in the door, and Dillon about fell on his ass when he saw him.

Holy fucking gorgeous, Batman!

Adam Banks was just over six feet tall, with dark hair and the clearest green eyes that Dillon had ever seen. His face was perfectly structured with a long slender nose that had a light smattering of freckles across it and thin lips that seemed to be permanently upturned into a smirk. He was wearing faded denim jeans, red Converse, and a black leather jacket. And holy fuck he just oozed confidence.

Adam stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Dillon looking at him like he wanted to eat him up. Dillon tore his eyes away from Adam because he realized how rude it was to stare, but he could feel Adam’s eyes still on his body. Adam was not trying in the least to hide it as he looked Dillon up one side and right back down the other. The excitement at having such an incredibly gorgeous man look at him like that was bubbling in Dillon’s stomach, and he was afraid that he would pop a boner right there in the lobby and embarrass himself to no end.

“Hey, Grams,” Adam greeted her casually after he was finished drinking Dillon in. He couldn’t help but notice the younger man noticing him, and it made his stomach flip-flop. Dillon watched as Adam walked behind the counter and pulled her into his arms. That was twice already that Dillon had had to look away for fear of interrupting a personal moment.

“Adam, dear, it’s good to see you. Thank you for coming in tonight on such short notice!” She kissed him on his cheek. Adam took off his jacket, revealing a plain, white t-shirt underneath and…

Oh. My. God.

Both of his arms were covered in ink from the end of his sleeves to wrists. They were bright and colorful, and although Dillon couldn’t make out exactly what they consisted of, he thought that it was probably the hottest thing he’d ever seen. Dillon realized he’d been staring again when he looked up and Adam was smirking at him, giving him a knowing look. Adam was hot and he knew it, Dillon could see it in his entire demeanor.

“Adam, this is Dillon Turner. He’s staying in ten. I’ve just got him all registered, and he has his key, so you be sure to help the young man if he needs anything at all.”
Her ‘at all’ sounded a wee bit suggestive. Dillon thought it was sweet, and maybe just a little odd, that Doris was so invested in her grandchildren’s lives. He knew there were people out there like that; he’d just never really witnessed it before. To say that he was a loner was an obvious understatement.

Adam walked around the counter and stood in front of Dillon, which only made Dillon more aware of the fact that he was already half-hard and really needed to get out of there before he humiliated himself. “Adam Banks,” he revealed, extending his hand to Dillon. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Dillon shook Adam’s hand, which was warm and soft and covered in ink, and his first thought was about how he’d really like to hold that hand for longer than a hand shake.
Oh no, you aren’t going to develop a school-boy crush on him just because he’s the first gorgeous man you’ve met in Omaha.
Dillon mentally chastised himself.

Dillon cleared his throat, terrified that his voice would crack while responding to Adam’s greeting. “It’s great to meet you too, Adam. Unfortunately, I’ve had a really long day, and I smell like I’ve been on a bus for ten hours. I think I’m going to go to my room, shower, and crash for the night.”

He picked up his duffel bag and headed for the door. “Thanks again for everything, Doris.” He smiled at her, meaning it wholeheartedly.

“Anytime, dear. You make sure to let Adam know if you need anything,” she reminded him.

“I will,” he promised and then headed out the door quickly, remembering her directions to his room.

Adam stood there and watched the door long after Dillon had exited through it, his jaw open slightly. “He’s cute, yeah?” Grams asked him, bringing Adam back to reality.

“Definitely,” Adam responded. “But who knows if he’s gay? I mean, he couldn’t stop looking at me when I walked in but that could’ve just been because I’m new to him.”

Doris grinned at Adam like the cat that ate the canary. “What?” he asked her curiously.

She laughed loudly and patted him on the back. “I know he’s gay, dear. He told me himself when Amy left, after she gave him her number.”

Adam couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. Dillon was hot and gay, definitely the right combo to get Adam’s attention. “Don’t you go playing with this one, Adam,” Grams warned in her serious voice. “I don’t know any of the details, but he’s a little gun shy. I’m thinking he probably didn’t have the best home life.”

That was enough to make Adam just that much more interested in getting to know the sexy new tenant in room ten.

*****

Dillon found the room easily enough. He shouldered his bag while he unlocked the door and flipped the light on. It was nice enough inside. It smelled clean with white walls, a dresser in front of the bed that held a small television, and a table with two chairs sat next to the window. A mini fridge and a microwave were on the other side of the bed next to a counter with a small sink, and he assumed the bathroom was through the door directly opposite of where he’d entered.

After grabbing a change of clothes and his toiletries, Dillon headed for the shower. He felt like there was a layer of filth an inch thick on his skin, and he couldn’t scrub hard enough to get it off. The hot water felt amazing though and went a long way toward helping him relax after the day he’d had. He shut the water off and towel dried, then threw on a clean pair of boxers and flannel sleep pants.

There was a knock at the door which completely startled Dillon. No one knew he was there, so he figured they had to have the wrong room. He ignored the knocking and gathered up the dirty clothes from the bathroom, placing them in a pile next to his bag. There was another knock at the door, although this time it was more forceful, so Dillon reluctantly went to tell them they were mistaken. He opened the door, more than a little frustrated at the interruption, and was completely surprised to find Adam standing on the other side with a smirk on his lightly freckled face. “Adam? What are you doing here?”

“Is this yours?” he asked as he held up a book bag. Dillon was shocked to realize that it was his bag. He hadn’t been aware that he’d left it behind, which was so stupid because it had all of his money in it.

“Yes!” Dillon shouted he as practically lunged to grab it from Adam’s hands. His face turned bright red as he quickly realized how rude that was. “I’m so sorry.” Dillon ran his fingers through his wet hair feeling incredibly stupid. “It just has all my important stuff in it.”

Adam gave Dillon an amused look and leaned up against the door jamb, folding his arms and crossing his legs in a pose that looked like it came straight from a centerfold. “I just thought you might want it back,” he told Dillon, who couldn’t help but notice that while Adam’s face was gorgeous, his body was perfect. At least what Dillon could see of it, which made him wonder about what was hiding under the fabric, and that was definitely affecting Dillon’s libido. “I do… thanks,” Dillon mumbled quietly, embarrassed by his private thoughts.

Adam was staring at Dillon again, and it made Dillon want to shrink away and hide under his obvious scrutiny. He realized he still wasn’t wearing a shirt, which made him feel completely naked to Adam’s heated gaze. It was evident in the tight jeans that Adam was wearing that he was hard as well, which just turned Dillon on more.

“You stare a lot,” Dillon blurted out, which made Adam smile.

“You’re nice to look at.” The conviction in Adam’s voice was so sexy it made Dillon want to do things he shouldn’t have been thinking about. Adam pushed off of the door frame to stand upright again. “Well, I’d better get back to the office. Grams frowns upon me leaving it unattended for too long, even if I lock it.”

“Thanks again for bringing me my bag.”

“Anytime.” Adam grinned at Dillon, not just a simple smile but an all-out striking grin that took Dillon’s breath away. “You know where I’ll be if you need anything.” And with that last statement, he turned and walked away. Dillon was most definitely not watching his ass in those jeans as he retreated around the corner.

Okay, so maybe he was totally watching.

Dillon turned the television on and flipped the lights off before crawling into bed. He was beyond drained, but as he lay there, his mind kept drifting back to Adam and those damn tattoos. He wanted to know all about them, and his mind wouldn’t shut down no matter how hard he tried to fall asleep.

His stomach rumbled, reminding Dillon that he hadn’t really eaten anything but a couple granola bars all day, so he dragged his fatigued ass out of bed, dug for some change in his bag, and headed back toward the office to the vending machine.

*****

Adam’s eyes were on Dillon the second he walked through the entrance. Dillon could feel them without looking. His face heated as he tried to keep from peering in Adam’s general direction. He studied the contents of the machine in front of him and settled for a bag of chips and a can of pop.

“See something you like?” Adam’s voice carried over to where Dillon was standing, and the deep, rich tone of it seemed to surround him in comfort. He wasn’t exactly sure how a voice could do that, but it did.

Dillon glanced his way for the first time since he’d entered the small room and was once again blindsided by Adam’s looks. He was sitting on a stool behind the counter, propping his head up with his arm, putting those tattoos on complete display. Dillon was drawn to him in a way he couldn’t explain. He held the chips and pop up to show Adam that he had indeed found something he liked.

“So, where are you from, Dillon Turner?” Adam asked, a sexy little smirk creeping across his face.

“Chicago,” Dillon answered as he busted the chips open and began to devour them. He’d reached the counter by then. “And it’s just Dillon.”

“Okay, just Dillon.” Adam winked. That was when Dillon knew for sure that Adam was definitely flirting with him, but why? “How did you end up in Omaha?”

Dillon flinched because he didn’t want to be known as the lost boy with the sob story. He was supposed to be building a new life for himself and leaving his past exactly there. In the past. “It’s a really long story,” he told him, hoping Adam would get the hint and drop it.

He didn’t.

“I’ve got time. I’m here all night.” Dillon wondered how exactly he was supposed to tell Adam no when Adam’s eyes were boring into his own like that?

“Maybe I’ll tell you the real story some other time,” Dillon answered him cryptically. “Let’s just say I’m on an adventure for now.”

Adam slanted his head to the side and studied Dillon’s face. Dillon was beginning to realize that that particular trait must run in his family because he’d seen his sister and his grandmother do it already, too. “Okay, so Dillon is on an adventure from Chicago, and he chose to come to Nebraska of all places. Why?”

“I don’t know,” Dillon answered honestly. He hadn’t really figured out the why yet either. “The bus ticket was only a hundred dollars and I don’t have millions saved up or anything so it seemed like a good idea at the time.” He popped open the tab on his drink and took a long swig from it.

Adam swallowed loudly and Dillon wondered what that was about. “How long do you plan to be here?” he probed.

“Here as in here at the motel, or here as in here in Omaha?” Dillon asked to clarify what he meant.

“Either.”

“Well, if I can find a job and a place to live cheap enough for me to make it on my own, I’ll be staying for a while. If not, I’ll have to move on pretty quickly to a place where I can make it work because like I said, I don’t have a ton saved.” Dillon was rather uncomfortable answering such personal questions, but Adam had asked, and Dillon felt like he’d been rude enough to him for one night already.

“So this is a permanent adventure?” Adam’s eyebrows scrunched up like he was confused. “You’re not going home?”

Ugh, that word again.
“I don’t have a home, okay? You’re awful damn nosy.” Dillon was frustrated and grumpy and really didn’t want to snap at him, so he grabbed his stuff and turned to walk away. Adam’s warm hand on Dillon’s skin stopped him dead in his tracks. It was only then that he remembered he still hadn’t put a shirt on and…
oh my God, Adam is touching me.