Page 75 of Refraction

“Uh. Thank you. So when you said we were on your road, you meant we were onyourroad. Dude.”

“Yes. All this is mine.” The house was hidden from here, behind the rows of pecan trees and cottonwood trees climbing up the hill that protected everything from the wind.

He felt Calvin’s eyes on him and glanced over. Calvin was shaking his head. “All of this. Like everything I can see? That is crazy. I mean, it’s beautiful.Andcrazy.”

“Yeah. My granny willed it to me. I’ve lived here off and on my whole life.”

“Wow. I’d ask if you felt isolated out here, but I guess that’s the point.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it is sometimes. It’s quiet.”

Calvin kissed his chin. “We’ll make some noise. No worries.” The hand on his thigh shifted a little higher.

Oh. Oh, Calvin made his mouth dry. “I want you. I need you to know that.”

“I know.” Calvin was whispering, but his voice seemed to fill the cab of Tucker’s truck anyway. “It’s all over you. It’s sitting on your skin, tiger. You’ve got to know I’m yours.”

Tucker’s cock went from needy to painfully hard in a rush, his balls throbbing. “I do. I…. God, I missed you, honey. I missed your face.”

“I was wilting without you. We won’t put ourselves through that again.” Calvin sounded so sure.

They pulled down the road, past the trees, and up to the big house. It was a big limestone monstrosity, a ranch house that had grown organically as Granny and Pappy had been called to build on. Seven bedrooms, five baths, a courtyard—it was a magical building.

“Holy shit.” Calvin flew out of the truck as soon as he put it in Park. “Tucker! This is amazing!” He watched Calvin turn in a slow circle, taking in the trees and the sky and then the house again. “Oh my God. I love it.”

“It’s a good place, isn’t it?” He understood. It was inside him. “Let me grab your bags.”

“It’s magnificent. I’ve never been anywhere like this.”

Tucker grabbed Calvin’s things and then led the way up on the huge porch with its ceiling fans and rocking chairs. He opened the kitchen door and invited Calvin in.

“I could live on the porch, Tucker. It looks so comfy.” Calvin slipped past him and into the house.

“It’s the best place to be during a storm. I’ve slept out here a thousand times.” It felt good, seeing Calvin’s joy, approval. This was a good place, even as weird as it was.

“Oh, I can’t wait to do that. When was this place built? It’s nothing like the old farms in Vermont. I can’t tell.”

“The original house is from 1910, but it’s just a few rooms in the back. The last major add-on was done in the nineties. Granny liked to build on.” And her dream had been to have a huge family living here with her.

Calvin put a hand on his, gently coaxing him to put the suitcase down. “You think Granny would be happy I’m here?”

“She would. She wanted me to be happy.” He stopped and stepped close. He should get Calvin water, make sure he knew where the restroom was, all that. What came out was “I need to kiss you.”

“Please. I’m going crazy.” Calvin slipped warm hands around his waist.

“I love you.” Tucker said the words, then took his kiss, trapping the truth between them.

He tasted Calvin’s reply, sweet and strong on his tongue. Calvin leaned into his kiss, pressing close and blocking out the daylight. Tucker sobbed once and pushed one thigh between Calvin’s legs, giving them both something to push against. They devoured each other, tearing apart weeks and weeks of hurting, of lonely.

“You’re real, right? You’re real?” Calvin’s hands pulled at him, hips surging against Tucker’s.

“Yes.” He was as real as he knew how to be. “I got you.”

He held on to Calvin’s tight little ass and squeezed, dragging them together over and over until Calvin began to shudder against him. He watched, admiring, as Calvin’s head fell back with a gasp. “Tucker!”

He bent to nibble that long column of throat, nuzzling the smooth skin, hoping to make it sting.

Calvin sucked in air through his teeth, the hiss sharp and loud. “Fuck, yes!” Both of Calvin’s hands clasped behind Tucker’s neck, and Calvin went up on his toes, every muscle buzzing as he gave in.

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