Page 79 of The Long Game

Friend?

Boyfriend?

“…Jack.”

This is my Jack?Jesus.

Jack’s smile was wide, silently laughing at him as he held out a hand to Sam. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, same.” Sam hesitated before shaking the outstretched hand, taking in Jack’s bright eyes and tousled hair.

Jack cleared his throat and rocked on his feet. “How about I make us some coffee?”

Grady nodded. “That would be great. Thank you.”

Sam looked around the apartment from where he stood. “Cool place.”

“Thanks,” Grady said with a chuckle. “Colton isn’t a big fan.”

Sam shook his head. “Colton likes it fine. He’s just got no filter.”

Jack snorted as he sorted through the meager contents of Grady’s cabinets.

“So, you were warned about the bachelor pad?” Grady asked.

“And the smoking hot boyfriend,” Sam agreed.

Jack’s hands froze mid-search, then resumed even faster.

“Well, I guess you know everything there is to know,” Grady agreed with a grin, even as he searched his brother’s face. It was dawn on a Monday and Sam had no luggage. “Sam, not that I’m not delighted, but how did you get here?”

“I drove,” Sam said with a shrug.

Jack stopped his futile search—Grady’s Mr. Coffee could charitably be called vintage,and he dimly recalled tossing some ancient Folgers a while back—and returned to their side. “FromEdmonton?”

“Yup.”

Grady frowned. “But…when did Colton tell you about me? Or were you coming this way anyway?”

Sam blushed and studied the toes of his beat-up Converse. “I got in the car as soon as he told me Friday night and I just…kept driving.”

Grady did some quick math and felt his eyes widen with alarm. “My god, did you drive straight through?”

“I stopped to sleep a couple of times. When I could find a good truck stop that seemed safe enough.”

“You slept in your car?” Grady asked, trying to sound neutral while years of interrogation training flew right out the window in favor of long-neglected overprotective brother instincts.

He wanted to drag Sam into another bone-crushing hug.

Sam chewed on his lip guiltily. “I did, but I was careful,” he promised. “And Bart knew where I was. He had me text and check in with him the whole way.”

Grady’s heart skipped a beat. “Bart? As in Bartholomew Daniel?”

Sam nodded.

Jack’s eyebrows went up. “That’s…a heck of a name.”

Sam and Grady rolled their eyes in unison, then Grady laughed, wondering if it was genetic or if they’d picked it up from someone in their family.

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