I managed to slip out of bed the next morning without waking Sam. He was exhausted. We had spent half the night making love again. We took our time, with lots of tender kissing, whispers of forever love, and more than a few tears.
I looked down at him in the dark now, sleeping peacefully, a thin smile painted across his face. God, I loved him.
I fumbled around in the dark, tripping over a pair of shoes and knocking an empty water bottle to the floor, and found underwear, a pair of sweatpants, and a t-shirt. I nearly fell over putting the sweatpants on. I pulled one of Sam’s long sleeved cotton shirts out of his suitcase, in case it was cool outside. I, of course, had packed everything I didn’t need, and nothing I did.
I scribbled a note on the back of a piece of birthday wrapping paper I pulled from the bathroom trash, letting Sam know I was taking a walk on the beach, and to come find me when he was up. I stuck it to the mirror and hoped he would see it, first thing.
As I tiptoed down the stairs in the darkness, a pair of clean socks in hand, I knew my relationship with Sam had turned a corner. Events not in our control had propelled us to an even deeper level of commitment and surrender. I didn’t fully understand it all yet, and honestly, I didn’t care if I ever did, as long as I had Sam.
I sat on the bottom step and tugged on my socks, listening to the noises a house makes only when void of human activity. I picked up my gym shoes from the pile in the foyer, slipped them on, then headed for the back deck and the beach beyond.
I checked my pockets for my cell phone and security panic device. The last thing I needed was Ben reading me the riot act for leaving the house untethered to his ever-watchful safety net. I suppose being surrounded by a mostly invisible security team was supposed to instill some sense of safety, but as I stepped off the boardwalk steps and down onto the sand, I realized I wasn’t so afraid anymore.
Fear had had the upper hand for most of my life. People discovering I was gay had topped the list. But now, lots of people knew, and no one seemed to care much, one way or another. I sensed no physical danger, anyway. There was Aunt Myra, of course, and people like her. But their angst was beyond my control, or understanding. I knew I would never be an activist or push social boundaries, but I wasn’t hiding from myself anymore.
I had conquered other fears, too – with Sam’s help. My fear of never amounting to much, or doing anything good with my life. Or of having no value and never mattering to anybody. Sam made it plenty clear last night that wasn’t true.
Even my fear of never belonging anywhere was fading. Sam was my family now, and his immediate family was starting to feel like mine, too. It had only been a few days, but I cared about them. They were good people, and they had been nothing but kind to me.
I was crazy about the twins. I would treasure their innocent acceptance for the rest of my life. Seeing the world through their eyes made everything so much clearer. And simpler.
The rising sun pushed the dark of night away. The horizon was now bathed in a pale blue light, clouds taking shape in the low skyline far out at sea. Birds called to one other, some soaring high above, others diving into the waves for breakfast. Seagulls trotted along the surf line, pecking at the wet sand, and fighting for discovered morsels. More power to them. The muddy, fishy smell rising from stagnant tide pools turned my stomach.
A man jogged past, nodding twice in my direction. I had no idea who he was, but he clearly knew who I was – his assignment. I sighed. I felt a little guilty, being the reason he had to be up this early and on the job. Ben would tell me to stop worrying about such things. Easy for him to say, hard for me to do.
I walked at a slow pace, shuffling my feet in the sand. I stopped a couple of times to pick up shells, then threw them away. I didn’t really need a smelly souvenir – the main prize was coming home with me tomorrow. Which made me feel guilty again, knowing I was taking Sam far away from his family – our family.
I stopped. Someone was sitting on the sand a dozen yards further on. It was David, his knees pulled up to his chest, staring out to sea. He hadn’t seen me yet, and I debated whether or not to turn around and go back. He picked that moment to look in my direction. He acknowledged me with a nod. I walked up to him and looked down, hands in my sweatpants pockets.
“Morning, Jack,” he said, looking up at me.
“Morning,” I replied. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m just taking a walk. I’ll let you get back to whatever you’re doing.”
He patted the sand next to him. “Have a seat if you want. I’m not doing anything, just sitting here. Can’t sleep…and I didn’t want to wake Kat with all my tossing and turning.”
I sat down next to him, leaning back on my hands in the sand with my legs stretched out in front of me. We looked out at the ocean and the incoming tide. Two seagulls fought over a tiny crab plucked from the sand.
“You and Sam doin’ okay?” he asked.
“Yes, we are,” I replied with a smile. “Better than okay. Sam seems to think something changed yesterday.”
He laughed. “I’ll say. You were a big part of it.”
“Part of what?”
He looked at me. “Are you joking?”
“No, I’m dead serious. What do you think happened? I mean, aside from me opening my big mouth and Myra and Gene leaving.”
“For starters, you stood up for Sam. And stood up to the rest of the family, really. That took balls, and it had to make Sam feel good,” he said.
“I don’t understand. How did I stand up to the family? Other than Myra?”
“Surely you’ve noticed.”
“Noticed what?”
David sighed and squeezed a handful of sand through his fingers. “That the family doesn’t really stand up for Sam much. Hell, Sam doesn’t even stand up for himself at times.”
“What do you mean?”
He turned to me. “Sam’s been out to the family for years. His parents are nothing but loving and supportive – to him. But the subject is not talked about outside the family. And we tend to not challenge people who say derogatory things about Sam behind his back. I guess everybody thinks it won’t matter if Sam doesn’t find out.” David threw a small pebble at a seagull. He missed.
“You mean people like Aunt Myra?” I asked.
“Her. And others. Friends of the family. I realize now how much we’ve all failed Sam. Thankfully he isn’t around much to overhear it, but I have to wonder if maybe he doesn’t know anyway.”
“How so?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure. I could be wrong, but…well, you saw what happened with the rooming situation. I mean, is there anything more ridiculous than Aunt Myra’s refusal to sleep on the same floor as Sam? What did she think was going to happen? And yet, everybody acquiesces to the bigotry to keep the peace, including Kat and me.” He shook his head in self-loathing. “I mean…it’s gotta hurt, knowing your family is allowing people to think and say bad things about you. Then again, Sam’s too good of a person to push back. He probably sees it as overcoming evil with good.”
“Yeah…he’s big on that.”
“You don’t agree?”
“No…I do. He’s just better at it than me, obviously.”
David chuckled and bumped his shoulder against mine. “Sometimes good needs to stand up and say enough is enough.”
“It didn’t feel so good.”
“Doing the right thing often doesn’t. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.”
“Now you sound exactly like Sam.”
David nodded, and we were quiet for a moment, staring out at the dark blue water. He was right. It did hurt Sam when his family didn’t stand up for him. No wonder he was so upset after the dinner with his parents. It left him unsure of where he stood with the very people he loved the most.
“Can I ask you a question?” I said.
“Sure,” said David.
“Sam says Kat is the protector of the family. So why doesn’t she stand up for him? She certainly made it clear I’m not getting a free pass.”
He laughed. “That sounds like her. Sorry about that.”
“No. It’s fine. I’m glad she’s not a pushover. I just hope I pass muster this week.”
“Believe me, Jack. You’re in,” he said, looking at me with serious eyes. “After we went to bed last night, she went on and on about how great you are for Sam. You’ve got nothing to worry about with Kat. And as for standing up for Sam, inside the immediate family she’s a rock of support. It’s the extended family and friends where things get tricky. She has to bite her tongue to keep peace with her parents.”
“I don’t think I can do that,” I said quietly, fearing all progress with Sam’s family was slipping through my fingertips.
“I hope you don’t.”
“But…I can’t make a habit of ruining family get togethers.”
“Ruin it? I think you saved it,” he said, looking back out at the water. I stared at the sand in front of me. “We were headed for a major blowout anyway. Kat was talking to me about leaving early, which would have upset her mother for sure.”
I tensed. “Why? Because of me?”
“No, not you. She didn’t want the kids around Aunt Myra anymore. Carter is sensitive to adults’ emotions. If he thinks people are upset, he right away assumes it’s his fault. I have no idea why he does that.”
“You were great at the birthday party, when he shared his wish. Quick thinking to get the presents going.”
He smiled. “I gotta tell you, the little bugger shocked me with that one. But I think it’s cool my boys latched onto you so quickly. You and Sam are perfect together.”
“Thanks, David. That means a lot.”
“I’m glad for me, too.”
I looked sideways at his profile. “Why?”
He sighed. “Kat and I have been together for going on ten years. The Wainwrights are awesome people. They love me, and I love them. They really are like second parents to me, which is great. But I still sometimes feel a tiny bit like an outsider. With you here, I’m not the only one,” he said, looking at me sideways.
“I can’t imagine you having any difficulty being accepted into the family. Curtis and Caroline adore you.”
He laughed. “Yeah, they were pretty easy, once Kat cleared the way.”
“Oh?”
“Let’s just say, I had a few hurdles to overcome before I was allowed to meet the parents.”
“Like what?”
“Well…ironically…it was mostly about Sam.”
“Sam? Why? Did he have to approve of you first?”
“No. Kat did.”
“I’m not following.”
“Right. See…like you said before, outside the family, Kat will defend Sam to the death. Hell, Kat told me about Sam on our second date. And made it very clear that if I had any problems or issues with gay people, I should just keep walking.”
“And did you? Have problems with gay people, I mean,” I said.
“To be honest, I had no idea if I did or didn’t. Up until then, I didn’t know anybody who was gay. I come from a very small family, and as far as I know, no one is openly gay.”
“But you were in college, right? So you knew what she meant.”
“Sure. And I’d heard all the talk in school over the years, or seen stuff in movies or TV, but never paid much attention to it. Honestly…I had never really thought about it.”
“So what did you say?”
“I was really falling hard for her. I didn’t want to lose her before I even had a chance, so I tried to trick her.”
“You what?” I said, looking at him with my mouth hanging open.
He laughed and looked back at me with a sheepish grin. “I told her the only way I could answer her question was to meet Sam for myself.”
I smiled. “I’m surprised she fell for that.”
“She didn’t. She told me I had to do better than that. She gave me a week to figure out where I stood. We finished our meal, and when I stood up to walk her out, she stopped me. Said she’d wait to hear my response, then she turned and left me standing by the table, all alone.”
“Wow! Sam said she was tough, but yikes! Wait…you’re married now, so what happened?”
“I went back to my apartment, thinking I’d probably never see her again. Asked my roommate what he thought. I remember he shrugged and said something like as long as a gay guy didn’t come on to him, he was cool with it.”
“So you decided to adopt the same attitude?”
“Nope. It would have been too easy. Kat would have seen right through me. And I knew she was going to ask me for my reasons, whatever I decided. So I called my dad.”
“Oh boy,” I said softly, looking down again at the sand.
“Yeah, oh boy is right, though not for the reason you might think.”
“What happened?”
“I asked him what he thought about gay people. He was silent for a minute, then asked me how long I’d known I was gay and why hadn’t I ever said something sooner.”
“You’re kidding. He thought you were gay?”
“Yeah. It took a while to convince him I’m not. But then it hit me – he wasn’t mad or freaking out about the idea that I might be gay. So I asked him what he would do if I did decide I was gay. You know what he said?”
“What?”
“He told me his best friend growing up had a couple of sons, and one of them came out to his father when he was like sixteen. The guy was horrible to his kid. Totally disowned him, threw him out of the house. Forbid his mother and brother from talking to him. The kid called my dad because he didn’t know who else to call. My dad picked him up off the street with just the clothes on his back. He tried to talk to his friend, to get him to reconsider, but the guy refused. Said his son was dead to him.”
I pulled my knees up and rested my cheek on them, looking at David. “That’s awful. I hate stories like that,” I said.
“I know, right? My dad said he never spoke to the guy again. Just cut off the friendship. It caused some trouble at the golf club, so my dad let his membership lapse.”
“Your dad sounds awesome. What happened to the kid?”
“He’s fine, I guess. My dad gave him some money and helped him contact his grandparents. They right away said he could come live with them, so my dad got him on a bus to some place south, and as far as I know, he survived it all. I do know his parents divorced not long after that, and his mother and brother moved away, presumably to be with him.”
I sat up straight and looked at David. “So…obviously your dad wouldn’t disown you if you told him you were gay.”
“Nope. Said I was his son, and nothing could ever change that, least of all who I chose to love. But he did ask if I would please pick a Patriots fan – male or female, he didn’t care which,” said David with a grin.
I smiled. “So what did you do?”
“Kat agreed to meet for lunch the next day. When we sat down, she looked at me hard, just daring me to say the wrong thing, and I remember thinking, damn, I am totally in love with this woman.”
“I would have been trying not to pee my pants,” I said.
David laughed. “Yeah…my wife can be a challenge. But that’s a big reason why I love her.”
“So what did you say?”
“I looked her in the eye and said, “Kat, Sam is your brother, and he will always be your brother. You obviously love him very much, and since I love you, I promise you, I will always love Sam like my own brother, too.”
“Wow. What did she say?”
“She didn’t. She started crying. Then she got mad and told me I was never allowed to make her cry again. Then she invited me to Thanksgiving with her family. I met Sam, and he and I have been like brothers ever since.”
“So you clearly survived the big family test.”
“Just like you did.”
I sighed, looking back up the beach toward the house. “I hope you’re right. Curtis is still a question mark, I think. He keeps looking at me funny and asking odd questions.”
“If I know Curtis, he’s trying to figure out exactly who you are and where you came from.”
“We told him all that at dinner the other night.”
He turned to me. “You might have left out a few details.”
“Like what?” I said, avoiding his eyes by looking at the foliage bending in the wind behind us.
“Like how you could afford a vacation in Hawaii. What the two of you doing in Denver for work…or exactly where you live, for that matter. We all thought Sam was still in some dinky apartment, cleaning pools. Where is the money coming from for fancy car rentals and camping trips and expensive birthday presents?”
“Oh…that? Really? Did he say something?” I said, looking at his profile.
He grinned. “It might have come up on the golf course. When he asks, and he IS going to ask, are you and Sam going to have straight answers?”
I turned back to the ocean and sighed. “It’s complicated.”
“It usually is,” he said.
I wasn’t sure what else to say, so I didn’t. We sat there in the sand, listening to the waves roll in and watching a few beach walkers pass by. I figured at least two of them were part of my security team, from the way they looked at us. It annoyed me a little, being in this invisible bubble with watchers, but I tried to let it go. According to the man sitting next to me, I had bigger problems.
I debated trying to explain it all to David, but decided I should wait to talk to Sam first. David was preoccupied anyway, squeezing handfuls of sand through his fingers. His knuckles were white. Someone was suffering some serious stress.
“Can I ask a personal question?” I said, hoping to change the subject.
He shrugged. “Sure, I guess so.”
“Why can’t you sleep?” I asked.
He sighed, but didn’t answer. I remained silent, letting the question float on the salty air between us.
“Can I help?” I asked.
He sighed again, then glanced in my direction. “I doubt it.” He looked back out at the ocean, his eyes focused on something far beyond the visible horizon.
I looked at his profile and decided to go for it. He was family, right?
“Work stuff?” I asked.
He turned. “How did you know?”
“Lucky guess. You seemed upset the other day after your phone call. And you and Kat seem to be a little on edge.”
“Damn. Kat was right. You do see stuff, don’t you?” he said, smoothing the sand he had been mauling a minute ago.
I shrugged. “I’d like to help, if I can,” I replied.
“Not sure there’s anything you can do. It’s all work related,” he said, brushing his hands off against his shorts.
“What’s going on?”
He didn’t respond for nearly a minute. I watched him scan the waves rolling in and waited. He swallowed hard, trying to make up his mind. Whatever was bothering him was not a light matter.
“I’m probably going to lose my job,” he said matter-of-factly. Then his hands started to shake and his breathing got a little louder, like he was struggling to keep it together.
“Tell me,” I said, leaning in a little closer, hoping to inspire confidence.
He glanced sideways at me and then back out to sea. He raised his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. “My company is in free fall. We’ve lost half our business in the last year. Stupid management decisions, mostly. We had a couple of projects not work out well for our clients, and word spread quickly. You’re only as good as your reputation, I suppose.”
“What does your business do?”
“Mergers and Acquisitions. I won’t bore you with the details.”
“M&A? I know a little. What happened with your clients?”
He turned to me, surprised. “You know about M&A?”
I held up my thumb and forefinger, indicating a tiny amount. “Not details,” I replied. “But the big picture I can follow.”
He nodded and relaxed a little, letting go of his legs. “In our case, the lead partners in my firm recommended a couple of ill-advised mergers for our clients. In one case, the acquired debt pretty much sank the combined company right after escrow closed. In the other, there was a hidden lawsuit which tanked a significant investment into a unique technology. They were being sued for breach of intellectual property. Our client ultimately lost the suit, and basically had to write off the entire acquisition for a major loss. They’ll survive, but they made it very clear it was our fault, to whoever would listen. And it was. We should not have recommended the merger.”
“So why did you?”
He sighed and rubbed both of his temples. “Because our senior partner is having an affair with the sister of the CEO of the acquired company. He listened to pillow talk more than his analysts. Our summary recommendation was to pass on the deal. We didn’t know about the lawsuit – they buried it very deep. Made it look like it had been settled. It’s no excuse. We should have known. Our legal team dropped the ball. But even aside from that, the financials weren’t strong enough. I was shocked when the executive team pushed for the deal. A lot of people are going to be out on the street come Labor Day if something doesn’t happen soon.”
“Do you think it can turn around?”
He shrugged and leaned over his knees again. “I’d like to think so. But to be honest, what difference does it make? With leadership so tainted, our corporate reputation is shot. I can’t see any substantial deals coming our way any time soon. My partner and I have one remaining project assigned, and we’ll be finished with it by the end of the month, if not sooner. There’s nothing in the pipeline after that.”
“What are other people in the company doing?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are they leaving?”
“Yeah. Like the building’s on fire. Mostly low level clerical staff who can find other work quickly. Folks at my level – not so much. And the more specialized you are, the harder it’s going to be. Unfortunately, we get personally tainted by the bad press. That’s what sucks. These are good people, and they’re losing their jobs because some guy at the top couldn’t keep his dick in his pants.”
“Yikes, that’s tough. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ve kept the worst of it from Kat. I don’t want to alarm her too much. She knows things are stressful.” He looked at me, suddenly alarmed. “You can’t say anything, Jack. Promise me you won’t tell her.”
I put my hand on his shoulder for a second. “I won’t, I promise. But don’t you think she can handle it?”
“Probably. But why should she have to? I mean, if Harry and I can find something else before the bottom falls out, then we’ve avoided all the fear and stress and what ifs, right?”
“Who’s Harry?”
David let go of his knees again and sat up straighter. “Harry Wolowicz. He’s my partner. We’ve been working together since we got out of college.”
“What is it that you guys do?” I asked.
“Mostly business valuation. Harry and I dig deep into the financials and pair those findings to current market analysis for the particular business sector to develop detailed cost-benefit scenarios for the potential buyer.”
“Sort of a thumbs up, thumbs down kinda thing?” I said.
He laughed. “Yeah, sort of. It’s a bit more complicated than a movie review, though.”
“I’m sure. And why are you good at it?”
He looked at me and grinned. “Well…they don’t call Harry and me the dynamic duo for nothing.”
I smiled. “You have financial superpowers?”
“I wish. No…although Harry is a wizard with forensic accounting. No…we’re just accurate and fast, two things you have to be in this field. You get a very small time window for access to company financials, and they try to hide things. Harry finds the hidden gold, and I process it all into useful decision making.”
“Certainly sounds like you know your stuff. So if you guys are that good, there has to be a company looking for your skill set.”
“There are plenty of companies doing M&A advisory work in New York. But only a handful at the level we’re at now. Harry and I feel like we’re at a crossroads in our careers. We could go with a different firm, but there’s the risk we won’t get challenging projects. We’d likely start at the bottom of the heap in terms of assignments. We’ve done our share of shit jobs. I want to keep learning and growing. Is that too much to ask?” he said, slapping the sand. I looked at him, taken in by the passion of his convictions. “Sorry,” he said. “I guess this is all getting to me.”
I didn’t know how to encourage him. He was frustrated, obviously, and more than a little scared for his future. Carter and Camden popped into my head, and I realized they were the real reason David was so upset. His kids, and his wife, were counting on him. There had to be something I could do to help, but my company was all the way in Denver, and that wouldn’t work for him. Then I remembered something.
“I’m sorry you have to go through this,” I said. “I have an idea. Give me a minute, I want to check something.” I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and texted Todd to call me when he got into the office. It was only a little after five in the morning in Denver.
I turned back to David. He was a little calmer now, and very curious. My own nerves were ramping up with what I was about to do. I hoped I wasn’t overstepping.
“David…um…would you…that is…um…I’d like to make a phone call on your behalf, if that’s okay.”
He looked at me. “What are you talking about? What phone call? Why?”
“Just…look, I know we just met…but…I need you to trust me on this. I won’t betray your confidence to Kat, I promise. I won’t even tell Sam if you don’t want me to. But I’d like to try and help.”
“Look…Jack…I appreciate the gesture, but really…I mean, what can you possibly do to help? I need a new job.”
My phone started ringing. It was Todd. I might have known he’d be in the office already. I pressed the button to answer and put the phone to my ear.
“Morning, Todd. Sorry to call so early.”
“No problem, boss. What can I do for you?”
“You at the office already?”
“Nope, we’re in the car, on our way. Margie wanted doughnuts for breakfast.”
“You don’t have to tell him that,” I heard in the background.
“I think she’s eating for three today,” said Todd. “Ouch. Hey, I’m drivin’ here. You want me to have an accident.” Margie said something else I couldn’t make out. Todd came back to me.
“Sorry about that. Now…where were we?”
I laughed. “Breakfast sounds dangerous. Be careful.”
“Yeah, no kidding. I’m telling you, Jack, you never want to be caught between a pregnant woman and her food cravings. Things can get violent. Ow! Cut it out! That hurts!” I heard Margie’s laughter echo through the speaker.
“Todd, before you get yourself killed this morning, can you reach out to Mason and have him call me at his earliest convenience?”
“Sure. Anything I need to know about?”
“No, not yet. This one’s personal. I’ll fill you in after I speak to Mason. Everything okay back there?”
“Yep. Fairly quiet. With the boss gone off on holiday, we can finally get some real work done around here.”
I laughed. “Well, whatever you do, don’t tell him. He might decide to leave more often, so you actually have to earn your keep, instead of faking it all day.”
He snorted. “Ha ha. Very funny. How’s it goin’ out there?”
“So far, so good. We’ll see. I’ve got one more day to screw it up, so you know…”
“Can you try not to do that, please. I like having the pool boy around.”
“Well, in that case, I’ll do my best, sir.”
“See that you do. Hey, Jack?”
“Yeah?”
“I told you they’d like you.”
I sighed. “I know. You were right, I was wrong. Don’t let it go to your already fat head.”
“Too late,” I heard Margie mutter in the background.
“You guys be safe. Tell Mason to call anytime when he gets a free minute. Thanks, Todd.”
“You got it, boss. Have a good one.” He disconnected.
“What was that?” asked David, looking at me, puzzled.
“What was what? I just need a guy to call me, that’s all. I don’t know if he can do anything, but it’s worth a shot, right?”
“A shot at what?” asked David.
“I don’t know yet. Maybe a job, maybe a connection, an introduction. We’ll know when he calls me later.” David looked worried.
“Why do you look like your cat died?” I asked. “It’s just a phone call. You don’t even have to do anything if you don’t want to.”
“I can’t leave Harry behind, Jack. I can’t do it. We’ve been through too much. I appreciate you trying to help me with – whatever it is you think you’re doing. But maybe it would be better if Harry and I just figured this out ourselves.”
I looked at him, trying to understand his reluctance to accept my help. Was it pride? Didn’t feel like it. Fear? David was not the fearful type. Before I could figure it out, my phone rang again.
“Hey, Mason. That was fast. You didn’t have to call so soon,” I said.
“No problem. What can I do for you, Jack?” said Mason.
“How’s your dad?”
“He’s much better. Itching to get back to work, but I’m sitting on him as best as I can. Mom’s trying to keep him preoccupied. I have my hands full with this New York office.”
“How’s that going?”
“So far, so good. I found a top notch practice manager, so she’s handling the day to day triage of problems. I’m working the prospects. Landed two new accounts last week, and I have a big meeting this afternoon uptown. But you didn’t call to talk about my company. What’s going on?”
“Actually, I did. I have a favor to ask, and please, please, please feel free to say no, okay.”
“Jack, just ask.”
“I’m with Sam’s brother-in-law here in Rhode Island.”
“Oh right, you’re out there meeting the family. How’s it going?”
“How do you know about that?”
“Todd keeps me up to date. I like to stay current with what the guys are up to.”
“Cool. Well…everything’s fine, I guess. But something came up, and I thought you might be able to help.”
“Shoot. I’ll see what I can do,” said Mason. I told him everything David had told me. Mason asked a couple of questions about where David currently worked and his latest clients. I relayed David’s answers while he paced all around me, kicking up a sand storm. I stood up.
“How soon can I talk to this guy?” asked Mason. “It sounds like the project I’m pitching today will need what this dynamic duo can offer.”
“He’s standing right here,” I said. David’s eyebrows perked up and he stopped pacing.
“Put him on,” said Mason. I handed the phone to David and stepped away to give him a little bit of privacy.
While they talked, I worried. Maybe it wasn’t fair of me to even ask Mason to consider giving David and Harry a job. Was I being presumptuous?
“There he is,” said a familiar voice behind me. I turned and Sam pulled me into his open arms. He kissed me and I burrowed into his chest. He nuzzled my head and I inhaled the intoxicating smell of him. There was no better place in the world than to be wrapped in Sam’s strong arms.
“I woke up and you were gone,” said Sam.
“I was hoping you would sleep in this morning. We were up half the night,” I said into his chest.
“In more ways than one, as I recall.”
I looked up into his deep blue eyes. “You okay this morning, big guy?”
He leaned over and kissed me again. “I’m perfect,” he said. I exhaled, relieved of a worry I hadn’t even acknowledged, and rested my cheek on his chest again.
“Who’s David talking to? And why is he on your phone?”
I stiffened. “Um…it’s business.”
Sam pulled my chin up to look into my eyes. “Talk to me, little man. What’s going on?”
“You need to ask David. I can’t speak for him.”
Sam looked deep into my eyes. I stared back, drawn in by the intensity and full-on energy he projected. Finally, he nodded once, and said, “Whatever it is, I know why you did it.”
“You do?” I whispered.
He nodded. “Because you care.”
I was about to say something, but David disconnected and was moving fast toward us. His arm stretched out, my phone hanging off the end of his fingers.
“Here,” he said. I took it into my trembling hand.
“So…what’d he say?” I asked. Sam was just watching us for the moment.
David started pacing back and forth, his eyes never leaving mine. He looked angry, or maybe confused?
“How the fuck did you do that?”
I shrugged, afraid to say anything. That wasn’t good enough for David.
“No,” he said, waving a finger at me. “Un huh. No way. You just pick up a phone…two minutes later he calls? What the…who does that?”
“Who does what?” asked Sam, looking back and forth at us, confused.
David pointed at me. “I told him. And he…he whips out his phone, makes a call, and now Harry and I have an interview on Monday with a new company.”
“Told Jack what?” said Sam. Then he looked at me. “Mason?” I nodded.
“How the fuck do you know who I was talking to?” asked David, getting louder.
“David…man, calm down. You’re gonna bust a gasket or somethin’,” said Sam.
“No, this is unreal, Sam. Nobody does this.” Suddenly he stopped pacing and took two steps to stand very close to me, his eyes boring into mine. “You don’t even know me. Why would you..?”
I swallowed hard. “David, you’re…family. I just wanted to help. Mason’s a great guy. You can trust him, I promise. He’s helping his father open an M&A shop in New York. I thought it was worth a try. Sounds like he’s interested. Maybe it will be a good fit, maybe not.”
His eyes searched mine. Then he shocked me. He grabbed my head with both hands, leaned in, and kissed my forehead hard, then pushed me back a little, pointing a finger at me again. He had a huge smile on his face.
“You…you are fucking amazing,” he said. He looked at Sam, his finger still zeroed in on my face. “Sam…don’t you dare fuck this up. We need him.” David crossed his hands on top of his head like he thought it would explode or something as he continued pacing. Sam was grinning ear to ear at me.
“Holy shit, I can’t believe this is happening. I have to call Harry,” said David. He dropped his hands, turned and took off running through the sand toward the house.
We watched him run away from us in silence. Sam grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to his side, then put his arm around my shoulders. I burrowed under his arm and sighed.
“I decide to sleep in a little, and what do you do? You go and change the world again,” said Sam, smiling and happy. “I think you have a new brother, Jack.”
I spun in front of him and buried my face in his chest as Sam wrapped his arms around me again. We stood there for a few moments, just being together.
He made a noise and I looked up. He had tears in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, reaching up to push away a tear from his cheek.
“I’m fine,” he whispered. “I’m just happy, Jack. I feel like…I don’t know…I feel like I have my family back. I didn’t even know I’d lost them. And I have you to thank for it.”
“Sam…I just made a phone call.”
“It’s not just what you did for David,” he said, sliding his arms down around my waist. “It’s everything. The twins, Kat, my mom. I still can’t believe she told Aunt Myra off. I’ve been waiting for her to do that for a long time.”
“I know,” I said, pulling him closer. “I love you so much, Sam. I’m sorry you had to deal with her for so long.”
He sighed and smiled. “Well…it’s over, and I have you now, so it all worked out for the best. Come on, let’s go see what the family wants to do today.”
We walked hand in hand back to the house. I stopped on the boardwalk to empty sand from my shoes, and leaned on Sam for support. I realized I’d been doing that since I met him. It felt good to maybe be a real support for him, too.
Sam pulled me into his arms again, clearly wanting me in his personal space. I was thrilled to be there. My man was happier than I had ever seen him. He stared at me with his sparkling, deep blue eyes and stroked my cheek lightly with his knuckles.
“All that I am, Jack…it’s yours,” he whispered. “Forever.”
“Forever,” I said, laying my head on his chest and squeezing my arms around his waist. We stood there, locked in our embrace, enjoying the special moment together. Neither of us wanted it to ever end.
Until Sam’s stomach rumbled.
Breakfast was a happy affair. The overall mood was high, like a dark cloud had been banished, replaced by the buttery aroma of pancakes and sizzling sausage links. Carter and Cam were cracking each other up over some inside joke as they ate at the dining room table. Curtis was smiling behind his Wall Street Journal, and Caroline practically skipped back and forth from the kitchen.
“Can I help?” I asked as she passed by.
“I’ve got it all under control,” said Caroline. “Sit. You, too, Sam. I’ll have more pancakes out in two shakes.” She turned with a flourish and headed to the kitchen. We sat down at the table.
Curtis dropped his paper. “Morning, boys. You been out on the beach?”
I nodded and Sam said, “Yes, sir.”
“David came tearing through here a few minutes ago. Everything okay? Anything I need to know about?”
“Um…no, I don’t think so,” said Sam, looking at me. Curtis eyed me closely.
“You stirring things up again, Jack?” asked Curtis. My stomach dropped. Crap!
“Uh…no, I…um…I don’t think so.”
“I see,” said Curtis. He hid himself behind his paper again, but not before I caught a sly smile. I looked at Sam and he shrugged. Then the pancakes arrived and Sam was lost in his feeding frenzy.
I slowly nibbled on a sausage link and tried not to throw up. No way Curtis wouldn’t raise questions, especially when he learned all about David and his job situation. We were so doomed. Sam was oblivious to anything but his stomach.
“Uncle Jack?” asked Carter.
“Yeah, buddy?” I replied, coming back to the present.
“Are you and Uncle Sam coming with us to the palace?”
“Palace?” I asked. Curtis dropped his paper and looked at Carter.
“What’s it called again, Grandpa?” he asked.
“The Breakers, and it’s a mansion, not a palace. Palaces are for royalty, like kings and queens,” replied Curtis.
“Yeah, that’s it. The Breakers.”
“That’s a strange name,” said Cam. “Why is it called that?”
I looked at Curtis. “I have no idea, Cam,” said Curtis. “Maybe you should ask the tour guide later.” Cam shrugged like he didn’t care that much to ask. I was curious, though.
“What do you guys want to do after we get back this afternoon?” asked Sam.
“Play chicken!” shouted Carter and Cam in unison.
“Yeah. Maybe we can get Daddy to swim, too,” said Carter.
“I think that can be arranged,” said David, as he and Kat joined us. They were holding hands and Kat was smiling. For the first time since I met her, she looked happy.
“Yay!” the twins shouted. Cam jumped up and ran to hug his father’s waist. As David reached down to pat his back, I saw his eyes mist over. He loved his family. I couldn’t imagine the pressure he was under.
“You boys finished with breakfast?” asked Kat.
“Yes, ma’am,” said Carter. Cam was still holding on to his father.
“Then you guys should clear the table, and then get cleaned up. And take showers – you both are starting to stink,” said Kat.
“Do I stink, Daddy?” asked Cam, looking up at David.
David pretended to sniff the air and made a face. Cam giggled, then released David to help Carter clear the dishes off the table. When he tried to take Sam’s plate, Sam hunkered over it and talked through half-chewed pancakes.
“Hey! I’m not finist!”
“You’re not supposed to talk with food in your mouth, Uncle Sam,” said Cam, giggling.
“And you’re not supposed to take a man’s food,” replied Sam.
“How many pancakes did you eat?” asked Carter.
“I don’t know,” said Sam, turning to me.
“Don’t look at me. I didn’t have any,” I said. The pancake platter was empty.
“None?” he said.
“Nope.”
“Oh…well, in that case, Carter…um…a lot?” said Sam.
“But how many is a lot?” asked Carter, amazed by his uncle’s appetite.
“Sam Wainwright? Did you eat all those pancakes?” shouted his mother from the kitchen.
“Busted,” said Cam, grinning.
“Alright…enough of that,” said Kat. “Leave Uncle Sam alone. You guys take those plates to Grandma and get upstairs. And try to keep some of the water in the shower, please.”
Carter and Cam got kissed on top of their heads from Grandma, then came flying back through the dining room.
“Walk,” said David. They slowed down fractionally, then raced each other up the stairs. Footsteps pounded overhead, doors slammed. Kat sighed and leaned into David’s shoulder with a smile.
Caroline came in the room, drying her hands on a dish towel. “Kat? David? Apparently your brother ate your breakfast. Would you like me to make some more pancakes and sausage?”
“So what else is knew?” said Kat, as she slapped Sam across the top of his head. He ducked and grinned at me. “It’s fine, Mom. I can do it. Is there coffee?”
“Help yourself. There’s half a pot left. I’m going to get myself cleaned up. Curtis, is there anything we need to bring?”
Curtis stood up from the table, folding his newspaper. “I’m buying lunch for the family in Newport after the tour.” He looked at me like he dared me to object. What was that all about?
“Kat, put together any snacks you think the boys might want. There’s a small cooler just inside the garage on the shelf.”
“I’m on it,” said Kat. She looked at David and he got the message. He grinned and moved toward the garage. Caroline and Curtis disappeared to their room down the back hall. Kat buried her head in the refrigerator.
“Your dad suspects,” I whispered to Sam.
“Suspects what?” he whispered back.
“I don’t know, but it’s not good.”
“What are you two whispering about in there?” asked Kat.
“Jack was just telling me how much he likes me,” said Sam with a goofy grin.
“Not even a little bit, you jerk,” I said. He and Kat both laughed.
An hour later we were all crammed into the SUV. The boys agreed to split up, so Carter sat between his mother and grandmother in the last row, and Cam divided David and Curtis. Sam and I were upfront. I offered shotgun to David, but he declined.
Sam held my hand as we drove. I put my sunglasses on, leaned back, and listened to the simple family conversations behind me. Curtis was telling David about a case he was working on, and Kat and her mother were discussing some woman they both thought was a busybody and too nosy for her own good. Carter and Cam were quiet.
I turned around and looked at Cam. He smiled at me and rolled his eyes, bored with the conversation flying over his head. I grinned and nodded my head once. He nodded back.
I was nearly asleep when Sam pulled into the parking lot across the street from a massive stone building.
“What’s that?” I asked, pointing to it.
“That’s where we’re going. It’s The Breakers Mansion.”
“It’s huge. Stay close, I don’t want to get lost in there,” I said. He smiled and squeezed my hand.
“I’ve got you,” he said. “Alright…everybody out. We’re here.” We extricated ourselves from the SUV and stood next to it, stretching and getting our bearings. Curtis took charge and directed us to move out. I saw a familiar couple dressed like tourists exit a black Ford Explorer two rows over. The man was watching us from behind his dark sunglasses. He nodded slightly in my direction.
As we crossed the street and moved up the massive, eighteen foot black, wrought iron gates, I pulled Sam back from the group. “You texted Ben about our plans today?”
“Yeah. He should be here somewhere.”
“He and Peggy just arrived. I’m surprised he brought her while he’s working.”
“Maybe he wants to keep an eye on her while he keeps an eye on you.”
We caught up to the group as Curtis was talking to the ticket agent. We stood off to the side while he negotiated something with the attendant.
Coming back to us with eight tickets in hand, Curtis said, “We’re in luck. They have an actual tour guide working today, so we don’t have to do the audio tour. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“Thanks, Dad,” said Kat. “Boys, stop picking bark off that tree.”
“Mom…it’s just a tree,” said Cam.
“Step back from the that tree this instant!” said Kat. Cam and Carter looked at each other, then raised their hands in the air and took two deliberate steps backward.
“Listen to me, both of you,” said Kat in true mother-is-all-powerful voice. “There’s no such thing as ‘just a tree’ in this place. It’s all been imported from somewhere else. That tree you’re mauling probably cost more than our house. And when we’re inside, whatever you do, don’t touch anything,” said Kat.
David grinned at me as the boys rejoined our little group.
“Daddy, what does import mean?” asked Cam, grabbing his father’s hand.
“It means something was brought here from far away, from another country.”
“Is our house a lot of money?” he asked.
“Not as much as this one,” said David. “Can you imagine living in something this big?”
“Not if you can’t play with the trees,” said Carter as he kicked a rock down the sidewalk. He looked bored.
A very tall, very thin man of indeterminate age appeared from behind a clump of tall bushes. He was dressed in long khaki pants and a dark blue, short-sleeved collared shirt. The plastic name tag pinned to his shirt pocket said his name was James.
“Welcome to The Breakers,” the man said in an unexpected deep voice. “Is this your first time touring the mansion?”
“Some of us have been through it before,” said Curtis.
“Very well. Welcome to Newport for those of you here for the first time. My name is Jim. I’m going to take you through the mansion and tell you a little about its history. If you have any questions, just ask. Ready?” And off we went.
Jim was a fount of interesting, if ultimately useless, information. I was in awe at how difficult it must have been to design and build a house with over a hundred thousand square feet of living space and use as little wood as possible. Apparently Cornelius Vanderbilt had been paranoid about fires. The first house on the property burned to the ground shortly after he bought it, so when he had it rebuilt, they made changes. A lot of changes.
Kat was right – practically everything in the place had been imported from Europe, including most of the stonework and works of art. And many of the plants and trees in the gardens, as well. Jim explained that the American nouveau riche of the Gilded Age curried favor with the European aristocracy, so they brought as much of the continental design influence into their homes as they could.
They could have saved their money. They were still looked down upon by the European royalty, no matter how wealthy they might be. You could be penniless, yet possess a great pedigree and remain the object of envy in Europe.
We entered a great atrium with marble ceilings three stories high. Everywhere you looked were sculptures and ornate tapestries. It was breathtaking, but somehow not beautiful. Maybe the faint smell of dust and mildew skewed my view, but it certainly didn’t feel like a family home.
“Excuse me,” said Cam, his hand raised. Jim smiled and nodded. “Why is this place called The Breakers?”
“That’s a great question, young man. When Cornelius Vanderbilt bought the property, there was already a house here by that name, which comes from the wind and waves that constantly break against the cliff at the rear of the property. You can hear them out on the lawn.”
Cam nodded, then whispered something in Carter’s ear. He giggled. The group moved around the cavernous room as Jim explained the origins of the elaborate decor and artwork. Furniture provenance was boring, so I watched the twins, whispering and giggling. Kat gave them a look, but they went back to whispering as soon as her head was turned.
I walked over to them. “What’s going on guys?” I said softly.
Cam waved me to stoop down so he could whisper. “Carter and I think it’s called The Breakers because the family couldn’t stop farting.” He giggled and Carter was red in the face, trying not to laugh.
“Get it? Farting? Breaking wind?” said Cam, pushing them both over the edge. They burst out laughing.
I rolled my eyes. “You goofballs. If your mom hears you talking like that, you’ll be in for it.” Thankfully the rest of the group had moved away.
“What’s going on over here?” said Sam, touching my back. I felt electricity shoot up my spine.
“Your nephews have a fixation with passing gas.”
Sam smiled. “Doesn’t everyone?” The twins were laughing so loudly other patrons were watching us.
“At the risk of sounding like your mother, are you ever going to grow up?” I said, smiling.
“Not likely,” said Sam, wiggling his eyebrows at the twins, causing them to giggled even more.
I grinned at Sam. “You’re not helping. Uh oh…told you,” I said, trying not to look at Kat’s stern face as she approached.
“Do we have a problem over here?” she asked. Her face was serious, but there was a humorous glint in her eyes.
“Um…no, sis. The twins were just wondering if they could slide down the bannister of that monster staircase over there.” Carter and Cam’s eyes looked at it, wide eyed.
“Sam…don’t encourage them. And don’t you do it either,” she said, poking Sam’s chest. “Mom would have a heart attack.”
“You’re no fun,” said Sam with a fake pout.
“Of course not. I’m a mother. Now come on, I think he’s taking us up to the next level.”
“Yes, mom,” said Sam. Kat smiled, touched his shoulder, then turned and walked away. We dutifully followed her back to the fold.
Jim led us up the massive staircase from the main atrium to the second level. The wide polished stone balustrades did indeed look fun to slide down. Cam ran his hand up the one side and turned to Sam as we neared the top, the mischievous glint in his eye unmistakeable.
“Don’t let him do it, Sam,” I whispered.
“Now who’s the mom,” said Carter next to me, and Sam snorted. I grinned and tousled Carter’s hair. David turned and gave Cam a look, ending any more foolishness.
We traipsed through several ostentatious bedrooms and bathrooms, learning all there was to know about plumbing challenges back in the 19th century. Each room was more ornate than the last. I would never have felt comfortable in any of them.
“Can you believe how extravagant all this is?” said Kat in a low voice. “Who would live like this?”
“It was a different time, dear,” said Caroline.
“It’s ridiculous for any time. Who needs gold plated faucets on a stone tub, when the servants live in a six by eight room with nothing more than a cot and a closet?”
Jim overheard Kat’s comments. “The gilded age was definitely a different time. There were the haves and the have nots, and never the two should meet. We can’t tour the servants’ floors above – they aren’t open to the public for safety reasons – but you’re correct. The lifestyle of the owners and their families was drastically different from those who served them. In fact, it was Cornelius Vanderbilt’s wish that the servants be seen as little as possible, so there are secret doors and passageways throughout the house so they could do their work and the house would run almost like magic.”
“How typical,” said Kat. Curtis looked at her and I think I detected a nod in agreement.
“Don’t be unkind. We shouldn’t judge them,” said Caroline.
“I’m not being unkind, mother. Look at this place. Yes, it’s beautiful, but tell me all this isn’t intended to show how much better they thought they were than everybody else, just because they had more money than God.”
“Your daughter has a point,” said Jim. “The Marble House, another mansion here in Newport, was the home of Cornelius Vanderbilt’s brother. There was some definite rivalry between them – and others in polite society of the day – as to who had the most magnificent home or who threw the most desirable parties.”
“See…that’s my point. Using their wealth to appear better than everyone else. It’s disgusting.”
“Really, Kat, I think that’s enough,” said Caroline.
“I agree with Kat,” said Curtis. “It’s all very grand, but there’s a reason why people don’t build houses like this anymore. It’s more offensive than impressive.”
“Are rich people bad?” asked Carter.
I inhaled sharply and Sam’s hand landed on the small of my back. The red velvet drapes framing the twelve foot high windows appeared to sway back and forth. Or was it just me? Curtis glanced at me, then down at Carter.
David crouched down and put his arm around Carter’s waist. “No, son, rich people are not bad.” He gave a challenging look to Kat. She crossed her arms in a huff. “But sometimes, when people become super wealthy, they don’t always make the best choices. They can come to believe that they are better than other people just because they have money.”
“I don’t understand,” said Carter.
“Me either,” said Cam.
“Let me try, David,” said Curtis, stepping over toward the twins. David stood up and gave room to his father-in-law.
“Boys…back when your mom was just a little older than you, she made a friend in school. She was invited over for a birthday party at her friend’s house. We said she could go, and your Grandmother helped her buy a nice birthday present. Your mother wanted to wear her best blue dress and Grandma helped her do her hair – it had yellow ribbons in it, if I recall. Well…when she arrived at the party, all the other girls were wearing the latest styles of clothing, and a few of them made fun of your mother’s dress. And when it came time to open presents, the birthday girl took one look at your mother’s gift and set it aside without even saying thank you. Your mother had spent all her allowance on that gift for her friend. She came home in tears and vowed never to speak to her friend again.”
“That’s mean,” said Cam. Carter looked up at his mother, concerned. She smiled at him.
“Yes, it was mean. And very superior,” said Kat.
“What does…superior…mean?” asked Carter.
“It means you think you’re better than everyone else,” said Curtis. “Your mother’s friends thought they were better than her because their parents could afford to buy them the latest clothing styles or the most expensive gifts.”
“Just because their family had lots of money?” asked Cam.
Curtis made a face. “Exactly.”
“But daddy said not all rich people are bad.” said Carter.
“He’s right. There are some people who have money but don’t allow themselves to feel superior because of it. They might have some very nice things, and even live in a big fancy house, but they would never make a guest in their home feel bad because of what they were wearing or how much money they had.”
“Are we rich, daddy?” asked Cam.
David laughed. “Not like the Vanderbilts. We’ll never have enough money to build a house like this.”
“How much would it cost?” asked Carter.
“More than I can imagine,” said David.
“Actually, we get asked that question quite a lot, young man,” said Jim.
“In today’s money, it would cost over three hundred and fifty million dollars to build a house exactly like this.”
“Wow! Is that a lot?” asked Cam. Everyone laughed, except me.
“Yes, son. That’s a lot of money,” said David.
Sam grabbed my hand, getting my attention, and winked at me. I looked down, feeling sick to my stomach. He saw my expression and took action.
“Jack and I are going out for some air,” he said, pushing me out into the hallway with his hand at my back. He maneuvered us into a large open area off the main hallway bordering the open atrium to the floor below. A light breeze whipped through from the windows overlooking the rear lawn, cooling the space and filling it with desperately needed fresh air. Sensing my impending meltdown, Sam gently pushed me toward one corner near one of the windows, away from other visitors. I concentrated on breathing.
“Take it easy, little man,” said Sam.
I looked through the open window down at the cut stone verandah jutting off the back of the mansion. “I’m trying. Ugh! I hate this. I don’t want to be judged for my money. I didn’t ask for this.”
“No one’s judging you, Jack. They don’t even know.”
I spun around and looked hard at him. “But they will. We have to tell them. Your father already knows something is up. He said as much to David. We’re gonna have to talk to him.”
“So we will.”
I threw my hands in the air. “And then what? You heard him. And Kat. They think rich people are full of themselves and lording it over everyone else. Fuck! Just when I thought they might like me.”
“Woah…easy, Jack. Settle down,” said Sam, grabbing my bicep gently. He rubbed his other hand up and down my spine. I looked into his deep blue eyes, looking for an escape I knew wouldn’t come.
“Hold me,” I whispered. Sam pulled me into his arms and cocooned me into his chest. I clenched my eyes shut and fought hard against the fear and frustration coursing through me. There was no way I was going to cry. My back was to the room, so I didn’t see Caroline approach from behind.
“Are you boys alright?” she said.
Sam stiffened. “We’re fine, Mom,” he said. I pulled my face from his chest and looked up at him, then put on a brave smile and turned to face her. Sam let go, but stayed right behind me. I reached back for his hand.
“I’m fine, Caroline,” I said, faking a grin. “Too much gold plating and European tapestry makes me nauseous.” She grimaced with my attempt at humor, then stepped closer, putting a hand on my arm, and looked into my eyes.
“I hope you won’t hold what Kat and her father said about wealthy people against them. They mean well, but Kat, and Sam, too, had a difficult time in school. We barely had enough in those days to pay their tuition. Keeping up appearances was out of the question. They received a good education, but I’m afraid they paid an undeserved price.”
“Mom…it’s okay. We’re fine. You don’t have to bring up the past. I’m over it,” said Sam.
“You may be fine,” said Caroline to Sam, then she looked back into my eyes. “But Jack’s not.”
I inhaled sharply. Sam squeezed my hand tighter, and put his other hand on my back to steady me. I didn’t know how to respond, so I said nothing. Tears threatened.
“Jack…I am first and foremost a mother,” she said. “I can see things in my kids others will never see. I can see in you great conflict right now. And unless I’m mistaken, it’s about money. Are you in trouble financially?”
A single tear escaped and I wiped it away, embarrassed. I looked down at my feet in silence. What could I possibly say?
“Mom…this isn’t the time,” said Sam in a tone indicating he had slipped into full protection mode.
“It’s…complicated,” I said, looking up into Caroline’s eyes. I saw tenderness and deep, heartfelt concern – no judgment. Her eyes suddenly welled up.
“It just that I care, Jack, and I’m so grateful for you,” she whispered, grabbing both of my forearms. Her eyes never left mine, even as her tears fell. “When you stood up to my sister, to protect Sam, I knew…I knew without a doubt you really, truly love him. You did what…what I couldn’t do.” Her voice broke.
Sam gasped behind me. “Mom…”
“I’m okay,” she said to him, putting up a hand. Then she was back to staring into my eyes. She pushed a tear away with her fingers and said, “You and Sam…oh, Jack, you have to know how I’ve longed for Sam to find someone who would love him the way he deserves to be loved. You are perfect for my son. And you’re family now. So whatever you’re going through…whatever you need…your family is here for you.”
The lump in my throat nearly suffocated me. She just declared I was family. Sam squeezed the hand he was holding behind my back so hard I thought it would break.
I stood up straight and somehow managed to find my voice. “Caroline…I…thank you. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me already. And for…what you just said…you’ll never know how much it means to me. Being a part of Sam’s family…I could never ask for more than that.”
She smiled, and I genuinely smiled back. She looked at Sam and her smile widened, so I knew without looking he was smiling down on her, too. Caroline reached up and put an open palm against my cheek.
“I mean it, Jack. When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be ready to listen,” she said.
“Thank you. But I promise you, I’m fine. We’ll talk later,” I said, seeing our group approaching.
“Talk about what?” said Kat, joining us. Curtis and David were discussing something with Jim, and the twins looked bored silly.
“Lunch,” said Caroline, winking at me. “Curtis, dear, I think it’s time we said our goodbyes to Jim and take our family to eat.”
“Right. Very well, then. Thank you, Jim, for the informative tour,” said Curtis, shaking his hand.
“The exit is right down the main stairway over there. You folks have a safe trip home,” said Jim. The rest of us expressed our thanks and followed David and Kat and the boys down the steps and out the main entrance.
Outside it was scorching hot. Say what you will about how ostentatious and pretentious the mansion may have been, the architect knew something about how to keep the monstrosity cool in the heat of summer.
“Where are we headed for lunch, Dad?” asked Sam as we sauntered toward the main gates.
“Carl Bertrand told me about a place called The Pier. I’m sure you can find it using your phone or that fancy GPS in your car,” said Curtis.
“Sounds great,” said Sam.
“Yeah, I’m famished,” said Carter, grinning at me.
“Me, too,” I said.
“Me, three,” said Sam and Cam together. David and Kat laughed.
Sam pulled out his cell phone and started entering things into it. My guess is he was informing Ben where we were headed. I fell back a little, pretending to look at my own phone, when I caught sight of Ben and Peggy fast walking across the parking lot to their car. He didn’t look over, but I could tell he wasn’t too happy with us moving around so much. Just as he was about to get in his car he caught me watching him. He nodded once and I detected a slight smile maybe? Maybe having Peggy around took the edge off. He didn’t look nearly as trigger happy today.
The trip over to the restaurant was quiet. Everyone was hot and tired and hungry. Sam steered the big SUV through congested traffic with ease and found the restaurant with no problem. We parked in a nearby lot and walked into the crowds milling around on the pier.
Cam was mesmerized by the large sailboat moored on the wharf. He and Carter asked and received permission to walk over closer to check it out. David went with them.
“Cam really likes boats, doesn’t he?” I said to Kat.
“Yes. Always has. He’s a natural fish out of water. He wants to take sailing lessons. A friend at his school does at some wharf club on the shore.”
“Are you going to let him?” asked Sam.
“Not likely,” said Kat.
“Why not?” asked Caroline.
“Because, Mom…then he’s going to want a boat. Where are we supposed to put a boat? Next he’ll want David to haul him back and forth to the shore on weekends. He’s too young. There’s time for all that.”
“I can think of worse things a young man could pursue,” said Curtis.
“Keep those thoughts to yourself, Dad,” said Kat.
“Fine. I’m going to see about getting us a table,” said Curtis. Caroline followed him in to use the restroom.
“You guys doing okay?” asked Kat.
“Yeah, sis. We’re great,” said Sam. He grinned at me and my dick stirred in my shorts. I grinned back at him.
“Oh my god, you two need to get a room,” said Kat. I blushed and Sam smiled big.
David and the twins came back to our little group.
“Did you see it, Mom? Isn’t it amazing?” said Cam, bouncing on his toes.
“Yes, it is. And very big,” said Kat.
“I know. I’m gonna have a boat just like it someday,” said Cam.
“Let’s get you through grammar school first,” said Kat.
Before Cam could regale us with more of his future sailing plans, Curtis came out, looking perplexed.
“Can you believe this? They have a table ready for us. Come on, let’s go.” We followed him past the rather long line of other patient patrons waiting for tables. Did Ben pull some strings somehow?
Caroline met us at the hostess stand, and our group was led upstairs to an open air seating area overlooking the pier and marina. It was beautiful.
The food was amazing, too. After a short discussion, we all decided to eat the fish and chips. Carter and Cam both said they were the best they had ever eaten. Half way through our lunch, I noticed Ben, without Peggy, standing off to one side near the bar at the far end of the deck. He saw me and nodded once, then looked out at the marina.
An hour later Curtis settled the bill with our waitress, everyone used the restroom, and we slowly made our way back down and through the crowded restaurant. Outside, I slipped my sunglasses on and caught a reflection in the window. Ben and Peggy were now together again, sitting on a bench. He had his arm around her shoulders, and she was eating an ice cream cone. She looked very happy. He looked at her and grinned. Yeah…she was good for him.
I resisted turning around as we walked back to the parking lot. I knew Ben would be behind us, keeping a watchful eye. Too bad he couldn’t stand in for me at the upcoming financial inquisition.
Sam and I were the only ones still awake when we pulled into the pebble driveway nearly an hour later. The loud crunch under the tires stirred everyone from their slumber.
Carter and Cam went running inside to change into swimsuits. David, Kat, Sam and I went a little slower up the stairs. We parted company at the top and Sam followed me to our bedroom. I closed the door behind us and Sam pushed me up against it.
“Do we have time?” I asked, seeing his need in his flickering blue eyes.
He growled, grabbed my arm and led me to the bed. He pushed me backwards, pounced on top of me, and buried his tongue in my throat. Apparently, yes, we did have time.
I was feeling much better when we emerged ready to swim. David and Kat came out of their bedroom just as we hit the top of the stairs. She had a guilty grin on her face, and David looked very relaxed.
“Looks like someone else needed a room,” whispered Sam to his sister.
“Nevermind. The boys are waiting,” she said.
Outside, the twins were anxiously waiting for adult supervision.
“What took you guys so long?” asked Cam.
“Yeah. How long can it take to change clothes?” asked Carter.
“Just long enough,” said Kat, and Sam and David laughed. She gave them a look. I thought about crawling under the table.
“We want to play chicken,” said Cam.
“Let’s do it then,” said Sam as he kicked off his flip flops.
All six of us stepped down into the pool. We took turns, two teams of two fighting it out. The first team that went down was out for the next round. Forty minutes later my legs were jelly. Even Carter and Cam wanted a break.
Sam and David were making taunting noises at each other. They weren’t ready to quit.
“Come on, honey. Saddle up,” said David, keeping an eye on Sam.
“Only if Jack does, too,” said Kat.
“Get on, little man,” said Sam. I stared daggers at Kat and she burst out laughing.
“I’ll get you for this,” I mumbled as I passed her.
Sam helped me get situated on his shoulders. My dick felt very obvious pressed up against his neck, not that he complained. Kat climbed up on David’s shoulders and the battle commenced.
Sam and David were taking this very seriously. So was Kat. Me much less so. Until she scratched my arm trying to pull me off backwards. Now it was on.
“That hurt. You’re going down, now,” I said.
“Oooo. Big words, little man,” she said.
“Let’s get ‘em, big guy,” I said, grabbing Sam’s head and pushing him forward.
David and Sam battled hard underwater. They could only use their legs, and each team nearly went down a number of times. Carter and Cam were cheering from the sidelines. At some point Curtis and Caroline came out and watched the fun.
In the end, it was Sam who stumbled. I went face first over his head and got a nose full of chlorine for my troubles. I came up sputtering and wiping my eyes. Kat had her hands raised in victory and Cam and Carter were jumping up and down on the pool deck.
“Sorry, Jack. I stubbed my toe on the bottom,” said Sam.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Yeah. It hurts though. I scraped some skin off.”
“Oh, man. That hurts,” said Cam.
“The chlorine stings, too,” said Carter.
“I have something for that inside, Sam,” said Caroline. She turned to go back in the house.
“I’ll be fine,” said Sam to his mother’s retreating back.
“You coming in, Dad?” asked Kat, still sitting up on David’s shoulders.
“Maybe later. I have some calls I need to make.” He said the last part looking directly at me.
“Is it our turn again?” asked Cam.
“I’m wiped out, buddy,” said David. “Give me a few minutes to catch my breath, okay?”
“Let’s play on the slide,” said Carter to his brother. Cam nodded and they walked to the far side of the pool. Taking turns, and upping the challenge with each pass, they laughed and carried on, sliding into the pool.
The adults found lounge chairs and stretched out. Caroline handed me a tube of antibiotic ointment and I smeared it on Sam’s injured big toe while he made eyes at me. I put a fabric bandaid over it and pronounced him all better.
Then it happened. I didn’t see it – I was too busy doctoring Sam’s foot – but I definitely heard the loud crack of a small head hitting the hard edge of the pool. Carter screamed and David vaulted out of his chair. Two strides and he dove head first into the pool. Sam pushed me aside and followed him in.
Kat went running around to Carter, her face ashen white as she stared into the pool. I could see bright red blood on the white pool gutter from my chair. Cam had not surfaced. I was up and moving toward Kat when Sam and David surfaced, an unconscious Cam in their arms.
“Oh my God,” yelled Kat. “Is he okay?” Carter was crying, and she grabbed him and held him tightly to her side.
“He’s breathing,” said David. He was also bleeding profusely, a pink cloud swirling around his blond hair. Sam looked scared.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my security device, then looked at Sam, my thumb trembling over the button. If I did this, there was no turning back. He nodded once, and I pressed it down three times.
What happened next is hard to describe, it all happened so fast.
The pretend gardener came running around the corner of the house, gun drawn. First one, then another, then another man came running up from the beach, pounding across the boardwalk to the pool. One had a gun out, the other a phone to his ear, and the third dove into the pool.
“I’m an EMT,” he said to David and Sam when he came up out of the water. “Try to keep him flat and floating, just like you’re doing. We don’t want his spine or neck to bend. Here, support him like this.” He moved Sam’s hand under Cam’s neck.
Kat looked at me, horrified. Carter was crying even harder, seeing his brother bleeding and unconscious. I heard the sliding glass door slam open and Caroline and Curtis come running out. Caroline saw the guns and screamed.
Ben came flying out of the house right behind them, pushing his way around Curtis. Curtis did a double take, then grabbed on to Caroline before she fell down. He got her into a chair, both of them in shock.
Kat’s hand was over her mouth. Any minute she was going to collapse. I moved to her side and grabbed her. She leaned into me, moaning incoherently. The EMT in the pool was checking Cam’s pulse and breathing.
Ben squatted down at the pool edge. “Talk to me. Tell me what we need here.”
“We need to get him flat on a hard surface. Then we need to get him to a hospital.” Ben nodded then started looking around. I saw the deck chairs.
“A deck chair. Take the cushions off,” I said. He looked at me, then snapped his fingers. The other guys put their guns away and ran to grab a lounge chair. They threw the cushions aside and carried the chair right into the pool.
It took some maneuvering, but they managed to get it stable under Cam’s limp body. As they released it, the chair floated to the surface, lifting Cam out of the water.
Ben looked at the EMT and he nodded. “Okay, let’s get him out of the pool. I need one of you guys out front when the ambulance gets here,” said Ben. The gardener trotted off.
Together the guys got Cam out of the pool and onto the concrete pool deck. Kat let go of Carter and knelt by his side, pushing his hair gently out of his face.
“My baby, my baby,” she sobbed.
“Ma’am, I need to check him out,” said the EMT gently. Kat barely heard him. David leaned over and pulled Kat away. She turned, buried her face into his chest, and howled. Carter jumped and Sam grabbed him. They both were crying.
For reasons I’ll never understand, I was the only one who didn’t cry. Instead, my brain ran parallel to Ben’s, matching every decision in real time. It was like I thought it and he did it a second later. I could hear sirens approaching.
Lights flashed all around as the ambulance screamed into the driveway. Kat stopped sobbing only when the attendants approached with a gurney and various medical kits. Ben’s guys gently pushed the family back so they could work on Cam. We moved trancelike to stand next to Caroline and Curtis. No one spoke.
A moment later the EMT, shouted, “He’s awake!” David let go of Kat and ran to his son. Sam caught her before she fell. Caroline pulled Carter into her lap and wrapped him up. Curtis looked at me, full of questions. His answers would have to wait.
A few minutes later they lifted the gurney onto its wheels and slowly pushed it toward us. Cam was white and shaken, but he could focus on us. Sam let go of Kat, and she lunged for the gurney.
“I’m sorry, mama,” said Cam weakly. Kat touched his face, barely able to see past her tears.
“It’s okay, baby. Don’t worry. You’re gonna be okay. Daddy and mama are right here.”
Carter pushed through to get his brother. Cam looked at him and smiled thinly. “Does this mean I win?” Carter grinned, pushing his tears away. The ambulance attendants smiled, then pushed him toward the open doorway into the house.
“Sam, you need to get your family to the hospital. Can you do that?” asked Ben. Sam nodded, reaching for me. I squeezed his hand. He was about to cry again.
“Jack, you know what to do?” said Ben, looking at me. I nodded. I don’t know how I knew, but I did.
“David, you take Kat and Carter and follow the ambulance,” I said. “Somebody call us when you know where they are taking him. We’ll bring clothes and shoes and anything else you need. We’ll be right behind you. Go.”
Without a word, David led his family through the house and out the front door.
The rest of us split up to change and gather clothes. Fifteen minutes later we were in the big SUV, me behind the wheel. Sam was still shaken. I was worried about him.
Ben knocked on my window, and I lowered it. “Take your time, Jack. I’ll be there in a little while. I have someone following you, just in case. You good?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“Good. Go,” he said. He stepped back and I drove off.
By the time we got to the emergency room, Cam had been taken for a CAT scan. David and Kat were sitting in the waiting area, trying to console a hysterical Carter. He saw me and jumped up, running over to me. I crouched down and he ran into my arms.
“I don’t want them to hurt Cam,” he sobbed.
“Shhh…buddy, hey…look at me,” I said. He lifted his tear-streaked face to mine. “They won’t hurt him, I promise.”
“They said they had to test him. I should be with him. He needs me,” he insisted. I looked at a distraught David. He shrugged his shoulders.
“Carter…I’m pretty sure the tests they’re gonna do don’t hurt. Besides…Cam’s pretty tough, don’t you think?” I said. He looked at me and slowly nodded.
“I wish you could be with him, too, buddy,” I said, pushing away the tears on his cheeks. “But right now, we have to the let the doctors have their turn. We’ll see him in a little while. Why don’t we get you changed out of that swimsuit and maybe find something to eat while we wait? What do you say?” He looked at me, nodded, then hugged me hard. Sam had tears in his eyes, and mouthed a silent thank you.
David, Kat, and Carter changed clothes, and we all spent another tense thirty minutes waiting for test results. Finally, a middle-aged doctor in blue scrubs pushed through a set of double swinging doors and walked over to David and Kat.
“How is he, doctor?” asked David.
“Camden’s gonna be fine.”
“Oh, thank God,” said Caroline. Kat fell back on David, relieved. Sam collapsed in a chair, his eyes welling up.
“He’ll have a tender goose egg on his head for a few days, so keep him quiet. The scans all came back normal. No swelling, no hemorrhaging. His eyes are fine, and he’s alert and talking. Speaking of,” the doctor said, bending down to look Carter in the eye. “Are you Carter?” Carter nodded.
“He’s asking for you. Made me promise I’d bring you as fast as I could.”
“Can I see him now?” asked Carter, bouncing on his toes.
“Right now. Mom and Dad, follow me.”
The three of them followed the doctor through the doors and down the hall. Sam started toward the doors.
“Hold up, Sam,” I said. He turned back, looking lost. I pulled him into a hug, and he broke down and sobbed into my chest. “I know…I know,” I whispered. I managed to get him to a couch, and Caroline sat on the other side of him and patted his back. Curtis held her hand. The tears I had been holding back broke through as I rocked Sam in my arms.
Two hours later, the nurses shooed us all out of Cam’s room. He needed rest, they insisted. He seemed fine to me, sitting up and laughing. Carter was sitting in the bed with him. Good luck peeling them apart tonight.
Sure enough, Cam convinced his nurse to let Carter stay. He told her his head didn’t hurt as long as Carter was with him. Cam wasn’t allowed to eat for a while, so Carter said he didn’t want to eat either. The rest of us shuffled down the hallway to the cafeteria, exhausted.
Everybody else had a hot meal. I grabbed orange jello and a dinner roll. Sam went with sliced roast beef and mashed potatoes, so I knew he was feeling better.
We found a private table and sat down, pulling our plates from the red plastic trays and setting them on the next table.
“How are you holding up, dear?” asked Caroline with a hand on Kat’s shoulder. Kat grabbed her mother’s hand and squeezed.
“It’s gonna be a long night.”
“David…you okay, son?” asked Curtis. David looked up from his salad and nodded.
“I’m good, now that I know he’s out of the woods. I haven’t been so scared since they had that horrible fever.”
“Well…looks like we’re going to be here for a while. What should we do?” asked Caroline.
Curtis looked hard at Sam and me. Sam stopped mid-bite and put his fork down. I swallowed my jello. “We can start with someone explaining to me how the pizza man has a posse of armed agents and knows these two by name. Oh, and just so you know…I called the Bertrands. They don’t have a gardener.”
I grabbed Sam’s hand and he squeezed it hard. Here we go.
Curtis looked straight into my eyes. “So start talking…”