Page 134 of The Shots You Take

“I don’t ever want to be too old for this.” He unbuttoned Adam’s shorts and slid his hand inside.

“Oh, fuck,” Adam gasped. “Yes.”

For the next several minutes, the hermit crabs and any other beach creatures around were treated to the sounds of two middle-aged men panting and moaning and laughing as they jerked each other off. It was probably the most Riley had ever giggled during sex.

“Riles, shit. I’m—fuck, I’ve gotta—” Adam frantically yanked his shirt up under his chin, then came all over his exposed stomach and chest.

Riley groaned, then aimed and added to the mess there with his own release. After, he flopped to his back and grinned at the stars.

“That took me back,” Adam said sleepily.

“Mm.”

“Except this time I don’t know how I’m going to get up.”

Riley chuckled. “I’ll help you.”

“I’m so glad I married a younger man.”

Riley kissed his cheek, then, in a demonstration of his enduring youth, sprang to his feet.

“Show-off,” Adam complained.

Riley pulled his own shirt off, then his shorts and underwear.

“Oh,” Adam said, and sat up.

Riley extended his hand. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

For a moment, Adam only stared at him. Then he said, “Goddamn, I’m lucky.” He took Riley’s hand, and, when he was standing, let him remove his clothes. They ran to the water and waded in until they were chest deep.

“This is nice, actually,” Adam said. “Not as freezing as I expected.”

“Shallow cove,” Riley reminded him.

They kissed, under the stars and a sliver of moon, as the water lapped gently against their bare skin.

“Tell you a secret?” Adam murmured. “I loved that summer here so much—the one with the bonfire. I sometimes wished, after, that I could stay in that summer forever.”

Riley smiled. He’d felt the same way. “Yeah?”

“I feel like I did it. Being with you feels like that summer every day.” He touched their foreheads together and pressed a wet palm to Riley’s cheek. “You make me so happy, Riles.”

Riley squeezed his eyes shut because he didn’t want to cry. Of course Adam made him happy too, but the most important thing he did was make Riley feelsteady. “You walked into that church on the worst day of my life,” he said, “and made me stronger. Happier. Better.”

“Eventually,” Adam reminded him.

Riley huffed out a laugh. “Eventually.” He kissed him. “Thank you for being brave enough to come find me.”

“Thank you for being brave enough to love me, way back when it terrified me. I know it didn’t seem like it at the time, but it helped. I don’t think I could have gotten to where I am now if I hadn’t heard those words then.”

Riley’s throat tightened. “Fuck,” he said. “You’re making me cry.”

Adam took his hand under the water and squeezed it. “You can, if you need to.”

The truth of that made Riley’s chest relax. He could always be himself with Adam.

Eventually, they left the water and lay together naked on the blanket, with another blanket over them. Riley’s head was tilted against Adam’s shoulder as they both watched for shooting stars. He held Adam’s hand and occasionally nuzzled his hair and let himself be overwhelmed by how much he loved him.

“Hey, there’s one,” Adam said excitedly. “Make a wish.”

But Riley couldn’t think of a single thing he needed.

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