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“Going out?”
She mumbled a “Sorry” when she yawned before he could answer. He chuckled and hugged herlightly.
“No problem. I’m glad you got a nap. Yeah, Noah’s taking me to see a couple of sights now, and tomorrow I’ll be house hunting. I unpacked all the groceries. Hope I put everything in the right spot.”
She smiled widely at the mention of Noah. “I’m glad. I don’t know what’s between you two, but I could tell you were both interested. Jim’s right. It’s time you found someone foryourself.”
Jax shook his head. “Alright, Miss Matchmaker, stop worrying about me. I’m fine. I’ll see you later.”
Chapter 13
Jax
Focus on thenow, Jax.
Jax headed toward the front door just as a knock sounded on it. Annie gave him a thumbs up sign as he walked out to meet his not-quite-date. Noah’s outfit—board shorts and a yellow t-shirt—was as relaxed his own, and the sight of those sharply defined calf muscles, overlaid with a thin layer of silky dark hair, spiked his bloodpressure.
“Hi. Thanks for the invitation,” he said, focusing his attention on civilities. He didn’t need to let himself get lost in the things about Noah that cranked his engine.
“Not a problem,” Noah answered with a smile. “I know you lovemuseums…”
He paused and looked away, and Jax knew what he was thinking. They had visited a number of museums while they were together, both sharing an interest in the stories of humanity that those places stored. In fact, their first date had been toa museum.
“Yes, I do. So where are we going today?”Focus on thenow, Jax.
“Well, there’s a military museum that I’ve always wanted to visit. Depending on how long that visit takes, I thought we could also take in the railroad museum at the north end of the park. My dad took me there often when I was a kid and I loved it. After that, it’s up to you what we do.”
“Sounds good.”
They headed out, Jax enjoying the ride in the pickup truck. The windows were down, and he stole glances of Noah as they rode along. His hair was longer than he used to wear it when he was younger, and it blew gently around his face as the air lifted it. His big hands on the steering wheel were strong and veined, his nails clean and blunt cut. He watched those hands grip the wheel, remembering how they had felt wrapped around his biceps as they kissed and around his cock the first time they touched each other intimately.
“Here we are. It’s a nice day for this visit.”
Noah’s voice brought Jax out of his trance. Thank God the man hadn’t been looking at him as he’d been ogling him, or he would have seen the flush on Jax’s cheeks at the direction of his thoughts. Stepping out of the truck, he looked around and decided it was a good thing they had stopped at this museum first. There seemed to be a lot of exhibits in the wide field surrounding the building that apparently housed the rest of theholdings.
Though there was no entrance fee, Jax dropped a twenty-dollar bill into the donation jar at the front desk. He wandered around behind Noah, listening with half an ear as his guide gave him the history behind this military facility. They walked through the whole house before stepping back into the bright sunshine to walk around the field while Noah regaled him with the rest of the story about the barracks, the men who were stationed there, the battles they lost and won.
Back in the gift shop, Jax decided he’d purchase a set of coasters for Annie with a military theme, and a mug for Jim with a picture of the fort. He’d get gifts for the boys at the railroad museum. He didn’t pay attention to what Noah picked up, aside from wondering if he was buying gifts for his father. Then they were back in the truck, heading toward the railroad museum.
“So what did you think?” Noah asked.
“That was a great visit. The stories are intriguing. We don’t often think about the hardships that soldiers faced back then, but it definitely makes you think about what they’re enduring these days even with all the progress we’ve made. They’re without their families a lot of the time with no guarantee that they’ll ever see them again when they’redeployed.”
“Yeah. I could never be in the military. Too many sacrifices to be made with sometimes questionablerewards.”
Jax understood his reluctance. He admired his own brothers who were deployed and who saw their duty to their country as the highest imperative. But they also chose to remain single because the family life of an enlisted man presented challenges they were not prepared to work through. He understood how lonely a lifethat was.
They drove on in silence, Jax making sure to keep his eyes off Noah’s hands. The railroad museum sat in a pleasant glade, once again a mostly outdoor facility. The shade of the large trees around the outdoor exhibits, coupled with the breeze from the lake, eased the intensity of the summer heat, and the air-conditioned interior of the gift shop was a further welcome respite. Jax bought each of the boys an old-fashioned engineer’s cap and a whistle, and without letting on what he was doing, he picked up an insulated water bottle with the words “Still Plays With Trains” and a single train car emblazoned on itfor Noah.
“So have you had enough walking around? We can head to the beach. I know one that’s not as popular as some of the others. It’s one of the ones only us locals use.”
“I had been planning to go sit on a beach somewhere before you suggested the museums, so that’s finewith me.”
The beach wasn’t too far away and as promised, it was almost empty of people. Noah led Jax to an outcropping of rocks by a dune and they set up their picnic spot. Noah had brought a large umbrella in faded orange which he planted in the sand, so they’d be shaded from the sun.
“Thisis cozy.”
Jax settled his back against one of the rocks and watched as Noah set up a collapsible chair and sank into it. The stone was hot against his spine, but he didn’t mind since it helped to relax his tight muscles and he could focus on the heat behind him instead of the man beside him currently pulling two beers from the cooler he had placed on the blanket.
