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"Well, I thought I'd have a nice long lie-in. Let the kids serve me breakfast in bed before they go off to lift bales, tote barges — all that good stuff."
"Jakob," Ethan protested with an exasperated grin and a fond look in his eyes.
At least, Jakob was hoping it was fond.
"Alex seemed really interested in the horses," Jakob answered truthfully this time. "Was thinking about letting Cassie give him some lessons."
Ethan suddenly looked concerned. "Your daughter? She's pretty young, though. Is that safe?"
"She's the two-time Junior Barrel Racing World Champion, been in the saddle since she was little. Frankly, she rides better than I do… Well,didanyway. It's not hard to outshine me these days," Jakob said with a rueful grin. "But she teaches some classes here in the summer when she's not training. Think she's got an eye on taking over my job one day. It'll be okay. We'll have him on one of our most experienced horses, and I'll be nearby too — keeping an eye out. He'll be fine."
"Yeah — I remember the first time you had me get up on a horse. Told me I'd be fine too, if I recall," Ethan told him with a smirk.
"And youwere," Jakob argued.
"Got a scar on my shoulder says different," Ethan replied, raising his eyebrow.
"Only needed a couple of stitches. Don't be a baby," Jakob countered with a grin, their well-worn argument familiar territory.
Silence stretched between them then, but it was… comfortable. Easy.
Just two old friends grinning at each other like fools.
"This is… nice," Ethan said, finally breaking the silence.
"Yeah," Jakob agreed, his thoughts running in the same direction.
"Can I — You mind if I call you again tomorrow?" Ethan asked. "To see how Alex's doing, I mean."
"That'd be… fine," Jakob replied as he shifted slightly, a sudden tendril of nervousness snaking along his spine.
Ridiculous. How old are you? Get it together. You would think you were about to ask him toPromor something.
"Or… You can just… call. You know, if you like."
"Yeah?" Ethan asked, a grin sweeping across his face at Jakob's words. "Yeah— That sounds pretty good. I'll uh… I'll call you tomorrow then."
"Tomorrow then," Jakob repeated, feeling a matching grin steal over his own face in response. "Good night, Ethan."
"Night, Jakob," Ethan said, looking thoughtful as he leaned forward to end the call.
Jakob shut his laptop and stowed it away in its place in his nightstand; going to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. The whole time… It was almost like he was a kid again, likeanythingwas possible.
Like everything was as it should be, now that Ethan was back in his life.
Like it might've been if only Jakob hadn't gone and fucked everything up between them, all those years ago.
Chapter 13
What does he see in them?
Brown eyes flicked in Jakob's direction and he quickly looked away, heat creeping up the back of his neck at being caught staring.
Again.
He tried to focus on the movie they were watching, but soon enough his traitorous eyes drifted towards Ethan once again. The play of light flashing across his best friend's face, the flexing of his throat as he took a sip of the beer they had snuck past their floor's RA, that low rumbling chuckle erupting every now and again…
All still somehow just as fascinating now as the other half dozen times Jakob's attention had wandered away from the movie. And all provoking just as many questions, too. Questions for which Jakob was starting to fear there might be no way to find answers for.
