Wes wasn’t stupid. He knew he had been partially to blame, maybe more so with Alexander. He struggled opening himself up. He didn’t give himself to Alexander the way he should have...but Alexander hadn’t been willing to fight for him, either. He’d easily been able to walk away. Christ, he hoped Braden wouldn’t walk away. That he wouldn’t disappoint the man.
Wes started going up the hill toward Braden and Jessie. They weren’t too far ahead of him, Braden dragging because of the weight he carried. As though he knew Wes made his way toward them, he stopped and turned. His face was red because of the cold, but he smiled that happy fucking smile that only Braden gave, and he realized he would risk anything for it. For the first time, he would really risk anything.
“About time, Wesley,” he said to Wes when he reached them. It was as though he knew what Wes had been thinking—as though he meant more than just Wes climbing up the hill.
“I’m here now.”
“That’s all that matters.” He handed Jessie to him as the little girl wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Thank you,” Wes told him but Braden just shook his head.
“You don’t have anything to thank me for.”
But he really did. “Come on. Let’s get to the top.”
The three of them, plus Jock, finished climbing up the hill. When they got to the top, Braden sat on the sled with Jessie between his legs and his arms around her. Then he scooted forward with them. “Get on here.”
This is where Wes would usually second guess himself, but hell, he wanted to be like Braden—no hesitation at all. So he did. He climbed on behind Braden. They pushed off, Jessie cheering as they raced down the hill. Jock ran beside them, kicking up snow as they went.
They did it three more times, and on the fourth, when they made it to the bottom of the hill, the sled hit something and they all rolled off. Braden held Jessie again, Wes having held her the time before.
As soon as he hit the ground, he jerked into a sitting position, his heart hammering. “Jess, you okay?”
She lay on top of Braden and started laughing. “Hey. Not funny, Squirt.” But he was laughing too. Then Wes fell onto his back, looking up at the sky, joining them.
“Let’s do it again!” Jessie squealed.
“No,” he and Braden both said at the same time, and he wondered, wondered if Chelle saw them right now, and hoped she thought they were doing a good job with Jessie. If he was doing a good job with himself.
Chapter Twenty-Six
They’d just finished Christmas dinner when Wes grabbed Braden’s arm as he walked down the hall toward the bathroom.
“You’re limping. What happened?” Wes asked him.
“Nothing. Fucked up my ankle a little that last time down the hill. It’s no biggie.”
Wes cocked his head a little, opened his mouth as though he was going to say something, but then kissed him instead. It took Braden a second to open his mouth, to let his tongue wrestle with Wes’s, because he hadn’t expected it. They were alone in the hallway, but still, Wes didn’t usually do shit like this. He definitely didn’t kiss Braden when anyone could walk by and see them. That made things more serious than Wes wanted them.
“What was that for?”
“I wanted to kiss you. Got a problem with it?” Wes teased.
“You got jokes now, Wesley, or what? Who are you, and what did you do with the Wes I know?” But he liked it. Fuck yeah, he liked it.
“You should have said something. I feel bad.”
Braden brushed it off. “What would you have done? It’s not a big deal. Hurts a little. It’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
“Aw, you don’t like that you got hurt, do you? You’re human, too. I know you can do just about anything, but looks like you’re simply a man like the rest of us.” Wes had laughter in his voice. He moved to walk down the hall and back to the living room, but this time it was Braden who grabbed his arm.
“Say it again.”
“What?” Wes asked.
“The part where you said I can do anything.”
Wes looked up and shook his head as if he didn’t know what to do with Braden. “Only you.”
“But you like me, remember?”
“I remember,” Wes told him, and then walked away.
The rest of the night was pretty laid back. The kids ran around the house and played with their new toys. Braden and his dad took Wes to the shop to show him the motorcycle. Wes and Jessie called home and spoke with Lydia and her family. It was comfortable. They fit in with his family naturally, and Braden wondered if Wes realized it.
Since they’d had such a busy day, everyone when to bed early, including Wes and Jessie. Braden lay on the futon, staring into the dark, unable to sleep. His mom was right. He was in love with Wes. There was a small part of him that was a little freaked out over the idea just because—well, love was serious shit. It changed everything, especially with Jessie in the picture. Jock had always been the biggest responsibility he had—excluding his job. There was this little tug of fear that he hadn’t expected—what if he fucked it up?