No Sacrifice Page 17

  “Okay,” Chance said, considering Patrick for a moment.

  “Oh! Picture,” Patrick said, digging his phone out. “I promised Emily,” he said, though he’d done no such thing. Of Avery, yes, but certainly not of Chance. Chance stepped back, posed with Avery, grins splitting both faces, and Patrick snapped the picture, smiling when Avery waved. “Okay, sunscreen. I’ll be right there,” he said, and Chance nodded.

  “Okay. Come on, Squirt, you can show me how to swim,” Chance said, turning away.

  Patrick watched them go, his eyes glued to Chance’s ass, which looked amazing in the clinging swimsuit. Patrick’s already half-hard uncomfortable cock twitched and filled more. He rolled his eyes at himself, adjusted his cock to a slightly more comfortable angle, then slathered his own skin in sunscreen.

  He paused to send the pic to Em, who replied with: He is gorgeous! Snap him up quick! Patrick rolled his eyes, stuffed the phone in the bottom of his bag, and went to join the other two, happy he managed to stand up and walk to the water without embarrassing himself too badly.

  They stayed where it was mostly shallow, splashing each other and taking turns holding Avery, working on teaching him to swim. Avery was quite put out to discover Chance could, in fact, swim.

  He narrowed his eyes at Chance. “That’s not nice!”

  Chance looked sheepish. “I’m sorry. Forgive me?” He gave Avery a puppy-dog expression, and Avery rolled his eyes.

  “He’s weird,” he announced to Patrick, making them both laugh.

  “Yeah, I like him weird, though,” Patrick said, not realizing at first how it would sound. But he didn’t, wouldn’t, pull it back, because he meant it.

  “Well, duh. He wouldn’t be your best friend if he wasn’t,” Avery said, as if weirdness was a prerequisite for being a best friend.

  Patrick raised an eyebrow, but his gaze was locked on Chance. “I suppose so. Do I have enough weirdness to qualify as a best friend?” he asked. He had no idea what made him say it, but it was out there, and he held his breath as he waited for the reply.

  “Definitely,” Chance said firmly. “Is that what we are?”

  Patrick nodded. “I think so.” He grinned. “You’re in trouble now.”

  Chance laughed. “Maybe you’re the one in trouble.”

  Patrick shrugged. “I think I can handle it.”

  They grinned at each other for a long moment; then Avery groaned. “You two are gross. Just kiss already,” he said, wiggling out of Chance’s arms. He landed in the water and waded to where it was a little more shallow, then plopped down and started digging in the sand.

  Patrick and Chance refused to look at each other and instead sat next to Avery, splashing him and each other until the uncomfortable moment passed.

  Avery started to get tired, so Patrick hauled him up to the beach mats. He toweled the boy off and got him to settle in with promises of cheeseburgers for dinner. He knew he’d have to learn to cook somehow, because there was no way he could keep feeding the two of them from Pablo’s or In-N-Out. But for today he’d keep a promise and delay the inevitable at the same time.

  He was checking his phone a moment later when he looked up to see Chance approaching. Patrick’s eyes widened at the water dripping over Chance’s chest, the long, wet blond hair that rioted around Chance’s face, and the swimsuit that hugged and clung even more now. He didn’t even hesitate. He pulled up the camera and snapped a couple of pictures before he could talk himself out of it.

  “If you get pictures, so do I,” Chance said when he approached, blue eyes fixed on Patrick.

  Patrick raised his eyebrows over his sunglasses. “Oh?”

  “Yup,” Chance said, picking up a towel and drying his face, then running it over his wet hair. He snatched up his own phone and looked up. “Take off the sunglasses?” he asked, and Patrick obliged.

  He was usually very good with getting his picture taken. It was, after all, part and parcel of being an actor. But he was a little more nervous with Chance, hoping he looked just right, that he was… sexy enough without overdoing it. He just kept his eyes focused on the phone and couldn’t help but wonder what Chance saw through the lens. He hadn’t even thought about his own swimsuit when he grabbed it that morning but knew it was barely more than Chance’s was. Did Chance like that? “Thanks” was all Chance said when he was done, but he wouldn’t look at Patrick, and Patrick could have sworn the swimsuit seemed a bit tighter.

  They spent a quiet hour reading, letting Avery nap, but when he woke again, they packed up their beach things and headed back for dinner. All three were starving by this point, the fresh air and ocean doing much to work up healthy appetites.

  When they got to Pablo’s and stepped through the door, they were greeted by a loud, “Ohhhhhh!” A few seconds later, Avery was out of Chance’s arms and cuddled in Marcy’s. “Oh, he is a doll!” she said, grinning at him.

  Avery peered at her, then back to Patrick and Chance, then back to her. “Who are you?” he asked, frowning.

  “My name’s Marcy, and you’re Avery. Your daddy’s told me so much about you!” she crowed, walking with him toward a booth.

  Patrick snatched up a booster seat and followed, Chance right behind him.

  “He’s ‘Da,’” Avery corrected her, and Marcy looked up at Patrick, chuckling.

  “Yeah, my own da is Irish.”

  “Ah,” Marcy said, nodding, then looked back at Avery. “I’m sorry, sweetie, Da. Can I get you a milkshake? Or chocolate milk? A chocolate milkshake, maybe?”

  Avery turned wide, hopeful eyes on Patrick. “Can I, Da? Can I have a milkshake?”

  Patrick chuckled and started to slide in next to Avery with the booster, but Marcy shooed him away. “I can help him. You sit over there,” she said, taking the booster seat. “I wanna sit next to him.”

  Patrick raised his eyebrows but sat next to Chance. Patrick and Chance grinned at each other, then turned to watch her help Avery sit up better. Avery was busy telling her all about his day at the park and aquarium and beach. She was listening raptly, nodding and grinning herself.

  “That sounds like an amazing day. I’ll tell you what, baby. I’m going to go make your milkshake. Then you can tell me all about teachin’ Chance to swim, okay?”

  Avery nodded. “Okay, Miss Marcy. Thank you.”

  Marcy grinned and bopped his nose with one finger. “He’s awesome. Y’all want coffee?” she asked, and both Patrick and Chance nodded.

  “Thanks, Marcy,” Patrick said, but she waved a hand.

  “He’s adorable. Don’t get to fuss over too many kids here.”

  When she came back with a milkshake almost as tall as Avery, she had also pulled Pablo out from behind the grill. “Look at him. Isn’t he just the sweetest little baby?”

  Pablo rolled his eyes, but there was a twinkle in their dark depths, and he nodded. “Yes, he is. Muito gatinho. Do you like cheeseburgers? French fries, little one?” Pablo asked.

  Avery nodded, looking once more at Patrick, then to Chance. “Can I?”

  Patrick didn’t miss the look at Chance or the fact that Avery seemed to be asking Chance for permission as much as him. He thought when Avery took a liking to Chance it might make him jealous. It made him feel good instead, knowing Avery just might accept Chance having a place in their lives. Chance glanced at him, obviously having caught it too. “That’s fine, Stinker,” he said, and Avery cheered.

  “Yes, thank you, sir,” Avery said politely.

  “Oh, listen to him!” Marcy said, leaning in to pinch his cheeks.

  Avery winced but didn’t complain. He did, however, send a look at them, and Patrick smirked.

  “I think she likes you, Stinker,” Patrick said.

  “I’m sure of it, Squirt,” Chance agreed.

  Avery blushed, and Patrick grinned, then leaned toward Chance. “I think he’s got a crush.”

  Chance smiled, and Marcy beamed. “I think so too,” Chance said in his ear.

  “Oh,
darlin’ you are so adorable.” She leaned down and gave Avery a big kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be back with your food. Oh! What do y’all want?” she asked.

  “Finally remember we’re here?” Chance asked.

  Marcy scowled. “How do you expect me to pay attention to you with such a sweetie over here?” she asked, pointing at Avery.

  Patrick laughed. “My usual, Marcy.”

  “Same here,” Chance said, laughing as well.

  Marcy rolled her eyes but hurried over to the kitchen to put their orders in. She was back in less than a minute, sliding in next to Avery again. “So, Little Bit, tell me about teachin’ Chance to swim.”

  Avery glanced at them but then turned back to her and launched into a play-by-play of their beach time—edited, of course, from a child’s perspective. He told her about how Chance had really known how to swim but pretended not to and how he was kinda mad about that. But Chance gave him a frog, so he’s really okay. He grumbled about falling asleep for a while but then followed that up with how he didn’t mind so much because he was gonna get a cheeseburger.

  When he wound down, Marcy was trying hard not to laugh. She leaned in and kissed the top of his curls, hugging him to her. “Well, I am sorry I missed it!” she said, shaking her head.

  “You should come with us next time!” Avery said.

  Marcy grinned and winked at Patrick. “We’ll just hafta see about that. I might hafta do that.” She dropped another kiss on top of his head and went to retrieve their food. She insisted on sitting with them while they ate, helping Avery when he had trouble with something. The cheeseburger—much smaller than normal, Patrick was grateful to see—he imagined was Pablo’s doing.

  As they were finishing up, Avery finally having talked himself out after going on about his tutu and papa, Hawai’i, his mama, and everything in between, Marcy turned to them. “You know,” she started, and Patrick thought he felt Chance stiffen next to him. “If y’all wanna go out sometime, I’d love to babysit him.”

  Patrick heard the quiet groan next to him but pretended he didn’t. “I’d appreciate that,” Patrick said. “I like to watch Chance play, and I’m not sure it’s the best place for a little kid. I might take him once in a while, but every week would be a bit much. Do you work Wednesday nights?”

  “Honey, I work all the time, but if I want off, I’ll take off,” she said, throwing a look toward Pablo. “He’d never deny me for somethin’ like this.”

  “That’s great,” Patrick said, sighing. “I’m… still kind of new to the single-dad thing.”

  “Single?” Marcy asked.

  “Well, Em’s up in Vancouver and, except for a phone call and texts for questions, busy. So… I’m kind of on my own with him.”

  “Uh-huh,” Marcy said carefully. Her eyes darted from Patrick to Chance, then back again. “Well, I’m definitely willing to watch him when I can.”

  Patrick wondered about the “uh-huh.” He and Chance had agreed it was probably best to keep the separation quiet for the time being. He didn’t think Marcy would spill the beans or anything, but she would try to push them into going out, and Patrick, if he did ask, wanted to do it on his own.

  “I’ll let you know, thank you.”

  Avery yawned then, and Marcy turned to him. “Well, Little Bit, I guess it’s gettin’ close to your bedtime.”

  “Not tired,” Avery argued, and Marcy chuckled.

  “I can see that, but you’re gonna hafta help your da get unpacked and stuff tomorrow, so you gotta get plenty of rest for it.”

  Avery looked at her suspiciously but finally nodded. “Yeah, I guess. Da, can we watch a movie first? When we get home?”

  Patrick nodded. “Sure, Stinker.” If he picked the right one, Avery would be asleep pretty quickly, anyway.

  They finally made it out of Pablo’s with promises to be back and to make sure he told her when he’d want her to watch Avery. Patrick tried to pay for dinner, but Chance beat him to it, then found out Pablo was taking care of it since they “shut Marcy up so much.” Marcy growled, Pablo snickered, and Patrick and Chance made bets in the car on when the wedding would be.

  When they were settled in on the couch with beers for the adults, Avery in pajamas and Cars running on the TV, Patrick smiled at Avery’s insistence on sitting in Chance’s lap. About the time Lightning McQueen was finishing up the new road, Avery’s eyelids drooped. Before the final race, soft snores punctuated the quiet room. Patrick watched Chance watch Avery sleep, clutching the frog Chance had given him.

  The thought crept up on Patrick that he could get used to that, would love to see Chance next to him on the couch in the evenings. Chance had been more than amazing with Avery, as Patrick had been sure Chance would be. And Avery had taken to Chance immediately. Patrick once heard kids could usually sense when someone wasn’t good, deep down. Oh, they could be fooled, but oftentimes they knew if something was up.

  Chance’s face held longing, wistfulness. Patrick wondered if it was for a child, the ability to have one of his own. Or if it was them—him and Avery. Did Chance want to be part of their family? Did he want to be with Patrick?

  Patrick was still a little afraid to ask something like that out loud. He liked the friendship he had going with Chance, and he feared messing that up with something he still wasn’t sure Chance wanted like he did. But the image in front of him of Avery asleep on Chance’s chest, Chance’s arms around Avery, face buried in the soft curls, made Patrick’s heart ache with longing. He didn’t know if Chance wanted this, but he sure did.

  He pulled his phone out carefully, lest he interrupt the scene, and snapped a picture. As soon as the camera sound went off, Chance looked up, raising his eyebrows. “Too perfect. ‘Cars puts both man and boy to sleep,’” Patrick quoted a fake headline.

  “I was not asleep,” Chance said, snickering. “But this one is. Where do you want him?”

  Patrick glanced at the clock and realized just how late it was. “Oh, crap. Um… I can get him,” he said, sitting up.

  But Chance shook his head. “Let me. Where?”

  “Oh, uh, on my bed, I guess,” he answered and kept his eyes glued on the pair as Chance stood and carried Avery over to the bed. Chance tucked Avery in under the covers and brushed Avery’s hair back before dropping a light kiss on his temple.

  He stood and came back to the couch. “I should probably get going,” Chance said.

  Patrick stood. “Yeah, uh… I don’t exactly have a guest bedroom,” he said, then chuckled, looking around.

  Chance laughed. “No, that’s true. It’s all good. I’ll come back tomorrow? We’ll take care of the apartment and stuff?”

  Patrick nodded. “Sure. I appreciate it.”

  Chance turned and headed for the door, Patrick following. He paused and turned back. “I… had a great time today. Thanks for letting me be part of it.”

  “I don’t think it would’ve been the same without you,” Patrick said quietly.

  Chance’s eyebrows went up. “Well, uh, thanks.”

  “Thank you.” Patrick fidgeted for a minute, wanting desperately to ask Chance to stay. But he was being absurd and he knew it. “Well, uh, see you tomorrow, then.”

  “Okay,” Chance said, nodding. He paused as if he wanted to say something else, then pulled open the door. “G’night.”

  “Night,” Patrick replied, waving. He watched until Chance was on his way down the steps, then closed and locked the door and leaned against it. Coward, he thought. Do what’s right for you and Avery. Tutu’s words came back to him. But was Chance right?

  In the end, it wouldn’t matter, if Chance didn’t want him as more than friends.

  It would take a long time for him to fall asleep.

  Chapter 11

  The apartment was perfect. The master bedroom had its own bathroom, a closet plenty big enough for his clothes, and plenty of room for the queen-size bed he currently had. The second bedroom was quite a bit smaller but still plenty big for the car bed he
wanted for Avery, along with a dresser, a toy box, and bookshelves.

  The living and dining areas and the kitchen had hardwood floors, which the landlady pointed out would make cleaning up after an almost four-year-old much easier. He liked the fireplace in the corner, the multiple locks on the door, and the buzzer system. But when Avery nearly bolted for the swings and sandbox, he knew he’d take it. It was a bonus that it came in a couple hundred dollars under his limit.

  He had more trouble getting out of his current apartment. The corporate office that ran his building didn’t want to let him break his lease since he wasn’t leaving the state. When he explained he’d have one more person in his apartment than code suggested for a studio, they relented but still charged him an extra month. He figured that was worth not having a ding on his credit and rental record, since he wasn’t exactly rich enough to not care about that.

  Patrick didn’t like moving at the best of times. Luckily, he had Chance’s help for the packing, even if there wasn’t a lot to pack up. His clothes took up the bulk. It was actually kind of sad how little he’d collected while he’d been there in LA. He put in a call to his mom to ask her to ship a few of his things still in storage out there, desperate for something to make the apartment more his. After another lecture on family, she agreed to send his tribal masks, a couple of his classic movie posters, and a few other things.

  Outside of his clothes, there was very little left. His kitchen was almost completely bare. And there was almost nothing on the walls. He did have a goodly number of movies to pack, and there was the bookshelf he’d filled to overflowing.

  The real surprise came, however, when he was working on the last of the stuff in his bathroom. Chance was disassembling the bed and folding the bedclothes, and Avery was “packing” his toys—the same half dozen or so were taken out of the box, organized, then put back in. Patrick was just happy he was occupied.

  When the doorbell rang, he left the box on the sink, threw a puzzled look at Chance, who refused to look at him, then went to the door. He stared at the assemblage in front of him, confused as all hell for a long moment. Angelo and Sebastian stood off to one side, Marcy was next to them with Pablo behind her, and next to them were two men Patrick didn’t readily recognize. Something seemed familiar about one of them, but Patrick couldn’t figure out what it was.