First Flight by Connor Wright Read Free Book Online Page A

in. “We’re here, so c’mon.”
    “Oh.” Oh . The same little warmth that had sprung up the night before flared again. “So you would not mind if I gave you more?” Chris said, as he got out of the car.
    “You can if you want to.” Jesse said, joining him on the sidewalk and tilting his head toward the entrance.
    Whatever else Chris might have said was forgotten as they walked in the door. The store was like Meyer’s, in that it carried food and a selection of household necessities, but it was not like Meyer’s in that most of what it carried would never be found on Meyer’s’ shelves. The place was a riot of scents and colors, and Chris flitted happily from thing to thing. Jesse followed him, content to just watch.
    “Can I live here?” Chris asked, his hands and nose pressed against the front of the lobster tank. “I would have good food forever and forever!”
    Jesse laughed and shook his head. “Sorry, but I don’t think they’d let you. Do you want some shrimp?”
    “Yes, please!”
    Shrimp procured, they wandered on.
    “Oh, hey, look,” Jesse said, pointing at the cold case they were approaching, “they’ve got—”
    “Eggs!” Chris, intent on the cartons, missed the startled looks his exclamation got him. He was delighted to discover that not only were there plain old hen’s eggs, the case also held stacks of quail, duck, and goose eggs. Two cartons of quail eggs and one each of duck and goose went into the basket he carried. “This is a good store.”
    “I like coming here,” Jesse said, pleased that he’d managed to refrain from laughing at the gravity of Chris’s statement. He couldn’t explain why Chris’s reaction delighted him, nor why he wanted to kiss him for it. There would be no kissing, however, so he just put his hands in his pockets. “You want to see what kind of ice cream they have?”
    “Yes. Very much.”
    Thirty-five minutes of wandering later, the two of them stood in line. When it was their turn, Jesse took advantage of the fact that Chris was inclined to do as he was told and said, “Why don’t you give me the basket and go wait at the end of the counter, okay?”
    “Certainly.” Chris handed it over and walked down to stand beside the bagging area. He watched, expression darkening as the total was announced and Jesse paid it. “Jesse—”
    “This is for you,” Jesse said, picking up the first of the bags and holding it out to Chris. He wasn’t sure if Chris would understand it, but maybe he would. He’d figured out the quail eggs, after all.
    “But—”
    “And this.” Jesse picked up the second bag. “All of these, they’re for you.”
    Chris took the bags as they were handed to him, a funny look on his face. “You are giving these to me?”
    “Yeah,” Jesse said, feeling his neck getting hot. The cashier and the bag-boy were probably staring at them, but he couldn’t stop. Wouldn’t stop for anything, really, short of perhaps a natural disaster. “They’re all good things, right? Uh, important things?”
    “Yes,” Chris said. He cocked his head, looking back and forth between Jesse and the bags of food. His little voice seemed to be holding its breath. “A gift?”
    “Yes,” Jesse said, feeling weirdly giddy as Chris took the last of the bags from him. “For you.”
    He has given a gift in return, and from a place of good food, his little voice said . “Thank you,” Chris said, and then he looked over Jesse’s shoulder. “We are in the way.”
    “Crap!” Jesse jumped and scurried forward, looking over his shoulder, his face hotter than the back of his neck had been. “Sorry!”
    The woman in line behind them waved. “It’s okay,” she said.
    “Sorry,” Jesse said again, catching Chris’s sleeve and tugging him along toward the doors.
    In the car, Chris said, “Did you also give me the candy you chose for you?”
    “Huh? Oh, I completely forgot,” Jesse said, shaking his head. “Well, no, I guess not that.”
    “I