Wayward Son by Shae Connor Read Free Book Online Page B

favorite thing in the world,” he admitted. “Not just the place, although it’s pretty damn awesome, but that it’s mine, you know? I did the work, I got up the money, and I keep it going.”
    Mikey mirrored Jimmy’s position, elbow on the side of the pool. “How does all that work with you and Cory, anyway?” he asked. “I mean, with you living out there, running the show, and him back here in town?”
    Jimmy’s smile slipped a little. “It’s usually fine. We’re both really… independent, I guess. Sometimes I think if we lived together full-time, we’d break up in a month.” He chuckled. “Or kill each other. Living apart gives us a buffer so we don’t rub each other wrong, I think.”
    Mikey nodded. “I can see that. You’re both so… out there. Strong personalities.”
    “And no matter how much we love each other—and we do, don’t get me wrong there—sometimes it’s hard for us to fit into the same space. It’s part of why we like bringing in a third sometimes. It turns the figurative buffer into something literal.” He reached out and ran his free hand down Mikey’s arm. “Not that either of us thinks of you as just a buffer. We like you because you’re you. Everything else is just a bonus.”
    Something inside Mikey unclenched at that. He’d wondered why two men, older and clearly committed to each other, would be interested in a kid like him for anything more than just some fun on the side. But what Jimmy said made sense. Having a third, and especially one so much different from either of them, gave them something to focus on other than each other. Cory and Jimmy were bigger than life in so many ways that it made sense for them to need more out of their relationships than the average person.
    Mikey wasn’t sure he was the right guy to complete that puzzle, but he was willing to give it a try.
    Voices at the side of the house heralded the arrival of more guests, and Mikey looked over to see it was Riley and Evan. Riley had replied to Mikey’s text with the party invitation enthusiastically, though he’d said they might be closer to six thirty arriving. Riley carried a foil-covered pan and Evan a six-pack of Corona, and when Cory saw, he fussed at them for it.
    “I told you not to bring anything but your gorgeous selves.” He planted a hand on one hip. “Did you think I’d throw a party without enough food?”
    “You never have Corona, and you know it,” Evan shot back.
    “Yeah, because I’m not into drinking piss. That part I’m not worried about.” Cory eyed Riley’s offering. “Although if that’s something sweet you’ve got there, I might be willing to forgive and forget.”
    Riley lifted an eyebrow. “Lemon bars,” he replied. “If you behave, I might even be willing to let you have one.”
    “Gimme!” Cory made grabby hands, but Riley dodged around him, laughing as he put the pan on the food table.
    “Eat your dinner first,” Riley scolded. “Then we’ll see if you’ve been good enough to have dessert.”
    “Life is uncertain,” Cory retorted, trying to get to the pan around Riley’s slight body. “Eat dessert first!”
    Mikey fell into a giggle fit at their antics, and Jimmy started laughing beside him, both of them clinging to the side of the pool. “How did a couple of normal guys like us manage to fall in with this crowd?” Jimmy asked, and that just made Mikey laugh harder.
    A shadow fell over them, and Mikey looked up to see Evan looming over them. “Are you two having enough fun over here?”
    “Never,” Jimmy shot back. “We need you to get out of those clothes immediately and get in here and entertain us.”
    Evan lifted an eyebrow. “Have you forgotten the part where I’m retired?”
    “So am I, hot stuff, but I still do some of my best work naked.” Jimmy winked, and Evan laughed.
    “Sorry, but I play to an audience of one these days.” He reached for the hem of his T-shirt. “You get shirtless, but the bottoms stay