A Matter of Time, Vol. 2 (A Matter of Time #3-4)

by Mary Calmes

“It’s ten.” I smiled down at him. “The wedding’s not for another eight hours.” “Then why is she screaming?” “She’s not, actually.” “It sounds like it to me.” “Yeah, but you can probably hear paint peeling,” I suggested. He only groaned. “She’s only concerned that you guys aren’t gonna look pretty for pictures.” “Owww.” He winced, patting the couch beside him. “Sit.”

“It was the last shot of tequila off the girl’s navel that did it,” I teased him. I could only imagine what the second night of debauchery had degraded to. “How d’ya know?” He tried to smile, putting his head on my leg as soon as I sat down.

“Hey, fellas,” I teased them, looking sideways at Lance’s profile. “You guys all done barfing?” “No,” he whined, his head on my shoulder. “Tell me what we have to eat for dinner.” “Liver and onions,” I cackled evilly. “Oh screw you,” he retched, leaning over to lie down on the couch. The leather had to be cool on his hot face. “Liver, my ass.” “Alex.” I called his name softly. “Mmmm.” He barely made a noise, his forehead against the back of my neck. “Do your eyelids hurt?”

“If I straighten my head, I think it’ll explode.” “Your sister’s coming.” He whimpered before she yelled, “You guys need to get up!” Her voice was like getting whiplash—fast and painful. I felt it run down my spine. “Oh God,” Alex groaned from behind me, and we all laughed when we heard the bump as he hit the floor. “I think my eyes are bleeding.” “Guys!” we heard Jude whine from the bedroom. “Will you shut the hell up!”

“Do something, J,” Rick begged me. “You’re the only one she loves.”

“J, you gotta make her stop yelling,” Alex begged me from the floor on the other side of the couch. “I seriously think it could kill me.” “Is it really liver?” Lance moaned into the couch. We all heard Jude give out a high-pitched, girly scream from the bedroom. I couldn’t stop smiling. “I think I’m gonna puke,” Rick said from my lap, covering his face with one of the throw pillows. “I will kill you all if you do not get up!” “J,” Lance almost cried, “make her stop.” “Make her stop,” Rick seconded. “Please make her stop,” Alex begged me. “She’s your sister,” I reminded him.

“Yeah, but she loves you more than me.” “Do you hear me?” she roared from the other room, obviously still torturing Jude. “Ohmygod, just kill her,” Lance whispered, facedown on the couch now. “Why did you guys let me sleep folded up like a pretzel? I think my spine is broken.” We all heard Jude scream again before there was a crash and a thump. “I bet she dumped him out of bed,” Alex sighed from the floor. “I’m okay,” he called out to us. “Asshole got the bed,” Rick whined. “He de...

“This is what comes of partying like rock stars.” I chuckled. “When you’re no...

Her sigh was deep as she passed Lance and slapped him as hard as she could on the ass. He almost howled.

“Yes, baby.” She stopped in front of me, shoving Rick up and moving him before she leaned down to give me a kiss. “I feel great.” I lifted my head, and the kiss I received was featherlight on my lips.

“And you guys need to pull it together and get ready,” she snarled at the others. “Now!” The muffled groans made me smile as she took my hand and tugged me after her toward the door.

“Mean?” She gasped in mock shock. “You know you’re mean. You nearly killed those poor guys.” “They’ll be lucky to live,” she growled, brows furrowing.

She stopped suddenly and stared at me. “You have been amazing since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

“I wanted you for my brother,” I assured her. “And I’m so glad you’re going to be mine.” “But you gotta be sweet to the one you already have.” She frowned again. “He better shape up, because if he ruins my wedding… so help me God, I will ruin him permanently.” “Okay, now you’re gettin’ a little spooky.” I chuckled. “Oh Jory.” She sighed. “I just love you. Come with me.” And I did.

“Jory,” she called over to me, and I heard the deep chuckle. “Baby, what—” “Leave him alone,” the judge cut her off playfully. “We’re busy.”

In answer I got arms wrapped around my neck and she hugged me tight. “What did you do?” “I went and got my iPod and asked your dad if he still had moves.”

felt her shaking in my arms. “As you can see, the man’s still got it.” She clutched me tighter, her head back as the laughter bubbled up out of her. When I glanced back at her folks, I was rewarded with the warm smile of her mother.

The look Dane had given me as he left had been so pained that I felt my chest tighten just looking at

him. The last thing he wanted to do on his wedding day was upset his future father-in-law with people that were of minimal importance to him. The truth was, he simply liked the judge better than his biological family. I had to fix it. I had to restore the ease that the day had begun with; this, then, was what Dane’s look had conveyed on his exit. And I had accomplished it by dancing around the suite like an idiot with Aja’s dad.

The first dance for the bride and groom was fluid precision and mesmerizing to watch. They went naturally together, blending seamlessly because they fit. When Aja danced with her father, no one did anything else but stare at the dashing man and his daughter. Dane floated across the floor with Aja’s mother, and the same was true. Obvious from the way they

all hugged afterwards that this was a union that had both their approval and support. Not surprising, as it was hard to imagine any parent not wanting Dane for a son-in-law.

The last shot was of Dane on his knees in front of Aja as he held a rose up to her. They both looked at me, in an instant remembering the trip to Carmel and the picture I had snapped. I was pleased with the tears in the bride’s eyes and Dane’s clenched jaw as Aja’s favorite Stevie Wonder song filled the room. The applause came like

a roar as the guests went wild. Aja’s mother was up and out of her seat in one fluid movement, rushing from her table to mine to take me in her arms. She understood at last why I had needed to go through her photo albums with her. When she let me go, I turned to the bride and groom and gestured for them to take the floor. Dane led his wife past me, his hand lingering on my cheek for a moment before he walked by.

I smiled back and we went together to the floor. Always, the two of us together could not remain serious for even a minute. In her dress and my tuxedo, it translated to an over-the-top waltz. There were spins and dips and we basically had everyone laughing and clapping and calling for an encore when we were done. She told me over and over how much she loved me, and when Dane came to part us, instead of taking her into his arms, he wrapped an arm around my neck and led me from the crowd back to the table.

“So, it goes without saying, but still… I have the woman I love, the brother I love, friends I love… there is no one more blessed than me.” I looked into his dark gray eyes, saw the warmth there, and nodded. “I’m sorry Mr. and Mrs. Harcourt couldn’t be here today to be with you.” He nodded. “They are.” “They would be so proud of you, Dane.” His eyes absorbed me. “My family, the people who mean the world to me… are Aja and you.” I smiled at him. “I need you with me always.” I nodded. “Same here.” Hand on the back of my neck, he squeezed tight before he let go and stood. “Love you,” he said as he walked away. He barely got it out.

“Jory, you’re such a good boy,” Mrs. Reid sighed, the tears welling in her eyes. “Dane certainly picked a wonderful brother.”

“Don’t be such a whiny bitch,” he snapped at me. I grunted. “C’mon, boy, use that Y chromosome for something,” he teased me. “You’re hilarious,” I grunted at him. “What are you doing anyway?”

“I’m watching TV and making your dinner.” I chuckled. “Very domestic.” “Just hurry up. If I don’t get the damn crib put together today, my life is gonna be hell.” “Fine, I’m coming.” “Don’t forget the half-gallon of paint and the staple gun.” “I won’t.” “And that blue tape that you use when you’re painting.” “You mean the painter’s tape?” “Screw you, smart-ass,” he grumbled as he hung up.

I didn’t care if it looked like I was running. I wanted to put the distance between us. I had closed and locked the door on Sam Kage and the mess my life had been a long time ago. I wanted it to stay that way. Obviously he did as well. If he had wanted it any other way,

the first time I saw him—after the time I had seen him in the hospital—would not have been as he strolled, laughing, with friends and a woman I didn’t know. His life, I was sure, was as he wanted it.

“Why?” She looked at Dylan. “Did the bakery only have one chocolate chip muffin?” “Oh for crissakes,” she snapped at us. “Fake your water breaking one time and you’re branded for life.” We both laughed at her.

We spent most of the morning going over current accounts, and then our work ethic dissolved into office-chair races by ten.

She only grunted as her frown darkened. “You need to let me meet this guy.” “Oh, I don’t think so, crazy hormonal lady.” She growled at me. “You see, that’s what I’m talking about right there.”

“Jory!” Dylan almost screamed. “Get in here now!” I groaned and went to explain to my best friend why shrieking was no good for either her or her baby. I had to talk really fast to convince her that hurling

her Rolodex at me wasn’t an acceptable solution either.

I told Evan that he was on crack, sent Tracy the same, and agreed with Dylan. The man for me would not have cared what his friends thought, as Brandon so obviously did.

The last guy Loudon McKay, Evan’s partner of the last two years, had me meet ended up having a cat with some kind of weird skin disease. There was ointment that needed to be applied every four hours. I had run like hell.

The dance music came pounding out of the speakers and we went back to the floor. It was fun and I didn’t care what had gotten me there anymore, I was just looking forward to getting to know my new friend. I saw us shopping for matching sequin tube tops or something equally ridiculous. When I spun her around and dipped her in my arms, she laughed so hard I thought she was going to pee.

“Shouldn’t have invited me if you didn’t wanna be embarrassed,” I told him. “You can’t take poor white trash like me and Abe anywhere.” Aubrey giggled, ending with a snort, which made me start laughing.

“Okay,” she said, her eyes absorbing him, the thick black hair, the cleft chin, the laugh lines in the corner of his sparkling emerald eyes. “How do you know Jory, Rick?” “He’s the little brother of one of my best friends in the world.”

Adam and Brandon went absolutely ashen, and I bit my lip so I wouldn’t smile.

Some guy went along dating for years, a real catch—like my brother Dane, the eligible bachelor of the century—then suddenly he met the girl, the one that would be the mother of his children, and usually within six months they were married. Guys went from player to dad in like a year after meeting the one.

“So what? You told me there was nobody special.” “Maybe I lied.” “Well, I don’t see a ring on your finger.” Ridiculous argument. “Gay men don’t wear—” “Oh the fuck they don’t,” he dismissed me. “Who says what they can or can’t do?” “Sam—” “You’re gonna wear a ring for me.” I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to the waiter. I ordered a club sandwich and soup and Sam ended up having the same. Alone again, Sam slid closer, putting an arm around the back of the seat.

“Screw you, Sam. You left me. You left, period, and it’s fine ’cause I understand why ya did but… make no mistake, I will never step back into that shit with you again. I’m done.”

Outside the front door I realized I was faced with his monster car, the SUV from hell.

He raised his other hand, cupping my face as he stared down into my eyes. “I can’t. I want you back… I need you.” I lifted my head out of his hands and stepped away from him. “There’s no way. You almost.…” And I was going to confess that he had almost killed me when he left. I had been so desolate at being abandoned. Only Dane and my friends and work had moved me through all the heartbreak and the loneliness and the grief. I could never go back there and open myself back up to the pain. I was stupid but I wasn’t a masochist. “I almost what?” he pressed me, reaching out for my jacket only to have me step just beyond his fingertips. “Tell me.”

“Nothing,” I sighed, trying so hard to smile even though my eyes were blurring. “I’ll see ya.” I turned and found I could breathe again as I started down the street.

I shoved him away and in the process lost my balance, nearly falling off my barstool. It was perhaps the most uncoordinated, ungraceful thing I’d ever done, but he caught me, crushing me against him and patting my ass before he set me on my feet.

“What are you doing?” he asked suddenly. It seemed obvious. “I’m leaving.” “Why?” he asked, reaching out to grab hold of my wrist. “I forgot how bad you and your friends make me feel about myself,” I told him, yanking my arm free of his grasp. “I’ll see ya later. Thanks for dinner.”

The only man I had ever loved so completely that every wall in me had come down was Sam Kage. And it was because he was strong enough to never break under the strain of being with me. I was a mess and he had been my rock. I needed that, I needed to be able to surrender and just be. But it would sound desperate and codependent if I gave voice to it, so I just stood there silently.