In His Sights

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Stunned only mildly described Noah’s current state. He hadn’t seen Mason’s offer coming. Now that it was out there, he didn’t want to do anything else. But the question was, could he? Could he stay for another three full days with Mason? Alone? Hanging out like two regular guys?

Shit. Mason stood staring at him now, the doubt in his eyes obvious. Noah didn’t want Mason to think inviting him to stay was a mistake, so before Noah could give the idea any more thought, Noah said, “Sure.” Unexpected excitement spiked through him. Then he remembered, “s**t. My duffle went through to Maryland.”

“No problem. Call ahead, they’ll hold it. You can borrow my stuff while you’re here.”

“You sure? I’m going to borrow your briefs?” Noah asked, trying to be funny.

“Unfortunately, you can’t. I don’t wear any.” Mason’s answer sobered Noah right up.

Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all. Noah’s stomach did the damn flip-flop thing.

Mason smiled. “Why don’t you call the airline, change your flight, and I’ll check what’s in the freezer for dinner.”

“Perfect.” Noah ran upstairs to retrieve his phone and his plane ticket. He sat down on the bed as he dialed. Within ten minutes, the airline had him rescheduled on the same flight, only Sunday night instead of Friday. That gave him three more days to spend with Mason. A shiver raced down his back with thoughts of what they’d do.

Mason called out to Noah, and stopped his thoughts before they traveled too far down that road. “I’m coming,” Noah yelled back.

As Noah came down the stairs, Mason exited the kitchen. “There are some steaks. We can do those, or run over to the fish market and buy some mahi-mahi, and do a little surf and turf.”

“Both sound delicious, but we might catch some of our own surf tomorrow, so why don’t we do the steak tonight.”

“You’re right.” Mason padded back to the kitchen, and Noah followed him. Noah’s gaze went straight to Mason’s ass. He needed to knock it off before Mason noticed.

Mason ambled to the refrigerator, and Noah walked around the island. He didn’t want to be too close, but didn’t want it to appear as if he purposely chose to distance himself either. Noah thought being out of smell range of Mason’s scent might be a smart idea.

Mason took the steaks from the freezer and put them in the refrigerator. Noah’s stomach growled, already excited for dinner.

Mason turned around and leaned on the counter. “So, what do you feel up to today?”

“Not sure. This is your neck of the woods. I’m game for most anything,” Noah answered, realizing he truly was.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Noah said, confident in his answer.

Mason hesitated for a second before continuing. “I’m sure this isn’t what you were hoping, but I’m supposed to pick up some trees upstate.”

“Trees?”

“Dogwoods for the corner of the backyard. They’re waiting for me, and I planned to try to hire a driver to go and pick them up some time this week. But since I’m home, we can take my truck, go by, and get them.”

Heading out and getting back to nature sounded perfect to Noah. “Great.”

“You sure? We can skip the trip and do something else. Besides, the nursery’s upstate, fifty miles over the Throgs Neck.”

“Today’s perfect for a road trip.”

“Yeah. It is.” Mason smiled, and Noah wanted to remember how it happened so he could make him do it again.

“Why don’t we grab a bite to eat, then head out on the tail end of rush hour?”

“Perfect. My stomach was about ready to complain.” As the words came out, Noah’s stomach growled again in agreement.

Both men laughed.

“Omelet?” Mason asked.

“Sure.”

Mason padded to the refrigerator and pulled out everything he’d need.

Wanting to earn his stay, Noah asked, “What can I do to help?”

“Want to chop?”

“Sure.”

They worked together preparing the breakfast. The aromas floated through the room and caused Noah to wish the omelets would cook faster.

When they sat down to eat, both men stayed quiet, focused on the food in front of them. Noah took the last morsel of his food into his mouth then peered at Mason.

Mason’s eyebrows were drawn close, his gaze not quite making contact with Noah’s. “You sure you’re okay with this?” Mason asked. “With me putting you to work?”

“Absolutely.” Noah smiled, trying to wash away Mason’s doubt. “Physical labor and working the muscles always makes for a great day.”

Mason smiled. “Okay. Then let’s go.”

They both hopped in the truck. About to pull out of the driveway, Mason stopped. “s**t. Think I should bring some rope and a tarp. They probably have, but in case they don’t, I’d rather not spend the day driving around a town I’m not familiar with, trying to find supplies.”

“Smart.”

As they both got out of the truck and sprinted to the garage, Mason told Noah where to find the rope, and Mason climbed up the ladder and grabbed the tarp off a shelf. With the items in their hands, both men raced back to the truck. This time when the truck made it to the end of the driveway, Mason drove onto the road.

For the first few minutes of the ride, the only sounds in the car were raspy voices from the radio, singing about their lost love. Well technically, three different voices. Each song sounded almost the same, except in the first one the guy got on a plane to forget about her, the second drank to forget about her, and the third had already forgotten about her. Next, Noah expected to hear about the guy’s new girlfriend. Or that he got a dog for companionship instead.

By the time they arrived at the highway, Noah’s legs bounced while his hands fidgeted. He needed to break his and Mason’s silence, but how? He kept his gaze focused out the window, staring at nothing in particular.

“How’d you find this place? Internet?” Noah smiled, glad something popped into his head, even though it was lame.

“No. Guy from my team recently had his yard redone. Said after a lot of shopping around this nursery had the best bang for your buck. Saved me time tracking the trees down.”

“Cool.”

And that was it—back to silence. His words were not quite the conversation starter Noah had hoped for. His eyes strayed back to gazing out the window. He counted the cars with New York license plates as they passed. When he counted up to forty, he got upset. Why is getting us to talk all on me? Mason doesn’t seem to be bothered. He had on the same smile he wore all morning. They passed two more cars. Hell no. This trip is too long to be playing with license plates.

Needing to talk, Noah decided on something that had been bothering him, but he couldn’t figure out why. “The woman in the pictures in your hallway—is she your girlfriend?”

Mason’s reaction stunned Noah. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but it definitely wasn’t Mason laughing hysterically.

“What’s the joke?” Noah asked, still angry, especially now that Mason laughed.

“Sorry. Funny question.”

“Oh?” Noah still didn’t understand the joke.

“The girl’s my sister.” Mason wiped his watering eyes and stifled his laugh.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t notice the resemblance.” Now Noah felt silly thinking that, and even more so for getting angry at Mason’s response.

“It’s all good. But that’s not why I’m laughing. What? Did you think I changed teams?”

“Huh?” Noah stared at Mason, who still wore a smile on his face, not understanding what he meant.

“I’m gay, Noah. I’ve been out for a lot of years. Guess you missed the guys calling me on it back in Afghanistan.”

“They gave you s**t?” Bile burned the back of Noah’s throat, and he fisted his hands. The thought of anyone ragging on Mason caused him to heat up.

“Nah. The usual stuff. It was nothing they didn’t do to each other. Never had to deal with any type of s**t in either the Corps or the Bureau. There was one guy who had a problem with me, but he transferred out the week after I started. So yeah. I’ve been kind of lucky.”

Noah’s brain froze, not believing what he’d heard—he had a problem accepting Mason was gay, although it was more of a problem accepting Mason would out himself so easily. He also couldn’t believe what a lucky son of a b***h Mason was. Noah had only ever listened to horror stories about people coming out in the military, and the way they were treated. And for Mason to not only come out in the Marines, but also in the FBI, and not to have to deal with any repercussions, meant someone was watching over his shoulder. And for that, Noah was grateful. Because the thought of Mason having to deal with any s**t had a rage unlike any Noah had felt in a long time, racing through him.

But as much as these realizations shocked Noah, there was one more that captured his brain that he couldn’t seem to shake. And that was accepting the fact he had agreed to stay with Mason for three extra days and nights—alone. Noah’s heart pounded, ready to beat out of his chest, and he had to fist his hands to keep them from shaking. He was screwed.

Mason stared at Noah, and when he peered over, Noah’s stomach knotted. Mason frowned, and his stare bore into Noah.

It took Noah, a second—a second too long—to realize Mason obviously interpreted Noah’s silence as rejection. I’m a f*****g d**k. “I was thinking how hard that could have been on you. There are a lot of assholes out there.” And in here.

Mason’s tense posture relaxed some, and so did Noah’s. Noah never wanted Mason to believe Noah didn’t have his back. No matter what, Noah would be there for Mason in a heartbeat. Just like Mason had been there for him the other night.

“So, this guy you intended to visit, he your boyfriend?” The words were out before Noah knew he planned to ask. Knew he wanted to know the answer.

“Nope. Absolutely not.” Mason’s words came out harsh, stunning Noah.

Afraid the abrasive tone was meant for him, Noah had to make things right. “Are you dating anyone?” He asked, because yeah, he wanted to make Mason feel better, not because he really wanted to know. “I mean it’s cool if you are.” What the f**k is that supposed to mean. I’m a d**k.

Thankfully, Mason laughed. Thinking Noah was a jackass, was better than Mason thinking Noah had a problem with him being gay.

With Mason leaning back in his seat, his position eased, Noah let out the breath he held. His pulse slowed, and his body relaxed. But before he could take another breath, Mason asked, “What about you?”

And just like that, Noah’s stomach dropped as if it were in the middle of a High-Altitude-Low-Opening insertion. “What?” Noah’s hands shook, he fisted them again and put them by his side, hoping Mason wouldn’t notice. “What the hell? I’m not gay. I don’t have a boyfriend.”

Mason stared at him strangely. “I know you’re not gay. I meant a girlfriend. Do you have a girlfriend?”

Noah’s heart raced. It didn’t matter that Mason corrected himself, the damage was done. Noah thought Mason figured out his secret. It was almost a relief, someone else finally knowing. Someone other than the nameless, faceless men he’d been with over time. But the relief was short lived, turning into abject fear.

“I knew what you meant. I’m kidding with you,” Noah choked out, hoping Mason remained too focused on driving to hear the hitch in his voice. “I’m not dating any one person right now.”

“Right now? That mean you recently broke up?” After taking a single breath Mason said, “s**t. I’m sorry. You don’t need to answer. It’s none of my business.”

“It’s okay.” Now this Noah could talk about. Anything that made him seem normal was okay to say. “I dated this girl for two years, but it didn’t work out.”

“Wow. Two years. That’s a long time. You mind me asking what happened?”

“Don’t mind. We were stagnant, not moving on toward the next level. That’s what she said. I think it was because I left the Navy.” Noah still got an ache in his chest when he said that.

“You really think you leaving was an issue?”

“Absolutely. She liked being with a Navy SEAL more than she liked being with me. Besides, splitting up was all for the best.” If not for her, then for me. I didn’t need a steady girlfriend to introduce to my team. A reason to avoid going out and f*****g around with them. Although they still had called him a p***y because he wouldn’t cheat, but that had been their usual mouthing off. There had been two other guys who had something steady, and they’d been as monogamous as Noah.

“It was smart that you cut her loose. You don’t need someone using you. Holding you down.” Mason’s words knocked Noah out of his thoughts.

“Yeah. You’re right.” Noah said, glad he no longer had to deal with the charade.

“So where do you go to pick up chicks?”

“Chicks?” Noah laughed. “I don’t know. Guess a bar?”

“Where did you meet the last girl?”

“A bar the team used to hang out at.” Noah thought back to all the women who would be there, offering themselves to the teams just because they were Navy SEALs. The thought gave Noah chills. Not the good kind.

“Why? Where do you meet the guys you go out with?” Noah was trekking into dangerous territory, but he didn’t seem to care right then.

“Don’t really go out with anyone. More like hook-ups. And I meet them at the local clubs.”

The thought of Mason hooking up had Noah grinding his teeth. Trying to brush off the odd reaction, he asked, “Not the settling down type?”

“No. Not now, anyway. Too much on my plate, and I’m not ready to get rid of any of it.”

Noah couldn’t swallow, his throat dry, as though full of cotton balls. What the hell did he care if Mason searched for love or not? Staying with him, even for only a couple of days, was definitely a f****d up idea.

They were at a red light. Mason took his gaze off the road and stared at Noah. “Hey you all right over there? You’re awfully quiet all of a sudden.”

Fuck. “Just thirsty. Did we forget the cooler back at the house?”

“The little red one should be wedged behind the seat.”

Noah peered behind him but hadn’t spotted it.

“It’s in the middle.” Mason pointed.

Still a little dehydrated from their earlier run, and the night of drinking, Noah let out a sigh of relief when he spied the small container. He figured the lack of liquid was what had him feeling all strange. A cold drink and he’d feel one hundred percent better. He got the box over the seat and put it on his lap, then grabbed a bottle of water. Perfect. He opened the bottle and chugged it down.

“s**t. You were thirsty.” Mason smiled.

“Yeah, a little,” Noah agreed. “Sorry. You want one?”

“No. We’re almost there.”

At a few minutes after 11:00 A.M., they pulled into the nursery’s parking lot. It took a little less than thirty minutes to secure the trees on the truck. On their ride back, Mason commented on the traffic being lighter than usual.

Before Mason set the car in park, Noah hopped out, stretching his arms over his head.

Mason climbed out and they both stared at the truck, neither saying anything.

What the heck am I going to do with these things? Mason peered toward the backyard, calculating how far they’d have to haul the trees.

Noah broke the silence. “Well, let’s do this.”

“Okay.” Mason tried to buoy his confidence. “Yeah.”

“So how do you think we should go about moving them?” Noah asked.

“I have a dolly in the garage.” Mason formed the plan as he spoke. “Balancing the roots on the dolly should make the move easier.”

“Sounds good.” Noah’s smile gave Mason the assurance he needed.

Mason ran into the garage and grabbed the dolly. Back at the truck, he and Noah shunted the first tree until they had the roots situated as best as they could. That part of the project went easier than expected.

With the tree balanced, Noah and Mason pushed, pulled, lugged, and shoved the tree toward the back yard. At the back gate, they stopped to make sure they wouldn’t have a problem pushing the tree through.

Mason glanced around his yard. Maybe I should plant the damn things in the front.

“Stop,” Noah said. “I know what you’re thinking. We can do this.”

“I do have the perfect spot for them in the back.”

“I’m sure you do.” Noah crouched back into position. “Let’s put this baby in its new home.”

Both men put their weight behind the tree and pushed the dolly into the back, stopping once they made it through the gate.

Noah glanced around the back yard. Mason wanted to know what Noah thought. The space was one of Mason’s proudest accomplishments. When he’d first moved in, he’d decided he wanted to make the space a sanctuary, a place to get away from the stresses of the real world. Each tree, flower, and decoration had been handpicked by Mason to add to the beauty of the area. Even during the winter months, he’d come sit out back, light up the stone fire pit he had built with his own hands, or jump into the Jacuzzi to relax his bones. And sometimes he’d just needed to feel the cold to let him know he was alive. Yeah, this place was special to him. And from Noah’s expression, his eyes wide, and his brilliant smile, he appeared to appreciate the yard, too.

“It’s awesome back here.” The awe in Noah’s voice caused warmth to fill Mason’s chest, and his smile to grow.

“Thanks.” Mason’s gaze glided over to the swing hanging from the weeping willow tree; he had the urge to grab on to Noah’s hand and bring him over so they could cuddle up, revel in the cool breeze that always found its way over, and just enjoy. But that thought, and any more like them, would cause Mason trouble. What the hell am I thinking?

While Noah continued to look around, Mason forced his mind back to the job at hand. “They’re going over there.” Mason pointed to the back corner of the yard. “The branches will fan out and keep the neighbor’s nose out of my business.”

“You’ve had problems with that?” Noah sounded surprised.

“Last summer, whenever I came out back to do anything, I’d catch the old lady over there staring like a hawk.”

“Maybe she wanted a piece.”

Mason cringed. “Please don’t.” Regardless of the lady’s age, the permanent scowl she wore caused Mason to think her thoughts were nowhere near there. “Think she wanted something to talk about at the neighborhood watch meetings. My neighbor on the other side said this one,” Mason pointed again to the back, “commented I liked to drink. And my rebuttal for the woman the next time she asked would be—hell yeah, in the privacy of my backyard when I’m off from work, damn straight I like to drink.”

Noah laughed, but from his stiff posture and clenched jaw, Mason didn’t believe Noah thought it was funny. He appeared almost troubled.

“It’s not that bad,” Mason assured him. “It’s just if I wanted to do something, or entertain someone in my backyard, I’d rather not have an audience.”

Mason turned around and headed back out front. “Let me grab the shovels.” Both sat inside the door of the garage. When Mason came back, he handed one to Noah. They left the trees where they were for the time being and got to digging.

It didn’t take long for the sun’s rays to become brutal.

“You ready for a drink?” Mason asked.

“Yeah. Could definitely go for something cold.”

“I got beer, water, or juice.”

“I’ll start with water.” Noah leaned on the shovel for a second and appeared to survey what they’d done so far, then he went back to work.

Mason ran into the house and got them each a water. They both downed the bottles. Mason used his arm to wipe the sweat off his forehead before continuing to dig. Noah started in right after him.

They dug for a while longer, until the heat became too much for Mason. He stuck the shovel in the ground, took off his shirt, and threw the sweaty material over the fence. When he glanced over at Noah, he could swear Noah was staring at him, but then Noah quickly turned away, and his digging sped up. When Noah did finally turn around again, he kept his gaze downcast, as if the dirt was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen. What’s that about? Mason would swear it had to do with…no, he wasn’t going there. Instead, he picked the shovel back up and continued to work.

Once they finished the holes and bringing all three trees inside the gate, Mason and Noah ran out to the truck to fetch the fertilizer and plant food Mike had given them. Mason dumped it into the holes. Then it was time to move the trees the rest of the way.

Up until this point, because of the drive and walkway, they had been trouble-free moving the trees. But now, they’d encounter uneven ground and grass—rendering the dolly useless.

Both men got up close to the trunk of the first tree.

About to put their arms around the base, Mason stopped. “Give me a second.” He pulled his shirt from the fence and put it back on so his body wouldn’t end up scratched from the tree’s bark.

Back in position, he put his arms out and wrapped them around the tree. Noah did the same, and their arms brushed together. A shock penetrated Mason’s body, and he almost let go. Stunned, he peeked at Noah to see if he felt the charge as well. The expression on Noah’s face was hard to read. His lips were tight and his gaze avoided Mason’s. If he experienced anything, he wasn’t showing any signs.