Best Laid Plans Read online

  Rush couldn’t help it, he choked trying to hold back a laugh. Mr. Weber just kept grinning.

  “It was Thaddeus’s idea to call me JT, because… well, frankly, I am Jack’s Tom.”

  “That’s… that’s very nice.” Rush wanted to kick himself. He’d just wanted to say something, not have Mr. Weber think he was a stick, and instead he was sure he’d come across sounding as condescending as his father. “I mean—”

  “It is nice.” Apparently Mr. Weber didn’t take it as condescending, and Rush blew out a relieved breath. “It’s the closest I’ll ever get to having children of my own. Now, I’m sure you two must be hungry. Why don’t you freshen up, and then I’ll introduce you to the family? Come along, the wash room is this way.”

  Rush stared after him as he led the way down a short corridor. What a nice… he smiled to himself.

  What a very nice man.

  Chapter 3 – Enter Love

  TAD JACKSON HAD known since he was fifteen that he was bisexual, although with all the stress of leaving Grandpa Eleazar’s house after Grandpa had hit him, he hadn’t come out to Daddy and JT until he was sixteen.

  Remembering that still amused him.

  He took a deep breath, girded his loins, and went to the living room, where Daddy and JT were relaxing after dinner. He hesitated in the doorway.

  “Uh, Daddy?”

  “Yeah, son?” His father looked over the top of his newspaper with interested blue eyes.

  Both Tad and Becca had gotten Daddy’s coloring, and Momma always complained about that. “Blue eyes, blond hair, everyone is gonna think my children are dumb as a stump and loose to boot!” If she hadn’t considered hair coloring a tool of Satan, she’d have insisted Becca dye her hair the same mousey brown as Mary Lou and Bobbie Jo, Aunt Sarah’s girls.

  Tad was glad he took after Daddy in more ways than one. While almost all the guys he knew were only interested in dating the female half of the population, he had a wider choice. If a pretty girl turned him down, he could ask a pretty boy. Up to this point he hadn’t, but he was about to take that step.

  But first he had to tell Daddy.

  “Daddy, I have to talk to you about something.”

  “Of course, Tad. Is something wrong? Your momma? Grandpa Eleazar?”

  “No. It’s nothing like that.”

  “Do you want me to leave the room, Thaddeus?”

  “No, please, JT. I’d appreciate it if you’d stay.” He was relieved that JT was in the room too. He didn’t think Daddy would throw a hissy fit, but a little moral support would be good. “It’s... there’s someone in my class I’d like to ask out.”

  “That’s great. Do I know her, son?”

  “Yeah, but it’s... um... it’s Andy Jordan.”

  Andy was his height, with ash brown hair and gray eyes, Tad had been watching him for a while. Lately, Andy had been watching him back, and they’d taken to sitting together at lunch.

  “Andy Jordan is a boy.”

  Tad nodded and waited to hear what his father had to say. Daddy and JT exchanged glances, and JT spoke instead. “And you wanted us to know you’re gay?”

  “Actually I’m bi. I like girls too, JT.”

  “Well, I’m the last one to tell you it’s wrong to like boys that way.” Daddy looked across at JT, and there was a lot of love in his eyes, more than Tad could ever remember seeing directed at Momma.

  I want that, eventually, probably with a girl, but first I want to have some fun. He remembered hearing on the Discovery Channel, or maybe it was TLC, that in some cultures girls were for babies and boys were for fun. His dick hardened, and he wished he had something to conceal it. He sat down and crossed his legs, trying for casual.

  “Are you sure, Tad?”

  “Yes, sir. The thing is, it’s pretty easy to know what to do with a girl. It’s in all the books and movies. But with a boy... How do I know he won’t punch my lights out for asking him on a date?”

  Daddy raised an eyebrow.

  “No, okay, so I know Andy is kind of a sure thing—” Now JT was the one who gave him a look, and he felt flustered. “That didn’t come out right... That’s not what I meant... Look, the thing is, I know Andy and I won’t be together forever—we’re young and we’ve got our whole lives ahead of us. So I’m talking about the next guy.” He waited until Daddy and JT indicated they accepted where he was taking this. “Okay, so where do I put my hands when I kiss him?”

  “You mean on his back, on his waist, on his butt?”

  “Um… yeah?” If JT looked disappointed in him, Tad was going to fall apart. Fortunately, he just looked thoughtful. “Do I take him to the movies or stock car races? Do I send him flowers or give him my class ring?”

  There was the question of sex also, but he was afraid he’d turn so red he’d go up in flames if he asked Daddy. Does it hurt? How long should we wait before we go all the way? What does come taste like? How many partners can I have before I’m called a slut? Although that was more something girls had to worry about.

  He cleared his throat and looked hopefully from his father to his father’s partner. “I guess what I’m saying is that I’d be grateful for some pointers.”

  “I see. Well, Jack?”

  “What do you mean, Well, Jack?” Daddy looked scared green. “I never dated boys! I never had to give you flowers or jewelry. Um... you do it, Tom.”

  “Why me?”

  “Well, you’ve been gay all your life.”

  “I never gave any of my boys presents.”

  “Oh?” Tad looked interested, and JT blushed.

  “Never mind about that,” he muttered.

  “But you used to be a gay teenager, Tommy. You know stuff like that.”

  JT gave Daddy the hairy eyeball. “You’re gonna pay, Jack Jackson.”

  Daddy grinned in relief, knowing JT would do it for him, and sat back in his recliner and crossed his legs.

  “You’re hanging around?”

  “Sure. I’m always open to learning something new.”

  “You’re gonna learn something new, all right.” JT flipped him off. “All right, Thaddeus. Come sit here.” He patted the space beside him on the sofa. After gathering his thoughts, he began talking. It was JT’s professor mode, and Tad could almost imagine him lecturing in front of a hall filled with students.

  He spoke about lube and condoms, that it wasn’t the size of the tool but how it was used—

  Tad blushed but felt he had to say, “Size doesn’t matter to me, JT.”

  “Smart boy. As to where you put your hands or where you take your date, pay attention to them. Their body language will tell you a lot. If they don’t like where you touch them, they’ll definitely let you know—although hopefully not by punching you. Also, the two of you won’t be in a vacuum—listen to them, either when they talk to you or when they talk to their friends. That should give you a hint as to whether they’d welcome flowers. It’s a given most every Southern boy loves stock car races, and regarding movies… not to be cliché, but anything with guns, cars, and explosions… or magic… should do. At this point, don’t consider giving anyone a ring, class, promise, or whatever.”

  “Okay, that makes sense.” Tad wondered if he should be taking notes.

  JT nodded. “All right now, Thaddeus, lastly, one of the most important things: I know you know this when you’re dating a girl, but whether your date is male or female, no means no, and it doesn’t matter if your date says it or you do.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  JT hugged him. “Good boy. And if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to come to me.”

  “Thanks, JT.” Tad leaned over and kissed his cheek.

  “Yeah, thanks, Tommy.” Daddy rose from his chair, pulled JT to his feet, and kissed him, but not his cheek.

  Tad grinned. “I have some h
omework to do.” But both men were involved in that kiss, and he didn’t think either one heard him.

  ***

  HAVING A KNOWLEDGEABLE gay man—not that his daddy wasn’t knowledgeable, he’d just been straight for most of his life—telling him about all this stuff had made it easy for him when he finally got up the nerve to ask Andy on a date, and he loved JT for it.

  He and Andy were discreet, something else JT had advised him about, and they learned a lot together.

  A couple of months later, when Andy decided it was time to move on because the captain of the track team had caught his eye, both Daddy and JT were there for him but Tad didn’t really need their support. What he’d had with Andy had been fun, but his heart wasn’t involved, and he had no problem moving on himself, this time to Maggie, a brunette who was not only a very pretty girl, but a senior on top of it—he’d had that growth spurt and at six foot four was taller than most of the senior boys. It was quite a feather in his cap, although he made sure not to brag about it. That would have been so uncool.

  He and Maggie dated all through summer, and as much as he’d have liked to get in her pants, he was the perfect gentleman. Then, on the night before she left for college, she led him by the hand to the backseat of her daddy’s car, and they made love for the first time. It was different from fucking a guy, hot and wet, though not nearly as tight. Still, it felt pretty damn good, and he was walking on air afterward, when he leaned toward her on her front porch to kiss her good night.

  “Tad, I have to tell you something.” She twisted her hands together.

  “What is it, Mags?”

  “I’ll be away at college, and it wouldn’t be fair to ask you not to date other girls, so I... I think it would be a good idea if we broke up.”

  Tad wasn’t dumb. He knew she wasn’t being entirely altruistic. There would also be college men she would want to date. He waited to feel a hole open in his heart, but nothing happened.

  “You don’t hate me, do you?”

  “No, Maggie.” Instead of kissing her lips, he kissed her cheek. “I’ll always love you.” In the afterglow of their lovemaking, it was even the truth. “And we can see each other when you come home for the holidays if you like.”

  “Oh, yes.” Was she relieved or disgruntled that he was taking their breakup so well?

  “Thank you for tonight.” He kissed her again and walked home.

  A couple of weeks later he fell madly into lust with a fellow junior on the swim team, and when that ended, Tad moved on again, heart-whole.

  ***

  “I’M THINKING of hiring another accounting student to help out,” JT announced at dinner one night.

  “Do you think that’s a good idea, JT?” Tad was dubious.

  “We need the help.” JT cut a glance at Daddy, who was trying to look innocent, and Tad shared a private grin with his sister Becca. Sometimes Daddy came home from a construction site early and would lock himself in JT’s office. He’d say they were going over the books, or maybe fixing the fax machine, but they’d both come out looking a little… rumpled.

  “Becca and I can pitch in.”

  “We need more time that either of you can give us. You’re both carrying hefty workloads this year....” Tad was in his second year at Pulaski and Jasper, and Becca was a senior at J.E.B. Stuart Memorial High School. “... and your daddy and I won’t ask that of you.”

  “Yeah, but after that dickwad, Alexander... Sorry, Becca.”

  “He is a—”

  Daddy cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow, and she changed what she was going to say.

  “—what you said. What made him think I’d be willing to date him after the rotten things he said about you behind your back?”

  “Homophobia is alive and well at P and J, unfortunately,” JT observed. He’d taught chemistry there before leaving to become office manager for Jackson Construction when Daddy asked him to, and had often counseled gay and lesbian students. “However, I’ve discussed this with Dory Curtis, and she’s recommended a couple of her students. Of course, there’s no way she can ascertain their personal sentiments toward those who choose to live alternative lifestyles—”

  “Don’t tell us, those are her words.”

  JT grinned and continued as if Daddy hadn’t interrupted him. “—but she’s assured me that both January Stephens and Rush Dalton are hard-working and industrious.”

  “It’d be fun having another girl here at the ranch,” Becca mused. Their home wasn’t really a ranch. They’d called the huge, sprawling house that ever since Daddy had built what he called the bunk house at the back of their property. “Have you seen Jan around campus, Tad?”

  “Not that I recall, but if she’s taking accounting, I wouldn’t.” Tad was thinking of becoming a physical therapist, and most of his classes were in Anderson Hall, the building that housed the School of Health Sciences.

  “I don’t think it’s likely you’d know Rush either. He’s a grad student working toward his master’s in biomedical engineering.”

  “What’s he doing applying for a job in accounting then, Tom?”

  “Apparently he has a fondness for numbers. And besides, have you ever known a college student who couldn’t use some spending cash?”

  “I guess not. I hope you aren’t making a mistake.” Daddy looked a little worried. Brandon Alexander, snidely called Brandy behind his back, had not only been derogatory toward Tad, but he’d made a very heavy-handed pass at Becca, which resulted in Tad blacking his eye, and JT tossing him bodily from the ranch and rescinding permission for him to enter the gated community.

  “I’ll go up to the college tomorrow and interview them, and we’ll see.”

  THE NEXT EVENING, both students joined the family for dinner, and JT introduced them. “January Stephens, Rush Dalton, this is Jack Jackson, who runs the construction half of the company, and his daughter Rebecca and his son Thaddeus.” He grinned at Daddy. “I’ve hired them both.”

  “Tom….”

  “They’re that good, Jack.”

  January fluffed her hair. “Of course we are.”

  Rush turned red as Georgia clay. “That’s kind of you to say, Mr. Weber, and I promise we’ll work hard and won’t disappoint you.”

  Tad recognized him. He’d seen him the year before in Copperleaf, the campus coffee bar, and he’d tried to strike up a conversation. The guy had been kind of snippy, and Tad had been intrigued in spite of himself. He wasn’t used to being brushed off. Now though… Maybe he’d tease him a bit, pretend to come on to him.

  His voice was deeper than Tad remembered. “Mr. Jackson, Rebecca, Thaddeus.”

  “Call me Tad.” He flirted his lashes, pleased when Rush turned scarlet. “Momma insisted on naming me after Daddy, but we both hate the name.” Tad shook his hand. Rush’s grip was firm, his palm dry and smooth but not soft, and he didn’t try to crush Tad’s fingers. That was pretty classy of him, and Tad liked that, but he intended to reserve judgment. If this guy even looked cross-eyed at his sister, he’d beat the crap out of him and save JT the trouble of tossing him out on his butt.

  “You’re lucky to be livin’—” January sighed and frowned. “—living with three such gorgeous men, Rebecca.” She gazed from Tad to Daddy to JT, making her grin flirtatious.

  Oh, my. The girl was in for a disappointment.

  “I am, aren’t I? But call me Becca.” Becca grinned back.

  “I’m Jan to all my friends.”

  “Jan.” As the hostess, his sister gestured toward the seat beside Tad’s. “Please sit down.”

  This worked out perfectly for him, Tad decided. He got to sit next to a pretty girl, and since Daddy and JT sat at either end of the table, that left the seat next to Becca for Rush, which gave him the opportunity to do a little unobtrusive observing.

  Rush was about five foot nine and looked a
s if he could probably use another twenty or twenty-five pounds on his thin body. Now that his blush had faded, Tad could see he was very pale. Miss Abby, JT’s momma, would call him “peaked.”

  JT sent him a glance, and he smiled and shrugged. “Pass the biscuits, please?”

  Rush looked harmless, but he was definitely gonna keep an eye on this guy.

  ***

  JT HAD BEEN right as usual. Jan was lively and fun, and it was good for Becca to have another girl around the ranch. Rush....

  Rush turned out to be a surprise. He rarely met Tad’s gaze, although a few times Tad had caught him looking. He was always courteous to Becca and Jan, and when Jan let slip that he never seemed to date, Tad began to wonder about him, wonder if Rush might be gay.

  “JT, can I ask you something?”

  “Always, Thaddeus.”

  “Your gaydar is never wrong. Is Rush gay?”

  JT sighed. “Yes. He might not know it himself yet, so don’t tease him about it.”

  “As if.” That could explain the chill attitude he’d gotten from Rush when they’d first met… although met might be the wrong term. They’d barely said hello, and apparently Rush had no memory of the occasion.

  “All right, I apologize, but I don’t want him to feel uncomfortable in this house. He doesn’t smile much, have you noticed? I have a feeling he wasn’t very happy at home in Atlanta.”

  “You... you like him a lot, don’t you, JT?” Now that he thought about it, JT had been protective of Rush almost from the beginning.

  “Yes, I do.”

  An unfamiliar, unwelcome wave of jealousy flashed through Tad. “More... more than me?”

  JT’s blue eyes warmed, and he ruffled Tad’s hair. “You need a haircut. No, Thaddeus. Next to your father, you’re my favorite male in this household. What made you ask about Rush? Are you interested?”