Free IslandAffair by Cait Miller Page A

relieved I swore I’d never buy another nudie mag.”
    Robin grinned. “How long did that last?”
    “About as long as it took for me to convince them I needed a
lock for my door.”
    “Figured as much.”
    “Give her the time she needs, Rob, it’s all you can do.”
    Melancholy threatened to overwhelm him again. What if she
never did? Would he change it if he could do it over? He felt the prickle of
beard stubble as John nuzzled his hair. No. No, he wouldn’t. He didn’t want to
lose his mother but he wouldn’t trade the love of this man or the freedom to
live as he was meant to in order to keep it. What about John? He had left behind
his career and his life in the city to come here.
    “You’ve given up a lot to come here, John. Your job. Your
home.” He tilted his head up to study his partner’s face. “Do you regret it?”
    John smiled at him softly. “It’s just a job. My father is
disappointed but he’ll get over it and my home is wherever you are. No, I don’t
regret it.”
    “What will you do now?”
    “I’m not sure, maybe set up a workshop. Try my hand at
carpentry again. I told you, I have enough money if that’s what’s worrying
you.”
    Robin shook his head and relaxed back into his embrace. “I
just want you to be happy.”
    “We will be, leannan , of that I have absolutely no
doubt.”
     
    The afternoon grew cooler and with silent accord they packed
up the blanket and John drove them back to town. The peaceful interlude had
helped to settle Rob’s emotions enough that when John parked outside his
apartment he suggested that they eat out. He didn’t want to go back inside and
spend the night sitting staring at the TV and worrying.
    The usual scattering of faces stared at them from the window
of the café, curiosity oozing from their pores. Defiantly, he met their eyes
and laced his fingers with John’s and if his palm was a little moist then only
his lover knew it. The other man followed his gaze and gave his hand a reassuring
squeeze.
    Determined to keep the momentum going, they left their
fingers intertwined as they walked down Main Street to the Italian restaurant.
It had been impossible to ignore the whispers and stares they got, some more
open than others. By the time they were seated in a booth at the back of
Luigi’s, he felt as if his shoulders were up near his ears and his teeth were
clamped together against the words that wanted to escape.
    Robin took his menu from the waitress who was still blushing
from the sight of their joined hands when they entered. She shifted from foot
to foot as she recited the specials, took their orders and quickly escaped.
Robin sighed and sank back against the leather seat.
    “This is going to be worse than I thought, isn’t it?”
    John looked around at the scattering of other diners, seeing
the whispers and stares. “I don’t know, Rob. Maybe some of it is just surprise.
After all, until yesterday you dated women, as far as they knew. It’s bound to
cause a reaction.”
    Rob rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the incipient
headache. The waitress came back with their water, face composed again, and he
wished fleetingly that he’d ordered something stronger. John tried valiantly to
keep the conversation going but eventually even he gave in to the pressure of
the glances from the other tables and they ate quickly.
    The sun was setting when they left, painting the sky with
glorious shades of orange and pink and lilac, a bright contrast to the dusky
autumn shadows of the street. Farther along, the streetlights began to blink
on. Robin watched as one followed the other in quick succession and he could
almost hear the plink, plink, plink as they lit up. He shook his head at the
odd thought and let John lead him across the road.
    At first he thought the twin set of lights racing toward him
had somehow detached themselves from the decorative wrought iron stands and he
watched them dazedly. Then he became aware that John was tugging him,