Seb’s Summer by K.C. Wells

Chapter Twelve

 

July 4

Seb took one look at the house and was glad he’d left the car at home. The driveway was full of vehicles, every inch of space taken. He was disconcerted to find his mouth was dry, and there was a fluttery feeling in his stomach.

What have I got to be nervous about? Just gonna meet a houseful of Marcus’s relatives, that’s all. Why should it matter? He’d never meet any of these people ever again. At least he already knew Jess, so there’d be one friendly face. He hoped Marcus had explained the situation, because if she tried her hand at matchmaking again, things were likely to get real awkward.

He marched up to the door but as he drew close, it opened. A woman with short wavy gray hair, and blue eyes reminiscent of Marcus’s stood there. “You must be Seb.” Her pale blue top and the glass beads around her neck picked out the color of her eyes.

“Mrs. Gilbert?”

“Call me Sandra.” He held out the sturdy bag to her, and she glanced inside at the two bottles of wine. “Oh, how kind of you.” She took it with a smile. “Come in.” He crossed the threshold and was immediately hit by the sound of laughter. “Happy Fourth of July.”

“Happy Fourth to you.”

“You just missed lunch.” She gestured toward the living room. “It’s a madhouse in here.” She rolled her eyes. “My great grand niece and nephew found Twister in a closet, and somehow persuaded us it would be a good idea to play it.”

Seb blinked. “They got you playing Twister?” He couldn’t picture it. Sandra oozed dignity.

She laughed. “No, just some of the more flexible among us. Which includes Marcus, although I think he’s regretting it now.”

Seb had to see this.

He followed her to the living room and paused in the doorway. The couches and chairs had been pushed back to the outside of the room, and the Twister sheet was in the center. Two little kids sat on the floor next to it with the spinner. Seb tried to gauge how many adults were actually playing. It was a sea of tangled arms and legs, but there appeared to be five grownups.

Then he saw Marcus, and grinned. “You having fun?” Marcus looked kind of precarious.

He also looked hot, which was not fair. The dark blue buttoned shirt was a tight fit, and the short sleeves clung to his muscular upper arms, just like those black jeans clung to his thighs. Marcus’s feet were bare, and why this should have sent a shiver of desire through him, Seb had no idea.

So, so not fair.

Marcus rolled his eyes. “Did you ever see Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey?”

“Yeah, when I was a kid.”

“Remember the scene where they challenge Death to a game of Twister? That’s about to be me any second now.” He glanced at the rest of the people contorted on the sheet. “For God’s sake, nobody fart, okay?” Raucous laughter rang out. One of the players glared at him.

“Aren’t there supposed to be two teams of two people?” Seb commented. “You’ve got one too many bodies on there.”

“Hey, did no one actually read the rules?” A guy who was probably about Seb’s age carefully disentangled himself, straightened and backed away, his hands held up. “I’m out then. I couldn’t hold that position a second longer anyway.”

“Uncle Marcus, it’s your turn.” The little girl spun the dial. “Right hand yellow,” she called out. Marcus bowed his head and peered at the remaining circles.

“Come on, Uncle Marcus, you can do it,” Seb shouted encouragingly.

Marcus jerked his head in Seb’s direction, his gaze narrowed. A second later, he collapsed with a yelp, taking everybody else with him and creating an undignified heap on the floor.

“Aw, Marcus.” That came from another young guy. “We could have won that.”

Marcus pointed at Seb. “Blame him. He distracted me.”

Seb gaped at him. “Yeah, right. You did that on purpose.”

“Now we have to start again,” the little girl said in a plaintive voice.

There was a chorus of “No!” and Seb burst out laughing.

Marcus got up off the floor and walked over to him. “Hey.” He leaned in and whispered, “Great timing.” Then he straightened. “I’d better do the introductions. You’ll need to take notes because this gets complicated.” By now the adults had retreated to the couches, chairs, and various floor cushions. “Everyone, this is Seb.”

A chorus of “Hi, Seb,” filled the air, and he raised his hand.

“You’ve met my mom.” Marcus pointed toward the window. “That distinguished-looking gentleman over there is my dad.”

The white-haired guy waved at him. “Hi Seb. I’m James. Thanks for joining us today.”

“Thank you for the invitation.”

“And the handsome guy sitting next to him with the glasses? That’s my brother Chris. The gorgeous young lady sitting at his feet is my niece Sarah, and next to her is my nephew Mike.” One by one they nodded at Seb. Marcus pointed to the other side of the room, to a lady with white short, cropped hair. “This is my first cousin Lisa, next to her is her daughter Ashley, and next to Ashley is my other nephew, Jake. The two little Tasmanian devils are Sophia and Alex, Ashley’s kids.”

Sophia giggled.

“And you already know me,” came a voice from behind him.

Seb whirled around and smiled when he saw Jess. “Hey.” He held out his hand, but Jess ignored it and pulled him into a hug.

“I’ve made punch,” Sandra said, beside him. “Would you like some?”

Seb glanced at Marcus. “How lethal is it?” he asked in a stage whisper. That got a chuckle from the adults.

Marcus grinned. “Put it this way. After two glasses, I agreed to play Twister.”

Seb rubbed his hands together. “I’m in. Bring it on.” Sandra laughed and headed for the kitchen.

Alex tugged on Seb’s jacket sleeve. “Are you the lobster man?”

That was cute. “I guess so.” Alex had hair exactly likes Seb’s had been at that age, long, wavy and unruly.

“He’s here to help me make tonight’s dinner,” Marcus told Alex. “Seeing as he helped me catch it.”

“But you’ll stick around for the fireworks, won’t you?” James asked.

“Mike brought fireworks,” Marcus explained. “Pyrotechnics must be in the genes, because his dad used to do the same thing years ago. It’s sort of a Gilbert family tradition.” He gave Seb an earnest glance. “Can you stay?”

“It’s not like I have to be up at dawn Sunday, right? So yeah, I’d like that. I love fireworks.”

“Great.” Sandra handed him a glass.

Seb took a sip. “Wow.” He glanced hastily at Sandra. “A good wow. What have you got in this?” It tasted as if there was a lot of booze.

Marcus laughed. “She won’t tell. It’s a secret recipe.”

“And it’ll stay that way,” Sandra added. “You’ll get it when I’m gone—if I don’t decide to take it with me to my coffin. I’m not sure the world is ready for the Gilbert.”

Marcus sighed. “Yeah, she named it too.” He inclined his head toward the kitchen. “I got all the ingredients on that list you sent. We’re in charge of the fish, Ashley volunteered to do the vegetables, and it’s ice cream for dessert.”

“I want to play twister again,” Alex demanded. He tugged on Marcus’s T-shirt. “Will you play, Uncle Marcus?”

“Only if Seb does,” Marcus replied, his eyes glinting.

“Yeah, he looks like he’d be really… flexible.” There was an equally mischievous glint in Jess’s eyes. Marcus fired her what had to be a warning glance, but Jess grinned at him.

“You don’t have to play,” Sandra said in a firm voice. “Don’t let them bully you into it. You’re a guest.”

“I don’t mind. I haven’t played this in years.” Seb took off his jacket, kicked off his shoes, and walked over to the sheet. “Who’s spinning?”

“Me,” Sophia piped up. “There’s a competition too.”

He frowned. “What kind of competition?”

“I heard my mom talking about it,” Sophia confided. “She said Uncle Marcus was gonna get the prize for the most swear words.”

Seb couldn’t hold back his smile. “Oh really?” Out of the mouths of babes.

This promised to be a lot of fun.

Ten minutes later, he and Marcus were entangled on the sheet, and Seb was doing his best to keep his feet and hands in the circles. He was close enough that he could smell Marcus, that same scent he recalled from the last time he’d been in the house.

It had given him a hard-on last time too.

“Seb?” He jerked his head to look at Sophia, and she spun. “Left hand blue.”

Seb shifted his hand, to find himself with his arms behind him, his knees bent, feet apart, his butt hovering over the sheet. Marcus had his hands on either side of Seb’s waist. One false move, and he’d pin Seb to the sheet.

“I think I saw this on Sex and the City, season two,” Jess commented, her eyes twinkling. She bit her lip. “Can I point out this game isn’t supposed to be R-rated?”

Marcus’s lips were inches from Seb’s. “The last time I was this close to someone?” he whispered. “There were no clothes involved.”

“You’re not allowed to say things like that,” Seb ground out, keeping his voice quiet. “Not when I’m wearing my tight jeans.” Besides that, it wasn’t fair. Marcus couldn’t say back off one minute and then tease him the next.

“Uncle Marcus. Right hand blue.”

Marcus peered at the circles. “I can do that.”

Seb wasn’t so sure. “Only if you’re a contortionist.”

“No, really, I can do it.” He shifted his hand, gravity took over, and he collapsed on top of Seb, both of them laughing.

“Hey kids,” Ashley called out in a bright voice. “Let’s go into the back yard and play ball. It’s too nice to be indoors.”

“But we’re playing,” Sophia wailed.

“Yeah, well, I think we’ve played enough.” Ashley glanced at Seb, her eyebrows arched.

Seb pushed Marcus off him and gaped at her. “Hey, don’t look at me.” Marcus got up off the floor and held out a hand to Seb. He hoisted Seb to his feet.

“So, Seb.” Chris’s eyes sparkled. “How long have you known my brother?”

“Three weeks tomorrow,” Seb replied promptly. When Marcus’s eyes widened, he grinned. “What can I say? Some people are memorable.” Jess handed him his glass of punch, and he raised it. “Happy Fourth of July, everyone. I’ll do my best not to poison you all this evening with my cooking.” That brought on more laughter.

Jess launched herself across the room into the space on the couch vacated by Ashley. “Sit here, Seb.” She patted the seat cushion.

Seb glanced at Marcus and whispered loudly, “Help me.” Everyone laughed.

“And if Jake moves onto a floor cushion, Marcus can squeeze in next to Seb,” she added. Jake was off the couch and onto a cushion in a heartbeat, grinning.

Seb gave Jess a hard stare. “Stop it.”

“Stop what?” she asked, her eyes wide.

“You know what,” Marcus said, inserting himself into the space between Seb and the arm of the couch. Lisa got up and headed for the kitchen, not bothering to hide her smile.

Sandra sat on the arm of James’s chair. “Marcus says you’re a teacher, Seb.”

He nodded. “At Wells Jr High along the coast. I was a student there.”

“So you grew up in Maine?” Chris asked.

At his feet, Sarah rolled her eyes. “No, Dad. He grew up in New Hampshire and came in by bus every day.”

Sandra cleared her throat. “You’ll have to forgive my granddaughter. She’s doing a Masters in Sarcasm.”

Seb loved the banter. Being around the Gilberts was turning out to be an unexpected joy, and he couldn’t think of a better way to spend the Fourth, unless it was with his friends. He wondered what they were all doing, and his chest grew tight. With the exception of Levi, he hadn’t been in touch with any of them since Grammy’s party.

Why would I call them? To tell them how much lobster we brought in? That’d make for great conversation. Besides, calling them would only remind him that they couldn’t get together, and that would sour his mood. He took another drink from his glass, enjoying the warmth that spread through him.

Marcus’s thigh touched his, but given the close proximity, it was hardly surprising. Jess hadn’t shifted along the couch, despite Lisa creating more room, and Seb saw the move for what it was. Marcus hadn’t told her to budge up either.

What the fuck is going on here?

 

 

“Was there any mackerel left?” Dad inquired, his legs stretched out on his recliner. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed for leftovers tomorrow.” Dinner was over, and everyone had gone into the living room to wait until the skies were dark enough for the display. Mike and Jake sat on the floor, sorting through the huge box of fireworks and discussing which ones they’d set off first. Through the open window came the sound of music as Cape Porpoise celebrated the Fourth.

Marcus grinned. “You liked it.” Seb had been right: it was a simple but delicious dish.

Dad arched his eyebrows. “Liked it?” He peered at Seb. “Can you give Sandra the recipe? I’m not usually a big mackerel eater, but that was tasty.”

Seb beamed. “Grammy has another recipe too, where you dip the fish in cornmeal, and then fry it in bacon fat.”

Across from them, Chris groaned. “Oh my God, I want it for breakfast. Is there any mackerel left for tomorrow morning? We have to try that.”

Laughter rippled around the room. Marcus leaned into Seb. “You did well.”

Seb chuckled. “We did well. It was a joint effort.”

Mike got up. “Jake and I will go set things up outside. We’ll call you when we’re ready.” Then they headed out of the French doors.

“Is it difficult to catch a lobster?” Ashley asked. She shuddered. “Those claws give me the shivers.”

Sarah snorted. “I notice you didn’t say that last year when we had lobster. In fact, you ate more than—”

“Okay, okay, don’t remind me. And I was comfort-eating, all right? Rick had just left me for that… that…” She huffed out a breath. “Do you know what you’re letting yourself in for, Seb, getting involved with a Gilbert? There’s a curse, you know.”

Marcus froze. What the fuck?

Seb cleared his throat. “Okay. If you mean the Gilbert curse, yes, I know all about it. Only… I’m not exactly involved with Marcus.”

“But he’d like to be,” Jess whispered to Marcus. Seb jerked his head so fast to stare at her, Marcus swore he’d have whiplash.

Then Seb relaxed. “Is matchmaking a Gilbert trait?” His lips twitched.

Dad laughed. “I think you’ve nailed it, Seb. We can’t help ourselves. I was just the same, when my sister Carol met her husband John. She was seventeen. The first time she brought him home, I was the annoying little twelve-year-old brother who asked if they were going to get married. John didn’t know where to look.”

Jake poked his head around the French door. “Fireworks, anyone?”

And that was the end of that conversation.

Everyone got up and filed through the doors into the backyard. Marcus could already hear fireworks in the distance. It wasn’t long before the first rockets whooshed into the night sky, and starbursts of color erupted from them high above their heads. Jake set off more fireworks, and soon the air was filled with bangs and cracks, a riotous display of color and sound that took Marcus back to his childhood.

Seb leaned in, his mouth close to Marcus’s ear. “You’re a very lucky man. You have an awesome family.”

“Even when they make assumptions?” He still couldn’t believe Ashley had said that.

Seb smiled. “They love you, that’s obvious. They’re only looking out for you.” He stared up at the sky, the bursts from the fireworks reflecting on his face, lighting him in red and green and gold.

Marcus gazed at him, his mind turning an idea. He knew his opportunities to write would be curtailed for the rest of the month. Unless he took steps to physically remove himself from the house, work would be next-to-impossible, a constant stream of interruptions.

So much for avoiding distractions. And taking all that into account… why the fuck was he concerned about any distraction Seb would provide?

I’m looking at this all wrong, aren’t I?

Except Marcus knew there was more to pushing Seb away than avoiding distractions. There was a whole lot of fear wrapped around that prospect, and Marcus wasn’t sure he was ready to confront it.

It’s just sex, right? No stress, just two guys enjoying each other.

Maybe it was time.

Then he reconsidered. That’s making a rather large assumption, isn’t it? I told Seb I wasn’t interested. I told him to back off. He did. So how is he going to feel if I suddenly turn around and say ‘hey, I’ve changed my mind’?

There was only one way to find out.

He needed to be honest with Seb—and be prepared for a letdown.

“Marcus?”

He blinked. Seb was staring at him. “Did you say something?”

Seb grinned. “Where did you zone out to? You missed the end of the fireworks.” The rest of the family was going back inside.

No time like the present.

“I was thinking about you, actually.”

Seb lifted his eyebrows. “Oh? And what were you thinking?”

“I was toying with the idea of giving you a ride back to your place.”

Seb smiled. “You don’t need to do that. I can find my own way home. I’m a big boy.”

Marcus swallowed. “And what if I want to discover just how big a boy you are?”

For a moment Seb didn’t move. “But you said—”

“I said I wasn’t saying never, remember?”

“And what about me being a distraction? You needing a friend?”

Marcus glanced toward the house, ensuring they were out of earshot. “Are you really trying to talk me out of wanting to fuck you all night long?”

Seb’s pupils enlarged, and his breathing hitched. “Jesus.”

Marcus moved closer. “Because we can make that happen,” he said softly. “Just say the word.”

“Your family—”

“—won’t worry if I stay the night at your place.” He grinned. “I’m a big boy too.”

Seb’s eyes gleamed. “Prove it.”