Sutter's Bay Box Set

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

Danny stepped past the threshold of the flower shop and smiled at the tubular bell sound. Only someone as eccentric as Jude would have such a creepy sound announce the arrival of customers. He could see where The Exorcist theme would put off all but locals to buying flowers there.

“Hi, Daniel,” the proprietor of the shop called out. Jude, originally from England, had bought the florist shop from Mrs. Pinkerton five years or so ago. If he had a last name—and didn’t everyone?—he’d never shared it with anyone in Sutter’s Bay. He’d declared he came up to Sutter’s Bay because San Francisco was too stressful for his delicate constitution.

“Good evening, Jude,” Danny said, smiling as he approached the counter. The scents of intermingling flowers filled the shop. He thought he detected the potent scents of roses, carnations, gardenia, and star lilies. A few plants hung from the ceiling above him and he brushed at the fronds of a particularly friendly fern. He opened his mouth to speak his request when he noticed Jude had dyed his hair…green. Danny blinked.

“What can I do for you today, love?” Jude asked, leaning on the counter. The diamond stud in his right eyebrow winked at him.

“Er, lovely shade of green.” Danny pointed at Jude’s hair. Last time he’d seen the Englishman his hair had been bleached blond and down to his shoulders. Now it was short, spiked and St. Patrick’s Day green.

Jude snapped his gum. “Thanks. Rather goes with the shop, don’t you think? Need some flowers for a school production or something?”

“No, actually I want a bouquet of some spring flowers, I think.”

“Ah, got yourself a new sweetie? It’s about time. Far be it for me to stick my nose in your business, Daniel, but that Harris chap was a real creep.”

“I know.”

“Smelled, too.”

Danny laughed. “Did not. But, no, actually I’m going over to visit the Sweets so I thought I’d bring some flowers.”

“The Sweets?” Jude wrinkled his nose for a moment and then nodded. “Oh, right. You had something going with Mabel Sweet’s son, didn’t you? I heard he was back in town. Josh or John, isn’t it?”

“Jason.”

“Terrible about Mrs. Sweet.” Jude clicked his tongue. “I’ll be right back. I’ll see what I have in the back.”

After his breakup with Harris, Danny had gone on one date with Jude. Things had ended rather abruptly between them when they learned both of them preferred to bottom and neither intended or wanted to change that. But Danny liked Jude. He had a feeling the man had had a bad breakup himself before relocating here.

Jude returned, holding a bouquet wrapped in purple cellophane. It contained a breathtaking array of colored daisies, carnations, tulips, and lilies.

“Wow, gorgeous.”

Jude winked. “Thanks, but what do you think of the flowers?”

Danny laughed again. “You’re incorrigible.” He removed his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and extracted his debit card.

Danny walked to Jason’s family home from the florist shop. It was only a couple of blocks and more often than not Danny either walked or used his bicycle around Sutter’s Bay. With a population of just over ten thousand, the little city by the bay wasn’t very large. Danny liked it that way.

He stopped just below the driveway and studied the house where he’d spent many childhood days. He’d met Jason when they were both in kindergarten. When other kids would pick on the much smaller Danny, Jason would defend him. Over the years Danny grew to look upon Jason with something close to hero worship.

After their friendship began in earnest, a young Danny soon realized the Sweet children came to school with bruises and bandaged cuts and they weren’t just normal childhood injuries. Or Danny hadn’t thought so anyway. He didn’t know how to ask Jason if his parents were beating him, so he just made sure his mother and granddad allowed Jason to stay with them as often as possible. One day on the beach as teens, Jason admitted things were far from perfect at home.

Danny made the first move to take their friendship into romance, kissing Jason when they were both sixteen. At first, he’d been mortified he’d gone too far, certain Jason would be repelled by Danny’s action. But to his relief and happiness, Jason welcomed the kiss and their relationship progressed from there. Until the day Jason’s dad beat the s**t out of his son for being gay.

He walked up the driveway and to the front door. His knock was answered mere seconds later, as though Jason had been waiting behind the door.

“Hi,” Jason said, holding the door wide open. “Come in.”

Danny was surprised the house hadn’t changed much since he’d last been in it fifteen years ago. Mabel Sweet had held a gathering at the house after her husband died, but Danny hadn’t attended the funeral, although he had sent flowers. He was sorry for her loss. Not so sorry Ralph Sweet was dead.

The house was a simple bungalow-style, pretty similar to most other homes in Sutter’s Bay. Danny’s childhood home looked just like it. The home he’d bought when he returned to Sutter’s Bay was one of the newer built tract homes not quite as close to the beach as this one.

He thrust the flowers at Jason. “For you and your mom.”

“Thank you. They’re beautiful.”

Jason smiled. It did something funny to Danny’s insides. Sure, when Jason chose to end their relationship when they were just kids really, Danny had moved on. What choice did he have? But no one had ever appealed to him quite like Jason had.

His chestnut brown hair was cut short, not quite military style, but pretty short. Jason was even more gorgeous than he’d been before with his hazel eyes and a sexy-as-sin five o’clock shadow. The faded jeans hugged his ass and the maroon T-shirt accentuated his muscular arms. Danny’s mouth watered.

He followed Jason into the kitchen. The man bent over and reached into a cabinet and extracted a vase.

“We’re just waiting for the Chinese food to be delivered. My mom’s out on the patio,” Jason explained, filling the vase with water.

“Can I do anything?”

“No. I’m just glad you came. It’s really great to see you, Danny.” Jason looked away, his cheeks reddening. “I’m sorry I haven’t kept in touch.”

Danny nodded. “I know your father didn’t make it easy for you to want to come back here.” Danny only wished Jason wanted to come back for him. But, well, that was the past. No point dwelling on it. He ignored the tightness in his chest. “Speaking of, I’m sorry about Kent.”

Jason’s older brother had been killed in Afghanistan while stationed in the army.

Jason swallowed. “Yeah, we all were.” The doorbell rang and Jason looked relieved. “That’s the food. Be right back.”

Danny made himself useful by opening the cabinet and taking out plates and utensils from the drawer. Same cabinet the Sweets’ had always kept them in.

His friend returned carrying several bags of Chinese food containers. He set them on the counter.

“Smells good.”

Jason’s nose wrinkled. “I hate Chinese food.”

Danny laughed. “Then why order it?”

He shrugged, but grinned. “Ma wanted it. Why don’t you show her your flowers and I’ll bring out the food in a second.”

Danny picked up the vase and headed to the patio out back. He’d seen Mabel Sweet around Sutter’s Bay, of course. Since her husband’s death she’d even acknowledged him. The door was open with just the screen door across it, so he slid the screen door and stepped outside.

“Danny,” she exclaimed, smiling brightly. “Oh, how beautiful.”

“I thought you two could use something to cheer you up.” Danny set the vase down on the small patio table near her lounger.

“They’re lovely, thank you. Sit down, Danny. Jason’s in the rocking chair.” The frail woman gestured to a cushioned chair next to her lounger and a rocking chair. “How are you, dear?”

It amazed him she could act as though all those years of ignoring his existence had never happened. He guessed people coped with things in life as best they could.

“I’m good. How are you, Mrs. Sweet?” Danny asked when he was seated.

“Well, not so great. I’m a little better now that Jason’s with me.” She sighed. “We wasted a lot of years, the two of us.”

Danny pretty much figured the years were mostly wasted on the part of Jason’s parents, but he kept his opinion to himself. Instead he said, “Yeah, I’m glad to see him back myself.”

Jason came outside carrying two plates of food. “Here we go.” He handed one to his mother and the other to Danny and then sat in the rocking chair after handing out forks.

“Aren’t you going to eat, honey?” Mrs. Sweet asked Jason.

“A little later. I’m not that hungry now.”

Danny’s lips twitched but he took a bite of the cashew chicken. “Mmm. It’s good.”

“Definitely,” she agreed. “You don’t know what you’re missing, Jason.”

He smiled and reached over to pat her shoulder. “I’m sure you’re right. More tea?”