For the Longest Time (8 page)

Ryan shrugged. “Both, I guess. I've been in here once or twice. It's pretty cool.”

Jake didn't have much time to mull that before pushing open the door and being hit with a welcome blast of warmth from inside. They stepped in, letting the door shut behind them. He looked around, taking in the surprise that was all around him as his senses filled with the sounds of conversation and music, the scent of cinnamon and spice, and the mix of color and shape and form that manifested in dozens of different ways all around him, drawing his eyes from painting to sculpture, photograph to carving. He took another step in, slightly overwhelmed, but in a pleasant way.

This sort of thing wasn't at all his area, but he found it welcoming and interesting just the same. Even more because his first thought was that this was Sam's world. He wanted to know who and what else inhabited it.

“Ryan! I was hoping we'd see you!”

He turned his head to watch Zoe Watson, whom he'd never officially met, approaching them. Her eyes were as warm as her smile, the gray striking against her skin. Jake took a moment to appreciate the curves showcased by the belted tunic sweater she wore over black leggings. He'd only ever seen her from a distance. She was much prettier—not to mention shorter—than he'd realized.

Struck by a sudden suspicion, he glanced at Ryan, wondering if maybe this was the reason for his interest. But while his friend was returning her smile, there was nothing out of the ordinary about it. Actually, he looked a little uncomfortable. Probably, Jake thought, because Zoe Watson had just made a liar out of him. A greeting like that said he'd been in here more than just a couple of times.

Why it would bother Ryan to have him know that was something he'd consider later. Right now, he was more interested in finding a certain artsy blonde.

“Hey, Zoe,” Ryan said. “How's it going?”

“Good,” she said, stopping as she reached them. “We've had a really nice crowd tonight. Think I drummed up some business, too.” Even in her tall, heeled boots, she barely came up to Jake's shoulder. He looked down at her curiously. She seemed to sense his attention and met his gaze with a frankly curious one of her own.

“I don't think we've met,” she said, and extended a hand. “Zoe Watson. This is my gallery.”

Jake smiled and shook, enveloping her small, warm hand in his own. “Jake Smith. I'm one of the vets at the animal hospital here.”

“That explains why I haven't met you.” Her smile was slow and genuine. “I've been so busy with this place I can't even keep houseplants alive. A pet is probably a year or two away.”

“That's a level of self-awareness more people ought to have. Believe me,” he said.

“Well, I'm also self-aware enough to know I'll probably get the kind of dog you hate to see coming. Small, yappy, bites ankles, adorable when not trying to harm other animals or humans. You know.”

Jake groaned. “I do know. Only too well.” He let his eyes sweep the room as she laughed. It didn't stop her from noticing.

“Looking for someone?” Zoe asked.

“Yeah, actually. Is Sam Henry working tonight?” That piqued her interest so quickly he could almost see her ears prick up.

“You're in luck. Sam's back there, by the really bright
canvas just to the left,” she continued, indicating the direction with a nod of her head. She didn't bother to disguise the interest and speculation now clearly visible in her stormy eyes.

“Thanks,” Jake said. And along with his flush came what felt like a completely ridiculous grin. He felt like he'd just told a fellow five-year-old that he liked a girl. And unlike the people he'd walked here with, Zoe actually seemed to enjoy hearing about it.

“No problem. And welcome to Two Roads. It's nice to see new faces in here . . . whatever the reason,” she added, with a knowing look at Jake.

He turned to go, then paused when she continued talking to Ryan. “You know, the sculptor of the piece you've had your eye on is with her. I'm sure he'd be happy to tell you a little more about it, if you're interested. If not, he'll talk your ear off anyway. Fair warning.”

Jake turned his head and only just caught a glimpse of the oddest look he'd ever seen on Ryan's face before it relaxed into his usual affable expression. “That's great, thanks.”

He brushed the odd moment off quickly enough once he caught sight of ice blond hair glinting in the light. With a final wave to Zoe, Jake made a beeline to where Sam stood in the midst of a group of people he didn't know, holding court in a way he wouldn't have expected from her. He slowed as he got closer, as captivated by her as her audience appeared to be. In all the chatter, he couldn't quite make out her words, but he saw every nuance of her expressive face, every gesture, the way her smile widened as someone said something that amused her.

As he watched, she lifted a hand to tuck her hair
behind her ear, shifting her attention from a wild-looking bearded man in a string tie and a checkered shirt to a tall, whip-thin guy with a blue streak in his hair. There were others in their little group, too, but they faded into the background for him. All Jake saw were the long waves of hair, the open, beautiful face, and the way her short, shapeless little dress that rippled with her every movement somehow managed to make his mouth water more than any bikini ever could.

“Holy shit,” Ryan muttered beside him. “No wonder you told Thea to shove it.”

As he started forward again, she threw back her head and laughed, a loud, sensual roll of sound that was an echo of something he'd heard long ago, and then only a handful of times. She'd been too nervous, or too serious, always watching and cautious about reacting. But a few times, she'd laughed like that. The confident, beautiful woman in front of him had been only a glimmer then. He'd seen it, though.

And then he'd walked away.

The guilt hit him like a punch in the gut. It was as though Sam could feel it—her eyes met his right at that instant, and he could see her hesitate, falter.

No. Don't you disappear on me.

He closed the distance between them, feeling the curious eyes of her friends on him. None of it mattered. The only one he wanted to see was her.

“Hey,” he said, hoping he seemed as casual as he wanted to.

“Hey, yourself,” she replied as people shifted to make room for him. Whatever she'd done to her eyes tonight made them look lit from within. He'd seen those unusual eyes in his dreams for years—deep, burning blue
lightening to bursts of green around each pupil. They were wary as she watched him now, but not as bad as that day he'd asked her out. Progress was progress.

“Who's this?” blue streak asked. “Boyfriend?”

The awkward question, so smoothly delivered, was worth fielding just to see Sam's face. She looked like she might choke on her own tongue. “Um, n—”

“Old friend,” Jake interjected. “We're just getting reacquainted.”

Blue streak's lips curved into a suggestive smile as he looked between the two of them. “
That
sounds fun.”

Jake bit back a laugh. Sam gave her friend a solid smack on the arm.

“Rude,” blue streak informed her, then introduced himself. “I'm Aaron Maclean, God of Art.”

“Cool. I'm Jake Smith, Beastmaster. This is my buddy Ryan Weston, God of B—”

Okay, God of Balls is not going to be taken the right way. Don't say it.

“Baseball,” Ryan finished for him, seeming to sense that Jake's foot in his own mouth was imminent. They all shook, including Sam as she was reintroduced to Ryan. She didn't seem especially bothered by seeing him. He tried to take that as promising, though Ryan had never been much of a standout in the jerk department. He also seemed pretty preoccupied, which had to make it easier.

“I've been looking at some of your work,” Ryan was saying to Aaron. “Especially the one called Unfurl. It's . . . it's really something.”

It was such an un-Ryan-like comment that Jake opened his mouth to tease him about it. Sam caught his eye at the last second, though, and something he saw there made him hold his tongue. Her eyebrow arched,
ever so slightly, and there was a barely perceptible shake of her head. Aaron was looking with interest at Ryan, his head slightly tilted.

“Oh?”

Ryan shifted uncomfortably and seemed to be trying to disappear into his jacket. “Yeah.”

“Well, thank you. It's one of my favorites too, actually.”

Jake watched a smile of genuine pleasure bloom across Ryan's boyish face. And just like that, something clicked deep in the recesses of Jake's brain. His eyes widened as they darted between the artist and his buddy. His old school buddy, whom he'd known for-freaking-ever. And who, he now realized, hadn't had a steady girlfriend that anyone had actually
seen
in all the years he'd known him.

Because . . .

Sam had sucked her lower lip into her mouth and seemed to be trying very hard to contain her amusement at his expense, which meant he looked like he'd just been hit by a ton of bricks. He quickly schooled his expression back into pleasant interest, though he couldn't keep from darting another look at Sam's mouth. That full bottom lip looked tasty as hell. He'd like to try it himself. Nibbling . . . sucking.

He dragged his eyes away and shifted uncomfortably. He needed to get his mind out of the gutter before everyone, Aaron Maclean included, got a good look at just what kind of reacquainting he was thinking about doing this evening.

Aaron, at least, seemed too distracted to notice. “Would you like to go have a look at it?” he asked Ryan. “I can answer any questions you've got better than anyone. If you're really interested, that is.”

“I am,” Ryan said quickly, then laughed and rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “I mean, yeah. I'm definitely interested. Let's have a look.”

The two of them walked away, and when Aaron turned his head, Jake could tell he exchanged some sort of look with Sam. She flashed a devastating grin that made his breath catch. Then it was just the two of them, the rest of her little group having moved on to talk with other people. Jake stepped closer. For just a few minutes, he wanted her to himself. And he planned to enjoy it. He'd wrap his mind around the whole Ryan thing later. It wasn't a bad surprise, but it still just about knocked him on his ass.

He tried to imagine Ryan announcing his plus one for the Cancun vacation was a guy. The girls would be fine with it, though Kallie was going to take this hard when it came out. The guys . . . he wasn't sure. He wanted to think it would be okay.

Of course, he wanted to think they'd be okay with Sam, too, and that was seeming like more and more of a long shot right now. But she wasn't one of their own. Ryan had that advantage.

“Huh,” Sam said, looking in the direction Aaron and Ryan had gone. “Didn't see that one coming.”

That made two of them. Sam seemed to have relaxed, at least. And the humor glittering in her eyes was good to see, even though he knew he was the one who'd caused most of it. She returned her attention to him, a faint frown marring her brow, and said, “I thought he would have come out long before now.”

He inhaled so quickly that he started coughing, which startled Sam before sending her into fresh peals of
laughter. It took him a minute, but once he'd started breathing normally again, he shook his head balefully.

“You did
not
know about this.”

“I have two eyes and a brain, so,
yes
, I knew about this,” she replied. “I take it this is complete news to you, though.”

Jake tried to articulate his shock. “I think . . . I think Ryan was actually
blushing
.”

Sam widened her eyes indulgently and nodded. “Uh-huh.”

“I didn't.” He blinked a few times, then looked at Sam beseechingly. “But . . .”

She gave his back a tentative, sympathetic pat. The warmth of her touch, light though it was, went a long way toward helping him find his footing again.

“It's okay, Jake. Ryan is following in the footsteps of giants. Mr. Sulu. Gandalf. Dumbledore. Totally, awesomely gay. This is not a world-ending event.”

He shook his head slowly, trying to put his thoughts into words. “I know it's not. I just don't know how I missed this. Seriously.”

She shrugged. “Probably because he's not comfortable telling you yet. Seriously. I doubt he even knows how obvious he is.” Then she grinned. “Our friends like each other. It's so cute. We can pass notes for them in class.”

He winced. “Uh. I'm pretty sure Ryan can handle himself.” His eyes closed. “I said that wrong. You know what? Never mind. How's the night going?”

Sam sighed softly and looked up at him. “Just don't flake out on him if and when he actually tells you, okay? I've known too many people who had to go through that.”

She was cute when she was lecturing him, he thought, torn between bemusement and irritation.
She doesn't know you anymore
, he reminded himself. Still, it wasn't flattering that she thought there was even a possibility he would abandon his friend just because he was into guys.

Because obviously he'd never abandoned anyone for an even stupider reason before.

“Sam. Ryan is one of my oldest friends. It's different, but not a big deal,” he said.

Her look of relief banished the irritation completely. She wanted everyone to be accepted, he thought. Even former jocks who wouldn't have given her the time of day. That said a lot about the kind of heart she had.

Which brought him right back around to feeling like a jerk. At least
that
was familiar.

“Well, good,” Sam said with a small nod. “And to answer your question, tonight's been great. Lots of people, lots of artists I can finally put a face to. And the food, which I've been too busy to eat. Which reminds me . . .” She trailed off and rose up on her tiptoes, craning her neck to see the buffet table. Then she cursed softly.