Read Promise Rock 03 - Living Promises (MM) for Free Online Page B

me. He trusted me with who he was, and he trusted me with you, and I really let him down, and I didn't mean to, and now shit is just way fucked up….”
This big, tough jarhead sounded like he was going to fall apart, and after five years as PA Jeff Beachum, Jeff found he couldn't let that happen. “Now come on, babydoll—it can't be that bad. You and me, we're still breathing, so nothing's happened that we can't take back, has it?”
“That's what I'm trying to tell you. Something has happened, and it's awful, and I can't fix it.”
Jeff tried to pull his head out of the crazy end of the what-the-fuck pool and ask a question that would help him figure out what was going on. “Lucas, what in the fuck are you talking about?”
Another one of those feedback-inducing sighs. “Kevin's got a little brother——”
“The youngest one? Martin? He's, what? Fifteen now?”
“Fourteen. And curious. And he wanted to see his brother's letter, because I guess it freaked his parents the fuck out. So he goes searching for Mom's scrapbook, which she shoved up in the attic, and he found not one letter, but two. And the other had your address on the inside. I don't know if you still live there, Mr. Beech-ump, but he grabbed all his lawnmowing money and hopped on a fucking bus. He's on his way to see you.”
Little black dots started swimming in front of Jeff's eyes.
“Mr. Beech-ump? Mr. Beech-ump?”
Jeff sucked in a great lungful of air, and the spots swam faster. Spots swimming in the crazy pool, right? Swimming crazy spots, doing the backstroke in what-the-fuck-inated water….
“Mr. Beech-ump? Mr. Beech-ump? Are you there?”
Another lungful of air, and the crazy spots stopped doing the backstroke and started to fade from his vision.
“Honey doll,” he said, wondering how strong his voice could actually be, “all things considered, I think it's best that you call me Jeff.”
    D EACON and Crick listened to the whole story that night, while Jeff practically sat in their laps and poured it out.
    He was supposed to be going over to knit with Crick and Amy, (one of Deacon's closest friends from high school) watch some television, and play with Parry Angel, who was missing her mama now that Benny had gone away to school and needed her fairy-Jeff-father to make up the slack. That last was a guess on Jeff's part, but since Crick's family at The Pulpit had managed to replace the Beachums and Beauforts and Masons and Porters and what-all that Jeff hadn't had since his dad had kicked him out of the family, Jeff was going to take his every chance to be a fairy-Jeff-father. God, he missed playing with kids—they were the world's best source of laughter, and Parry Angel would sit and giggle at the faces he made at her until his chest filled and he felt like he ruled the world.
    Anyway, Jeff was supposed to go over for a quiet evening with friends, but he'd taken one look at Deacon, Crick's husband, and found that his chin started to quiver and his face started to crumple, and the next thing he knew, he was coming unglued in Deacon's rock-steady arms. Suddenly Amy had Parry and her own daughter, Lila, in Crick and Deacon's bedroom, watching a Disney movie on their television, and Jeff was doing a reprise from his time on the couch with Mr. Doc Herbert five years ago.
    Except this time, he had Deacon (who looked just as befuddled as Doc Herbert to have a grown man falling apart on him) on one side, and Crick on the other, patting his back awkwardly with all the heart in the world.
    He did not cry all night. In fact, when he looked at the clock, he'd hardly cried for ten minutes, and yes, he did linger for a moment on Deacon's hard chest.
    Then he sat up abruptly and frowned. “You've lost weight again, haven't you?”
Deacon sat back and glowered—and then, characteristically, blushed. “I swear to Christ, Jeff, if you had that whole fucking meltdown just to feel me up, I'll beat the shit out of you.”
Jeff sniffled and wiped his cheek