Noah kicked his feet up on the deck railing, pulled the little piece of paper out his wallet, before leaning back in the chair.

Wes answered on the third ring. “Yeah.” There was a tiredness to his voice that Noah could practically feel.

“Hey, Wes. This is Noah. From the bar.”

Humorlessly, Wes chuckled. “I know who you are.”

“How’s everything going?” Noah didn’t have to ask to know. He could hear it in the way the man breathed. In the sadness that somehow seeped through each exhale of breath.

“I’m more interested in how you’re doing, man.”

So, he didn’t want to talk about it. Noah could respect that. He also didn’t really have shit to say. Calling was a spur of the moment decision. The way things were left between them still made Noah feel like crap. He stalled, trying to figure out what to say next when Wes took the decision out of his hands.

“Ah, so you don’t want to talk about life either? The roommate?” For the first time, there was real laugher in Wes’s voice. Dealing with a sick sister, he figured the man could use a little more of it.

Noah ignored his questions. “Wanna hang out or something tonight? I’m not lookin’ to fuck,” he clarified. “Just have a beer or something. Maybe, play some pool.” Just like figuring out what he was going to do outside of living with Coop, he figured this was equally important. Coop was the only person he spent any time with in Blackcreek. He needed to get out, meet some more people, and stop lusting after his straight, bi-curious best friend.

“Yeah…yeah, I think I could use that,” Wes said, softly.

They made plans to meet and Noah told him about the bar here in town, only to find out Wes actually lived right outside of Blackcreek. Closer to here than where they’d met the first night.

“Lied when we first met. You never know and I didn’t want shit to come down on my sister. Once we made it to your house and I knew ya a little better, didn’t think where I lived really mattered, for what we were planning on doing,” he’d said.

Noah figured he was right about that.

He showered and got dressed in a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt. He finger combed his wet hair, letting it fall wherever the hell it fell. He couldn’t help but notice Cooper wasn’t home yet. Since this friend was only working a partial shift, he expected him by now.

Not my business. I need to remember that.

Fighting to push Coop out of his mind, he shoved his wallet into his back pocket, and grabbed his keys and cell before heading out the door.

When Noah walked into the bar not long later, he noticed Wes right off the bat. He sat in the back corner at a small table, with a pitcher of beer.

Noah’s shoes crunched on peanut shells and whatever else littered the ground as he walked over, pulled out a chair and sat across from him. Wes raised his whiskey-colored eyes to look at him, making Noah wish like hell, things had worked out with him. It would have been easier than dealing with this shit with Cooper. Not that Wes had the time in his life right now but maybe it would have helped, would have been a way for him to forget.

Wes nodded his head toward the pitcher. “Have at it.”

Noah poured beer into the empty cup in front of him.

“She wants me to keep her daughter,” he mumbled.

The mug almost tumbled from Noah’s hand, not expecting the other man to say something so serious, especially so quickly.

Before replying, Noah took a much-needed drink before setting the mug down. “Christ, that’s huge, man. What do you think about it?”

“I think, I don’t want her to die.” The anguish in his voice, squeezed Noah’s heart. His problems were small, like nothing compared to what Wes was dealing with.

“I know you don’t. You feel helpless, I’m sure. Maybe it will help to focus on the things you can change. If you can’t alter the outcome with your sister, you move to the thing you can, which is her daughter.”

Wes drained his beer before pouring another. “Why would she want me to keep Jessie? It doesn’t make sense. I’m a single, gay man. We have another sister. Did I tell you? She lives local too. She has two little ones herself. Jessie would be much better off with Lydia.”

“But she wants you to have her. There must be a reason. She’s her mama. She’s going to want what’s best for Jessie, and she chose you.” Noah was running on pure instinct here. He had no idea if he was doing or saying the right things or not. He sure hoped so.

Wes rubbed a hand over his forehead. “What if I fuck it up? What if I fuck Jessie up? Chelle, that’s my sister, she raised Lydia and me. She gave up so much to take care of us and now she’s dying. I don’t know how to not have my sister there, and I’m scared to fucking death I will screw up with Jessie. I couldn’t stand to do that, not only for that little girl, but to my sister.” Wes dropped his face into his hands. Sat. Didn’t talk. Just breathed.