The Puzzle Box by CC Bridges

Author:CC Bridges [Bridges, CC]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: gay romance
ISBN: 978-1-64080-295-7
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2017-12-10T05:00:00+00:00

THE MOMENT they walked in the door of the pizzeria, Cole remembered the place. “James and I came here the first night we moved into this neighborhood.”

They’d finished unloading the boxes and took one look at the ones blocking the kitchen before James declared, “Pizza for dinner.” And without any plates or cups unpacked, they decided to eat out.

Liz laughed. “I feel like I’m on a tour of the greatest hits of Cole and James’s relationship.”

Instrumental Christmas music played through the tinny speakers, and lights had been hung along the walls. Green garland surrounded the doorway to the separate dining area to the right. Cole nodded at the guy handing off pizzas to a really young-looking delivery kid before they crossed the threshold to the other room. Here sat booths along the wall and tables down the center aisle, all set with green and red tablecloths. One wall had a mural of the Coliseum while the other had rows of shelves filled with bottles of olive oil.

“Just sit anywhere. I’ll be right with you.” A server gestured toward the empty seats.

Most of the tables were full, so Cole led Liz to a booth in the corner. “It does seem like that.” He slid across from her. “That’s just like James. He’s reminding me of why I fell for him all over again.”

The server returned with some menus, and Cole handed her the coupon. “I, um, assume you know what that means?”

She laughed. “Let me take those back. You have a meal for two already paid for, sir.” The server grabbed their menus and disappeared into the kitchen. Cole stared after her, his hands suddenly empty.

“Just when do you think James set this all up?” Cole shook his head.

Liz wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Probably before he left for deployment.”

Cole took out his phone and checked his email. Sometimes James couldn’t respond for a few days, but that didn’t make the wait any easier. He frowned down at the display.

“Still nothing?”

“There’s no reason to worry.” Even as he said it, Cole didn’t know whom he meant to reassure with that. “Sometimes he’s in the field and can’t respond.”

“Where, exactly, is he? You’ve never said.”

“That’s because I don’t know.” Cole settled down into the booth, his feet tapping in time to “Dominick the Donkey,” which played over the speakers. “James does some top-secret stuff, and he’s not allowed to share his location.”

James had gone to college for engineering. Cole always liked to think that meant James was out there in the world building things. He didn’t like to imagine the darker side of James’s job.

“That’s really hard, Cole. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“It’s hard, yeah, but James is worth it.” Cole swallowed and looked down at the marble tabletop. He missed James all of a sudden in a way he hadn’t since the moment James first left on deployment. Cole missed the way James smelled—that clean pine scent hadn’t been on his pillow in a long time. He missed James’s smile. His sure, confident hands on Cole’s body.

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