Page 20 of Love at First Rep

“The doctors they killed, I’m friends with their son, Josh.”

Rafe tilted his head.

“Wu Yù Hóng and Wu Jun Min?”

“Yes.”

“They named their kid Josh?” Rafe asked with a smile.

Garrett scowled.

“They emigrated here on work visas and named their son Josh Wu Ming Tao to anglicize his name. He got adopted, since he was only five when they died, so now he’s Josh Wu Ming Tao Brown. He usually goes by Josh Wu.”

“Okay, that makes sense. What a small world.”

“Way too fucking small,” Garrett said with a sigh.

Rafe set his laptop on the coffee table in front of them and stood.

“We need to take a break. How about a game of cards?”

Garrett stretched out on the couch, his long limbs distracting Rafe.

“I think I’d rather go for a run. I’m feeling too antsy.”

“Now you’re talking. You think you can keep up with me, old man?”

Garrett turned to him and leveled him with a glare that could implode a building.

“Who are you calling old? I’m like two months older than you.”

Rafe stuck out his tongue. “Still older.”

“Well this old man is about to run circles around your ass.”

“I’d much rather you do something else with my ass, but I guess I’ll take it.”

Garrett rolled his eyes.

“In that case, maybe I’ll kick your ass instead.”

“Promises, promises.”

————————

Garrett took Rafe on one of his favorite trails through Cherrywood, one that journeyed through a large park.

March in South Jersey meant unpredictable weather. The day Rafe arrived, the temperature only reached forty degrees, but now it was nearly seventy outside with snow in the forecast for next week. Mother Nature was losing her grasp on the climate.

The run reminded Rafe of all the running they did together during training and overseas. It may have been twenty years, but Rafe felt like no time had passed at all. It was easy to fall back into conversation, talking about anything and everything. Garrett was in the middle of filling him in on his gym friends’ shenanigans.

“A squirt bottle? Really?” Rafe laughed as he jogged. “Like you’re training cats?”

“I swear, it’s the only thing that works with those guys. Otherwise, they’d just keep wrestling. Now that they’re finally together, their wrestling matches usually turn into makeout sessions. It’s better to stop them before it starts, so I started keeping a squirt bottle at the gym.”

Rafe couldn’t stop smiling as Garrett told him about his friends. Josh and Riley sounded entertaining, especially thanks to their double bi-awakening.

Rafe wished the twinge in his chest was a cramp from running, but it was guilt for not being able to share details about his own friends.