Devan sounded a little bit pissed off.
“Are you a little bit pissed off?”
The heavy sigh told Jonty that Devan was more than a little pissed off. Jonty scrunched up his shoulders and rolled his neck to get rid of the kinks from sitting bent over the laptop for so long. “I did mention Halloween to you.”
“You said you wanted to go to a Halloween party, not throw the party.”
“Now I get to do both.”
“I’m a bit up to my neck here, Jonty. I can’t just walk away.”
“You don’t need to. I’m doing everything. I’ve made a list of what to do and buy. I’ve ordered stuff. I need to go home though, to speak to the chef. I was thinking I could catch the train this afternoon and you can come up when you can.”
Devan didn’t say anything. Does he think I’m not being supportive enough? Or that I’m not capable of arranging all this? Jonty gave him the benefit of the doubt.
“I’m really sorry about your mum. You must be really worried she’ll never speak again.” Jonty flinched. Maybe those last few words would have been better off not said.
“Hmm.”
“I do understand why you have to be there and do stuff and… I love you,” Jonty whispered.
“I love you too.”
“Say it like you mean it.”
Devan laughed. “I love you.”
“I’m not feeling it.
“I luuuuurve you.”
“That’s better.” He took a deep breath. “I can do this.”
“I know you can.”
Jonty smiled.
“But you’re going to need help. Anyone would need help, and I can’t help. Not yet. The next few days are critical. Ask Bruce to work with you and don’t go overboard.”
“What counts as overboard?”
“No sixty-foot inflatables.”
Jonty went back online and cancelled the order.
“Are you just cancelling an order?” Devan asked.
“Erm. I’m looking for a costume. Can I pick yours?”
Relief that Devan was now on the boat with him and believed he could do it was the boost Jonty had needed.
“What did you have in mind?”
“We could be Peter Pan and Tinkerbelle.”
“I am not wearing tights and a little green hat.”
“Well, that’s okay. I was thinking you’d be Tinkerbelle.”
Devan chuckled. “Think again.”
“Vampire?”
“That sounds fine. I won’t need a costume. I can wear my tux.”
“I love you in your tux. I love you out of your tux. I love getting you out of your tux. I’ll order fangs and a cape. Oh, and hair gel. You can wear my eyeliner. I’ve gone all lightheaded now.”
“What are you going to wear?”
“Blood?”
Devan laughed. “Or?”
“I haven’t made my mind up yet.”
“I’ll love you in anything. I miss you.”
Jonty melted. “I miss you too. I don’t like being here on my own. I scratched the table. Oh God, I didn’t mean to admit that.”
“With your initials?”
“No, but maybe I could make it look—”
“Don’t.”
“Your carpet shows every footprint.”
“I know. So I’ll know everywhere you’ve been. What else have you done?”
“I broke a glass.”
“Did you cut yourself?”
“No.”
“Okay then. Anything else?”
“I slept on your side of the bed.”
“That’s going too far.”
“I was pretending I was sleeping on you, but you weren’t very comfortable and I kept wriggling and that made you even more uncomfortable.”
“Fancy that.”
“Devan?”
“Yes?”
“You really think I can do this?”
“I really do.”
Jonty sighed. “For that you get Zoom sex tonight. Buy a huge dildo so it reminds you of me. Bye.”
Devan was still laughing as Jonty ended the call.
2
Devan stuffed his phone in his pocket and frowned. Did he believe Jonty could pull off a Halloween event at The Dunes all on his own? He wanted to believe he could, he really did. That he had a niggle of a doubt made him feel very guilty. Hopefully not too much would go wrong before Devan was able to get up there and help. At least Jonty had Bruce to bounce ideas off. Plus now there would be no sixty-foot inflatable.
“Well, you could at least try to look pleased to see me,” Cato said.
Devan hadn’t even noticed his brother come through the arrivals gate. He pulled Cato into his embrace. The two hugged one another for a long moment.
“How is she?” Cato asked.
“Can’t make herself understood, can’t swallow, so glaring a lot, but the doctor reckons she should recover.” Devan grabbed his brother’s case.
They headed for the short stay car park.
“Dad’s in pieces,” Devan said. “I think it’s shock more than anything. I’ll take you straight to the hospital. Yeah?”
“Please. Jonty not with you?”
“He’s at the flat. It isn’t that I didn’t want him with me. He gets into trouble when I’m not with him, but I didn’t want to risk him saying something to Mum that would upset her. Not that he’d mean to, but Mum doesn’t like him. She’d find fault for the sake of it and I don’t want Jonty hurt. Does Vigge know you’re here?”
“Yep. He wanted to come and collect me, but I didn’t see the point in him hanging around while I’m visiting Mum and trying to cheer up Dad. Are you staying at the house?”
“Yes. Venice and Ellen have been to see Mum every day, but they’re not staying at the house. Griff’s there. He arrived yesterday.”
“I’ll stay tonight, then see how things are. I’ve taken a week’s compassionate leave, but I’m intending to spend a couple of weeks working in Cambridge now I’ve flown over.”
“How’s the long-distance thing going?”
They stepped into the lift.
“I wish we weren’t apart, but I’ll be back here at Christmas and staying for four months, then Vigge is coming out to spend at least three but possibly six months with me. After that, I’ll be back in the UK again for another four months. That’s going to be the testing point. After being together for so long, I’m not sure either of us will cope very well when we’re parted. But it’s only a three-year contract. I can wangle longer stays in the UK, and Vigge can come out to California on holiday. We’ll make it work.”
The lift doors opened and Devan guided Cato to his car.
“Not the Aston?”
“That’s in Northumberland. I bought this one for Jonty.”
“How is he?”
“Still Jonty. He’s just told Alan that he wants to organise a Halloween party at The Dunes and Alan bloody said yes.” Devan lifted Cato’s case into the boot.
“And you knew nothing about it?”
“No. Jonty had talked about having a party. I was onboard with that but the whole hotel? We’ve never done a Halloween event at any of our hotels.”