Julian sighed.
It was a promise he could make, so he wrapped his fingers around his dad’s wrist and squeezed. “Okay. I promise.”
He let himself be comforted by the naked relief on his father’s face, and the renewed bounce to his step as he led the way inside the store to find his damn wedding shoes.
Chapter 14
Julian accepted the fact that his father’s manipulation was no less successful than his mother’s, but it was far kinder. He didn’t hate the world, or Fredric, or even himself as he approached the edge of the dock where he could see a group of the wedding party all stretched out in various poses on top of their paddle boards.
The morning wasn’t as bright as it might have been if it were any other season, but he still had to push his shades up high on his nose and shield his forehead with the edge of his hand so he could pick out the man he’d come there to see.
Will was on the fringes of the group, but he wasn’t alone. He was stretched into a pose with his arms out straight and his head tipped back toward the sky, and Bryce was with him just a few inches away watching with narrow, hungry eyes. It wasn’t surprising at all. Bryce had never tried to hide the fact that his own physical preferences were nothing like Julian.
He liked them lean, on the pale side, and sculpted. Will was all of those things—and more, Julian could see now that he was wearing nothing but a wetsuit. It clung to every edge and every curve, and showed off that Will took time on his physique.
It was yet another reason he knew nothing between them could be real. Will was a kind person—a generous person. He wasn’t like most of the shallow men Julian found himself surrounded by more often than not, but he also knew men like Will still cared. There was an element of aesthetic that was always important in a partner, and Julian would never be able to fill that.
He understood his dad’s point when he had begged him not to settle for something as simple as comfort, but he knew that chances were that was the best he could do, and he was resigned to that fate. He could live with comfort—more than that, he could be satisfied with it. This taste of Will, this hint of a future that wouldn’t exist in any universe, it was a tease. It was playful and a little daring, but it wasn’t reality.
Lowering himself to the edge of the warped wood, Julian tugged off his shoes and socks, rolling his trousers to his knees before dipping his toes in the cold water. The high tide had pushed the waters up far enough that he could submerge just past his ankles, and he leaned his head on the post as he watched the group continue to move through their morning exercise.
Will was a force to be reckoned with. He still hadn’t noticed Julian, which was fine, because he wasn’t leaning in toward Bryce either. He acknowledged whatever he was saying with a terse nod, but his body language spoke of rejection and even disgust, which made Julian’s stomach flutter in the best way.
It was only a few moments before Bryce noticed him, though, and his eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted into a cruel smile. Will stiffened and followed the other man’s gaze, and when his own landed on Julian’s, his face broke out into a grin that mimicked the sun.
Julian’s heart gave a hard thump against the inside of his chest as he watched Will take up his paddle and begin manipulating the water. His arms flexed with each pull, looking like a gondolier as he wove around family friends and distant cousins to come to a stop. He was breathing slightly heavy, but his mouth was set in an easy smirk.
“You found me.”
Julian’s heart thumped again. “I was told you were all here getting a nice morning stretch in.”
Will’s head tipped back with his laugh. “Something like that. Your sister is very…persuasive when she wants to be.”
Julian’s eyes flickered out and eventually he found Corinne near a small island of sand and reeds, lying on her back with her eyes closed. “She’s clearly getting her cardio in.”
Will shrugged. “Live and let live.” He extended a hand and his smile lit up again. “Want to join me? I promise you won’t get too wet.”
Julian fought back the