Wild Child

Chapter 20

Brian opened the car door. "Be careful," he said. "Take it easy."

"The doctor said I could come home, Dad. You don't have to hover," Gus admonished his father.

"The doctor also said you were to take it easy and rest a lot."

"I'm just walking from the car to the house. I can handle that."

"Sure, Sonny Boy, I know you can." Brian watched Gus determinedly walk up to the front door.

Mrs. Hadley was standing there with the door open waiting for Gus to come home. She embraced the boy in a gentle hug. Brian smiled and followed Gus into the house. Brian had stayed at the hospital the night before, not wanting to leave his son all alone there. It had been a long night where Gus slept seemingly very well and Brian had fitful spurts of sleep and long periods of wakefulness when he had nothing to do but think. He thought the night would never end.

Gus was ushered into the kitchen where Mrs. Hadley had made him his favorite sandwich and a big glass of chocolate milk to go along with it.

"This is much better than that hospital food," she told him.

Gus nodded as he began to eat the sandwich.

Brian watched for a minute and then excused himself to make some phone calls. He went into the library and called Lindsay first. He informed her that Gus was home and the MRI had shown less bruising of the brain than they had first thought. Gus was to rest for a week, but should be able to start school on schedule. Lindsay still wanted to come see her son. Brian told her it wasn't necessary, but if she wanted to, he would pay for an airline ticket. They agreed she would make arrangements and arrive in a couple of days. Brian hung up the phone knowing that he would have to do something about furniture if Lindsay was going to stay with them. He could give her his room and move into the master suite, or he could furnish another room, or he could simply sleep on the couch in the library. That was where he spent a lot of nights anyway.

The next call went to his Corvette mechanic. The news was good on that front. Steve assured Brian that the 'Vette could be fixed if he wanted to do that. Brian told him to go ahead. He would miss the old car if he didn't have it around.

Brian sucked in a breath wondering about the next call he was going to make. It would be to Justin and he wasn't sure what he felt about talking to his former lover again. Part of him couldn't wait to hear Justin's voice. Another part dreaded the idea that Justin would receive the information about Gus and that would be the end of their contact with each other.

Holding his breath he dialed the number that he had saved in his cell phone the night Mrs. Hadley had given it to him.

"Hello?" Justin's familiar voice replied.

"It's Brian. I have some news about Gus."

"Good news, I hope?"

"Yeah, he's home. We brought him home a little while ago. The concussion doesn't seem to be as bad as they first thought."

"That is good news."

"I think so too. Um … Gus would like you to come visit him this week before he goes back to school."

"They're going to let him start school right away?" Justin asked.

"He has to rest this week and then take it easy for the next few weeks, but the doctor thinks he should be fine."

"That's good. I'm glad he's all right."

"So, do you think you can squeeze in a visit?"

"Let me check my schedule and I'll get back to you."

"Okay. Do you have my number?"

"I have it."

Brian smiled. "Later," he whispered.

The line went dead.

Brian looked at the phone. He had been hoping to hear a "later" to match his own. It appeared that the rapport between them that they had experienced the previous day had somehow evaporated. Brian set down the phone and went to make sure Gus was settling in all right.

"Did you call Justin?" Gus asked when Brian appeared in the kitchen.

"Yes, and your mother."

Gus looked at his father questioningly. "What did she say?"

"She wants to come here and make sure you're all right."

"She does?"

"Of course! She's you're mother. She loves you."

"Even after…" Gus couldn't bring himself to mention some of the things he had done in Toronto.

"Even after, Gus. We're all trying to help you. We want to do what's best for you."

"I … I'm sorry about the car," Gus choked out.

"I know," Brian replied placing his hand comfortingly on Gus' shoulder.

"Would you like a sandwich, Mr. Kinney?" Mrs. Hadley asked.

"That would be nice," Brian said sitting down beside Gus at the table.

"Is Justin coming to visit me?" Gus asked hopefully as he nibbled on his sandwich.

"He's going to try to find time," Brian said although Justin's hesitance probably meant that he wouldn't come.

"Oh," Gus said obviously drawing the same conclusion. "I think I should go lie down for a little while."

"You're not feeling sick, are you?" Brian asked.

"No, just tired."

'And disappointed,' Brian thought. He knew how much Gus wanted Justin to be there for him. He also suspected that Gus was hoping that Brian and Justin might get back together. Based on the recent phone call to Justin, that seemed less and less likely.

"Mr. Kinney," Mrs. Hadley said after Gus had left the room, "may I ask you something? Is it a good idea for Gus' mother to be coming here?"

"Why do you ask?" Brian said surprised that Mrs. Hadley would think that.

"Gus and I have talked quite a bit since he came here. And I'm sure you saw the reaction he had when you told him she was coming."

Brian nodded. "I can't believe things had got so bad between Gus and his mother. I think it's time they started to mend that."

"But when he's still kind of fragile from the concussion it might be too much for him."

"That's true," Brian agreed. The doctor had told them to keep things as calm as possible for Gus. "But I don't think I can stop Lindsay from coming. She is his mother and in spite of everything, she loves him. She was very worried."

Mrs. Hadley sighed. "Then maybe you should warn her that she should tread carefully around her son. He shouldn't be upset."

"I'll talk to her. Oh, and I'm going to invite her to stay here. I'm going to call the store where … Mr. Fernley and I picked out some furniture and have them throw in a bedroom suite that I saw. Could you make sure the room next to mine will be ready to accommodate the furniture? Hopefully they can deliver it with the dining room furniture tomorrow."

"Certainly, and I'll stock the bathroom."

"Thank you … and thanks for caring so much about Gus. You were great with him in the hospital, and the night of the accident…" Brian's voice trailed away.

"No problem at all. I want Gus to be well and happy."

"That makes two of us," Brian said softly. "I better go call the furniture store right now."

+++++

Gus spent that day and the next resting, sitting beside the pool and just vegging out. He was so fucking bored, doing nothing other than floating in the pool. And somebody was always watching him like he would pass out and drown if they weren't there to rescue him.

By the time Lindsay was supposed to arrive, he was almost glad that she was coming. He knew he needed to apologize and he really wanted to. But what he didn't want was to see the hurt in her eyes when she looked at him, and along with the hurt, the fear. Gus shivered in spite of the humid August heat.

He had been praying that Justin would call but they hadn't heard from him since Brian had called to tell him about Gus getting home from the hospital. Gus was beginning to think that Justin was finished with his father, and therefore with him. He had hoped that when the two men saw each other again, that they would decide that they couldn't live without the other. But that hadn't happened. At least Justin's visit had somehow led to Greg Fernley leaving. Gus was never so happy about anything as he was when Brian told him that.

Lindsay was to arrive in Pittsburgh late in the afternoon. Brian was going to the airport to pick her up and bring her back to Britin. Gus sort of wanted to go, but Brian felt it would be too stressful for Gus, and that it would be better for him to wait at Britin until he brought Lindsay there. That would also give Brian a chance to talk to Lindsay on the drive to the house.

When Lindsay walked out of the security area of the airport Brian smiled at her and she rushed towards him. He hugged her tight and then took her bag as they headed for the car.

"How's Gus?" she asked.

"He's doing good."

"I thought he might be here," she said slightly disappointed.

"We thought it might be better if he waited for you at home," Brian said in a level voice.

"Home? It seems funny to think of his home as someplace other than with me."

Brian could hear the sadness in her voice. "Lindsay, he has to take things easy for the next few weeks. I didn't want him at the airport with all these people and not knowing what your reaction might be."

"My reaction?"

"He … he's afraid you don't love him anymore. He thinks you're afraid of him," Brian admitted slowly.

"How can he think that?" Lindsay asked in horror.

"Be honest," Brian said gently. "You were afraid of him when I took him from you in Toronto."

"What have you been telling him, Brian?"

"I haven't told him anything," Brian stated as he hoisted Lindsay's suitcase into the trunk of the Mercedes. "But I see how he reacts to your phone calls and inquiries."

"And just how does he react?" Lindsay asked as she buckled her seatbelt.

"I think he feels guilty for what he did, but he was living in some kind of nightmare situation. Now that he's out of that dark place, he's not sure where he stands with you."

"Where he stands? He's my son."

"He was surprised that you wanted to come here to make sure he was all right."

"Shit!" Lindsay said letting out a long breath. "I've missed him so much."

"That's exactly what he needs to hear."

"You think so?"

Brian nodded. "He needs all the reassurance and love we can give him. He's just starting to find his way."

"When you called about the car accident, I thought he had reverted to his old ways. What the hell happened?"

"I made a big mistake."

"You did? What kind of mistake?"

Brian let out a long breath. It was all going to come out eventually so he might as well tackle it head on. "I met this guy and I thought we might have something together. He moved in with us."

"You brought a trick into your home … with our son."

"It wasn't like that, and he wasn't just a trick."

"Oh?"

"I made a mistake though. He turned out to be … not a very nice person."

"Fuck!"

"Gus realized that a long time before I did."

"So what does that have to do with the car accident?"

"Gus was … um … trying to get away from the situation," Brian replied not wanting to get into the whole Justin part of the saga.

"It was that bad?" Lindsay asked staring at Brian.

"Apparently."

"And what's it like now?"

"He's gone?"

"Who? The trick?"

"He wasn't a fucking trick! I thought I cared for him."

Lindsay stared at Brian for a minute before looking away. She stared at the street ahead as her mind went back to Justin and how he had left Brian to go to New York. She and Melanie and Gus had been in Toronto when she had heard about that. She had wondered how Brian would ever recover from Justin leaving him again, but he seemed to have done fine. His business flourished and grew. He returned to the backrooms and reestablished his reputation as the stud of Liberty Avenue. At least that was according to Michael's version of events when he came to visit his daughter.

She glanced over at Brian who seemed absorbed in maneuvering his way through traffic. She wondered what had happened between Justin and Brian. One minute they were getting married and the next it was all called off and Justin was headed to New York. And who was this mystery man that Gus had not liked. Brian refused to let her call him a trick. Had he been trying to have a relationship with the man? Had there been other men that Brian had tried to establish some kind of life with? Lindsay eyed Brian seriously wondering where his life was now. She hadn't even thought about that when she had asked him to take Gus.

Lindsay found herself staring out the window of the car lost in thought. There were so many things she no longer knew about Brian and his life. She shook her head wondering how she had been so cut off from him. He had always been an important part of her life, but since she and Melanie had moved to Toronto, that had all changed. Their lives had become so different, and in the process, Gus had pretty much been lost to her.

She blinked back some tears and realized that they were out in the country, no longer on the streets of Pittsburgh. She glanced around. "Where the fuck are we, Brian?"

"We're almost there," Brian replied.

"But aren't we going to the loft?"

"No, not today."

"I don't understand."

"You will in a minute," Brian said as he turned into the driveway of Britin.

"What is this place?" Lindsay asked as they drove up the lane.

"My home."

"Your home?"

Brian stopped the car and they both got out. The front door opened and Gus stepped out.

"Mom!" he called.

Lindsay turned and smiled at her son. He ran down the steps and she caught him in a warm hug as he landed against her.

"Take it easy, Gus," Brian warned. "Don't overdo it." He pulled Lindsay's bag from the trunk of the car.

"Hey, Lindz," a voice said from the steps.

"Justin! Oh my God, what are you doing here?" Lindsay asked as she rushed up the steps to hug her old friend.

"I came to visit Gus," Justin said returning her hug.

Brian looked at Gus and raised an eyebrow.

"I called Justin," Gus said. "He could come this afternoon so I thought he could keep me company while you were gone to the airport."

"You did, huh?" Brian smirked.

"When I told Justin that Mom was coming, he really wanted to see her. Mrs. Hadley made her special cookies," Gus said with a smile. "Want some?"

"When have I ever been known to pass up cookies?" Brian asked in his best snarky voice. He carried Lindsay's suitcase into the house and set it down in the hall. "So, Mr. Taylor, you decided to return," Brian said.

"Yes, Mr. Kinney, I wanted to make sure Gus was okay," Justin retorted.

Lindsay watched them wondering what the hell was going on. As far as they all knew, Brian and Justin had been apart since Justin had left all those years ago to pursue his career in New York. Each man stood defiantly looking at the other. She held her breath wondering what was about to happen.

Brian glanced away finally and bent to pick up Lindsay's suitcase. "I'll show you to your room," Brian said to Lindsay. She nodded and followed him up the stairs.

"I think I better leave," Justin said softly to Gus.

"No, I want you to stay," Gus replied.

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"But you wanted to see Mom and she's here now. She'll be down in a minute."

"Gus…"

"Please, Justin, stay a little longer."

Justin shook his head. He knew he should get out of there while the going was good. Part of the reason he had come to Britin was because Gus had told him that Brian wouldn't be there.

"Please, Justin," Gus wheedled.

"All right," Justin said with a sigh. "I'd like to talk to Lindsay, but then I'm leaving. Okay?"

Gus nodded. He had bought a little more time. Maybe something would happen to get his father and Justin to really talk. "Let's go get those cookies," he grinned, and Justin followed him to the kitchen.