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“I wanted him to. I’m glad he did. It was just…” Leo shook his head. “I should have been there.”

“Yes,” Nate agreed.

Leo squeezed his hand. “You’re going to get old too.”

“I hope so.”

“And I’ll still be like this.”

“Will that bother you?”

“I don’t know.” Leo frowned. “Not how you look. Walt was still Walt today. I didn’t mind that he’d changed. It bothered me that I hadn’t been there while he did.”

“I’d like you to be there.”

Leo looked at him.

“When I’m old,” Nate said. “I’d like you here.”

“I’ll still be telling you what you’re doing wrong.”

“I assumed.” Nate smiled. “I won’t be able to do as much myself. You’ll have to complain about whoever we hire.”

“I’m sure I’ll manage.”

That was easier to imagine. Nate in the garden, watching someone else work on the house while Leo told him everything that was wrong with it. Nate would probably defend them just to annoy him.

“What if you can’t drink the tea anymore?”

Nate glanced at his mug. “We need to figure that out. I don’t want this to be the only way we can touch each other forever.”

Neither did Leo. He wanted to reach for Nate without having to get tea into him first. He wanted to be able to help him, and kiss him, and get in the truck when he went somewhere.

He didn’t want to be stuck here by himself.

He looked at Nate again. His T-shirt had dried in unpleasant patches, and there was still sawdust stuck to his forearm. “You should take a shower.”

Nate glanced down at himself. “You’re probably right.”

“I’m definitely right.” Leo’s gaze lingered. He couldn’t help it. “Would you mind if I watched?”

Nate laughed. “Is that what you want?”

“Yes.”

“All right then. Come watch.”

Chapter

Fifty

Upstairs, Nate found a towel and some clean clothes, then went into the bathroom. Leo followed him in and immediately looked at the shower hose Nate had rigged to the clawfoot tub.

“We’re not discussing that,” Nate said.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were looking at it.”