Page 58 of The Long Way Found

"Don't be. They're your friends."

"Yeah, but..." Luke trailed off. "You hated every minute of that."

Jack was quiet for a long moment. "I didn't hate it. I just... that's not my scene."

"I know."

“I just…” Jack stopped. Started again. “They’re good guys.”

“They are,” Luke said.

“I know that.” Jack stared through the windshield. “That’s not the problem.”

Luke waited.

“I don’t know what the problem is,” Jack said. “You must think I have a stick up my ass half the time.”

"No, I don’t,” Luke said.

"Good."

"But this isn’t the Army, you know. You’ve got to loosen up sometimes in Calder Ridge. There isn’t a big LGBTQ community, obviously, and I like having some guys to hang out with. And I want you to like it here.”

Jack bit his tongue, then said, "I'm trying, Luke."

"I know you are."

They sat in silence. The heater hummed. Outside, people walked by on the sidewalk, laughing, oblivious.

"I should probably head home," Luke said finally. "Early day tomorrow."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Luke reached for the door handle, then paused. "Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"It took me a while to adjust when I came back, too, but I finally had to stop… tolerating it and accept it as part of the deal,” Luke said. “I don’t want to think you’re gritting your teeth, tolerating it, too. Tolerating me. You know, while you’re still here.”

Jack wanted to say something. Wanted to explain that it wasn't about tolerance but about fitting into a life he'd never imagined. Friction like this didn’t necessarily mean permanent resistance. But the words jammed up.

"Text me tomorrow?" Luke said when Jack didn't respond.

"Yeah. Tomorrow."

Luke got out and walked to his truck. Jack watched him drive away as the taillights disappeared around the corner.

Jack replayed the evening in his head.

Is this too much?

He didn't know.

He wanted it, wanted Luke, all of him, even knowing he had obnoxious friends if that came with the deal.

But he couldn’t flip a switch.

Luke was right. He wasn’t in the Army anymore. There were different standards here. And it was up to him to adjust if he wanted any chance with Luke.