Trust Me (Lightning Tales)

By K.C. Wells

Ric Costanza and Connor Ferguson grew up together, friends all the way through high school – until Ric pushed Connor away when they were both sixteen. Self-preservation is a very strong force indeed.
Connor had his own theory as to why it happened...
When they meet up eight years later, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. Ric is about to enter the priesthood and Connor is engaged to Keira. Except all is not as it seems. Ric is a mess, and Connor wants to help.
What starts out as a simple offer to provide a shoulder for a former best friend becomes more than both men bargained for.

• Language: English
• Publisher: K.C. Wells
• Release date: Jun 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310563201

K.C. Wells

K.C. Wells lives on an island off the south coast of the UK, surrounded by natural beauty. She writes about men who love men, and can’t even contemplate a life that doesn’t include writing. The rainbow rose tattoo on her back with the words 'Love is Love' and 'Love Wins' is her way of hoisting a flag. She plans to be writing about men in love - be it sweet and slow, hot or kinky - for a long while to come. If you want to follow her exploits, you can sign up for her monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cNKHlT You can stalk – er, find – her in the following places: Email: [e-mail] Facebook: www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld KC’s men In Love (my readers group): http://bit.ly/2hXL6wJ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/K-C-Wells/e/B00AECQ1LQ Twitter: @K_C_Wells Website: www.kcwellswrites.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/k.c.wells BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/k-c-wells

Book preview

TRUST ME

Lightning Tales #2

K.C. Wells

Island Tales Press

SMASHWORDS EDITION

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Trust Me (Lightning Tales #2)

Copyright © 2015 by K.C. Wells

Cover Art by Meredith Russell

Cover content is being used for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

The trademarked products mentioned in this book are the property of their respective owners, and are recognized as such

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law.

Table of Contents

Copyright

Titles

Dedication

Acknowledgments

A wedding and a reunion

Confession

Shaken

Conflict

Conversations

Seeking Solace

Advice

Confrontation

Bliss

Ultimatum

About the author

Coming soon

By K.C. Wells

Learning to Love

Michael & Sean

Evan & Daniel

Josh & Chris

Final Exam

Love lessons Learned

A Bond of Three

Waiting for You

Collars & Cuffs

An Unlocked Heart

Trusting Thomas

Someone to Keep Me

(K.C. Wells & Parker Williams)

A Dance with Domination

Damian’ s Discipline

(K.C. Wells & Parker Williams)

Make Me Soar

Personal

Making it Personal

Personal Changes

More than Personal

Personal Secrets

Strictly Personal

Une Affaire Personnelle

Changements Personnels

Plus Personnel

Secrets Personnels

Strictement Personnel

Una Questione Personale

Cambiamenti Personali

Es Wird Persönlich

Persönlich Veränderungen

Confetti, Cake & Confessions

Connections

Island Tales

Waiting for a Prince

September’s Tide

Le Maree di Settembre

Lightning Tales

Teach Me

Trust Me

Double or Nothing

Anthologies

Fifty Gays of Shade

Winning Will’s Heart

Burning First Kiss

Back from the Edge

Designated Bottoms

Switching it Up

DEDICATION

For Jason Mitchell

Thank you for all the conversations, the Skype chats, notes, messages…

A pleasure, as always

This one is for you.

ACKNOWEDGMENTS

Thank you to Tina, Lara and Jason.

Your eyes always catch something!

A wedding and a reunion

That’ll be you one day, Ricardo. An elbow dug him in the ribs.

Ric kept his gaze focused on the wedding ceremony. His mom’s words sent a shiver through him, an increasingly frequent reaction these days. He tried not to think about it, but seeing his uncle Matt standing in front of Tyler and Marisa, resplendent in his priest’s robes, was only adding to his discomfort.

Mom wasn’t done. Your father would have been so proud, God rest his soul. To see his boy about to become a priest. The same old refrain.

Ric’s guts felt like they were in twist. Mom, I’m hardly a boy, I’m twenty-six, and—

Psh, you’ll always be my boy, she interjected.

Ric bit back his sigh and continued. And I’m not about to become a priest. You make it sound like it’s going to happen tomorrow.

She huffed. Well, you’ve waited long enough. Didn’t your Uncle Matteo say you only needed your Bachelor’s to be ordained? Yet you went and did your Master’s, then your Doctorate… Anyone would think you were avoiding taking your vows, staying in education so long.

Gotta give it to Mom—sometimes her intuition is damn scary. Thankfully she had no clue just how close to the mark she’d been.

Ric glanced at his mom and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Doesn’t Marisa look beautiful? Anything to take her mind off the perennial topic of his impending vows. I still think it’s amazing that she and Tyler are still together after all these years. The couple had been childhood sweethearts when Ric, Tyler Monroe, Connor Ferguson and Alex Nordmann had been friends back in ninth grade.

Connor…. Walking into the church and seeing Connor standing at the end of a pew with Keira Mason had given Ric quite the jolt. He hadn’t seen his former best friend since they’d left high school. Except they’d ceased being best friends before then. That had been Ric’s doing. Self-preservation was a remarkably powerful force.

Connor looked little changed from their high school days. His sandy blond hair was still untamed, curling over his forehead on the right side. He’d filled out a lot, however: there were now muscles where previously there’d been none, and he was wider across the chest.

No more amazing than your friend Connor being engaged to Keira. Wasn’t she at high school with you? his mom inquired.

Ric held himself very still. They’re engaged?

His mom nodded. I overheard the best man—Troy, is that him?—talking about her with one of the ushers. He sounded almost disagreeable about it.

Ric could understand that. Troy MacElroy had had the hots for Keira when they were in tenth grade. To hear she was engaged to Connor was… unexpected. He’d always assumed she and Troy would be married with six brats and living in the same trailer park as her folks by now. Then he gave himself a little mental kick. Such mean thoughts were not worthy of someone destined for the priesthood.

If that’s my destiny… These days Ric was less and less sure of that.

He glanced over his mom’s shoulder to the pew behind where Connor was sitting; Keira was on his right, and Alex his left, along with the guy Alex had brought along with him, a guy who looked really familiar. Alex caught him looking and grinned. A burning sensation blossomed in Ric’s chest when he glanced down and saw Alex and his guest were holding hands, albeit surreptitiously.

Oh my God. Alex is gay.

Ric couldn’t help his reaction. He clenched his jaw tight and his breaths came faster. They have what I’ll never have.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he flinched inwardly and sent up a silent apology to the Lord. He couldn’t afford to think that way.

His mom noticed the direction of his gaze and turned her head to look. She stiffened and twisted around to face the front, her back rigid. Who is that sitting next to Connor? she hissed.

Ric was genuinely puzzled. He felt sure she’d have remembered Alex from his school days. That’s Alex Nordmann. He went to school with me.

She pursed her lips. Well, if he goes to the reception, I don’t think you should be seen associating with him.

What the hell? Why on earth not? He hadn’t seen Alex in eight years, nearly nine. His old friend looked pretty much the same, a little slimmer maybe.

"Because he’s finocchio. She squinted at Ric. When he stared blankly at her, she shook her head and sighed in exasperation. Omosessuale. Someone who is to be a priest does not associate with deviants."

Ric stared at her. Didn’t Christ associate with prostitutes and tax-collectors? His heart sank at her words, but it wasn’t as if he’d expected anything different from her. His parents had both come from large, traditional Italian families, and her views resembled those of his numerous aunts and uncles.

His mom returned his stare and to his relief her expression softened. You’re a good boy. You’ll make a wonderful priest, just like your Uncle Matteo. She nudged him in the ribs again. They’re nearly finished.

Guiltily Ric gave the bride and bridegroom his full attention, watching as they both drank from the communion cup. Uncle Matt looked across toward where Ric was sitting and gave him a flash of a smile. As always, Ric’s heart swelled with love for the man who’d been there for him as he’d been growing up, his dad having died when Ric was a baby. He’d always looked up to Matt, and he knew at times that love had been closer to hero worship.

The love that had been at the core of Ric’s impulsive decision when he was eleven. The one he’d blurted out to his mom, who’d reacted how any Italian mother would, when faced with the prospect of having a priest in the family.

She loved the idea, except ‘loved’ was far too mild a word. Perhaps, ‘went into raptures’ about the idea was probably nearer the mark. And in her mind, it was a done deal.

Her Ricardo was going to be a priest.

Too bad Ric wasn’t as convinced.

~ 0 ~

Connor Ferguson wrapped his arms around Alex in a fierce hug. God, it’s good to see you.

Alex chuckled as he freed himself from Connor’s grasp. That’s the third hug you’ve given me today. You already did this when we arrived at the church.

I was so surprised to see you, is all. It had made Connor’s day to see his school friend walk into the church.

I’m still living in Lake County, in Eustis. Your folks lived in Pitman. You still there?

Connor nodded. Only I have my own house now. I moved out when I got back from college. He