With Caution

making the SUV jerk forward.
    “Are you gay?”
    Okay, he hadn’t expected that question. Furthermore, he didn’t know how to answer it. Shifting into drive, Jake headed out of the parking lot and toward Remi’s apartment.
    He didn’t want to lie to Sterling, but he wasn’t sure it was in his best interest to tell the kid either, considering how close Sterling was to Remi. According to Chay, Remi was a bit on the homophobic side. Letting Remi find out Jake was gay probably wasn’t the best way to get close to him. And how seriously fucked up was it that he might never claim his mate because his mate was straight?
    “You don’t have to tell me.” Sterling shrugged. “I’m just being nosy. I see the way you look at Remi though.”
    Wonderful. Chatty and observant. “And this is your way of telling me to back off?”
    Sterling chuckled and shook his head. “No, if I wanted you to back off, I’d tell you.
    Remi is more of a dad to me than a big brother and I love him very much. I want him happy, and right now, he worries me. He needs friends.”
    “And what does me being gay or not have to do with me being friends with your brother?” If there were still problems between Remi and Chay, Jake hadn’t noticed. “As far as I know Remi is straight.”
    “Remi treats you different.”

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    J.L. Langley
    Did the kid know something, or was he playing with Jake? Jake glanced over, trying to get a feel for him.
    Sterling stared out the front window. He seemed composed. “He hasn’t been on a date in ages.”
    “That still doesn’t answer my question, kid. Are you saying he’s still freaked out over Chay hooking up with Keaton?”
    “Nah, he only freaked in the first place because he was worried about Dirk finding out. Chay is his best buddy and he didn’t want Dirk to force him to stop seeing Chay.
    Remi even likes Keaton, even though he pretends not to at times.”
    Sterling was quiet for a few seconds.
    Jake could sense the scrutiny. He turned, catching Sterling’s gaze.
    Finally, Sterling took a deep breath and nodded. “Well, all I know is you guys get along really well. He acts like himself when you’re around. He lets down his guard with you. He doesn’t do that with anyone but me.”
    Jake had thought the change had been due to Sterling’s presence. Was it because no one else was around except Sterling, rather than because of Sterling? Remi was different this morning. Usually, he tended to be more guarded. He normally had a cocky air about him. Jake had always suspected it to be a pretense.
    “Well, Remi is a grown man so I have no idea why his father’s—Dirk’s opinion matters when Chay is his best friend.” But it was one hell of a revelation and it gave Jake hope. “And why in the hell do you call your father Dirk? He’s yours and Remi’s real father, right?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Then why do you call him Dirk?”
    Sterling shrugged. “He doesn’t let us call him Dad.”
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    With Caution

Chapter Three
    Jake shut the door to his Tahoe and went to the back to get the small cooler he’d brought with him. After closing the back door, he headed around the school building toward the playground and playing fields. He’d dropped Sterling off at Remi’s, telling Sterling he’d meet them at the schoolyard, then Jake had gone home to change. Now, he had to find them.
    They were easy to spot. There was a lady jogging around the field and an old guy sitting under a tree by the swings drinking out of a brown paper bag, but other than that Remi and Sterling were the only ones there.
    As Jake walked closer, Remi threw the football in a perfect spiral, right to Sterling.
    Jake let out a low whistle. It was an impressive pass. The kid didn’t even need to break stride. The ball fell right into his hands.
    Sprinting back toward Remi, Sterling tossed the ball to his brother and took a stance beside him.
    Remi motioned with his empty hand for Sterling to run. Taking a few steps back, Remi threw the ball. Once again it was a tight spiral, right to Sterling.
    The kid was pretty good. He appeared to have excellent hands, but Jake wasn’t sure how much real practice he was going to get with someone who threw as well as Remi.
    Maybe Jake would call his friends and see about putting together a team for the kid to practice with next weekend. It would do him good to have to get through a defense.
    Setting the cooler about ten feet from Remi, Jake