Don't Touch Me! - 37

 

"Damn," Brent said suddenly. "I totally forgot. Walt called me this morning."

"They caught Findley?"

"Nope, but the FBI has been brought in, and they know where he is. It's just a matter of time before they arrest him."

"Yes!" Cody gave a fist pump, then, much to Brent's shock, he hugged him. Cody instantly backed away, turning red as he murmured, "I hope you… I didn't mean to…"

Brent smiled, putting one arm around Cody's waist to bring him close again. "Feel free to hug me any time you want. I rather liked it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. I've grown very fond of you, so being hugged by you is…nice."

Cody sighed. "Like…family."

"Good God, no."

Brightening, Cody replied, "Okay. I just wanted to clarify. For damned sure I don't think of you as family. Not even as the big brother I never had."

Brent grinned. "Good, because I'm not into incest." He stepped away, tapping Cody's nose. "I am into seeing if we maybe have something going on here that's more than just friendship." He felt a rush of relief when Cody's expression lit up at his words. Still, he had to add a qualifier. "We're not going to rush things, however. You've made great progress in the last couple of days—"

"But we don't know if I am cured," Cody broke in. "It could just be when I'm with you that I can let myself be touched. I could go off the deep end if anyone else does it, especially strangers."

"Exactly. At least for a while." Brent rapped a knuckle on the counter. "I have an idea. Let's go talk to Mrs. Grainger on our way to lunch. You said she's touchy-feely, so to speak."

"Yeah, but not since the time at the grocery store. You saw that. What happened scared her almost as much as it did me."

"Yeah, I noticed she was very careful to keep her distance yesterday. Still, she might be a good one to test if it is just me. She's friendly. You know her, so hopefully you'll be okay."

"Then let's do it, before I get cold feet."