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him. “I’m currently unemployed. Did I mention that?”
    James laughed. “No, you hadn’t.”
    “I have to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.”
    With a shrug, James took a sip, watching Will. “It’s gonna be rough, Will. You’ve spent your entire life training to be one thing.”
    Will stared into his glass. “Yeah.”
    “It doesn’t mean you can’t do something else. Look at me.” James cocked his head with a grin.
    Will scoffed and took a drink. “I thought your job was to score with women. When did that change?”
    “Very true, my friend, but it doesn’t pay the bills and I always worried that becoming a gigolo would take the fun out of it.”
    Will shook his head.
    “You’ll find something, until you do, take your time. There’s no hurry.”
    “How am I going to live without a job?”
    “What bills do you have? You can’t have much. You went to college on a scholarship. Your piece of crap car is paid for.”
    “And currently in my parents’ garage.”
    “Then what did you drive—”
    “Rental.”
    “Okay, we’ll return the rental tomorrow and you’ll live here.”
    “With you?”
    “Sure. Why not? I have another bedroom and you can help me with my business.”
    “Your fishing-guide business? In the winter?”
    “Ever heard of ice fishing?”
    “Well, yeah…”
    “I have to go pick up some clients from a lodge down the highway tomorrow after lunch. We’ll drop off your rental over in St. Cloud and be back in time to get them. I can show you the ropes.”
    “I have hard time imagining you sitting around with a fishing pole in your hand.”
    “I like it. It gives me time to think.”
    “About what? New pickup lines?”
    James laughed. “Hell no. I don’t need to think those up. Those just come naturally. But if we’re driving to St. Cloud, we better get an early start. Time to call it a night.”
    Will’s shoulders tensed. “Yeah.”
    “I’ll grab your stuff from the car and bring it in for you. You’ve had so much to drink, I’m afraid you’ll fall on your ass in the snow.”
    “I love you too, shithead.”
    “We got a real bromance going on, but I’m not putting out tonight, so you need to sleep in your own bed tonight. Your room is the first on the right.”
    Will took a shower and found his bag on the bed. He threw on a t-shirt and boxers, and climbed into bed, prepared for his demons to return. Instead, for the first time in over a month, he closed his eyes to nothing. Nearly crying with relief, he succumbed to his exhaustion.

Chapter Five
     
     
    Will’s head throbbed as he tied a lure onto a fishing line, and his stomach protested the coffee he’d tried to put in it earlier. He spent a third of his days sleeping, another third drunk and the last third nursing raging hangovers.
    “You gonna take all day to tie that thing on?” the man next to him muttered.
    “Yeah. I just might.” Will’s temper was short. The last thing he wanted to do was placate the asshole next to him.
    James took a step toward them, handing the client a cup of coffee. “What Will meant was he was going to take as long as necessary to make sure you have the best opportunity to catch fish.” James twisted his neck so the man couldn’t see him glare at Will. “Isn’t that right, Will?”
    “Yeah, that’s exactly it.” Will said in the driest tone he could manage.
    James took the pole with a jerk. “Why don’t you go get a little fresh air, Will.”
    “Yeah. Why don’t I?” If he spent one more minute in this shack, he was going to fucking lose his mind. Will pushed open the door to the icehouse, and stopped in the opening, in shock from the frigid air. Goddamn, he’d fucking hated the Iraqi heat, but freezing his ass off wasn’t much better. He’d never understand why James like it here so much or why he enjoyed his boring-ass job. James had made Will help out with his last two clients but both outings had been disastrous. Of course, Will hadn’t been the most