Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Of course, I’d always kept quiet about it, because we had a good thing going and I didn’t want to screw it up. We’d fixed up the space that housed our day care—with help from Hudson, who invested money and became our silent partner—and now the business was starting to take off. Kel and I routinely spent ten to twelve hours a day together, and how awkward would that be if he knew I was crushing on both him and his boyfriend?
There was really only one thing to do here. My goal for this week—despite sticking five dozen condoms in my luggage—was to play it cool and not ruin two friendships and a great business relationship.
Kel insisted on giving me the passenger seat, because I was so much taller than he was. Once we were all settled, Hudson pulled away from the curb and said, “And we’re off.” I glanced over my shoulder at Kel, who looked adorable in his antlers and colorful holiday sweater, then glanced at Hudson’s handsome profile before fixing my gaze on the road ahead. Then I silently repeated my new mantra to myself. “Don’t screw this up, Noah.”
4
Kel
The cabin was even better than I’d hoped for. It was warm and cozy with a huge fireplace, comfortable furniture, and tons of blankets and pillows that were just perfect for cuddling. On top of that, the color scheme was dark green with dark red accents, so it already looked like Christmas, even before we dragged the tree inside and set it up in a corner of the living room.
When I went into the kitchen to put away some of the groceries we’d brought along, I found a note on the counter from the cabin’s owners, along with a bottle of wine. It said: Welcome Kellan Cho, Noah Vasko, and friend! If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask. We’re just a phone call away. Happy Holidays from John and Linda Gregowski!
The “and friend” part seemed odd, but then that was my doing. Since Hudson was a public figure, I’d decided to protect his privacy by not including his name on the registration form.
Not that everyone knew he’d played pro football, but he came from a famous family. His dad, Terry “The Tank” Royce, was an NFL legend and so successful as a sportscaster that he’d become a household name. Then there was Hudson’s older brother, Harper Royce, who was a famous actor and even more successful than their dad. Between his own career, the last name, and the family resemblance, Hudson ended up getting recognized pretty frequently.
Noah sounded amused when he appeared in the kitchen carrying a case of beer and read over my shoulder. “And friend?”
“Yeah, you know, since he’s here with me and not out and stuff, I didn’t want any rumors to get started.”
“And the first thing John and Linda Gregowski would have done was phone TMZ if they found out Hudson Royce was staying here.”
His tone was teasing, but I really wanted him to understand my thinking behind this, so I said, “I know it seems silly, especially out here in the middle of nowhere, but what I’ve learned after a couple of years with Hudson is that it’s best to just be discreet across the board.” Noah looked like he wanted to say something, but then he thought better of it and started unpacking the bottles and lining them up in the fridge. I asked, “Do you disagree?”
He shrugged his broad shoulders and said, “I won’t pretend to know what it’s like to be Hudson. In general though, I’m a big fan of living as openly and honestly as possible.”
“Well, sure. Me too, obviously. But haven’t you ever kept a secret, because you knew there could be major consequences if it was revealed?”
His green eyes went wide for a moment, as if I’d hit a nerve. But then he schooled his expression and said, “Yeah, I have. When you put it that way, I guess I’m being a bit of a hypocrite.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know.” He changed the subject with, “I’m going to get a fire going, because it’s cold in here,” and left the kitchen. Since Noah had always struck me as an open book, I had to wonder what sort of secret he might possibly be keeping.
Before I could give it much thought though, Hudson appeared with the massive cooler we’d packed for the trip. He flashed me a smile and said, “This place is great, don’t you think?”
“It’s perfect.” When he started to unload the cooler, I asked, “Why don’t you let me do that? You drove all the way here, and you must be tired.”
“I’m fine.”
I caught his hand, and when he turned to look at me I gently touched his cheek. He hadn’t been sleeping well recently, and there were shadows under his blue eyes. Plus, he had a habit of running himself into the ground, continuing to do what he thought was expected of him even if he was ill or exhausted, and I’d learned to watch for the signs. “Go sit down, Sonny,” I said gently. “I’ll make a pot of coffee and bring us some of those cookies I baked last night.”