Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“You don’t need to thank me,” he replied honestly. “You’ve, um…given me a whole lot more than that since you came here.” He’d made Deacon start to feel alive again, just by being his friend.
When Grady didn’t reply, Deacon flicked his eyes toward him, held them there, because that was exactly what Grady was doing with his stare, keeping it on Deacon, heating him with it, making his fingers twitch in a strange way and warmth pool in his gut.
“Me too,” Grady finally said, then opened his mouth to speak again just as a large clash of thunder and lightning rumbled the sky. The lights flickered, once, twice, and then the third time didn’t come back on again.
“Shit.”
“Generator?”
“Went out on me when Patricia was sick. Never got a new one.” There weren’t any streetlights where Deacon lived, and the house was pitch-black. He only knew Grady was there because he could feel him, the dip in the couch and the energy that always pulsed off him. “We can go to your place.”
“Or…hear me out…we’re trapped…in a cabin in the woods…during a storm.”
“Yes, I know, but we’re not really stuck since we have vehicles.”
Grady sighed, and then the area lit up with the flashlight from his phone. “Stop being boring. We’re on a winter vacation in the mountains, and we’re trapped. We have to make do the best we can. The storm is a savage one, and who knows if we’ll make it through the night?” The grin he gave Deacon was almost a bashful one, like he was embarrassed of what he’d said. “Deke, did you not play games like that as a kid?”
“Yeah, but I’m forty now.”
Grady rolled his eyes, lowered his voice as he said, “Have a little fun with me. Who cares if it’s ridiculous? When’s the last time you let yourself do something like this?”
It felt like something was suddenly lighting Deacon up from the inside, this flicker of excitement that flared into a wildfire. “Can I start us a fire in this little fantasy?”
“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”
“We wouldn’t want that.”
Chapter 19
Grady
He’d felt silly at first, suggesting the game, but they’d dived headfirst into it. Deacon kept lanterns in the hall closet, which he got out. Then he hauled in wood he kept on the screened porch, and Grady grabbed blankets and pillows from his bed.
He watched as Deacon got it started, the red flames flittering, throwing shadows on the white-painted brick fireplace. “Old-fashioned, huh?”
Deacon looked over his shoulder at Grady. “Are you giving me shit because I don’t have a gas fireplace?”
Chuckling, he held up his hands. “Just making an observation, is all.”
“I like to build real fires, thank you very much. It’s an old house, and I like its charm.”
“I like it too.” Grady liked a lot of things. He liked Deacon.
Once the fire was going well, they laid out the blankets and pillows and sat down.
“You’re not wearing socks,” he told Deacon.
“That’s because this guy I know likes to tease me. I have what my doctor calls sock insecurity now. I might have one about fireplaces too.”
Grady barked out a laugh, then pulled a sock off and grabbed Deacon’s foot.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, hmm…I’m not sure. Whatever could I be doing?” He raised a brow playfully. “I would hate to contribute to your cold feet or your sock insecurity.” He tugged the clean sock on Deacon, then took off the other and tugged it on as well. “All better,” he said, hoping he hadn’t gone too far.
“Thank you.” Deacon’s deep voice was soft, unsure. “I do have my own, though.”
“Mine were closer.”
“What about you?”
“I have hot feet. They’ll be fine.” They chuckled. “Want to watch a movie on my phone?”
“I’ll grab my laptop.” Deacon stood and disappeared with a lantern, and Grady watched him go. He was going to end up hurt. There was no doubt in his mind about that. And then he’d probably move. The thought of leaving Briar County, of leaving Deacon, made a cold shudder sweep through him, leaving an ache behind.
Deacon returned with the laptop, and they lay on their stomachs, a mound of blankets beneath them, pillows around them, and watched a comedy. They laughed a lot, though they always did together. This felt like something from a film, and Grady was slightly embarrassed he’d suggested it. But this was Deacon, and Grady liked to make him smile and wanted to do fun, juvenile things with him, but also wanted to do some very grown-up stuff with him that he needed to nix because Deacon wasn’t into men and Grady didn’t want to lose his friendship.
When the movie was over, Deacon closed the laptop, then sat up and added more logs to the fire. Grady rolled onto his back and watched him, saw a gray hair in his beard and a small wrinkle near his eye. He wanted to touch them both, to touch all of him, feel his skin and muscles and rub his cheek against Deacon’s facial hair while he breathed him in.