JOE RETURNEDhome smelling of sawdust and sweat, somehow chilled and overheated at the same time.The wind and ice storm of the day before had hit Amherstburg and LaSalle particularly hard.Joe’s employees had handled the cleanup the previous day, when Joe was so discombobulated with thoughts of Austin that handling power tools would’ve posed a danger to his health.Today, though, Justin had called out sick, and clearing away the rest of the fallen trees couldn’t wait when it might mean losing business.
Besides, he needed the money.
At least today he was able to concentrate without the constant thrum of arousal under his skin.Even if he mostly assigned himself to the rote physical labor of dragging branches and logs from the backyard to the front, where Eric would toss them into the chipper.
He walked in the front door to find the kids and Austin gone.Starling was in the basement, labeling the brand-new electrical panel.
“Hey.”
“Hey, he says,” Starling mock groused, turning just long enough to give him a wry look.“Leaves me alone in his house all day doing manual labor, didn’t even save me any risotto—”
“I did hide the biscotti, though.”
Starling narrowed her eyes and gave him a long look.
“Right.The power’s back on, but I need to finish labeling this panel.You’re going upstairs to make me coffee to go with that biscotti, and then you’re going to confess to me whatever it is that’s making your face do that thing.”
“What thing?”Joe grumbled but did as Starling directed.He wasn’t about to risk the wrath of his best friend, or the electrician that basically wired his house for free.
“And shower!”she yelled after him as he headed out the door.
Once they were settled in the kitchen with their coffee and biscotti between them, Starling dipped her treat in her coffee and said, “So, what’s going on?”
Joe considered lying, but truthfully, he was glad she was here.He needed to tell someone, and based on Will’s blushes that morning, the kids were the last people he should confide in.
“I slept with him.”
Starling paused with her mug halfway to her mouth.“By him, I’m going to assume Austin.And by slept, I’m guessing you don’t mean platonically.”
“That was two nights ago.”
Starling stared.
“I couldn’t let him sleep in the trailer during the storm,” Joe protested.
“Right.So you decided to compound the first questionable choice with another?”
“There was red wine involved,” Joe muttered petulantly.
Starling glanced once more at her coffee, which she’d yet to take a sip from.“You got any whiskey?”
“Will Baileys do?”Joe offered.He had a weakness at Christmas time.
“I guess it’ll have to.”
Once their coffee was fortified with some healthy glugs of Irish cream, Starling resumed the interrogation.Not that she had to do much interrogating.Joe had already folded like origami in the rain.
“You flipped to see who would top.”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time?”
“Why didn’t you just offer?Obviously he didn’t mind you throwing yourself at his dick ass-first.”
“It seemed more fun?”
“Joseph.You are such a disaster bisexual.”
Joe sighed.“I know.But what am I going to do?”
