And wasn’t he jumping ahead by leaps and bounds? What if Elowen didn’t want him here? Maybe they wouldbe the type of couple who got together once every couple of months. Could he actually live with a woman?
Maybe he should just calm down and allow their relationship to develop naturally instead of trying to push things forward. Whatever happened between them would happen. He would tell his friends about Elowen being someone he knew from childhood, but he wasn’t going to force a relationship where one may not develop.
Chapter 10
Griz steppedinto the cabin just as Jay entered the kitchen. “Hey, Jay. This place is amazing. I just saw a hawk hunting for breakfast and a deer crossed my path.”
Jay paused and narrowed his gaze. “Shit, man, who the hell did you find to fuck out here?”
Panic swept through Griz. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jay rolled his eyes. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Is it the owner of the cabin?” Jay glanced over his shoulder then stepped closer. “You’re older than me but heck, you’ve still got it.”
Griz stepped around Jay and grabbed a mug before he turned back to Jay. “Keep it to yourself.”
“Griz, you’re back,” Sharp said as he entered the kitchen. “And you’re wearing the same clothes as last night. Dude, how did you find a woman out here to sleep with?”
“Good God, can you all just be chill?”
“Fine,” Sharp said. “Is it the woman who owns the cabin?”
He’d just picked up the coffee pot and set it back downbefore pouring. He turned to face the guys. “We figured out we knew each other from when we were kids. Her family owned the plot of land next to ours. We’ve been friends since we were four. She’s just a friend.”
Sharp chuckled. “Sure.”
“I have condoms,” Jay said.
Griz stared at his buddy, his eyebrows raised. “Wait, why do you have condoms?”
Jay shrugged. “Nichole is having some health issues, and we are using condoms for a while.”
“Oh man, I hope she gets better soon,” Sharp said.
Jay shrugged. “She’s having surgery when we get back. It’s not a huge deal and she will be okay. She’s a little sensitive about it so don’t say anything.”
Sharp nodded. “I won’t.”
“I’m going to go up and shower and change before anyone else comes down,” Griz said.
“It’s not the clothes, it’s the goofy grin,” Jay called out as Griz took the stairs up.
He shook his head. Jay was probably right about the goofy grin. Elowen made him happy. He remembered one hot summer day they’d been at the creek because neither of their parents wanted them inside. They’d been swimming in their underwear when he saw a snake. He’d screamed and Elowen had grabbed the snake and flung it out of the water. She’d always been a badass. He shouldn’t be surprised that she’d come out here and made this cabin into an amazing retreat. The place was beautiful, and now that he knew she’d been the one responsible for everything, he could see her influence.
He took a quick shower and changed clothes, showing up downstairs about twenty minutes later. Everyone was in the kitchen. There was a fresh pot of coffee and Squat was making eggs, while Shine had thewaffle iron going. Someone had cooked sausages and his stomach rumbled.
“Hey, everyone. Good morning.”
Amelia met his gaze and winked. What did that wink mean? He stepped over to the coffee pot and Asher turned away, her shoulder shaking.
He poured a mug then turned around and surveyed the room. Everyone knew. Jesus, was nothing secret in this group? He turned his gaze on Jay and frowned.
Jay lifted his hands, like he was trying too hard to prove his innocence. Griz’s frown deepened.
“What?” Jay asked.
“Did you tell?”
Jay shook his head. “You do realize we all have honed our skills of observations. We all knew you’d spent the night away.”
