“I’m sorry I kept you so late.”
“Not late at all. And I’m glad you did.”
They embraced for several seconds, and as they separated, Drew pressed a gentle, chaste kiss to Gabriel’s cheek. His stomach flipped at the soft contact.
When he got in his car moments later, his cheeks warm and his heart racing, he knew one thing for certain: he was falling, and falling hard, for Drew Moreau.
Chapter 6
Drew
The morning after Drew’s date with Gabriel, hewas sitting (naked) at the bar in the kitchen of his rented log cabin/mansion, eating eggs and toast he’d made for breakfast, and reading the news on his phone, when the doorbell rang.
He checked the door camera on the app on his phone (the details had been provided in the welcome packet), and saw a man about his age standing on the front steps. He didn’t recognize the man. He was broad-shouldered, blonde-haired, and had a thick, short beard. He wore a gray T-shirt and brown work pants. He seemed at ease, standing with his hands in his pockets, waiting for an answer.
Drew scrambled to find a pair of boxers, tripped into them, and went to open the door.
The blonde man raised an amused eyebrow at Drew’s scant attire. “Sorry if I’m interrupting something,” he said. “I know it’s early. I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Evan DeVries. I manage the property for Mr. and Mrs. Aaldenkamp when they’re out of town.” He frowned. “You don’t look like an Estelle Hoffman.”
Drew laughed. “I’m not. The reservation is just in her name. I’m the one staying here. Drew. Drew Moreau.”
They shook hands.
“Funny,” Evan said. “You have the same name as one of my favorite hockey players.” Then he paused, squinting at Drew’s face. “Wait.”
“Nice to meet you, Evan,” Drew said. His cover was blown, but he didn’t care. Evan seemed like a nice guy, and Drew trusted his instincts. “Want to come in for a beer?”
“It’s seven thirty in the morning.”
“Coffee, then.”
“I’ll always take a cup of joe.”
Drew had half a pot remaining in the kitchen. He poured them each a mug. Evan took his black, and Drew added a splash of milk to his. He found a T-shirt and pulled it on and leaned against the kitchen counter facing Evan.
“This might be a rude question,” Evan said, “but you arethatDrew Moreau, right?”
“Is it vain of me to say yes, assuming you mean the hockey player?”
“It’s not vain. Yeah. Holy shit. You’re here in Orion?” Then Evan shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m acting like a fanboy, and that’s inappropriate. Mrs. Aaldenkamp would be very disappointed.”
“Why’s that?”
“She was my teacher in high school and cared a lot about manners.”
“For what it’s worth, you haven’t been rude.”
“If you say so. I’ve never met a professional athlete before, and I guess I’ve forgotten how to act. Jesus, I almost forgot I came here for a reason. Like I said, I manage the property for the Aaldenkamps. It’s in good condition. The roof was recently updated, and we had a team out here to look at the plumbing after this past winter. I don’t expect you’ll have any problems with it, but if you do, just let me know. I’ll be by once a week to mow the grass. Trash days are on Tuesdays. If you just leave the bin on your driveway, I can take it to the road for you.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Drew said. “I can do it. And I don’t mind mowing the lawn.”
Evan shook his head. “You’re here on vacation, and it’s my job. I can’t stop you from doing it, but even if you do mow, I’ll be here every Wednesday to mow it again.” He smiled.
“You take your job seriously.”
“Don’t you?”
“I suppose I do.”
