“Ibarely knew him,” Declan explained.
Thatwas probably why this was the first Ash was hearing of him. “Oh.” Ash sat back,the fake leather of the bench seat creaking under him.
“Buthe left me something,” Declan continued. “In his will.”
Ashwaited for Declan to tell himwhathe’d been left, but Declan seemed to befinished talking. “You can’t just say that and not tell me what it was. Itwasn’t a dog or something, was it? Or, like, a kid to look after.”
“No,uh… not exactly, anyway. He left me, uh… a bookstore.”
Ash’seyes widened. “Wow,” he murmured, already imagining the possibilities. He wasDeclan’s best friend, so…
MaybeDeclan was coming to ask for Ash’s help in running it? That would have been adream come true.
“Oh,there’s a catch,” Declan said. “I can’t have it until I’m married.”
“Oh.”Ash slumped in his seat, his heart sinking. Declan wasn’t getting marriedanytime soon.
“Yeah.”Declan sighed. “But, uh. I’m supposed to be going up and seeing it on Saturday,and I was hoping you’d come for an all-expenses paid weekend away with me.”
Ashraised an eyebrow. “Where is it?”
“Littleplace called Hope Springs,” Declan said. “Which I’m not making up, by the way.”
“Ididn’t think you were,” Ash said. “Why would you make something like that up?”
Declannodded. “Right, it’s just… I thought it was fake, but… anyway. Will you comewith me? I’ll beg. I don’t want to go to the middle of nowhere alone to dealwith a lawyer who seemed disappointed that I didn’t know my uncle. Who was gay,by the way. No one ever told me that.”
Ashhuffed, surprised to hear that. “Wow. I guess you really didn’t know him.”
“Ireally didn’t. Last time I talked to him was like… the Christmas before my lastsemester of college, I think. Just a little while after I met you.”
“Thatwasa long time ago. I feel like I’ve known you forever.”
“Tenyears this September,” Declan said.
“Aww,you remembered our anniversary,” Ash teased. “So sweet.”
Declanblushed to the tips of his ears. “Yeah, yeah. I remember because it was myfirst day on the job at the coffee shop. Are you coming with me, or not?”
“Iwouldn’t miss this for the world,” Ash said. “Sounds like an adventure, and wehaven’t been on one of those in a while.”
“I’vebeen a crappy friend,” Declan responded, sitting back as the waitress broughtcoffee.
“Theusual?” she asked, looking to Ash.
“Please.”Ash beamed at her, flattered that she remembered his usual. “Oh, and can I havean extra slice of bacon?”
“Absolutely,”the waitress winked at him. “And same as always for your boyfriend?”
Ashgrinned at that. “I think he could use a chocolate thickshake to go with it.Heavy on the chocolate.”
“Surething,” the waitress said, writing down the order with what looked like a singlestroke of her pen. “Ten minutes, fifteen, tops.”
“Thankyou,” Ash said cheerfully, still glowing at being mistaken for Declan’sboyfriend.
“Youlove it when people do that,” Declan said. “Assume I’m your boyfriend, I mean.”
Ashshrugged. “You’ve seen the guys I date. You’re a better class of personcompared to them.”
