Declansnorted. “I’ve seen your underwear model boyfriends, yeah,” he said.
“I’venever dated an underwear model,” Ash responded. “Well… not while they wereactively working. There was that one guy who’d just retired. Amal? That soundsright.”
Declangave him an unimpressed look.
“Doesit bother you?” Ash asked. “People assuming?”
Declanlicked his lips, and then after a moment, shook his head. “Not really? I thinkit’s weird that two guys can’t just be friends, but…”
“I’mwearing a rainbow lanyard,” Ash said. “They know I’m gay. So they think youare, too.”
“Yeah,well… saves me from being mobbed by women everywhere I go.”
Ashraised an eyebrow. “Uh huh.”
“Ican dream,” Declan responded. “You don’t know. Maybe everyone just thinks I’mtaken by someone they can’t compete with.”
“Iappreciate that you think I’m the prettiest girl.” Ash grinned at Declan, notcontent with the amount of teasing he’d gotten in so far. Declan looked like hecould use some cheering up, or at least some distracting.
Declanstuck his tongue out at Ash.
Itwasn’t really a mystery why people thought they were together. Not that Ash wasever going to explain to Declan that they were unusually close. He couldn’t affordto risk Declan’s friendship like that.
“Sohow far away is Hope Springs?” Ash asked.
“Iassume it’s somewhere over the goddamn rainbow,” Declan said. “Google told meabout four hours. On the other side of the Rockies.”
“Soundsnice,” Ash said. “It’d be nice to get out of here for the weekend, honestly.”
“I’mthinking we should leave on Friday night? Take the chance to rest up before wemeet with this lawyer.”
“I’mgame, if you’re driving.”
“Oh,I’m driving,” Declan said.
Hehated Ash’s driving.
Ashliked to think of himself as a confident, efficient driver.
Declancalled him hell on wheels.
“Well,if it means I’m not making a four-hour road trip in the dark, you can dowhatever makes you happy,” Ash said.
Aweekend away sounded good. He was looking forward to spending some quality timewith Declan, now that Declan wasn’t pouring every waking hour into his crappyjob.
GreatUncle Marv might not have been a big figure in Declan’s life, but he seemed tobe looking out for him all the same. Accidentally or otherwise.
ChapterFive
Afour-hour drive hadn’t seemed like it would be so bad. Almost peaceful, even.
Thatwas until Declan got out of the car in the hotel parking lot and his kneesalmost gave out on him. He was glad now that he’d convinced Ash to make thetrip on the Friday night so they could spend the whole of Saturday exploringthe town.
“Youneed someone to lean on, there, old man?” Ash asked as he sprang out of theother side, apparently unaffected by sitting down for so long. He spent most ofhis days on his feet, though, so a long car ride was probably a break for him.
“Ican’t feel my ass,” Declan complained, his neck cracking as he straightened up.
“Well,it’s still there,” Ash responded, leaning back on the car as he watched Declanstretch.
