“What’s up?” Trevor asks.
Beau’s head turns slightly, then returns to the truck. “Stay too long and I’ll put you to work.”
“Yes, sir.” I make myself at home on one of the metal barstools at the worktable.
Trevor’s gaze returns to Beau, and when his boyfriend grunts again, Trevor wordlessly hands him a different tool from the lip of the truck. I watch enraptured for a little while as they silently work together. If someone had told me a few years ago that the young kid that helped Claire start the business would be at home helping his boyfriend fix a truck, I would’ve told them to get their head checked. Gone is the man who held everyone, even his friends, at a distance.
“So?” Trevor asks quietly while handing Beau a rag.
The two of them continue to work together to get Beau all cleaned up. Beau presses a soft kiss to Trevor’s slightly stubbled cheek before turning to head into the house without a single word. The man is such an enigma, but Trevor worships theground he walks on. That will always be enough. If Trevor loves someone, then they’re in the inner circle for life.
“I’m bored.” I kick my feet against the ground. “What do you do all day?”
Trevor’s gaze swings towards the house for a second, then returns to me. “My reasons for being here are a little different than yours, Jackson.”
“What’s that mean?”
With a heavy sigh, Trevor leans his back against the truck. His golden hair is loose around his shoulders today, something I’m not used to seeing. Back in Georgia, it was up in a bun most of the time. Maybe that’s another sign of what this place is doing for him.
“I’m thankful for the slow life for a change. Life with Beau, it’s everything I’ve always wanted.” Trevor points his finger at me with a calculating look. “Whereas, you’ve never been happy sitting still. You need something to do. Beau would gladly put you to work at the farm.”
I grunt. “I have a bum knee.”
Trevor rolls his eyes and pushes off of the truck. He crosses his arms over his chest while aiming his steely blue gaze at me. “You’re restless.”
I pinch my forefinger and thumb together. “Just a little.”
Trevor’s lips twitch as he tries not to laugh. “Your fingers aren’t supposed to touch.”
I gasp in feigned shock. “Really? Hey, so, what’s the deal with Harper?”
Trevor’s gaze turns shrewd. “Why?”
Swiveling in the chair, I keep my gaze as steady as I can. I want Trevor to know I’m serious, not fucking around. After the other day with Harper, I want to be the man’s friend, but I also want to kiss the hell out of him. I’ve never had someone rile me up, make me laugh, and activate my protective instincts all atonce before. He’s perfect. I’ve needed him since he told me he rated NFL players by hotness. Who does that? Just Harper.
I shrug in answer. “He’s interesting.”
“And Beau and Colby are very protective of him, for good reason,” Trevor says matter-of-factly. He crosses the garage and places his hands on my knees to stop my swiveling. Our eyes lock as Trevor inspects my motivations solely through touch. “You can’t fuck and run with him.”
“I don’t fuck and run,” I say sourly.
Trevor hums in blatant disagreement. “Harper acts like a Sour Patch Kid but I’m pretty sure inside he’s just melted marshmallow goodness.”
“He has mile-high walls.”
Trevor nods. “Yeah. If you break Harper’s heart, I won’t hold Beau back. That man is the most gentle teddy bear in the world, but he’d burn the world for those he loves. He reminds me of someone else I know.”
My eyebrows furrow. “Who?”
“You, idiot.”
Oh. Suddenly, I’m reminded of the times Trevor returned covered in bruises from a night with a john. One time, he had a split lip so fat that he couldn’t even drink through a straw for a few days. Helping him hide from Claire had been one of the worst experiences of my life. I’d so badly wanted to hack into Claire’s computer to find the name of the john that Trevor had spent the night with. He’d just smiled as best he could, patted my arm with glassy eyes, and told me it’d been consensual.If I didn’t want it, they wouldn’t get the chance to do it. That had taught me a large lesson in trust. Wait for loved ones to ask for me to scorch the earth, instead of doing it without permission.
But now look at Trevor, happy as can be with a man who would never even have the urge to cause him pain. Sometimes, we all get what we need exactly when we need it.
“Coffee?” Beau calls out from the back porch.
The way Trevor’s eyes soften and glow at the sight of Beau warms me to the very core. A contented smile tugs at the corner of Trevor’s lips. We amble up towards the back porch and I take a seat at the weathered table. Trevor heads inside to help Beau with the coffee, and I spot them through the sliding glass doors, hugging and swaying in the kitchen as they gaze at each other with open, clear affection. I tear my gaze away before Trevor can notice I’m watching them.
