“He’s taking a shower,” Hudson responded. “He said it was too peopley in all the stores.”
Glancing over Hudson’s shoulder, Carter could see about halfway into the living room with the way the walls were placed. Aaron was placing a pad and some toys into the kennel that Carter had built earlier. He’d been planning on something simple just for the night but the excitement in Aaron’s eyes when Carter had grabbed his toolbelt made Carter want to show off a little. Had he been showing off? Maybe a little.
“He’s cute, right?” Hudson asked.
Carter grunted. This wasn’t a conversation that he was going to have with his younger brother. Even back in Boston, Carter hadn’t been big on introducing the men or women that he dated. Hudson was a born romantic and settling down hadn’t been on Carter’s mind.
Now that they’d moved and Carter had more time to focus on a partner, he wondered if it was time to do just that. Aaron was cute. Earlier when Carter had finished dinner, he’d gone into the living room to find Aaron with his head tilted back onto thecouch cushion with his eyes closed. He’d been drawn forward with the desire to be closer without having Aaron’s big eyes peering back at him.
Aaron had looked like an angel.
Seriously. With the lights low so the pups weren’t disturbed and Aaron relaxing, it had been hard to keep himself back. He’d ended up staring down close at Aaron, noticing for the first time the small cluster of freckles under his eyes, hidden by the dark circles.
And the almost kiss? Carter ached to feel Aaron’s lips against his.
“Fine,” Hudson huffed. “If you’re going to be boring, then I’m going to make sure that Bas is all moved into my room.”
“We should really talk about this.” Carter rubbed the back of his neck.
“What’s there to talk about? We’re mates. I want to live here with him and you. We’ll probably spend my off shifts at the cabin, but otherwise, you have a new roommate.”
Carter should say no. Offer other suggestions. Except he didn’t want Hudson living out by the state park so far away from him. “Keep down the noise.”
Hudson frowned. “It’s not like we play the music loud or anything. We’re not throwing a party in my bedroom.”
“You know what I mean,” Carter said with a growl. “I don’t want to hear you and Bas…together.” Even brothers had to have limits.
Hudson’s frown deepened before his cheeks brightened and he looked away. “Oh my god! Really, Carter?”
“I’m just saying.” Now it was his turn to tease his brother. “Either keep it down or have Bas buy you a gag.”
Hudson’s cheeks burned hotter. “Carter!”
Striding from the kitchen, Carter winked at his brother. He entered the living room just as Aaron was lowering himself on the couch.
“They asleep?” Carter asked quietly.
“Yes, finally. They really do need names,” Aaron responded.
He’d been trying to get Carter to name the three puppies all day. Carter had been hesitant. He knew once he named them, they would be his. They already were really but naming them just seemed more permanent.
He sat at the opposite end of the couch. “I’ve never named puppies before.”
“Well neither have I,” Aaron replied with a huff.
“Well…” Carter drawled. “There are three of them. We could name them…like the Three Stooges?” It was an awful suggestion and he knew it.
Aaron groaned. “Veto!”
Chuckling, Carter shook his head. “It was really all I can come up with.” He was terrible at this.
Hudson paused in the middle of the living room as he’d been heading back toward the bedrooms. He looked from Carterto Aaron to the sleeping pups in their kennel. “What about Aragorn, Legolas, and Arwen?”
Carter froze. Those…those were perfect names.
“From theLord of the Rings?” Aaron asked.
Hudson smirked in Carter’s direction. “It is his favorite movie. We’ve seen it a hundred times.”
