Chapter 4 #2
“Do you ever ride in Skyler’s event up here? I’ve been every year. I don’t remember you, but I always find it kind of overwhelming.” The kettle sang, and Heath filled their mugs.
“I’m always here. It’s pretty early in the season, and it’s fairly close after finals. If you make it all the way to finals and you don’t come out of it hurt, you’re not trying hard enough.”
God knew he’d been hurt for most of Skyler’s events.
“I’m not going to pretend to understand it, but I like to watch.” Heath handed him a mug and sat on one end of the couch. The stove was really starting to warm the room up and make it cozy.
He grinned and forced himself not to tease, ‘I hear that about you,’ and he went with, “It’s a complicated sport in some ways. In some ways it’s super easy. Stick for eight.”
“Yeah, no. That looks impossible to me. It’s impressive that anyone can do it.” Heath blew on his tea and tried a sip.
“Thanks. It’s something you’ve got to love, I think.” Why else would someone do it? It was hard on a body.
“I guess everything is that way. Most people wouldn’t put themselves through a zillion years of law school if they didn’t want to be a lawyer either. It’s good you’ve found something you love to do.”
He nodded, because what else could he do? Seriously? He was going to ask Sky to help him figure out his next move.
After the holidays.
Heath sipped his tea. “Warm enough? The stove usually does a good job down here. I do have the heat on for upstairs though.”
“I’m good. This is a neat house. Have you been here a long time?” See him make small talk.
“I bought it like, ten years ago? It was a fixer-upper then. It’s in much better shape, but still a bit of a labor of love now. Beckett loves to tease me about it. He used to call me Bob the Builder.”
“Oh, yeah? That’s cool as hell. That makes it more yours, doesn’t it?” He loved that idea, to make a place something special.
Heath gave him a bright smile, even his beard seemed to stretch happily. “It does make it more mine. That’s exactly it. I get to look at the back deck and know that I built the damn thing. Or the brick floor the wood stove is sitting on, or the kitchen island. I’m proud of the place.”
“No shit? That’s cool. I built out Sky and Beck’s basement room with our friends.” He’d loved doing that.
“Yeah? You guys did a great job. Beckett says the kids love it down there. They really needed a space to stretch out indoors, since the winters get cold around here.”
“Yeah, it started as a man cave, and then we added the rec room.” Those kids had a whole little world down there.
“This spring, I’m going to build a balcony off my bedroom upstairs. The view is amazing. I want to be able to sit and drink my coffee and watch the mountains light up in the morning and the sunset at night.”
“Oh, wow. That’s going to be amazing. You don’t have neighbors to peek in?”
Heath laughed. “My neighbors are deer, moose, eagles, foxes, the occasional coyote or bear, wild turkeys…oh and sometimes Jake Tigg’s dairy cows get loose and wander over.”
“I’ve never seen a moose!” His eyes went wide. “Are they the biggest thing you’ve ever seen?”
“They can get pretty damn big. I was joking with Skyler once that they are like if you took a bull and stretched its legs about four feet. All top-heavy and bizarre-looking. But they are neat animals. Tall, strong, quiet. They really are majestic.”
He tried to imagine Bushwacker with legs like that, and it was enough to make him a little dizzy. Damn, that would be intense as shit.
“Stay long enough, and you’ll see one. Or several. If you’re lucky you’ll see a mom and a baby. If you’re really lucky? You’ll get to see a bull.” Heath was very relaxed and seemed to be enjoying his tea. “Are you a music guy? A TV guy? Movies?”
“I watch a ton of movies, and I love music of all kinds except opera. Opera I don’t get, you know?” He didn’t understand all the yodeling, but it was mostly because it was hard to understand.
“Opera is way too foreign for me. I mean, I can’t knock their talent, but the whole thing—” Heath made a grandiose gesture and opened his mouth in a huge “O”.
He couldn’t help his grin. “Right? And the hats with horns and stuff. I just don’t understand at all.”
Heath chuckled. “Nope. Give me football any day. Any damn day.”
“Now you’re speaking my language. Who’s your team? I’m a Chargers fan, myself.” He didn’t really care. He just loved watching the guys play.
“Pfft. I’m New England all the way. And while you’re up this way, you will be too.” Heath grinned at him, the beard making Heath’s smile seem bigger.
“Fair enough. I remember when the Patriots used to be good…” he teased.
Heath snorted. “Yeah, man. Me too.” The snort turned into a chuckle, and then a big belly laugh.
Okay…that was pretty.
Like genuinely, dearly pretty.
He probably shouldn’t stare, should he?
“Damn Patriots.” Heath hauled himself off the sofa with a groan, and he got a look at the tight fit in the ass of the man’s jeans. “Okay. Let me show you around upstairs. If I’m tired from being up since six, you’ve got to be toast.”
“Sounds good. Thanks again for this. I do appreciate it.” He stood and took his cup to the sink, washing it out.
“What time did you want to head back to Beckett’s tomorrow?” Heath joined him at the sink, then took his cup from him and set them both in the drying rack. They were shoulder to shoulder for a second and he could smell Heath’s cologne, or maybe it was aftershave, woody and warm.
“Whenever you’re ready. I’d take you to breakfast, if you want.” It was only fair, he thought.
“Thank you, but there’s really nothing between me and Beckett but cows. We can make some eggs here, and you stay warm indoors and watch me shovel us out.”
“Fair enough.” He could get out there and dig in the morning. He was a tough bastard.
A tough, tired bastard.
“Come on.” Heath led him up a narrow staircase to the second floor.
He could tell that less work had been done up here; the wood floors were a little warped and creaky and the banister wobbled a bit.
But the vintage molding, glass doorknobs, and the wood-frame, double-hung windows were really neat.
“I’ve got two extra rooms up here… I decided this one was probably the most comfortable for a guest room.
I use the other as an office. And my room is at the end of the hall there at the back of the house. ”
“Good deal. Thanks so much. I hope you sleep well and shit.”
“I usually do.” Heath nodded. “Your bathroom is there, and there are towels in the little closet. The bed is made because my mother actually warned me that random house guests happen. I told her they don’t happen to me, so she will be thrilled to learn she is, once again, right.
” Heath took a few steps toward his own room. “Good night, Parker.”
“Good night, sir. Have a good one.” He waved and headed to the bedroom. Lord have mercy.
He was going to have to have a long shower, jack off, and crash so he could get up in the morning and shovel.
God help him.