Chapter 23
Linden
A few years ago, I converted the garage into a woodworking shop, and I parked my car in the driveway.
I blew away the wood shavings and looked closely at the design, seeing areas I had missed or needed to even out. The two medallions would be glued to the sides underneath the flat surface where the legs would form.
This was my element. This was where I always wanted to be.
If I didn’t have my hobby, I’d be miserable.
My job was uncreative, even if it was lucrative.
Sex was fun, and Hugh and I did it often, especially with Atlas in our lives, but woodworking?
It was my Zen. Carving silenced my mind as I focused on cutting, creating patterns, and loving the feel of wood underneath my fingertips.
I grabbed a piece of fine-grit sandpaper, rolled it up, and gently smoothed the intricate pattern on the medallion’s surface.
I blew on it again and lovingly rubbed my thumb over the wood.
It was a beautiful piece. I still had more to do, but it was going to be stunning when I finished, if I said so myself.
Who knew how long I’d been working? I tended to get lost in my work and music whenever I was out here, losing track of time. So, when someone touched my bare shoulder, I jumped out of my skin. I quickly yanked out my earbuds and turned to face Atlas, of all people.
He looked so sexy in his cropped pink T-shirt with a unicorn on the front. “Hey, baby. What are you doing here?”
He rushed to hug me, resting his head on my chest, covered in an apron I used for work. My arms wrapped tightly around him, and I rested my head on top of his.
“Hello, gorgeous.”
Warmth spread through me, holding this precious man, who was so affectionately sweet. When he looked up at me with his wide, dark eyes, I kissed the tip of his nose.
Before he could answer, Hugh stepped into the workshop, looking hot as fuck, still wearing his sunglasses. He always looked good in a suit, but in jeans and a simple T-shirt that fit him like a glove, he was drool-worthy.
“We texted you several times,” Hugh said.
I grabbed my phone without letting go of Atlas to look at the screen. Sure enough, there were about ten texts from both of them.
“Sorry, I got sidetracked.”
“Hugh said you’d probably be out here,” Atlas said. “I mean, you’re hot all the time, but you wearing only an apron, covered in sweat and sawdust, is strangely sexy.”
I flipped him around and pushed him against the workbench. “Oh yeah? You want a piece of my sweaty ass?”
“I always want your ass… Hugh’s, too, like all the time.”
I pulled him back up because it wasn’t the time or place, and draped an arm around his narrow shoulders. “What’s the plan then?” I asked Hugh.
“Go get cleaned up. We’re taking Atlas out on a date. A real one, and something we should have already done.”
Atlas bounced and clapped excitedly. “I can’t wait. We’re going to go to Great Falls and take pretty pictures, then we’re going to have lunch in Old Town Alexandria, and after that, Hugh promised me a movie with lots of popcorn.”
Hugh shrugged and smiled crookedly. “What can I say? It’s fun to spoil him.”
“It is indeed. All right then. Let’s go spend the day spoiling our princess.”
“Yes!” Atlas yelled and jumped like a cheerleader and ran off. “I’ll start the shower for you.”
I stepped up to Hugh before he could follow him. “Hey, did you place that order? That surprise for Atlas we talked about?”
“I did. It won’t be here for another couple of weeks, but it’s on the way.”
“He’s going to love it, I think.”
“Yeah, I think so, too.”
While the day was mild, it was much colder next to the falls. It had rained a few days ago, so the water was really rushing.
After hiking for about a mile, we hit a perfect overlook. There weren’t many people, so I could take pictures without worrying about having to edit them out.
“Atlas, stand by the railing, look like your cute-ass self, and let me take a couple of pictures,” I said, pulling out my phone.
Atlas leaned back against the fence, draping his arms on each side, and placing one foot against it. I took a couple of shots of him like that before he posed by resting his head on his arm, looking adorably at me as he nibbled his bottom lip. What a ham. Seriously.
“Okay, pretend like you’re looking out at the water. You look amazing with the breeze blowing back your curls. I want to capture your profile like that.”
Atlas stood straight and frowned before plastering on a fake smile. “Oh, you have enough of me.” He rushed over to Hugh and tugged him toward the overlook. “Take one of us together.”
What was that about? Atlas went from enjoying himself in posing to instantly shutting it down.
I shrugged and took a few more with him and Hugh together. Then Hugh took over and took a few of Atlas and me.
As we headed back, Atlas climbed a huge boulder and posed some more for my camera.
“Ah, I don’t think I can get down now. I’m not exactly the outdoorsy type.”
Hugh stood there with his hands on his hips like he was some scolding father. “Well, you climbed up there.”
“Yeah, I know, but that was the easy part. What if I fall coming down? What if I twist an ankle? Then you’d have to carry me, take me to the doctor. I’ll go to work, limping and whining… You don’t want that, do you? Please be a dear and help me.”
I chuckled, rolled my eyes, and stood with my back turned to him. “Climb on my back, Princess.”
“My hero!”
Once he was on my back, I tucked my arms behind his knees and just carried him the rest of the way.
Hugh laughed and shook his head. “So spoiled.”
“Psh, you love it,” Atlas said.
“We both do,” I agreed.
After a bit of shopping, we sat outside at a nice restaurant for an early dinner. The area was bustling with tourists as they shopped and ate. The street was closed to cars, allowing everyone to explore without worrying about traffic. And we had a fantastic view of the Potomac.
The day was perfect, and the area was beautiful, with the trees covered in fall leaves lining the street. The buildings were very old, and I loved going inside some of them that still had the old woodwork to get creative ideas or just rub it lovingly.
I took a quick picture of Atlas, sitting on Hugh’s lap as my cousin fed him an olive from the charcuterie board we ordered before our meal. People looked at us strangely, but fuck them.
Atlas was happy as a clam, as always, but Hugh… I’d never seen him this happy. Hugh needed it. He really needed to find that after spending most of his life catering to his father at the expense of his own joy.
Part of me wanted to step back and let them have a thing together. It wasn’t that they ever left me out or never tried to include me. They always made sure I was part of everything, but as Hugh evolved and changed, I found my feelings for him growing to the point it started to hurt.
I’d seen many sides of him over the long years.
His happiness always seemed so fleeting as he sacrificed everything to please Uncle Hanley.
The only time he was truly himself was during our sexual games.
Now, with Atlas, he was more himself than ever…
or the person he should’ve been. It was a beautiful thing. Truly.
The problem was that I was attached to Atlas, too. Walking away would be no easy thing.
I sipped on my beer as we waited for our food and stared out at the crowd of families or couples dating. Yeah, it was a good day.
Someone pushed my leg off my knee, and I faced Atlas, climbing on my lap this time. “Hi there, sweet stuff. Having fun?”
“So much fun, but it would be better if you told me what was wrong.”
I glanced at Hugh, unable to help myself. He was watching me like Atlas was, with eyes full of concern. Shit, I must have been wearing my feelings on my face.
I gave them both a smile. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just enjoying the day. It really is perfect out here, and I’m with my favorite people.”
Atlas curled up on me and rested his head on my shoulder.
I kissed his curls and squeezed him against me.
I never truly realized how much I loved affection and being held like that.
Once I had it from Atlas, I wanted more.
Just when I was feeling a bit out of my element and out of sorts, like some homing pigeon, he flocked to me and pulled me out of my growing funk.
“It is a perfect day, and you’re some of my favorite people, too,” he said.
I peeked at my cousin over Atlas’s curls. He was still watching us thoughtfully as he sipped his pinot grigio. When I smiled, he smiled back.
He set down the glass, leaned forward, and placed his hand on my thigh. My body instantly reacted to his electrical touch. He placed a kiss on Atlas’s shoulder before meeting my eyes again. With a light squeeze, he sat up straight again.
What was that about?
“What movie are we going to see?” Hugh asked, pulling out his phone. “I can buy us tickets.”
Atlas climbed off me and sat in his seat when the server brought our food out. He put the napkin on his lap and stabbed a fork into his steak salad. “What about that thriller with Henry Cavill? He’s to die for. He’s so dreamy.”
“Okay, no movies with Henry Cavill are allowed,” he huffed, making Atlas and me laugh.
“Please, sweet King.”
“Going right for the jugular, I see. Fine, Henry Cavill it is.”
“Yay!”
That night after the movie, we all piled into my king-sized bed. Rarely did we spend the night at each other’s homes, not until Atlas. I loved them both in my bed.
Atlas was tucked against me, his face pressed to my throat.
Meanwhile, Hugh was spooning him. I stared at Hugh’s head as he tried to sleep, his dancing fingers on my hip, making me fucking ache for him.
It wasn’t like him to touch me a lot, so I didn’t know what to make of it, other than that Atlas was bringing it out of him, and we’d all been more intimate lately. It probably didn’t mean anything.
As if sensing I was staring at him, Hugh lifted his head to look at me. I didn’t bother prying my eyes away when he caught me. He said nothing as he reached for my face and combed away some of my fallen bangs.
My breath caught, and I didn’t dare move or say a word. Before I could overthink what just happened, Hugh curled back into Atlas to sleep, leaving me confused and needy as fuck.