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Why did Nash have to be so freaking hot? I’d never really been a fan of beards, but his was so lush looking. He had these whiskey-colored eyes that I swear could see right through me and a body that wouldn’t quit. Add to that the fact that he was so damn nice, and it was hard for me to keep pretending I didn’t want him. Which was why I hurried off with Nolan instead of staying and talking to Nash.
“You didn’t have to come with me.”
I shrugged. “I know, but I’m your emotional support person, remember?”
He laughed and hip-bumped me. “I’m pretty sure I’d survive without, but since you’re with me, do you want to see what I’ve been working on this week?”
“Do you even have to ask?”
We started out by checking with V and Margo in the kitchen, and they assured us they had everything under control, at least until it was time to bring everything out. From there, I followed him out to his office to get a look at the progress he was making on the video game he was designing. I didn’t know how long we were gone. Nolan’s lab was like Vegas. Time just worked differently in there, but after a bit, Cruz stuck his head in.
“The food is about ready if you guys want to wrap it up in here and come join the real world.”
Nolan stood up and walked over to Cruz, going up on his toes and pressing a kiss to the man’s lips. “We’ll be right out.”
“If you aren’t out in five minutes, I’ll be back.”
“We’ll be there. We were just finishing up.”
“Okay,” Cruz said, but I could hear the doubt in his voice.
“I won’t let him get distracted,” I assured him.
Cruz shot me a grin and left us in there to finish up.
“It’s a long way from finished, but I have a good feeling about Deep Space Cowboy. I think it’s going to be a hit. See, look at this real quick. I added some new options for your cowboy avatar,” Nolan said.
“How about we go eat first so your personal cowboy doesn’t come back for us. Besides, I’m dying to try some of this brisket everyone keeps talking about.”
“It’s just as good as everyone says. When we get out there, I’ll need to play host for a bit, so you go ahead and fill your plate. You don’t have to wait on me.”
“Okay, sounds good.” I knew Cap and Frankie from their place in town, and I’d met a few of the other guests when they came into the clinic for various reasons, so I figured it’d be easy enough to find someone to talk to. It would probably be good for me to actually get to know some people outside of work.
We went around the corner to where everyone was sitting. The weather had warmed up considerably, but everyone was still sticking pretty close to the firepits. Without even thinking about it, I caught myself scanning the crowd, looking for Nash. He was sitting at one of the firepits next to a beautiful man I’d never seen before. Someone said something, and the man threw back his head and laughed while Nash looked on fondly.
I reached out and grabbed Nolan’s arm before he could leave me. “Who’s that sitting by Nash?”
He turned, looked, then shrugged. “Don’t know. I’ve never seen him before, but Cruz mentioned he told him he could bring someone.”
I nodded and tried really hard to look like I didn’t care. “Ah, I’d just never seen him before.”
The only people I knew well enough to go over and talk to were Cap, Frankie, and their friend, Ripley Warner-Ellis. I’d seen him at the coffee shop and had treated him at the urgent care before, and he was a sweetheart. He reminded me a lot of my Uncle Nathan with his colorful attire and vibrant personality. I decided that would be the best place for me to start, so that was where I headed.
“Hey, guys. Is anyone sitting here?” I motioned to the empty seat next to Frankie.
“You are. Have a seat,” Frankie said with a grin.
“How are you liking River Gorge, Spencer?” Ripley asked. “Are you settling in okay?”
“I am. I really like it here. It’s very different from Austin, but not in a bad way.”
He laughed and shook his head. “Honestly, River Gorge is different from pretty much anywhere else. There was a time when I’d rather live anywhere but here, but that’s changed.”
“The town has changed. That’s for sure. The first time I hung the Pride flag in the coffee shop window so people would know it was a safe space, I expected them to run me out of town. Now half the shops on Main Street have one.”
Ripley rolled his eyes at that. “Like there was ever anything you were going to do for this town to go against you. I swear you could run naked down Main Street, and no one would blink an eye.”
This was why I hated sitting with people who all knew each other that I didn’t know at all. I felt like I was missing something here because I had no idea what made Cap so special that he could get away with things no one else could. Luckily, Ripley realized that and filled me in.
