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“Hey! Whatcha looking for, babe?” Noah called, stopping him.
“What? Nothing. Just looking,” Rowe replied a little too quickly. A little too innocently.
Noah pushed down his own smile and waved for Rowe to come over to him as he leaned against the railing again. “Yeah, I don’t believe that for a second.”
He quickly ran through where he’d last seen everyone when he’d ventured up to the top deck. Snow had been happily guiding the houseboat to the quiet spot where they’d drop anchor for the next three days. Jude was putting food away and setting about cooking hamburgers for lunch. Lucas was kicked back on the lower deck, a beer in hand. That in itself was a fucking testament to how much he’d mellowed with Andrei, considering that he was happy leaving boat novice Snow to the navigating. Andrei was unpacking and digging out his swimming trunks. Like Noah, he’d taken one look at the twisting slide off the end of the boat and become an instant five-year-old.
Sadly, Ian couldn’t join them because he was needed at the restaurant. And after Ian’s last couple of camping trips, it was likely that the young man wasn’t willing to head out into the woods with them anytime soon. The gang would miss Ian’s sweet smile, sharp tongue, and skills in the kitchen.
“What?” Rowe came the rest of the way up the stairs, but he kept his right hand low and behind his back as if he was trying to hide something.
“Whatcha got?”
An evil grin spread across his face as he approached. He lifted his right hand and waved back and forth a twelve-inch statue of a merman poised on a rock with a shining orange tail. His bronze skin seemed to glisten in the sunlight as if he’d just jumped from the ocean. There was no missing the way his chest thrust forward or the “come fuck me” look he was leveling at Noah.
Noah cringed at the questionable piece of art. “Where the hell did you find that?”
“In the living room.”
The houseboat was nice for the most part with dark woods and granite countertops. There were several black leather couches and plenty of outdoor seating. The decorating was strange. The theme was merpeople—every picture on the wall was of a mermaid or merman. Every little kitschy statue, bust, and knickknack was a mermaid or merman. And a lot of them were creepy like the one in Rowe’s hand.
“And what’s your plan?”
Rowe shrugged, trying to play it off as if he was completely innocent but Noah didn’t buy it for a second. “I’m just doing a little redecorating.”
“Fuck. Not our room I hope.”
“Nope. Snow’s.” Noah fell back against the railing, his laughter ringing out. He barely heard Rowe continue. “The asshole took the center bedroom so that we all have to hear the sex Olympics he’s got planned against the walls with Jude. I just thought we’d give him a proper audience.” He lifted the slutty merman again to make his point.
Thrusting his hand into Rowe’s hair, he pulled him close and kissed him while they both chuckled. “You’re insane, babe.”
“You love it,” Rowe murmured as he leaned in for another kiss.
Noah moved his lips against Rowe’s, loving the feel of the other man’s weight against him, the hint of his cologne in the air before it was stolen away by the wind. With each passing day, Rowe seemed a little more relaxed, a little more willing to laugh, and a little more playful, as if he were pulling his soul out from the shadow of his wife’s death to embrace living again. Mel was still an intricate part of their lives, but her memory more frequently brought smiles than tears.
Rowe broke off the kiss and stepped back. Reaching into his other pocket, he pulled out a little tube and held it out to Noah. “I’ll let you help.”
Noah groaned when he discovered that Rowe was holding superglue. “Oh fuck. I hate when you make me the voice of reason, but I really don’t think Lucas was planning on buying a houseboat this weekend.”
A loud snort escaped Rowe as he shoved the glue back into his pocket. “He won’t have to buy the place because I superglue a few figures to the tables.”
“He’ll definitely lose his deposit.”
Rowe rolled his eyes and took a step toward the stairs. “Lucas learned a long time ago that when we all stay together, he loses his deposit. You in?”
Noah didn’t even have to think about it. “Yup.”
They descended back to the main floor without saying a word. For the next hour, they worked in tandem. One person ran interference, constantly keeping Jude or Snow distracted, while the other scooped up some knickknack or tacky figure and disappeared into Snow and Jude’s bedroom. They were a perfect team, making every movement and comment seem so damn casual. Except it wasn’t perfect.
