“It’s Hawk…”
“Ohhh.” Gage sat up in his chair eagerly, lips tilted in a knowing smirk. “Oh, god,finally.I’ve been waiting months for you to open your eyes, man.”
I frowned. “You’ve noticed what’s going on with him?”
“Dude, the whole town has. Pretty sure only you and Webb have had blinders on. I think even the cows in the field know and are placing wagers with their bovine bookies about how long it would take you to catch on.” He looked at me seriously. “Don’t let their big eyes fool you. Those cows are criminals. Remember what happened when O’Henry Brush’s cattle got loose this spring? Tip of the iceberg, man.”
“Riiiight.” I began to doubt whether Gage had been the correct person to approach about this after all.
“You know there’s not a person in the Hollow who doesn’t adore Hawk,” Gage went on. “He’s the heart and soul of this town. He deserves someone who appreciates all of him… I mean, I don’t need to tellyou, right?” He chuckled and slapped my leg playfully. “I am very on board for Hawk to get his happy ever after. How can I help?”
“Well.” I blinked. “I was thinking he could use a non-brother friend to help him navigate the, ah… the dating scene.”
Gage’s smirk faded into a confused frown. “The dating scene.”
“Yeah. That’s what we’re talking about, right? Hawk’s going through something right now that’s got him all twisted up, and he’s decided he needs to lose his… I mean… he’s decided he wants to try hookup apps.”
Gage’s jaw dropped, and he stared at me in blank horror.
I nodded grimly. “Thank you! At leastsomeoneunderstands how serious this is. I’ve tried to tell Hawk it’s a terrible idea, but he won’t listen. He’s confused. He actually…” I hesitated, then admitted, “He actually said he wants to sleep with me.”
Gage’s eyes widened comically. “He told you that? Hot damn, Hawkins.”
“He did. And I said no. Obviously.”
“Obviously,” Gage repeated faintly. Across the yard, the mower cut off. “Uh. Just so I understand… what’s so obvious about you saying no?”
“I’m too old for him. He works for me. I’m friends with his brothers. And… I’ve never seen myself in a committed relationship. That way lies madness.” I winced as Knox slid onto the lounge chair behind his boyfriend, wrapping his grass-coated arms around Gage’s waist and nuzzling the back of his neck. “I mean, not madness for everyone. Not madness for you guys. Or Webb. Or… other people. But for me.”
“What’s going on, Goodman?” Knox mumbled into Gage’s hair.
“Oh, nothing much.” Gage linked his fingers with Knox’s. “Jack was just telling me he can’t sleep with Hawk because Hawk’s much younger than him, they work together, and he doesn’t see himself in a committed relationship.”
“Is that right?” Knox lifted his head and fixed me with a hard, green gaze… which was when I remembered that Gage Goodman was fifteen years his junior, and they’d met when Gage came to work for Sunday Orchard.
Fuck.Maybe Porter would have been the better Sunday to discuss all of this with.
“So you told Hawk no,” Gage said, calling my attention back to him. “And that was when he decided that he was going to use a hookup app.”
I nodded. “And I told him he was going to make a big mistake, but he forbid me from talking about it anymore, which is why I came here. I thoughtyoucould discuss it with him.”
Gage bit his lip. “You wantmeto talk to Hawk about hookup apps? I can do that.”
“Goodman.” Knox’s tone held a warning, but laughter lurked just beneath it.
“What? I’m super qualified for this! Leave it to me, Jack. Hawk’s a good-looking man. I’ll help him create a profile and make sure he meets tons of guys who want a mutually beneficial, singularly satisfying sexual experience. Easy peasy.”
“But that’s not… I don’t want you to… It’sdangerous,” I reminded Gage. “It’s not all fun and games!”
“Ehhhh. It’s mostly fun and games,” Gage argued, eyes dancing. “If it’s not, you’ve been using the wrong apps.”
“He could find himself hooking up with a serial killer,” I snapped, standing up so quickly I tipped my chair over. “Or, worse, someone who just uses him for sex and breaks his heart!”
Gage finally lost control of himself and started laughing hysterically. As if this was a joke.
“Knox!” I thrust out a hand to him. “You get what I’m saying, don’t you?”
Knox sighed. “You’ve got it bad, my friend. And I can’t say I don’t understand because lord knows I do.” He tightened hishold on Gage. “I really do. But my brother is a grown man. If he wants to get his dick wet, that’s his business. He’ll survive. He’ll figure out what he really wants. You both will.”
