Page 61 of Off the Trail

“How’s it looking?” Blaze asks with interest.

“Really good. Leo’s been teaching me all his tricks. I think he and Luis want this house to stand for the next two hundred years.”

“Sounds good to me,” Blaze says. “I’ll definitely find time to come by tomorrow. You sure you aren’t sick of it yet?”

“Sick of it?”

“Yeah, I kind of thought…never mind.”

“What? You thought I’d play at manual labor for a while then dip out?”

“Well, you are supposed to be on vacation,” he says, not without a point.

“I’m learning a lot. It’s fun to be part of a team again.” I shuffle the pillows behind me, feeling the effort of the day catch up to my body.

“Marika says you’re only booked through Saturday.”

“I’m going to have to rectify that.” Maybe I’m kicking the can down the road, but I’m too tired to figure out anything longer-term. I smother a yawn, but Blaze still hears me.

“Are you in bed?”

“Yeah, where are you?”

“I’m in my truck, but I’m not driving. Don’t want to lose the signal.”

So he’s still almost an hour away. And I need sleep. Damn. “Drive safe.”

“I will.”

We’re quiet for a few seconds, but it’s comfortable. I can’t hear him breathing, but I’m imagining him in his truck holding the phone up to his ear.

“Not gonna lie, I wish I were there with you,” he says finally.

“I wish you were, too,” I say, not hesitating even a little bit. If he were here, we could fool around. I need the practice.

“Maybe tomorrow night,” he says.

It sounds like forever away. “I’m in.”

“All right.” A long pause. “Sleep well, Shawn.”

I’m a little disappointed he’s not trying to virtually get in my pants, but then I let out a second yawn he surely must hear over the phone. “Goodnight, Blaze.”

He hangs up, and I set the phone down on the nightstand in the dark. It feels good to have someone to talk to, someone who cares if I sleep well or not. And I do.

Chapter 26

Shawn

Another week goes by in an oddly satisfying routine. Every morning I head to work at the construction site while Blaze does his outdoor guide thing for retreat guests. I guess I still am one of those, since I officially extended my stay by another two weeks. When I spoke to Marika about it, she mentioned the upcoming bonfire on the beach at the end of the month—said she hoped I could stick around for it. She didn’t mention Blaze, or my new day job on the other side of the lake, or a possible end date to my stay.

I’m glad I don’t have to think about that yet.

Almost every evening, Blaze joins me for dinner in my cabin, and we talk about our days. Sometimes I ice my elbow or my shoulder if I’ve gone a little too hard at work. Davy has a little experience with sports medicine, and they’ve been helping me manage my flareups. When Blaze and I can’t eat any more of Nolan’s food, we go to my bed and…practice.

I’m getting pretty good at this whole sex with a guy thing, if the random string of curse words Blaze lets out every time he comes is any indication. We’re sticking to hand jobs and blow jobs for now, but I’m on my second CJ Finn novel, and I have to say the author makes getting fucked by a hot elf seem really appealing. Blaze is no elf prince—he’s better, if you ask me—but I think I’ll be ready to try that with him soon.

Since it’s a hassle to get to a store without a car, I end up begging to borrow Marika’s precious internet connection to order a bunch of work clothes and a winter jacket, all overnighted to the retreat. As nice as being disconnected from the wider world has been, I’m grateful it still exists with all its modern conveniences, and this morning I’m doubly grateful for the warm base layer I have under my clothes since it’s so cold I can see my breath. I keep having to take breaks and warm my hands up as the crew and I work to put up the interior drywall.