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West shook his head. “I’m good admiring the view, thank you.”
Lake zigzagged through guests to Josh, who gazed at the figures atop his gift, gnawing his lip. “Quite the gesture,” Lake opened, hoping Josh would supply more information.
Josh nodded, Adam’s apple jutting with a big swallow.
“You must wonder who sent it to you.”
Josh merely shook his head. “Want a piece?”
“Chocolate, please.”
Cake in hand, Lake watched Josh retreat to the large bay window. Was he overwhelmed by the attention? He kept looking back at them with a mixture of pleasure and apprehension.
Lake settled into a two-person armchair with a view of Josh and the party bubbling around the kitchen. Across from him, Knight and Cameron conversed near a wonderfully large bookshelf. Look at Knight there, surrounded by books. Right at home.
He texted Harry to join them at Josh’s. West plonked down next to him. “Much nicer here.”
Lake flushed and lifted his plate of cake to take a bite. Rich. Succulent.
Did West like him? Did he like West back?
“If you’re staying at Taylor’s the whole weekend, you should come to the party Knight and I are hosting tomorrow.”
“Sounds great. Will a lot of your friends be there?” West asked, scanning the room. “I wouldn’t want to crash anything special.”
“Pretty much everyone in this room and Cameron’s colleagues. Keep it quiet, though. Cameron has no idea. Surprise party.”
West smiled widely. “I am a fan of surprises.”
Lake told him about the Ask Austen theme, and promised to send him a character profile later. “You keep looking at Josh. Everything okay?”
“Yes, absolutely,” West said, nodding ardently. “Only wondering why he’s sitting alone in this room full of people. I hope he’s feeling okay.” A light laugh. “Lay off the cake. It might be dodgy.”
“One of Cody’s? Never.”
West stood. “You know what, maybe I’ll go ask. Let’s see if he recognizes me.”
Lake watched him catch Josh’s attention. A pity he couldn’t see Josh’s face and gauge his reaction to West in his house. Josh would take the tag-along guest with grace. Of course—he’d texted as much.
A hand ruffled the back of his hair, and Taylor rounded the couch and dropped into it. His hair stuck out at odd angles and a thread of grass revealed what he’d been up to the last ten minutes with Amy.
“You really left your friend to fend for himself,” Lake chastised.
Taylor heated. “Sorry. West is good at mingling.”
“I can see that.”
Taylor inclined his head toward Knight. “Dad’s really invested in that period drama business venture.”
“He’s invested in Cameron.” Chatting to him, making sure he was feeling all right, always ready to listen . . . “No one is as good and kind and thoughtful as your dad.”
Taylor laughed. “Got any more adjectives there, Lake?”
“Good-natured. Considerate. Loving.”
“Don’t forget romantic,” Taylor added, mischievously.
Lake’s heart thumped, and it took him three tries to stab cake onto his fork. “Romantic?”
Taylor shuffled closer, his voice low and excited. “Hear me out. I’ve been wondering this since Karaoke last week, and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.”
Lake swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. “What makes sense?”
“I think my dad is into Josh.”
Lake’s stomach dropped to his feet. His laugh tasted like ash. “Knight and Josh?”
“Yeah, wouldn’t that be great?”
“Josh is our age. Wouldn’t that be, like, weird for you?”
Taylor shrugged. “Dad hangs around you and Cameron all the time, I’m used to seeing him with guys our age and . . . I don’t know. Maybe a little weird, but relationships evolve.”
Exactly what Knight had said. He’d been convinced Taylor would understand how much time he and Lake had been spending together. Turns out he was right.
But Knight and Josh?
“I’m surprised you think they could be a thing.”
“I’m not saying they are. Yet. But they get along well from what I can tell.”
Knight, with painfully pointed timing, glanced past Cameron toward Josh and West framed in the bay window. Words stuck in his throat, “You think your dad should go for it?”
Taylor leaned an arm casually on Lake’s shoulder, but it added to the weight sinking his stomach. “Whatever makes Dad happy.”
Anxiety lanced through Lake. “Lots of things make him happy, not only Josh!”
Taylor frowned.
One long deep breath, and Lake calmed himself. Mostly. “I mean, he loves his garden and reading and has a routine he seems good with. Does he really need romance?”
“What’s gotten into you, Lake? You’re usually dying to play matchmaker about now.”
“I’m not feeling Knight and Josh together. Knight deserves only the deepest, truest love, and I’d hate to see him settle.”
“Maybe if you weren’t so envious of Josh, you’d see it. They’re both smart, accomplished, kind, gay men.”
Josh laughed at something West said and dammit, he was clearly an attractive man. And far cleverer than Lake could ever be.
Knight had agreed that Josh made a better match than Paul, too.
