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Logan chose to pretend he took no notice of his polite offer and went on, stepping out into the freezing morning, still frazzled and embarrassed. Yeah right. As if he would let Sammy shovel snow, after treating him so badly and then ogling him like a fucking pervert from the woods.
This should keep him busy for a good portion of the day. He would have to clear the thick blanket of snow that had settled on the roof as well. Logan laughed bitterly at himself, thinking all this work would surely be enough to tire him out so he could catch a decent sleep tonight. He got his shovel then realized his gloves were still in the house, but he refused to go back in there and blurt more nonsense in front of the most beautiful man he had ever seen. Jesus. He rubbed his face in frustration, making himself shiver as his hands were freezing cold.Get a grip, man!
Sammy had been wearing the same outfit from the night before, the one he had changed into after his shower. His shoulder-length hair was falling in dreamy waves around his face. His smile was radiant, and his eyes sparkled like stars. Logan certainly didn’t deserve to be around the younger man and enjoy his beauty after the way he had acted last night.
He searched around the shed and found an older pair of work gloves that would hardly keep his hands warm but would have to do the trick for now. He paused, looking around the space. Every time he had come in here, he had been quick to grab the tools he needed and leave before his eyes could linger for too long on everything else that was stored inside the small building.
His Ram 1500 was there, neatly covered. He had decided to hold on to the vehicle even though he wasn’t sure if he would ever start driving again. His two bikes were there too, the dirt GMX bike and the Honda Rebel 250. Next to them was the ATV. Two other unfinished motorcycles were covered and shoved in a darker corner at the back. He had offered them to Dave, but his friend had refused, patiently insisting he wanted to wait until they could finish them together.
Sophy had loved going on joy rides with him on the weekends when Jordan was with either of their parents. She joked that going on their mini weekend dates with the bike made her feel like they were back in high school. The ATV he had bought later so he could drive it around the property with Jordan. Their little adventure rides had always been fun and filled with laughter.
Morpheus nudged him and Logan shook the memories away. Yes. Right. The snow. He got the large shovel, the bag of salt and made his way out of the shed.
* * *
Whoever had invented snow,could go fuck themselves, as far as Logan was concerned an hour into his self-imposed punishment of solitary shoveling. He had begun by tipping as much snow from the roof as he could safely reach, then gone on to clear the veranda around the kitchen, and the steps leading out to the front yard and the lake. He chanced a look to the kitchen windows before he made his way to the side of the house, but Sammy wasn’t there, and he was annoyed at himself for already missing his smile.
He was calling it a day – his muscles were burning, and his hands were half frozen. The old gloves he’d chosen to wear had fallen apart halfway through completing his task. Out of sheer stubbornness, he had pressed on with his work, still too mortified to go back insidehis own house, and face Sammy.
Morpheus had wondered off while he was finishing off with his inspection of the emergency generator and the water tank. He wasn’t surprised at all to find him in the front yard playing with Sammy and jumping in the snow. Logan shook his head and couldn’t help but smile at those two. They were both covered in snow and would be soaked in minutes. Sammy was holding a camera very precariously and taking photos of Morpheus. As if the dog knew he was in the spotlight he was hamming it up really good, being extra playful and adorable.
Sammy was wearing his pink high-tops and his light leather jacket. His hair was tucked in a cute fuzzy pink beany, dark waves framing his gorgeous face. Sammy was just…Logan shook his head smiling to himself. What good was it to keep pushing the thought away? Sammy was breathtaking.
The young man finally noticed him and grinned, pointing at Morpheus. “He’s so much fun! I hope it’s okay I took some photos of Morpheus.”
Logan shrugged. “That’s between the two of you.” He grinned despite how much he wanted to distance himself and not engage with Sammy. His resolve was fading fast. The warm brown eyes of the other man shone bright, as he beamed at him, every time Logan was brave enough to look at his beautiful face. Sammy chuckled, then looked away briefly and Logan was sure he must have imagined it, but he thought for just a fraction, Sammy may have been blushing.
Sammy was still grinning when he pointed to his feet. “Thank you for resuscitating my shoes from their mud death.” He looked up, suddenly all shy and mumbled, “They’re my favourite.”
Logan was slightly embarrassed for a moment, wondering if Sammy had found it weird, that he had done this – washed his clothes and shoes, without thinking to ask for permission first. Even though he was essentially a guest in his home, albeit an unexpected one, he was still a complete stranger.
Surely, he had crossed a line there. Perhaps there was some social etiquette regarding the shoes of strangers that were stuck in your house, that somehow his anxious brain had failed to recognize last night. But Sammy was only peering at him with his calm pretty smile, and Logan’s worries floated away. “It’s okay. I just…I don’t sleep very well. I was looking for something to do.”
Sammy bobbed his head chewing on his cheek, then grinned and playfully said, “Hey, I’m not complaining! Nothing hotter than a guy who can read labels and follow washing instructions.”
Logan blushed profusely. He was trying frantically to think of something to say, but all his words seemed to have left the building and he simply stood there gaping at Sammy.
Sammy saved them both and offered a very much desired, change of subject. “Anyway, I'm a photographer.” He raised the camera just a bit and shook it lightly.
“Is that why you were out there? Were you on your way to a job?”
“Yeah. Sort of.” Sammy was rubbing the back of his neck, going all red. Logan chuckled and walked closer until they were just a few feet away.
“Hey, man, I don't know if you can tell, but you didn't land in productivity central here. Cleaning my roof and shoveling the snow around my house, were the only tasks on my to-do list for the day…and probably the week.” He cleared his throat but forced himself not to be embarrassed and simply stated, “I’m in between jobs.”
Sammy looked up and grinned. Then he nodded lightly, as if to say,“I see.”There was nothing mocking about it and Logan was happy that Sammy proved himself not to be the judging type. He just accepted the information for what it was without making assumptions or prying.
“I do a lot of freelance work. I develop my own projects. Just going with the flow, I guess.” He rolled his eyes at the last statement and Logan chuckled.
“I'm sure you’re doing just fine for yourself, judging by your ride.”
Sammy laughed, and the blush returned. “It's not mine. My friend James let me borrow it for a week so I could get to the locations I had chosen for my project.”
Logan huffed then said teasingly, “So a true starving artist then?”
“Yep, that's me.” Sammy curtsied then wobbled in the snow and almost fell on his ass. Logan reached for him to steady him, but he had righted himself fast enough and now Logan had to get the fuck out of his personal space. He marched past him and walked over to the lake.
“I’m sorry your trip was ruined.” He turned to face Sammy again. He didn’t let himself overthink his next words, so they came out all rushed, “For what it’s worth, feel free to take photos on the property. The woods surrounding my place are beautiful, and completely isolated. Mine is the only house for miles.”Fuck. Can I sound more like a serial killer?!
