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No one said one word as I loaded Elle into the truck, taking care of her luggage, then slid behind the wheel. Katy pointed at me, a warning of some sort, before she waved her fingers at Elle and stalked back inside.
“Nice weather,” I opened with as we slowly left the inn behind.
“Okay, before you bust, I’ll fill you in.”
I rolled my lips over my teeth, turned down an old Kenny Loggins song, and crept along the slim two-lane road leading to the bridge. We passed an older man jogging with a small dog and two kids on bikes.
I glanced her way when the silence began to drag. “You don’t have to tell me,” I offered to ease her mind.
“No, no, it’s fine. I just…this is a first for me.” She began to nervously fiddle with the hem of her comfy summer sundress.
“Telling clients about personal relationships? Because if that’s it, do not feel funny. I’ve dumped all of my shit on you and Katy for years,” I quickly said, easing over to the berm of the road to allow the produce delivery truck headed to the inn to chug along. The roads on this isle were so damn tight in spots.
“Well, yeah, that. And being with a woman.” I threw a round-eyed look at her, then jerked my gaze back to the road.
“Okay, well, that’s good.” I had no idea what to say.
“Is it? I mean, yeah, she’s amazing. I’ve known that since you hired her three years ago. And she’s funny, brash, and sexy as hell. And does that woman know how to use her tongue. No man has ever done things like that for me.”
“Men, pfft.” That made her smile just a bit. “Listen, Katy is amazing. And if you two are hitting it off, then don’t read more into it than that. Enjoy it. She really is incredible. You could do a lot worse.”
“I know it’s just…whatever it is it’s pretty fucking great,” she confessed. I patted her knee as we neared the bridge.
“Then soak up all that great while you can. Something sweet and wonderful that makes you glow like a lantern is a rare thing. Enjoy it.”
“You too.” She placed a warm hand over mine as we sailed over the bridge. Portman was outside his shed with a rake trying to swat seagulls. He wasn’t having much luck, but he had lost his bicorn hat somewhere in the melee, and it kind of amused the rotten kid inside me.
I planned to enjoyeverydamn second of my life now. Finally, I was free to be me. There was no feeling in the world that compared to being yourself. Well, maybe falling in love was super close, but as Mama Ru says, you can’t love somebody else until you love yourself. Right now I was pretty high on self-love and Gibson love.
I just had to figure out how to tell him and when. And pray that he felt the same way…
Chapter Thirteen
ThemonthofJulyraced by. It was a stormy month with several days of nasty weather and thunderstorms.
Many a night Gibson and I had laid in bed, sweaty from sex, and listened to the wind wuthering through the pines as rain battered the tiny yellow cabin. I’d never felt more content in my entire life. Four Winds and I had come to terms with each other. They’d made some perfunctory donations to a few LGBTQ groups in L.A. which I was thrilled to see, but they also then announced my replacement. A younger actor, surprise, surprise. New face, same manly hero. The taglines made me cringe, but I was now happily away from the whole stinking mess.
Now I was biding my time helping Dad, overseeing the slow work that was being done on the Kesside Playhouse, and falling deeper in love with my burly ceramist. The island was still bustling with tourists, so Gibson and Dad were hopping steadily to keep up with the demand. Seems my coming out video had not only brought me a new following of fans but added a nice boost to the isle’s income. Lots of people who had never heard of our rocky little paradise were flocking here to try to get a peek at me, Gibson, the inn, or the town in general. No one was complaining. The mayor was about ready to hand me a damn medal for boosting the local economy. All I wanted was to live my life in peace. And get a call back from Caiden Dell. I’d hopped to Manhattan a week ago to read for the part of Luke Barlow. Polly had assured me that I had the role, but they wanted to run some reads for supporting cast members as well as my love interest.
I’d mentioned my old neighbor Bomb Bay D for the role. Not only was he well known, but he was also incredibly hot, an ally to the community, and had been quite vocal about wanting to break into acting. Bomb Bay had read for them the day after I’d flown back to Kesside Isle and had, in his words “Blown their motherfucking doors off!” in our text thread, so I had high hopes that he would be cast. Oh, how the haters would flail over a gay multiracial action movie.
The last bastion of manliness was about to be woke. I fuckinglivedfor the sputtering comments online. I also lived for my man. Who was now working at his shop just a few hundred feet away while I was standing in the old lobby of the theater, hands joined with the good Pastor Billy’s, and the crew of architects and craftsmen who specialized in refurbishing old movie palaces and playhouses. I’d lured them in on short notice all the way from Boston. They did not come cheap, but they had some incredible recommendations from quality theaters around the country. I wanted the best for my old flame, even if no one but natives and tourists ever came to a show.
“Lord, we ask that you bless and watch over these workers and offer them the glowing shadow of your protective guard as they begin their labors,” Billy said, his voice strong and rich with conviction. It was hard to believe this was the same kid who had egged houses with me every mischief night. “Give to them the assurance of an income and grace them with all the support, resources, and strength that they require. Gracious God, you bless us all in so many wondrous ways. Shower your children as they toil in this playhouse and smile upon our work. All this in your holy name, we pray, amen.”
A soft murmur rose from the gathered. “All right, tell me what to do and where to go,” I said as I tightened a leather handyman’s apron around my waist. The pros all gave each other looks, then one, the head of the firm, smiled at me as one would a toddler asking to help his father run a power saw.
“Mr. Lake, we don’t have insurance to cover non-licensed workers on the site,” he said so politely that I didn’t even mind the brush off.
I took the hint, signed a blank check for more supplies, and then moseyed outside with Billy, the humidity slapping us in the face like a soggy woolen blanket.
“That was the kindest fuck off I have ever gotten,” I told Billy. “Oh, sorry. I keep forgetting you’re not saying bad words anymore.”
“You should hear me when I stub my toe.” He slapped me on the back. “Would you and Gibson be available for a light dinner tomorrow night? Jane’s nesting. She’s got the house cleaned from top to bottom and is now cooking and baking. She still has three months to go. I’m not sure our place will hold all the food if she doesn’t slow down.”
“I’ll ask him. I’m heading over there now, I guess, since I was so politely booted out of my own theater.” Billy laughed. “I’ll let you know, but I’m sure he’ll want to come. He adores Jane.”
“Philosophy majors do tend to put a twinkle into the eye of philosophy professors.” We hugged and parted, him jogging to the church to get his work done, and me heading to my boyfriend’s shop to spend the rest of the day staring at his sexy backside. He’d worn the pink shorts that hugged his ass so perfectly today.
