by Eden French
“So, who’s the lucky person?” James pressed.
Brand felt heat creep up into his cheeks. He gestured toward the trail, and James nodded. They started up to the vista. As they ran, Brand turned over what he was going to say.
“Holy shit, you really like this one,” James said after a while. “You’ve gotta tell me who it is now. Is it that young-looking guy you’ve been hanging out with lately? The one from the design company?”
Brand sucked in a breath. How in the hell was he going to explain that the reason why he was all hot and bothered was because of Carson Keaton?
“No, it’s not him,” Brand replied. “We actually called it off.”
“We?” James said. “Are you sure about that? I just saw you two a little over a week ago at the coffee shop and he looked pretty into you if you ask me.”
“Resorting to stalking now?”
“I was with Miranda.” James huffed. “She made a comment about how cute you two were and said she hoped it’d stick this time.”
Brand inhaled and exhaled at a steady rhythm as he picked up the pace half a step. James kept up with him.
“Stick?”
“Yeah, a relationship.”
Brand shot James a side-eye and kept running.
“Look,” James continued. “Miranda’s fond of you. Says you remind her of a cousin of hers. She just wants to make sure you have someone who appreciates you. I agree.”
“This is all very… mushy,” Brand replied.
“Hey, it’s not my fault,” James quipped back. “It’s all this sex. My brain has practically turned to mush.”
Brand laughed from his belly, the deep sound vibrating through the chilly air. The two ran in silence the rest of the trail, hit the marker, and immediately started back. About halfway down, Brand slowed his pace.
“If I tell you, you’ve gotta promise you won’t judge,” he said. “And you have to give me your solemn oath that you’ll keep it between us.”
James held up three fingers in a scout pledge. “You have my word.”
Brand rolled his eyes. Given some of James’s stories about his wild younger days, he was the furthest one could possibly be from a Boy Scout.
“Fine.” Brand took a deep breath. “It’s Carson.”
James narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “Carson? Who is—” He stopped, his eyes turning into circles as large as a full moon. “No!”
Brand nodded. “Yes.”
“The douche? No!”
“Let’s not call him that, okay?” Brand said. “But yes, him.”
“Carson Keaton?”
“Yes.”
James scrubbed his face with his hands. “But I don’t understand. You said you knew each other from high school, but… did you date in high school? Wait, he’s into dudes?”
“Not openly,” Brand said. “And it wasn’t until we were eighteen and graduated before things got… serious.”
“No!”
“You really need to stop saying that.”
“But he’s dating that girl, the one from the paper,” he said, then quickly added, “Miranda’s all over the celebrity gossip.”
“I don’t know what else to tell you. Carson and I are a… thing.”
They ran in silence.
“Is that why you broke up with that other guy? Not that I blame you, I mean, Carson Keaton. Holy shit.”
“Anyway, I’m telling you because I trust you. And we’re not exactly advertising our involvement.”
James narrowed his eyes. “Why not? Did he tell you to not say anything? For his career?”
“Please stop,” Brand said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s just that all this is really new, and I’m not sure what it’ll amount to.”
The trail began to wind down, and James slowed the pace even more.
“But you really like him, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I do.”
They reached the mouth of the trailhead and stopped to stretch.
“So, do you think that since you guys are back on good terms, I could get an autograph for Miranda?”
“James.”
James held up his hands. “Sorry, had to ask. If wifey knew I had a direct link to vampire detective Brett MacLaren and I didn’t even ask, she’d have my ass.”
“Do you think you could maybe not tell her?” Brand said.
“What? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think so.”
“Okay…,” James said. “How about this? What if Miranda and I had you two over for dinner? Do you think he’d be up for that?”
Brand considered the idea. “Maybe. I’m not really sure. We’re kind of in a getting-to-know-you-again phase, but I’ll ask.”
James beamed. “Excellent. How about next week? That’ll give you time to get him warmed up on the idea and we figure out our shift schedule. I’ll run it over with Miranda.” He held up a hand. “Don’t worry, I won’t say his name. I’ll just say Brand and the guy he’s dating. She’ll be satisfied just to hear that. Oh my God, she’s gonna die when he walks through our door.”
James’s wristwatch pinged, and he touched the screen. “I gotta head out,” he said after reading what was on the display. “It’s Miranda. She’s ovulating and duty calls.”
Brand shook his head. “TMI, dude.”
James jogged down the road toward his car. “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon for shift,” he said as he left. “Don’t forget about the dinner.”
Brands raised his hand and waved. “I won’t. Good luck at home.”
James cackled as he got in the vehicle and drove off, leaving Brand alone. He waited until the car was well out of view before heading back to the trail for one more loop. What if Carson wasn’t into dinner parties? What if coming out, being with him, hurt his career? He couldn’t expect Carson to give up everything for him, could he?
He shook his head. No. He couldn’t ask that of anyone. But even with understanding Carson’s traumatic past, Brand wasn’t willing to hide. It wouldn’t be enough for Carson to want to just be out of the closet. Brand wanted him to be actively out with him. He loved Carson and wanted everyone to know they were together.
He looked back to the trail. He began his second loop up to the vista and back again. A good run would surely give him perspective. He kicked up the pace and hauled ass up the mountain, nearly running the entire thing in half the time it took him and James to run the first one.
His heart pounded in his chest, and, when he finally reached the bottom, he bent over for a minute, sucking in air. The crispness cut his lungs, and he inhaled deeply to bring his heart rate back to normal. A quick look at his phone brought it up again when he saw it was already eleven o’clock. That only gave him an hour to get home, shower, and dress. His stomach flipped as he anticipated seeing Carson again. He decided he’d worry about all that other stuff later. At that moment, he had a date to get ready for.
Chapter Thirty-One
Carson held two shirts in front of the mirror.
“Which one?” he asked his sister as she sat on his bed.
Cassie tilted her head to the side and studied the two options. It’d been a long time since he felt so indecisive about what to wear. Back in Hollywood, he just threw on whatever his stylist had put out for the event. But here, he was on his own. And he wanted to look perfect.
“I’m not sure. Hold them one at a time in front of you.”
He held up the first choice. It was a long-sleeve, navy knit sweater with a half-zip. It was thick and would keep him warm but tailored enough to fit snugly across his shoulders. After holding it up for a moment longer, he lowered it and lifted the other option up to his chest. This one was a smartly cut long-sleeve shirt in a textured burnt sienna. It warmed his lighter skin tone while still bringing out the color of his eyes.
Cassie furrowed her brow, apparently deep in thought, and pursed her lips.
“Well…,” he said, feeling impatient.
“The sw
eater,” she answered. “Definitely the sweater. It’s casual but still sharp. You’d have to tuck in the shirt, and that just seems too fancy for pho in Reno. Plus, the sweater will really make your eyes pop.”
He studied her in the mirror and nodded. “You’re right. Sweater it is.”
He tossed the shirt on the bed and pulled the sweater over his head. He adjusted the hem and the sleeves, then ran his hand through his wavy hair once more before turning around to face his sister.
“Okay, how do I look?”
Cassie’s smile reached ear to ear. “You look great. Like the million dollars you’re probably worth,” she teased before shifting on his bed to sit up.
A swell of guilt welled up in his stomach. He hadn’t told them about the money. He pulled out his phone and checked the time. He had thirty minutes before it was time to leave. No time like the present. Slipping it into his back pocket, he closed his bedroom door gently before joining his little sister on the bed.
“I have to tell you something,” he said in a low tone.
She scrunched her brow and leaned forward. “What is it?”
“You have to promise me you won’t tell Mom,” he continued. “At least, not yet.”
She bit her lip. “I don’t know. She’s just getting over the last secret.”
“Please, Cass. It’s not bad.” He placed his hand over his heart. “Promise. At least I don’t think it’ll be bad.”
She eyed him a bit longer before nodding in agreement. “Okay, I promise. What’s going on?”
He took a deep breath. “You know, in Hollywood, I really don’t go out much. I didn’t do things; I don’t buy things… I have a miniature apartment in one of the cheapest areas of the city, and it’s barely furnished.” He paused.
“Okay… and?”
“Cass, I make fifty thousand dollars an episode.”
“What the fu—”
He held up his hand. “I know. It’s absurd. But my agent is amazing.”
“Holy shit, Car, that’s a lot of money.”
“I know. I made nearly a million dollars in season two alone.”
“I… I… I mean, I knew you were probably loaded, but I didn’t realize you made that much money.”
“No one really does. Maybe because I don’t really spend it or act like I have it. Just the essentials.” He chuckled. “I guess I’m still just a small-town Tahoe kid inside.”
“So, if you’re not spending it, what are you doing with it?”
“Saving. Investing. You gotta understand that when I arrived, I was homeless. I was so afraid to spend any money, I stayed in a freaking shelter for the first few weeks I was there. I had nothing.”
Tears shined in Cassie’s eyes, and she wiped them with the back of her hand before they could escape. She leaned across the bed and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so sorry, Car. I hate him so much for doing that to you.”
Carson hugged her back and took a deep breath. Thank God, he’d spent a bit of his money on therapy. He’d have to remember to let both his mother and Cass know how helpful it was in his healing. But now was not the time. He had another secret he wanted to confess. He pulled back and looked at Cassie.
“The one silver lining in all of this is that I now have something for you and Mom.”
Cassie shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“Well, thanks to my agent and my financial planner, I’m sitting on about eleven million dollars spread across various accounts, some of them in yours and Mom’s name.”
Cassie’s jaw hit the bedspread. “What are you saying?”
“I was going to wait until Christmas, and I’m still going to wait to tell Mom, but I’m saying that you guys will never have to worry about money ever again.”
“Holy shit! Are you serious?” Cassie yelled.
Carson held his finger to his lips to shush her. “Shh, quiet, I don’t want Mom to hear. I still want it to be a surprise for her.”
“Carson, I… I…” She stumbled over her words. “I don’t know what to say.”
Carson smiled. “You don’t have to say anything. We’re family. And family takes care of each other. Emotionally. Financially. We may have had a massive bump in the road, but we’re back on track now, and I want you to know that no matter what, I’m here to stay. You’re going to be seeing a lot more of me in the future.”
Cassie shook her head. “I can’t believe it. I mean, I just wanted my big brother back. I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
Cassie smiled. “Really? Can you introduce me to that hot as hell Dr. Montague on your show?”
Carson laughed and pushed her away. “Forget it. He’s like thirty-two years old!”
Cassie burst into a fit of giggles. “Oh, come on. He’s only ten years older, and I’m single and ready to mingle,” she said as she shimmied her upper body.
Carson blanched. “The fact that you just said that is evidence enough that you are absolutely not ready to mingle… at all.”
“Oh my God, maybe I don’t want everything that comes with you being back,” she teased.
Carson smiled. “We’ll talk about Dr. Montague later. Right now, I’ve got to head out. How’s my hair?”
“Perfect, as always. You know, you’re gonna have to start sharing all your Hollywood tips for looking so good all the time. Especially since I’ll be visiting the set when the show starts up again.”
Carson bit his tongue. He knew it was only a matter of time before Cassie got what she wanted and weaseled her way to an introduction with the show’s bad boy. And in all honesty, he was happy to give it to her. Just as long as they were in each other’s lives again.
A quick glance at his phone told him it was time to go. Taking a deep breath, he rolled back his shoulders. “Wish me luck. Oh, and thanks again for letting me use your car.”
“Good luck. And tell Brand I said hi,” Cassie said as she rolled off his bed and headed down the hall.
“Will do,” he said, grabbing the car keys and his wallet.
A swarm of butterflies exploded in his stomach. Would it always be this way when he was about to see Brand?
Carson knocked on the door three times and waited. After a bit of shuffling about from the inside of the small cabin, the door swung open, and the love of his life stood in the threshold. Carson was speechless.
“You look….” The words didn’t come. They were sucked from the atmosphere by the vacuum of hotness that appeared anywhere Brand was.
“Is it too casual?” Brand’s face fell as he looked down and examined his attire.
He wore dark-wash jeans and a blue plaid Pendleton that hung open to reveal a black T-shirt. Carson’s eyes wandered along the landscape of his chest and noticed the many hills and valleys outlined by his muscular torso. He wanted to reach out and touch every crevice, every strong muscle. He’d love to trace his tongue along—
He shook his head and snapped himself out of his trance. “No, you’re perfect. I mean, you look great,” he said. “That shirt… your eyes….” He shook his head again. “You ready to go?”
Brand smiled. “Absolutely. Let me just grab my keys.” He disappeared into the house, and a minute later, they were in the car headed to Reno.
“So, you’re getting something made for your mom?” Brand said as Carson drove along the slick road.
“Yeah, my agent, Cynthia, she set up this meeting with this jewelry designer. He does mostly silver and white gold. I wanted to get a pendant specifically designed for her for Christmas. And a bracelet for Cass. Same design. Something that shows them that no matter what, we’ll be with each other.”
“Any ideas?”
“Well, my mom’s family is Irish, so I was thinking about a stylized triquetra. It’s an old Celtic symbol that signifies the unity of your family and endless family love.” He paused and glanced at Brand briefly before turning his eyes back onto the road. “Something to show them
that our family bond is never broken, even through times of tragedy.”
Brand reached over and placed his hand on Carson’s leg. “That’s really beautiful, Car. They’ll love it.”
“I hope so.”
The near-hour drive seemed to fly by while they chatted and laughed. Carson wanted to know all about the ins and outs of being a North Tahoe paramedic and made sure to keep his questions flowing. Before he knew it, they were pulling into the lot of Pho Viet, Reno’s highest-rated Vietnamese cuisine.
“You said Cass told you about this place?” Brand said as they sat down in a booth in a quiet corner of the restaurant. The waitress came and took their drink orders. They settled into conversation as they perused the menu.
“Yeah, she’s in love with all Asian cuisine, and whenever a new place opens up, she’s like first in line. Don’t tell her, but I’m planning a trip to Vietnam for her and my mother this summer.”
“Oh, wow. That’s amazing.”
The waitress returned with their drinks, and they placed their orders, both opting for beef-based broth soup.
Carson shrugged. “I just feel like what’s the point of having money if I can’t share it with the people I love the most.” A shadow hung over his shoulders. It wasn’t just sharing the money, it was more. He had missed out on so much of his family’s life. What had it been like when Cassie graduated high school? Did they throw a party for her? Like the one Carson had before he was forced to leave?
“You all right?” Brand said from across the booth.
Carson nodded. “I’ve missed out on so much. I don’t want to live like that. I don’t want any more regrets.” He reached across the table and took Brand’s hand in his. He leaned forward and brought the other man’s fingers to his lips, kissing them gently. No. He didn’t want to hide anymore. The thought both terrified and thrilled him. Coming out would spark a media frenzy. But there was no other way around it. Not anymore. Fear and shame were long past. The quiet life he strived for no longer seemed important if Brand wasn’t with him. He’d have to tell Cynthia first. It was the very least he could do for her.