Just the Three of Us
Page 17
“Your gennie,” he said again. When he realized Remy still didn’t understand him, his brows drew down in frustration. “The generator. It ain’t running.”
“Oh! Yeah, the generator.” For a moment, Remy had wondered crazily if the little girl’s name was Jenny, and the man was referring to her. He felt a little better now that they were both on the same wavelength. “I was just going to take a look at it.”
Mr. Thorn squinted at him. “You know what you’re looking at?”
Remy searched for something to say. Behind him, a door opened, and he turned to see Lane come out of the bedroom wearing jeans and a button-down flannel shirt. “Who’s out there?” he asked, approaching as he buttoned up his shirt.
“Mr. Thorn from the rental office,” Remy explained.
“Thorn,” the man corrected, as if Remy had said his name wrong. When Lane stepped up beside Remy, Mr. Thorn offered his hand again. “This here’s my youngest grandkid, Sally. She came along for the ride.”
Lane looked around Remy to where his son cowered behind him. “She’s about your age, Braden. What, eight?”
The girl stepped around her grandfather. She had a cute little button nose and white-blonde curls frizzed out from under a pink knit cap. “I’m eight and a half,” she told Lane. Then, to Braden, she said, “I got a new bike for Christmas, but I can’t ride it because of the snow.”
Braden ducked around behind his father to push through between Lane and Remy. He kept one arm wrapped around both men’s legs. “I got a Nintendo Wii U,” he said.
Sally gasped. “Really? Can I see?”
“I can’t play it,” Braden told her. “The power’s out.”
“Pop-pop will fix it.” Without being asked, Sally pushed her way into the cabin. “Show me what all you got.”
Braden trailed behind the little girl, a bemused expression on his face. When she saw the Legos spread out on the floor, she ripped off her hat. “Oh, cool! Can I play?”
“We ain’t staying long!” Mr. Thorn called out.
Remy asked, “So you can fix the generator?”
“That’s why I’m here,” Mr. Thorn said. “I didn’t hear it going so I thought you fellas might need a little help. You want to put on a coat and come see what’s up?”
Remy glanced at Lane, who grinned. “We might get coffee this morning after all,” Lane said.
“And breakfast,” Remy added. “And a hot shower. And our tree lit up again—”
“Better hurry,” Lane told him. “He’s gone on without you.”
Indeed, Mr. Thorn had stomped off the porch and was already heading around to the back of the cabin, where the generator was located. Remy pulled on his heavy coat and stepped into his boots. As he zipped up the coat, Lane stooped down to tie the boots. When he stood, he tugged on Remy’s collar and said, “Give your husband-to-be a goodbye kiss.”
Remy leaned in and pressed his lips to Lane’s. It was chaste and tender, but then Lane opened his mouth a little, his tongue licking out to taste Remy’s mouth, and the kiss turned heated. The passion running between them was only a hint of things to come.
When Lane pulled back, the promise sealed by the kiss shone brightly in his eyes. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you,” Remy said with a smile.
From across the room, Braden cried out, “Da-ad! Not in front of my friends!”
Lane smirked. “Yeah, he is definitely not coming with us to Hawaii.”
THE END
ABOUT J.M. SNYDER
A multi-published author of gay erotic/romantic fiction, J.M. Snyder began writing boyband slash before turning to self-publishing. She has worked with several different e-publishers, including Amber Allure Press, Aspen Mountain Press, eXcessica Publishing, and Torquere Press, and has short stories published in anthologies by Alyson Books, Aspen Mountain Press, Cleis Press, eXcessica Publishing, Lethe Press, and Ravenous Romance. For more information, including excerpts, free stories, and monthly contests, please visit jmsnyder.net.
ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC
JMS Books LLC is a small electronic press specializing in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender fiction (including erotica, romance, and young adult), as well as popular and literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. While our preference is for GLBT stories, we accept stories containing any and all sexualities, as well as general fiction without a romantic subplot. Visit our site at jms-books.com for our latest releases and submission guidelines!