According to Design

by Nicole Dennis

  Beau blushed at the social announcement of their relationship. He fell in with Dakota and Reece to escort Wyatt and Keegan through the crowd.

  “Oops,” Robin said. “Sorry about that.”

  “Too late now, divvy,” Beau called back, his British accent loud and clear with the slang.

  Wyatt glanced over his shoulder to see Robin’s proud grin at pulling the Brit out of Beau. His friends were truly certifiable. He concentrated on getting Keegan home.

  “I’m so tired of having this happen,” Keegan whispered.

  Wyatt protected Keegan as he herded them through the crowd. “This is the last time. He’s out of your life and behind bars. No more need to be afraid, love. We can concentrate on making a life together. Free and safe,” Wyatt said. “I’m not leaving you, no matter what.”

  “No matter what,” Keegan repeated. He fell quiet the rest of the way home.

  Chapter Twenty

  Wyatt hated how the incident with Dwayne Morris at the high school had sent Keegan into a tailspin. He’d tried everything he could to bring Keegan out of his funk. It helped that Robin understood what was happening and didn’t call Keegan into work.

  After Keegan got through the day at school, Wyatt either met him at the studio or the house to spend the rest of the day together. There he could give him comfort and attention to bring him out of the depression. At times he got Keegan to smile and laugh with him, but it didn’t last.

  Unable to take the darkness in Keegan, Wyatt decided something else had to be done. He bundled Keegan into his car and drove to the Delights. He encouraged Keegan to get out and led him around to the back porch entrance.

  “I really don’t want to eat out,” Keegan said.

  “I know, but you need to get outside and back to normal,” Wyatt said. “I don’t want you to hide anymore.” He opened the door and escorted him inside.

  Within moments, they were shown to a table by the opened doors overlooking the beach and ocean. Wyatt hoped the beautiful view would lighten Keegan’s mood. He held the chair for Keegan and sat next to him, not across from the table. He clasped Keegan’s hand then brought it up to kiss Keegan’s knuckles.

  “Hello, Wyatt. Don’t think I know who your handsome man is?” A waitress stopped by their table. “My name is Tiffany.”

  “This is Keegan Donaghue,” Wyatt introduced his love to the young lady.

  Keegan lifted his gaze and gave her a slight nod.

  “Hello, Keegan,” Tiffany said and handed them a piece of paper. “Here’s today menu. We’re not offering the full changed menu until the grand re-opening, but Dakota hated not cooking for everyone.”

  “What do we have today?” Wyatt asked. “Anything Dakota does is delicious.”

  “Today’s catch is a lemon-dill snapper. You can have it grilled or broiled. There’s also a choice of either rock shrimp or chicken skewers with fresh vegetables and wild rice. Soups are a lemony orzo or tomato shrimp bisque. If you want a lighter fare, we have our baby lettuce garden salad with a house dressing. You can add shrimp or chicken.”

  Wyatt gestured to Keegan to order first. “What would you like, Kee?”

  Keegan’s golden hazel eyes dimmed behind the glasses. He kept his gaze upon the paper. “Rock shrimp skewer, please. Iced tea to drink.”

  “Sweet or unsweet?”

  “Sweet,” he said.

  “Soup or salad?”

  “Neither.”

  Tiffany turned to Wyatt. “How about you?”

  Wyatt scanned the offerings and chose the lemon-dill snapper grilled with the seasonal vegetables and wild rice. He requested the tea.

  Tiffany left to take care of other tables and place their order.

  Wyatt reached across and retook Keegan’s hands. “We need to talk, Kee. Please tell me what is happening with you? I feel that you’re pulling away from me, slipping into a depression. I don’t know how to help. I don’t want to lose you.”

  Keegan stared at the beach and brought his attention to Wyatt. “You’re right. I’ve been feeling scared and lost. I’m not handling this alone, I promise, but I’m talking with my therapist back in North Carolina. It’s why I stayed at my apartment for several afternoons to hold the online video sessions.”

  “Why don’t you want to talk to me?”

  “I need to heal myself, to get myself back together. I don’t want to be broken.”

  “You’re not broken, Kee. I don’t see you like that.”

  “But I do. I’m tired of being scared, lost and thrown into panic attacks. I want to be more. For me. For you.” Keegan shook his head. “For us to have a chance at a future together.”

  “You have pieces of your belongings and life at my home. What about taking the final step and bringing everything over? Have you considered my offer of moving in with Collin and me? We want you with us all the time. I want you to consider it your home.”

  “I’m thinking about it.” Keegan sat back in the chair.

  In that moment, a quiet Tiffany returned with their drinks and a basket of freshly baked multi-grain bread. She poured olive oil onto a plate and added a herb mixture. When she’d left again, Wyatt broke apart a few pieces of bread, setting them on the small plates for them to pick at. He dipped a piece of bread to soak up the herbs and oil and nibbled on it.

  “You belong with us. We fit together and I love seeing your things hanging in the closet by mine. I like our bathroom stuff covering the countertop and shower corners. We can continue to date or whatever, but I love falling asleep next to you and waking to find you still there.” With a free hand, Wyatt picked up and pressed a kiss to Keegan’s palm. “I love you, Keegan Donaghue. I don’t want to lose you, not to your past or darkness. You’re stronger than you believe.”

  Tears glistened in Keegan’s eyes.

  Not giving a damn about the other patrons, Wyatt left his chair then stood next to Keegan’s side. He embraced his lover, and Keegan returned the motion. Keegan pressed his face against Wyatt’s shirt as emotions overcame him. Wyatt whispered words of love in Keegan’s ear, pushing his promise of forever.

  When Keegan pulled back, Wyatt figured the rush of emotion had fled. He tucked a foot against the leg of his chair and tugged it close to sit down. He didn’t draw his hands away from Keegan, always keeping them connected.

  Someone cleared their throat and said, “Oh, umm, I’m so sorry. Are you two all right?”

  Wyatt glanced over his shoulder. Samuel was standing there. There was a small bag dangling from his hand. Next to him, Tiffany waited with a tray filled with their lunch.

  “Sorry, things caught up with me. Wrong time. Wrong place.” Keegan swiped a finger under each eye to catch any lingering tears. He then rubbed a hand across the back of his neck.

  “No need. A lot has happened within Shore Breeze these last few months. Some of us hit more than others,” Samuel said and nodded for Tiffany to give them their lunch.

  “Enjoy, gentlemen,” she said.

  “Thank you, Tiffany,” Samuel said when she walked away. He smiled at Keegan. “As for bad timing, it looks like you have the right fella by your side to deal with anything.”

  A small smile curled Keegan’s lips. “Yeah, I do. Got lucky on that part.”

  Wyatt lifted Keegan’s hand and kissed his fingers. “Thank you, babe.”

  “You two are adorable together. May I join you for a moment?” Samuel asked. He gestured to a free chair.

  Wyatt looked to Keegan, who nodded. “Please. How are you today?”

  “I’m doing well. Feeling better than ever,” Samuel said. He sat down and placed the bag on the table next to him. “Much better since our sheriff arrested the deranged man who tried to poison me. Did you hear he also tracked down that bookkeeper, Thomas Harding? He hooked up something to most of the businesses and stole money.”

  “It’s why I was running around town with Beau and Robin. We were collecting all those pieces of technology,” Keegan said. “Good to know Robin found him. I
knew Thomas was trying to flee the country.”

  “He didn’t make it far and is behind bars. Sheriff cleaned the streets,” Samuel said.

  “Hopefully, the town will settle back down to normal, quiet life.” Wyatt took a sip of tea.

  “I’m looking forward to seeing how the Charm does when we re-open,” Samuel said. “It’ll brighten things up around here. The website and Facebook page are getting so many visits and rooms are booked for the entire holiday season. It’s almost overwhelming.”

  “This beautiful building will hold up to everything and shine brighter than you’ll ever expect,” Keegan said, his words and voice far more eloquent than anything Wyatt had heard.

  Samuel listened to Keegan with a smile and knowing glint in his eyes. He clasped his hands together then brought his fist to his lips. “Thank you.”

  “It was your decision to save this building instead of changing it or tearing it down,” Wyatt said. “Correct?”

  Samuel nodded. “My mother wanted to create a boutique hotel. My father wanted to destroy it and build a high-end resort.”

  “Only you discovered the true bones and qualities within the Charm.”

  “And the importance to so many people and within Shore Breeze. How could I sign off to destroy this place? This center of an entire town?”

  “Because of your decision, you’re now a darling of the town,” Wyatt said with a wink.

  Samuel laughed hard and clapped his hands several times with his mirth. All the diners glanced over to try to figure out what was happening, but only saw Samuel chortling with glee.

  “Oh, you two are so good for one’s confidence. I adore it. Thank you for telling me there are others who support my decision and don’t hate me,” Samuel said when his laughter quieted.

  “That was only one idiot who had no idea what he was doing,” Wyatt said.

  “Dakota keeps telling me the same thing. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe in him. I’m sure I would have hightailed my ass back to Manhattan. Dakota stood by me through the worst and loved me no matter what happened. How could I abandon him or this project?” Samuel moved his gaze toward the kitchen’s doors. “Damn, I love that man.”

  “Love never fails a person when it’s true and lasting,” Keegan said in a quiet tone.

  Both his tone and words drew Wyatt’s attention away from Samuel and back to Keegan. “It never breaks and stands against the test of time and darkness.”

  Keegan lowered his gaze to the table.

  “Oh, man, how your relationship is inspiring.” Samuel raised a hand and rested his cheek upon it.

  “One could say the same for you and Dakota,” Wyatt said.

  “Okay. This conversation has taken a strange turn.” Samuel lifted his head and shrugged. “Anyway. The real reason why I’m here.” He tilted the bag and pulled out an envelope. He held it toward Wyatt, who took it.

  “What’s this?” Wyatt flipped over the envelope and slid his finger through the seal.

  “An invitation to the grand reopening. I’m handing them out to everyone. I believe this one can cover you, Keegan and your nephew. I hope you’ll join the celebration. Dakota promises he’ll have ribs.”

  “We’ll be there,” Keegan said.

  Wyatt grinned and nodded.

  “Excellent. I’m going to distribute more invites. Enjoy your meal. If it’s cold, I’ll tell Dakota to send out new dishes,” Samuel said while he stood and scooped up the bag.

  Wyatt took a taste test of his fish and shook his head. “Perfect as always.”

  “Great. Enjoy then. I’ll see you at the celebration,” Samuel said and wandered off to hand-deliver invites to other local diners.

  “Is he going to deliver an envelope personally to everyone in Shore Breeze?” Keegan asked when Samuel was out of range.

  “I have no idea,” Wyatt said and chuckled. “But he would never be able to do it in time.”

  They chuckled together.

  Wyatt finally saw the twinkle and life return to Keegan’s eyes. He clasped one of Keegan’s hands. “You came back to me.”

  As if puzzled, Keegan tilted his head. “What?”

  “Your eyes. The light is back.” Wyatt released Keegan’s hand to let his fingers trace the side of Keegan’s face. “Something changed within you the last few minutes.”

  “The conversation with Samuel. Love. The power of it.” Keegan used his fork to push the grilled shrimp off the skewer and across the bed of wild rice. He finished all three skewers and set the sticks aside. He took a few bites.

  Not wanting to push him and lose the newfound lightness, Wyatt followed his example in eating the delicious meal. He shared some of his snapper with Keegan. He held the fork by Keegan, cupped a hand underneath when Keegan pulled the bite off the tines.

  “Delicious,” Keegan said and speared a shrimp. He held it toward Wyatt.

  Taking a chance, Wyatt licked his lips and slowly opened his mouth. He kept his gaze upon Keegan’s face and tugged the shrimp off with his tongue in an almost sensual, erotic fashion. He chewed and gave a quiet deep moan.

  “You’re making love noises over a piece of grilled shrimp,” Keegan said as he leaned closer.

  Wyatt swallowed and grinned. He scooped up more of his meal and continued to eat.

  “You’re a dangerous man.”

  “That you absolutely adore.”

  “And love,” Keegan added. “I want to say yes.”

  “Yes to what?”

  “I’ll move in with you.”

  Wyatt paused in lifting the fork and stared at Keegan. “Really?”

  “I wanted to tell you yes for weeks. Most of the apartment is packed and ready to move,” he admitted.

  “What stopped you from telling me?”

  “The round of depression I was stuck in kept me lost within myself. I couldn’t move forward. I couldn’t move back.” Keegan shrugged and continued to eat.

  “Are you ready to take a step toward a future with me?”

  Keegan lifted his gaze to meet Wyatt’s stare. “Yes.” He placed his hand palm up on the table.

  Wyatt covered Keegan’s hand with his own. He laced their fingers together. “Do you know how much I love you?”

  “You can tell me the rest of our time together.”

  Wyatt grinned and couldn’t wait to make plans for how to spend the rest of their time together. He couldn’t have created a better design for his life.

  Also available from Pride Publishing:

  Southern Charm: Following the Law

  Nicole Dennis

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  What was he missing? Why couldn’t he solve what should be a simple crime committed within his small town?

  Sheriff Robin Burke shuffled papers around to look at things a different way, but nothing worked. He couldn’t figure out the pattern. He banged a fist on the desk in frustration.

  How could someone commit such a heinous crime and not leave a damn trace? It annoyed the living hell out of Robin. Why would someone want to attack a newcomer to Shore Breeze who wanted to make things better? Samuel Ashford had arrived in town to assist in the rebuilding of the town’s beloved B&B, the Southern Charm. Someone disliked his presence in the Charm without giving him a chance.

  Even the Southern Charm’s co-owner and brilliant chef, Dakota Mitchell, had taken some time to adjust to the change, but eventually had come around. To everyone’s surprise, Dakota had even fallen hard for the newcomer. Robin had enjoyed watching Dakota stumble head over heels as he’d chased Samuel.

  Somehow the attack on Samuel had brought him and Dakota closer. Robin heard they were making plans for a future together. Shore Breeze had gained another permanent citizen from a tourist.

  As the weeks passed after the incident, Robin knew he lost valuable time as leads went cold. Any detective with a case knew the first forty-eight hours were crucial. His clock had stopped a long time ago, but damn if he would give up and put the case away. He w
ouldn’t let it go cold.

  Leaning back in his old creaky leather chair, Robin laced his fingers behind his head and stared out of the window, going over the facts. The case puzzled him.

  Someone had known Samuel was allergic to any type or form of nuts. The allergy could be deadly if he ingested a high enough amount or didn’t get medical help in time. Samuel had mentioned the potential threat to Dakota, who knew how to contain it within the kitchen. Once he’d learned of Samuel’s allergy, Dakota had taken all the necessary steps to prevent anyone being hurt. Somehow, someone had managed to lace a pitcher of iced sun tea, the Charm’s famous brew and Samuel’s favorite drink, with almond oil or essence. Either way, the moment Samuel had drunk a glass, his breathing passages had swelled and closed. It was pure luck he’d been in a meeting with Sully Tarleton and Dakota had been within shouting distance. The combination of the two men’s immediate actions had helped Samuel to survive the near fatal attack.

  “Boss, you’re going to explode if you keep this up,” his assistant, Clara, said.

  “I never had this much trouble with a damn case. All I have are circumstantial pieces. Pieces I can’t link together or use to locate a definite suspect. The one guy I need to find has disappeared. I hate going to the Charm, looking at those two fellas and telling them I have nothing like a stupid, incompetent backwoods idiot.”

  “You’re anything but an idiot, boss,” Clara said. “Give me a minute. I think I have something which can help.”

  Lowering his hands, Robin looked at the door as Clara disappeared. He watched her reappear with two of the younger officers. They unrolled and hung a piece of corkboard on his free wall. Another officer secured an oversized whiteboard next to it.

  “Thanks, boys,” Clara said as she dropped a box on Robin’s desk. “Tony, get the other stack for me.”

  “Yes’m,” the officer said.

  Robin leaned forward and looked at what they were doing to his office. “What’s all of this? It’s more clutter.”

  “Useful clutter. Right now, you’re looking at separate pages in the binder. Put them on the boards. It’s all there in front of you. Go old school. Make copies and put them on the board.”