by Riley Hart
PRETEND
A Blackcreek Novel
By: Riley Hart
Copyright © 2014 by Riley Hart
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission of the author except where permitted by law.
Published by
Riley Hart
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Cover Design by X-Potion Designs
Cover photo by jackson photografix
Dedication:
To my readers—I am so lucky to have you in my corner.
Thanks for reading.
Table of Content:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Epilogue
CHAPTER ONE
The bar was dead.
Granted, it was only noon and Mason just opened the doors, but usually he had a small lunch crowd—the people who came in for burgers and fries before they went back to work. Or there were the ones who had beer for their liquid meal.
Here it was, fifteen minutes after opening, and Mason hadn’t yet heard a peep.
Not that he was complaining. Closing last night had been hell, and the sandpaper in his eyes was rough as shit. It was past time he got another body in here. He had a cook/dishwasher in back, but he kept it to a bare minimum on the bar. When he could, he worked by himself.
After wiping down tables that he’d just cleaned the night before, Mason tossed the towel onto the bar and then made his way to the small stage. He picked up the guitar that he’d left there, sat on a stool and then plucked a few keys.
He only played around with the damn thing but it was relaxing. He used to want to take lessons, but when he worked full-time for his family restaurants, he hadn’t had the time. Now he realized trying to teach himself wasn’t as easy as he thought.
A slight thud came from the direction of the door, as if it stuck, and then the familiar creaking sound. He needed to get that fixed. Just another thing to add to his growing to-do list.
A list he actually loved, because he loved his bar. Creekside was the first thing Mason bought for himself. The first place that was his and his alone—not something his father built and wanted for Mason.
His fingers still moved lightly across the strings as a man walked in. He’d never seen the guy before. He definitely wasn’t a Blackcreek local. Mason hadn’t been here too long himself, but the crew that he had coming in and out was normally consistent, and this guy just didn’t have the look of a local.
His hair was a dark blond, the top parted to hang partly off one side of his forehead. That wasn’t what caught Mason’s eye, though; it was his jawline. Strong, like it was cut out of stone. It was probably the sexiest jawline he’d ever seen.
It was an early June day, yet he wore a pair of black slacks and a button-up shirt—short sleeves, so it fit the weather. It just wasn’t what most of his customers wore. His bar as more of a blue collar establishment, which is exactly what Mason wanted for it.
He had long, cut muscles in his forearms. Mason had always had a thing for arms, especially strong, hairy ones like this guy had.
He was slightly shorter than Mason himself, with a clean-shaven face and bitter eyes. Huh. This man could be interesting.
“She needs to be tuned. She’s not really far off, but I can hear it in the notes.” He nodded toward Mason as he moved his way.
Definitely interesting. “Oh yeah?”
“Yep. Your sound is a little flat. Check your finger positioning on the fretboard.”
Mason cocked his left brow. “Anything else?”
“Shit. I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “It’s a reflex. I’ve played instruments my whole life. I teach music. Or, I used to.”
Mason watched as the music teacher crossed his arms.
“Sounds like you still teach to me.”
He frowned as though Mason’s reply threw him. “Move the first finger of your left hand just a little farther from the fret and then try it again.”
This time it was Mason who frowned. His teacher didn’t notice, his eyes zeroed in on Mason’s fingers. He’d spent a minute with the guy and it was already obvious how passionate he was about music. It vibrated off of him, fueling Mason to do as he said, moving his finger and then playing again.
“See? Did you hear the difference there?” he asked.
Mason nodded. “Yeah, I did. Thanks, man.” And then he held out his hand. “Mason Alexander.”
Mason felt callouses on the ends of the guy’s fingers when he shook Mason’s hand.
“Gavin Davis.”
“Beer?” Mason stood up.
“Yeah, thanks. Guinness.” Mason turned to put the acoustic back on the stand when Gavin added, “Do you mind?”
He was itching to play. Mason saw it, though he didn’t doubt Gavin had instruments of his own. “Have at it.” Mason handed the guitar over. Gavin sat as Mason went over to the bar to fill a glass for him. The soft cords of the guitar started almost immediately. It definitely sounded different than when Mason played.
He walked back toward the stage, glass in hand, setting it on a nearby table before turning a chair backward and sitting in it. Gavin continued to play a song Mason didn’t know. Hell, he couldn’t even tell where Gavin was in this moment, either. He’d somehow left the bar, and was off playing somewhere else. That’s what it looked like, at least. Like Gavin was lost in the music. In love with it in a way Mason had never been in love with anything in his life.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to take over like that. I’ve been traveling so I haven’t played much.”
“Don’t be. You only gave me a complex. I might never pick up the damn thing again.”
Gavin stepped off the stage, grabbed the beer and took a drink. “Mind if I buy her?”
“Hey now.” Mason laughed. “You don’t even have any guilt for making me feel like shit in my own bar? Just want to buy my guitar, huh?” He nodded to the other chair at the table and Gavin sat down.
“What kind of man would I be if I passed up on that kind of opportunity if it just fell into my lap?” He tugged on the right lobe of his ear and gave a shy smile. Mason couldn’t tell if he meant to be flirtatious or not. Mason definitely saw it that way, though.
He hadn’t been able to get a read on the guy until now, but whether he realized it or not, Gavin definitely eyed him appreciatively. M
ason leaned forward, his arms on the back of the chair. “Not the kind of man I’d be interested in.” He loved flirting and wanted to test the waters with Gavin.
Gavin pulled away, and Mason figured he’d read the guy wrong. But then he gave Mason another grin, his eyes running down Mason’s body. He was interested, so why pull back? Mason cocked a brow at him, and then damned if Gavin didn’t lean his way again, though he still looked a little unsure.
Right as he opened his mouth to say something, there was another creaking sound. Damn it. Someone came into the bar. Still, Mason didn’t move. He watched Gavin, waiting to see what card he played.
It was Gavin who turned to see who came in before taking a long swallow of his beer. Then another.
Mason waited another second and then stood, walked to the counter and served the couple who just came in.
He wasn’t there three minutes before Gavin brought an empty glass over and set it in front of him. “I’m late. I didn’t realize the time.” He set a bill in front of Mason and added, “I have to go.”
And then he did just that.
Oh well. Win some, you lose some.
***
Blackcreek, Colorado.
Gavin Davis never expected to live this close to where he’d grown up. Not since the day his high school boyfriend Braden Roth talked him into leaving. Not that Braden had to convince him much. He’d always known he needed to leave Colorado, he just hadn’t had the balls to do it until the bigmouthed, and even bigger headed, man had told him he could.
Braden was good for shit like that. It had meant the world to a teenaged Gavin. He hated to admit he’d needed Braden back then. He’d wanted him for a long time afterward as well. It wasn’t that Gavin had been in love with Braden; he just had that kind of personality. One people were attracted to—one that had made Gavin feel normal when he’d always been told he wasn’t. And he definitely hadn’t been crazy enough to think Braden had been in love with him, but for a while, they’d worked. Hell, he’d never even imagined Braden settling down, yet that was part of the reason he was back right now.
Gavin knocked on the door to the small house. Immediately, someone pulled it open.
“’Bout time you got your ass here, man. Come here.” Braden pulled him into a hug and Gavin returned it. His body relaxed, feeling at home after seeing his good friend again.
“So, where is he?” Gavin asked when they separated. “I never thought I’d see the day that Braden Roth would settle down.”
“Wes is working today. Come on out back. Jess is playing and I need to watch her.”
Braden was not only settled down, but he also had the responsibility of a little girl. This whole thing would take some getting used to.
Gavin followed Braden through the house and out the backdoor. There was a wooden swing set in the yard with a curly-haired girl pumping her legs.
“Wes and I built this for her here, though I’m not really sure why since we live at Wes’s place.”
“I appreciate you letting me stay here.”
“Eh.” Braden shrugged. “It’s just sitting here anyway. Might as well have someone living in it. I’d been thinking about renting her out anyway. Might as well have a friend staying here.” Braden turned toward the little girl. “Come over here, Squirt. I want you to meet my friend I told you about.”
Her hair bounced up and down as she jumped off the swing and ran over to them.
“You’re uncle Braden’s old boyfriend. Uncle Wes is his boyfriend now, though.” She crossed her arms, eying Gavin up. He bit back a laugh. Jessie was made of fire. He could see that.
Gavin kneeled down. “I’m Braden’s friend. He told me all about you and your Uncle Wes. I couldn’t wait to meet you.”
Her eyes grew wide, obviously satisfied she didn’t have to defend Wes’s honor by making sure Gavin didn’t come to steal his man.
“Braden says you play instruments. He says you teach kids how to play ‘em. Can you teach me?”
Gavin got a pinch in his chest, but he made himself ignore it. “I used to teach. I don’t anymore, but I would love to show you how to play.”
“Yay!” Jessie squealed before running for the swings again.
Gavin pushed to his feet. “She’s like a little tornado. What does she want to play?”
“You haven’t seen anything yet, and beats the hell out of me. This is the first I’ve heard of it.”
The two men walked over to the porch and sat in the camp chairs. “Love what you’ve done with the place,” Gavin teased him. Though he was surprised. Braden worked with his hands a lot, and he’d always loved outdoors. He was surprised his friend hadn’t done more with the property.
“Funny, asshole. I hadn’t lived here too long before I met Wes, and before him, I wasn’t home often enough to care what it looked like. Now…well, we don’t want to take Jessie away from her home, ya know? It’s where she lived with her mom. We think it’s important that we stay there.”
Gavin ran a hand through his hair, trying to figure out how to respond to that. It was so crazy to hear Braden speak that way. He’d always been the free spirit while Gavin was the band geek, and now here he was, living this family life that Gavin had never come close to having. “You’ve changed. Grown up.”
Braden wrinkled his nose. “If you don’t take that back, I’ll be forced to kick your ass.”
Maybe he hadn’t changed too much. Both of them laughed.
“You look good. Got more muscle on you than you used to.” Braden nudged Gavin’s arm.
“Fuck off. We can’t all be sports-playing firemen.” Though, Braden was right. Gavin had started working out more lately. It wasn’t something he paid much mind to when he was younger. Now, he realized how much he enjoyed it.
“It’s hard being this good.”
“Married, huh? Does Wes know what he’s getting into, agreeing to a lifetime of dealing with your shit?”
Braden looked at Gavin and grinned. “He wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Gavin didn’t doubt that was true.
“What about you? Do you know what you’re going to do? I’m not sure if you realized this, but we have schools in Blackcreek. You can still teach, Gav.”
The pinch in his chest came back, only now it multiplied. It was like a fucking sledgehammer. “I don’t know what’s next. I don’t know what I want to be next, either. Now’s not the time to talk about my shit, though. I still can’t believe you’re getting hitched. Tell me about your life.”
Braden picked up where Gavin left off, talking about Wes and Jessie and how they wanted their relationship to be as official as they could for their little girl. Gavin listened to him, genuinely happy for his friend, but also wondering what in the hell was next for himself.
CHAPTER TWO
“Are you stalking me?” Mason took the chair beside Gavin. People were just starting to fill into the empty spaces for the wedding that would start in just a few minutes. It was a hot day in early June, the sun roasting around them.
Wes and Braden were having a small ceremony, with less than fifty folding white chairs lined up in front of an oversized tree with big, weeping branches that sat in the middle of Noah and Cooper’s property.
Gavin glanced his way. “If I was stalking you, wouldn’t I be hiding?”
“True.” He leaned closer, smelled the light sent of cologne. “You never know with the way you ran the other day.” Mason hadn’t expected to see Gavin again, figured he’d been passing through town; but it was obvious now that he’d come to town at least for the wedding.
“Ran, huh?” Gavin raised a dark brow at him. “Maybe I just wasn’t interested.”
Mason laughed at that. He’d seen the look in Gavin’s eyes. Saw it now as well, even though it seemed to be muted by a slight shyness. He was interested, attracted at the very least.
The look on Gavin’s face changed. Not in a bad way, just contemplative. He was a thinker. Mason could tell that much early on, and he weighed his tho
ughts right now before replying. Gavin looked up and around them. Was he in the closet? No, Mason didn’t think so. Newly out, then?
Before he had the chance to speak, the officiate walked to the tree and stood below it. Wes and Braden joined him, Braden in black slacks and a short-sleeved, button down shirt. Wes matched except in contrasting white. Both of them looked casual, with Jessie standing beside them in a long summer dress.
When the service began, Mason turned his attention away from the man beside him as Wes and Braden read the vows they’d written, promising to spend their lives together.
At the end of the ceremony, Braden grabbed Wes’s face between his hands and kissed the hell out of him before everyone pushed to their feet, clapping. Mason remembered half-heartedly flirting with Braden when they’d met, but seeing him up there now, it didn’t even feel like he was looking at the same man.
Mason turned toward Gavin to finish the conversation they’d started, but Gavin seemed lost in the couple in front of them. He had a far-off look in his eyes and a lonely smile on his face. It was enough to make Mason hold back. Hell, probably even pull off completely. Gavin was dealing with some shit; what, Mason didn’t know, but he had enough of his own crap right now to not want to get involved with anyone else’s.
***
Gavin sat around the bonfire with Braden, Wes, Mason and two other men he’d been introduced to tonight named Noah and Cooper. It was late. He didn’t know how late, but the other wedding guests had left hours before.
Wes’s sister brought Jessie home with her. Since Braden and Wes weren’t going on their honeymoon until later in the summer, they decided to all sit around drinking tonight instead.
“I about shit my pants when Braden admitted that Wes went home with him that first night. And look at them now,” Cooper said and everyone laughed.
It surprised Gavin. “You guys didn’t know? Don’t tell me you went into the closet?” He knew that was bullshit. Braden never worried what anyone thought, never had. In school, Gavin hadn’t been the most popular. Braden never cared, and he’d made it easier for Gavin not to worry about things, either. Gavin couldn’t help but be curious as to why Braden being with a man was such a huge surprise for Cooper.