“Yeah?”
“Hey, Casey. It’s me.”
* * * *
Trevor was jerked awake by someone sliding under the covers with him. He lived alone in his room, so he almost fell from the bed in the haste to see who it was and what they were doing there. He shouldn’t have been surprised to see Nysys and Keenan.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.
“It’s an intervention.”
“An intervention?”
Nysys sat up. He fluffed a pillow and put it behind his back while Keenan leaned his head against Nysys shoulder. “Yes.”
“You’re going to have to be more specific.”
“Well, me and Keenan were talking about the stuff you said last night. You want to be with your mate, right?”
Gosh, it was too early in the morning to talk about this stuff. Still, Trevor knew the terrible two wouldn’t just let it go and leave him alone. They’d hound him until he gave them an answer. “Yeah, of course I want to.”
“But you’re too shy to just go up and talk to him.”
Trevor settled next to Nysys and pulled the sheet up to his chin. “That, and the fact that I have no idea how to break the shifters-are-real thing to him. I don’t want to make him run away, but I’m pretty sure it’s what’s going to happen if I open my mouth. You know me. You’ve heard me talk with people I don’t know. My face stays permanently red when I do, and I don’t want that to be my first impression.”
“Yeah, but unless you manage to completely change your personality, that will be your first impression,” Keenan pointed out from Nysys’ other side.
Trevor sighed. “I know. Why do you think I still haven’t even talked to him?”
“Never?”
“Never.”
“And that’s why we need an intervention,” Nysys intervened. “You said Micah’s a computer doctor, right?”
Trevor chuckled. “Yeah, sort of.”
“And your computer recently exploded.”
Trevor didn’t like where this was going. “Yes,” he said cautiously, as if he could stop the wreck that was about to happen.
“Then we call him and make him come here to take a look at it. That way you can see him and talk to him without him knowing you’re his cupcake admirer. You get used to it, et voilà. Next thing you know, you’re falling in love with each other and you can tell him you’re a shifter.”
“I wish it were that easy.”
“It is. Look, he’s your mate. That means he’s going to feel drawn to you once he meets you. He’ll think it’s because he likes you. You just need to take advantage of it. Talk to him, ask him out. If you don’t want to get the shifter and mates thing out right away, it’s fine, but give him a chance. Give both of you a chance to fall in love.”
Trevor wanted to believe Nysys was right. “What if he doesn’t like me?” The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them. He hated them. He knew he shouldn’t be so insecure, but sixty plus years living with Alpha Greg Howard and his father hadn’t helped his already meek personality. The most courageous thing he’d done in his life had been to tell Casey what Greg was planning, and to ask Dominic to be allowed to move in with the pride.
How was it that asking his mate out seemed so much harder? Trevor hated this aspect of his personality, but trying to conquer it and go against it only made him feel uncomfortable. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to, but he wanted to, so much. He wanted his mate, and he’d had enough of staying in the dark. If he didn’t gather his courage and do something, someone would steal Micah from under his nose, and he couldn’t allow that.
Trevor turned on his side to face Nysys and Keenan, who were looking at him with anticipation. “Fine. What do I do?”
Nysys squeaked and hugged Trevor while Keenan clapped enthusiastically. Trevor laughed and shook his head. His life would be so boring without those two.
When Nysys pulled away, Trevor could see he was already planning what was going to happen.
“You need to call him. Tell him your computer isn’t working and that you need him to come over and fix it.”
“And after that?”
“After that, we’ll have to make you look delicious.”
Trevor blushed at the way Nysys looked at him as he said it. “I don’t think it’s possible.”
Nysys tsked. “Stop it. You’re cute, you just don’t know it.” He grabbed Trevor’s chin between his fingers and turned Trevor’s face this way and that. “Keep the stubble. It looks good on you.”
“But—”
“Also, I love your eyes.”
Trevor felt himself blush. “Thanks.”
Nysys finally released him and patted his cheek. “You’re welcome. You don’t have the stunning beauty I obviously have, or mountains of muscles, but you’re very cute. You’re... very American guy, you know?”
Trevor looked down and shrugged. Nysys chuckled. “Come on, then. Make the call.”
Trevor took his phone from his nightstand. He already had the number Micah used for business. Trevor had already had the same idea as Nysys, he just hadn’t had the guts to actually call. Now he had two pairs of eyes on him, and it made it impossible for him to backtrack and decide it wasn’t a good idea.
He dialed the number and put the phone by his ear. He could feel himself sweating, and he was glad Micah wouldn’t actually see him until he had showered and dressed.
The phone rang a few times, then Micah answered. “Micah Riggs.”
“Uh, hi. I, well, I have a problem with my computer.”
Micah laughed lightly. “You do? Well, you’ve called the right number. Can you tell me what happened?”
Trevor panicked. He couldn’t very well tell Micah his computer had exploded. Micah would just tell him to buy a new one. There was no way he could solve something like that. Nysys rolled his eyes and leaned closer. “Smoke’s coming out of it,” he whispered at Trevor’s free ear.
Trevor nodded. “There’s smoke coming out of it,” he repeated to Micah.
“Umm, that doesn’t usually bode well. Let me look at my planner to see when I can come.”
Trevor could hear the sound of paper being moved, then Micah’s voice again. “I have a spot just before lunch, if it’s okay with you.”
Trevor looked at Nysys with wide eyes. Nysys nodded so hard Trevor thought his head might fall down and roll away. “Lu—lunch?”
“Yes. Or I can come tomorrow morning. I guess it depends on how urgent it is for you.”
Nysys leaned forward again. “Say yes to today!” he whispered. “That way you can ask him to stay for lunch!”
Trevor was terrified at the idea, but Nysys was looking at him, and Keenan was nodding, and his mouth moved on its own. “Today would be better.”
“Right, okay. If you give me your address...”
“Of course.” Trevor drew a blank for a second, but he managed to give his address.
Micah made a small noise as Trevor heard him write it down. “You live in that big house? My best friend lives there too.”
Trevor’s eyes widened. Best friend? He didn’t know about any of Micah’s friends. And it was someone from the pride? Did it mean Micah knew about shifters? Who was it?
“Uh, hello?”
Trevor snapped back to the phone call. “Really?”
“Yes. You probably know him if you live in the same house. Casey?”
Trevor looked at Nysys in horror. “You’re Casey’s best friend?”
Nysys was gaping, and Keenan’s eyes were wide.
“Yes. So who do I ask for when I get there?”
“Umm, Trevor. I’m, well, I’m Casey’s uncle, actually.”
“Really?” Micah sounded delighted. “That’s great. What a coincidence, huh?”
“Yes. Coincidence.” Trevor could hear his voice was feeble. He didn’t know how to take the news.
“I’ll see you in
a few hours. Keep your computer turned off in the meantime.”
“Yes, of course. Thank you.”
Micah hung up and Trevor looked at Nysys and Keenan. “I need to find Casey.”
* * * *
Micah hummed as he hung up. He called Casey right away, curious to know more about the man who’d just called him. He didn’t know why, but there was something in Trevor’s voice that made him curious, and the fact that Trevor was Casey’s uncle—well, it made him even more curious.
“Micah,” Casey answered.
“Hey. I just got a call from someone who says he’s your uncle.”
“Trevor?”
“Yeah.”
“Why did he call you?”
“He said his computer has smoke coming out of it.”
Casey snickered. “That doesn’t surprise me. It’s kind of a joke here. Technology hates him. Like, I use the dishwasher and it works just fine, then he gets here, puts a glass in it, and it doesn’t work anymore. He walks away, and the thing starts working again.”
“I don’t think his computer will recover that easily, not if there’s smoke involved. Anyway, I have an appointment with him just before lunch. Maybe you and I could eat together when I’m done.”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
“You need something sweet for Nolan?”
“Oh, yeah. He woke up late today and he didn’t have the time to get to Darin’s cupcakes before they were all gone. Can you pass by Darin’s bakery and pick a few up?”
“Sure. Give me the address and I’ll go. Any favorites?”
“He loves the cherry coke and chocolate ones.”
Micah raised his brows. “Chocolate and cherry coke?”
“Yeah, Darin tops it with whipped cream and a cherry. They’re very good.”
That was too much of a coincidence for it to be meaningless. Of course, Micah’s admirer could simply be buying the cupcakes in that bakery, but it could also be this Darin guy. “So chocolate and cherry coke. Do you know if they have french toast cupcakes too?” Those had appeared on Micah’s porch a few days before the cherry ones.
“Oh, yeah. Grab a few for me. I love them.”
“So you know this Darin guy?”
“He lives here.”
“Him too?” Casey had explained he lived with a big group of people. Most of them had been kicked out by their families for being gay or for getting married to someone their family didn’t approve of. Micah had never met Dominic, the man in charge of the commune, but he sounded like a good guy. It had to be weird to live with all those people, though.
“Him and his twin. And a whole lot of other people.”
“Like your uncle.”
“Yeah.”
“So, is Darin married?”
“Uh, yeah. Why?”
“Nothing.”
“What are you hiding?”
“Well, I told you about the cupcakes someone leaves on my porch, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Yesterday’s was chocolate and cherry. A few days before, it was french toast.”
Casey was silent for a few seconds. “And you thought it was Darin?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I asked if he was married. It could be someone who buys them, I guess.”
“Or someone who helps him and gets cupcakes in exchange for the help.”
“Huh? Do you know something about this?”
“Nope.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Yeah, well. You’ll have to live with it. I have to go.”
“Wait!”
“We’ll talk when you’re done taking care of my uncle.”
“Of his computer.”
“That’s what I meant. Bye.”
Casey hung up before Micah could ask more details. Micah blinked at his phone screen. Casey wasn’t usually this short. Maybe he had something to do, but it was weird. Wouldn’t he have wanted to talk about his uncle more?
Micah shrugged and put his phone on the kitchen table. He pushed his planner away from his cereal bowl to avoid spilling milk on it and finished eating. His gaze went to his phone a few times, and his thoughts wandered to Trevor. Why was he so interested in the man? Was it because he was Casey’s uncle? Micah knew Casey had an uncle—and an aunt—in Whitedell, but he didn’t think he’d meet them any time soon. He still hadn’t gone to Casey’s house, and they’d been friends for close to a year. It wasn’t that Casey hadn’t wanted him to go, but he’d always managed to find a reason for him not to. Micah had never thought anything of it, but now that he did think about it, he couldn’t help but wonder.
“Is your cereal that interesting?”
Micah looked up and smiled at his dad. “What?”
“You’ve been staring at your bowl for the past ten minutes.”
Micah looked down and grimaced. “Yeah. No, it’s not interesting. I was just thinking about a phone call I just got.” Micah’s dad sat in front of him and Micah pushed away his bowl. He hated soggy cereal.
“What phone call?”
“Just a client. New one. I was wondering what tools I might need, because the guy said his computer has smoke coming out of it.”
“Be careful it doesn’t explode in your face.”
Micah chuckled. “It takes quite a bit to make a computer explode, Dad. Don’t worry about me.”
His dad didn’t look convinced, but Micah had to go to work. He had two appointments before Trevor’s, and he didn’t want to be late. He got up and rinsed his bowl, but his dad waved at him to leave it in the sink instead of washing it. “I’ll take care of it. It’s not like I’m good for anything else anyway.”
“Dad. Don’t talk like that.”
Micah’s father shrugged. “Just saying the truth.”
Micah wondered if he should talk to his dad’s therapist. She’d said it was normal for him to be down and a bit depressed, and Micah could understand it. It had only been six months since he’d gotten injured, and even though he was recuperating well, he’d never be the same as he was before. His leg would never be the same, and he’d always have to use a cane to walk.
The hunting accident had been bad. His dad didn’t remember everything that had happened, but something big had wrenched his leg out of the hip socket. It had been a bear, or maybe a mountain lion, and Micah was glad it was the only thing the animal had done. It could easily have killed his dad after he’d fainted from the pain, but for some reason it had walked away.
Not that Micah’s dad thought he’d been lucky. Micah thought his dad felt it would have been better for him to die that day, but Micah wasn’t sure he could have taken his father’s death, not only a year after his mother had died. That wound was still fresh in his heart. That was the reason he’d insisted his dad move in with him.
He walked to the table to take his planner and clasped his dad’s shoulder. He wanted to hug him, but hugs were reserved for funerals and weddings in his family. “I need to get going. Call me if you need anything.”
“Yeah.”
“And you have Mrs. Morris’ number in case something happens.”
“Yes, Mom.”
Micah gently slapped his dad’s shoulder. “If anything, it’s yes, Dad.”
“Nah. That’s too weird.”
Micah chuckled and shook his head. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Micah’s day started badly. He had to tell his first client his computer was fried. The guy didn’t think he needed to pay Micah for the service call, since he hadn’t been able to repair it, and Micah had to talk him into it. He even threatened to call the cops, and he would have.
At least his second client was easier. The little old lady thought her computer was broken, but her problem really was that she’d stuck the DVD the wrong side up in it. Micah decided not to make her pay, but she insisted, so he took twenty dollars after he’d noticed her trying to stick it into his bag while he was looking the other way.<
br />
He stopped at the bakery Casey had told him about on his way to Casey’s house. When he opened the door, heavenly scents hit his nose. It was enough to make his stomach rumble loudly. Luckily for him, the lady with the kid who’d passed him as he entered had been the last client inside, so only the guy behind the counter heard it.
He laughed, and Micah rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry. I didn’t eat much this morning.”
“That’s fine,” the guy said. “You’re in the right place if you want to eat something.”
“So, uh, Casey sent me.”
“He did?”
“He’s my best friend. I’m Micah.”
The guy smiled. “Darin.”
Micah placed his order and watched Darin put cupcakes in a box. He wanted to ask about his secret admirer, but he wasn’t sure how to go about it. Would it be weird to ask?
Micah decided to just give it a try. “So, I was wondering if I could ask you a question.”
Darin looked up. “Of course.”
“Someone’s been leaving cupcakes on my porch. I was wondering if you knew something about it.”
Darin cocked his head. “Really, now?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Yeah. So, do you know something about it?”
Darin grinned. “Maybe. Since you’re buying cupcakes for Casey and Nolan, I’m guessing you’re going over to the house?”
“Yes. Casey’s uncle called me because his computer is broken. I’m a computer specialist.”
“Trevor called you?”
“Yes.”
Darin closed the box and handed it to Micah after he paid. “Well, you’re going to have an interesting day.”
Chapter Two
Trevor bounced his leg, his gaze fixed on the front door. He knew it was stupid to wait in the entrance. Micah would arrive even if Trevor waited in his room or in the living room.
He’d been resisting the urge to run ever since he’d hung up the phone that morning, though, and he felt he probably would if he wandered away from the front door. It was easier to remind himself why he was doing this when he was there.
Trevor Page 2