by Lucy Hawkins
He listened intently and grabbed the closest scrap of paper he could find. “Yes, sir, those dates are available. May I ask how many will be in your party?” Scribbling down a number, he nodded, more out of reflex than anything else. “And will there be any dietary requirements? Mmhm. Right. Okay, Mr. Slater, I’ve got you booked. Thank you so much. You have a nice day.”
Ending the call, he looked up at Rhiannon, who was perched on the edge of her barstool. “Well,” she said expectantly.
“Well, he wanted to book three rooms for the week, for a business seminar. Said his fiancée showed him the excerpt from the Weddings Quarterly article and he loved it.”
Rhiannon let out a shriek and launched herself off the barstool, wrapping him in a tight hug. “I knew this was going to be good for this place! When are they coming?”
“Two weeks from now. I’ll see if I can’t turn one of the lake houses into a suitable conference room before then.”
His heart beat faster at the thought of more guests. If the excerpt had already earned them a new guest, he couldn’t wait to see what the full article did for business. That eighty grand was looking more and more possible.
Fifteen
Alex
“Okay, spill.” Hazel grabbed Alex’s arm and linked it in hers as they walked down the grass toward the lake.
“What do you mean?” Alex asked, attempting to sound casual. Judging by the look on Hazel’s face, he hadn’t succeeded.
“You hardly made eye contact with me over brunch, let alone said two words to me, and you’ve been doing that horrible nervous laugh you do when you’re hiding something.”
Shit. He thought he’d done a better job of acting normal. It wasn’t as though he thought anyone was actually paying attention to him. They were all stuffing their faces with cinnamon pecan french toast and raving about how good it was.
“I want to know whatever’s going on before I get on that plane tonight.” Hazel pouted up at him. “You wouldn’t want me to spend my honeymoon obsessing over whatever it is you’re hiding from me, would you?”
God, she was good. Not only at picking up his mood, but also guilt tripping him into telling her. He snagged a weeping willow tendril between his fingers, playing with it. There was nothing for it. Hazel was like a terrier when she wanted to know something. She wouldn’t let the matter drop until Alex told her. It was better to get it over with.
“I may have slept with Hank last night,” he blurted out.
Hazel’s eyebrows shot up and she barked out a laugh, one hand on her chest. “You slept with Hank last night?”
“You don’t have to repeat it, you know.”
“Sorry, I just… I’m remembering a certain conversation we had yesterday where I told you Hank was into you and you assured me, assured me, he was not. ‘There’s no way in hell,’ you said. ‘He’s super straight.’”
“Yeah, well, he isn’t as straight as I thought.” Alex rubbed the back of his neck and looked over at the swans on the lake. He’d gotten so many things wrong about Hank. “It’s not a big deal. Don’t go blowing it out of proportion.”
“Excuse me?” Hazel took a step back and glanced between Alex and the inn. “It’s kind of a big deal, Alex! Was it… you know… good?”
Alex’s lips twitched in a half-smile. Hazel was the one person he always felt comfortable talking to about his trysts. That was just part of their relationship. But for some reason, he felt almost shy talking about Hank, as though it were some secret to be closely guarded.
“A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell,” he said.
Hazel scoffed. “Good thing you’re not a gentleman. I need details. Was it weird? I mean, you two have a history together. How did you even know he was gay or bi or whatever he identifies as? You were so certain—”
“His boyfriend showed up last night.” Maybe a touch dramatic, and a bit of an exaggeration, but Alex was nothing if not a good storyteller. He knew how to keep Hazel wanting more.
“His what? This just keeps getting better and better. So, what? You slept with him and his boyfriend? Or are you the other man now?” She frowned, concern showing in her eyes. “I mean, I’m not going to judge you. You’re my best friend. But you were so hurt after Grant, I wouldn’t think you’d want to be in that position.”
“Well, not really his boyfriend. But some friends with benefits type situation. Hank said it was over before the guy showed up, but anyway, that’s how I found out he was gay.”
“Good.” Hazel leaned against the willow, staring out onto the lake. “You know I wanted to kick you, right?”
“Sorry,” Alex said unapologetically. “You really should have seen your face!”
Hazel laughed. “So, what does this mean now? And no more skimping on the details. I need to know!”
Alex closed his eyes, flashes of the night before coming back to him. His head had been swimming with scotch, but he was sober enough to feel every little sensation—Hank on top of him, fingers pushing into him, his nails scraping the hard planes of Hank’s back. But there was more than that. Hank treated him almost… reverently.
“It was different. In a good way,” he added quickly. “More intimate than any other drunken hook up I’ve ever had before. I don’t know if it means anything, though. I mean, what could it mean? My life is a mess right now, and Hank’s got his own shit going on.”
“But you like him?” The softness of Hazel’s voice was unnerving.
He shrugged. There were things he couldn’t admit to himself right now, let alone anyone else. Even if that person was Hazel. His thoughts scattered like jacks on the floor. The heartache from his break-up with Grant was still fresh. Wasn’t it? How could he go from being almost married to being in love with his high school bully only four months later? Only, Hank hadn’t been his high school bully. He’d been pining from a distance. Alex rubbed at his eyes, trying to make sense of everything.
“Oh my God, you really do like him.” At least Hazel had the good sense not to sound like she was gloating.
“I don’t know, Haze. I thought I had him pinned down, but turns out, everything I thought about him was wrong,” Alex said. “All these years, I thought him being around all the time was his way of intimidating me. That wasn’t it at all. He had a crush on me and thought I was better than him.”
“Huh.” Hazel pursed her lips, looking pensive. “Listen, you know I just want you to be happy, right? But I think you should be cautious about this whole thing. I’m not saying Hank is bad news or anything. He’s been nothing but lovely and amazing during the whole wedding, and he fixed up the lake house perfectly for me and Aaron, but, like… what’s his deal? He just quit football and moved back here?”
“He… it…” Alex scrambled to answer but came up short. There was still so much he didn’t know about Hank.
“I just don’t want you getting hurt, hun. He’s nice, but he has his secrets, and we both know that’s not healthy.”
Alex knew exactly what she was getting at. He’d been foolishly smitten with Grant from day one, despite not knowing what he did when Alex wasn’t around. Grant had led a double life, while Alex had stupidly waited up for him each and every night to come home from work. Worse yet, he’d thought Grant was happy, at least for the most part. Pain lodged somewhere in his sternum like a blade.
Hazel was right. He had no idea what the hell Hank’s deal was, except that Hank was hiding things. Alex was under no illusion that Hank owed him any explanations. They hadn’t even established what last night meant. But he couldn’t let himself get caught up with another man who wasn’t open and honest with him. Everything about Hank seemed too good to be true, and in cases like that, it usually was.
“I know you’re worried about me, but I’ll be okay. I’m a big boy.” Hazel raised an eyebrow. “Most of the time. I won’t let anyone take advantage of me again. Anyway, enough about my post-wedding night.”
“But I don’t like talking about me!” Hazel protested.
“You’re the one who just got married. All I did was hook up with a hot-as-hell former wide receiver.” He dropped his teasing expression. “But seriously, how does it feel being Mrs. Aaron Regan?”
One look told Alex everything. She was practically glowing. As much as Hazel tried to downplay her happiness, it was clear this was the happiest she’d ever been. While her friends and her job as a social media consultant were important, she’d always wanted this—to settle down, marry, and start a family of her own. It didn’t hurt that Aaron was basically Mr. Perfect. If he were just some hot rich guy, Alex wouldn’t have been so keen to let him date Hazel. But he made her laugh and he always tipped at least twenty percent, which said more about him than he probably realized. Now, Hazel had everything she ever wanted, and Alex couldn’t be happier for her.
Unless, of course, he could stop being so damn jealous of her. This wasn’t like him. He and Hazel had been through everything together—boyfriends, breakups, career changes, moving to New York—and he had never once begrudged her anything. Not even when she’d been brought in to work with Michael Kors and walked away with a sizeable pay check and tons of free clothes. She had everything she’d worked for. The career, the life, and now the husband, complete with a baby on the way. And Alex was back at step one, trying to figure out where he was supposed to go from here.
“You’ll find someone, Al,” Hazel said, nudging him. “Even if it isn’t Mr. Muscles in there. You’ll find your person.”
Alex leaned over and rested his head on her shoulder. “What am I gonna do without you?”
“Without me? Babe, I’m not going anywhere.”
He scoffed. “You’re jetting off to Florence for three weeks, and then you’re gonna go back to New York City and be busy with a baby. Your family comes first.”
“You are my family, Alex. I’m always going to be a phone call away. You know that. Hazel and Alex, the dynamic duo.”
“Something tells me your husband might have something to say about that,” Alex said flatly.
Hazel took his hand, squeezing gently. “Listen to me. Actually, listen to what I’m saying instead of sulking.” Alex rolled his eyes, but she had a point. “Just because I’m married and I’m going to be a mom doesn’t mean I love you any less. Are there going to be times I can’t be there for you like I want to be? Yes. Am I going to hate it? Absolutely. Are you going to be the godfather to my child? You bet your ass. Understood?”
After a moment, Alex nodded. “I’m just not used to sharing you with anyone. Who else is gonna call me out on my shit like this?”
“Oh, believe me,” Hazel said with a broad smile, “there are plenty of people who would love to call you out on your shit.”
“Yeah, but I don’t like them near as much as I like you. And besides, I don’t exactly think my mom or Taylor would appreciate it too much if I filled them in on all the details of my love life.”
“So help me, Alex Haynes, if you think for a moment you can stop sharing that with me, I will fly back from Florence and beat you.” Her words were serious, but laughter sparked in her eyes.
“Look at you. Already got the mom voice down and everything.”
“I’m not kidding! I want to know every detail. I hope…” She pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “I hope he’s everything you want him to be. You deserve it after Grant. You deserve the big fairytale wedding and the happily ever after just as much as I do.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Alex said. “I mean, I only slept with him once. I don’t even know what any of it means. Hell, I don’t even know if he wants to do it again.”
He hadn’t given much thought to that possibility, since it was the one he liked the least. It had been difficult to discern Hank’s feelings, though, since he’d been busy preparing brunch. Alex had expected him to join them, but he stayed in the kitchen. His stomach rolled. What if Hank didn’t want to keep doing this? What if he thought it was a mistake? He hadn’t acted like it this morning, but Alex had been really hungover, so he hadn’t paid much attention.
“I think the first thing you guys need to do is sit down and have an actual, sober conversation about what you want,” Hazel said. “You know, one that isn’t fueled by lust and ridiculously expensive bourbon.”
“It was scotch, thank you very much. But—and you know I hate saying this, so I’m only gonna say it once—you’re right. We’ll talk. Soon.”
But a tiny voice inside of him wondered if maybe it wasn’t better to let the entire matter drop. If Hank wanted to keep this going, he would say so.
Sixteen
Hank
In the weeks following the wedding, The Lakeside’s phone had been ringing off the hook. He’d gotten so swamped with guest reservations and lunch and dinner drop-ins that he’d had to hire Rhiannon on full time. Even with both of them working practically around the clock, it wasn’t enough. He needed more staff to meet the new-found demand.
He hadn’t even started answering the dozens of email requests enquiring about The Lakeside as a wedding venue. Hazel’s wedding was the first The Lakeside had hosted since Hank took over. He wasn’t sure how they were going to keep up with demand. The influx of interest could only be due to the feature in Weddings Quarterly. It had been huge and incredibly well received. Rhiannon had brought in an issue and the feature hung framed in the entrance hall.
Perhaps the only downside to the increase in business was that it left little time to see Alex. He’d dropped by every now and again for lunch—or more importantly, coffee—but they hadn’t discussed what had happened the night of the wedding. A few times, Hank had started to mention it then wondered if it was best he let it lie. Alex was more distant than he had been before the wedding, or at least it felt that way. They made small talk over sandwiches, but never anything more.
That was going to change today. He sent a quick text off, asking Alex to stop by the inn for lunch. What he didn’t mention was that he had a proposal for him. When Hank had first reconnected with him, Alex said he’d sworn off wedding planning with the exception of Hazel’s wedding. But if The Lakeside was to be the wedding venue of the year for city dwellers who wanted a charming experience, Hank needed help. He knew nothing about weddings, and Alex had been one of the best planners in the business.
Of course, his reasoning wasn’t entirely business-related. Having Alex close would give them a chance to get to know each other better, and very possibly repeat what had happened the night of Hazel’s wedding. Alex was very nearly in reach, and there was no way Hank was going to let him go a second time. Not when he’d spent most of his high school years pining for him.
“We’re all out of pillow chocolates,” Rhiannon announced, breezing into the kitchen. “What else do we need? I’m gonna make a run to the store.”
“Hang on. I’ve got a list somewhere.” Reluctantly, he pulled his thoughts away from Alex and scanned the kitchen counter for the piece of paper. “Here. This should do it.”
“I think we need to start stocking almond milk, too,” Rhiannon said. “More than one guest has requested it for their coffee. And a couple wanted soy, too.”
“Guess I didn’t know you could milk almonds and soy beans.”
Rhiannon laughed. “Apparently, you can turn anything into milk these days.”
“Right. Start with almond milk. And whatever else you think these city folks are into.” He scrubbed a hand across his face. “God, this is terrible. I can’t shake the feeling I’m doing everything wrong.”
“You’re not,” she said firmly. “You’re doing great. This is a learning process, and we’re just gonna have to get used to doing things a little differently. Like stocking some gluten free bread.”
Hank’s phone vibrated on the counter, and he picked it up to see a text from Alex. One hour and he’d finally see him again—the first time in almost a week.
“Who is she?” Rhiannon asked.
Belatedly, Hank realized he was smiling like an idiot. He quickly rearranged
his expression to something more neutral. “Who?”
“Don’t give me that shit. ‘Who?’ What are you, an owl? The girl you’re seeing.” She playfully punched his arm. “You don’t smile like that for any of our guests. Or me, for that matter. You’ve been walking around for weeks stealing glances at your phone. Someone’s on your mind, and don’t even think about denying it.”
He didn’t want to deny it. If there was one person Hank wanted to tell everything to, it was Rhiannon. She was the closest thing he had to a friend in this town aside from Alex. It wasn’t as though he was ashamed to tell her he was gay, but he still couldn’t bring himself to correct her misconception. If he did, she would reach the natural conclusion that he was pining for Alex. After all, there wasn’t an abundance of gay guys in Redwood.
“It’s just the beginning of something,” he said. “If it becomes a real thing, you’ll be the first to know.”
As much as he wanted to ask for advice, he resisted. This thing he had with Alex was too fragile, like a butterfly in a cocoon.
“I knew it!” She rolled her eyes at his expression. “Okay, okay. I’ll lay off for now. Even if I’m dying to know. Seriously, the gossip in this town is so dry right now. You’re all I’ve got.”
“You’ll survive a couple more weeks. Or months.” If he waited for Alex to make the first move, it would definitely be months.
“Oh, so she’s playing hard to get? That sounds like Mira Williams…”
“Get to the store already!” He swatted at Rhiannon with a towel, and she sidestepped it with a yelp.
“That isn’t a no!” she said, grabbing her purse and the list. Pausing at the door, she turned back to him, looking pensive. “Nell Browning?”
“Wh—no, Rhi. Get out of here!”
Grumbling under her breath, she walked out, rattling off names of all the single women she knew in Redwood. It was going to drive her mad not knowing who the mystery person was, but that was her problem. Hank’s problem was how to convince Alex of two things. One, to talk about what had happened the night of the wedding, and two, to consider the possibility of going into business with him. He pushed away from the bar and walked over to the pantry, grabbing everything he needed to make a quiche and crunchy herb salad for lunch.