Fresh Start: A Small Town Gay Romance (Cedarwood Beach Book 1)

by Rhys Everly

“I was embarrassed, okay? I’m like a walking and breathing cliché. I met this guy online, and we started chatting. Then, after a while, we met up, and it was like I met the man of my dreams. He promised me the moon and the stars. He wanted to help me expand and take up the warehouse next door to run as a restaurant and convert the top floor into more rooms.

  “He was an entrepreneur, you see. He wanted to help me with the expansion so that we could make more money to get married and buy our very own house. So then he proposed to me, and stupid me said yes, of course. Because, why wouldn’t I? God, I’m such an idiot,” she said and slapped her forehead. Her shoulders dropped.

  I put her hand down and wiped the tears away with my thumb.

  “You’re not. You were just a girl in love. We all do silly things when we’re in love,” I said.

  Melody snorted and wiped the rest of her face. Her eyes were red, and the bags under her eyes were heavy.

  “Is that why you’ve been working yourself to the ground? I haven’t seen you go home at all.”

  “Well,” she said. “When that asshole walked away with my money, he took away all my salaries too. I can only afford help during breakfast and this part-time student who cleans the rooms some days. I’ve gone into so much debt I can’t pay anyone, so how can I take any time off?”

  It hurt that my sister wouldn’t tell me any of this. That none of my family thought to tell me. Not just about Mel, but about the rest of them too. How couldn’t anyone tell me about Charlie’s accident and Andy’s mental state? Why hadn’t anyone told me about dad losing all his shares?

  Maybe I considered myself unlucky, but it seemed that my family had also suffered from the same dumb jinx I did.

  “Mel, sweetheart, how much money do you need?” I asked, but Mel shook her head.

  “No, I can’t take your money,” she said.

  “Yes, you can, and you will,” I said.

  She shook her head again, and I took a deep breath not to shout at her.

  “Mel, I’ve got more money than I need, so tell me, how much fucking money will it take to get my sister back?” I said.

  My sister was nothing if not stubborn. It was the Greek blood in her, in us all to be honest, that made us hot-headed. I knew why no one told me anything. They didn’t want to ask for money from the estranged brother. But I wouldn’t have minded. I’d stayed away for my own reasons, but I still loved them. I loved all of them. They were my family.

  I got her to tell me the magic number in the end. She still didn’t want it. But I wrote her a check anyway.

  “Go and get some rest, woman. I expect to have a fully functioning sister when I’m back from my audition,” I said.

  Mel smiled at me and threw her arms around me once more and then fled back to reception. When I looked outside, it was nighttime, and when I checked the clock, it was almost ten.

  Dawson would be back soon, and we could be together again. And have all the sex. God, when did I turn into a horny teenager?

  I waited for him, impatiently checking my phone every two seconds until it flashed with a message.

  “Stuck at my parents. My aunt is telling us another one of her stories. Missin u,” it read, and if I didn’t feel like a schoolboy before, I did now.

  “Missin u too. Hurry back. Tell em ur man is waiting for u,” I texted back.

  His response was a heart emoji.

  Then another one that read: “Oops, mistype. I meant :) lol.”

  “Don’t mess with me, Mr. Eldred. That heart is mine, and I ain’t givin it back.”

  “If u want it, it’s all urs,” he said.

  Was he saying what I thought he was?

  “I want it,” I replied.

  “Love you too,” he messaged, and I had to get out of bed because I had ants in my pants. The night was going to be long.

  Dawson was stuck at his parents the whole night, or so it seemed. When I woke up the next morning, I saw the myriad of messages from Dawson asking me if I was still awake and his last one that read, “Good night, my beautiful Knight. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  His words made me smile even though I was annoyed I’d not heard his messages and fallen asleep instead. To be honest, he’d exhausted me, so I needed the uninterrupted sleep.

  I texted him to meet upstairs for breakfast and jumped in the shower, and when I came out, I had a response from him.

  “I’m so sorry. Parents want to take me to town before their big day. I promised I’d make it up to them for not visiting for so long, so couldn’t say no. I have made arrangements for tonight tho. More details to follow,” his message said.

  He was so apologetic it was making him even cuter, so I messaged to reassure him it was totally fine, and I couldn’t wait for tonight. Besides, I had some making up to do myself.

  I went for breakfast on my own and then headed to the family home where Yaya was already hard at work for a big lunch.

  “What’s all this?” I said.

  “Mel told me what you did and that you’re free, so we’re all having a nice big lunch as a family. And I’m not having no for an answer,” she said. “After you ran out in the middle of my class, you owe me that much.”

  I laughed and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  “Of course, Yaya. I’m sorry. But kudos to you for being so good with yoga. When did you learn to stretch like that?” I asked.

  “What do you mean? I’m a certified yogi. I discovered how therapeutic it was years ago and trained hard to learn everything and get my diploma,” she said.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “Come on. Be serious. If you were a yogi, you’d know the poses’ names,” I said and tried to pick a piece of carrot from the stew she was making, but she slapped my hand away.

  “How rude. Of course I know the names. But do you think all the other seventy-year olds are going to remember Navasana or Row Row Your Boat? I want to make it fun. Not hard work,” she snapped at me.

  “I’m sorry. You’re right. It was fun. I’ll give you that,” I said.

  The kitchen soon filled with the rest of the Karagiannis family, and they all took their seats on the table. Dad was still not back from his work trip and the only seat open at the table was his.

  “Sit your ass down man, we’re starving,” Luke said, and I did as I was told.

  It felt unnatural to be at the head of the table. And Andy gave me a side-eye, but then we all dug in the myriad of foods Yaya had prepared that I hadn’t tried in ages. I was sure she’d made most of them for my benefit, although I knew she loved to cook.

  There was tzatziki and rice-stuffed vine leaves and Greek salad, of course, along with mince-stuffed aubergines and a cheese potato bake that was to die for. The chicken and pepper skewers disappeared as soon as the prayer was done, as were the plates stacked with meat of all kinds. Meatballs, souvlaki, lamb, the whole works.

  It was like I’d never left. Everyone started talking about all sorts of things, and they even involved me. Luke told me about his search for his biological parents and how hard it was proving to track them down, and Summer told us all about her upcoming camp trip and the girl she liked.

  She was sharing so openly, so natural, and my family was accepting of it, and I wished Dawson was here to see what life can be like living openly.

  When we were done, Mel approached me and took me out in the back garden.

  “A Mr. Eldred would like to meet you at eight o'clock tonight," she said. "He will be waiting for you at reception.”

  Eight o'clock felt like light-years from now. I tried to get more information out of her, but she wasn’t forthcoming.

  A little after five, I returned to my room and started going through my things. I didn’t know what to wear. I’d only brought one suit for my meeting, and that was too formal, and everything else was too casual.

  I wanted to be with Dawson again, and I couldn't count the minutes until I set my eyes on him again. And I was dying to know what he’d arranged. Would it be a dinner out in the
nearest town? No, he wouldn’t risk it. Would it be something more intimate? Or maybe dinner at the restaurant upstairs? I didn't know, and it was driving me insane. The rush of adrenaline, the heightened sex drive, the longing. It all made me feel stronger, younger, hornier.

  I caught myself again.

  Was that what I really wanted? Did I want to be bound to Dawson? Was it even an option? I knew I’d love nothing more than being with him and finding out if this thing between us could be anything more, anything bigger, but part of me was scared it was all going to end in disaster again.

  There was no point worrying about things that were out of my control, was there? I tried to push all these thoughts to the back of my head. What I needed to do now was enjoy the rest of my time at home, and maybe before we both took our separate ways at the end of the week, we’d decide what was next in line for us.

  At eight o'clock on the dot, I was standing at reception feeling and looking very confident. I’d chosen a red shirt and a pair of black, tight-fitting jeans, feeling underdressed.

  Mel was standing at reception with a big smile, tapping her fingers on the desk.

  "Are you nervous?" she asked me.

  I turned around and lied. "No, not really.”

  It was only dinner with Dawson. Why was it so scary? Why did it make my legs feel like jelly?

  "This is so exciting," Mel said and rubbed her hands together.

  "What's the time?" I asked.

  Mel looked at her watch and informed me it was five past eight.

  Had Dawson changed his mind? Was he not interested in dinner anymore? Or had he simply lost track of time?

  A girl, the housekeeper that had pushed Dawson in my arms by accident, ran through the door, panting and apologizing profusely.

  “Finally. Now we can begin,” Mel said and came out from the reception desk, and the girl took her place.

  “Begin what?” I asked, but Mel didn’t answer. She took me by the hand and led me down one of the two main doors, the one that led down the seafront.

  A path leading to the beach was covered in rose petals and candles on each side. I turned to Melody with a confused look, and she smirked.

  “Dawson wanted to do something nice for you. But since he is so private with matters of the heart, his options were limited. I decided to give him a little hand."

  We walked past a row of palm trees, and she took me toward a symphony of candles of all shapes, colors, and sizes illuminating around a square table, clothed in white, in the middle of the beach. On the table lay a single red rose. Cutlery for a full three-course meal and small sharing plates were placed on either side.

  Dawson was standing next to the table, looking dashing as always in a pair of blue jeans and a loose, white shirt. He flashed me his million-dollar smile and extended his hand so I could take it.

  Dawson thanked Melody for bringing me down, and with a gentle nod, she stepped aside. He helped me to one of the chairs and then took the empty one opposite me.

  “What is all this?" I asked.

  Of all the things I’d imagined, I’d never thought this was going to be our dinner tonight.

  I’d always wanted to be romanced and have someone to sweep me off my feet and practice the art of flirting on me. But I’d never had a date or a boyfriend who were into any of this. So I’d managed to convince myself that I didn't care for it. I’d accepted the fact that I was almost forty and that romance was nonsense for younger people.

  Now that I was in the middle of the most romantic setting ever, I realized I was still a hopeless romantic.

  "I wanted something special," Dawson said.

  I smiled, and Dawson reached out for my hand.

  "You look so handsome," he said.

  "You don't look so bad yourself." I grinned.

  "Are you thirsty? Would you like a drink?" Dawson asked, and Mel stepped forward with a small table jammed with drinks that she set on the sand next to us.

  “What would the gentlemen like?” Melody said in a gentle, sensual voice, and it made me want to stick my tongue out.

  Bitch. She’d been in on all of this, and she hadn’t said a word. How was I going to get back at her?

  "Would you like to try my new cocktail? It's completely virgin, unlike any one of us." She chuckled.

  I laughed out loud, louder than warranted for her joke, and turned to look at Dawson, who was sniggering.

  "Sure, why not?" I said, and Dawson ordered one for himself.

  Mel got to work mixing and shaking ingredients that I didn't want or care to know what they were. But she was doing it with such professionalism I didn’t know where she got it.

  “What? I worked for Andy for a while. Your sis knows how to make cocktails,” she commented while she was pouring the mix in glasses.

  "I can't believe you managed to set this up in such a short time," I said, turning from Mel to Dawson.

  “Two brains are better than one,” Dawson said and exchanged glances with Melody.

  She set down two long glasses that were full to the brim with a blue drink, almost as shiny as Dawson's eyes, and we both tried it.

  "This is fabulous," I said, more for my sister’s benefit than anything. It was a great mocktail, but the grumble in my stomach made me eager for the next part of the night. "So, what's on the menu?"

  Mel put her finger up with a pleased smile on her face.

  "Of course," she said and turned around to retrieve the menus from her cart. "I'll leave you two boys to decide for a couple of minutes. I'll be here if you need me."

  She walked away leaving us time to decide.

  "She's…excessive tonight, isn't she?" I commented.

  Dawson laughed. "I think she's excited to be hosting our dinner. What do you think?”

  “She is nosy,” I said. “And she loves a good romance.”

  Dawson’s naughty smile returned, and I had to fight with myself not to get a boner on the beach. So I distracted myself by looking at the menu. There were three starters and mains to choose from and five desserts, and they all sounded better than the other. It was hard to choose.

  Mel returned a few moments later, and we gave her our order. She told me she got the chefs back in for the evening especially for us, and the persistent stare she gave me after told me this was one of her many ways to thank me for the help I’d given her.

  Once we were done with dessert—a chocolate lava cake that was both hot and sweet and just the right thing to make me feel playful—Dawson got up and took my hand.

  "Would you care to join me in my room?" he asked.

  I decided right then what his date felt like. A movie. I was in a romantic comedy and the director would shout cut at any point. Taking Dawson's hand, we walked together back to the guest house.

  “I was wondering,” he said as we approached his door.

  “Wondering what?” I asked.

  “It’s my parents’ anniversary tomorrow. Would you like to be my plus one?” he said. “Of course, they don’t know about me yet, so it would just be as a friend, but I’d love to have you there.”

  I didn’t care that he wanted me to pretend we were friends. He had said the magic word. Yet. Which meant he was contemplating coming out. At least to his parents.

  “I’d love to be your plus one,” I said.

  Seventeen

  Dawson

  I couldn’t believe my luck. Waking up next to the handsomest creature on the planet was the stuff of dreams. Being so alone for years, I’d given up on the hope of ever finding someone I could actually spend a lifetime with.

  Because that’s what I wanted. A lifetime with Leo in my arms and by my side.

  Taking him to my parents’ anniversary party wasn’t a decision I’d taken lightly. After spending the whole evening and the day after with them, I was certain they’d be accepting of me. Even if the mere thought of coming out to them scared me to pieces.

  But even if I took that big step, I wouldn’t, couldn’t do it while the rest of the famil
y was there. But as long as they met him, even under the guise of a friend, then it would make things so much easier when I got around to it.

  I really had worn him out. It was almost ten, and he still hadn’t roused. Not that I could complain. Watching him sleep and imagining a lifetime of this gave me breath. One I hadn’t had in forever.

  Without thinking, I picked up my phone and opened the camera, snuggling up next to him. As I was going through the pictures, I felt such a need to share them with my followers. Didn’t they deserve to know the man who was making me so happy?

  In a way, they did, but also, of course, they didn’t. It was my life. And if my secret came out, then my career might be over.

  I deleted them all before I could regret the action. The last thing I needed right now was someone hacking my cloud storage and leaking Leo’s pictures online.

  No. I couldn’t stand another career-related thing to get in the way of us. Was there even an “us?” I wanted there to be, but would Leo even accept having me when I was still so deep in the closet that the cobwebs had taken a permanent position in there with me? He couldn't exactly un-come out. It didn’t work that way, and even if it did, I would never ask him to do something like that.

  Would it be so terrible if I revealed who I truly was? Was it worth losing Leo over it?

  It certainly wasn’t. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so alive before now. And it was all Leo. I couldn’t lose him. Not again.

  He shuffled under the covers, and with a little stretch and a yawn, he opened his eyes and looked at me.

  “Man, I’d say it’s creepy you’re watching me sleep, but I did it to you, so I guess it’s only fair,” he said.

  “Or we’re both creeps,” I suggested.

  “Oh yeah. We’ve established that already. What’s the time?”

  I caressed his bare chest and slid my hand down to his abdomen, tracing my fingers around his stomach.

  “It’s only half past ten,” I said and leaned in for a kiss.

  At that moment, Leo lifted his head, and it bashed against my teeth, making us both cry out.

  “Jesus. What did you give me?” he said. “I can’t open my eyes.”