Page 11 of Sugared

Fortunately, Leland laughed. Ean loved the sound.

“Yes,” Leland said, rolling his eyes comically. “We have to be grown-ups and talk about ways to fix your situation. Like finding you a place to live, for example.”

Every drop of playfulness Ean had vanished. Leland wanted to get rid of him already. Of course, it was way too much to ask if he could just stay where he was, living with Leland at Hawthorne House, so that he could have someone he trusted to take care of him.

As if Leland could read his thoughts, he said, “You don’t have to go anywhere for now. There’s more than enough room at Hawthorne House for anyone who needs to stay here. I’m sure if I talk to Robert Hawthorne, he’d be okay with you staying with me until we can get something else sorted.”

“Okay,” Ean said, managing a tentative smile.

“Besides, you’re such a natural in the kitchen and I’ve got this Valentine’s Day supper coming,” he went on. “I need someone to take over making the cakes and desserts. I bet you’re a natural at baking, sugar.”

Ean’s face flushed so hot that he thought it might burn off. That might just have been the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him. “I’ll do my best,” he said.

“I’m certain you will,” Leland said. He reached out and brushed a hand over Ean’s blazing-hot cheek. He spent a moment thinking, then nodded and said, “Tomorrow, you can sit in on all my cooking and baking classes. I’ll make sure you have all the skills you need to help with everything this weekend. Who knows? You might even pick up enough skills to get a job in a kitchen somewhere.”

“But I can’t read when I’m under a lot of stress,” Ean said, his shoulders sinking. “Aren’t kitchens stressful?”

Leland shrugged. “Depending on the job. You might not need to read, depending on what you’re doing. Most of the chefs I’ve worked with want people with talent who can listen to instructions and work hard.”

“I can do those things,” Ean said.

“Which is why I think working in a restaurant would be a perfect job for you.”

Ean continued to falter. “I don’t know how to get a job like that. I don’t have anywhere to stay in the meantime. It’s so hard to get started when you’ve got absolutely nothing at all.”

“But you don’t have nothing,” Leland said, squeezing his hand. When Ean glanced up at him doubtfully, he said, “You have me.”

Ean’s heart nearly burst with affection and with longing. Leland was his hero in so many ways. He was so overcome with gratitude that he threw himself forward, hugging Leland hard and hiding his face against the crook of his neck.

“It’s okay, sugar,” Leland said, hugging him back and rubbing his back. “If you can’t go it alone, then I’ll stand beside you. If you’ll let me, I’ll take care of you. At least until you feel like you’re ready to take care of yourself.”

Ean nearly burst into tears again. Leland was so much more than he ever could have asked for. He might have had a losing lottery ticket, but he was starting to feel like he’d won the best prize of all.

FIVE

Romance was definitelyin the air over the next few days at Hawthorne House. Several of the art classes were busy with projects that involved hearts or flowers, and Robbie even had his children’s class sculpting Cupids out of clay. Robbie also had flowers delivered for Toby on Valentine’s Day itself, Rhys Hawthorne had a giant balloon bouquet sent to his beau, Early, and in the morning of Valentine’s Day, Robert Hawthorne showed up in the kitchen asking if Leland could make a giant biscuit heart iced with the words “I love you, Janice” for his wife.

“I’m not sure if we have time,” Leland confessed to him, glancing around the kitchen.

Everything they would need to prepare for the feast that night was already laid out on every spare bit of counter, and some of the soups and sauces and things that could be prepared in advance were already bubbling on the hob. And that was without taking the day’s classes into consideration.

“I could do it,” Ean offered, stepping forward and glancing between Leland and Robert with a bright, hopeful look.

Robert smiled. Leland had introduced him to Ean the day before and quietly explained his story. Robert, being the old hippie and free spirit he was, had accepted Ean into the protection of Hawthorne House immediately.

“I’m sure you’ll do a bang-up job, young man,” Robert said, clapping a hand on Ean’s shoulder.

That decided that. Leland would have asked if Ean felt up to the task or if he minded working on something like that for free, but there wasn’t time for questions. As soon as Robert left, the two of them got to work.

Leland watched Ean with a careful eye as he got out the right bowls and baking sheets for the biscuit and as he fetched basic ingredients from the pantry and fridge. I couldn’t keep the smile off his face. The last few days had been filled with romance for more people than just the Hawthorne family.

Even though he reminded himself on an almost hourly basis that Ean was a vulnerable young man who didn’t need his older brother’s former best friend crowding in and flirting with him, Leland couldn’t help but enjoy Ean’s company. In a way, it was like all the years they’d spent apart had never happened and like Ean had been Leland’s best friend instead of Davie.

Ean was so sweet that the decidedly American nickname “sugar” just popped out of Leland when the two of them were knocking around his flat together. And sometimes in public, which had led to a few interesting looks from some of the Hawthornes. After those first heart-stopping moments where Ean had offered sex as a thank-you for Leland’s help, Ean had found other ways to be incredibly helpful and gracious.

Several times in the last few days Ean had mentioned something about finding his feet and getting out of Leland’s hair, but Leland definitely wasn’t in a hurry. He liked having Ean around. He liked seeing Ean’s smile and hearing his off-key singing when he didn’t think anyone was listening. If he was honest, he liked the moments when the two of them sat on the couch in the evening, when Ean turned sleepy and droopy and leaned against him.

When it came down to it, Leland wanted Ean.

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