Page 148 of Resting Beach Face
“Ah, well, the greenhouse allows me to control the conditions so much more,” I said, brushing aside the compliments. “And Mimsy’s help getting set up out there has been invaluable.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” Judy said as she picked out cucumbers, squash, and onion. “Hudson’s told me how hard you work out there, and it shows.”
“I love it,” I said simply.
That was an understatement. Since devoting my life to the greenhouse, gardens, and landscaping at the B&B—while Cash covered the hosting responsibilities—I’d found a fulfillment I didn’t know possible.
I was living my dream—a life I couldn’t even conceptualize until Cash came along with his limitless fount of optimism. He’d changed everything for me.
Beside her, Ansel tugged at the bill of his Weekend Hookers hat, clearly impatient. “Will you stop fondling the man’s fruit?”
Judy slanted an unimpressed glance his way. “Really, Ansel?”
“What?”
“Do you evenlistento the words coming out of your mouth?”
While they bickered, I boxed up Judy’s selections, then checked the time. I only sold for a few hours in the morning. I had no desire to stand out in the summer heat all day. Folks had learned to stop by early if they didn’t want to miss out.
“Tell Hudson to call his mother when you see him,” Judy said as she put the box of produce into Ansel’s arms, the old man grumbling about lugging it all the way home. “We’re overdue for our family dinner, and these romas will be perfect for my pasta sauce.”
“I’ll tell him tonight. We’re meeting up with some other friends.”
Judy smiled. “Good. I’m glad to see you coming out of that shell of yours. Cash has been good for you.”
“Yes, he has.”
I’d never be an extrovert or have a flair for small talk, but when I’d chosen to stay in Swallow Cove—when I’d acknowledged the true connections I had made here—I’d finally embraced it as my home.
Nate’s betrayal still stung. It had come out in court that he’d been in debt up to his eyeballs, but I couldn’t find it in myself to forgive him. Maybe because deep down I knew he hadn’t been a true friend, not like the ones I’d made here.
I cleared out a few minutes after Judy. She’d bought nearly all my remaining produce, anyway. I gave the two leftovertomatoes to Pearl and one carton of strawberries to Ruth Marie, so she wouldn’t feel left out. The women were competitive, and I didn’t want to give them any more reason to snipe at each other. Then I drove Cash’s battered pickup—a purchase from Gray when he left town—back to the B&B. My aunt’s antique Ford was tucked away in the garage, reserved for date nights and other special occasions.
The property looked better than it had since my teenage years spent with my aunt, when I’d needed to escape the reality of being the only gay boy in a conservative school. Swallow Cove wasn’tliberal, by any means, but it was a fresh start where I could share—or not share—what I wanted of myself.
That was probably when I’d started holding parts of myself back. The failed relationships over the years, guys who couldn’t accept me for who I really was, added to it. By the time I took over the B&B in Swallow Cove, I was closed up tighter than Fort Knox.
Sometimes Monroe and I speculated about why Aunt Millie gave me the B&B instead of dividing it amongst us. Monroe had her own business and roots where she lived, of course. But we figured it went deeper than that.
Millie knew this place was my special retreat.
Maybe she’d hoped I’d open up over breakfasts with guests—or maybe she’d just given it to me so I’d have a place to hide away when I needed. Either way, I was damn glad she’d inspired me to leave my job in the city and try something new.
And now I could look out over the grounds and feel closer to her than ever, replaying the memory of her showing me her plans for the B&B just as soon as she found the money.
“A greenhouse, Declan. Wouldn’t that be lovely?” she’d said. “We could have fresh vegetables and fruits year-round. And imagine if we expanded the balcony outside the TreehouseSuite? The Roost needs a modern kitchen and bathroom, maybe with one of those jacuzzi tubs…”
We’d put one of those in, and Cash and I had enjoyed the hell out of it. For me, sharing baths and showers was just as intimate as sex. I loved feeling close to Cash. That was the most important thing. Occasionally, our dicks got involved, and that was good too.
It was Cash’s heart that attracted me most, though, and it always would be.
I parked the truck and headed into the main house through the kitchen door. A clamor of voices trailed out from the great room. I headed that way, easily separating Cash’s voice from the other two.
“The Rusty Pub is a local favorite, so don’t tell anyone I told you or I’ll be in trouble,” Cash said, a playful lilt to his voice. “I’ll be there tonight with some friends, actually. It’s a low-key place to get a good beer. The Swallow’s Nest Resort has some fine dining that’s great. The Savory Swallow is where a lot of folks go for fancier cuisine, but it’s a bit snooty and overpriced.”
“We’re not really in the mood for fancy, are we, Tru?”
“Nah. We didn’t visit a lake town for that.”
