“Yeah, that’s why we’re here,” Brennan said. “We’re checking it out.”
“Playing detective, eh?” Travis crooned. “Reminds me of Nellie when she was your age.”
Cole came from across the clearing and cooed at the dog, immediately dropping next to Brennan to pet her. Brennan tensed, unsure if Rosie would be as calm and sweet around a human, but she preened under Cole’s attention and offered him a polite sniff.
“My goodness!” Cole’s Southern lilt was dialed up to a ten. “And who might this be?”
Brennan cleared his throat. “The dog is Rosie,” he said. “And, uh.”
Travis was bare-chested under a pair of denim overalls and a heavy, worn parka. His blond mess of dreadlock-adjacent tendrils poked out from under a cowboy hat. He looked unhinged. Brennan wanted to melt into the ground to avoid having to make this introduction, but despite his best efforts, he remained solid, and had to deal with the consequences.
“Uh, this is Travis, I think I’ve mentioned him,” Brennan said, rubbing at the back of his neck. “And, Travis, this is Cole. My, uh. Boyfriend.”
His face was burning. If Cole was to be believed, he was bright blue.
“Ah, young love,” Travis said. “There’s nothing like it. Nice to meet ya!”
He offered a fist bump in lieu of a handshake. Brennan glanced at Cole, worried he might have noticed Travis casually dropping the L-word as if this thing wasn’tnewand fuckingfragile,but Cole was wide-eyed and delighted, attention completely on Travis.
“Yeah, you, too,” Cole said, starstruck. “You’re really thousands of years old?”
Travis took it in stride, easy grin never wavering. “That I am! And you’re really just, what, eighteen?”
“Twenty,” Cole corrected.
“Not bad,” Travis said. “When I was a kid, living past eighteen was an achievement.”
Brennan forced a laugh. “Haha, yeah, anyway,” Brennan said, “we should really get back to our thing, but thanks for checking in.”
There wasn’t really anything left to do—he’d been about to give up either way. But the strange, weird sadness of Travis felt like something that should be kept far away from the warmth that was Cole.
“Oh, well, whenever you guys finish up your investigation, you should come on down and join me for some tea! I have a kettle on, joints rolled—”
“Oh, I don’t know—” Brennan started.
“That sounds amazing,” Cole was saying. “It’s kind of a long hike.”
As if Brennan hadn’t carried him on his back up the hill.
“Maybe let’s do a rain check on that?” Brennan said, voice going higher-pitched. He tried to catch Cole’s eye to convey some sort of message, but Cole was all eyes on Travis.
Brennan wasn’t jealous because that would be ridiculous. However, Travisdidcrash what they had established was a date, so if hewerejealous, which hewasn’t,it would be justified.
“Alright, alright, at least sit with me for a bit?” Travis said. “I get lonely out here, it’s rare I see a friendly face.”
And that was kind of pathetic. Brennan deflated. Was it Dom who had said Travis didn’t leave the woods? Which could be helpful, actually. He lived near here, and he’d been friends with Dom. He couldknow something—but it might be difficult to get a straight answer out of him.
“Okay, we’ll rest for a little bit,” Brennan said.
Travis cheered and went to the firepit at the center of the clearing, a sad pile of rain-damp wood. He waved his hands and, in a crackling burst of light, started a roaring fire.
“Cool,” Cole breathed.
“Oi, I like that enthusiasm! This is a good one, little Brennan.”
For the record, Brennan resented that.
They settled around the fire, Travis cross-legged on the ground, Cole in the lawn chair, Brennan between them sitting on the cooler. Rosie circled them, stopping to sniff at each of them in turn before resuming her pacing.
