Page 13 of Holding On to a Hero
I cleared my throat. “It will be a challenge for me, so I’m probably going to have to ease into it. I’ve got some projects I have to finish anyway, and we have to draw up the paperwork so Brian can get compensated fairly.”
Cole couldn’t stop smiling. “I can’t wait! Brian wins the Brother of the Year award for sure. It’s going to be so wonderful having you at the ranch more. Arturo will think so too.” Cole chuckled. “He lets me help him with the handyman stuff but I can tell he thinks you’re more competent.”
“Arturo is our ranch manager,” I told Will. “Right now he’s mostly working on building the stables and paddocks, but eventually he’ll also manage the care of the animals. And, Cole, you are perfectly competent at the handyman stuff.”
Cole sniffed, “I know I am. I’m just saying that Arturo thinks I’m just the pretty face and you’re the one in charge.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure he’s figured out who signs his paychecks.”
Will asked, “Does Arturo know…about you two?”
Cole said, “He does. He’s under an NDA though, so he can’t tell anyone even if he wanted to. And despite my complaints about him not taking me seriously when I’m holding a hammer, he’s been really great to work with and have around. He’s excited about helping the animals too.”
I nodded. “We were really lucky to find him. He’d just moved here from Arizona to be near his family.”
“Wow, that’s great you found someone you can trust.”
“You have no idea.” Cole wasn’t kidding. His fame brought out the worst in a lot of people we ran into. But things were changing as we settled into our new life here. Looking across the table at Will, I wondered if even more was about to change. And whether Cole and I were ready for it.
Chapter Nine
Will
I could barely remember the drive back to my sister’s house. She lived in a large three-bedroom in Tarrytown, west of Mopac and the UT campus. Cole and Jason’s ranch was in Bent Oak, much further west, outside of Austin between Lakeway to the north and Dripping Springs to the south. On a good traffic day, which Austin rarely had, I could get home in a little over thirty minutes. I had no idea how long it had taken me today, and it wasn’t due to any remaining alcohol in my system.
I couldn’t quite figure Cole and Jason out. It was obvious they had a committed relationship, but they both seemed really interested in me, and not just in a friendly way. Cole had definitely been flirting, mostly before Jason got home, though. But he definitely liked that I’d been staring at Jason’s ass in the kitchen. And then Cole had hugged me goodbye but Jason – Jason’s hug had lasted a long, long time. I could still feel his entire body, chest to thighs, pressed against me. I could now vouch for Cole’s assertions about Jason’s cock size. He hadn’t been hard, but he’d beennoticeable.
I hadn’t had that much body-to-body contact with another man in over a year, hookups or not, and my dick was very, very interested in reliving that hug over and over again.
But what did it all mean? If it meant anything at all, of course. I wasn’t into cheating, but if they were poly, well, that was a different story. Though I was probably reading more into it than it was. Because they were big city, Hollywood people and I was a nobody. Nobodies didn’t get flirted with by ex-Hollywood actors and their super-hot muscle men.
But I didn’t think I was imagining things. Flirting had happened. Flirting withme.A nobody.
Was this some sort of game they played with people they met? Flirting with strangers and then using that energy to get off when they were alone together? Or were they, maybe…interested in me? Did that sort of thing even happen outside of porn?
What if it was happening? Did I want it? I hadn’t been with anyone since the accident. Was I even ready for sex at all, much less with two people? Two very, very hot people. Who shouldn’t even be looking at me twice. But, damn, I wanted to look at them. Together. Touching each other. Kissing each other. Kissing me. Naked.
Well, you can see why I was the poster child for distracted driving today.
I finally pulled up to Allison’s house. Technically it was also my house for now. Right after the accident I’d been too injured to live alone, and then when I was back to mostly normal mobility I’d been too messed up in the head.
Therapy had helped, and I was to the point where I felt like Icouldmove out to be on my own if I wanted to. But I’d been letting myself coast along and stay here where there wouldn’t be any surprises. Or risks. Lisa, my therapist, had pointed that out recently. I could probably draw a straight line from that insight to my lack of putting myself out there for dating too. Therapy sucks.
So I’d been starting to feel guilty for taking up Ally’s spare room even though she assured me over and over that she liked having me there. I did help out with Abigail, my eight-year-old niece, as much as possible to make up for the burden of my presence.
When I finally managed to make it home around 2pm, the house was empty. Ally was still at work and I had about an hour before I had to pick Abby up from school. I had a ton of photos to go through and edit, though. Even if I couldn’t find the courage to move out of Ally’s house, at least I could avoid acting like a slacker and get my work done.
By the time I had to leave to pick up Abby I’d made a sizeable dent in my backlog. I needed to take another road trip to get shots of some animals that didn’t live within a day’s drive of Austin. But the porcupine drama this morning meant I hadn’t gotten any decent shots of the beavers, and I was trying to keep a photo record of the growth of the juveniles. I’d have to go back again in the morning.
If the thought of seeing Cole and Jason again tomorrow crossed my mind, I ignored it. Or tried to. At least Abby would distract me from dwelling on the what ifs.
Abby was wildly entertained by my porcupine story, and she couldn’t wait to tell her mom as soon as Ally walked in the door that evening.
“And then the man from the ranch jogged by and saved Uncle Will by distracting the porcupine so Uncle Will could get away!” Abigail bounced up and down as she crowed that last part. I handed Allison a glass of wine since she’d barely had a chance to put her bag down yet.
“Wow, that sounds scary! Uncle Will was very lucky the man came by!” She sipped her wine and eyed me. “So, is this the same man from the same ranch you told me about? Hmm?”
After having brandy before lunch, I was avoiding alcohol that evening. But sober me felt like an idiot for not being prepared to answer questions about Cole and Jason. I made a sort of “Uh” noise and I could feel myself blushing.
