Steam (Homecoming Hearts #4)(37)

Was this the dumbest idea he’d ever had? If he’d thought buying a puppy for his dad was madness, then pretending to be bi with his new gay best friend who Trent knew was into him had to be insanity. Was he seriously ready to deal with the ramifications of this? Was he risking ruining his and Ashby’s friendship before it had even really got a chance to thrive?

Trent knew he’d been quiet during the drive over and he could feel Ashby looking at him as they got out of the cab in front of the hotel. He was aware he needed to say something and break the tension that was growing between them, but he couldn’t seem to find anything to say.

Luckily, Ashby was ready to chatter away and soothe both their nerves.

“Oh goodness, isn’t this charming?” he remarked.

They stood in front of the three-story building, admiring its yellowy-cream wooden fa?ade, slate-gray roof and pristine white windows, shutters and columns out front. The American flag hung above the front door, fluttering gently in the breezy afternoon sunshine. A short concrete path led up through a white picket fence that surrounded the property. Lush green grass stretched out around the fencing and towering oak trees stood either side of the approaches. Gleaming white verandas were nestled beside the house, under the trees, and out back beyond those, Trent could just see where the staff were setting up the white gazebo for the wedding tomorrow.

“I’ve never been to an outdoor wedding,” Ashby continued as they made their way up the steps in between the fence, heading for the door. “It would be more than a little ambitious to predict the weather anywhere in the UK with that kind of confidence. You’ll almost certainly get rained on or freeze your arse off or even get sunburned if it was summer. Generally, on the whole, we regard the weather as a sort of enemy to be treated with complete mistrust.” He laughed as Trent opened the big, heavy front door for him. “Oh, thank you,” he said and hopped up the last step into the cool interior of the house. “Ahh, this is so pretty.”

They were greeted by gleaming oak floors and large floral rugs. The walls were sage green with white trim and adorned with bronze-gilded mirrors and paintings. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling and there were potted ferns in every corner that Trent could see in the small lobby as well as the two rooms either side through the open archways. The room to the left had rows of dark wood chairs, presumably for a conference or maybe the wedding reception if the weather turned on them. A large fireplace stood in the room to the right with packed floor-to-ceiling bookcases.

“I can see why your friends would pick this place,” Ashby said quietly as they stood and took everything in. There were people already at the front desk, so they had a moment to appreciate the decor. “Grand, but still intimate.”

Trent had noticed that Ashby kept referring to Blake and Elion as ‘his friends’ despite knowing who they were from TV and being a fan of the band. He was probably trying to normalize them. Trent didn’t blame him. He was so used to being famous, meeting celebrities didn’t faze him anymore. But it was sweet to see Ashby so conscientious of being polite and not freaking out. Despite his nerves at inviting him for his own personal ramifications, he trusted that Ashby wouldn’t embarrass him when he met the guys.

Which was a good thing because at that moment they were greeted with a cry of delight.

“TJ!”

Trent and Ashby both looked up to see Joey Robinson running down the central staircase, his blond curls bouncing as he sprinted toward them. Ashby would know him by his previous name, Joey Sullivan, as that was still his stage name. Joey’s husband, Gabe Robinson, came down the steps at a slower pace, smiling at Joey’s enthusiasm.

For someone so petit, Joey still packed quite a punch, barreling into Trent at top speed. “It’s so great to see you!” he cried. He squeezed him tight, then turned to Ashby.

And paused.

Trent shifted on his feet as Gabe joined them. Tall, dark, handsome, and always the more sensible of the two, he didn’t hesitate to stick his hand out for Trent and then Ashby to shake. “Good to see you again,” he said convivially. It was easy to see he was the firefighter working with the community and that Joey was the excitable actor.

But Trent knew full well he had only given Blake and Elion Ashby’s name. He hadn’t explained Ashby was a guy.

“Hi,” Joey said, evidently finding his voice. “Are you…here with Trent?”

Ashby had obviously picked up on the slight atmosphere, but unsurprisingly to Trent, he just gave them one of his big, gorgeous smiles. “I am,” he said as Joey finally got his wits back and shook his hand too. “Ashby Wilcott. I’m just thrilled to be here.”

“Sorry,” Gabe said, shaking his head. “I think we were just assuming you were a girl. I’ve not met an Ashby before. We didn’t mean to be rude.”

“Oh,” said Ashby with a wave of his hand. “Girl, boy, what’s the difference?” He chuckled.

“And you’re…” said Joey. “TJ’s date?”

“We’re just friends,” Ashby said quickly. For some reason, that made Trent feel bad. Probably because he knew that Ashby would have quite liked to be here as his actual boyfriend. “It’s a bit of a complicated story, but I owed Trent a favor and making sure he wasn’t at a wedding alone seemed like a great opportunity to pay him back.”