Steam (Homecoming Hearts #4)(68)



Trent cupped his face. “As much as I would love to see that,” he said, “the best thing we can do is be calm, happy, and not give douchebags like Dez the satisfaction of getting a rise out of us.”

Ashby took a long deep breath in and out. Then he cupped his hands over Trent’s. “You’re the expert.”

“Unfortunately,” Trent agreed. “Though I’ve not been very good at this recently.”

Ashby shook his head. “I’ll follow your lead. We’ll be a united front. Much harder to break that way.”

Trent nodded. “I’ll stand by you anywhere,” he murmured.

Ashby bit his lip, staring into his brown eyes. Then he placed his hand over Trent’s bulletproof heart. “Why me?” he asked.

A smile twitched at the corner of Trent’s mouth. “You’re one in a million,” he said. “And…I think I’m finally ready to stop running.” He closed his eyes and took in a breath, then opened them and smiled. It changed his whole face. He was no longer scary or intimidating. He was warm and caring. “We’re the Venn diagram, remember? Ain’t nobody like us.”

Ashby had to laugh at that. “Now that is the truth.”

Trent gently pulled him closer to him, allowing their lips to meet for a sweet kiss. Ashby still felt awful, though. “I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions,” he said. “I was too ready to believe the worst about you.”

Trent cocked his head. “I think you were too ready to believe someone would do the worst to you,” he said. “You need to stop dating fuckheads.”

Ashby spluttered out a laugh. “Bloody hell, Trent Charles,” he said. “You don’t talk much, but when you do, you make a lot of sense.”

Trent nodded. “True.”

“Besides,” Ashby said. “I don’t plan on dating anyone else for a very long time.”

“Is that so?” Trent asked, leaning in for a more heated kiss.

“Take me to bed and I’ll show you how much I mean it,” Ashby said, grabbing his leather jacket.

But Trent sighed. “As much as I would love to,” he said. “Dez Starr was only part of the awfulness that’s gone on tonight.” He stepped back and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Kiefer was gloating how he’s sold the resort.”

Ashby glanced back toward the door they had just come through, like that might give him answers. “Isn’t that a good thing?” he asked. “Won’t another owner actually take care of the place?”

“The new owner is going to level the resort and build a nuclear power plant.”

“Motherfucker!” Ashby cried before he could help himself. “No! Everyone will lose their jobs. What will happen to the community?”

What would happen to Maeve and Darnell and Kadie and Skye? Ashby was even worried about Bob, the hopeless manager. His kid may have been on the mend now, but Ashby knew about American medical bills. He’d probably be paying those off for years. He needed this job, just as much as Maeve and her cats, Trent’s dad and Merlin.

But Ashby was surprised to see Trent looking just as upset as he felt. “This place is my folks,” he said gruffly. “It’s all my dad has. It’s…it’s all we have left of my mom.”

Ashby swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat. He grabbed Trent’s hand and squeezed it. He understood now. “Then we fight for it,” he said. “We stop letting these bastards dictate our lives. Come on. There has to be something we can do. If there isn’t a manager here to talk to, I’ll find one elsewhere.” He sniffed. “I’m very good at speaking to managers.”

Trent laughed and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. “I love you,” he murmured.

Ashby blinked. But Trent didn’t look shocked or like he was scrambling to take it back. If anything, he looked a little dazed.

“I-” Ashby said. “I think I might love you too.”

Trent kissed him softly. “Good,” he said. “A lover and a fighter. I knew you were perfect.” Ashby could only stare as Trent leaned over to the coat rack and offered him his ski jacket. “Sorry, it’s not pink,” he said.

Ashby put the black jacket on even though it was too big. “I’ll wear anything into battle,” he said, his confidence growing by the minute. “You should see me in a dress. I’m a fucking Valkyrie.”

Trent licked his lips. “I bet. Come on. Let’s go see what kind of carnage we left in that place.”

Together, hand in hand, they marched through the snow. Several times, Ashby almost allowed himself to feel guilty about overreacting to the article. But then he came to the sudden epiphany that his rage had been a good thing. He hadn’t rolled over and taken it. He hadn’t slunk away weeping. He had come out swinging.

Which is what he needed to do now for Trent, Maeve, Mr. Charles Sr. and all the other new friends he had made over the past week and a half. He wasn’t sure how, but there had to be something they could do to stand up to that douchebag Kiefer.

He expected there to be some activity in the main lodge when they returned. Perhaps Dez still stirring up trouble with the crowd, or Kiefer handing out last paychecks to everyone. Instead, when they reached the main lobby, several people were running around frantically.

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