by Ren Holly
Table of Contents
Blurb
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
About the Author
By Ren Holly
Visit Dreamspinner Press
Copyright Page
Mosquitoes and Mistletoe
By Ren Holly
After Andrew’s boyfriend dumps him just before Christmas, he decides to take a job far, far away from city life. It’s a dishwashing job on a remote island off the coast of Georgia. Expecting sunshine, palm trees, and some quality alone time, Andrew is surprised to find alligators, mosquitoes, rattlesnakes, and Garrett—a devilishly handsome naturalist. Andrew desperately tries to resist Garrett’s charm, because a twice-broken heart before Christmas is just not an option. Besides, Andrew’s new friend Anna might already have a thing for Garrett.
But where do Garrett’s interests lie, and will Andrew find out before he’s surprised by a visit from his ex?
To all of those brave enough to step out of their comfort zone.
Chapter 1
ANDREW PEEKED out the window of his Uber as it sped along a causeway toward one of Georgia’s remote barrier islands. It was dusk, and the lights of the Jekyll Bridge glittered on the water below. There was marsh as far as the eye could see, dissected by hundreds of muddy waterways that were more mud than water at low tide and more water than mud at high. Andrew was amused to see sailboats covered in rainbow lights on a particularly large stretch of water. I guess Thanksgiving is technically over.
“This is the Intracoastal Waterway,” offered the Uber driver. “It runs all the way up to Boston.”
Andrew nodded politely.
“How much farther until the marina?” he asked, trying to mask his impatience. He had been traveling all day. The Boston city skyline seemed like a distant memory in this coastal community, but the heartbreak was still fresh. He glanced at his reflection in the rearview mirror. Dark circles framed his clear blue eyes, and his bright-red mop stood at impossible angles. He was a mess.
“Oh, at least fifteen minutes.” The Uber driver scratched his head. “That’s on the far north end of the main island.”
As they drove, Andrew wondered if Ace had ever been to the Georgia coast. He had mentioned in the past that he had family somewhere in Georgia. He quickly shoved the thought away. Ace’s family had been the reason they broke up, though it was hardly their fault. Ace had explained with tear-filled eyes that, though he still loved Andrew, he had family obligations that required him to move home and left little time for a relationship. The vague reasoning and heartfelt goodbye were hard to accept for a hopeless romantic like Andrew. Couldn’t two people in love work through the hardships? For whatever reason, Ace didn’t seem to think so.
Andrew redirected his attention to the scenery rushing by. It transitioned from small shops decorated for Christmas to homes with lighted palm trees. The farther they drove, the bigger and more extravagant the houses became. Just when Andrew was certain the mansions couldn’t grow any larger, the Uber driver announced they had reached their destination. Andrew stepped out of the car with his backpack and stretched his legs. Spanish moss swung gently in the trees.
“I’m pretty sure the dock is down there.” The Uber driver pointed before hopping back in the car and driving away. I hope so, Andrew thought as he stumbled down the dark path. There were no Christmas lights to guide the way so far out of town.
“Is that all you brought?” called a voice from the darkness.
“Yeah?” Andrew answered, glancing around.
“I guess we don’t need the wheelbarrow.” A man emerged from a small shed. His beard and Southern accent were thick, but his eyes were light. Hazel, maybe? It was too dark to tell. He was tall, tan, and muscular. Wow, he’s beautiful, thought Andrew before quickly adding, Too bad I’m not in the market for a boyfriend. Andrew ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame the curls. “Are you from the resort?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m Garrett.” He extended a hand. “I was sent to pick you up. Are you ready to go?” Andrew followed Garrett down to the dock. It seemed as though the boats had grown in proportion to the houses.
“Wow,” Andrew muttered, impressed.
“Don’t get too excited.” Garrett laughed. “Our boat is over here.” He pointed to a small skiff barely large enough for two. “You’ll want this,” he added, mischievously tossing Andrew a raincoat. “I recommend putting the hood up. The water’s rough tonight.”
Andrew took a seat in the front of the skiff, with his backpack tucked safely under the raincoat at Garrett’s suggestion. Garrett untied the skiff and yanked the engine cord like it was a lawn mower. It roared to life. The marina slowly faded from view.
“All right, hold on,” Garrett said with absolutely no delay before cranking the vessel to full speed. Andrew rocked back, almost falling from his seat. The skiff jumped over waves violently, splashing Andrew with every heave.
This must be what it feels like to ride a bull, he thought, feeling seasick. After a few minutes, Andrew felt a hand tapping his back. He peeked over his shoulder, and Garrett gestured wildly to the water behind him. Andrew craned his neck to look, and much to his surprise, the water glowed blue in the skiff’s wake.
“Bioluminescent algae!” Garrett called with a grin. Andrew was more impressed with the brightness of Garrett’s smile.
They drove on in silence. Andrew had no idea how Garrett was navigating through the marsh. Everything looked the same. Just when he was about to ask if they were lost, he noticed a small light in the distance. Within minutes they were pulling up to a tiny dock to which two small boats and several more skiffs were fastened.
“If you had made it by five thirty, you could’ve come over on a normal boat.” Garrett shrugged. “Sorry about the rough water.” Andrew’s pants were soaked, but thankfully his backpack was safe.
“All right,” Garrett warned. “Your house isn’t far, but we’ll have to run.”
“Why?” asked Andrew, confused.
“You’ll see,” Garrett said. He led Andrew up the pier, past a small house-like structure with a sign that read “Captain’s house,” before sprinting off into the night. A swarm of mosquitoes emerged, seemingly from the deepest part of hell, and descended on Andrew like demons bent on dragging him under. He kept pace with Garrett, but dozens of the flying vermin still pinched his exposed skin. He ran through the night, waving his arms and swatting. Garrett led Andrew to a house on stilts. They took the stairs two at a time and practically dove into the screened-in porch, firmly shutting the door behind them.
“What kind of island is this?” Andrew wheezed, swatting at the handful of mosquitoes lucky enough to hitch a ride past the protective screen.
“A wild one,” Garrett said. “Didn’t you wonder why there was a job vacancy?”
Andrew sighed. To be honest, after his breakup, he probably would have responded to a job advertisement on the moon. Anything would have been better than hanging around a town where everything reminded him of his ex, Ace. So when Andrew saw an opening for a dishwashing job at an island resort he jumped at the opportunity. After years of romanticizing Ace’s family beach stories, the job had seemed like a good idea. “I thought all islands were intrinsically warm, sunny, and mosquito free.”
Garrett snorted in amusement. “This is an eco-resort. We try to reduce our carbon footprint by recycling and growing food right here on the island. Guests come to imm
erse themselves in nature. We don’t even have TV, let alone commercial insect repellent.” Garrett shrugged. “Mosquitoes are part of the ecosystem too, I guess.”
“Don’t they deter customers?” asked Andrew, realizing that he should have paid more attention to the fine print on the job application.
“Sometimes,” Garrett said. “But the bugs are unusually bad right now, especially for winter. They’ll taper off after the next cold front.” Andrew could only nod, dumbstruck.
“Well, let me show you your place,” Garrett offered. “Each of these buildings actually has four separate units, so you have your own place, but you share two of your walls. I live on that side”—Garrett pointed—“and the chef lives in the far corner. The other room is vacant.”
Garrett led Andrew inside. The unit consisted of a tiny living area with a couch, sink, and minifridge, a bedroom, and a tiny bathroom. The furniture was all wooden and firmly attached to the walls. It was small, but Andrew thought it was amazing for the bargain price of free, and plenty roomy for one person.
“Breakfast is at nine tomorrow morning in the lodge kitchen,” Garrett informed him. Andrew’s stomach rumbled loudly in protest. “But I think we can fix you something tonight,” he added.
Andrew blushed. He was starving, and his shoulders, covered in bug bites, itched worse than chicken pox. He scratched furiously.
“Oh no.” Garrett whistled, eyeing the growing welts. “You’re really allergic. I think we have something for that at the main lodge.”
“Great,” Andrew sighed, feeling defeated before his job even started. “Let me change really quick.”
Andrew donned a long-sleeved T-shirt and long pants. The island was warm, but sweating was far better than being eaten alive. He chased after Garrett through the night and into the main lodge. Garrett led him past an abandoned welcome desk and into the kitchen. The whole place was dark.
“This is the employee fridge.” Garrett pointed. “Leftovers are fair game.” Inside Andrew found salad, glazed pork chops, and baked potatoes. He quickly made a plate and wandered into the employee dining area.
“There is a microwave in the back.” Garrett pointed. He was already seated with a steaming plate of his own. Andrew heated his food and took a seat across from Garrett. It was hard to balance stuffing his face with scratching his bug bites.
Garrett paused to look on sympathetically. He stood to shuffle through a pile of stuff on the shelf behind him. “This should help.” He pulled out a first-aid kit and retrieved a tube of cream. Andrew tried to slather it on through the neck hole of his shirt. He stretched desperately, but it was no use. The little monsters had left bites all over his shoulder blades. Why didn’t anyone warn me not to wear a tank top?
“Take your shirt off,” Garrett said, shoveling the last few bites of food into his mouth. “I’ll help you.”
“No, it’s okay,” Andrew mumbled awkwardly.
“We’re both guys.” Garrett rolled his eyes.
“I’m gay,” Andrew confessed, exasperated. He normally liked to ease into a crowd of new friends and tell them as it became obvious rather than just blurting it out. However, this being a small island, it seemed best to tell Garrett before letting him slather on the lotion. Besides, it was hardly a secret anymore anyways.
A surprised expression flashed across Garrett’s face, but he shrugged. “So? Do you want help or not?”
“Okay,” Andrew sighed. Who was he to turn down a handsome man with a tube of lotion? He peeled off his sweaty shirt and waited. Garrett gingerly squeezed out a glob onto his finger and began smearing it down Andrew’s back. His hands felt rough but warm. His touch was gentle.
“Usually I have guys buy me dinner first,” Andrew teased, trying to lighten the mood, though dating was currently out of the question.
“We did dinner,” Garrett shot back without hesitation. He glanced down at Andrew’s unfinished food. “Well, we’re working on it.”
Andrew laughed. He finished his food while Garrett chatted animatedly about the island. Once they were both finished and the dishes were cleaned, they made their way back to their respective units. Along the way Garrett pointed out some dead-looking foliage growing on the overhanging branches of the live oaks.
“Have you seen this?” he asked animatedly.
Andrew shook his head. “Isn’t it dead?”
“Nope!” Garret said. “It’s called resurrection fern. It turns green after the rain.” He paused for a moment to hose down one of the branches. “Make sure you check it out tomorrow morning!”
“Okay,” Andrew promised. Garrett’s enthusiasm was charming and his knowledge impressive. It was an attractive combination. Andrew would have to guard his heart carefully from this one. “Now let’s get away from the mosquitoes!” They raced home.
“See you at breakfast tomorrow,” Garrett called as he sprinted up his own steps. “I’m off tomorrow, so I’ll show you around the island.”
Andrew called out his thanks before diving onto his porch. He huffed pathetically, halfheartedly swatting at mosquitoes. This island is going to kill me.
Chapter 2
ANDREW WANDERED through the courtyard and under a particularly green branch. It was the same one that Garrett had watered the night before. Would you look at that, Andrew thought, admiring the green foliage as he power-walked through a cloud of mosquitoes. It wasn’t dead after all. He proceeded into the kitchen and found the table filled with several unfamiliar faces. Garrett waved from the back corner. God, he’s cute.
“You must be Andrew. I’m Grace, the island manager,” greeted a blonde, middle-aged woman in a blazer. “Grab some food, and I’ll introduce you to everyone.” To Andrew’s delight, breakfast consisted of sausage and blueberry pancakes. He smothered the whole plate with maple syrup, the real kind.
“The island staff is made of teams,” Grace explained. “Office personnel, naturalists, kitchen staff, and maintenance.”
Andrew nodded.
Grace proceeded to introduce the entire working population of the island—a whopping twenty people. Including Bridget, the front desk attendant, and Miguel, the chef, who was a native of Brazil. He popped his head out of the kitchen to wave.
“You’re on morning duty tomorrow,” he said, spatula in hand. “The schedule is posted over there.” He pointed with the spatula, before disappearing back into the kitchen.
Only a handful of the working staff lived on the island as permanent residents; the rest commuted via ferry each day. It seemed like most of the residents were either kitchen workers or naturalists.
“It’s because our job starts first.” Garrett pulled up a seat next to Andrew as people began filtering out for work. “Did you see the resurrection fern?”
“I did,” Andrew said. “Let me guess. You must be on the naturalist team.”
“Naturally.” Garrett winked before gulping down the rest of his coffee. “We take tourists on outdoor excursions.” His enthusiasm about blue algae and ferns was beginning to make sense.
A small slip of a girl wandered through the back door holding a bundle of sticks. She teetered dangerously. Garrett hopped up and grabbed the bundle.
“What are these for?” he asked.
“Wreaths.” She huffed, out of breath. “Since it’s a slow day, the naturalists are decorating for Christmas. Want to help?”
“I told Andrew I’d show him around the island.” Garrett hesitated. “And I’m not good at this kind of stuff.”
“I don’t mind helping,” Andrew said. “I’m great at crafts, and I hate mosquitoes.” Besides, it was nice to spend Christmas among new friends. In years past, Ace had always gone on a family beach vacation, leaving Andrew alone for the holidays. It didn’t occur to him until after the breakup that after two years of dating perhaps he should have been invited at least once.
She laughed. “I’m Anna. So have you ever made a wreath before?”
Andrew shook his head and watched as Anna twisted the semiflexible st
icks around one another until a crude circle was formed. She tediously added additional sticks until the wreath was an appropriate size and then began pushing in springs of cedar greens. Though it smelled heavenly, the finished product looked a bit spindly.
“Let me try,” Andrew offered, taking a few sticks. Garrett watched helplessly as Andrew braided the sticks into a perfect circle. “I think it will look better if you push the cedar in at an angle.” Andrew demonstrated. Within five minutes he produced a wreath that could rival any of those sold by commercial chains.
“Wow, you’re amazing!” Garrett beamed. Andrew smiled at the compliment.
“One down, ten to go!” Anna chuckled.
“Done?” Andrew gasped, appalled. “You’re going to hang this plain thing on a door?”
“It looks good to me.” Garrett shrugged.
“Isn’t there anything we can spruce it up with?” asked Andrew. “Red flowers? Berries? Anything?”
“Oh, I think there are some holly bushes in the woods down the road.” Garrett scratched his head in thought. “Should I go get some?”
“Yes.” Andrew nodded. “And we’ll need ribbon.”
“Ribbon?” asked Anna. “I don’t think we’ll find that on this island.”
“We can ask the staff if anyone is going to the mainland today,” Garrett offered. The three turned when they heard someone enter the walk-in freezer. Miguel reemerged carrying two large cellophane-wrapped hams.
“That will work!” Andrew pointed at the shiny red cellophane. “We can cut it into strips and tie them into bows.”
Andrew hopped up and stalked the chef into the kitchen before reemerging with his prize.
“This island is no match for you.” Garrett laughed. “I’ll go get the berries.”
“Do you need help?” asked Anna eagerly.
“I got it.” Garrett waved her away. “Picking berries is easy.”
“Make sure you cut the berries off in clumps,” Andrew added, glancing up just in time to see Anna’s disappointed expression. She watched Garrett leave before returning to the table.
