Homecoming Hearts Series Collection

by HJ Welch

  But when Trent thought of sweet Ashby’s face, his innocent smile and sparkling eyes, he couldn’t bear the thought of hurting him. Was an easier life with the tabloids and bloggers worth putting before Ashby?

  Fuck anyone who thought less of Trent if he dated a guy. Blake and Raiden had both thrown their sexuality in people’s faces. Blake very publicly so.

  No. Trent was going to choose his friend over anything, even if they were telling a little white lie.

  He leaned into Kiefer, looking him unflinchingly in the eye. Trent quirked the corner of his mouth into a sneer. “Go find another cute twink who isn’t repulsed by you,” he said softly. “Ashby is nobody’s property. He’s not interested in you, so leave him – and us – the fuck alone.”

  Marlin yapped in agreement.

  Trent didn’t bother looking back at Kiefer or his cronies as he marched away, heading for the door to take Merlin to his cabin for a while. Trent was aware that Kiefer had the power to make life difficult for his dad, but Trent knew firsthand what a stubborn old bastard his dad could be. Let Kiefer try and pick a fight with him.

  But if Trent was going to be serious about this whole ‘dating Ashby’ thing, he had a real decision to make.

  Because you brought your other half to weddings. And if he didn’t take Ashby this weekend where there would be press coverage, there was a chance Kiefer could find out. Let alone the idea of leaving Ashby alone for three days with him around made Trent very nervous.

  He let himself into his cabin and took a deep breath. It looked like if he was going to keep up this charade, he was going to have to go whole hog with it.

  The question was, what would Ashby think of this idea?

  15

  Ashby

  “I’m sorry, but you want to do what?”

  Ashby blinked at Trent across the table. Trent had been unusually quiet during their snowboarding session that afternoon, even for him. Then he’d suggested they grab a hot drink to warm themselves up again, where he’d casually asked Ashby to be his date at a wedding.

  Well, not really. He’d explained about running into Kiefer again and how the lie had gotten out of hand. But Ashby couldn’t help but think it would have been easier to come up with another solution.

  Trent shifted his bulk in the slightly too-small chair. “I know, it’s crazy,” he mumbled, twisting his coffee cup around. “You don’t have to.”

  The thing was, it was nothing for Ashby to buy plane tickets at the last minute. He could pick up a new suit and afford a hotel room. It was more the implication that Trent was willing to lie, not just to Kiefer, but the world at large.

  “You want to pretend to your friends?” he said.

  Trent quickly shook his head. “No,” he said. “I was going to say that we were friends. That’s, um, true. Right?”

  It was adorable to see a normally big, confident hunk look at Ashby like he was at his mercy. His trust and respect after such a short amount of time put Gordon and Ashby’s other exes to shame.

  “Of course we’re friends,” Ashby said, laying a hand on Trent’s hand for a second. “But it’s a big deal to even flirt with the idea of coming out of the closet. You won’t be able to undo this if people get wind of it.”

  Trent shrugged. “So?” he said. “I don’t see anything shameful in being bi. If people want to flip their fucking minds over it, I don’t care. I’m the dumb idiot who pretended to be your boyfriend. If we have to keep that up to keep you safe, I’d love to have you be my plus one.” He gave Ashby a tight smile. “Besides, this way you get to meet my best buds. If we’re going to be friends, that would be cool, right?”

  Ashby was dumbstruck. Trent wanted to be friends for real? Not just for the next week or two? And he wanted him to meet his friends? More to the point, he didn’t care if people called him gay or bi?

  Well, he wasn’t. He could ride out the rumors, then go back to his real life. He wouldn’t really be coming out of the closet.

  Ashby wasn’t sure how he felt about being a part of such a large fib. He couldn’t help but feel it would make a mockery of him and other queer people. However, Trent was only doing it to try and keep him safe from that repulsive creep.

  “So,” he said slowly. “We’d just be going as friends? Well…that could be fun, couldn’t it?” He smiled, warming to the idea. Because Trent wasn’t asking him as a cruel joke or anything after all. “I do love weddings.”

  “Yeah?” said Trent, brightening. “So, you’ll consider it?”

  “Sure,” said Ashby. “Why not? You only live once, right? But won’t your friends be put out by a last minute extra guest?”

  For some reason, Trent laughed. “They’ve been desperate for me to bring a date, so there’s a place for you,” he said. “But, to be honest, the idea of bringing a friend is so much better. We can dance and eat cake and drink Champagne.”

  An unhelpful thought crept into Ashby’s mind that maybe…just maybe…if Trent was willing to go further with this fallacy, there could be a grain of truth to it. After all, if he was repulsed by the idea of holding hands and cuddling with a guy, he wouldn’t do it. Right?

  Ashby decided to be as honest as the situation allowed. He smiled and took a sip of weak tea. “If you really don’t care about people gossiping, I’ll be honored to come along as your friend. I actually think it’s pretty admirable that you wouldn’t care what people think of your sexuality.”

  Trent gave him one of those rare kilowatt smiles he kept hidden away. “You know what? Fake boyfriends or not, I’m happy you’re coming along. You’re fun to hang out with, man.” He clapped Ashby on the knee, sending sparks through Ashby’s body where his hand touched him. “Besides, it’s a gay fucking wedding. If anyone has issues with that in this day and age, they can eat my ass.”

  Ashby was momentarily completely sidetracked with the idea of eating out Trent’s delicious ass. It was a filthy thought and something he hardly ever did. But the image burrowed into his brain and he had to shift in his seat before his cock got too excited.

  Then he realized what Trent had said. A gay wedding?

  “Hang on,” Ashby said. “Whose wedding is it we’re going to?”

  Trent smiled again, but this time it was pure wickedness. “Who do you think?” He winked. “I hope your inner fanboy is ready.”

  It turned out that Ashby’s inner fanboy was in no way prepared for the prospect of going to a Below Zero wedding. Now, if he had bumped into Blake Jackson on the street, Ashby would have known right away. His dance school reality TV show was a guilty pleasure of Ashby’s. He’d been so moved to see Blake’s relationship with Elion Rodriguez unfolding on his screen, and Blake’s passionate speech about coming out as bi at the Nickelodeon awards had actually made Ashby cry.

  Now here he was, flying out to attend their wedding. Ashby went to enough A-lister parties back in London to admit he’d met plenty of celebrities over the past few years. But Blake and Elion meant something to him. As did Joey Sullivan and Raiden Jones. For a time, Below Zero had made young Ashby feel less alone. There had always been something inherently queer about the band to Ashby’s mind.

  “Are you okay?” Trent asked as they sat in their seats on the flight from Chicago to Cincinnati. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a direct route from Jackson, Wyoming.

  “Yes, fine,” Ashby said. He sat on his hands so he would stop scratching at the armrests. “I meet my teenage heroes all the time.”

  Trent leaned a bit closer and waggled his eyebrows. “Come on,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “You met me, and I’m nothing to get flustered over, am I?”

  Ashby managed a sort of squeak, then looked back toward the small TV in the back of the seat in front of him. The miniature airplane was tracking their progress in the air across the screen. Luckily, he had his jumper folded over his lap, so he didn’t have to squirm to hide just how flustered Trent was capable of making him.

  He sipped his gin and tonic that he’d ordered from the in-fl
ight service and tried to relax. But he was going to be meeting mega-successful people and what would Ashby tell them he did for a living when they asked? That he was essentially an it-boy? That he went to parties and put photos on Instagram? It was almost too cringe-worthy to bear.

  “Um,” he said, swirling the drink around. “I guess I’m nervous that they might not like me,” he said.

  Trent frowned, the playfulness gone from his face. “You’re one of the nicest people I think I’ve ever met,” he said, as if that was obvious. “Why wouldn’t they like you?”

  Ashby sighed and placed his drink down on the little tray. Then he turned to look Trent in the eye. “Because you guys all earned your fortunes,” he said. “You’re talented. My parents did all the hard work and I…I’ve never strived to do anything much with my time. It’s embarrassing.”

  Trent’s frown deepened. “I know labels can be important,” he said eventually. “But you’re more than just a job title. You’re kind and funny and really stylish. The guys aren’t dicks. They’ll like you for you. I promise.”

  Ashby momentarily forgot how to breathe. Trent thought he was kind and funny and really stylish? That was…a lot to take in. “Um, thank you,” he said bashfully.

  Trent tilted his head, his gaze questioning. “You just haven’t discovered what you’re really good at yet,” he said. Then he lay back in his seat and closed his eyes. “That sounds like a challenge. Before you fly back to England, we’re gonna work out what makes you tick.”

  “We are?” Ashby said. He hadn’t managed to discover his true passion in twenty-four years. He doubted Trent was going to come up with anything in a little over two weeks.

  But Trent smiled, his eyes still closed. He folded his large hands over his stomach and snuggled down a bit further. He looked like he was going to take a nap. “Yup,” he said. “But first, we’ll have wedding fun. Then we can fix your life.”

  “Just like that,” Ashby said with a disbelieving laugh.

  Trent cracked an eyelid and looked at him. His gaze sent tingles over Ashby’s skin. “Just like that,” he agreed.

  16

  Trent

  Trent wasn’t usually the kind to get anxious over things. What was the sense of worrying about what might happen? If it was out of his control, he let it go and went with the flow. That applied to filming, singing, parties, dates. Chilled out was his response to almost everything.

  But pulling up to the large colonial manor house turned hotel on the outskirts of Cincinnati where Blake and Elion were tying the knot, Trent suddenly felt a rush of apprehension.

  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 façade, 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.”

  “You’re from England?” Gabe asked, slipping his arm around Joey’s waist. Joey was still looking between Trent and As
hby with a slightly open mouth and wide eyes. He was definitely putting two and two together and getting five.

  “I am,” said Ashby proudly. “Well, lately. I spent my childhood in Singapore, but lately, I hale from London, specifically. I’m on holiday at Trent’s dad’s resort and we made friends. He’s been teaching me to snowboard.”

  That got Gabe off on a snow sports tangent. He and Joey had been skiing over Christmas and being the natural athlete he was, he’d loved it. But Joey’s attention was still on Ashby, alight with curiosity.

  Trent caught Ashby’s eye. “I’m just going to go check us in,” he said.

  He hoped Ashby wouldn’t mind talking to his friends for a minute, but the front desk was now clear. Trent didn’t want to stand here getting grilled for hours, even if it was by his best friends. He’d rather they escaped to their room for a bit and minimized awkward questions. Because, yes, they were here as friends. But Joey was absolutely going to want to get to the bottom of why Trent had pretended to be Ashby’s boyfriend in the first place, and Trent didn’t have a good enough answer.

  Which was probably exactly why Joey peeled off and joined Trent as he walked toward the desk. Trent glanced back at Ashby standing with Gabe and all their luggage. “I’m just getting the room key, little man,” he said to Joey, using his old nickname for Below Zero’s youngest member.

  “So, you’re sharing a room,” Joey prompted, his eyes twinkling.

  Trent sighed. “There are only so many rooms in this place,” he said, trying not to get irritable. It wasn’t a usual hotel, after all. Even though it was a big manor house, there still weren’t enough rooms for them to go side by side. “We had to share, but it’s a double. It’s fine.”

  The truth was, even with two beds in the room, Trent was slightly nervous. It was a lot to share a space with someone for one night, let alone two. But he was sure he and Ashby would survive.