Homecoming Hearts Series Collection

by HJ Welch

  “Um, excuse me?” Bob’s timid voice floated across the room. “This, uh, means no one would have to lose their jobs, right?”

  “Actually,” Ashby said. He clasped his hands in front of him and turned so Bob had his full attention. “It says that within nine months, that is, by the middle of next ski season, we should be able not only to offer pay rises for all current staff, but we should also be in the position to hire a number of new employees.” He looked back at Kiefer with a sweet smile. “You see, when you invest in things like remodeling, updating staff training, expanding services and proper marketing, it means more customers come and spend their lovely money. Like I said at the start. Simple.”

  “Right, okay,” Bob said, nodding eagerly. “That. I want to do that.”

  “On behalf of the resort’s employees,” Trent said. He pulled a folded piece of paper from inside his leather jacket pocket and opened it to reveal all the signatures they had collected. “I can confirm this is what they want as well.”

  “Let’s do it,” said the large Texan on the left. “Where do we sign?”

  Kiefer wasn’t quite done yet though. “We can’t do anything without informing our current business partners at the energy company,” he said irritably. “I say we still go with them.”

  “And I say I’ll tell them myself that they have been outbid,” said the skinny Texan on the right. He pulled a gold pen out from his breast pocket and clicked it open. “You’re outnumbered, Kimmy. We’d be fools to turn down this offer.”

  “It is a ludicrous amount of money,” Ashby said with a sigh, shaking his head.

  Both the Texans had already signed the contract. The big one pushed the papers in front of Kiefer and raised his eyebrows.

  The vein on the side of Kiefer’s head was visibly popping out. He ground his teeth and glowered at Ashby and Trent. “Fuck it,” he snarled, snatching up the pen and scrawling down his signature. “I hope it makes you bankrupt.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” said Ashby as he reached over and pulled the papers back to him. “I am obscenely rich and I’m not an idiot.” He batted his eyelashes at Kiefer as he downed the last of his whiskey. “Or an arsehole. I’m prepared to actually do some work and make this place flourish. It was a pleasure doing business with you. Now, please leave my resort. We have certain standards to maintain.”

  Without another word, Kiefer rose to his feet, buttoned up his blazer, and stormed out of the conference room. The other two Texans seemed to pick up that the insult wasn’t directed at them, as they took the time to come around and shake Ashby’s hand before they left. Bob watched them go with an open mouth.

  “Right, Bob,” Ashby said, catching his attention. “Would you like to go over some more of the proposal? I’ve got so many ideas that I’m very excited about discussing with you. I’ll give Darnell a call and see about having some refreshments brought over. We’re celebrating after all.”

  Bob looked at him, then giggled, like a child. He clapped his hand over his mouth, but it didn’t stop the mirth from shining out of his eyes. “I can’t believe you saved us,” he said once he found some of his composure. He looked like the weight that had been sitting on his shoulders had finally lifted, and he appeared years younger for it.

  Trent took Ashby’s hand and smiled at him. “That’s what he does,” he said. Ashby saw the pride in his eyes and could have died from happiness there and then. “He’s a hero.” Trent leaned over and kissed Ashby softly on the cheek. “I’ll leave you guys to discuss business. I’ll see you at home.”

  Because of course Ashby had bought Trent’s cabin for them as part of the agreement. He had plans to expand on it and make it a real home.

  “Bye,” he said softly, watching his boyfriend leave and close the door. He couldn’t stop smiling.

  Finally, he’d done something of real value with his life. And he had the man he loved by his side as he did it.

  32

  Trent

  Trent stood on the side of the mountain and looked down at the spectacular view below. Snow-dusted pine trees rose out from the pristine white landscape that glowed in the midday sunshine. The sky was a clear cobalt blue, the air fresh and cold. Down below, he could see all of the Grand Resort in all its glory.

  The new construction work was already coming along nicely. The interiors were all getting makeovers, but Ashby and Bob had already given the go-ahead for the new gym being built and a children’s play area. It was like the resort was coming to life after a long time in hibernation.

  “It’s perfect,” his dad said beside him.

  Trent turned and looked at his dad as he stared out over the vista. They had been hunting for a quiet spot on the resort grounds, the perfect place to put a memorial bench.

  “Your mom would be very proud of you,” his dad said, still looking out at the view. “She knew you loved her. I know she did.”

  Trent swallowed and looked down at Merlin, who was being a very good boy for once at their feet. His tongue lolled out and he wagged his tail as Trent leaned down to scratch between his ears. He’d calmed down a fair bit since his adventure in the pool. Or, Trent privately suspected, since he and his dad had stopped fighting.

  “Thank you,” he said around the lump in his throat. “I…I miss her.”

  “I know, son. Me too,” his dad said with a sigh. “But sometimes things don’t go as planned. I’m just so grateful for the time we had together. She was my one in a million. But…she’s still with us.” He turned to Trent, his smudged glasses glinting in the sunshine. “She would want us to be friends again. To be a family. I know she would bend my ear for everything I put you through.”

  Trent shook his head and clasped his dad’s shoulder. “I’m still sorry for the way I acted,” he said, dropping his hand.

  His dad shrugged. “Me too,” he said heavily. “Grief makes us do dumb things, I think.”

  Trent nodded in agreement. “I needed someone smarter than me to help me get my head out of my ass,” he said.

  His dad chuckled. “That Ashby is a great boy,” he said. Trent loved his dad so much for not once batting an eyelid at the fact Trent was dating another guy. One who didn’t always look very much like a guy. He just seemed so happy that Trent had settled down. “Love looks good on you, son,” he said.

  Trent smiled and tried not to blush. “He’s my one in a million,” he said. He’d forgotten when he’d told Ashby those words that it had been his parents’ saying.

  “And that’s how you treat him,” his dad said sagely. “Everything else falls into place if you make sure to remember that, every day.”

  “You sound like Maeve,” Trent told him with a chuckle. It had not escaped his notice that every time he saw his dad now, Maeve always seemed to be by his side. Either telling him off for not doing his books properly or fussing that he wasn’t eating enough. She told anyone who would listen, loudly, that she was just looking after Merlin. But Trent saw how his dad was dressing a bit smarter these days.

  He was happy for them. His dad deserved someone special in his life.

  “Maeve is a wise woman,” he said to Trent. “And she loves Ashby like her own son, I think.”

  It was Trent’s turn to laugh. Ashby had been complaining that he’d got himself an American ‘mom.’ But Trent suspected he was secretly thrilled to have her fussing over him and caring so much.

  “I won’t let her down,” he said in all seriousness. “I’m going to treat Ashby right. I promise.”

  His dad nodded, apparently satisfied. “You decided what you’re going to do yet?”

  Trent took in a deep breath of fresh, cold air. “Yes,” he said. “I’m going to cut back and only take on projects that I really want to do. And when I’m not working…I’ll come home. Here.”

  His dad blinked rapidly, but his mouth quirked into a smile. “You sure your old man won’t cramp your style?”

  “Oh, I’m buying a place in town,” Trent said with a laugh. “Now that Ashby has a job h
e’s crazy about, someone will need to drag him away from it every now and again. We’ll keep out of your hair. What’s left of it.”

  His dad scoffed and batted Trent’s arm. “I still got plenty of hair,” he said.

  Merlin woofed in agreement.

  Trent never thought he would feel at home in Nowhere, Wyoming. But home was indeed where your heart was. He had his dad back. And he had Ashby. This was where he wanted to lay his hat.

  The world would still be out there, waiting for him to explore. He never thought his wanderlust would fade. But he would travel with Ashby by his side now. Then they could come back to their little corner of the globe, a place they could carve out just for themselves.

  He couldn’t wait.

  Epilogue

  Two Months Later

  Ashby

  “Guinevere, no! Sit!” Ashby said sternly to the St. Bernard puppy at his feet. She looked up at him with a doggy grin and wagged her tail. “Merlin’s been teaching you bad habits again, hasn’t he?” Ashby grumbled as he got back to work. He wasn’t really mad at his and Trent’s rambunctious puppy, though. He never could be.

  He still didn’t want her and Merlin running around the bar and wrecking everything before Trent arrived. Ashby would hate for all his and his team’s hard work to go to waste.

  It was a double event tonight. The bar and restaurant were having their grand reopenings and all the staff would be in attendance as well as guests from the local towns and further afield. Ashby didn’t need to be there, setting up himself. The events team were perfectly capable. But he was so proud, he wanted to have his boots on the ground, mucking in with the others.

  He’d finished tweaking the table with all their new brochures on display, then smoothed down his skirt as he moved through the crowd over to the floral display.

  He had leggings on under the skirt as well as his fluffy boots. But there was no mistaking his lacy blouse, lip gloss and eye makeup as anything other than ladylike. But, as he’d explained to Trent before, he wasn’t trying to look like a woman. He wasn’t wearing a bra or trying to alter his body shape in any way. He just felt like being pretty for the resort’s big party. And so far, the staff and guests had responded with overwhelming positivity.

  Part of the relaunch and new marketing campaign had been because Ashby had proposed to Bob and the other managers that they make it known that the Grand Resort was now a rainbow-friendly vacation spot. Not exclusively LGBT, but somewhere which welcomed all guests, no matter their orientation. Bob had been very nervous thinking it would drive other customers away to begin with and Ashby couldn’t blame him. But ultimately, they decided that any guests that had a problem with a queer-friendly space could go on holiday elsewhere.

  So Ashby wanted to feel free from gender constraints for the big opening. The way he felt free in so many aspects of his life now. He was liberated by his new job, thriving in a way he never thought possible. He was also completely, almost painfully, in love.

  He sighed down at Guinevere, his thoughts turning bittersweet. Because this wasn’t just a party for the reopening.

  It was also Trent’s farewell party.

  He wouldn’t be gone for long. His next film was only scheduled to keep him away for six weeks and then he would be back until October. Ashby knew he would miss him like crazy, but it was fine. He had so much occupying his time now, he wouldn’t be bored. Trent promised they would talk every day, and Ashby thought he might fly out and visit him in Monaco halfway through the production.

  He could tack it onto his trip back to London. He needed to finalize the sale of his flat and see some of his friends. There were a couple of them who were convinced he’d lost his mind. He needed to assure them he had never been happier in his whole life.

  He had purpose. He was in love. He was living and expressing himself authentically. Now, if he could just wrap his head around this damn visa business he’d be all set.

  Even though his mum was American, it still wasn’t easy. He was nearing the end of his tourism visa, and he had to leave the country. But he couldn’t leave Trent. He could extend it to a business visa for another three months, but then he would have to leave the country before he could come back on another visa. If the State Department saw any reason to ban him, they had the right to keep him out of the country for five whole years. There was no way Ashby could stand that. If his green card application would just hurry up…

  He shook his head. This wasn’t the day to be worrying about that. In any case, he wasn’t allowed to wallow in his thoughts for long. Partygoers continuously came up and fussed over Guinevere. Some eyed Ashby’s outfit warily. Others were brave enough to compliment him on it. Ashby felt content in a whirlwind of people.

  The bar was packed and the restaurant had been re-arranged to have a buffet for the guests. The new décor was a slick and sophisticated scheme with electric blues and metallic finishes. They had officially renamed the place Summit, and Darnell was busy wowing patrons with his impressive mixology skills, making drinks from their newly revamped and extensive cocktail list.

  Kadie was sitting at the bar cheering him on every time he threw up a spinning bottle or set something on fire. After a month’s hard work on Ashby’s part, she had finally asked Darnell out. As Ashby predicted, Darnell didn’t care that she was ten years older than him. He’d been too shy to ask her out. By the looks of it, they were very happy together.

  Bob was looking like a new man, attending the party with his son who was looking healthy and happy. Bob had lost ten pounds and got a haircut. No longer did he drown his sorrows at the bar every night. He and Ashby had worked their arses off to improve almost every aspect of the resort. Painters and decorators had been working around the clock to modernize every single room. The spa was expanding and now had several luxury suppliers that Skye had cried over when she’d tried the products. The gift shop had been cleared out and was now selling beautiful and charming items from local businesses, most of which were Arapaho.

  It made Ashby’s heart swell to see Trent and his dad rebuilding their relationship. Ashby had tentatively made plans with his own parents to come over and visit at Christmas so they could meet each other. It seemed crazy that he was thinking that far ahead. They had never even met Gordon in the two years Ashby had been with him. But that was the difference with Trent. He knew they had a future together. They made each other so incredibly happy.

  Trent loved Ashby for exactly who he was. He never tried to change him or force him into a box. He loved Ashby no matter what he was wearing. He was helping him work through his anxieties and making sure his confidence grew every day. It didn’t hurt that Ashby had never had better sex in his whole life. Their obvious chemistry in the bedroom alone was enough to give him faith that this was a long-term thing.

  It wasn’t just fucking, though. It was communication, and that was why it made Ashby so sure of their compatibility. Trent still wasn’t all that great at using his words. But when those failed him, he used his hands, his lips, his whole body. He never took Ashby for granted, always making sure he was happy and getting what he needed, in and out of the bedroom.

  “What are you smiling about?” Maeve asked. She’d snuck up on Ashby as he was fussing with the fresh flower arrangements.

  He arched an eyebrow down at Guinevere. “Some guard dog you are,” he said. She was already scrabbling at Maeve’s legs though, looking for the treats she always carried in her pockets.

  “Nah-uh,” she said, wagging her finger at him. “You had goo-goo eyes. Were you thinking about your handsome man?”

  “Maybe,” Ashby said with a grin. “Were you thinking about your handsome man?”

  Maeve tutted as she fed Guinevere too many treats as usual. “I don’t know what you mean,” she said haughtily. Ashby sniggered.

  “Well, both our men just walked in, in case you’re interested?” he teased. She snapped around and looked where Trent was walking into the bar with his dad who had Merlin on a leash. As much as
his behavior had improved, it was better to be safe than sorry.

  “Is my lipstick okay?” she asked in a whisper.

  “Smile,” Ashby instructed. “Yep. Nothing on your teeth. You’re good. Not that you care,” he added with a wink.

  “Oh, shut up,” she said, fluffing her hair, then smiling over at Mr. Charles Sr.

  She went to go greet him while Trent made his way over to Ashby. He was stopped several times by people wanting to say hello and wish him good luck. Ashby waited patiently, though. He used the opportunity to get two glasses of Champagne for them and sit at the small table for two he’d reserved for them. Guinevere trotted by his feet and had a good sniff around the table legs while they waited for Trent to join them. Ashby reapplied his lip gloss and tried not to feel nervous. God, he was going to miss seeing Trent every day.

  “Hey,” Trent said. He leaned down to kiss Ashby on the cheek before shrugging off his leather jacket and sitting next to him. “Sorry to keep you.”

  Ashby shook his head. “You’re the man of the hour,” he said. He picked up the two flutes and passed one to Trent. He was looking ruggedly handsome as usual in a Henley that clung to every delicious, bulging muscle. “Cheers.”

  “Cheers,” Trent agreed. They tapped their glasses together, the ‘ting’ ringing through the air. Ashby had hired a harpist for the evening and people were chatting easily over the music. It meant he and Trent didn’t have to shout to hear each other.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked, squashing down the apprehension in his belly. Trent might have been leaving tomorrow, but it wasn’t for long and they would talk every day.

  Trent bit his lip. “Nervous,” he said.

  Ashby tilted his head in confusion. “About flying?” he asked.