“That’s the second time you’ve mentioned he’s crazy. Did Jabbers misbehave that much while I was in Tennessee?”
“You’re the only one in town that doesn’t know he’s certifiable, Eli.” Lu didn’t like the idea of him going off on his long, solo camping trips with only a beagle for company. At least she didn’t badger him about it too much. “So how was your trip? How are your southern cousins doing?”
“The Smoky Mountains are nice, though not as pretty as the ones in New Hampshire.” Lu hadn’t asked about his parents, whom Eli had gone to visit. That was one rift he didn’t think would ever be healed, and it made him uncomfortable that he was at the heart of the conflict between Lu and his dad. “And the cousins are doing well. Most of them have married and moved off. Only one left is Gareth, and he’ll never settle down. He’s enjoying life too much.”
Eli rose to get seconds. As he did, he was able to get a better glance at his new dream guy. The lighting in the bar was terrible and Eli still wasn’t able to catch the color of his eyes, but the man had the undertone to his skin of a true redhead that would never tan, no matter how much time he spent in the sun it would only burn or freckle more.
He did catch Jonas saying his name: Ash. Finally, a name to go along with the face. He wanted to introduce himself, but Jonas was talking business and he wouldn’t be pleased with an interruption, so Eli returned to his table with another loaded plate and contented himself with quick glimpses. The crew finished lunch quickly, and as they trooped out again, Ash caught his eye and gave him another wink, a good-natured smile on his face.
“Oh, man, I think I’m in love,” Eli said under his breath as the door shut behind Ash.
Neil shot him a skeptical glance. “You say that all the time. Call me when it actually happens so I can point and laugh.”
Eli ignored him and turned to appeal to his cousin. “You have to know something about Ash. Is he gay? Is he single? Is he one of those itinerant construction workers who will disappear before I come back home and break my heart?”
“I’m sure your heart is quite safe,” Lu said with a dry tone. “He’s renting one of Abraham’s places. I think the construction gig is part-time. I know I’ve seen him leaving his apartment in cammies once or twice.” Lu rose and started to pack up the leftover food, dividing it into two containers before Eli and Neil could start arguing over who got to keep them.
A military man. National Guard, maybe, or one of the Reserves. Eli thought there might be a Marine Corps headquarters somewhere south of here. That clinched Eli’s interest. He’d always had a soft spot for military men, and it seemed that the worst trouble he’d ever gotten into followed them, but that had never stopped him before. Eli cast Lu a look of appeal. “So you’ll ask around for me while I’m gone, right? Inquiring minds need to know these little details, Lu, and it’s your duty as my loving cousin to investigate them when I can’t.”
Ash Gallagher returned to tearing up rotten shingles as the hot July sun beat down on him. He’d laughed when the rest of the crew had complained about the heat. This was nothing compared to the summers in Savannah, where he grew up, where the air was liquid and heavy and sweat would just pour off a body. And Savannah hadn’t prepared him at all for Iraq’s dry heat that blasted right off of him and sucked every drop of moisture from his body before he even had a chance to bitch about how hot it was. At least in Iraq, shade had provided welcome relief.
Dingers sat in the middle of a long row of connected buildings lining one side of the street. The town common sat across from it with the red, white, and blue bunting still decorating the gazebo from the Fourth of July celebration earlier in the week. Ash had enjoyed the small town festivities more than he’d thought he would. He wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He needed a bandana. His short hair did nothing to soak up the sweat that ran into his eyes and stung.
“So who was that with Neil and Lu?” Ash asked Jonas, who worked beside him. He thought he’d met all the locals since he’d moved into town. Clearly he hadn’t or he would’ve remembered that guy, for sure. The sudden brilliance of the man’s smile had caught his wholehearted attention. There had been no embarrassment or coyness when he’d been caught staring, just that boyish “oh well you can’t blame a guy” smile.
Jonas gave him an odd, measuring look that made Ash wonder what was going through his head before he shrugged. “That’s Eli. He’s Lu’s second cousin on his dad’s side. He’s good people.”
The culture of a small town would certainly take some getting used to. Everyone had deep-seated opinions about each other that they often didn’t hesitate to share. Ash had found that he didn’t get introduced to a person without finding out who else they were connected to and how long their particular family had lived here.
Sure enough, Jonas continued, and a smile tugged at Ash’s lips. “He took over the Hermitage from his grandfather about five years ago. Cared for his grandmother till she passed a year later. Unlike most of the rest of his family, it doesn’t look like he’s leaving the area anytime soon.”
Ash supposed that was pretty good praise in Jonas’s mind. So Eli was a man who had put down roots, unlike Ash, who was still wandering about, searching for a place he could claim. An old restlessness tugged at him. It was the same restlessness that had caused him to join the Marine Corps right out of high school. Then he’d been looking for an exciting challenge; now he was looking for a place where he belonged.
After the way his second tour in Iraq had ended, he’d started questioning what he wanted out of his life. As much as he’d loved being a Marine, he’d opted out and gone into the Reserves so he could go to school. Now that was almost over with. One more year and he’d have his degree and the freedom to go where he wished. Even if he wasn’t sure where that was yet.
Eli. He tasted the name. A strong name for a man with such a quirky, sexy smile.
Jonas exchanged a quick, concerned glance with his sons, but didn’t offer any further details when Ash didn’t ask. Ash set aside the roofer’s spade and gathered an armload of shingles that hadn’t already skittered down the roof. He spotted Eli walking out of the bar and watched him help Lu load up her car with empty trays, a bowl, and a Crock-Pot. He hugged her and kissed the top of her head in a gesture that reminded Ash of the way he was with his youngest sister Katie.
Eli wasn’t at all like the men Ash normally found himself attracted to. There was a bohemian look about him with his long, auburn hair caught back in a neat braid, clad in scarred boots, worn jeans, and a fitted black T-shirt. Eli glanced up at him, another broad smile crossing his face as he waved, and the flash of desire that struck Ash took his breath away.
Yeah, there was definite interest there, and it was mutual. Not like there were many other options off campus, and Ash definitely hadn’t found anyone on campus who came close to catching his eye. They all seemed so incredibly young.
Not that Ash was that old, even if he’d been on his own for the past ten years. He’d seen war and blood. He’d witnessed the worst acts of depravity someone could imagine, yet some of the most compassionate too. He just didn’t have anything in common with the rest of the students in his classes. This was his final year at Amwich State College. Once he had his degree he could move on.
He was glad that he’d moved closer to his school instead trying to stay halfway between there and his Reserve unit in Londonderry. Concord had been okay, and he’d liked his roommate and the dating opportunities in a larger town, but when his roommate had gotten serious about his girlfriend, Ash had decided it was time to move on. This year’s classes were going to be intense enough without having a long daily commute on top of them.
Once Lu had driven off and gotten her car out of harm’s way, Ash dropped his armload of shingles into the trash bin below. Eli was walking back toward the motorcycle Ash had noticed earlier, a gorgeous dark-blue Valkyrie. A motorcycle was one of those things he’d always wanted, but had never gotten around to buy
ing. He planned to rectify that once he graduated.
Jonas glanced up from where he was testing the wood for rot as Ash returned. “Some might say Eli’s odd. He can be a bit of a loner, and it’s no secret about town that he doesn’t prefer women,” he said, his eyes sharp on Ash. “Not sure what he did to catch your attention, but whatever it was, he didn’t mean anything by it and isn’t looking for trouble.”
Ash chuckled and shook his head as he grabbed his spade again. “I’m not looking to cause any. I don’t judge what a man does on his own time or who he does it with.” It would be rather hypocritical of him, all things considered. Ash had known he was gay since he was fourteen. All of his friends had been hot for this one girl at school, and he’d only had eyes for her older brother.
“Just making sure.” That being said, Jonas went back to what he was doing without another word.
A bit surprised, Ash returned to tearing up shingles. He hadn’t expected the people in Amwich to be so broad-minded when he’d moved here a month ago. Maybe it was the influence of the college, or maybe it was just easier to accept people as they were when you’d known them their entire lives. The reasons didn’t matter. It was just nice to be in a place where he could be at ease in his own skin.
Eli spied Wayne Grayson’s truck, bristling with compartments for tools, parked by the town common and paused, struck by a pang of empathy. Remembering the grim news he’d received while he had been in Tennessee, Eli stored his leftovers in the saddlebag of his bike and turned back. He waved at the other man as he jogged across the street. “Hey, Wayne.”
Wayne dragged along a large trash can as he systematically cleaned up the common of debris from the Fourth of July festivities. Confetti covered the grass in a colorful carpet, with the added adornment of empty beer bottles and spent sparkler sticks scattered about. “Back already? Thought you’d be gone the whole summer.” He straightened as Eli approached, and tied off another bag of trash. Though they were close in age, Wayne’s long, narrow face had new lines etched around the mouth and eyes. The thick, black framed glasses on his upturned nose gave him a studious look, but the other man was far more comfortable with tools in his hand than a book. Wayne had always been like that, ever since they were kids.
“I’m home for a week and then I’m off to Colorado and northern California for a while. I heard about your dad being rushed to the hospital last week.”
Mr. Grayson and Eli’s dad were best friends until after high school, when they both went their separate ways. Eli had never understood what had happened, and the few times he’d tried to ask his dad about the antagonism between them, he’d been rebuffed. But when he’d heard that Mr. Grayson had been hospitalized, his dad had unbent enough to send him a letter with Eli.
“What happened? What have the doctors said?”
“He had a pretty bad stroke in the middle of the night.” Wayne took off his stained work gloves and stuffed them in his back pocket, the lines of tension on his face deepening. “He’s still in the hospital. They’re trying to make sure there aren’t more complications. He’s got a long rehab ahead of him. Can’t barely talk, and now he’s stuck riding in a wheelchair for a while until the physical therapists get a go at him.”
“I’m sorry. Tell me if there’s anything I can do to help. You know Lu wouldn’t mind fussing over your dad too.”
A smile lifted some of the anxiety on Wayne’s face. “She’s visited every day. Keeps bringing food too. Enough to feed a whole family, not just me. My freezer’s likely to burst.”
“That sounds about right, knowing her. Don’t complain; just savor the bounty while it lasts.” Eli clapped Wayne on the shoulder in sympathy as the man’s face fell once again. He couldn’t begin to image having to watch his dad recover from a sudden illness like that, estranged or not. “I’ll stop by the hospital before I go. And like I said, let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“Actually there is.” Wayne took a swig of water from the bottle hanging from his belt. “I need to hire a live-in nurse for him when he comes back home and I’ve got to pay for Tilly to run the store full time now. I don’t know where the money’s gonna come from since Dad didn’t have any medical insurance. So if you could put in a good word for me at the college for anybody looking to have some jobs done around the house or yard, I’d appreciate it. I’d even be willing to go out of town to Concord or Dartmouth to drum up some business, just as long as it’s not too far away.”
“Not a problem. I’ll post something up on the community board, and if anybody asks I’ll drop your name. Speaking of which, I have some stuff around my house that could be taken care of since I’m going to be gone pretty much for the rest of the summer. The gutters won’t last another winter, and the door on my shed is starting to sag.”
A relieved grin broke out over Wayne’s face. “I’ll tell you what, Eli. Write out a list of what you need, and I’ll work up an estimate for you. Then when you come back, all you have to worry about is a bunch of smart-mouthed kids and Britton.”
“Please don’t invoke that name,” Eli said with a grimace. “I refuse to let him in my thoughts over the summer.”
“Forget I mentioned him, then.”
“The kids are fun and I can handle Britton. I think what irks him the most is that I don’t get upset with him,” Eli said with a chuckle. “Sometimes it’s even fun.”
They talked for a few minutes more, catching up on news, until Eli could see that Wayne wanted to get back to work. Eli promised to drop off the work list at the hardware store, and then headed off across the square toward his motorcycle.
“Hey, Eli,” Wayne called after him. “You think you might have some time before you leave to show me the baseball card collection our dads had?”
“Ha! My dad saving something sentimental? Remember who you’re talking about.” A flash of acute disappointment crossed Wayne’s face, and Eli wished he could’ve told him otherwise. “Sorry, Wayne, he’s not that kind of a guy.”
Wayne grunted and pulled the trashcan to another section of grass that needed to be cleared. “Well, if you get a chance, ask your dad if he kept them.”
Eli wasn’t looking to talk to his dad anytime soon, especially over something he’d consider frivolous. “I’ll keep it in mind. See you, Wayne.”
He glanced at Dingers’ roof as he turned away and immediately picked out Ash’s silhouette from the others. Smiling to himself, he returned to his bike. He could count on Lu, being the gossip that she was, to find out more about him while he was on his vacation.
In the meantime, it was a perfect day for riding, with the brilliant July sun shining and puffy, low flying clouds dappling shadows on the hillside as he left town. Eli wanted to make the most of such a day.
The motorcycle roared along the curved road, and Eli opened the throttle, grinning and whooping in delight when the bike sped up in response. The wheels kicked up dust as he turned off the main road and headed up Mount Abenaqui toward the Hermitage. It was good to be back home among the weathered, exposed granite and tree-covered peaks, and all the more poignant because he would be leaving again in a few days.
Chapter Two
Ash felt the ache of every battered, tired muscle in his body. It never failed after a drill weekend. No matter how much he worked out beforehand, no matter how many construction jobs he took on, he still left drill feeling like he’d spent the intervening weeks lazing around on his ass, doing nothing.
At least it was the tail end of summer and not the dead of winter, when they did their two-week cold-weather survival training exercises. For the last five years, that alone made Ash question why he’d settled on a college in New Hampshire when he’d entered the Reserves instead of one back home in Georgia.
He pulled his battered truck into the grocery store parking lot, mentally going through his shopping list. This chore was last thing he wanted to do, but after he’d gone home and changed out of his cammies and showered, he’d felt marginally better. Once he wasn’
t in danger of starving he could sprawl on the couch in his boxers and watch TV for the rest of the day.
Ash forgot about his aches as he emerged from his truck and spotted a familiar Jeep covered in hiking and national park stickers. Eli Hollister drove that Jeep when he wasn’t on his motorcycle. Ash had seen it a few times around town before Eli had disappeared for the rest of the summer, depriving Ash of a chance to talk to him.
Ash had hoped to get a chance to introduce himself to the man to see if the vibe he’d sensed between them was real or imagined, only to be disappointed when Eli disappeared. Energized, Ash grabbed a cart, and as soon as he entered the small grocery store he spotted his quarry. Eli stood in the baking aisle beside a half-full cart, studying two different bags of sugar with the air of a man making a momentous decision. His brows were furrowed and his lips pursed as he examined them, oblivious to the other customers moving up and down the aisle around him.
Today Eli had his long, auburn hair caught back at the nape of his neck with a tie and a dark-gray fedora perched on his head at a rakish tilt. Ash would love to see that hat off his head and his hair spread in a burnished tangle around his shoulders. His black, gray, and cream vest over a plain T-shirt and a pair of jeans gave him a sense of casual style.
All Bets Are Off Page 2
