Brandon’s blue eyes flashed, but he didn’t pull Levi’s hand away. As Levi stood from the edge of the booth, Brandon followed.
“Honestly, guys. I love both of you,” said Gabe.
Levi spoke for the pair. “And we love you, too. There are just a few raw nerves here. Elle, tell Nate we said hi.”
“Absolutely. He’ll be home from the cities both tomorrow and Monday. Maybe we can get together here at the Loon while he’s in town.”
“Sounds perfect,” said Levi, and then he was gone with a silent Brandon at his side.
As soon as the front door of the Lost Loon closed behind them, Elle scooted close to Gabe. “So tell me. Did something actually happen? I’m dying to know.”
“We kissed.”
“Again?”
“For real this time and more than once.”
Elle smiled from ear to ear and wrapped an arm around Gabe’s shoulders and pulled him close. “I’m so happy for you. Unfortunately, I’m sure that you know it’s going to be tricky to navigate all of this. Brandon’s more worked up than I’ve ever seen him. I think part of it is that he genuinely cares about you. Best friend connections run deep.”
“He can calm down. Hal can’t singlehandedly bring the mines back. I think he’d admit that in a one-on-one conversation.”
Elle said, “Be careful when you’re trying to thread the needle with Brandon. Make sure it’s what you want.”
“Oh, hell, yes, and you saw Hal. Don’t you think it’s worth it?”
Elle ruffled Gabe’s hair. “I loved the way he handled the crowd, and if anyone is up to making this work, it’s you.”
“Hal won’t have it easy on his end either. His campaign manager won’t be happy about this.”
“Has Hal ever had a boyfriend? He’s in his late 20s. I would suspect that he has, but rich kids live a seriously sheltered life sometimes.”
Gabe held a hand out horizontally and lowered it toward the table. “Let’s keep this kind of low and quiet. I don’t want to be the source of any rumors.”
Elle whispered, “So? Past boyfriends?”
“Never.”
“He’s a virgin?”
“He’s been with women.”
Elle whispered, “But not guys? Will you get to show him the way? Wow, that’s kind of hot, Gabe.”
Gabe asked, “Aren’t you getting about three carts ahead of two horses?”
“I know what guys are like.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? I’m not a slut.”
Elle pulled her hand back and wrapped it around her mug. She continued to lean shoulder to shoulder with Gabe. “Don’t worry. I think you’re the best, but how many dates did you have with Brandon before the two of you found the bedroom?”
Gabe bit his lip. “Okay, fine, but Hal’s more reluctant than Brandon. He was chomping at the bit. You can imagine that.”
“Are you sure Hal’s not? Just because there are some hurdles to jump over doesn’t mean he’s ignoring the finish line up ahead.”
Gabe blushed. “Damn, he’s hot, Elle. I feel for him, too. Honestly, I don’t think he likes politics any better than I do.”
“Then why’s he running?”
“I’m not sure about all of that. Right now, my gut feeling about it is a combination of comments Hal made and my intuition.”
“But you plan to find out.”
Gabe stared directly into Elle’s eyes. “I have to know. Don’t I?”
14
Hal
Hal paced in the hallway outside his Duluth hotel room. Reluctantly, he shared it with Trent. Duluth wasn’t that far down the highway from Ely, but a full weekend of campaign events justified getting a room locally. Trent insisted on the shared space so the campaign manager could keep a watchful eye on his candidate. It was all too claustrophobic for Hal. He had to cope with his nerves by walking through the hall past other guest rooms.
As he spotted two trays of leftover room service in the hall, Hal speculated about the lives of the people behind the closed doors. He hoped that they were happier than he found himself. A half-eaten grilled cheese sandwich on one tray made him think wistfully about childhood.
The sandwich was a favorite that Hal’s grandmother made for him when he visited. His father railed against it. “Feed him a real meal with meat and potatoes. Hal needs to grow up to be a proper man, and he won’t do that eating only melted cheese.”
Trent poked his head out of the shared room. “Are you finished pacing? Come back in here and put your jacket on. We have to leave for the rally in five minutes.”
The big event in Duluth felt like it was going to be one more day of going through the motions in front of a crowd. Trent tried to convince Hal otherwise. He said it would be the largest gathering yet, and, less than three weeks from the August primary election, the rally would be the public appearance that sealed the deal for the district.
As he trudged down the hall to join Trent, Hal felt his cellphone buzz in his pocket. When he pulled it out, a broad smile filled his face. Gabe sent a text message.
“Hey! I got the security assignment. A guy got sick at the last minute. Look for me to your right at the edge of the stage. I’ll be staring at the sexy guy in a suit—you!”
Some form of relationship was developing with Gabe, but Hal didn’t know where it might lead. For the moment, they kept everything low key. He exchanged text messages with Gabe every day, but they’d only seen each other in person one time since the Arrowhead Falls kiss. That was at a coffee shop in Ely.
Gabe spotted Hal while he was wrapping up a meet and greet session with local voters. He waved from the opposite side of the room. Trent saw him before Hal and started to lead the entourage out the door.
Hal pushed past Trent to say hi to Gabe, and the news cameras followed in his wake. Breathlessly, he said, “So great to see you,” and they hugged.
Gabe whispered, “Hey, I know you’ve got to go, but you’re my man. We’ll text.”
The comment was enough to curl Hal’s toes, and the next gesture sent electric sensations rocketing through his body. Gabe pushed on Hal’s shoulder just enough, so the pair turned their bodies away from the cameras. Gabe planted a kiss on a sensitive spot an inch below Hal’s ear.
For the cameras, Gabe slapped Hal on the shoulder. He turned toward the reporters with a toothy smile. “Hal Brentwood is a phenomenal man, and I’m mighty proud to know him. If you want to talk to a genuine local voter, I’m here. Ask any questions, and I’ll always give you an honest answer.”
Fortunately, none of the reporters recognized Gabe from the plane crash story early in the year. He effectively drew their attention away from Hal, who escaped with Trent and two other campaign operatives. Three reporters plied Gabe with questions. After Hal and Trent were gone, he spilled the beans about how he first met the candidate. The next day a heartwarming news story about Hal Brentwood reuniting with the EMT who saved his life drew viral attention across the country.
Gabe was right about his security job at the rally. He stood at the corner of the stage close enough that Hal could admire him without looking too obvious. Gabe positioned himself with his hands behind his back and feet shoulder-width apart. He was alert but not rigid, and Hal desperately wanted to tackle him to the floor and find out more about the body beneath the uniform.
“Hal? Are you in there?”
Trent interrupted the daydreams.
“Oh, um, yeah. I was testing the microphone and thinking about moving back and forth on the stage a bit while I talk.” Hal tapped the equipment with his finger and heard a satisfying thud.
“Moving back and forth, eh?” Trent removed the microphone from the stand and strode to the edge of the stage near Gabe. “Maybe this isn’t a bad idea.”
On the way back to the podium, Trent tripped over the cable leading to the microphone. Hal reached out to steady him.
“Hey, watch out.”
“This is ancient equipment. Couldn’t we get s
omething wireless?”
“I think that’s what your guys are supposed to work out. No one asked me.”
Trent kicked a coil of the cable toward the back of the stage. “Okay, you can roam, but when you’re walking around, be careful not to trip. You got injured once in that plane. You don’t get to do that any more times during this campaign.”
A local party operative appeared onstage and asked Trent for assistance. When they disappeared behind the curtain, Hal seized his opportunity. He walked to the edge of the stage and squatted down to talk to Gabe.
In his rich, baritone voice, Gabe said, “Don’t be too distracting, sexy. I’ve got a job to do.”
“Does that mean me?”
Gabe turned his head left and then right to look around. All of the people starting to arrive were at least ten feet away from them. Gabe pivoted on his heels to face Hal.
“I don’t know anybody else it could be. You melt my heart in that suit. I’m easy prey for a sharp-dressed man.”
Hal didn’t know how it could work yet, but he had to ask the question. “Can we get together after. I need to see you.”
“Can you get away from the circus for that long? I’m not going anywhere, so I can be patient.”
Hal believed that Gabe could wait, but he wasn’t sure of himself. Every time Gabe spoke, he ached for another kiss. He wanted to grab Gabe by the elbow and run out the back door of the hall, never to return.
“I don’t think I’m as good at waiting as you are. We can text after the speech. Deal?”
Hal was too distracted to look at his cellphone immediately after he spoke. Izzie Ferguson, a powerful young senator from Iowa, traveled up to Duluth to hear the rising star. At least that was her story.
“Hal, you brought the house down! I can’t take my eyes off you. I mean, you had my rapt attention when you spoke about the plight of the workers up here who find it hard to locate a job. That’s solid material. They are the kind of stories that win elections.”
Izzie was one of the youngest senators in Congress. She won election to her first term two years earlier when she was only six months past her 35th birthday. Growing up as the daughter of a beloved past governor helped boost her campaign into the spotlight.
“Thank you, Izzie.” Hal reached out to shake hands, and she reciprocated with almost a sensuous kind of touch. Her long slim fingers slid across Hal’s palm.
Hal suddenly felt awkward like he did almost every time a woman came on to him. Izzie might have treated most men the same way. Or perhaps she had only one man in mind.
Trent stepped up behind Hal, and he used his shoulder to push the candidate to the side.
“Izzie Ferguson! I’ve been dying to meet you since we received your message two days ago. One of these days, you’ll be the majority leader in the Senate. Maybe it will be about the same time Hal becomes Speaker of the House.”
“Um, right.” Trent offered his hand to shake, and Izzie ignored it. She turned to Hal in an attempt to look like she hadn’t seen Trent’s gesture. Her behavior was proof that she was giving Hal special attention.
“Hal, how about dinner this evening? I’ve heard fabulous comments about one of the restaurants downtown. Of course, it’s my first time in Duluth, so you might have better options in mind.”
Hal knew that he needed to cut the conversation off as quickly as he could. Unfortunately, Trent still lurked over his shoulder, and he knew that rejection of the senator would likely lead to an argument later. It didn’t matter. Ultimately, enduring Trent’s lecture was better than adding kindling to Izzie’s smoldering fire.
“I’m sorry. I’ve got other plans. It would be very uncomfortable to cancel them at this late date.”
Izzie reached out with her long fingers. She nearly touched the side of Hal’s face before he stumbled backward a half step. She got the message. Hal knew that she had significantly more experience with seduction than he did. As the sparkle in her eyes dimmed, Hal remembered his promise to text Gabe.
“I’m sorry,” said Izzie. “Perhaps we can meet at a later date. I hope it’s before our first lunch together in Washington.”
Hal hoped that he could figure out a way to deflect her attention well before then.
After a pivot to her right, Izzie walked away. Trent grabbed Hal’s elbow and dug his fingers deep into the suit fabric.
“What are you doing? She’s into you, and she’s one of the hottest tickets in politics right now. In more ways than one.”
“I’m not looking for a relationship. This race is enough, and I’m tired. I’ll have plenty of opportunities to see Izzie down the road if I win.”
“When you win.”
“Right. Can I finally have a moment to myself now? I’m a bundle of nerves.” Hal reached a hand into his pants pocket to fish for the phone.
“That’s fine, and I’ll meet you back at the hotel. Do you want me to call for a ride?”
“I think I can manage that detail on my own.”
Hal wound his way through the rear of the building past custodian closets and signs that read, “Staff only.” Finally, he found a door to the loading dock. No one was around out back other than the occupants of a few cars leaving the venue.
Gabe had left three text messages. Hal sighed as he read them, and the words grew more insistent with each message. Hal typed a quick reply.
“Hey! I’m so sorry. A big-time senator wanted to talk, and Trent wouldn’t let me go. Everything okay?”
Hal paced back and forth on the dock and waited impatiently for a reply. It didn’t take long.
“Do I get to see you?”
A smile of relief filled Hal’s face.
“Yes! I can’t wait.”
Gabe sent the name and address of his hotel. Within fifteen minutes, Hal was in the lobby. He started to turn to scan the crowd milling around when a Gabe purposely bumped into him and nearly knocked him to the carpet.
“No, can’t do it here,” whispered Hal.
He was face-to-face with Gabe wrapped tight in his arms. Hal feared that a kiss was next, and he wasn’t ready to make out with a man in public.
Gabe smirked. “What do you think I’m planning to do? Get all kissy kissy with you in front of the crowd?”
“Well…yeah.”
“I know better than to do that right now after your bang-up job with the speech. Would you like to go somewhere that we can properly express our affection?”
Hal loved how Gabe slipped into a fake British accent as he said the word “affection.”
“Did you have a suggestion?”
“I can do better than that. I have a room.”
Hal didn’t know what he’d agreed to when he followed Gabe into an elevator and rode up to the fourth floor. Goosebumps rose all over his forearms, and his palms began to sweat. He was ready for a kiss, but he didn’t know what might follow. Gabe might want more.
“You look nervous,” said Gabe as they approached the hotel room door.
It was room 422. That was Hal’s dorm room number in boarding school. He decided to take it as a good omen and relaxed enough to breathe.
“I think it’s just the impact of a long day. I’m fine. How are you?”
“I’m so happy that I’m about to burst. Don’t worry. I’ll take it easy on you.”
15
Gabe
Gabe didn’t travel to Duluth to take Hal to his hotel room. It wasn’t a secret plan. He was excited that their meeting turned out that way, and he couldn’t think of any better option for being alone together. If they went out to dinner, the campaign manager was sure to tag along. If they tried to walk through a park, reporters were likely to find them.
The last time Gabe was in a hotel room alone with another man, he’d taken a trip with Brandon. They planned to go canoeing in northern Wisconsin, but they barely made it out of the room. It was a wild, crazy weekend, but Gabe couldn’t think about it too much. Brandon was best as a close friend. He had plenty of Brandon memories to hold cl
ose on lonely nights with a beer in hand, but Hal was his new focus.
“It looks like…a nice room.” Hal slowly spun on his heel and examined the standard hotel amenities of a king-sized bed, bathroom with a walk-in shower, and a flat-screen TV.
“Nothing special and nothing bad, either.”
Hal found his way to a chair on wheels. It sat at a simple desk space to the right of the TV.
Gabe considered whether to take everything slowly or plunge right in. He considered the fact that he didn’t know how to be appropriately patient when faced with something he wanted so badly. When Gabe stepped up and swung one leg to the right to straddle Hal’s lap, he heard an audible gasp.
“Oh, um, hi.” Hal looked into Gabe’s eyes with the most adorable pink blush coloring his cheeks.
“Too much?”
“No—no, I don’t think so.”
Gabe leaned forward for the opening kiss. It was like the kickoff in a football game. He wanted Hal to receive the ball and make some progress toward the goal line, but not too much.
Hal parted his lips and moaned softly. The sound was all that Gabe needed to let him know that he was on the right track. Eager for a taste, he slipped his tongue into Hal’s mouth.
Gabe sat in Hal’s lap and pushed the chair back against the desk. He raked his fingers through the hair on the back of Hal’s head. The evening was off to a fantastic start, but Gabe felt a need to pull back on the horse’s reins. They needed to proceed forward at a measured trotting speed.
Gabe cursed the fact that he didn’t have a plan. He’d focused solely on his opening moves. He didn’t know the specific location of the goal line.
When their lips parted, Hal’s chest heaved as he panted for breath. “I’ve never—never done this.”
Crash: Northwoods, Book 2 Page 11
