wooden mantle. Behind him, Shelby busied himself clanking around in the kitchen.
“What are you doing?”
Shelby’s voice was muffled. “I’m looking for your electric skillet.”
“Why?” Ridge walked into the kitchen, finding Shelby crouched down in front of an open cabinet. His friend’s muscular bulk was taking up most of the space on the floor.
Shelby pulled his head back and looked over the door. He grinned, pale blue eyes twinkling. “I was thinking of making pancakes. You in the mood?”
Ridge scratched an ear. “Good thing I already got my run in.” He nodded, shifting his head from side to side. “Chocolate chip?”
Shelby pulled out the large electric fry pan and stood, setting it on the counter. “Don’t I always? Although how you can stand that sweetness with the syrup on top of it is beyond me. Blechh.” Shuddering, he grabbed a dishtowel and tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. “Go on and finish cleaning. I’ll have breakfast ready in a jiff.” Opening the pantry cabinet, he reached inside. “I’m thinking of adding applesauce this time. What do you think?”
Walking away, Ridge waved over his shoulder. “I don’t care what you do with yours, just make mine chocolate chip.”
He grinned at the grunt of disdain he heard.
The bedroom and bathroom were already clean, and he’d gotten through two loads of laundry with just one to go. Sheets and towels, then jeans and shirts, with underwear and odds and ends going last. He didn’t mind that part much as long as he could keep moving on the rest of the apartment at the same time. Grabbing the vacuum, he pushed it into living room and quickly ran it over the old wool area rug he’d gotten when Rae had decided it no longer worked in the lobby of the inn.
“Okay if I put some music on?”
Shelby poked his head around the column at the end of the breakfast bar. “Yeah. Hey, did you download the latest Glee stuff?”
“You know it. But I have to start with my favorite.” Ridge set his iPod to play in the speaker dock. Before long, both of them were singing along with the “It’s My Life/Confessions” mashup. Ridge danced around the coffee table as he dusted.
Henry, who’d been lying out of the way on his comfy bed, suddenly barked loudly, jerking Ridge to a halt. Looking over at the door, he spotted Drew staring at him through the door glass, Elsa at his side. He breathed in a shaky sigh, the sight of Drew making his heart pound. His hit-and-run lover was dressed in black jeans that faithfully cupped a sizable bulge and an olive-green T-shirt that showed off a heavily muscled upper body.
Walking over to the speaker dock, Ridge swiftly muted the volume and went to the door. Pulling it open, he had to dodge out of the way as Elsa dashed inside. Regaining his balance, he leaned one arm against the open door. “Hey.” He’d be calm and cool. No matter what.
Drew walked into the apartment. “Hey.” He pushed the door shut, then stood there, not seeming to know what to say.
Ridge felt those laser-like eyes burn over his chest and crotch.
“Whoa. Who’re you?”
Damn. He’d forgotten about Shelby while he’d been staring at all the eye-candy right in front of him.
Shelby had an annoying habit of saying whatever was on his mind. That could get dangerous in front of Drew.
“Um. Shelby. This is Drew Cunningham.” Ridge gestured toward his silent, erstwhile lover, then turned to look at his friend. “Uh. Drew, this is my friend, Shelby Patterson.” Biting his lip, he watched apprehensively as Shelby stepped up and held out a hand.
“Heyah.”
Slowly, Drew gripped Shelby’s hand and shook. “Hi.”
Ridge saw the knowing look on Shelby’s face and knew it was going to translate into speech.
“So. Come around here often?”
Groaning, Ridge covered his face. “Shelby!” What a wise-ass.
“What?” For such a big guy, his dipshit friend could sound pretty innocent.
Peeking through his fingers, Ridge saw
“What are you doing?”
Shelby’s voice was muffled. “I’m looking for your electric skillet.”
“Why?” Ridge walked into the kitchen, finding Shelby crouched down in front of an open cabinet. His friend’s muscular bulk was taking up most of the space on the floor.
Shelby pulled his head back and looked over the door. He grinned, pale blue eyes twinkling. “I was thinking of making pancakes. You in the mood?”
Ridge scratched an ear. “Good thing I already got my run in.” He nodded, shifting his head from side to side. “Chocolate chip?”
Shelby pulled out the large electric fry pan and stood, setting it on the counter. “Don’t I always? Although how you can stand that sweetness with the syrup on top of it is beyond me. Blechh.” Shuddering, he grabbed a dishtowel and tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. “Go on and finish cleaning. I’ll have breakfast ready in a jiff.” Opening the pantry cabinet, he reached inside. “I’m thinking of adding applesauce this time. What do you think?”
Walking away, Ridge waved over his shoulder. “I don’t care what you do with yours, just make mine chocolate chip.”
He grinned at the grunt of disdain he heard.
The bedroom and bathroom were already clean, and he’d gotten through two loads of laundry with just one to go. Sheets and towels, then jeans and shirts, with underwear and odds and ends going last. He didn’t mind that part much as long as he could keep moving on the rest of the apartment at the same time. Grabbing the vacuum, he pushed it into living room and quickly ran it over the old wool area rug he’d gotten when Rae had decided it no longer worked in the lobby of the inn.
“Okay if I put some music on?”
Shelby poked his head around the column at the end of the breakfast bar. “Yeah. Hey, did you download the latest Glee stuff?”
“You know it. But I have to start with my favorite.” Ridge set his iPod to play in the speaker dock. Before long, both of them were singing along with the “It’s My Life/Confessions” mashup. Ridge danced around the coffee table as he dusted.
Henry, who’d been lying out of the way on his comfy bed, suddenly barked loudly, jerking Ridge to a halt. Looking over at the door, he spotted Drew staring at him through the door glass, Elsa at his side. He breathed in a shaky sigh, the sight of Drew making his heart pound. His hit-and-run lover was dressed in black jeans that faithfully cupped a sizable bulge and an olive-green T-shirt that showed off a heavily muscled upper body.
Walking over to the speaker dock, Ridge swiftly muted the volume and went to the door. Pulling it open, he had to dodge out of the way as Elsa dashed inside. Regaining his balance, he leaned one arm against the open door. “Hey.” He’d be calm and cool. No matter what.
Drew walked into the apartment. “Hey.” He pushed the door shut, then stood there, not seeming to know what to say.
Ridge felt those laser-like eyes burn over his chest and crotch.
“Whoa. Who’re you?”
Damn. He’d forgotten about Shelby while he’d been staring at all the eye-candy right in front of him.
Shelby had an annoying habit of saying whatever was on his mind. That could get dangerous in front of Drew.
“Um. Shelby. This is Drew Cunningham.” Ridge gestured toward his silent, erstwhile lover, then turned to look at his friend. “Uh. Drew, this is my friend, Shelby Patterson.” Biting his lip, he watched apprehensively as Shelby stepped up and held out a hand.
“Heyah.”
Slowly, Drew gripped Shelby’s hand and shook. “Hi.”
Ridge saw the knowing look on Shelby’s face and knew it was going to translate into speech.
“So. Come around here often?”
Groaning, Ridge covered his face. “Shelby!” What a wise-ass.
“What?” For such a big guy, his dipshit friend could sound pretty innocent.
Peeking through his fingers, Ridge saw
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