Aden.
“I’m wearing my lucky coat,” Aden said.
“Isn’t that Brody’s?” Des said.
Aden did shoot Brody a glance then and a quick smile. Brody held his breath. I want him. So why was he letting him walk away?Then again, Brody wasn’t sure he was ready for more than a quick fuck with anyone until he’d dragged himself back from the abyss. Though Aden might be the one who’d do the dragging. A month. Could he behave for a month? Not go looking for trouble? If he had Aden here waiting for him every night? Yeah, I think I can.
“Thank you for saving him,” Karen said. “Thank you so much. There are no words to tell you how grateful we are.”
“It’s my fault,” Martin whispered at Brody’s side. “I dared him.”
Brody pulled a tearful Martin into his arms. “But he didn’t need to do it.”
“Show’s over,” Des said to the teenagers watching. “Back to the horses.” He scooped Jamie into his arms. “Let’s get inside.”
It was only when Brody reached the door of the farm with Martin, who wouldn’t let him go, that he realized Aden wasn’t with them. He turned, but there was no sign of him. Another disappearing act? Martin tugged Brody into the house.
“That guy snatched Jamie out of mid-air,” Des said to Karen. “I saw them falling. I can’t believe he caught him. Not just that. He managed to swivel and pull Jamie on top of him before they hit the ground. A split second reaction and he saved Jamie’s life.”
Martin buried his face in Brody’s chest.
“Don’t the pair of you ever do that again,” Karen said. “No climbing ladders. No dares. No doing anything stupid. Don’t step outside without asking. Until I can trust you, no doing anything without talking to me first. I’m as mad at you, Jamie, as I am with your brother. If you can’t be trusted around the farm, you won’t be allowed out.”
Des looked straight at him. Yep, that had reminded Brody as well of times when the pair of them had gotten into trouble as kids. Usually Brody had been the instigator with Des having to bail him out.
“Where’s the guy?” Des asked.
Brody shrugged. “Gone.”
“Gone where?”
“I don’t know.”
“I thought you were going to give him a lift?”
“Yeah, I…”
Des scowled and went back outside.
“What’s all that about?” Karen asked.
Brody glanced at the twins.
She turned to the boys. “Go play with your Lego. No battles. No weapons of mass destruction. Build houses.” After they’d disappeared into the lounge, she turned to Brody. “Well?”
“I knocked Aden over with my car yesterday evening. He spent the night in Captain’s stall. Des and I found him in there this morning.”
She gaped at him. “You knocked him over? Is the guy indestructible? Captain didn’t kick him in the head?”
“Amazingly enough, no.”
“Why did he sleep in the stable?”
“After I’d hit him with my car, he disappeared. He was looking for shelter and found the barn. He told me he’s involved in a recruitment challenge to get a job. He has to survive a month with no home, no phone, no money of his own.”
She frowned. “That sounds extreme.”
“I wondered if it was a government thing. Military or espionage. He says he can’t talk about it.”
“Or he’s a con artist, on the run from his wife, the police or fellow criminals.” She huffed. “Sorry, I watch too much TV.”
“Not a wife.”
Karen tipped her head on one side. “He’s gay? You sure?”
Brody managed a laugh. “Pretty sure.”
“And you don’t fancy him? Are you crazy? He’s gorgeous.”
Brody hesitated.
“You have to like him a bit,” she said. “Apart from the fact that’s he’s really good-looking—and don’t tell Des I said that—he’s a hero. He risked his life to save Jamie. He’s perfect for you.”
No he wasn’t. Brody didn’t deserve a hero.
Aden stopped when he reached the end of the lane. His back ached even more now. He’d landed on something
“I’m wearing my lucky coat,” Aden said.
“Isn’t that Brody’s?” Des said.
Aden did shoot Brody a glance then and a quick smile. Brody held his breath. I want him. So why was he letting him walk away?Then again, Brody wasn’t sure he was ready for more than a quick fuck with anyone until he’d dragged himself back from the abyss. Though Aden might be the one who’d do the dragging. A month. Could he behave for a month? Not go looking for trouble? If he had Aden here waiting for him every night? Yeah, I think I can.
“Thank you for saving him,” Karen said. “Thank you so much. There are no words to tell you how grateful we are.”
“It’s my fault,” Martin whispered at Brody’s side. “I dared him.”
Brody pulled a tearful Martin into his arms. “But he didn’t need to do it.”
“Show’s over,” Des said to the teenagers watching. “Back to the horses.” He scooped Jamie into his arms. “Let’s get inside.”
It was only when Brody reached the door of the farm with Martin, who wouldn’t let him go, that he realized Aden wasn’t with them. He turned, but there was no sign of him. Another disappearing act? Martin tugged Brody into the house.
“That guy snatched Jamie out of mid-air,” Des said to Karen. “I saw them falling. I can’t believe he caught him. Not just that. He managed to swivel and pull Jamie on top of him before they hit the ground. A split second reaction and he saved Jamie’s life.”
Martin buried his face in Brody’s chest.
“Don’t the pair of you ever do that again,” Karen said. “No climbing ladders. No dares. No doing anything stupid. Don’t step outside without asking. Until I can trust you, no doing anything without talking to me first. I’m as mad at you, Jamie, as I am with your brother. If you can’t be trusted around the farm, you won’t be allowed out.”
Des looked straight at him. Yep, that had reminded Brody as well of times when the pair of them had gotten into trouble as kids. Usually Brody had been the instigator with Des having to bail him out.
“Where’s the guy?” Des asked.
Brody shrugged. “Gone.”
“Gone where?”
“I don’t know.”
“I thought you were going to give him a lift?”
“Yeah, I…”
Des scowled and went back outside.
“What’s all that about?” Karen asked.
Brody glanced at the twins.
She turned to the boys. “Go play with your Lego. No battles. No weapons of mass destruction. Build houses.” After they’d disappeared into the lounge, she turned to Brody. “Well?”
“I knocked Aden over with my car yesterday evening. He spent the night in Captain’s stall. Des and I found him in there this morning.”
She gaped at him. “You knocked him over? Is the guy indestructible? Captain didn’t kick him in the head?”
“Amazingly enough, no.”
“Why did he sleep in the stable?”
“After I’d hit him with my car, he disappeared. He was looking for shelter and found the barn. He told me he’s involved in a recruitment challenge to get a job. He has to survive a month with no home, no phone, no money of his own.”
She frowned. “That sounds extreme.”
“I wondered if it was a government thing. Military or espionage. He says he can’t talk about it.”
“Or he’s a con artist, on the run from his wife, the police or fellow criminals.” She huffed. “Sorry, I watch too much TV.”
“Not a wife.”
Karen tipped her head on one side. “He’s gay? You sure?”
Brody managed a laugh. “Pretty sure.”
“And you don’t fancy him? Are you crazy? He’s gorgeous.”
Brody hesitated.
“You have to like him a bit,” she said. “Apart from the fact that’s he’s really good-looking—and don’t tell Des I said that—he’s a hero. He risked his life to save Jamie. He’s perfect for you.”
No he wasn’t. Brody didn’t deserve a hero.
Aden stopped when he reached the end of the lane. His back ached even more now. He’d landed on something
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