as he steadily surveyed their surroundings. Rafa sighed again. “There’s no one here. I’m sure it’s fine.”
Shane pressed his lips together into a thin line. “I still have to do my job.”
“No one wants to kidnap me. Trust me.”
Shane’s nostrils flared. “Why do you do that?” He turned to survey the trees beyond the Suburban.
“Do what?”
After a long moment, Shane answered, “Put yourself down.”
“I don’t.” Rafa bent and picked up a stone to toss into the river, which rushed by with a low hum.
His back still turned, Shane made a noise that might have been a snort.
Rafa wanted to ask Shane what was so great about him, but it was far too needy to say those words out loud. He tossed another rock. “Of the first kids, I’m just not the one people pay attention to. My sister’s always been a little wild. Christian is the hot one and Matthew’s the athletic one.” He shrugged. “I’m the other one.”
Shane was quiet for a few moments as he continued surveying the trees. “Maybe that’s the way you’ve wanted it. To stay hidden. But that doesn’t mean you’re not just as important.”
Rafa couldn’t help but smile and feel…well, good. “You’ll get along great with Ashleigh when she comes back. She says I don’t value myself enough.”
Shane’s back was still turned to Rafa and the river. “Sounds like an intelligent young woman.”
Rafa smiled. So Shane thought he should value himself more too? “Yeah. Ash is awesome. I’m really lucky.”
“You must miss her.”
“Of course, but she’s having an amazing time in Paris. She’s interning at Vogue . My dad pulled some strings. At first she didn’t want me to ask him, but I convinced her that people use their connections all the time.”
Shane faced Rafa again, and his brows drew together. “You don’t worry?”
“Huh? About what?” Rafa picked up another stone.
“About being apart for months. Pretty girl like that in Paris with all those French guys?”
Tossing the stone, Rafa laughed. “Nope. Frenchmen are wasted on Ashleigh. Now French—” He bit off the women just in time. Keeping his gaze on the river, Rafa laughed again, a reedy sound this time. “Um, French pastries are more her indulgence. She’d never cheat. No worries.”
“Hmm. Glad to hear it.” Shane’s voice was even, but did he sound a little…skeptical? Suspicious?
He’s gay too. He’d understand. Maybe I should just tell him the truth. Maybe he’d even…
Shaking his head, Rafa grabbed another stone from near his feet and launched it. Maybe Shane would what? Like him back? It was crazy to even fantasize about it. But he couldn’t deny that it would be wonderful to be out to a man he could trust. Not that Ashleigh wasn’t understanding, but sometimes he really wanted to talk to another guy.
He went to the pack and pulled out the thermos of cold water. He gulped some down and offered it to Shane, who eyed the bottle. Rafa flushed. “Oh, sorry. I forgot cups. Shit.”
“It’s fine.” Shane’s fingers brushed Rafa’s as he took the thermos. “Thanks.”
Rafa watched Shane’s throat work as he swallowed, and heat shot through him. Ducking his head, he busied himself with the food. “I made sandwiches and stuff. Nothing fancy. You probably don’t even want one.”
“You brought food?” Shane smiled. “Of course I want some.”
“You do? Cool. Um, here.” He thrust up one of the foil-wrapped sandwiches.
After he took it, Shane glanced around again. “Thanks.”
Rafa sat on a flat rock by the water’s edge. “Why don’t you sit?”
Shane shook his head before taking a bite. He moaned softly, and Rafa dug his nails into his palm. “Damn. This is amazing. Did you make the bread?”
He couldn’t help but beam a bit. “Yeah, earlier this evening. It was still a little warm when I wrapped up the sandwiches.”
“Mayo too?” Shane glanced left and right.
“Yep. I didn’t make the beef, though. Or the
Shane pressed his lips together into a thin line. “I still have to do my job.”
“No one wants to kidnap me. Trust me.”
Shane’s nostrils flared. “Why do you do that?” He turned to survey the trees beyond the Suburban.
“Do what?”
After a long moment, Shane answered, “Put yourself down.”
“I don’t.” Rafa bent and picked up a stone to toss into the river, which rushed by with a low hum.
His back still turned, Shane made a noise that might have been a snort.
Rafa wanted to ask Shane what was so great about him, but it was far too needy to say those words out loud. He tossed another rock. “Of the first kids, I’m just not the one people pay attention to. My sister’s always been a little wild. Christian is the hot one and Matthew’s the athletic one.” He shrugged. “I’m the other one.”
Shane was quiet for a few moments as he continued surveying the trees. “Maybe that’s the way you’ve wanted it. To stay hidden. But that doesn’t mean you’re not just as important.”
Rafa couldn’t help but smile and feel…well, good. “You’ll get along great with Ashleigh when she comes back. She says I don’t value myself enough.”
Shane’s back was still turned to Rafa and the river. “Sounds like an intelligent young woman.”
Rafa smiled. So Shane thought he should value himself more too? “Yeah. Ash is awesome. I’m really lucky.”
“You must miss her.”
“Of course, but she’s having an amazing time in Paris. She’s interning at Vogue . My dad pulled some strings. At first she didn’t want me to ask him, but I convinced her that people use their connections all the time.”
Shane faced Rafa again, and his brows drew together. “You don’t worry?”
“Huh? About what?” Rafa picked up another stone.
“About being apart for months. Pretty girl like that in Paris with all those French guys?”
Tossing the stone, Rafa laughed. “Nope. Frenchmen are wasted on Ashleigh. Now French—” He bit off the women just in time. Keeping his gaze on the river, Rafa laughed again, a reedy sound this time. “Um, French pastries are more her indulgence. She’d never cheat. No worries.”
“Hmm. Glad to hear it.” Shane’s voice was even, but did he sound a little…skeptical? Suspicious?
He’s gay too. He’d understand. Maybe I should just tell him the truth. Maybe he’d even…
Shaking his head, Rafa grabbed another stone from near his feet and launched it. Maybe Shane would what? Like him back? It was crazy to even fantasize about it. But he couldn’t deny that it would be wonderful to be out to a man he could trust. Not that Ashleigh wasn’t understanding, but sometimes he really wanted to talk to another guy.
He went to the pack and pulled out the thermos of cold water. He gulped some down and offered it to Shane, who eyed the bottle. Rafa flushed. “Oh, sorry. I forgot cups. Shit.”
“It’s fine.” Shane’s fingers brushed Rafa’s as he took the thermos. “Thanks.”
Rafa watched Shane’s throat work as he swallowed, and heat shot through him. Ducking his head, he busied himself with the food. “I made sandwiches and stuff. Nothing fancy. You probably don’t even want one.”
“You brought food?” Shane smiled. “Of course I want some.”
“You do? Cool. Um, here.” He thrust up one of the foil-wrapped sandwiches.
After he took it, Shane glanced around again. “Thanks.”
Rafa sat on a flat rock by the water’s edge. “Why don’t you sit?”
Shane shook his head before taking a bite. He moaned softly, and Rafa dug his nails into his palm. “Damn. This is amazing. Did you make the bread?”
He couldn’t help but beam a bit. “Yeah, earlier this evening. It was still a little warm when I wrapped up the sandwiches.”
“Mayo too?” Shane glanced left and right.
“Yep. I didn’t make the beef, though. Or the
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