Day, Xondra - Our Dirty Little Secret (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (17 page)

“
No, it isn
’
t.
”
Jeff grabbed a beer from the fridge and cracked it open.
“
Mike
’
s one heck of a nice guy. I can see how you would be attracted to him.
”

Could he?
“
Looking and attraction are not the same thing. Mike is a nice guy. I
’
m glad we
’
ve met him, and you know, I think he
’
s glad to have met us. I get the feeling he
’
s lonely. It
’
s sad. To lose his partner like that, in the prime of their lives, that can
’
t be easy. I went ahead and asked him to join us at the cottage. He said yes.
”

“
Wonderful, and I agree. Now, enough of this chitchat. Let
’
s eat,
”
said Jeff, cutting the conversation off.
“
I
’
m starved.
”

* * * *

Mike sat on the back patio, surveying the fruits of his labor. In the span of a short few hours, he managed to mow the grass and start in on reorganizing the perennial beds, including weeding them.

When he went back inside, he ate and then jumped into the shower before Ann
’
s and Jeff
’
s arrival, which he looked forward to, even if the whole situation had turned awkward with Jeff.

The two of them showed up at eight, and just before he let them in, he felt as if he might be a tad stomach sick. He really didn
’
t want anything to fuck up this friendship. This was to be a new start for him, a new beginning. Messing this up would destroy everything he had worked for. He couldn
’
t allow that to happen.

“
Come in,
”
he said, greeting them.

“
So, where will we start?
”
asked Mike. It was obvious he was ready to get straight to business from the way he walked inside the house ready to go straight at it.
“
The bedroom, I
’
d like to get that wallpaper off.
”

“
Then let
’
s do it. I went ahead and rented a steamer, it
’
s in the truck. I
’
ll get it.
”

* * * *

Being around Mike set him on fire.

Jeff grabbed the steamer from the back of the truck and mucked with it to Mike
’
s house. Hopefully the damned thing would work, and they
’
d have the room stripped in little time.

“
You have to do it in sections,
”
he explained to Ann and Mike.
“
The machine has to warm up, and then you hold it there for thirty to forty seconds to allow the glue to loosen.
”

“
Who would have thought?
”
replied Ann, her tone a tad mocking.

He held out the machine.
“
Ann, you can be the first to have a go at it. Show us how it
’
s done.
”

She frowned, grabbing it from him.
“
Fine.
”

“
The hallway needs a second coat of paint.
”
He nudged Mike. “We can apply that. It won
’
t take long, and then we’ll move on to something else.
”

“
Good plan,
”
said Mike.
“
Ann, are you okay in here?
”

She nodded.
“
If I need anything, I
’
ll call.
”
A piece of paper flailed from the wall where she had been steaming.
“
I think it
’
s working.
”

* * * *

Fun stuff!

Ann wasn
’
t sure what she had expected coming to Mike
’
s house to help with the work, but steaming wallpaper was one hell of a boring job. She would have preferred to be painting, and from the laughter flowing in from the hall from the guys, they appeared to be having a good time doing it.

Pulling a strip from the wall, she tossed it to her side and then noticed a picture sitting on the nightstand next to Mike
’
s bed.

She picked up the silver frame. In it was a picture of Mike and a man who she guessed was Jackson. They looked incredibly happy. Behind them she could see what looked to be a beach.
A vacation, maybe?

She really hated death. Most people did, she guessed. Looking at the picture of the happy couple, she wondered how her father and mother felt, knowing what was to happen to them, and how she would feel if she suddenly lost Jeff. Then there was Gwenn, who was quite possibly going to lose Kevin, but in another way. Yet, it was still loss. And no matter how much she despised Kevin, Gwenn still seemed to love the asshole.

“
That
’
s Jackson and me in Florida, the year before he died. It was our last vacation together.
”

Mike took the picture out of her hands, holding it out in front of him.

“
I
’
m sorry. I shouldn
’
t have touched it. I saw it there, and well, I was curious to see who was in it. He was extremely handsome.
”

“
He was. I found that picture when I was unpacking some things. I wasn
’
t going to put it out at first.
”

“
Why not? It
’
s a great picture.
”

“
He was my past. This is my future, and I thought he didn
’
t have a place here. It
’
s messed-up thinking on my part. Everyone who ever mattered to me in this life has died. Jackson, my mother and father, all gone.
”

“
Do you have any other family?
”

“
None to speak of. I have some distant relatives living out west. We
’
ve never been in contact.
”

“
I have a sister, Gwenn, and my parents. Jeff
’
s family is not from this area. We see them on occasion when we make special plans to go see them. He has a large family. Nice people.
”

Mike put the picture back in its place.
“
I
’
m going to make coffee.
”
He left the room, not saying anything else.

Chapter Eight

“
At least it isn
’
t so hot tonight.
”
Jeff stripped down and got into bed.
“
Did you notice anything strange about Mike? He was all happy and chipper when we arrived, but at some point that changed.
”

“
We had a moment in his bedroom,
”
said Ann.

“
Oh really!
”
Jeff raised a brow.
“
That sounds interesting.
”

“
Nothing like that. I
’
m shocked that you would even think such a thing.
”

“
Kidding, Ann. Take a joke. You
’
re far too serious at times.
”

“
I saw a picture of him and Jackson. They made a great couple. He told me about their last vacation together.
”

“
Then I understand why his mood went sour. Hopefully, that
’
ll all change this weekend up at the cottage.
”

“
Is that my cell?
”
asked Ann.

“
I don
’
t hear anything.
”
Jeff rolled on his side away from her.
“
I
’
m exhausted,
”
he muttered.

It
was
her cell!

Grabbing it from her purse next to the bed, she flicked it open. Gwenn!

“
He
’
s left me,
”
said her sister.
“
He
’
s left and said he
’
s going to file for divorce right away.

“
What?
”
She didn
’
t understand.
“
Back up, when did this happen?
”