Authors: Cassandra Gold
Quinn smiled at him, admiration clear in his expression. "What you did was very kind. You must be a great doctor."
Now it was Josh's turn to blush. "I was just doing my job."
"Uh huh." Quinn's tone said he didn't believe the protest, but he changed the subject. "What are you going to have for breakfast?"
Over plates of fruit, eggs, bacon, and toast, they discussed the destination for the day, the Animal Kingdom Park. Quinn confided that as a child he had wanted to be a veterinarian, to the point of trying to help any injured animal he came across--including a skunk. Needless to say, bringing a skunk home had been a terrible idea, with disastrous results. He had Josh laughing hard enough to bring tears to his eyes. How had Josh ever thought Quinn was serious and severe?
As they were finishing their breakfasts, Damien appeared in the doorway. He spotted them right away and strutted over to their table. He gave Josh what was probably supposed to be a sexy pout. The expression came across as petulant instead. "Josh. I looked all over for you yesterday. Where did you go?"
Stifling a sigh, Josh put his fork down. His hand tightened into a fist on the table. What would it take to get rid of Damien? The man could not take a hint. "Quinn and I spent the day on the slides and at the beach. We were around all day."
Damien put a hand on his hip, still pouting. He didn't even acknowledge Quinn. "I ended up spending most of the day with Clay. He followed me around like a puppy, and it's all your fault. Maybe you can make it up to me today..." He trailed off, his expression morphing into an attempt at coquettish, another look he couldn't quite pull off.
"Well, actually," Josh began, but Quinn's hand covering the hand he'd clenched stopped him. Damien's gaze darted to their hands as well.
Quinn spoke, his deep voice soft yet assertive. "Josh and I are spending the day together. You'll have to find someone else to hang out with."
Damien's mouth dropped open. He ran a hand through his artfully messy hair. Then a disdainful sneer twisted his lips. "So that's how it is." He turned to Josh. "I didn't know your taste ran to big, ugly Neanderthals." With a toss of his head, he flounced away from their table.
Josh stared after him, shocked at Damien's vicious words. He'd expected the man to be snotty, but not outright cruel. He glanced at Quinn to see his reaction, hoping not to see him withdrawn or upset.
To his surprise, Quinn was grinning, his eyes full of mischief. "So, tell me about this Neanderthal fetish of yours. Was it my prominent brow that attracted you?"
Josh burst out laughing. "Oh, yeah. I'm very into your brow." He sobered. "I'm sorry Damien was such a jerk to you."
Quinn shrugged. "I guess he's jealous."
"That's no excuse. He reminds me of my ex. All flash and no substance. I'm glad to be rid of them both."
That made Quinn smile. "Don't be so sure. He's persistent."
Josh groaned.
They were among the first people to get into the shuttle. Quinn led the way to the bench in the back, where he sat against the wall. Josh sat beside him, not leaving much space between them. Steve and Art boarded a couple of minutes later and came back to join them on the bench.
With two more people, the amount of space dwindled. Josh seized on the excuse to close the small distance between him and Quinn. The warm, solid press of Quinn's thigh against his own made him wish they were alone.
To distract himself, he focused on Steve and Art. They both looked pleased with themselves and the world in general. He grinned at them. "So, how's it going?"
Steve's smile had a dreamy edge to it. "Great."
Josh tried not to laugh. "You two have a good night?"
Art raised an eyebrow, but chuckled. "Yes. Is it that obvious?"
"Yep." The shuttle went around a curve, and Josh allowed himself to lean into Quinn.
Steve must have noticed, because he darted a glance from Josh to Quinn, and then tilted his head as if to ask a question.
Josh shook his head. He knew what Steve wanted to know. His new friend had to have seen the way Josh had been trailing after Quinn, trying to get the man to notice him and come out of his shell. Now that Steve had hooked up with Art for real, he probably wanted to return the favor for Josh.
Steve frowned. Josh grinned in reply and leaned against Quinn again. The big man turned from his contemplation of the scenery and smiled down at him. Out of the corner of his eye, Josh saw Steve's frown become a smile.
The moment they stepped into the Animal Kingdom Park, Josh was enthralled. He kept stopping to look at everything, which was fine until Steve, and later Art, ran into his back.
Quinn grinned at him. "Are you having fun?"
He blushed and tried to explain, feeling silly. "When I was a kid, I went through phases of being interested in different things, like the stars, plants, or animals. My parents used to encourage me to learn about everything, but I never felt any real connection to any of it. It was all just more knowledge, until I started learning about medicine."
"And you've got that same feeling now?"
Quinn was perceptive. Josh nodded. He stopped and stared in awe at a group of colorful birds, their feathers brighter than any rainbow. "The last couple of days I've been looking at things, and people, and thinking how incredible they are. Do you think that sounds stupid?"
The other man smiled. "Not at all. I think that's wonderful. It's important to notice things around us and not take them for granted."
Everything seemed especially beautiful. Josh relished the hot, sunny day and the soft breeze that ruffled his hair, bringing with it the scents of snack foods and sunscreen. He couldn't help admiring Quinn in his navy shorts and white T-shirt, smiling and happy. The aura of shy satisfaction around Steve and Art, and the way they looked at each other when they thought no one was looking, made Josh grin. The day seemed made just for the four of them.
They stuck together, ambling along a trail with animals exhibited. They came to the entrance to a safari ride. Quinn tilted his head toward the ride. "What do you think?"
Josh grinned. "I'm in."
Art and Steve both smiled and nodded their agreement. The line wasn't too long yet. The four of them took their places at the end to wait. Steve stood close to Art, who didn't seem to mind a bit.
Josh elbowed Quinn and tilted his head toward the other two men. Quinn leaned down until his lips hovered near Josh's ear. "They seem happy today."
Shivering at the warm breath ghosting over the sensitive shell of his ear, Josh murmured, "Uh huh."
Quinn didn't step back. "Wonder why?"
From the tone of Quinn's voice, it was obvious that he had a pretty good idea why. Josh stifled another shiver and turned his gaze to meet Quinn's, their lips inches apart. "I can't imagine."
The harsh sound of a throat clearing ahead of them broke the spell. They both faced the front to find Art and Steve staring at them, grinning. Josh's cheeks warmed.
"Line's moving, boys." Art jerked a thumb in the direction of the rest of the line, which had moved a considerable distance.
"Oh." Steve's knowing smirk sent more heat rushing to Josh's face. "We'd better catch up then." He strode forward, leaving the others to follow.
Poorly stifled snickers rang in his ears. Determined to ignore them, he changed the subject. "Where are Lyle and Ray?"
Steve answered. "I think they were going to catch a later shuttle. They were busy this morning."
Busy, huh? Josh rolled his eyes. "Talk about opposites attracting. I missed my calling. I should have been a professional matchmaker."
"I think that only works if you know the couples are going to get together, not if you just pick random people and they happen to hit it off." Despite pointing out the flaw in Josh's plan, Steve was smiling. "But you did help some of us on our way." He glanced at Art, his smile taking on new dimensions.
Josh didn't get a chance to reply. They'd reached the front of the line, and it was time for them to board. They climbed, Josh first, into one row of a large vehicle designed to look like a battered bush truck. The driver gave a little spiel about the "safari" they were about to embark on, and they were off.
Antelope, gazelle, zebras, giraffes, and many other creatures roamed the open land around them. It was like a zoo, only a lot more interesting because the animals could go wherever they wanted. Josh snapped picture after picture.
Next to him, Quinn chuckled. "I hope you have a huge memory card in that thing."
Feeling playful and carefree, Josh stuck his tongue out and took a picture of Quinn when he laughed.
Quinn pretended to scowl. "Why'd you have to do that?"
Josh tilted the camera to get the glare off the viewing screen. "I don't know why you're complaining. You look good." Quinn's face smiled up at him from the screen, in miniature, happy and very attractive. Unlike Billy and Damien, Quinn seemed to be one of those people who grew better looking with further acquaintance.
Quinn's gaze went to his feet. "I always look so big and angry in pictures."
"Not this one. Look." Josh held the camera out.
The hand that took it from him was hesitant, as if Quinn were afraid to look. There was a moment of silence, and then Quinn let out a breath. "I'm smiling."
"Of course you are. We're having fun, right?" Josh bumped their shoulders together.
Quinn handed him the camera. "Yeah, we are."
"Good."
The loudspeaker came to life, announcing they were going to go after a poacher. Josh held on tight as the vehicle roared and leapt forward. Quinn put a steadying arm around him.
Josh leaned into the hard, strong body next to him, letting Quinn keep them both anchored. He was really starting to like the whole size-difference thing.
"This might not have been such a great idea." Quinn eyed the big, round boat with trepidation.
"Too late now. Get in." Josh hopped into the boat and took a seat, belting himself in. Steven and Art got in, too. They managed to fit into one set of seats, although they were squished together. Not that they seemed to mind.
There was no way Quinn would fit into Josh's seat. These rides weren't exactly designed for two large, grown men to sit together. He took the one closest one to Josh and buckled in, hoping they wouldn't get too wet.
The other three sets of seats were quickly filled with a young couple and a family of four. The little boy nearest to Quinn grinned up at him, revealing a missing tooth. "This is gonna be so fun."
"I'm sure it is," Quinn agreed, although he wasn't sure at all. Most of the people exiting the ride had been fairly dry, but he'd seen a few passengers emerge more than a little wet.
Josh snickered.
Quinn stifled a smart remark as the boat floated away from the boarding area. The first part was tame, with calm water and a bit of water spraying from large pipes.
Then they hit the rapids, and it all went downhill from there, literally. Somehow Quinn managed to be the one whose back was to the churning waves, and cold water poured over the boat's side and onto him. He yelped.
Josh laughed. "Getting a little wet, buddy?"
The little boy crowed with delight. "Here comes some more rapids! They're gonna get us!"
Quinn groaned. True to the boy's prediction, the boat stayed turned in the same direction. He was consoled by the fact that the boy and his father got some of the next wave, too.
The beginning of the ride seemed to set the tone for the rest. Quinn got the worst of just about every set of rapids. Josh, Steve, and Art laughed their heads off from their relatively dry part of the boat.
The little girl pointed. "Look at that bridge. It's on fire."
The boat passed under the bridge and into the dark. Someone yelled, and they plunged down a drop. The splash at the bottom sent yet another wave of cold water onto Quinn's lap. Back out in the sun, he soaked up the warmth while Josh snickered, still mostly dry.
To add insult to injury, the boat then veered over to a huge waterfall. Quinn was first to go underneath. He was soaked in seconds. The little boy and his father were next. Quinn couldn't help laughing at the boy's shrieks and the father's resigned sigh.
Somehow Josh managed to stay out of the deluge, despite being close to Quinn. He laughed so hard he looked like he would have fallen out of the boat if he hadn't been belted in.
"Oh yeah?" Quinn cupped his hands and caught a handful of water.
Josh's eyes widened. "Don't you dare. Quinn!" His words turned into an indignant cry as Quinn flung the water, hitting his chest and face.
The boat twirled away from the waterfall. The boy chortled. "Good one." He held up his small hand for a high five.
"He deserved it, didn't he?" Quinn tapped his hand to the boy's gently.
"I'll say," the boy's father put in.
Josh crossed his arms over his chest and pretended to pout. "Just wait. I'll get you later."
Quinn glanced down at his soaked-through clothing. "I think I've suffered enough, don't you?"
"Nope."
Quinn resorted to a kindergarten retort, sticking his tongue out. Everyone laughed.
After a few more minutes, the ride ended. The boat came to a stop and Josh unbuckled his belt.
Quinn reached for his belt, too. Before he could unhook it, the boy next to him stood up too fast and stumbled. Quinn caught him and put him back on his feet. "You okay?"
The boy gazed up at him with round, awed eyes. "Wow. You're strong."
It didn't take a whole lot of strength to lift a fifty-pound kid. Quinn smiled.
The father nodded to Quinn. "Thank you."
"Yeah, thanks." The boy held out his hand for another high five.
Quinn obliged. "You're welcome." A little embarrassed, he unbuckled and stood. He followed Art and Steve as they left the boat.
Josh waited for them at the exit. "I think that boy has a new hero for the day."
"I didn't really do anything." Quinn's face warmed, and he tried to change the subject. "How come I'm soaked and none of you guys got that wet?"