Page 30 of Embers Glow After the Fire

"I'm grilling burgers for dinner."

"Mmm." Brendon peels away. "Will you distract Matthew so I can sneak his gift up to my room."

"Of course!" Dennis winks, pats his shoulder and trots onto the porch. "Matty!" His voice booms into the house. He pauses in the doorway for a moment and then calls back. “Coast is clear, he's in the shower.”

Brendon gathers the brown paper sack with the old barber set inside and hugs the bundle to his belly. He slips into the house and up the stairs to his room. He carefully unwraps each piece of the collection and lays them out on the bed. Then neatly rewraps everything in the sheets of tissue paper the shop owner provided and carefully places them in the bottom drawer of the dresser. Robbie mentioned having a box and wrapping paper he could have to present the gift at the party.

He backs out the bedroom, closes the door, spins around, and bumps into Matthew who clutches the towel wrapped around his waist to save it from falling to the floor.

“Sorry!” Brendon cries. His eyes drop to freckled pecs and a belly dripping from the fresh shower. Floral musk floods the hallway on the steamy heat following the beefy treat.

“You’re good.” Matthew giggles. Apricot curls cling to his forehead and trail drips of water down his cheeks.

Brendon flashes hot from his head down to the flutters in his stomach and stumbles words, “S-see you downstairs.” He scurries away, bounding steps to rejoin the group in the great room.

Dennis is molding beef patties over the kitchen island and Robbie is mixing separate pitchers of iced tea and lemonade. “Need help with anything?” Brendon asks eagerly.

“Can you just set these on the table?” Robbie hands him a ream of plastic cups. “Go relax with the others. We’ll be right out.”

He follows orders, placing the cups on the patio table and dropping into a chair across from Jamie and Nathan. The little gray cat on Nathan’s lap patters across the glass surface and nuzzles against Brendon’s chest.

“Hey you.” He strokes her back as she curls her body to meet his hand. “Rosy, right?” He asks Nathan.

He nods.

“I named her after the bush in the backyard where I first met her.” Jamie beams.

“She's very sweet.” Brendon smiles down at big citrine eyes gazing back at him. “How does she like living in the RV?”

“She loves it” Nathan lays an arm around Jamie’s shoulders. “We’re all loving it.”

“Did you have a good visit at your parent’s place?” Brendon asks.

“It was what I expected.” Jamie scrunched his nose. “We left three days earlier than planned. My parents prefer the out-of-sight-out-of-mind approach to my personal life.” He squeezes Nathan’s thigh. “Although they did love him. Probably more than me.” He laughs.

“Drinks gentlemen?” Robbie places two pitchers on the center of the table and sits to Brendon’s left.

Matthew emerges from the house and climbs into the chair at Brendon’s right. His fresh clean scent wafts past as his thigh brushed Brendon’s arm, sending a tingle through his chest. He sculpted wet curls into a neatly arranged coif and a strawberry field of fur sprouts from his deep v-neck t-shirt. Brendon catches his own reflection in Matthew’s mirrored aviators and pull his eyes away from the delicious sight.

“What are we doing today?” Matthew chimes.

“Where’s your necklace?” Jamie notes.

“I put it safely away, so I won't lose it again.” Matthew’s fingers trace the junction of his clavicle where the stone usually lays.

Brendon bites his lip. His face burns when he turns back, caught ogling by Robbie, who winks.

“Thirsty Brendo?” Robbie leans forward, eyes fixed on Brendon, and prepares to pour iced tea into a cup.

“Yes—Thank you.” Brendon pokes his tongue out pursed lips.

“Anyone else?” he offers the table and they all accept.

Phoenix and Eli appear from beyond the knoll. Eli looks knackered but Phoenix struts like a star in his tiny side-split gym shorts with tee draped over his bare shoulder.

“What are we doing for lunch? I’m starved.” The shiny twink hops up on the stone wall surrounding the patio and dangles his feet.

“Dennis is grilling burgers.” Robbie answers.

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