Page 2 of After Hours

He closed the gap between us. “I just got an unexpected call from Colin.” He tilted his head and peered into my eyes. “Your dad, right?”

I nodded then simply followed him when he waved me through a door, down a short hall, and into an office with a comfy couch along one wall and a beautiful rainbow-tinted photo of the lake on the other. When he pointed one huge hand at the couch, I sank down onto the cushions. He pulled the desk chair closer and sat, elbows on his knees, and fingers linked together.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-two.”

He blew out a tense breath and relaxed in the chair. “Well, that’s good then. I don’t want my brother coming after me for kidnapping or luring a minor across state lines or anything.”

Finn’s words didn’t do much to calm my nerves. “No, no. I’m an adult, and you didn’t lure me anywhere.”

His smile softened some of the hard planes of his face and made him look a little less terrifying. “I didn’t know you existeduntil about an hour ago when my brother called out of the blue looking for his wayward son. Your grandmother doesn’t write much family news in the annual Christmas card. I’m actually a bit surprised you knew about me.”

How was I supposed to explain that? The sheer weirdness of the whole situation weighed on me. What was I thinking driving across the country to find a man I didn’t know just because he was my father’s brother and presumably gay? “My dad has a picture of you when you were a teenager. Grandma and Grandpa um… mention you sometimes.”

Finn’s dark brows shot up. “Really?” His reaction made it sound like I’d just told him fairies existed.

“Well, every Sunday at the family meal we all have to show up for.”

Deep laughter rolled out of him, and he leaned back in the chair, shaking his head. “Lord, show our poor lost lamb the error of his ways, and guide him back to your light instead of down the path of sin and degradation! After all this time, huh?”

I giggled and then clapped a hand over my face. It sounded nothing like Sunday dinner grace, but the sentiment was the same. “Something like that.” As if those imaginary fae folk had grabbed on and flapped their tiny wings, some of the weight of strain began to lift off my heart.

“Oscar,” Finn said, his voice sobering once more. “Stop me when I get off track. You’ve left home, not running from the law or anything like that, and need a safe place to land, yeah? And you heard rumors of a gay uncle out east, looked me up, and figured I might just understand where you’re coming from.”

His assessment of my situation was eerily accurate. I couldn’t tell what answer would lead to the help I really needed, so I went with the truth. “Yes.” I looked down at my hands. “I know this is way out of bounds, and I’ll leave and won’t bother you again if you say the word, but…” When my eyes met his,something soft shone from their stormy blue depths. “I really could use some support right now.” The damn tears threatened again, and I blinked rapidly.

“Well, let’s go.” Finn stood up to tower over me and led the way back out through the office door. Instead of heading into the public part of the inn, he led me through a rear door. We climbed into a fancy silver golf cart parked outside a small garage. He didn’t say anything as we wound down a paved path as colorful autumn leaves drifted through the air.

A narrower side path led to a wooden gate. He tapped his phone screen a few times, and it swung open with a low whirr of a motor and closed behind us after we drove through. The cottage nestled in the thick woods had two stories with a broad, shady porch and a side yard view of the lake glittering between the maples and pines. It looked like something out of a vacation brochure, and I guessed it was. The Halcyon Inn had super high ratings on every online review site I checked out.

I followed Finn through the front door into a comfortable open space with leather couches and a modern kitchen with a built-in island to the right.

“Carter, baby? We have company.”

The handsome blond from the website photos trotted down the stairs on the far side of the room dressed in tailored suit pants, a crisp white shirt, collar unbuttoned, sleeves rolled, and feet bare. He looked at Finn first before turning his head toward me. His smile tipped toward confusion as he approached.

Finn settled a hand on my shoulder and eased me closer. The sheer size of him made me feel tiny in comparison. He had to be six-four or five, and I never grew past five-eight. Carter wasn’t a giant at least, but his polish and obvious confidence didn’t help my nerves.

“This is Oscar, my nephew. He left home for the same reason I did and could use a bit of help getting on his feet.Just randomly showed up today.” When Carter opened his lips to say something, Finn interrupted. “He’s twenty-two and, to get everything out in the open, I already answered a call from my brother, his father, that verifies who he is and why he came here.”

With that assurance, Carter smiled at last and nodded at me. “Welcome, then.” He turned his attention to my uncle. “We can move the boxes into our room for a while. There are clean sheets in the closet we can use for the spare. It hasn’t been used for guests in a while.”

The way these perfect strangers just welcomed me into their home blew my mind. I felt like I should refuse their hospitality, but it was why I went there in the first place, wasn’t it? “Thank you. I… don’t know how to thank you for this. I can get a hotel, or just…”

Carter peered at me with warm whiskey brown eyes and Finn patted my shoulder. “You’re family.” They shared a look. “Well, neither of us has such a great experience with family, but it still means something right? It’s what we make of it that counts. We’re happy to have you, and we’ll help you figure out your next steps.”

Finn disappeared upstairs, presumably to move boxes out of what would become my temporary room, and Carter offered water or iced tea. A gray cat wound around my legs in the kitchen as we sipped, and he made small talk about the inn and the town. “That’s Bandit,” Carter said. “Scamp’s around here somewhere. I hope you’re not allergic to cats.”

I shook my head and crouched down to give chin scritches. “No, I love cats.” Bandit purred and pushed his face against my hand.

“Well, you have his seal of approval. I’m sure that counts for something.” Carter’s smile morphed into a more seriousexpression as I straightened up. “Oscar, we’ll help you figure this out, okay? You’re welcome here.”

I hoped I wasn’t suddenly developing an allergy to cats, because my stupid eyes started watering again. Carter was kind enough not to mention it when I turned away to wipe them.

Chapter 2

Zane

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