Page 43 of Finding Jeremy
“I’d totally be okay with living here,” Jeremy declared.
“Yeah, he said something about that as well, and honestly, I’m already in love with the idea myself. I don’t have much family of my own left. Chaos has been more of a brother to me than any of the siblings I was halfway raised with. Between the derby and racing plans and how close the two of you are, sticking close just makes sense. Looking at the property is mostly just a formality. As long as there are no unforeseen issues, I’d love for us to build our home here.”
“Me too.”
They parked a short time later at the edge of a clearing ringed with trees. It was the perfect time of day to see it too, with the sun streaming through the branches, the beautiful golden light spilling through the green.
“As I explained on the phone, you’d have to start from the ground up. The old house had a basement. What little of the structure was left was bulldozed into it and covered with dirt. The location is on the flat map, which you’d want to provide to your builder if you decide to purchase the place.”
“Oh, we want it,” Gray declared. “His father’s property adjoins this one, with the creek serving as the borderline for both. Talk about peaceful, it’s everything I’ve been hoping to find.”
“It’s a beautiful spot,” she said. “And I would be thrilled to see it go to someone who’d keep it as a single plot rather than breaking it up and selling off pieces to developers. I’m sure the rest of the folks out here will feel the exact same way.”
“I bet,” Gray replied. “Do you mind if we walk around for a bit?”
“Not at all,” she replied. “Take your time. I’ll make a few calls and find out what dates would work for the closing.”
“Sounds good,” Gray said before turning away so they could explore a little.
“The woods on this side are even thicker than at Dad’s place,” Jeremy declared as they followed a little deer trail away from the clearing to a thicket that would be perfect for stargazing.
“Won’t have to worry about being disturbed out here,” Gray declared. “Not in the slightest. I think we’ve found our little slice of paradise.”
“Definitely.”
“Then we’re in agreement?” Gray asked, turning to him and framing Jeremy’s face in his hands. “This is where we want to build our home.”
“Hell yeah.”
“Then I can think of no better way to seal the deal,” Gray declared, right before kissing him senseless.
Chapter 17
(Gray)
For the first time in years, his life made sense. In less than a week he’d be a property owner alongside the man he loved. Together they’d already started to make a list of all the things they wanted to include in their dream home, and Duncan had already penciled the build into his schedule, giving them a tentative move-in date of early spring. He and Haven had put their heads together and agreed that keeping the shop open for an extra hour Monday through Thursday would allow them to close by two on Fridays, something they were all looking forward to. There was only one last issue to wrap up, which was exactly why he, Chaos, and Reggie had loaded up in the pickup truck this morning, to finally lay things to rest with Gerald.
It was a strange sort of irony, them meeting out at the boat access point on Redfern Pond Road where they’d first put their dumbass scheme into motion, but Gray supposed that there wassomething to be said for bringing things full circle. Chaos had time-stamped photographic evidence of what he’d discovered in those hidden chambers of Gray’s bike, as well as the list he’d made at Gray’s trial of the jewelry that had been discovered inside Gray’s saddlebags. One way or another they’d know the truth before the end of the afternoon.
“Do I need to remind you to stay cool and not lay hands on him?” Chaos asked when they parked beside Gerald’s battered old Mustang.
The thing had clearly seen better days and was desperately in need of either a restoration or the scrapyard. If it belonged to anyone else, Gray would be itching to get his hands on it to see if he could bring that bit of old-school American muscle back to life. For a brief moment Gray thought about asking what had happened to the slick-ass Harley Sportster Gerald used to ride, but it was immediately followed by his inner voice snarling,Who gives a fuck, as Chaos parked.
“Naa, I’m good.”
“Just remember to keep them that way,” Chaos cautioned, before turning to look at Reggie. “That goes for you too. Can’t have you catching a case with the new baby on the way.”
“Babies,” Reggie remarked, grinning ear to ear.
“Wait…what?” Chaos sputtered.
“Seriously!” Gray declared, clasping him on the shoulder. “Dude, you don’t do anything halfway, do you? Gotta swing for the fences every time.”
“Should have expected it after the boys,” Reggie admitted. “Twins run in both of our families.”
“Congratulations,” Chaos said. “Now let’s go handle this shit so we can celebrate properly.”
Gerald was already waiting at the picnic table, watching them with a wary expression on his face as they got out. For the first time, Gray noticed how much the years had aged his formerclub brother. It wasn’t just the gray streaks in his hair, either, but the profound sadness in the man’s eyes and the worry lines etched into his face. He’d lost not only weight but also muscle mass over the years, leaving the clothes he wore hanging off a skinny frame that seemed to be all angles and bones.
