Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 69895 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69895 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“Stay?” he asked, and Zachary nodded.
They slipped beneath the covers and Zachary fit so perfectly in his arms that Bram was asleep before he knew it.
Chapter Eighteen
Zachary
The plane rode above the clouds as the sun rose, streaks of color appearing as if by a painter’s hand. Zachary watched the journey to Denver out the window as he replayed the other night in his head over and over.
By the time they touched down in Colorado, he had come to two conclusions.
Number one: he really, really liked a man named Bramble Larkspur.
And number two: it was really, really going to hurt when he left.
“What are you doing in Colorado?” the woman next to him asked.
“Job interview.”
“Oh. Good luck!”
“Thanks.”
“I’m here to visit my daughter and my grandson. Would you like to see some pictures?”
“No, thank you,” he said politely.
The woman sniffed as if he were being rude and Zachary pretended he was still held tight in Bram’s arms, Bram’s breath ruffling his hair.
* * *
The interview, Zachary thought, had gone well. Moray and Fisk had seemed impressed by his consistent output, his work ethic, and his loyalty to the company, and when he’d described the benefits of a robust morning routine, Elmer Moray had raised an eyebrow and said he’d have to think about that.
They’d had an assistant get him coffee and sparkling water, and now she was giving him a brief driving tour of Denver on the way back to drop him at the airport.
She described the nightlife, the sports opportunities, and the easy access to the region’s natural beauty.
“Do you like working in the office?” Zachary asked.
“Oh, yeah. It’s the top firm in the region. Everyone’s really talented. Well, you know, I guess. You already work for them. But it’s great to be around so many people working in the field on a daily basis.”
Zachary nodded.
“Do you ski?” she asked.
“Nope.”
“Oh. Well. Great skiing here.”
The city unfolded before them, full of possibilities and unknowns.
“And, um, you know, weed’s legal here, if that’s something you care about,” she added into the silence. Then immediately, “Oh, god, don’t tell them I said that.”
“I won’t. What is the social climate like for queer people here?”
“Oh. Uh. Fine, I think? I don’t know about, like, clubs and stuff...”
“Never mind,” Zachary said. “I’m ready to go to the airport now.”
* * *
He was home by dinnertime the same day, almost as if he’d never left, fatigue the only evidence. Fatigue and a question: if he got the promotion, what would it be like to move from Garnet Run? To live in Denver?
Zachary was at his capacity for questions for the day, so he put on Blood Mansion and lay down on the couch. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine he was still soaring above the clouds, suspended in an infinite between.
Chapter Nineteen
Bram
Rye loved the shelters.
He’d gone with Bram to install them in town, dropping off boxes for those who wanted to collect donations of cat food, blankets, and towels. To a person, every shopkeeper had been in awe of the shelter designed to match their business.
A deep sense of satisfaction settled in Bram’s stomach at the thought of being able to be helpful again.
He knocked on Zachary’s door.
“Hi!” he said when Zachary opened it. “Guess what?”
Zachary stepped aside to let him in.
“Rye and I just dropped off all the cat shelters and everyone loved them—especially the ones you painted. You’re so damn good! And then we went around placing the hollow stump ones. Rye said they’re great, so well done, you. And we wrote down where we put them so that next year we can see if they need to be resealed. And so we can clean them and stuff. Anyway, thanks for your help!”
Zachary smiled. “I’m glad. I hope the cats like them as much as the people.”
“Do you like cats?” Bram asked. “Do you like animals? I never got the sense you were a dog fan, anyway.”
Zachary was always absently respectful of Hemlock’s presence, but didn’t seek her out or pet her.
“No. I don’t like them as something I would have responsibility for because I don’t like being interrupted. But I like that they exist in the world. I like to watch them. Wes has a lot of animals, but his are all quiet, which I enjoy.”
Bram couldn’t even imagine how much training it would take to make all your animals quiet.
“Tarantulas are extremely interesting animals,” Zachary went on absently.
Bram laughed. Only Zachary would lump tarantulas in with cats and dogs.
“And guess what?” Bram continued, too excited to keep the news to himself any longer. He’d begun to call Moon or his mom to tell them, like he usually would, but then he’d realized that the person he really wanted to tell was Zachary.
“Do you actually want me to guess?” Zachary asked sincerely.