Brand New Memories (Gay Romance) E-Book

Trina Solet

• Herausgeber: Trina Solet
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Kurt used to be an arrogant jerk who only cared about money and status, but a car crash has left him with no memories and a brand new baby boy to take care of. His old life is meaningless to him and he can't reconnect with anyone he used to know. The only thing that matters to him is his son, Jack, but Kurt is anxious that he might not be able to take care of him.
Though he always hated Kurt, Eric reluctantly steps in to help him with baby Jack. It's supposed to be temporary, but Eric just can't turn his back on a guy who needs him so much.
Eric has always been closed off, afraid of getting hurt, but he can't stay away from Kurt. Since his accident, Kurt is a changed man. This new Kurt is kinder, gentler and devoted to his little son, Jack. He's a man Eric can't resist. If Eric can open his heart, he might find love and happiness with Kurt and Jack.

Leseprobe

Brand New Memories (Gay Romance) by Trina Solet

Copyright © 2024 by Trina Solet

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales or actual events is entirely coincidental.

All sexual activity takes place between persons eighteen years of age or older.

This novel contains material intended for mature readers.

Cover image is only for illustrative purposes. Any person depicted is a model.

Brand New Memories

Gay Romance

Trina Solet

Chapter 1

Eric only had to go to the office when he had meetings. Today was one of those days, but at least the meeting didn't run too long. Walking to his car on a nice spring day, he was thinking of maybe grabbing lunch, maybe somewhere outdoors so he could enjoy the sunshine, when he got a call from his friend Owen. Since he was calling instead of texting, Eric hoped it might be to say he was moving back to town or at least visiting, but no such luck.

Owen started by saying, "I need your help."

"Sure," Eric said easily, after all Owen was a good friend and a good guy. "What do you need?"

"Well, it's not for me. It's for Kurt," Owen said and Eric groaned.

Kurt was neither a good friend or a good guy. He was just some rich jerk that Owen was friends with for some unknown reason.

"No thank you," he couldn't even believe Owen was asking for a favor on Kurt's behalf.

"I guess you haven't heard," Owen said.

"What? Did he stop being a jerk?" Eric said offhandedly.

"Kurt was in a car accident."

"I did hear that. But he's mostly better. Just some memory loss," Eric said.

"Try major memory loss. When he woke up in the hospital, he didn't know his own name or anything about his life, nothing. He didn't even know he had a baby. The memory loss is permanent and he doesn't have any family. That's why I need you to help him out," Owen said.

"A baby? How can he have a baby?" Eric said, getting stuck on that one piece of information. He couldn't picture that. The arrogant, self-centered Kurt Rollins with a baby. Too weird. "Where did this baby come from anyway?"

"He had her with a surrogate. She gave birth just before the accident. The surrogate was taking care of the baby while Kurt was in the hospital, but he's out and she needed to get back to her own life so the baby is with him now. Kurt has some temporary help, but I need you to find a really good nanny, or two. However many he needs. He can afford it. Please help him out. For me," Owen pleaded.

"I'm sure someone else can help," Eric said. He didn't see why this would fall to him.

"You're the closest to him," Owen said.

"I assume you mean geographically because I hate his guts," Eric said unapologetically.

"Yes, I do mean geographically. Kurt moved into a new house, for the baby, you know. And you're the most responsible person I can ask. All of his other friends are flakes," Owen said.

"I'm not his friend," Eric pointed out.

"There's no one else close by that can be trusted with this. Please do it for me. Do it for the baby," Owen begged.

"I don't even know this baby," Eric groused. He could already feel himself giving in. After all Owen was taking care of his sick mom. That's why he left town. He couldn't do it. "Fine. Give me the address. I'll see what I can do."

He thought of it as doing it for Owen and for this poor, innocent baby that had the bad luck to fall into Kurt's clutches. He couldn't picture Kurt taking care of a baby even if he had a fully functioning brain. Or wanting to have a baby either. Maybe it was an ego thing. That would be just like Kurt. Whatever his reason, Kurt had this baby and now Owen had made Eric responsible for finding someone to take care of the kid.

Kurt lived in a very traditional looking, brick two story mansion with a neatly trimmed yard. When Eric knocked, a preteen girl answered and looked him up and down. "You're not delivering anything. What do you want?"

"Rachel, who is it?" a deep voice asked from another room. That was Kurt.

"I'm Eric. Owen sent me to help out," Eric called out so Kurt could hear him.

"Come in!" Kurt yelled and Eric was pretty sure he heard a note of desperation in his voice.

He could see why. There were moving boxes everywhere, most of them open but still full of stuff. But Eric wasn't here to deal with that. He had one job and that was to find a nanny or two. Which made him wonder about this Rachel. "Are you the babysitter?"

"Kind of. I don't change diapers, and I don't get spit-up on. I'm mostly here for moral support. Kurt doesn't like to be left alone with the baby. He freaks out. We live next door. I'm supposed to call in my mom or my sister if the baby actually needs anything serious.," she said rapidfire. "There's this other lady who comes here to stay overnight. But she's not sticking around much longer." Rachel was full of good news.

So far Eric hadn't laid eyes on Kurt yet. When he did, it was kind of a shock. He wasn't as thickly muscled as before. This was a leaner version of Kurt, and he was dressed in t-shirt and jeans that hung kind of loosely on his thinner frame. A far cry from the stylish, expensive clothes he usually wore. His blond hair was short and not styled in any way, and an ugly scar was visible on one side of his head. But it was the expression in his blue eyes that was the real difference. It was curious and a little anxious, but mostly unrecognizable.

Eric had always thought of Kurt's eyes as icy blue and the man was always ready with an arrogant smirk. This Kurt had an open, questioning look in his eyes.

"Am I supposed to know you?" he asked Eric. It wasn't a challenge, it was an honest question.

"Not well," Eric told him. "Owen is a mutual friend."

"He's been great. Too bad he's so far away," Kurt said. "When I talk to him, I feel like I know him."

Eric noticed that Kurt had been pulling some towels from a box and now he was just holding them. "I guess you're unpacking," Eric said.

"Am I? I just got lucky and found these towels," Kurt said with a small smile that disappeared when he looked at all the other boxes. "I guess it's my stuff, but I don't know where any of this goes."

Eric looked into one of the boxes. "Pots and pans go in the kitchen." Then he looked at the flap which had 'kitchen' written on it. "Like the box says."

"But the other stuff..." Kurt said helplessly like this was a problem that was too big for him. "I just don't know..."

Eric cut him off. He wasn't here to deal with boxes. "Let's sort out the baby situation first and find him a good nanny. Where is this baby?" Eric wondered.

"The crib. He's sleeping. I put him down for his nap a while ago. He'll be up soon." And right on cue, the baby started crying.

Kurt dropped the towels and most of them landed back in the box. He then led the way to the baby's room which was on the first floor. It had two doors one of which went to what looked like a huge bedroom with more boxes in it, waiting to be unpacked. That was probably Kurt's bedroom.

Eric was relieved to see that there was no chaos in the baby's room, no boxes waiting to be unpacked. It was well organized, cute and calming. Not bad at all. Kurt picked up the crying baby, which was just a weird sight to behold and not because the baby looked so tiny held in his big hands.

"Do you know him?" Kurt said while looking at the baby.

"Are you asking me or the baby?" Eric wondered.

"Uh, either one?" Kurt said.

"We've never met," Eric told him.

"Then I should introduce you." Kurt looked proud and also kind of amazed as he gazed at the baby and said, "This is my son, and apparently, I named him Jack."

"Little Jack. Hi there. He's cute. What do you have against the name Jack?" Eric wondered.

"Nothing. I just don't know why I named him that," Kurt said and he looked bewildered. With no memory, everything was probably new and strange to him.

"Do you know why you had him in the first place?" Eric asked. It was something he had been wondering ever since Owen told him about the baby.

"No idea. He is cute," Kurt said like that might be the reason. He then frowned at the baby. "I have to change him now. Do you want to do it?"

Eric drew back. "You're the dad. That's on you," he told Kurt. That at least was just like the Kurt he knew, pushing his work off on other people. It was weird that he didn't have more help though. He was well off. "Don't you have an assistant?"

"I don't know. I guess not," he said and started the process of diapering the baby. He was frowning the whole time and being very slow and methodical about it. He looked over his shoulder at Eric. "It's only number one."

"Good," Eric said but he was thinking it was too bad actually. He wanted to see Kurt changing an epically messy diaper. Not see it, necessarily or smell it, but know that he had to do it.

"He's clean and changed and now he gets to eat." Kurt looked from the baby to Eric. "I don't suppose you want to handle that either?"

Kurt looked ready to hand the baby to him, but Eric shook his head. "I'm sure you can handle it," he said to Kurt, but he looked doubtful.

After pointing Eric in the general direction of the office, Kurt went off to get the baby his bottle. By wandering around the hallways lined with boxes, Eric found the office. It wasn't set up. Bookshelves stood empty and boxes were waiting to be unpacked, but he still used it to call nanny agencies and arrange interviews. He would have to be there for to help with the interviewing. He didn't trust Kurt to handle it.

While he was in there, Rachel poked her head in. "This place doesn't have internet. Can you fix that?"

Eric almost told her that wasn't his job, but then sighed and said, "I'll see what I can do."

It turned out Kurt didn't know anything about the internet situation so Eric had to figure out if it just needed to be hooked up or if he needed to arrange for service. That all took a while, and then he was ready to go.

As he went to find Kurt and tell him he was leaving, he saw it was evening already. Eric found him in the kitchen, staring at his phone. "Where's the baby?" Eric asked.

"Sleeping," Kurt said and he held up his phone. "She isn't coming."

"Who?"

"Holly, the nanny who stays overnight," Kurt said sounding breathless. "She texted. She sprained her ankle really bad. She's in the emergency room. What am I going to do?"

"You have the neighbors next door if you need anything," Eric told him.

"No. They're all going to dinner and to watch some cousin in a musical. They won't be back for hours," Eric said. "And they're moving away at the end of the month anyway. Then I'll have no one."

Kurt was clearly overwhelmed, but Eric decided they should just deal with one thing at a time. "The baby is sleeping. You'll be fine," Eric reassured him. "And I'll get you a nanny. I have to go now."

"No. Please don't leave me alone with the baby. Please," Kurt begged and he looked terrified. He grabbed Eric's hand. The sudden contact sent the sensation of heat and tingling all through his body, and he found himself a prisoner to Kurt's pleading gaze.

Chapter 2

It was impossible to say no with Kurt looking at him like that. Eric sighed then he grumbled, "Fine, it's not like I have a date or anything." He could say that for most nights. "I can hang out until your neighbors get back."

"Thank you so much. We can order something. Watch something," Kurt said and he looked so relieved.

Eric was going to refuse the dinner and a movie offer, but he needed to do something while he stuck around. "Yeah, I guess. Whatever you want is fine."

"I like this Indian place. They aren't too fast. Is that OK? If you're really hungry, I can order from someplace else."

"It's fine. I can wait. But nothing too spicy for me," Eric told him. He waited for Kurt to smirk at him and say how he couldn't handle the heat, because he had said that kind of thing to him before. But Kurt only nodded and got busy on his phone putting in the order.

Now Eric ended up staring at him, admiring how handsome he was. The blond stubble on his jaw, those bright blue eyes. Eric could never admire him before because the guy was so arrogant, rude, insufferable.

Watching him order food reminded Eric of Kurt talking about some restaurant that had the best duck he ever tasted. Kurt had turned to Eric and given him a pitying look. He had patted Eric's shoulder and told him condescendingly, "Too bad no one will ever take you to a place like that."

Kurt hadn't been that obnoxious toward Owen or most people. In fact, Eric was pretty sure that Kurt made it a point to put him down more than anyone else. His theory was that Kurt didn't want to share Owen's friendship, and it tracked, Kurt was a selfish prick.

Currently, he wasn't acting like himself, but that could change whenever he stopped needing help or if he got his memory back. According to what Owen said, that wasn't possible. He said the memory loss was permanent.

Eric wanted to confirm it though. He didn't feel comfortable asking Kurt so he texted Owen about it, and asked if there was even a remote chance of Kurt getting his memories back.

First Eric told him that he was at Kurt's and that he was stuck there. "I'm staying over here for a little while. The nanny that's supposed to be here at night canceled."

"Oh, thank you so much for doing that. I'm so glad you're there," Owen said. He seemed almost as relieved that Eric was staying as Kurt was. As for Kurt getting his memory back, he said the doctors didn't believe it could happen, but Eric still decided to treat Kurt with caution.

As they sat down to eat at the table in Kurt's expensive kitchen, Kurt bit his lip and wondered, "You said we don't know each other well, but we're pretty good friends, right?"

"No," Eric told him bluntly.

"Ah, that's why I'm getting the unfriendly vibe," Kurt said with a slight grin.

"Yeah, we're unfriends. I'm here as a favor to Owen," Eric informed him.

"I'm still grateful. I was really panicking," Kurt said and Eric could see the fear in his eyes every time he glanced at the baby monitor, which he did often.

"A baby is a big responsibility. But we'll find you a nanny and then you'll be all set," Kurt told him.

"Two. One to stay overnight," Kurt said. Well, he could afford it.

"Or one live-in nanny," Eric said.

"I don't know about having someone live here," Kurt said.

"It wouldn't be that different from having someone stay here overnight," Eric pointed out. "It's your decision though."

"But you'll be here for the interviews?" Kurt asked and got anxious again.

"Yeah, I'll be here," Eric said.

Kurt took his time clearing up in the kitchen and Eric let him do it all. He didn't need to be too helpful. Then the sound of crying came from the baby monitor and Kurt jumped.

Seeing his panic, Eric told him, "The baby probably just needs changing or comforting or something. He's probably fine."

"Right. He's fine," Kurt said and he rushed out of there.

Eric followed more slowly and found him in the nursery. Kurt was holding Jack and telling him, "You're a good boy. You don't need anything, just to go back to sleep."

The baby did seem fine. He had gone quiet and was just snuggling against Kurt's shoulder. The baby was cute and he made Kurt look like some sweet, nice guy. Seeing him rocking the baby and speaking softly to him, Eric had to remind himself that this wasn't the real Kurt.

After some soothing from his daddy, Jack went back to sleep and Kurt put him in his crib. Now Eric and Kurt needed to find something else to do.

Eric wasn't about to tackle the unpacking that was still left to do. He was fine just sitting on the sofa in the big living room, doing his own thing on his phone, but Kurt seemed nervous. He needed something to occupy him.

He fidgeted on the other end of the sofa and then started looking for something to watch. "There's so much on now that you hooked up the internet," Kurt said. "You're a lifesaver. All night, there was hardly anything on."

"All night?" Eric asked.

"With everything else, I forgot how to sleep," Kurt said with a chuckle. "When I sleep I have nightmares that something bad happened to Jack. It's good that I'm awake in case Jack needs something."

"Not all night," Eric told him. "You must have been prescribed something to help you sleep."

"I was, but I'm not taking it," Kurt said stubbornly like Eric might try to make him. "If Jack cries, I might not wake up. I have to be awake to hear him."

Once he settled on some show that Eric didn't know anything about, Kurt kept the sound low. "Sorry, I'm worried I won't hear the baby monitor."

He was consumed with worry, so Eric got up off the couch, and he was about to tell him he should lie down at least, but Kurt panicked. "You're not leaving yet?"

"Uh, no. I just wanted to give you room to stretch out. That's the least you can do since you're not sleeping," Eric told him. When Kurt started shaking his head, he got firm with him. "Lie down. Why am I here? As your backup. If you fall asleep and I hear anything on the baby monitor, I will wake you. Now lie down."

Kurt did it reluctantly, and of course he didn't fit on the couch. He was as tall as Eric, who was always being described as lanky. Kurt tried propping his feet on the arm rest, then turned and tucked them in. Staying like that, he watched the TV while Eric tried not to watch him from the armchair.

This Kurt made him want to stare, not turn away in disgust. It was the same man, but now he had an unguarded expression that Eric almost wanted to call innocent. And somehow he was better looking though his hair was still growing out from being shaved around his scar and his clothes weren't even showing off his body.

Oh, man, why was he contemplating Kurt's attractiveness. That had never been the problem with him. Kurt was always plenty hot. Eric just disliked him so much, he didn't let himself see it. He saw it now and even wanted to touch and... Eric covered his eyes. He needed to get out of there.

"You should lie down," Kurt said seeing him like that and he sat up. "Here, take the sofa."

"What good would I be to you if I was asleep?" Eric asked.

"You aren't the one who needs to be on guard duty. You're just moral support, or backup, like you said," Kurt reminded him with a small smile.

"You don't need to be on guard duty either," Eric told him.

Kurt frowned. "If I'm not, one of those nightmares might come true." Kurt's expression became troubled, scared, and Eric almost went over to him to hold him in his arms.

Chapter 3

Eric woke up in the armchair in Kurt's living room. It was morning and he must have slept there all night. Through the doorway to the hall, he could see Kurt walking back and forth with the baby.

When he noticed Eric was awake, he came over and told him, "Jack wanted to say good morning."

"If Jack can talk, I've really stayed here too long." Eric got up then realized he hadn't said good morning. "Good morning to you guys. I better go. I have work."

"Will you be late?" Kurt said with concern which was so not like him.

"I work from home, but I do need to get started," Eric said as he checked his phone.

"But we'll see you soon, right?" Kurt said.

"Right. I'll stay in touch." As he left, he still couldn't get over how desperate Kurt was to have him around.

He couldn't shake the weight of it all day, how scared Kurt was at night. But he didn't need to obsess about it. He just had to make sure Kurt had a nanny or two. That's what he told himself, but he texted Kurt several times to make sure he was doing OK.

When he was done with work, he got a text from Kurt inviting him over for dinner. Eric knew there was something behind it. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Aren't your neighbors going to be there tonight?"

"Tonight, yes, but they're going to a family reunion this weekend, a long family reunion," Kurt texted back. "Plus they're moving away."

"You might have a nanny by then. Try not to worry," Eric told him.

"But I am worried," Kurt said and the weight of his fear and anxiety hit Eric all over again.

"I'll come over for dinner," he said but he didn't want to make it too easy on Kurt. "But you have to cook. And don't bother telling me you can't. Just unpack some of those pots and pans."

Right after he gave that ultimatum, it occurred to Eric that it was a big mistake. But he figured he'd torture Kurt, make him burn down his kitchen, then they would order in. It seemed cruel to do that to a man recovering from a serious head injury, but it was Kurt, so it was fine.

Eric arrived at Kurt's front door to the sound of the baby crying. Rachel let him in but then left, saying, "All yours."

Kurt was in the kitchen trying to quiet the baby. He didn't seem overwhelmed by that, but he did look a little panicked when he saw Eric.

"I made a start, but dinner isn't going to be any time soon," he said.

There was definite evidence of an attempt at... something. Things from the kitchen had been unpacked and left all over the kitchen counter and there were ingredients mixed in with them.

"I'm not in a rush," Eric said as he watched Kurt walking up and down the kitchen with the baby while murmuring to him sweetly.

"I hate it when he cries himself to sleep. Or cries at all," Kurt said though the baby was quieting.

"He isn't crying because anything is wrong, is he?" Eric asked.

"No. It's a cranky cry. I learned the difference. I think," Kurt said. "He's been fed and changed and all that. He'll be sleepy soon."

"Then you'll be cooking for me," Eric said. He noticed Kurt looked uneasy, but this time he didn't think it was about the cooking.