Peach Tree Baby (Gay Romance) - Trina Solet - E-Book
SONDERANGEBOT

Peach Tree Baby (Gay Romance) E-Book

Trina Solet

0,0
3,99 €
Niedrigster Preis in 30 Tagen: 3,49 €

oder
-100%
Sammeln Sie Punkte in unserem Gutscheinprogramm und kaufen Sie E-Books und Hörbücher mit bis zu 100% Rabatt.
Mehr erfahren.
Beschreibung

Living on the outskirts of a small town, busy running an inn, Andy doesn't like his chances when it comes to finding the perfect man. Plus his leg was hurt in a car crash. The scars and the limp don't help his self-confidence. Not wanting to wait before building a family, Andy skips right to having a baby.
But maybe he gave up too soon. Andy brings his baby daughter home just in time for Christmas and hires a manager to help him run the inn.
Leo Copeland is the new manager, and he's hot, built and has a take-charge attitude. When Leo and his new dog need a place to stay, Andy offers to put him up at his family home.
It's only supposed to be for a little while, but Leo is good company and he's amazing with the baby. As their attraction keeps heating up, Andy starts thinking that he doesn't really want Leo to go.
That man just fits at the inn, in Peach Tree and quite possibly in Andy Brighton's life.
They're busier than ever preparing to host the reception for Mitch and Rico's Valentine's Day wedding when a threatening message rattles them both. Will Andy realize he finally found the perfect man, or will a secret from Leo's past make him lose faith in the man he has come to trust and depend on, the man he loves?

Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:

EPUB
Bewertungen
0,0
0
0
0
0
0
Mehr Informationen
Mehr Informationen
Legimi prüft nicht, ob Rezensionen von Nutzern stammen, die den betreffenden Titel tatsächlich gekauft oder gelesen/gehört haben. Wir entfernen aber gefälschte Rezensionen.



Peach Tree Baby (Gay Romance) By Trina Solet

Copyright © 2020 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.

Peach Tree Baby

Gay Romance

Trina Solet

Chapter 1

A crying baby in his office and Andy was smiling. That was something no one would have expected, least of all him.

"My sweetie doesn't like waking up all wet," Andy said as he picked up Lucy from her rocker. She quieted until he put her down on the changing table then she started up again. "You're going to like being nice and dry. Yes, you will."

The baby's rocker and the changing table had displaced two filing cabinets in his office at Stone Creek Inn, but Andy was hoping he and the baby wouldn't be spending too much time there.

That's why he had hired a new manager to run the inn for him. And what a manager. He had never met him in person, but Leo Copeland was bearded and built like a bouncer. He had piercing blue eyes and a low rumble to his voice.

He might not look the part, but his resume made him the top candidate. With no time to waste, Andy hired him, and he was arriving at the inn today, at mid afternoon on Christmas Eve.

The timing made Andy wonder if it would be lonely for Leo to spend the holidays in a new place where he didn't know anyone. That thought made Andy's mind stray, and he pictured himself keeping him company, making him comfortable by the fire, pouring him a brandy, though be seemed more like a whiskey man.

Oh God, what was he thinking. Maybe the one who was desperate for company was Andy – gorgeous, male company more than anything.

Andy had his little Lucy and his great-aunts, but he wasn't exactly rich in friends. He had lived just outside of Peach Tree all his life except for his college years. During his time at college, he had made some friends, but only a few years after graduation, he had already lost touch with them.

Well, he had work and now he had Lucy, and he wasn't all that sociable anyway. He just wished he had more chances to meet and date someone, then Leo Copeland wouldn't stir his imagination so easily.

***

Leo had a good first impression of Stone Creek Inn, the place he would be managing. For an establishment located just outside a small town, the place was impressive. Even seeing it in the middle of winter, the scenic setting was still beautiful and definitely an asset.

The attractive old building was surrounded by massive grounds and uninterrupted natural beauty for miles around. Inside, rustic touches were combined with restrained décor. There was a welcoming atmosphere and a friendly, professional staff.

But the big unknown was Andy Brighton, the owner of the inn and Leo's new boss. Leo had done two video interviews with him and then been hired. Now it was time to meet the man in person and see if he was as big a stick-in-the-mud as he seemed.

After introducing himself to Helen at the reception desk, Leo was on his way down a back corridor where the offices were. Things were pretty plain back there, just a hallway with simple doors, and then Leo had to hold his breath for a minute, tell himself to cool it.

There he was, the owner, the lanky, handsome, and severe Andy Brighton, and he was bouncing a tiny baby and cooing to her. Other than the baby, he might have been any guy Leo zeroed in on, picking him out of a crowd at a club, before he motioned to him to meet him in the back. But they weren't in the back of a club, so Leo had to act disinterested and professional.

His new boss wasn't in professional mode at the moment though. "You had a good nap, a nice nap in Daddy's office. Who's ready to rise and shine? Lucy, Lucy, tiny Lucy," he was saying.

Since he hadn't been noticed yet, Leo cleared his throat and watched his boss get embarrassed.

"You're here. Of course. Right on time," Brighton said, trying to play it off like he was always getting caught baby-talking in the hallway.

Stepping forward, Leo extended his hand. Brighton's handshake was quick and firm and his baby made an indistinct noise like she wanted to greet him too.

"It's nice to finally meet you in person. This is my daughter, Lucy," Brighton said.

"She's the one I have to thank for this job," Leo said.

"Her and the glowing recommendation from Orion Hotel," Brighton said.

During the interview, Brighton had explained that he wanted to spend more time with his new baby, and that's why he needed a full time manager. He didn't mention that his baby had another parent, but Leo wasn't expecting to hear anything about a girlfriend or a wife. Nothing he learned from researching his new employer had told him that, but Leo didn't doubt his own instincts. The flash of interest in his boss's soft, brown eyes was unmistakable. When a guy reacted to him like that, Leo could be pretty damn sure he wasn't straight.

"Mrs. Tamil will handle your paperwork in the next few days," Brighton was saying. "Patty, the manager for now, should be meeting us in the lobby. She'll give you a tour and go over things, get you ready to take over from her after New Year's. I hope that will be enough time for you to get up to speed."

"I'm sure it will be," Leo said as he followed Brighton and his baby back out to the lobby.

As they went, Leo noticed how his boss walked. At first his walk just seemed stiff but then Leo realizes that Brighton had a limp. He would have noticed right away if he wasn't busy admiring the lines of his fit body. That couldn't be helped when his boss was so good-looking.

The lobby was spacious with exposed beams on the ceiling and a huge white stone fireplace across from the reception desk. Comfortable seating around the fireplace gave the guests a cozy lounging area. Right now every seat was taken and a server was bringing in a tray with scones and tea.

It turned out that the current manager got waylaid and couldn't show him the ropes. Now Brighton was shifting the baby to his other shoulder and asking Leo about his living arrangements.

"I had a place in Ashbury lined up, but at the last minute I ended up with my neighbor's dog. The apartment building in Ashbury doesn't allow pets. So I'll have to find something else. That's why I came down here early," Leo told him.

"We might be able to give you a room here. I'll look into that. No charge," Brighton said and headed back toward reception.

"That's a nice offer, thank you. I'll pay my own way though," Leo told him. Brighton looked like he was going to argue, but Leo put up his hand. "I insist."

"All right," Brighton said and stopped to wait for Helen to be free.

She was a middle-aged, friendly woman with a blond braid over one shoulder. A slim, good-looking guy was leaning on the reception desk, talking to her. When Helen pointed toward them, the guy turned and Leo saw his hazel eyes, dark hair and how attractive he was. Still, if he had to choose, Leo would go for someone more like his boss. Not that he was choosing.

The guy with those pretty, hazel eyes cocked his head to one side and eyed Leo. "Speak of the devil. I wanted to meet the new man in charge. The man who'll be making sure my VIP wedding goes off without a hitch," the guy said to Leo.

While Leo was being eyeballed, Andy was being ignored.

"That's Mr. Copeland, the new manager, and this is the owner, Mr. Brighton," Helen was saying.

"I know who's who. Grandma didn't do the hubba hubba, swooning, fanning herself thing even once when she mentioned good, ol' Andy here," the guy said while looking Brighton up and down. "But the baby is cute."

"It's nice to meet you too," Brighton said sarcastically, but Leo thought his boss was plenty good-looking for him to need a cool down.

"Enrico Del Rio. I'm the point man for the Del Rio McEvers wedding," the young guy said and shook hands with them.

"Mrs. Del Rio's grandson, of course. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding," Brighton said to him stiffly.

"Thanks. And it's Rico," he said, but Leo was the one who held his attention. "You look like you could wrestle a bear. I have a good feeling about you."

As Leo was being appraised, Brighton went around Rico to speak to Helen about arranging a room for him. That's when she gave him the bad news.

"Sorry, Andy. All the rooms are booked. 'Tis the season," she said.

Brighton hung his head then turned to Leo apologetically. "I'm sorry. I just got here. I'm out of the loop. I should have checked. It looks like we won't be able to put you up here after all," he said to Leo regretfully.

Leo hadn't expected to stay there so it wasn't as big a letdown for him as it seemed to be for his new boss. "I'll figure something out."

Then Rico butted in. "What's this? No room at the inn?"

"We'll help you find some place to stay," Brighton assured Leo.

He didn't get his hopes up though. "I have the dog with me so that complicates things a little, but I have a few leads."

"Don't you have a place," Rico asked Brighton. "I know my grandma has mentioned your family owns some big, musty, old mansion."

"It isn't musty," Brighton said, glaring at Rico.

"Yeah?" Rico said as he got ready to pressure Brighton. "Then there should be no problem putting him up, or do you want your new manager to wander the streets for Christmas. It's Christmas Eve. What are you, the Grinch?"

Everyone was now looking at Brighton expectantly and Lucy was starting to fuss a little.

"The baby just voted yes," Rico said.

Leo chuckled and let his boss off the hook. "I'm sure I can find something in Ashbury."

Rico shook his head, and nudged Brighton. "Where is your Peach Tree pride, man? What kind of example are you setting for your baby? What is she going to think of you?"

Leo didn't know if it was Rico's nagging, but Brighton relented, and told him. "You're welcome to stay at the house. We have the room. Your dog is welcome too."

Leo was going to refuse, but Rico threatened him, "Say yes, or I'll never let Andy hear the end of it."

Leo was still going to say no when Brighton surprised him and said, "You can have Christmas Eve dinner with us too."

This time, Leo gave in and accepted. "All right. I'll take you up on that. I appreciate it."

"What about your crazy aunts?" Helen piped up to ask their boss, and Brighton shot her a sharp look.

"Are they still haunting the place?" Rico asked.

"They are my great-aunts, actually, and they are not haunting the place," Brighton said, but he didn't deny the crazy part.

Leo wondered what he was getting himself into. His boss was hard to refuse though. Leo was taken with him, so it didn't seem like such a bad deal to find himself in close proximity to someone so good looking even if he was kind of stiff. But these great-aunts. That might be too much.

Leo was already having second thoughts, but Brighton was moving right along with things. "I'm going to take Lucy home. If you want to come along with us, you can meet with Patty later. I just have to gather all of the baby's things from my office. Where is your dog anyway?"

"He's outside right now," Leo said and pointed toward the main doors. "Three kids and a young guy offered to watch him for me."

"That's Sam, the nicest guy in the world. Your dog is in good hands," Rico told him. "He gave me a ride here. And we need to be going. What do we do with the dog?"

"I'll come out to get him, put him in my car," Leo said.

Helen raised her hand eagerly to volunteer. "I'm on break in one minute. I'll watch the doggy."

"OK. Thanks, Helen," Leo said.

Now Leo got introduced to Dustin, who was taking over for Helen. He was a young guy with his long hair tied back.

"I play guitar," Dustin said. "I just left my old band. I'm looking to form a new one."

Leo didn't know why he needed to know that. "Good luck with that," he said while behind Dustin, Brighton shrugged and Helen rolled her eyes.

"I'll go watch that doggy," Helen said like she couldn't wait, and hurriedly put on a coat.

"We should be right out," Brighton told her. Watching Rico leave with her, he turned to Leo. "Rico is what you'll be expected to deal with. Do you even still want this job?" His expression was so miserable, Leo couldn't help but laugh.

"I think I can handle it."

"Rico and his fiancé, Mitch, also do repair work here at the inn. They work together as handymen," Brighton told him and confirmed that Rico was gay and marrying a guy, just as Leo would have guessed. But he also had the impression that Brighton was watching his reaction, making sure he didn't have a problem with that. "Their wedding reception will be here. It's on Valentine's Day and they only managed to reserve the reception hall because Mrs. Del Rio secretly paid extra for it. That stays strictly between us."

"You would turn away a Valentine's Day wedding?" Leo asked, teasing him a little.

"Maybe I am the Grinch. The actual wedding will be in the orchard up on the hill. And orchard in winter. Hmm." Brighton gave his baby a funny look, almost like she might share his doubts about the wedding location.

"We just have to make sure their reception goes off without a hitch," Leo said.

"A pun?" Brighton shuddered. "I'll get Lucy's things. Babies don't travel light. Then we can see the house, and you can decide if staying with us works for you."

"Let me know of there's anything I can help you carry," Leo offered and followed Brighton to his office. It was right next to the manager's office. The office wasn't his just yet but he still gave it a quick once over. He would have it better organized, and that would be easier without all those family photos to clutter his desk.

From the door, he saw that Brighton's office had its share of family photos on the desk and on the walls. No sign of a boyfriend picture so far. The office also had some baby things including a changing table. Leo noticed a colorful baby rocker and asked, "Is that coming with us?"

"Oh no. That stays here. I'm planning on a lot of Take Your Daughter to Work days," Brighton told him as he put the baby in a carrier.

"I remember you saying you were only now bringing your daughter home," Leo said.

"That's right. My great-aunts would never forgive me if I didn't bring her home for the holidays."

"How will they feel about an unexpected guest?" Leo wondered.

"They'll be so preoccupied with Lucy, I'm not sure they'll notice you," Brighton predicted. "They're making up for lost time. For the first few months after she was born, Lucy was having trouble digesting the formula, so Amy, the surrogate, agreed to pump breast milk for her. And I was uneasy about being away from a major hospital while Lucy wasn't feeling well. I was a nervous first time father. I admit it. That's why I didn't come back here until now." While Brighton explained all that, he got the baby's things packed up.

"Is Lucy doing OK now?" Leo looked at her and she seemed healthy, her blue eyes bright and alert.

"She is. She is perfect. Even the way she drools is perfect," Brighton said and wiped her little chin while she complained. "But she is going to need her bottle soon. We should go."

As they were heading out, Leo checked over what he could see of the inn. Arches made of white stone sectioned off different parts of the inn. Oak beams crisscrossed the ceiling.

Passing a large doorway, Leo heard a faint murmur coming from the inn's large restaurant along with the clinking of silverware and china. From the quick look he got, Leo noted that the staff moved with quiet efficiency.

As Leo was evaluating what he could see of the workings of the inn, Brighton noticed what he was doing.

"Mr. Copeland, you look like you approve," Brighton said.

"I do, so far. And Leo is fine." He wondered if Brighton would insist on being formal.

"All right. Then I think you should call me Andy. Everyone else does, and you are management after all," he said with a small smile.

"OK. Andy." He was glad to call him by his first name, but he didn't think the rest of the staff should.

Going outside, Leo was getting a second look at the courtyard in front. The parking lot was interspersed with mature trees and attractive landscaping as well as patches of snow here and there. The branches were bare right now, but in warmer months, those trees would give some nice shade.

Helen was out there playing with Huey, but the young guy and the kids were gone. Huey's black and white fur stood out next to a mound a snow, but he looked happy to be playing with Helen.

"A collie. The dog is bigger than I thought," Andy said, and Leo wondered if that was a problem.

"Huey is on the bigger side. I think he's a border collie mix. He's got energy to spare, but he's not too hard to handle," he reassured his new boss.

Andy nodded vaguely, but he wasn't totally at ease. "Your dog seems nice, and it looks like Helen is in love with him."

Huey alerted Helen that they were approaching and she waved. Leading Huey over to them, she handed the leash to Leo.

"He's such a sweet dog," Helen gushed.

"Huey is a good dog. He lost his owner just recently, an elderly neighbor I barely knew, so I'm relieved he takes to new people so well," Leo said and he leaned down and rubbed the dog's fur.

"I'm so glad you took him in," Helen said. "I better go now."

After trying to lick Leo's face, Huey sniffed in the direction of Andy and the baby.

"He wants to meet the baby," Andy said with a smile. "Hi, Huey. I don't have a free hand or you'd get a proper greeting." He really had a charming smile for such a serious guy.

While admiring him, Leo heard Andy's car beep as he unlocked it, so he asked, "Can I help you with anything."

"I kind of have the hang of things. Thanks. I'll get her settled in and you can follow me to the house."

Leo left him at his old model Range Rover and went to his own Dodge Rambler, but when he looked back, there was some guy talking to Andy. Letting Huey into the back of the car, Leo took stock of this guy – unwashed, swaying, leaning heavily on the car next to Andy's. The guy was sloshed.

"You owe me," the drunk guy was shouting.

"This is not the time," Andy told him calmly as he shifted and kept the baby away from him.

Going over, grabbing the guy by the shoulder, Leo got him even further away from them. After walking him a few steps back, Leo told him, "Do you have business here?"

The guy tried to shake him off. "My business is with Andy."

"Eric, you can leave or you can have a talk with Sheriff Jackson," Andy said to him.

"I should have known. Fuck you," the guy said and he tried to pull free of Leo again but didn't even come close. "Let me go. I'm leaving!"

Leo looked to Andy. Once he got a nod from him, Leo released the guy in the direction of the gate but kept a close eye on him to make sure he was really getting out of there like he said. The guy stumbled away, muttering to himself angrily but kept moving.

"I'll let Vicky know about him. She's in charge of security and also coordinating transportation and deliveries to and from the inn. We don't have a dedicated security position," Andy said while checking on the baby, but she didn't even notice anything happened.

"What should I know about that Eric guy?" Leo asked.

"Let's talk about it at the house. I need to feed Lucy," Andy said then he angled his face toward the baby. "You didn't get scared, did you? No. You're brave."

This time, Leo stuck around until Andy and Lucy were in the car, the doors were locked and he was ready to pull away. "I'll be right behind you," he said to Andy then went off to his own car where Huey was pressing his nose to the window.

As he got in, Leo scratched Huey's head and kept an eye out for that Eric. If he wasn't just starting a job, Leo would have given that guy a stronger message, but he couldn't do that in front of Andy or his baby.

The sight of that guy getting too close and yelling at Andy while he held the baby could have set Leo off, but then he would have been just one more Copeland man who used his fists instead of his brains. He had pretty much been kicked out of that family, so he didn't need to continue their traditions. Of course now he had Andy's family to grapple with.

Chapter 2

Not too far from the inn, Andy turned off the main road. Leo followed his car down a long, straight driveway flanked by an orderly line of trees. Beyond that were yellowed fields patchy with snow.

They reached a high, wrought iron gate that stood open and then parked their cars side by side on a cobblestone courtyard. It was inside a walled garden with a large two-story house in the midst of it. Rico was right to call it a mansion.

Leaving Huey in the car, which was still warm, Leo told him, "I'll be right back to get you." He got out then waited for Andy to unfasten the baby's carrier and bring Lucy out.

While listening to him talk to the baby, Leo looked around. From the outside, the house reminded Leo of the inn – old, stately and meticulously maintained. An antique sundial was tucked in under some trees on one side of the garden and a bird feeder on the other. In front, it was a very orderly, flowering garden that wasn't at its best without a single flower in sight. Further on the garden was a little more wild.

"Can I carry anything for you?" Leo asked since Andy had the baby and all her things to deal with.

"You won't get the chance," Andy told him and Leo saw two elderly ladies rush down the front steps. One was a little taller, the other one a little slimmer. They both had straight, iron gray hair but wore it in different styles. But mostly Leo noticed how they barely glanced at him and zeroed in on the baby.

"You brought a guest. How wonderful. But Andy, you should have warned us," one of the ladies said, but she hardly paused for breath before she was reaching for the baby and cooing to her. "My sweetie, my darling, come here."

"It isn't your turn, Beryl," the other older woman said.

Andy didn't give the baby to either of them, but he did introduce them. "This is my Great-aunt Bridgette, and my Great-aunt Beryl. This is the new manager at the inn, Leo Copeland."

"Nice to meet you," Leo said and got two polite smiles from both ladies.

"Lovely to meet you," Bridgette said then addressed Andy. "Now let me have Lucy. You've had her all day."

"She is my daughter," Andy said.

"It's my turn, Bridgette," Beryl said.

"Neither of you can have her until you stop arguing," Andy told them, but he wasn't really getting through.

"I'll get Huey out of the car," Leo said seeing him with his nose pressed to the window, eager to join the fun.

Going over to the car, Leo opened the car door and let Huey jump out. He then held onto his leash and took him to the others. Unlike Leo's arrival, Huey distracted the aunts from the baby for more than one second.

"What a lovely dog," Beryl said and scratched Huey behind the ears.

Bridgette greeted him too. "We have Zeus, but God knows where he is right now."

"That's the cat," Andy told Leo, but now the aunts were arguing about the dog and the baby. From the sound of it, Huey was going to be the consolation prize for the one who missed out on getting to hold the baby.

"When did Leo agree to let you have his dog?" Andy asked them.

"It's fine. Huey looks eager for some attention," Leo said. While he held Huey's leash, the dog was straining toward Andy and the baby and the aunts as well.

After telling Huey to be good, Leo gave him a little slack while Andy kept the baby carrier out of his reach.

"Oh my goodness, this dog loves our Lucy," Beryl said and petted him.

"Huey, is it?" Bridgette said and she petted him too. Leo offered her the leash and she took it. Huey seemed happy to make friends with her. Now Andy gave up the baby to Beryl, who looked overjoyed though the baby was cranky.

"Let's go in. I need to get Lucy her bottle," Andy said and they all went inside through a pair of stained glass doors.

They stepped into a foyer with a stairway in its center and two ferns in pots on either side of the door. The aunts with the dog and the baby went in one direction, Andy in the other. Leo decided to follow his boss.

Andy led the way down a long, wallpapered hallway crowded with paintings and ancient, framed photos. With Andy ahead of him, Leo was noticing his limp again. It was just a slight swaying to one side as he walked.

Watching Andy take off his coat as he went, Leo admired his broad shoulders, the flex of the muscles of his arms and the shape of his trim body in general. Leo would have to say that Andy was a beautiful man, but he couldn't admire his boss too openly if he knew what was good for him.

Turning right, Andy went into a long but not very wide kitchen with white marble countertops and dark cabinets. Both looked very old, but not in a bad way. Andy was already opening the fridge, which, like the other appliances, looked much newer than the rest of the kitchen.

"Sorry. I'll show you where you'll be staying soon," Andy said as he got things together to fill up the baby's bottle. "I just have to take care of this first."

"No problem," Leo said as he looked out the row of kitchen windows above one side of the counter. Outside, he saw the bare branches of the back garden and the green of some fir trees further out. "So this is your family home."

"It is. It was inherited by my father, but he and my mother would rather travel from one tropical resort to another, so they left me this place. Then my aunts came back to live here. First it was Aunt Bridgette after her husband died then Aunt Beryl after her third divorce."

"And they help you with the baby," Leo said.

"Is that what you would call that?" Andy asked with a raised eyebrow, but then he smiled. "They can't get enough of her."

With the baby's bottle ready, Andy went back out into that hallway and Leo was right behind him. "Now they're going to fight over who gets to feed her," he predicted. "But that will free me up to show you to the guest room."

In a front facing sitting room elegantly decorated in shades of blue and cream, Beryl was bouncing the baby and Bridgette was sitting by a fireplace with its mantle decorated with pine boughs. Next to her, Huey was sniffing the rug. A Christmas tree was between two large windows.

As soon as Bridgette spotted Andy, she pounced and grabbed the bottle from him. Andy was shaking his head while Bridgette was insisting that she would feed the baby. "You can burp her, Beryl."

Even as she handed the baby over to her, Beryl didn't like her consolation prize. "Burp? You just want to see her spit up all over me."

"Let's go see the upstairs," Andy said to Leo and turned away from their bickering.

As Leo and Andy were leaving, Huey seemed torn about whether to come with them or stay. But now Bridgette was back to sitting by the fire, giving the baby her bottle and Huey just couldn't tear himself away.

"If I haven't had that dog for only two days, I would take that personally," Leo said.

"What is the story with that?" Andy asked as he went up the old, highly polished but creaking stairs. The problem with his leg was more pronounced here, and he held onto the railing heavily. As he took the stairs one at a time, he went at a good clip.

"My neighbor passed. There was no one to take the dog. I ended up with him," Leo explained simply.

They reached the hallway upstairs and Andy turned to ask, "You didn't want to take him to a shelter?"

Leo couldn't tell if he thought that would have been better. "I didn't have the heart. The poor doggy just lost his owner. What if no one adopted him?" he said while looking up at Andy and trying to figure out what he really thought.

Andy smiled then quickly moved on and opened the first door on the left. "This is it." He pointed inside a room with a lot of old furniture.

Going over, Leo was almost right up against him in the doorway of the room. Instead of thinking about finding himself inches away from being pressed up against his boss, Leo focused on what he saw inside. There was a striped armchair next to a small, ornate fireplace, a mirrored dresser and a decent size bed.

"This is the only guest room left with all of us staying here. Our maid keeps it clean in case my parents decide to drop in. The bathroom is down the hall, I'm afraid. I hope this will work for you until you find something more permanent for you and Huey."

"It will work fine. Thank you. You're not expecting your parents for Christmas?" Leo asked.

"No. They are having Christmas in Tahiti. Their new tradition is having Christmas on some tropical island or other."

"Sounds like fun."

"I don't know if you can say the same thing for our plans," Andy said. "We'll be having Christmas Eve dinner here, then I'll need to make an appearance at Mrs. Del Rio's Christmas party. That's Rico's grandmother. You are welcome to come to that. It will be your chance to meet some people."

"I'm free," Leo said and tried not to think of it as being Andy's plus one.

"I probably won't stay long, but you might find you like it," Andy said.

As Andy went into the room and opened the curtains to let in more light, Leo decided it was a good time to talk to him about that Eric guy. "That guy who accosted you, he seemed to know you."

Andy nodded. "I've known him since we were kids. He has a drinking problem, obviously, and he wants a job at the inn."

"And he's not taking no for an answer," Leo said.

"His parents worked at the inn for a very long time. He feels he's owed a job," Andy said.

"I see. Well, we can't have him bothering you, the staff or the guests," Leo said decisively and Andy nodded in agreement.

"You have your things to bring up?" Andy said as they went back out into the hallway.

"Just a few things. I'll leave the rest to unpack when I find a place," Leo said and they went down.

While Andy went to check on the baby, Leo went to his car. He didn't really have much in there. Before this, he rented his last place fully furnished. He was looking for something like that again. The idea of any place he might call home just brought back bad memories.

He liked the idea of a steady job, but he wasn't planning to put down roots. An impersonal space with basic necessities was all he needed. And now he was staying here, in his boss's old, cluttered house with a grand front porch, corbels in the eaves, a place that screamed family and permanence.

Going back inside with his one bag, Leo saw that Andy was in the foyer with Lucy.

"Who's getting changed for her nap? My Lucy. My little Lucy," Andy was saying then he saw Leo and cleared his throat.

"You can't get embarrassed over talking baby talk to your baby," Leo said with a chuckle.

"I guess not. Speaking to her in a normal tone of voice just doesn't seem right somehow," Andy said as he started going up the stairs then stopped. "You better go first. When I have Lucy, I'm even slower than usual on the stairs."

Leo was going to let him go first, but Andy had moved out of the way already. "OK. Thanks. But I don't mind giving Lucy the right of way."

Leo went straight up to his room then came out to check the bathroom. Andy was just outside his door, heading for the room next door. Lucy's little head was on his shoulder and she seemed to be peering at Leo. She had such sweet blue eyes.

Rubbing Lucy's back, Andy stopped and told Leo, "I hope you're not a light sleeper or Lucy will be waking you up."

"I've lived in places with paper thin walls. I'll be fine," Leo assured him and wondered which room was Andy's. He didn't need to know that, but for some reason he pictured himself sneaking into the wrong room in the middle of the night and waking up one of his great-aunts.

From beginning to end, there was so much wrong with that fantasy, but something about Andy made Leo want to do very inappropriate things with him, mess him up a little. Damn, this wasn't a guy ready to bend over for him in back of some club. This was his boss. Good thing Leo had excellent self-control.

Chapter 3

Andy was changing Lucy and getting her impression of the inn's new manager.

"Did I see you smiling at Leo? Is that because he's a hunk? No, we don't call our employees hunky," he told Lucy and she scrunched up her face in agreement. "That's right. You're my good baby."

Leo was probably straight anyway.

Once she was all changed and sleepy, Andy put Lucy in her crib and sat down next to her to watch her fall asleep. She whined a little with her little fists balled up like she was ready to fight, but then she quieted. Smiling at her, Andy was amazed. He still couldn't get used to her being real.

Bringing her home right now, when things were so busy, he had been worried he wouldn't get to enjoy being with her. Of course that's why he rushed into hiring Leo, but he didn't expect to be hosting him on Christmas Eve. He just wished having him here and knowing he was staying the night didn't give him this unseemly thrill of anticipation.

By the time Andy was ready to leave Lucy to her nap and make his way downstairs, Leo was heading down too.

"I'm going to go see what's happening with dinner. Bickering between my aunts is a given, of course," Andy said. They were at the bottom of the stairs now and he indicated the front sitting room. "You can just relax by the fire, maybe with a glass of something?"

"I couldn't unless you joined me," Leo said with a small smile.

Wasn't that a fantasy he had? The idea of a drink by the fire with Leo appealed to Andy a little too much and he found himself tongue-tied. Pointing down the hall at the double doors, he told Leo, "That's the dining room. Sounds like my aunts are already in there."

"Maybe they need help?" Leo said.

They could hear them arguing as they went closer. "Dinner is going to be a little early because Beryl insists on having Lucy at the table. You know how babies love roast duck," Andy said knowing that Aunt Beryl could hear him.

"She can't miss my special dinner," Aunt Beryl said as he and Leo went to stand in the doorway of the dining room. The dog was in there, sniffing under the table but came over when he saw Leo. "We'll be ready just in time for when she wakes up from her nap."

"No, we won't because you're using the wrong china, Beryl," Aunt Bridgette said and tried to switch out the plates that were already on the table with different ones.

"My dinner, my rules!" Aunt Beryl yelled and rushed in to stop her.

"Don't yell. You'll wake the baby," Andy said to her then turned to his other great-aunt. "And Aunt Beryl is right. You can use whatever china you want tomorrow. Try not to break anything."

Of course they didn't listen so he left them to their fighting and led Leo to the sitting room where the fire was going in the fireplace. Huey followed them then went around sniffing everything.

Andy found a half bottle of really good scotch and poured two glasses as he explained to Leo about the two dinners. "We're having a Christmas Eve dinner with a menu according to Aunt Beryl, and tomorrow's dinner menu has been decided by Aunt Bridgette. They flipped a coin for who would be in charge of Christmas Day dinner and Aunt Beryl lost. The loser gets Christmas Eve. Jointly they can never agree on anything. And neither of them can cook."

"Ah, I guess that's why there's no kitchen action," Leo said. They were now both standing by the fire with drinks in hand, and Huey was lying on the floor between them.

"Actually, you'll be sampling the cooking from the kitchen at the inn," Andy said. "I haven't had time to plan a Christmas dinner much less prepare it."

"That means you must be a good cook."

"There is always room for improvement," Andy said but he was now thinking about cooking for Leo, maybe trying to impress him. The light of the fire was reflected on Leo's face, bringing out the reddish tones in his hair and his beard.

"You seem like a guy who's always pushing himself," Leo said.

"I decided not to do that for Lucy's sake. That's why I took time off since before she was born. Amy, the surrogate, wanted to stay close to her family and I wanted to stay close to her during the pregnancy. But I stayed away longer than I intended, and now I can't exactly jump back into things at the inn."

"That's why I am here," Leo said and smiled before taking a sip of his scotch. "This is good stuff."

"It's something my dad brought when he was visiting. We have liquor from every continent."

"Your parents are big travelers but you're more of a hometown guy," Leo said and Andy cringed.

"Someone has to mind the store," he said with a smile and tried not to make it obvious that he cared how Leo saw him. Certainly not as a dashing world traveler.

Lucy's crying as she woke up announced it was time for dinner. Andy went up just as the food was delivered. From upstairs he could hear Leo talking to Nick, who handled deliveries for the inn.

It sounded like Nick was expecting to meet the new manager. Of course he would know Leo was staying here, but that made Andy wonder what kinds of gossip might be circulating about Leo being their guest.

With Leo staying with him, the rumor mill might be running wild, but it was probably something like, "The new manager is smoking hot. That's why Andy is playing host to him for Christmas, but if he thinks he can get anywhere with a guy like him, he's crazy."

Good thing Andy didn't lure Leo here for any such reason.

By the time Andy came down with the baby, the food was set up on serving dishes and someone had picked out the wine they would be having with dinner. Distracted by Leo, Andy had forgotten that he promised Aunt Beryl he would do that.

"I guess the wine got taken care of," Andy said.

"Leo was kind enough to step in for you," Aunt Beryl told him shooting him a disapproving look before she reached for the baby. "Come to auntie, my sweet."

"Beryl, you'll be too busy serving to hold her," Aunt Bridgette said and tried to cut her off.

"My dinner. I get to hold her," Aunt Beryl said.

"Fine. And the same goes for Aunt Bridgette tomorrow," Andy said and handed Lucy to her.

But as she cradled the baby and beamed at her, Aunt Beryl said, "We'll see."

"Oh. What about Huey?" Andy asked seeing the dog next to Leo though the dog's attention was on the baby.

"I brought in some food for him then Bridgette took charge of it," Leo said with a wry smile.

"It should have been me," Aunt Beryl objected. "I'm in charge of dinner."

When they took their seats at the dining table, Aunt Bridgette sat next to Aunt Beryl so they could both fuss over the baby. At the head of the table, Andy was next to Aunt Beryl and the baby with Leo on the other side of him. Huey was under the table where they could hear him crunching his food.

"This baby came home just in time for Christmas. We got you so many presents," Aunt Beryl was saying to Lucy while hardly touching her food.

Leo looked over at Andy and frowned. "I don't have any gifts for the baby."

"Lucy won't notice. But if you want, you can jingle your keys for her. That's something she likes," Andy told him. He didn't want Leo to worry about that, but Andy did feel bad that he would be left out of the gift exchange. For now he set that aside and just enjoyed the first holiday dinner with his baby daughter.

"Lucy loved my dinner," Aunt Beryl claimed afterward.

"She had the same formula she always has," Aunt Bridgette told her, but tomorrow she would probably claim that Lucy was a huge fan of her dinner.

"The dinner was excellent. Thank you for having me," Leo told all of them and smiled at Lucy, his littlest host.

It was time to put her to bed, so Andy helped her wave goodnight to everyone and took her to the room that used to be his own but was now her nursery. The room was transformed. His great-aunts had gotten it ready for Lucy, made it frilly, white and pink, and now she was about to fall asleep there.

Even after she was sound asleep, Andy sat with her for a while. Then he had to leave her to his great-aunts as he got ready to head out to Mrs. Del Rio's Christmas party with Leo. They were leaving Huey in their care too, but he did follow them to the door.

"I'll be back soon," Leo assured him and Huey whined a little.

"Text or call if you need anything," Andy told his aunts and then he and Leo left in his car.

As he drove, Andy asked, "So what did you think of the food from the inn?"

"It was very good. I already checked out the menus from the inn that you have online. It was a treat to taste food of that caliber. I was impressed."

"Aunt Beryl went overboard a little. I don't think we needed a whole roast duck along with everything else, but that's what happens when my great-aunts are trying to outdo each other."

"They keep things interesting, and it beats Christmas Eve alone," Leo admitted with a smile.

"Don't forget you have Huey. My great-aunts are probably going to cry when you take him away," Andy predicted, but he was the one who would find it painful to see Leo leave.

He knew he shouldn't, but Andy found himself wishing that Leo would stay at least until New Year's. Oh great, now instead of whiskey by the fire, he would be fantasizing about a champagne flavored, New Year's kiss.

Chapter 4

 

Leo hadn't been looking forward to the holidays or even thinking much about them at all. He didn't have the kinds of friendships that went beyond shared drinks after work and his family was out of the picture.

Then somehow he found himself sitting down at a Brighton family dinner on Christmas Eve and going to a Christmas party with his boss. He was sure Andy included him out of a sense of obligation, but then he seemed to be going to this party for the same reason.

"This party will give you an opportunity to meet some of the more prominent people in Peach Tree all at the same time," Andy told him as he looked for a place to park along a long, curving driveway, where a lot of other cars were parked.

"So we're doing this for the sake of efficiency and good PR," Leo said and made Andy smile.

"Is there another reason to go to a party?"

The other reasons probably didn't apply to this party. Leo wasn't about to get buzzed and pick up guys considering where they were going and who he was going with. But another place and time, he would have loved to pick up Andy and see how long and loud he could make him moan.

Damn, he really had to stop letting his mind go to dark, secluded places with Andy, especially when they were sitting in a parked car in the dark countryside. That was only for a minutes and then they were walking up the driveway toward a big house glowing with lights.

What Andy said made Leo think he was going to a stuffy get together for an older crowd, but what he found was very different. First they made their way through a garden lit up with Christmas lights and decorated with elves and Santa Clauses and Mrs. Clauses. Giant tree ornaments in every color were hung everywhere they possibly could be.

Inside was just as bright, loud and colorful. Kids and dogs were running around. People who couldn't carry a tune were singing "Silent Night" at the top of their lungs while another group by the fireplace sang Bart Simpson's version of "Jingle Bells".

"Where did you bring me?" Leo asked, but Andy only shook his head.

"I can't hear you. My ears are bleeding," Andy complained as he led the way to a quieter room.

Leo could see Andy eyeing the decorations disapprovingly. They were a far cry from the tasteful holiday decor at the inn or at his house. But this Mrs. Del Rio obviously wasn't interested in tasteful or subdued. It was more like a Christmas explosion.

"I need to rest my ears and my eyes," Andy said.

"That Mrs. Del Rio is a lady who knows how to party," Leo said.

"And there she is. She won't like it if we don't have drinks in our hands," Andy said.

As they quickly grabbed drinks, Leo spotted a tall, older woman with a lot of blond hair styled to make her even taller and she was coming their way. She wore a slinky red and gold dress and a red garland around her neck. She called out Andy's name and opened her arms to him.

"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Del Rio, wonderful party as always," Andy said as he hugged her.

"You didn't bring that baby of yours, Andy," she said with a frown.

"She has an early bedtime."

"Oh, of course. So the Brighton twins have her all to themselves," Mrs. Del Rio said and made a face. She then turned a much brighter expression to Leo.

"So you're the new man at the inn. I was told you were something, and I am not disappointed. Dahlia Del Rio." She extended her hand to him and tossed her head flirtatiously.

"Leo Copeland. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And have you met my wonderful grandchild?" she asked him.

"Rico?" Leo said.

"No, but he is wonderful too. If you want to get technical, Sammy is my new great-grandchild to be. Mitch's sweet angel. Make sure to tell the twins about her," she told Andy.

"We haven't met her yet, but I'll be sure to tell them," Andy said to her.

"Now I have to check if we're running out of anything. You two have fun," Mrs. Del Rio said and she was off.

Leo looked at Andy. "Are your aunts twins," Leo asked. They did look a little like twins.

"That's just what Mrs. Del Rio calls them and they hate it," Andy said with a sigh.

The two of them meandered through some of the quieter rooms and Andy introduced Leo to a few people. It wasn't long before they spotted Rico and then heard him.

"Hey, look. There's the guy who's going to make our wedding reception perfect."

Next to Rico, Leo saw a very well built guy with a more subdued demeanor. He had a beard, dark hair and blue eyes. He was a stunner, and he and Rico made quite a pair.

"Must be the fiancé," Leo said to Andy as they went over.

"Don't worry. He's nothing like Rico," Andy said and Leo could already tell that Rico's fiancé had an intense vibe, but he also seemed like someone who always kept himself in check.

As Leo was introduced to Mitch McEvers, Rico had his arm around his waist, leaning into him like he wanted everyone to know that man was his.

"This is the guy Andy hired because he got himself a baby," Rico said to Mitch. "Leo is going to free him up to dote on her."

"Sounds like a plan," Mitch said.

"He has a little girl so he understands," Andy said to Leo with a smile.

The smile was brief but Leo had the urge to keep his eyes on him, watch for that smile to return. Andy and Mitch were talking about the inn, so it looked like Leo was just paying close attention, as he should be. Rico was the only one who didn't seem interested. He was waving at two other guys who came over to join them.

"Do you guys know the newlyweds?" Rico asked Leo and Andy.

"We aren't newlyweds any more," the younger, sandy haired one said. He was the guy who watched Huey earlier that day outside the inn.

The tall, blond guy next to him must have been his husband. "We still need to take a proper, extended honeymoon so we can be newlyweds until we get that taken care of." He looked at his husband with a wicked gleam in his eyes like he wanted everyone to imagine what they planned to get up to. Or maybe he just wanted to make his husband blush, which he did.

"Our honeymoon will be way hotter," Rico told him.

"Wyatt Hayes?" Andy said to cut through all that. "I'm Andy Brighton, It's very nice to meet you." As he was introducing himself, Leo caught something odd in his voice.

"Great to meet you too," Wyatt said and it looked like he was about to introduce his husband but Rico cut in.

"And this is my best friend, Sam," Rico said, throwing an arm over his shoulder.

Wyatt threw an arm around him too. "You mean my husband," he growled at Rico.

"Don't start a tug of war," Sam warned them.

"And this is the new manager of the inn, Leo Copeland," Andy said evenly.

Unlike his husband or Rico, Sam looked embarrassed by what was going on around him. "Sorry," Sam said. "It's nice to meet you officially."

"Thanks for looking after my dog."

As Leo shook hands with him, Rico called out, "Hey, kids! Come meet some people."

"Grown ups?" the first boy who arrived said and he pouted up at them. He was maybe five with brown eyes and blond hair.

"Yes, grown ups," Wyatt told him then ruffled his hair, and Leo could see the resemblance between them.

"We already know him. He has a dog," a little blond girl said coming over too and stared up at Leo. She seemed to be about the same age as the little boy.

"We don't know his name," a third kid said. He was a little older than the other two, maybe six, and more serious looking.

Wyatt did introductions. It turned out that the boys were his nephews, Riley and his big brother, DJ. The little girl was Mitch's daughter, Sammy, a little blond thing with blue eyes like her dad's.

"Hey, you didn't bring the baby," Rico said to Andy like he only now noticed.

"A baby?" the little girl said and gave Leo and Andy a wide-eyed stare.

"Andy has a baby," Rico told her. "A girl, right?"

"Yes. Her name is Lucy," Andy said to the little girl.

"You didn't bring her," she said to him pitifully.

"Honey, it's too late for a baby to be up," her dad told her reasonably, but she still looked disappointed and the two little boys were frowning at Andy like he had done something wrong.

"I bet he has baby pictures," Rico said then demanded, "Let's see them."

"Yeah, we wanna see," Riley said and he and the little girl came over to stare up at Andy until he gave in.

Shaking his head, Andy got his phone out. He sat down in an armchair and quite a few people gathered around to look at baby pictures. Leo thought that would bother a standoffish guy like Andy, but he didn't seem to mind. He even wore a very nice smile as he gazed at the pictures of his baby daughter and told everyone about her.

"Look at him bragging about his new baby," Rico said.

"You made him do it," Sam reminded him.

Rico didn't pay any attention. "He's such a show off."

It looked like Sammy was the baby's biggest fan. Unhappy when Andy finally put away his phone, she pouted at him.

Rico kissed the top of her head. "You'll get to meet the baby one of these days, don't you worry," he promised her and she smiled up at him.

"And the baby has to meet Gloria and Danny and Lenny and Barney and Brownie and Natalie and Veronica," little Riley said to Andy.

"More kids?" Andy said. He looked a little scared of having to face any more of them.

"Dogs and cats mostly," Wyatt corrected him.

"Gloria and Danny are kids," DJ said to his uncle.

"Danny is Julian Brennan's little brother," Mitch said, and Andy nodded like the name meant something to him.

"He took his little brother and his little dog to visit his fiancé's family for the holidays," Rico added.

"And Lara and Gloria are at her mom's," Wyatt said.

"Just as well," Andy muttered under his breath, but Leo heard him and glanced his way. He didn't think anyone else noticed though.

They got to meet a local teacher, Noreen, a petite brunette who seemed to be part of this group too. Leo was surprised that he and Andy ended up sticking with them for the rest of their time at the party. He did get to meet a few others there, but Leo didn't expect Andy to want to spend time around a loud and unruly bunch like them.

When Andy was ready to head out, he leaned in to let Leo know. "I'm going to leave after I say goodnight to Mrs. Del Rio. If you want to stay, I'm sure you won't have trouble getting a ride to the house."

"No. I'll head out too," Leo said.

They said their goodbyes and made their way toward the front doors. On the way, Leo spotted Riley sleeping on a love seat while hugging a little brown dog. The party went on around him and showed no signs of slowing down.

Going up to Mrs. Del Rio, Andy thanked her as did Leo.

"You two handsome boys are always welcome and bring that baby over any time you want," she said. "Did you get to meet my beautiful granddaughter?" She pointed toward Sammy, who was holding two pine boughs on her head like antlers and Rico was taking pictures of her.

"We met all the children in a big knot," Leo told her.

"That is how they travel," Mrs. Del Rio said. "Soon our Sammy will officially be family, and I can't wait."

"I bet you weren't expecting to be made a great-grandmother so soon," Andy said to her and smiled at how happy she looked.

"No, but I am delighted. That child is pure joy. And Mitch, my God – manly, kind, patient, what a man." Mrs. Del Rio fanned herself, and Andy glanced over at Leo. Maybe he was remembering how Rico said she never did that when she talked about Andy. But with those soft brown eyes and trim body, he had plenty going for him.

 

When they got back to the house, Huey was there to greet them at the door.

"Oh, look. He missed you," Andy said as the dog jumped and woofed. Getting down, Leo shushed him and rubbed his sides.

"You're getting some love too," Leo said as Huey sniffed at Andy.

"You're a good dog," he said as he petted him.

"Andy, you're back," Beryl said coming halfway down the stairs. "We just put the baby back down to sleep, and Bridgette walked Huey."

"I'll come up and check on her," Andy said.

"Don't you wake her," Bridgette warned him from the top of the stairs.

"Aha," Andy said and he rolled his eyes.

While he went up, Leo took his coat off but stayed downstairs. Going into the front room where a single dim lamp was on, he saw that the fire in there had died down. Huey still went over to sit in front of it while Leo lingered there and hoped that Andy might join him.

Out the window, the garden looked a little dreary and, without the fire, the room was cold. Leo should have been going to the room upstairs, looking for something to watch maybe, but he didn't want to give up on Andy just yet.

"Here you are," Andy said from behind him as he came in. "I saw your room was dark."

"Is Lucy sleeping?" Leo asked so he wouldn't have to admit that he was waiting for Andy.

"She's sleeping soundly. This room is always freezing when the fire isn't going. It's those big, old windows." Andy sat down in the armchair by the fireplace. With Huey watching him closely, he stirred the fire back to life and threw a log on. "I feel like I need to decompress," he said and ran his fingers through Huey's fur.

Leo took a seat in the other armchair and watched as Andy leaned back with his eyes closed, and the fire's glow lit up his face. When he first saw him on his laptop screen during the job interview, Leo had been surprised at how young he was. Not to mention good-looking. He looked even younger now, his face relaxed. But then he opened his eyes and Leo pretended to be watching the fire.

"Would you like a drink?" Andy asked him and looked ready to get up.

Leo shook his head. "No, thank you." He didn't want anything to loosen his inhibitions. "That party wasn't so bad," Leo said.

"No, but those kids were clearly up past their bedtime," Andy said and Leo chuckled.

"You're going to be strict. Is it hard for you to be away from Lucy?"

"Kind of, but I know she's in good hands," Andy said. "And if I was here and Lucy cried, my aunts would still race me to the nursery. And at her crib, I would be elbowed out of the way."

"I didn't realize midnight feedings were so competitive," Leo said, but he had noticed how possessive his aunts were when it came to the baby.

"My great-aunts missed the first few months with her. They had to satisfy themselves with short visits, my parents did too. But I was happy to bring the baby home to them."

"I guess a baby can't have too many people doting on her."

"We'll see what happens when Lucy gets older. I might have to put my foot down about whose kid she is," Andy predicted then he spotted a big, gray cat sneaking around the edge of the room. "There you are. Did you come to get warm?"

Seeing Huey become interested in the newcomer, Leo held onto him. "Is that the famous Zeus?"

"It is," Andy said as the big cat settled himself under his chair and looked alert for any sudden movements from Huey. Andy reached down to pet him and the cat tolerated some stroking.