Peach Tree Manny (Gay Romance) E-Book

Trina Solet

• Herausgeber: Trina Solet
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Julian Brenner doesn't have good memories of his childhood home in Peach Tree, but he's moving back there for the sake of his little brother. Little Danny has already been through so much, Julian wants him to have some peace and quiet.
That isn't what Peach Tree is known for, so it's a good thing Julian is bringing some backup. At first, he hires Rob as his assistant, but maybe what he really needs is a manny.
Rob doesn't seem like the type. He's a little rough around the edges and not afraid of a fight. His protective side is what Julian notices first, but it's Rob's kindness that wins him over.
But does Julian dare to fall in love. Both men have old pain and troubled histories to overcome. Will they realize their love was meant to be?

Leseprobe

Peach Tree Manny (Gay Romance) By Trina Solet

Copyright © 2019 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 Manny

Gay Romance

Trina Solet

Chapter 1

Though the light had turned green, Julian looked down and saw that Danny wasn't ready to cross the street just yet. First the little boy made sure that all the cars were really stopped and only then took a tentative step onto the crosswalk while staying close to Julian's side.

As they crossed the street as fast as they could, his three-year-old little brother held onto Julian's hand with both of his little ones. Ever since he was in a car crash, traffic scared Danny, but he wouldn't let Julian carry him.

He didn't like the noise of traffic, and he jumped at any loud engine noise or whenever a car horn sounded or tires screeched. Afternoon rush hour was winding down, but this was still a busy area. Luckily, they soon arrived in front of the office building where Julian worked.

The office building towered above them, and Danny frowned. "It's big," he said in a hushed voice Julian could barely hear.

"We're not going too high up," Julian assured him. "You're going to see where I work." Or more accurately, where he worked until now. After all Julian was here to pick up some things before he relocated. At twenty-five, Julian was the youngest consultant at Upton Investments. He was keeping the same job, but he wouldn't be working out of Upton Investments offices any more.

In the lobby, Julian checked in with security and Danny looked around uncertainly. At the elevators, he took a deep breath before he bravely stepped inside. He was used to the elevators in Julian's apartment building, but he wasn't a fan of riding on them. Since Upton Investments offices were located on the fifteenth floor, taking the stairs wasn't an option.

On the fifteenth floor, the elevator doors opened to the slick décor of the office space. The sharp angles and gleaming metal didn't put Danny at ease. He looked all around cautiously and pulled closer to Julian.

It was after office hours. Only a few people would be working this late so the place wouldn't be too crowded or hectic. For Danny's sake, that's exactly what Julian wanted. He had picked this time for another reason. Pete Thayer shouldn't be in the office after regular working hours, so this was a good time for Julian to go in and get his things without running into him.

As they made their way to his office, Julian hoped Danny would be more comfortable in there.

"I just need to get a few things. It won't take long," he assured the little boy, who stayed silent as he often did. Julian always had to look at him to make sure he wasn't upset or scared.

This time Julian noticed that he was staring at something. It was actually someone. Following his gaze, Julian was surprised to see the temp, Rob Gerric. Their paths crossed right in front of the doors to Julian's office and Rob greeted them.

"I didn't expect to see you here so late, Mr. Brenner," Rob told him.

Julian knew that was because he didn't spend extra time at the office these days. At one time, before Danny came to live with him, Julian would often be found working late. But not any more.

"You're here late too," Julian pointed out.

"I'm helping Mrs. Lewis. Her assistant barfed up her lunch and had to go home early." When Julian made a face, Rob winked at Danny, who mouthed the word barfed. "This is my last week here, so I don't mind some extra hours," Rob added.

Julian wasn't surprised he was leaving. Rob didn't exactly fit in among the more corporate minded employees. Julian would be sorry to see him go, but then he remembered he was leaving as well.

Rob cocked his head to one side and regarded Danny with an inquisitive look. "Hey, you're new here, aren't you? What's your name?"

Danny didn't answer and Julian didn't expect him to. The little guy hardly spoke to Julian and almost never to anyone else. That's why Julian was about to answer for him when the cleaning people started up the vacuum and Danny jumped in fright. Holding his breath, his eyes wide, he clutched Julian's hand tightly.

Rob noticed his reaction and reassured him, "That's just the vacuum. See?"

Looking where Rob was pointing, Danny blinked a few times and pressed his lips together into a line as he stared at the vacuum and the man behind it. "It's red," Danny noticed, but Julian wasn't sure if he heard him say it or if he had just mouthed the words.

"And it's loud," Julian said. "Let's go in my office. It won't be so loud in there. You can sit in my chair and I'll be right back."

Going in and climbing in the swiveling chair with some difficulty, Danny looked tiny sitting in it, and Julian smiled at the sight of the tiny executive. "Here are the crayons we brought and some papers to draw on. I'll be right back. I'm going to be right out there where you can see me," Julian told him and pointed through the glass doors of his office.

The vacuum was still going, but Danny seemed OK now that he knew what it was. Choosing a red crayon, he started drawing.

Leaving Danny to his drawing, Julian went to his assistant's desk to go through a packet of information she left for him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rob going to the end of the hallway where he stopped in the doorway of Mrs. Lewis's office. With his blond head inclined, he was speaking to her and taking some notes on a legal pad. Though Rob was undeniably attractive, Julian tried not to notice his broad shoulders and beautiful, green eyes.

To force his gaze away from him, Julian focused on the packet his assistant, Ms Dover, had put together so he would have everything he needed to set up his new office right away and his work wouldn't be delayed. Busy with the papers, he jumped as someone sidled up to him.

Because of the noise of the vacuum, Julian didn't hear him approach. It was Pete Thayer, the man he wanted to avoid at all costs. And here he was only inches away from Julian, smirking right in his face.

"Packing for your escape?" Thayer taunted him while his thin lips curled into a sneer.

Without bothering to answer him, Julian drew away from him, but all he managed to do was bump into the desk. Thayer stayed right up against him, leaning close to him while Julian was trapped between the chair and the desk.

They were right in line with his office door. In case Danny was watching, Julian wasn't willing to make a scene. He endured Thayer smirking right in his face and only glared at him.

Then Julian heard Danny whimper, and turned to see him standing in the doorway of his office. To put his mind at ease, Julian plastered a reassuring smile on his face.

"I'll be right there," Julian told him, but Danny still looked very unhappy.

Out of the corner of his eye, Julian saw Thayer leering at him with an amused look in his eyes. He was enjoying the fact that Julian couldn't shove him away or tell him off in front of his little brother. Julian was furious, but helpless to do anything. All he could do was put up with Thayer until he got bored with this game.

That's what Julian thought, but then a booming voice from behind him made all of them jump. "Don't worry, little guy. Mr. Thayer is done here."

It was Rob and his words were only partly meant for Danny. They were really an order meant for Thayer. To make that clear, he forced his way between Julian and Pete Thayer. With barely veiled aggression, Rob placed one hand on the desk and leaned toward Thayer threateningly. He kept his voice even as he continued to address himself to Danny.

"Mr. Thayer is a busy guy. He doesn't have time to hang around here." Rob advanced on him until Thayer was forced to back up. He glared evilly at Rob but didn't dare to challenge him.

"Have a nice trip," Thayer said venomously to Julian and went off at a deliberately slow pace like he wanted to pretend he hadn't been chased away.

Julian immediately went over to Danny. Worried that the unpleasant scene had upset him, Julian took his hand, but Danny was doing OK.

At first Danny stared after Thayer like he wanted to make sure he was really gone then he looked up at Rob approvingly. Danny got scared again when the vacuum got louder as it came back their way.

"There goes that red vacuum again," Rob said and gave Danny a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. A vacuum only eats dirt."

Danny definitely didn't like the loud noise, but it seemed to make him forget about Thayer. And the way Rob spoke about it put him at ease somewhat.

After being so intense a moment ago, Rob was so cheerful now. When Danny looked up at him again, he introduced himself. "My name is Rob."

Surprising Julian, Danny did the same. "My name is Danny," he whispered and Rob had to lean down to hear him.

That was new. Julian had never heard Danny introduce himself to anyone. Maybe he was making progress.

"He's my little brother," Julian said feeling so proud of him.

"Nice to meet you," Rob told Danny.

"It's too noisy out here. You want to sit and draw again?" Julian said and took Danny's hand.

As Julian started to take Danny inside the office again, the little boy stopped just inside the doorway and looked back at Rob as if he thought he was supposed to come with them. Maybe he thought Rob needed to run away from the vacuum too.

"I'm OK out here," Rob assured him.

But just then Julian had an idea. "Actually, if you have a minute, I'd like to have a word with you," he said to Rob.

"Mrs. Lewis doesn't need me for a little while. I was just going to dump these in the recycling," he said and picked up a stack of papers from the edge of Ms Dover's desk. He pulled out a green paper and handed it to Danny. "You can have this one. It's green. You can make a nice paper airplane out of it."

Danny took the paper, but Julian was pretty sure he didn't know how to make a paper airplane. "I'll show you," Julian said and put his hand out for the paper.

Instead of giving it to him, Danny looked up at Rob as if he needed his permission to hand over the precious, green paper.

"It's good to know how to make an airplane. You never know when you might need to fly somewhere," Rob told him. At a nod from him, Danny let Julian have the paper.

While Julian folded the paper, Danny watched closely. He then took the plane and looked it over. Next Julian showed him how to throw it.

Rob left some more colorful papers with him, but Danny spent most of his time trying to make the green paper plane fly. They left him to it and stepped just outside Julian's office.

Now that they had a moment away from Danny, Rob didn't hesitate to bring up what just happened with Thayer. "That was a real creepy move Thayer pulled on you. Are you OK?"

"You don't need to worry about me, but thank you for what you did. And Danny appreciated it too," Julian said and looked through the office door. Inside, Danny was playing and occasionally checking to make sure Julian was still there and that everything was all right.

"I think your little brother was coming out here to rescue you. But I'm surprised Thayer didn't threaten to sic security on me since I'm just a lowly temp and he's the top executive around here," Rob said. "He still might, I guess."

Julian doubted it. "I don't think Thayer wants to have to explain what just happened here. But what about your job? Thayer is in charge while Mr. Upton is away. That's going to make things very uncomfortable for you."

"Only until the end of the week. I was on my way out anyway," Rob said. He didn't seem very concerned.

"You won't leave here with a good recommendation from him," Julian pointed out.

"I'll be fine. What about what he just did to you? He was all over you." Rob frowned, some of his anger from before returning.

"I'm on my way out of here too. Starting next week, I'll be telecommuting from my family house out in the country."

"Sounds nice," Rob said.

"Do you have another job lined up?" Julian asked.

"I'll figure something out." Rob tried for a confident smile but it turned into a grimace.

That meant Julian could make his offer. "I might have a job for you, but it would be out of town, I'm afraid. And it would be temporary. It does come with room and board. I'll need help setting up my new office and with work in general. Would something like that interest you?"

"It might. I don't mind a short-term move right now," Rob said. "Where would we be going?"

As he was telling him about it, Julian was pretty sure that Rob wouldn't be thrilled with the work or the living situation. "I'm taking Danny to my family home in Peach Tree. That's my hometown. I'll be working from there. With an assistant to help me, I would be able to spend more time with Danny. Your job might involve running some errands, but it would be mostly helping me in the office. It's a big house, so you would have plenty of privacy."

Though he nodded, Rob didn't look sure. Julian decided they could have a trial run. "If you have time, you can give me a hand with packing for the move. It might help you decide and we can discuss the specifics. How does that sound?"

"That might be a good idea." Just then Rob got a text. "That's Mrs. Lewis. She needs me."

"Contact me about the details," Julian told him and handed over his card.

"OK. Thanks," Rob said.

As Rob was about to go, he poked his head in Julian's office and waved to Danny. "It was nice meeting you, Danny," Rob told him with a smile and Danny waved back.

Going into his office to sit behind his desk, Julian made a few more paper planes while Danny watched closely. Danny then threw them around the office and chased them. A few came Julian's way and he tried to catch them but his mind was elsewhere.

He was thinking about that house on Peach Tree Hill and about Rob working for him. Rob had just left and Julian was already having second thoughts about offering him the job.

On thinking about it, Julian had to wonder how much Danny's reaction to Rob had influenced him to make the offer. The few words the little boy spoke to him sounded to Julian like a ringing endorsement, but he couldn't let that sway him.

It wasn't something to disregard either. Rob's rapport with Danny did matter since he would be living at the house. That was something that Julian had his doubts about as well, and not just because it would be a challenge to have such an incredibly attractive guy under the same roof with him. Julian also questioned if that house was really the right place to take Danny.

It would be more peaceful, much quieter than here where the noise of traffic always reminded Danny of his accident. Still, Julian never planned to go back to Peach Tree. For Danny's sake, he would do anything. The gloomy memories Julian had of the house in Peach Tree shouldn't affect Danny. If Julian could just bury his distaste for the place, everything would be fine.

Of course he would also have a good-looking guy there to distract him. If Julian felt any burgeoning attraction to Rob, he would have to bury that too. He was pretty sure that Ms Dover said that Rob was gay. Considering how dependable and efficient office gossip was, Rob probably knew Julian was gay as well. In any case, Julian saw no reason to bring it up. Neither of their sex lives had anything to do with this job.

Focusing on what did matter, he remembered that Rob was recommended by Upton Investments' clients, Mr. and Mrs. Wells. In order to check his references more thoroughly, Julian called Mrs. Wells.

As soon as Julian brought up Rob's name, she only had good things to say. "You can't go wrong hiring Rob. He is very helpful and responsible. When the triplets were little, he and his sister kept them from destroying the house. They were very good with them. Rob also helped me at the office when Trish, my assistant, was having her baby. He is very hard-working."

"That's good to hear. Thank you," Julian told her.

It all sounded good, but he didn't have to make a final decision until the trial run when Rob helped him pack up. That way he would know if they could work together closely, and he could also see Rob interact with Danny some more in case his positive reaction was just a fluke.

Of course Julian's own reaction was pretty damn positive. The way Rob stepped in when he didn't know how to push back against Thayer without upsetting Danny – that was enough to win over Julian. Add to that his green eyes and his warm smile, and Julian had to wonder why he really wanted to hire Rob.

Chapter 2

The building where Julian Brenner lived was a lot like the office building where he worked. It was all metal and glass with everything looking untouched by human hands. Rob had no trouble picturing Mr. Brenner living in a place like this, but not that little brother of his. Maybe that's why he was moving, and not just because of the situation with that Thayer creep.

Rob had arrived there after work and hoped to have a firm job offer after he was done. As he went up in the elevator, which was as smooth as butter, Rob thought about the creaking, lurching elevator at his own building. Not that it would be his building for much longer. He had to be out of there soon.

Rob had made the mistake of messing around with his 'straight' roommate. When Craig had a freak out and tried to kick him out, Rob told him he was taking two weeks to find another place. He wasn't about to let that two-faced idiot push him around.

But time was running out, and until Mr. Brenner offered him this job, Rob was looking at a future with no job and no place to live. Working for Mr. Brenner wasn't yet a sure thing from the sound of it, and it wasn't the kind of job he was looking for. Still, it was better than nothing, which is what he had lined up so far.

Living at Mr. Brenner's house in the country might not be so bad either. Sure it might be kind of awkward, but Rob could save some money. First he had to make sure not to blow it. And also keep dirty thoughts out of his head.

That wasn't easy. He was on the doorstep of Mr. Brenner's apartment, ringing the doorbell and telling himself to be the perfect employee. But as soon as Mr. Brenner opened the door, dirty thoughts came flooding in.

He couldn't help it. Julian Brenner was smoking hot. Rob took in those soft brown eyes, dark hair, and a perfectly trimmed beard on a serious face. Below that were broad shoulders and a slim but toned body and everything else that Rob had to pretend not to notice.

Rob averted his eyes and spotted Danny hiding behind his big brother.

"Who do I see over there? Hi, Danny. Are we going to be packing today?" Rob asked him.

Danny nodded.

"You want to say hi to Rob?" Julian encouraged him gently, like he wasn't sure he would. But his little brother did him proud.

"Hi, Rob," Danny said under his breath and tucked in his chin shyly.

Taking off his jacket and going inside the apartment, Rob could tell that Mr. Brenner's style was minimalist and traditional, but now there were toys perched on side tables and armrests. So it seemed that Mr. Brenner had allowed his little brother to make the whole apartment his playground.

Aside from that, packing boxes were already set out, and some of them were half full. Leaving his big brother's side, Danny went over to stand in the doorway of a colorfully decorated bedroom.

"I told Danny that we would start with some of his things," Mr. Brenner said while showing Rob where to hang up his jacket.

"We're starting with the most important stuff," Rob said to Danny. The little boy looked shy whenever he spoke to him but also bright-eyed and eager.

Running into his room with Rob and Mr. Brenner following after him, Danny went straight to a hook on the wall where a yellow baseball cap was hanging. Taking it off the hook, he showed the cap to Rob with a look of solemn pride.

"Is that the most important thing?" Rob asked him.

Danny nodded.

"Don't worry. We won't forget the yellow cap," Mr. Brenner assured him. "But we don't need to pack it. You can wear it on the trip."

"It must be special," Rob said.

"Julian got it for me," Danny said in his small voice.

"It was the first thing I ever bought him," Mr. Brenner said with a smile and a wistful look in his brown eyes.

Rob knew from talk at the office that Mr. Brenner and Danny were each other's only family, and that they only recently found each other. That must be why Mr. Brenner seemed to be wrapped up in sadness even when he smiled.

"Should we put something in those boxes?" Rob asked bringing over two boxes that sat empty. Danny agreed. Of course all he was interested in packing were his toys.

While he rummaged in his toy box, Rob noticed that the boxes weren't marked. "We should write Danny's name on here, right? Mr. Brenner?"

When Mr. Brenner didn't say anything, Rob wondered if he was making a bad impression. But maybe he was just lost in thought. Mr. Brenner was looking around Danny's room with a faraway look in his eyes.

Rob was about to look around for a marker, when he felt Danny tug at his sleeve. He motioned for Rob to lean down, and then he whispered. "He has another name."

"He does?" Rob said and he and Mr. Brenner locked eyes for a moment. Those gorgeous, brown eyes were hard to look away from, but Rob forced his gaze away somehow and gave his full attention to Danny.

"His name is Julian," Danny confided to him.

"I see," Rob said, but he was pretty sure Mr. Brenner didn't want him to call him by his first name.

"You can call me Julian if you want, but it's completely up to you," he said letting Rob decide how much professional distance he wanted to keep between them.

Rob decided to let Danny weigh in. "Julian is better, right?"

Danny nodded emphatically, and the issue was settled.

"All right. I'll call you Julian," Rob said but then he caught a flustered look cross his face. Wasn't it OK? As Rob watched, he saw Julian's mouth quirk into a smile for just a second. It was so fleeting, Rob might have imagined it, but the thumping of his heart told him he hadn't. Julian. He did like saying that name.

With Rob and Julian's help, Danny managed to pack more than just his toys. When they were done, Julian looked around the room and wondered, "Do we have everything?"

More of Danny's things were scattered around the apartment. Once those were gathered and boxed up, Julian decided it was time for his kid brother to take a break and took him to the kitchen.

When Julian came back, he offered Rob a bottle of water. "Did you want anything else?" he asked, but Rob shook his head.

"I'm fine. So what's next?"

"Since Danny is occupied with a snack and some coloring, you can help me pack my office," Julian said as he led the way through the spacious living area, past the packing boxes and toward the office on the other side of the apartment.

"I'm surprised you don't have movers doing this for you," Rob said as they stepped into his office. It was a mess of binders, boxes and files right now.

"I wanted to ease Danny into this move. That's why I'm having him help with packing his stuff," Julian explained.

Rob nodded. "That makes sense."

"He's been through some trauma. This past spring, he was in a serious car accident. He wasn't hurt badly, but it took time to get him out of the wreckage. Since then he doesn't like cars and all the noise from the street. That's why I want to move somewhere quieter. And my family house in Peach Tree is as quiet as it gets."

"Poor kid. How are you getting there?" Rob wondered as he realized the trip might be tough to take for the little guy.

"Driving. It will be a challenge. These days Danny does well enough on a short drive, so I plan to stop as often as I need to," Julian said. "Do you have a car?"

"No," Rob said. He had an old Honda for a while, but he couldn't afford to keep fixing it so he had to give it up.

"Then you can drive there with us, if you don't mind," Julian said and once again Rob noticed that his eyes had this power over him. They made him forget where he was or what he was doing. It took all of his willpower to get his mind to focus.

"No problem," Rob said. Julian was making it sound like the job was his, but he hadn't actually said so. He was so reserved. Rob had trouble reading him.

"And moving for a while isn't a problem?" Julian asked.

"The place where I'm living now is temporary, so I wouldn't mind a change of scenery." Rob wasn't about to get into the whole deal with his roommate, but the thought of getting away did appeal to him.

"That's good. I already checked your references with Mrs. Wells. She said you were good with her kids."

"Right. The triplets," Rob said remembering how terrifying they were. "That was me and my sister. It was a while ago. We were babysitting them as a team. I wouldn't have survived it without backup."

"You're smiling, so I guess it wasn't a complete nightmare. Would you mind doing that kind of thing again and helping me with Danny?" Julian asked.

"It's no problem. Danny is a really nice kid," Rob said and Julian looked relieved.

"I'm glad. I think he'll like having you along with us for the trip," Julian said. "And I want to bring Danny's stuff with us, so he can feel at home right away."

"He doesn't seem too nervous about the move," Rob said as Julian handed him a stack of files and pointed out which box he should put them in.

"That's thanks to you being here," Julian said. "But I'm not sure how he'll react once we're on the road. Before he came to live with me, Danny was in foster care. No one knew who his father was so he had two different foster families after he lost his mom. The car crash happened when he was being transported to a new foster home. The driver and the social worker who were with him were badly hurt. They didn't make it. Danny was trapped with them in the car for hours before the emergency crew got to him and got him out."

"God. I'm so sorry. That's terrible," Rob said. He couldn't imagine such a small child having to go through something like that.

"What happened might have been horrific, but I'm not sure how much of it he remembers. His therapist can't get him to talk about it," Julian said. "He has made a lot of progress though. Right after the accident, he was in such bad shape. That's why someone at social services worked extra hard to track down any relatives. They found out who his father was though his name wasn't on Danny's birth certificate. But my father is deceased. Then they contacted me."

"It's good that he has you now," Rob said.

"I just wish I had known about Danny sooner. And I hope he'll like the place where we're moving," Julian said with a sigh, like he had misgivings.

His worried look made Rob think of another reason why Julian might be moving. "So the move is for Danny's sake, or does it have something to do with Pete Thayer and getting the hell away from him," Rob said a little too roughly, but he had come to really hate that guy since he saw him hassling Julian.

At first Julian didn't say anything. Maybe he was offended by his tone. "Thayer hasn't given you any trouble at the office, has he?" Julian finally asked, but to Rob it seemed that he was trying to deflect him.

"Haven't even seen him. I bet he can't be bothered with a nobody like me," Rob said then he pressed on, not ready to drop the subject. "Shouldn't you report him to HR?"

Julian shook his head and looked away. "I don't want to complicate my life right now. You might not have heard, but he's married to Mr. Upton's niece. On top of that, Mr. Upton is still recovering from his bypass, and while he is gone, Thayer is in charge. It's not a good time."

"Right," Rob said and clamped his mouth shut. Maybe he was being too pushy and Julian would change his mind about hiring him. But the way Thayer had menaced Julian in front of Danny really pissed him off.

Just as Rob was thinking he went too far, Julian told him, "We leave early Saturday. Is that all right with you?"

"It's fine," Rob said right away. "So the job is mine?"

"Yes," Julian told him simply and Rob let out a relieved breath.

That made Julian smile, but then he turned more businesslike as they went back to packing. Danny came over to watch the action from the doorway. To put him to work, Rob handed him anything that needed to be thrown away and he got to drop it into the wastebasket.

By the time they were done, it was a little past Danny's bedtime, and Julian was ready to take him to bed. First he got to say good night to Rob.

"This was a busy day," Rob said and Danny nodded. "You did good work. Good night and I'll see you soon."

"Good night, Rob," Danny said sweetly and waved to him as he went off toward his bedroom while holding Julian's hand.

Rob was left to check that nothing got left behind and to make sure the boxes were labeled like they should be. Unpacking was going to be his job, and he would have no one to curse at but himself if he couldn't find something.

Julian didn't come back for a while, so Rob kept busy. Once he did get back, Rob was pretty sure he would send him home. That gave him a pang of regret, like when a good time was about to end.

Since when was packing a good time? Rob needed to stop thinking of Julian as a good-looking guy and think of him only as his boss.

But then Julian appeared at the door of his office, and Rob knew it was hopeless. As soon as he saw Julian, all he wanted to do was grab hold of him and tumble with him to the floor.

Chapter 3

Back from helping Julian with packing, Rob had lined up a job and a place to live for a while. Julian even emailed him to offer the job formally and set down the particulars in writings. The pay and his duties were all outlined as well as the living arrangements. He would have a choice of one of three rooms with his own bathroom and the use of one other room as his living space. Must be a big house.

Now that it was all official and finalized, Rob decided to call his sister, Christie, and tell her about his job. That was much better than calling her up to ask if he could move in with her for a while.

Until now, Rob didn't want to talk about the job in case it fell through. He didn't exactly trust his luck, but now he was ready to give Christie his news.

"You're calling, not texting? You have some kind of big news? Is it about a job?" Christie asked him before he could tell her anything.

Since she was being so pushy, Rob told her, "I have news. I'm going back to babysitting."

"Ha ha," she said, not believing him. "Talk sense, Rob."

Rob got a little more serious. "Actually I'll be a personal assistant, but that's what you get for not letting me tell you in my own way."

"You know I get anxious when you're between jobs," she admitted and Rob understood.

After their mom lost her job, she sank into a depression and then they lost her. What happened still haunted both of them as well as their dad.

"I'll be working for a guy from Upton Investments. My new boss will need me to look after his little brother now and then. It's not here though. He's moving himself and the kid to his home town, and I'll be going with them. It's a small place called Peach Tree. What I see online looks nice."

"What? You're moving?" Christie asked, not sounding happy.

"It's a live-in thing," Rob told her.

Christie was even more doubtful as she said, "So you and your boss are going to be roomies?"

Considering the kind of luck he had with his last roommate, that seemed like a jinx. "It's temporary. It will help me save up and figure out my next move."

She still wasn't sold on the idea. "But a small town? Really, Rob?"

"I don't have to love it. Like I said, it's temporary. Julian Brenner is a little uptight. Hopefully I won't hate working for him, but his little brother is adorable. Maybe it will even out." Rob didn't mention that Julian was also very hot.

He didn't need to though. Christie had already looked him up online. "That's what he looks like. Now I see what's going on," she practically yelled into the phone. "He is why you took this job."

"Are you looking at a pic of him with or without the beard?" Rob asked, admitting to nothing.

"With. Do not under any circumstances fall for this guy," she ordered him. "Now give me your new address."

Christie was kind of bossy and a little overprotective, but Rob couldn't blame her. She was his big sister, and she pretty much single handedly held them all together when they lost their mom.

Finished talking to Christie, Rob sat against the headboard of his narrow bed and thought about Danny and Julian. The way that little guy looked to his older brother was really touching. There was no margin for error when taking care of a traumatized kid, but Julian had taken on the responsibility. But was Rob ready to enter their world? What if he did the wrong thing or said the wrong thing?

When he thought about Danny, Rob wanted to do whatever he could for him. Even with the added pressure, he couldn't even consider backing out. But honestly, he didn't know what he was really getting himself into.

On the day of the trip to Peach Tree, Rob woke up early and blinked at the gray, washed out light of the morning. Looking around his room and then the rest of the apartment, Rob knew he wouldn't be sorry to never see this place again.

Christie texted him to say how sorry she was she couldn't see him off. It did feel kind of lonely. Their dad had only recently moved in with his girlfriend in Oregon. She had her daughter and her kids living with her. It was a full house, but they all seemed to be getting along. Still Dad was lamenting that he, Rob and Christie had all scattered.

His call caught Rob just as he was going out the door. "I wish I was there to see you off," his dad said and Rob laughed.

"Christie was just saying that too." Rob told him.

"They should have a few good barbeque places out there. Keep your eyes peeled," his dad instructed him.

"I will."

"And take good care of yourself. Call or text if you need anything. You know I'll drop everything if you need me. You know that right?" his dad said so earnestly that Rob had to choke back tears.

"I know. And the same goes for me."

They hung up and Rob stepped out into the crisp air of an autumn morning. Inhaling deeply, he tried to clear his head of the past, but that wasn't easy. Not until he pictured Julian, his serious eyes, his sensual mouth, his beautiful hands, his unconsciously elegant movements. That's what trouble looks like – gorgeous, perfectly tailored and a little bit sad.

***

Dawn was just starting to break, but both Danny and Julian were already up and ready.

"We're going to go somewhere where it's quieter," Julian told Danny as they finished breakfast and went into the living room. All the furniture was still there, but everything else was gone and on its way to Peach Tree.

Stopping in the middle of the room, Danny looked around like he wasn't sure if this was the same place. Danny wasn't as uneasy as the first time he came here, but he never got used to the noise of traffic. The angry honking of horns, tires screeching, sirens blaring at all hours – they were all sounds Julian had blocked out a long time ago, even welcomed as reminders that he wasn't in Peach Tree any more.

Now he was afraid that Danny might hate it there too. Packing had distracted him, but Danny didn't seem too thrilled about the move now that it was about to happen. With all their things in boxes, the apartment looked so different, and that made Danny feel a little insecure.

With Julian next to him, Danny was kneeling backwards on the couch and looking out the window into a pale blue-gray sky. A crane was swinging its arm over the tops of distant buildings and Danny watched it closely.

"There won't be tall buildings like these where we're going, but there will be lots of trees," Julian told him to try and make him look forward to the move.

Danny turned his serious, brown eyes to him then he nodded. Julian saw the trust that the little boy had in him. That's why he had to try anything he could to make his life better and just hope he might like Peach Tree.

He knew without a doubt that Rob would hate it over there – that lonely house, no place to have fun anywhere nearby. Rob was too good-looking and dynamic for small town life. Idly Julian wondered what kind of social life someone like Rob might be leaving behind.

"Rob is going with us," he reminded Danny. "He'll be helping me with my work."

Danny turned to look at him again. "I wanna help."

"All right. You'll help me too," Julian said with a smile.

Danny was such a sweet, little guy but so quiet. Julian didn't get to hear his voice often enough. That's why he was surprised when he spoke to Rob so readily. Rob was a surprise too. Turning easily from friendly to intimidating when the circumstances called for it, he wasn't easy to figure out.

"Rob is going to be here soon," Julian told Danny after he saw a text from him. "He's on time."

Leaning over, Danny stared out the window toward the street far below like he expected to see him arrive from way up there. At the sound of the door chime, Julian got up.

"Rob is here?" Danny said as he clambered down off the couch and ran to the door to wait for him to open the door.

As soon as Julian opened the door to Rob, Danny announced, "You're on time."

"I guess so," Rob said and then smiled at Julian, knowing he was the one who must have said something like that. "Good morning, Julian. Good morning, Danny."

After greeting Rob, Julian looked down at Danny and prompted him to say good morning.

"Me too. Good morning, Rob," Danny said in a small, shy voice.

Rob didn't even get the chance to put down his bags before they got on their way. All of the things they were taking along were already down in the car. They all went into the elevator together, where Danny clutched Julian's hand tightly.

Danny didn't like being in the parking garage either, and Rob noticed. "Want to help me carry my bag?" he asked Danny.

"It's too big," Danny told him.

"We'll carry it together," Rob said and let him hold on to the bag.

That did the trick, and Julian found himself smiling at the two of them working as a team. But then he got distracted. Even through Rob's jacket, Julian could see the flex of his biceps. It wasn't easy to tell himself to look away and not to admire the man.

Julian's Mercedes SUV was loaded down with a lot of Danny's things plus office equipment and supplies. They still managed to find room for Rob's duffel bag and backpack. With his things in the car, Julian suddenly felt how real this was – the move and Rob coming along. Oddly, having Rob with them didn't add to the strain like Julian would have expected. Maybe he was a nice distraction.

Julian was buckling Danny into his car seat when Rob leaned into the front passenger side. Going over to him, Julian took him aside. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to sit in the back with Danny so you can keep a close eye on him and keep him occupied, or let me know if he gets upset."

"What if I drive and you sit with him?" Rob offered.

"You're new and more interesting to him, so I think you will be able to hold his attention better. But we can take turns later," Julian said.

Though he seemed skeptical, Rob agreed and Julian gave him Danny's favorite book, Super Strong Little Bee. "He likes for me to read him this book when he gets scared."

Flipping through, Rob nodded at the story of a little super strong bee lifting various heavy things in order to help other insects and animals and making friends along the way, nothing too complicated. Danny liked it and that's all that mattered.

Soon they were driving away, and Rob was keeping Danny company. Because he had to be able to stop on short notice, Julian planned to avoid the highways and toll roads. That meant their trip would take longer, but it would also be more scenic.

"Are we going far away?" Danny asked as they got on one of the surface roads out of town.

"Not too far. We're going to a nice place," Rob told him in that cheerful way of his. "But on the way, we have to keep an eye out for animals. If we see any cows or horses, we have to count them, and we have to wave to them."

"I can count to eleven," Danny told him. He seemed OK, but then a big truck rumbled past and Danny started to breathe too fast.

"That was a big truck, but it's gone now," Julian said as he slowed to make sure the truck passed them.

"You want to hold my hand?" Rob asked Danny.

"A little," Danny said.

"OK. Here you go. You're a brave guy, you know," Rob told him.

In the rearview mirror, Julian saw as Danny nodded. He worked so hard not to be scared, it broke Julian's heart.

Chapter 4

Rob hadn't expected that he would be the one to sit in the back with Danny and keep him calm. It was almost like Julian had more confidence in Rob than in himself. That man was a puzzle.

From the back seat, Rob had a good view of Julian's attractive profile. Most of the time, Rob was preoccupied with Danny, but he glanced toward the front now and then and enjoyed the view.

The drive was going well so far. Danny got scared sometimes, but not so badly that Julian had to pull over. Rob did his best to keep him distracted with things they saw along the roadside. When they drove through a stretch of roadway with only drying fields alongside them, Rob decided to tell Danny about his own childhood.

"When I was a kid, we went on road trips so we could have ourselves a cheap vacation. It was me, my sister, Christie, my mom and my dad. My sister and I wanted to stop everywhere. My dad had a bumper sticker that said, 'I break for barbeque.' That tells you everything you need to know." Rob said but Danny had on a confused expression. "That means he liked meat. Mom liked any place that made for a good family picture."

Mentioning her, Rob got wistful. She loved to compose a perfect shot then she would stare at the screen and smile. They had to work hard to get her in front of the camera though. That's why she was often missing from family pictures even before she was gone for good.

"What happened then?" Danny asked and Rob realized he had gone quiet.

"Right. We would find good places to eat or just have pie or ice cream. We would visit fun places and buy souvenirs."

"Souvenirs are little things that remind you of the places you visited," Julian said from the front. "And speaking of places to eat. We should stop somewhere for lunch. There is a place coming up soon. After we go over the bridge, it will be on our right."

Julian must have planned this stop. He was the opposite of the way Rob's dad had been. Dad was all about spontaneity. He wanted to discover new places, no advance research, no looking at reviews. Mom went along with it, though she did sneak a look at some maps so they wouldn't get hopelessly lost. It tore at the wound in Rob's heart to think how indulgent she had been, and at the end, how quietly she sank into her depression.

As they neared a roadside diner, Rob forced himself to shake off thoughts of the past. He needed to be cheerful for Danny's sake, and for Julian's sake too. Julian wasn't exactly chipper either, though he always had a smile for his little brother.

"This place looks nice," Rob said as they got out of the car in front of Dorothy's Diner with its blue roof and pictures of food painted on the windows.

"They have burgers," Danny said seeing one painted on a window in front.

"I guess they do," Rob said as they went through the doors and looked around for a free booth.

Spotting the dessert stand, Rob was about to say something about the mint chocolate chip pie behind glass that was right at Danny's eyelevel, but then thought better of it.

"Can he have dessert?" Rob leaned in to whisper the question in Julian's ear and he felt like time stopped. Julian smelled good. His skin, all of him would taste incredible – Rob just knew it. Being so near him, Rob had to hold his breath to get himself back under control. He almost forgot what he just asked Julian.

"He can have something sweet," Julian said then he got Danny's attention. "Look what Rob discovered."

Danny looked at the dessert display eagerly then up at Julian.

"Yes, you get to have one," Julian told him and led the way to an empty booth.

"And I found something I'd like. They have a Ruben on the menu," Rob said and pointed at two sandwiches going out on a tray. They reminded him of a deli he used to go to when he was in college.

"Order anything you like. Lunch is on me, of course," Julian said as he let Danny scoot in ahead of him into a booth.

"Thanks," Rob said and sat across from Julian and Danny. He vowed not to gaze at Julian like they were on a date, but it was hard not to appreciate the man when he was right there in front of him in all his bearded, handsome and refined glory. He was like some kind of dream date.

What was it he just vowed not to do? Oh, damn it.

It was like that all through lunch. With Danny being so quiet, it was easy for Rob to let his attention drift to Julian and his beautiful, brown eyes.

He had to cut that out. Noticing how Danny was eyeing his Ruben, Rob told him, "It's a grown-up sandwich, but you can try a bite if you want and if your brother says it's OK."

Julian nodded and Rob cut off a small piece for him and a bigger piece for Julian. Julian started to shake his head. But on seeing that his big brother was having some too, Danny smiled. Now Julian couldn't refuse.

"Thank you," he said to Rob.

"Thank you," Danny repeated after him.

The brothers each had a bite, and Julian said, "It's good."

But Danny frowned. "It's for 'growned-ups'," he declared.

Rob laughed. "Yes, it is."

After lunch, their waitress brought over a slice of mint chocolate chip pie that had mesmerized Danny a little while ago. Danny was about to take a little bit on his fork when he stopped and looked at Rob and Julian, neither of whom got any pie. "Wanna bite?" Danny asked them.

Rob gave him a big smile. "Not me, but thank you for offering."

Julian said no as well. "You go ahead and enjoy."

"It's a kid pie," Danny concluded as he started eating in a clumsy way. The spoon Julian substituted for his fork was held in his fist, so he got pie on his nose and chin and one cheek. Julian wiped him a few times but his face just wouldn't stay clean.

In a corner behind them, there was some kind of video game. Rob didn't pay much attention to it until a group of kids went over and huddled around it. Suddenly the kids all yelled, and Danny got startled. He huddled against Julian and buried his face in the crook of his arm.

As he held on to him and stroked his hair, Julian told him. "It's OK."

"It's just some kids. They're playing a video game," Rob told him.

That made Danny perk up, and he craned his neck to try and see. Julian kept his arm around him anyway. He was so protective.

Stepping outside the diner, Rob pulled his arms over his head, stretching and enjoying the mix of cool air and sunshine. Eyes on him, Danny then lifted his arms and stretched too.

"That was a good lunch. Thank you for treating me," Rob said to Danny and Julian.

"You're welcome," Julian said to him.

At the car, Rob stopped Julian before he could take a seat behind the wheel. "Let's switch. Let me drive the rest of the way. You sit in the back with Danny. What do you say?" Rob put out his hand for the keys, and Julian handed them over.

"Thank you," he said and got in the back with his little brother.

"Rob is driving," Danny said, seeing him at the wheel. "You know where to go?" Maybe having Rob drive them made him uneasy.

"The GPS and your brother will tell me which way to go," Rob told him. "Like this, your big brother gets to sit with you, so you guys can have fun together."

Danny gave Julian a small smile. They drove on past the yellowed stalks of a cornfield and Julian pointed out various landmarks to Danny and also helped Rob navigate.

As they got close, Julian told both him and Danny. "We're going to see a hill soon. First there will be a sign that says Peach Tree Hill. Then we'll see the hill with all the peach trees. That's how we'll know we're almost there."

A hill came into view, just like Julian said. One side of it was yellow and orange with dry leaves on what must have been the peach trees. The other side of the hill sloped down covered with yellowing grass. Julian pointed toward the grassy side of the hill and told him to go that way.

"So we're going up the hill," Rob said as he followed the road that meandered up the hillside.

"We are. The house is on the western slope. Turn here," Julian said.

That's where Rob saw a sign that read "Private Road. Authorized Vehicles Only." There was a gate but it stood open.