Page 25

Stone

Royal sat in the private jet staring at passing clouds that resembled white cotton candy. He was anxious and uncomfortable despite being surrounded by opulence and luxury. He’d rather be in his quaint mismatched room at Mrs. Pearl’s bed and breakfast.

The check had been cut. The town was saved. The money was secured and he’d done what he’d promised Jojo. So how come he was so scared?

He gripped the armrests of the seat as if it could stop the pounding in his chest.

Bo .

His countless phone calls had gone unanswered, and Jojo’s updates had filled him with an unease that gave him a persistent migraine.

No one’s heard from him, Royal, not since you left.

Her words echoed through his mind and crept towards his heart.

Royal had thought he was doing a good thing. Mrs. Pearl wouldn’t have to cry anymore or go to work elsewhere. And Windeville was going to survive the rest of the year. They could even rebuild the winter festival and have it on New Years Eve, or New Years day, bigger and better than ever.

The first day of winter had passed, and there wasn’t enough time to get everything up and going before Christmas day, but they could advertise bringing in the New Year as a new tradition and attract even more tourists.

Royal had worked sleepless nights and made a gold-star deal with Global Crown’s biggest client, so why did he feel like he was being punished. Why wouldn’t Stone talk to him? Maybe he hadn’t wanted Royal to save the town, he’d just needed him to be there for him like he said he would. And Royal had failed. He’d left Stone in the middle of a storm, physically and emotionally.

Royal’s stomach churned. What if Stone had decided he wasn’t willing to trusting him anymore? What if the night they’d spent together and the tender moments hadn’t meant as much to Stone as it’d meant to him?

He was about to find out.

The plane descended and touched down on the icy runway with the smoothness of a Maserati. Royal unhooked his seatbelt and was waiting at the doors before the plane could come to a full stop.

He jogged down the few stairs with his duffle bag slung over his shoulder and raced to his rented SUV still sitting in the airport’s parking lot.

He prayed the entire way to the bed and breakfast that he hadn’t been gone too long.

Jojo was behind the counter reading a thick novel. When she glanced up at the sound of the bell ringing over the door and saw it was him, she dropped her book and ran around the counter, not stopping until she’d slammed into him.

“Oh thank heavens.”

Royal wrapped his arms around her and returned her hug. This was the reception he’d always wanted.

“Royal,” she began, her voice calm, and careful as if she knew the words she was about to say would cut him to the quick. “There’s still been no word from Stone.”

Royal’s throat tightened. “Nothing! What about the guys who work for him? What about Arthur.”

She glanced up at him, her eyes filled with heavy sorrow.

“They all tried, but he wouldn’t answer the door.” Her words came out in a rush. “Myra told me to take some food up there to him, but when I banged on the door, he wouldn’t answer, so I left it on the porch.”

“Shit, fuck.” Royal grimaced at her surprised expression. “Sorry, I just um…this is all my fault. I tried to tell him what I was doing but he wouldn’t answer my calls. I have no clue if he read my texts, but if he did, he didn’t respond.”

“This is just like when Ben died,” she cried. “Stone isolates when life gets to be too much. It’s like he doesn’t want anyone to see him in pain.”

Royal let out a stressed exhale.

Myra came from out the back and rushed towards him with her arms outstretched. Royal embraced her, inhaling her scent of berries and cinnamon. He was so overwhelmed moisture gathered in the corners of his eyes.

“Go to him, honey. He won’t let anyone in but you. Be insistent, but gentle. Make him see reason.”

“I fully plan to,” Royal headed towards the stairs. “I just didn’t want him to see me in this.”

He’d remove the stuffy suit and put on his real clothes.

Fire burned in Royal’s chest. “I’m bringing him back, don’t worry.”

That was a promise he intended to keep. And before either of them could say another word, Royal rushed upstairs to his room, shucked off the cashmere trench coat and got dressed in his jeans, a dark green turtleneck and hiking boots.

He was in his SUV in less than ten minutes and barreling towards the mountain road that led up to Stone’s secluded cabin. Dusk was approaching and Royal pressed harder on the gas, not wanting to navigate the rocky terrain in the dark.

By the time Royal arrived his heart was pounding so hard he thought he might have another panic attack and pass out. The house was dark and quiet, and the sight of two racoons ripping apart the food that’d been left on Stone’s doorstep made chills race down his spine.

He leapt out of the SUV and bounded up to the door hollering at the racoons that ran away with a chewed-up container of food and scraps of a plastic bag.

Royal knocked repeatedly on the hardwood door. After four or five minutes with no answer, he began calling Stone’s name so loud it hurt his throat.

Refusing to give up, he ran around the back of the cabin and pounded on the bedroom window, not caring if it broke.

“Bo, please! It’s Royal! I’m home! Please, open the door! Please!

The silence that followed stretched on too long. Royal’s mind reeled, and his fear escalated with each passing second. Was Stone just on the other side of the door watching him or peeking through the curtains waiting for him to leave.

“Bo!” he hollered, “Let me in! I’m back, baby, I swear it! I’ll never leave you again, please.”

Royal slumped against the door, feeling defeated, his voice hoarse from the cold. “I’m home…let me in, Bo.”

Damnit .

Just when he thought he might commit a crime and break a window, the front door creaked open.

Stone stood there wrapped in a heavy quilt, his face ashen. His hair was unkempt, his beautiful blue eyes were bloodshot, his posture reflecting defeat. This wasn’t the strong man he’d come to know…or the man he’d fallen in love with.

“Bo,” he whispered, stepping forward, his voice trembling. “Can I come inside?”

Stone didn’t move or speak. Royal shivered at the block of ice forming between them.

He stood there for long moment, unable to understand the blank expression on Stone’s face. But he did recognize the pain and exhaustion.

“I’m so sorry.” Royal’s voice was barely audible. “I never meant to hurt you. I hated to leave like that but I thought you’d understand or appreciate me trying to help you, to help Mrs. Pearl. The town needed money, and that’s the one thing I’m good at, is making money. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

Stone didn’t move, didn’t even look up. But Royal saw his fingers clench around the blanket.

He stepped forward, hesitant, not wanting to push too hard too fast. But he couldn’t stay suspended in this unknown any longer, not when everything inside him was screaming to get as close as he could.

“Why didn’t you answer my calls?” Royal sighed, “I explained what I was doing and that I’d only be a few days. Why…why didn’t you…”

Stone reached out and yanked Royal to his chest. It knocked the last of the breath out of him but he didn’t care. He wrapped his arms around Stone’s waist and squeezed him back. The pressure was unbearable, suffocating in the best way. It was a hold that yelled of fear and deep, resonating relief.

“I couldn’t. I couldn’t look at your text. I couldn’t answer your calls. I thought…I thought you were going to tell me goodbye, that you had to stay in New York.” Stone’s voice was raw and gritty as if he hadn’t spoken since Royal left. “I just…I couldn’t bear to hear it.”

Royal closed his eyes as Stone began to tremble, his breath coming in uneven gasps.

“No. I’m yours, Bo. I belong to you, and you are all mine. If I’d known what my leaving would do, I never would’ve done it.” Royal buried his face in Stone’s chest. “Forgive me, please.”

Royal pulled back enough to see Stone’s face. The vulnerability he saw was like nothing he’d ever seen. True fear that he’d be left alone again.

“I thought maybe I could just go on, that you didn’t meant everything to me already…but I was wrong.”

“So was I.” Royal stroked Stone’s beard. “Those three days almost killed me. All I wanted to do was get home.”

“I’m so damn scared, Royal,” Stone gritted. “I can’t go through this shit anymore.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Bo.” Royal’s own voice was breaking, the tears spilling over, as he peppered kisses along Stone’s throat. “I swear to you, I’m not leaving. I love you. I’ve never known this feeling, this kind of hurt and fear…so I know it’s love. The thought that I’d lost you caused an ache in my chest that was ten times worse than anything I’d ever felt before.”

Stone’s body began to relax as he searched Royal’s face, maybe looking for any signs of dishonesty. But he’d find none.

“I want to believe you.”

Royal gently cupped Stone’s cheek. “I’ll prove it. I swear.”

Stone leaned in, his lips trembling as he kissed Royal with a kind of desperation that only two anguished souls could understand.