Page 7

Chapter Seven

Milo

While the break of dawn didn’t bring an end to the cold, it brought a stop to the snow.

It was difficult, but not impossible, for Milo to rouse himself from the cocoon of warmth he’d made on the sofa and in front of the fire. He’d drifted in and out of sleep, safe enough to doze off but not so secure he’d been able to drop into a deep slumber.

It was just too quiet.

He was used to sleeping with the never-ending sounds of the city as white noise. Life went on no matter the time of day or day of the week. Rain or shine or snow, nothing stopped.

But it felt like everything on the mountain stood still.

He swiped his palms over his eyes as he dragged himself up onto his feet. His socked toes curled against the wooden floor while he shuffled toward the frosted window pane, bringing one of the hefty wool blankets along with him as an impromptu coat.

A quick shiver overtook him and he wrapped the blanket tighter around his slim shoulders. During the night, the crackling inferno had weakened into a pleasant smolder. Its light glowed faint and soft, intermixed with the lazy arrival of the pale morning sun.

As he’d slept, the world had become a winter wonderland. A cover of white over everything. He pressed his face against the frosted glass. Even the biggest and oldest evergreens seemed to struggle under the weight of the snow that hung from their boughs.

Outside it was cold, but within the safety of his cabin, he was warm enough. A rush of heat that had nothing to do with the dwindling fire or the heaviness of the wool blanket overcame him.

The moonshine. The kiss.

Everything about Shane.

Milo stepped away from the window and brought his hand to his mouth. He was briefly distracted by his stale morning breath, but his thoughts came back to the kiss he’d shared with Shane.

What had come over him? Even before Milo had lifted the mason jar to his lips, he’d been thirsty for the older man. He’d promised himself he was done with his former life and those shady tricks. He knew he shouldn’t go flirting and kissing the first man who showed him a little kindness

But it went far beyond a bad habit or tipsy mistake.

Shane was…Shane. There was attraction and interest there beyond the physical. He was such a rough man, but there was nothing sharp about him. His speaking style was abrupt and his way of interacting with others left much to be desired, but there was a deep well of kindness to him.

A kindness made all the more precious because of his struggle to show it.

While Milo’s heart was bruised from the misstep, he didn’t feel shame. He wouldn’t allow himself to feel that ever again. Milo had already overcome that hurdle. He’d been through that struggle to accept his sexuality.

He was a gay man.

Milo had always been a gay man and he always would be a gay man.

The source of his blushes was having made a fool of himself in front of someone he liked. At least Shane had been quick to forgive. Even quicker to want to forget.

He frowned at that thought.

Milo’s frown stayed fixed on his face as he went through the motions of the morning, trying to follow his typical wake-up-and-go routine as close as he could get to it. He found a roll of toilet paper in the bathroom. Small miracles. A bar of travel soap from his toiletry bag let him wash his hands and face.

There was no way he’d risk a shower, but he did change into a new set of clothes. And added an extra layer. Milo pulled on his heaviest coat and a cashmere scarf in marigold. He looped it twice around his neck and checked himself in the mirror.

There were no circles under his eyes. No pain pounding in his head or nausea swirling in his stomach. Despite the strength of last night’s moonshine, Milo didn’t wake up with a hangover.

Though he did wake up feeling alone.

The cabin was so silent. Too silent.

Milo hummed to himself as he fetched his backpack out of the kitchen cupboard he’d stashed it in and checked inside. He did a quick count. All of it was still there. Safe and secret, ready for him to use when he needed it.

With the car problems he’d need to use it sooner than he thought, but that was all right. What was that old saying? When you made plans, fate laughed.

That was the next task on his morning agenda. Try and get his car fixed. Milo unhooked his phone from its charger and dialed the number he’d gotten from Becky.

The shop answered his call in only a few rings.

“Hi, it’s Milo. Yeah, the boy taking the pictures yesterday,” he confirmed with a soft laugh. “I hope I’m not calling too early. It turns out I do need some help after all…”

His conversation with Becky was short but successful. Leonard would be able to drive out and get his car, but it would be a few days before he’d have time to look at it.

That was fine with Milo. Though he did need some more food and a few other essential items for his house. It gave him an excuse to go visit his neighbor. Shane had helped him once before. Surely Milo could rely on the man’s help again? That would give them a chance to smooth out any leftover awkwardness from last night.

By the time Milo popped out on the porch, he was chipper and ready to have another adventure on the mountain. Milo may have woken alone yet he had no plans to stay lonely.

It was a new day in his new home.

And he had a new friend to ask for help.

* * *

The air was crisp with the early arrival of winter and the sky promised more snow. Above him, the clouds hung thick with gray. Despite the looming promise of more bad weather, Milo continued onward with cheer in his heart and an idea in his head.

This was an adventure, he told himself, and once he got used to Hope Peak it wouldn’t even be that. It would just be Milo’s life.

And Milo wanted Shane to be part of that life.

He could win that grump over. They’d be good neighbors and the best of friends. Shane was a prickly man yet that only meant Milo would need to be careful on how to go about harvesting the fruits of their burgeoning friendship.

Milo was panting by the time he made it up the hill to Shane’s cabin.

Pumpkin was the first to greet him, bounding over with a series of joyful barks. Milo leaned down to pat her head. And catch his breath. Somehow he was both too hot and too cold, sweating and shivering at the same time.

Still, he’d made it down his hill and then up Shane’s hill. With Pumpkin at his side, Milo finished the journey…and walked into a disaster.

“What happened?” he gasped out and grabbed his scarf, burying his shocked expression into the comfort of the cashmere.

“Roof caved in this morning.”

Shane stood in front of his wrecked house with hands on hips and a stoic expression. Milo glanced from Shane to the cabin. It was far smaller than Milo’s, barely big enough to lodge a man so tall and a dog with so much energy.

In its current state, it wouldn’t provide shelter to anyone. There wasn’t much roof left. Splintered logs stuck upward, accusatory fingers pointed toward the sky, yet there was no sign of what had caused the destruction. Milo would have thought a tree was the most likely culprit but Shane’s cabin stood at the top of a hill and the forest had been chopped back to make an obvious clearing.

“Are you okay?” Milo looked Shane up and down. And then he did it again to make sure he hadn’t missed anything the first time. “Is Pumpkin okay?”

“We’re fine.”

Pumpkin was quick to prove Shane’s words correct. She stood in front of Milo and stared up at him with pleading eyes, begging only for attention, not help. Milo reached down once more and this time gave her a proper ear scritching.

“Well, I’m glad to hear you’re not injured. How did it happen?”

“Snow built up too fast, too much. My fault. I should have shoveled it before turning in for the night. Roof has been going for a while now and it finally…went.”

Milo couldn’t stop the questions, they rolled off his tongue like a snowball. “Why didn’t you fix it up before?”

“With what money?” Shane grunted, low and rough, and with a long shrug of his broad shoulders. He was bundled up far more than he’d been yesterday. Even Pumpkin had a doggie coat slipped on over her stout form. Shane wore a proper winter jacket and a puffy pair of pants, but the baseball cap on his head remained.

“Sorry. That was a dumb question.”

He should have been more sensitive and remembered where he was. And what sort of man he was speaking with. Milo wasn’t one to make assumptions, but he had eyeballs. He’d seen the well-worn state of Shane’s clothes and how beaten-down the truck was.

“Questions are only dumb when you ask them already knowing the answer. If you didn’t know, you didn’t know. Most folks got lots of land around here, but not much else.”

Milo chewed lightly on his tongue. His first instinct was to offer to pay for the repairs. Or at least lend Shane the money. That was what good neighbors did, right? But he didn’t want to offend Shane.

“Where are you going to stay while this gets fixed?”

That ask seemed like a good compromise. It showed Milo cared while leaving it up to Shane to reveal how much he wanted to share.

Shane didn’t give any answer. Not one that satisfied Milo’s asking after him. Shane stood in the snow and gestured around his property with a careless wave of his hand. Surely he didn’t mean…

“You’re going to stay…here? Out here in the snow?”

Milo couldn’t believe it. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “You can’t sleep out in the snow.”

He’d protest on Shane’s behalf if the man wouldn’t do it for himself.

Another rough-and-tumble shrug from Shane. “I got a sleeping bag. And a tarp. I’ll make do while I figure things out.”

Milo straightened his spine as he stood back to his full length. Even then he still had to lift his chin and tilt his head back to look up at Shane’s bearded face. He’d only known the other man for such a short time, but Milo could see how impossible Shane could be at times.

Still a grump.

Still wearing that I-can-eat-rocks-for-breakfast-and-it’s-fine attitude.

Milo didn’t doubt that Shane would stubbornly tough it out and survive under such terrible conditions. But that was no way to live.

So, he hit Shane’s weak point.

“What about Pumpkin?” Milo asked. There was no immediate reply and that was how Milo knew he’d poked at the right area. “The two of you can come stay with me while you make your repairs.”

No, it wouldn’t be any bother at all. It would be a pleasure.

And Milo decided on that with zero expectations of anything more. They could end up being nothing more than unlikely roommates thrown into an amusing living situation and that would still please Milo like nothing else.

He was looking forward to sharing space with Shane, and Pumpkin, and getting to know them better. As far as Milo was concerned, it had already been decided.

The pair was staying with him and that was that.

“You can start thanking me for my host duties by driving me into town.” Milo didn’t mean for it to come out so bossy. Though his idea really was the best plan of action.

“You ever had anyone say no to you, boy? You’re awfully…forward.”

That had to be a subtle dig at Milo smacking a kiss onto Shane. Despite the snowy weather and cold air, Milo still felt the heat of a blush creep down the back of his neck.

He mirrored Shane’s pose deliberately. “You ever say yes to anyone about anything, ever, instead of just grunting about it? Please, Shane. Think of this as both of us helping each other. That’s what good neighbors do, yeah?”

Shane had his hands on both hips. He looked around at the snow with an open scowl. “I suppose,” Shane admitted, practically chewing the words as they escaped his mouth.

Finally, the man had accepted help. Hallelujah.

“Come on, Pumpkin. Let’s go girl, I’ll race you.” Milo took off toward Shane’s truck and they bounded their way through the snow piles, two short stacks racing through the pleasant crunch of the freshly fallen snow.

Milo won.

He got to the truck first and pulled open the already unlocked door. He was pleased when Pumpkin jumped in without hesitation.

Shane followed, taking the path that Milo’s feet had already laid. His boot prints all but replaced Milo’s smaller ones. His scowl was replaced with a flat line, but he had no words of protest as he joined Milo in the truck and started it up.

While Shane might have been an impossible man, Milo believed in miracles.