Chapter Ten

Christmas Eve Day.

E ncased in one of the thick brown armchairs that sat next to the roaring fire, Dave watched the scene of joy unfolding in the great room on Christmas Eve.

Dave would give anything to have more moments like these and not only on holidays. Perhaps they’d make it an annual thing. Dave knew that most of his specialty team operatives had families of their own. Hunter’s family was back home and Parker, Hunter’s older brother, had volunteered to stay home with Oliver and spend Christmas Day with their two moms.

Dave glanced over at Gage and Mason. Those two had a huge family and had forgone spending Christmas with them to join him here. Of course, making arrangements to celebrate with their family on New Year’s Day had worked as an alternative for Gage and Mason.

Dave was glad because he needed Gage’s input on the new facility. He also needed staff to accomplish such a huge task and having Gage and Mason move out here was icing on the cake.

Right now with the food put away, fireplace lit, and little ones busy playing in the game room, it was peaceful.

Most of the men had either settled on the large sectional or on the floor. Holiday music floated through the room and a game of Cards Against Humanity was in play.

Dave looked around the big room, seeing the smiles on their faces, the silent ribbing between couples, the shared laughter.

His gaze settled on Stone, who sat not far from his cousin. The pair were often mistaken as twins. With Stone being the older cousin, the only difference Dave could see were threads of gray in Stone’s hair and crow’s-feet etching the corners of the man’s blue-gray eyes.

Stone was in his mid-forties, while Dave had already turned sixty-one. There was roughly fifteen years, give or take, between them. The dark hair that swept away from Stone’s forehead, along with growing scruff on the man’s unshaven face, made Stone look like a sexy badass. The tattoos helped.

Stone, as if sensing his gaze, turned his storm-colored eyes on him.

When Dave offered a small smile, Stone squinted in acknowledgment, but the man’s lips stayed firm.

No smile for him.

Dave’s throat grew tight.

They had shit to settle between them and the last thing he wanted was to lose Stone as a friend. One of his closest friends.

But Dave wasn’t sure if they’d remain friends after he made the move here to Colorado and fully retired from the specialty teams.

Stone was pissed about it and Dave wasn’t sure if the anger was from him retiring or moving to Colorado.

Probably both.

“Want some?” Kellum asked, dragging Dave’s attention from the stoic Stone and to the carafe of hot cocoa Kellum held in his hands.

Dave shook his head and eased from his chair. “I’m going for more coffee,” he said and carried his mug toward the kitchen.

Stone released a sigh that was swallowed up by the game in play. The only person who perhaps noticed his shoulders sag was his cousin.

Creed jerked his head slightly to the door of the enclosed patio and instead of responding, Stone stood and pulled on his coat. He and Creed and a few others had opted out of playing the ongoing game.

Stone walked out the patio door and Creed was right behind him, pulling on his own jacket.

Creed shut the sliding door after they stepped out and into the glass enclosure of the large patio that ran the length of the lodge. In the enclosed area there were chunky wood benches and tables along with numerous outdoor heaters. Along the lodge, some of the rooms were connected to the patio that ran the length of the building. The enclosure offered vacationers a chance to stargaze with some privacy.

Stone took a moment to fire one heater up and settled on a nearby wooden bench.

Beyond the glass was a covered pool with a thin layer of ice settled over the black tarp.

“You think Mason will buy this place?” Stone said walking to the glass.

The extremely private lodge was nestled in the side of a mountain and Creed remembered how Mason had joked about buying it on the drive from the airport.

“Probably?” There was humor in Creed’s deep, graveled voice.

Stone gazed out at the forest and stayed silent. He wished earlier he had been able to offer Dave a smile, but inside, nestled next to the fireplace with the friend he loved as more than only a friend, Stone couldn’t do it.

“So what’s going on between you and Dave?” Creed wanted to know, as if reading his mind.

Stone didn’t have any answers for his cousin, but he tried his best to explain it.

“Dave wants to fully retire,” Stone said, waving his hand back toward the glass door that separated them from the group inside and more specifically the man in question.

“And you don’t want that?” Creed frowned.

“No. Yes. He’s going to be bored.” Stone said as if he knew that for a fact, but he didn’t. In reality, he didn’t know if Dave would be bored. In fact, Dave could absolutely love retirement. And that’s what Stone was afraid of.

“Don’t you think that’s for Dave to decide?”

“Yes,” Stone said from between his teeth.

“Perhaps you don’t want him to move away.”

Stone turned away from his cousin because the guy hit the nail on the head. If Dave moved away, what the fuck was he supposed to do?

“Why don’t you move here with him?” Creed said.

“I’m assisting with the running of Erebus, Pegasus, and Genesis. How the hell can I do that from Colorado?” Stone ran a hand through his hair, not caring if the ends stuck up.

“Make it work.”

Stone snapped his gaze to Creed. Damn but his cousin had a way with words.

“How?”

“Just do it,” Creed said. “What’s the alternative?”

“I don’t know,” Stone said through his teeth.

“Then do whatever you have to do to make it work.” Creed’s voice was soft and calm. His cousin had become laidback and patient since marrying Kellum. And the change in Creed was damned good.

Stone sighed and turned away from Creed’s probing gaze to face the view of snow and mountains.

Figure out a way to make it work.

Was it really as simple as that?

“Fix your hair, you look stupid,” Creed scoffed.

Stone snorted, but combed fingers through his dark hair until the strands felt somewhat in order.

“Are you and Dave together, together?” Creed said.

“We are not, but not for lack of trying on my part,” Stone sighed and turned back to face his cousin. “And I can’t tell if it’s our age difference or that it’s because I’m gay.”

“What?” Creed looked startled. “The man runs teams with mostly gay members. I doubt it’s that. Have you asked if he’s gay or bi?”

“He’s been dodging my attempts to get close for years,” Stone scoffed.

“You should talk to him, Cuz. Really talk. If for nothing else but to know where you stand. If there’s no possibility, then you need to know so you can move on.”

Stone heard the words, and as much as they hurt, he knew without a doubt that they needed to be said.

Now was not the time, though. Right now he was going to enjoy the hell out of the last holiday he may ever get to spend with Dave.