High Heat (Hotshots 2)

“Did you do the remodel yourself? This is really nice.”

“Most of it, yeah. Got a great deal on the house because it hadn’t been touched since it was built. Still had the original avocado-colored countertops and walnut cabinets with gold carpet everywhere. I worked a couple of winters for a home store in Bend, got some good discounts on materials and got lucky with some friends who could help. Demo was hella fun, bashing everything in.” Garrick got a wistful expression on his face, making Rain worry they were heading into uncomfortable memory territory again, but then he shook his head, as if making a conscious choice to reach for something happy. “Man, that work party for the backyard was epic too. Come on, I’ll show you why it’s not the best for a dog.”

Still holding Cookie’s leash, Rain followed him to the glass doors. Like Garrick’s front yard, which was mainly concrete and artful use of rock and gravel, the backyard didn’t have any grass, instead consisting of a wide patio that ran the whole length of the house, multiple seating areas, a hot tub, a firepit, and several raised beds and trellis structures with hearty-looking plants.

“Wow. Forget the work party, you must have epic parties period. This is the most entertaining-friendly space I’ve seen outside of the common areas at the cohousing community where I grew up, and those are more functional—lots of vegetable gardens and benches—but this is begging for some drinks and a dude on a guitar.”

“Yeah. I’ve had more than a few of those gatherings.” Garrick’s toothy grin radiated pride. “We work long, unpredictable hours as smoke jumpers, so I wanted a really chill, low-maintenance space for hanging out. Only drought-resistant plants and no grass. Sorry, Cookie.”

“I think she’ll be okay. There’s a patch of dirt over there. If she has to come back here in a pinch, I’ll clean for you. Otherwise, I’ll do the walks like we talked about. Now, let’s see the rest of the place, things she could get into, maybe see where you want to keep her at night. I thought about a crate, but I wasn’t sure how you felt about crate training.”

“It works for puppies, but I can probably keep her with me, honestly.” Backing up, Garrick rolled down a short hallway near the kitchen. He sounded exactly like a dog-loving guy who could be Cookie’s forever home if he’d only give it a chance. Garrick pushed open the door to a larger-than-expected bedroom.

“You took out the third bedroom and added a slider to the patio,” Rain guessed. The room was about double the size of Grandma’s and dominated by a large bed. It had to be one of those adjustable kinds because the head on one side was raised. A hanging metal triangle for getting up and a wheeled tray table added to the functional vibe—not a ton of color or art outside a tie-dyed duvet cover he recognized as one of Grandma’s designs, and a large plant in the corner by the door, but it had a well-lived-in vibe, complete with a gas fireplace that Rain dug.

“Yeah, we bashed in the wall to the smallest bedroom. I really only needed two rooms, one for sleeping and one as an office-slash-gym, and getting a king-size bed to fit was a priority when planning the bachelor pad of my dreams.”

“Bachelor dream house, huh?” Rain was trying to not be too nosy, but it was hard when he was so curious. “Never tempted to do the whole family thing?”

Another storm cloud crossed Garrick’s face. Damn it. Rain had stepped in it again.

“I was engaged. Million years ago, feels like it. Nice woman. Loved her pink and sparkles, so you and Cookie would have approved.”

“I’m sure.” Rain sent a quick wish out to the universe that the past tense didn’t mean this was a super tragic story.

“Anyway, she and her glitter-loving self moved to LA. Just couldn’t stand country life any longer. And me... I got pretty damn good at the whole bachelor life thing.”

“Damn. That sucks.” So, not a tragedy, but still he felt for Garrick’s younger self. Even if he was playing it lightly, Rain could sense his underlying tension. It had to have hurt. And the existence of an ex-fiancée was, if not definitive proof, strong evidence that he was as straight as Rain had originally assumed, speculative look notwithstanding.

“How about you? Oh wait. You’re like what? Twenty?” Garrick laughed. And there he went, dismissing Rain as a kid again. Rain couldn’t help bristling.

“Twenty-three. I look young, I know.”

“It’s the hair and cheeks,” Garrick teased. “You’re going to be one of those people who gets carded at forty.”

“Not much I can do there. And to answer the question, I’ve dated. Not a ton, but some. No engagements.” He was deliberately gender neutral, not particularly feeling like coming out, but also he was never very good at hiding it very long. Garrick would undoubtedly figure out that Rain marched to a rainbow beat sooner rather than later if he hadn’t already.