Page 99 of Grounding the Baker
They kissed again, but it was brief. They cleaned awayany evidence of what had happened and headed out of the woods back towards home.
“That was hot,” said Austin. “But can we stick to indoors from now on? I like to take my time with you.”
“And it has nothing to do with you hobbling slightly from overexertion.”
“Are you calling me old?”
He went to grab Liam, who laughed and moved out of the way. The next time, he wasn’t so quick, and before he knew it, he was being flung over Austin’s shoulder.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking you home, so we can take advantage of having the cottage to ourselves. I’m going to feed you first. Then I’m going to lay you out on our bed and feast on you. We’ll see who passes out first.”
Liam knew it would be him, but he was happy to go along with Austin’s plans. They had an entire lifetime together, and this was just the start of their story.
EPILOGUE
AUSTIN
Ten years later
Austin was at his second-favourite place in the world– well,placewas the wrong way to describe it. He was with his second-favourite group of people. It was rare for them all to be together, given that not all of them lived in the village anymore. Austin still did, with his family, and anywhere they were was number one for him. Today was a big day. He was a “go with the flow” kind of guy, even more so after turning fifty, but today’s change was one he was dreading. He knew that was selfish, so not something he’d vocalise, though he had to his husband. Austin and Liam kept nothing from each other. It’s something they’d learned early on in their relationship.
“Is it just me, or does this feel weird?” asked Tony.
“I can’t remember ever being in here without them,” said Michael.
“We’ll see them tomorrow,” said Austin. “This is a good thing, remember?”
They all nodded. It was strange to be in the Stag and Lantern and for both Gerard and Kevin to not be there.Tomorrow was a big day, as well as today, but for very different reasons. Today was all about Austin’s family, but he was enjoying spending time with his best friends before the journey later.
“You okay, Nathan?” asked Austin.
“Yeah. Just thinking.”
“About that handsome husband of yours?”
A big smile took over Nathan’s face. What his husband had done to bring Nathan out of his shell was amazing, but he was still himself– thoughtful, caring, and spotted things they were all oblivious to. Nathan had stayed in the village as well. Tony might have moved back for a while, but they’d always known Heartwood couldn’t hold him. Thinking back to the time when they’d almost lost him, Austin felt his stomach lurch. Why he was reflecting on something that had happened so long ago, he wasn’t sure.
“How did everything go with that project you were working on?” asked Austin.
“Brilliant. The boss was happy.”
“No regrets about turning the job down?”
“Not at all. There’s more to life than money, although the boss found out.”
“How?”
“He’s Gregory Montgomery. Nothing gets past him.”
“True. Was he pissed off?”
“No. He matched the salary and doubled my bonus.”
Austin chuckled. “Of course he did.”
Nathan had worked for Gregory’s company since its inception, and if there was one thing his friend was, it was loyal. When he’d gone through a difficult time, his boss had been nothing but supportive. Austin knew Nathan would do nothing else, and the fact he could still do his job from home despite now being in a senior position workedperfectly for him. His friend was very talented, and his skills were highly sought after. Nathan got a job offer every few months, but this had been a big one.
