Chapter 1

“Stop fussing.” Konnor laughed as Grayson wandered around the cabin they'd hired like a headless chicken. Every cushion was plumped, every curtain was straightened, and every surface dusted and wiped down just in case. He was going a little overboard.

When his boyfriend – now fiancé – didn't stop, Konnor walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, physically restraining him. “I'm serious. You need to relax. I'm supposed to be the one freaking out, here,” he reminded him, with a gentle smile.

Grayson tensed and released a long, slow breath before turning his head. “I just...everyone keeps saying that this is an awful idea and it's going to blow up in our faces,” he admitted, finally getting to the crux of the problem. “And I've been thinking about it and they might be right. I mean, it's going to be the clash of the exes in here.”

Konnor laughed, knowing he was right, but it was a bit late to panic now. Their guests were due to arrive in less than three hours and there was no time to second guess whether it was a good idea or not. They couldn't exactly hide under the covers until they left again...in a week's time.

“No matter what happens, I love that you did this for me, even if the thought of it makes me want to vomit,” he admitted, willing to go through with it for Grayson. Well, and also partly for his own recovery. Though what he was dealing with – anger management and a lack of self-worth – wasn't as serious as the things Darren and Giovanni had dealt with, he did understand that it needed to be properly monitored and treated, in the same way.

“Well, don't do it on my shoulder,” his fiancé grumbled, giving a shrug to dislodge him.

Konnor willingly backed away and waited for Grayson to turn. He offered a small smile and took a deep breath. “It's going to be weird, no doubt. But short of anyone throwing punches or snogging folk they're not supposed to, it can't really be that bad,” he reasoned, hoping to offer them both some reassurance.

Grayson barked a quick laugh, then shook his head. “I wouldn't exclude those as options, gorgeous. Who knows what might happen with that lot and alcohol in the mix,” he disagreed, as though that was something they really had to worry about.

“Alcohol.” He faked a shudder and grinned. “I remember what Lachlan was like the first time he got drunk. That was some ridiculous shit,” he said, brimming over with love for that memory. He might have been a total dick about it, but now that his friendship with Lachlan and Cormag was secure, he could think fondly of those days and the few things that had been good about them.

“You're talking some ridiculous shit.” Grayson shook his head and walked away, with a small smile. “Come on. Help me get this stuff sorted,” he insisted, opening the fridge to arrange the food for that night.

Konnor rushed to help; he was terrible with the barbecue, but Grayson knew what he was doing, so he'd be the lackey tonight. “Have you spoken to anyone in the last few days?” he asked, diverting the conversation slightly. “Know when they're coming?”

“Nope.” Grayson piled a tray with items; raw, wrapped burgers, sauces and buns. He added bowls of tomatoes, sliced cucumber, washed lettuce, and pickles to the fridge, that he'd spent an hour preparing. “Cormag finished work at four, Giovanni had a meeting until three and Tam isn't likely to leave the farm quickly,” he admitted, without a trace of anger or frustration. “I guess they'll get here within the next few hours. No later than six, I'd imagine.”

Glancing at the clock above the fireplace, he gave a nod of understanding. Less than an hour until their first guest arrived, by that reckoning. They'd better get a move on or nothing would be ready.

“How about I leave you to sort the food and I run through the rooms again, to make sure we're set?” he offered, already walking around the kitchen counter to the open plan living area.

“Sure.”

Konnor headed for the first bedroom, mentally running through his tasks; check the beds were made and clean, check the windows were open to allow the rooms to air and check that the wardrobes were free from the moths they'd discovered, when they arrived two days ago.

It had been nice to have a few days alone together, to get used to the cabin and listen to the waves of the beach on the doorstep. It meant that today was the only day they wasted preparing for their guests. Which he was sure his friends would approve of, once they knew of the monumental thing that had happened to him this past fortnight.