Chapter One
Noah knew the dog was trouble as soon as he and Ulysses entered the campground’s off-leash dog area. The little guy—some sort of Chihuahua/mini-pin mix in a yellow-and-green checked coat—stood in the center of the scrubby grass, barking his fool head off. The only human in the dog area sat at the picnic table on the far side, completely absorbed in his shiny phone, oblivious to his dog strutting around like all eight pounds of him would be enough to keep potential threats out.
Ulysses gave Noah a look, like “you really expect me to ignore that?” Noah tightened his hold on the tennis ball chucker. Ulysses never did well competing with smaller dogs for his toys. He unclipped Ulysses with a stern look.
“Be good.”
Still yapping, the little dog rushed over to inspect his new enemy. Predictably, Ulysses wandered away to do his business. He was too old for these sorts of games.
Noah gave a halfhearted wave in the direction of the owner, but the guy didn’t look up from his phone. The young guy was a typical hipster tourist—thick tortoise-framed glasses, artfully messed-up dark hair, with a thick purple streak, falling over his forehead. Slim build, but his wide shoulders stretched his too-thin jacket, making the shiny fabric ripple with his motions. He wasn’t any more prepared for November in Utah than his designer dog. Still, he was a cute guy, if one was the type to notice things like that, which Noah was not.
Noah looked away, studying the sheer cliffs that surrounded the Capitol Reef National Park. Didn’t matter how much time he spent in Southern Utah, he never got tired of the view. Phone guy was missing the light shifting into one of those perfect late fall sunsets that made the early dusk worth the loss of daylight. Pink streaks mingled with gray sky to cast a rosy glow over the scrubby grass and low fence of the dog area.
Rowwwr. Ulysses flopped at Noah’s feet, a deep beseeching whine rattling out of his barrel chest. He was eighty pounds of unhappy. He’d waited patiently all afternoon while Noah worked, and now he was missing out on his ball time thanks to the teacup gatekeeper.
“Okay, but play nice.” Noah threw the ball hard with the chucker toy, going for enough distance to outstrip the tiny dog’s ability to keep up with Ulysses. Not surprisingly, the little guy was tenacious, cutting off Ulysses’s path to the ball. Ulysses gave a warning woof, and Noah broke into a run, heading after the dogs.
“Down,” he called out. Ulysses wouldn’t attack the smaller dog, but he wasn’t above a major tantrum. And despite the smaller dog acting as instigator, people would see the huge black dog and toss out the “aggressor” label. Noah preferred to exercise him late in the day—Ulysses simply didn’t enjoy playing with other dogs, and Noah wasn’t one to force his dog into uncomfortable situations.
The little dog stood over the ball, yapping up a storm while Ulysses barked and growled, ignoring Noah’s command to sit.
Finally, the owner hefted himself off the picnic bench.
“Pixel, baby, what are you doing?” the owner called in a melodic voice that didn’t inspire Noah’s confidence in the man’s ability to control his dog. “Did the big doggie scare you?”
Hah. Typical. Noah snorted. “Can you grab the ball?” He didn’t trust those little dog breeds—too quick to snap. He’d nearly been bitten trying to retrieve a ball more than once.
“Oh sure.” The guy reached under Pixel—typical cutesy name for an annoying dog—and delicately plucked the ball free, but instead of handing it to Noah, he gave it a toss, sending both dogs running.
Oh great. Noah let out a slow breath, little puffs of vapor in the crisp evening air that did nothing to defuse his tension.
“It’ll be okay.” The way-too-handsy guy patted the sleeve of Noah’s parka. “They just need to work it out. Pixel loves to play.”
Noah took a step to the side. Who did that? Touched complete strangers? But the guy kept up his friendly grin, not unlike his dog, who kept gamely chasing Ulysses. Ulysses won the race to the ball this time and hightailed it back to Noah. Not releasing his prize, he whined softly.
“Hey, boy. You got a toy?” The guy knelt to dog level and extended a hand, but instead of sniffing, Ulysses shook his head.
“Sorry. He’s not much on new people.” Neither am I. Noah’s voice sounded rough to his own ears—too many days with only Ulysses to talk to.
“It’s okay.” The guy straightened, then extended a hand to Noah. “I’m Adrian Gottlieb. You been at Capitol Reef long?”
“Couple of weeks.” He returned Adrian’s handshake, hating it when a little buzz shot up his arm. Unlike his own gloved hand, Adrian’s hand was bare, a hint of a tattoo playing peekaboo with his cuff, his grip strong and firm. And Noah had absolutely no business noticing anything more than the guy’s relentless friendliness.
Adrian smiled expectantly as he released Noah’s hand.
“Oh, I’m Noah. And that’s Ulysses,” he added, because dog people always wanted to know all about the dog. No doubt the guy was bursting to tell Pixel’s life story.
“Add-dreeee-an,” a heavily accented voice called from the gate. A beefy guy close to Noah’s age leaned on the fence, bald head gleaming in the setting sun. “I’m lonely. When are you coming back?”
“Coming,” Adrian shouted, then gave Noah a shrug with a “what can you do?” expression on his face. He grabbed Pixel and jogged across the field.
Noah nodded like he knew anything about handling demanding friends. Adrian greeted the mammoth dude with a quick peck. Okay then. Not a friend. He should have guessed, but he was a bit slow about relationship stuff. The country was changing, even way out here, but no one would dare try even that much PDA in his tiny West Texas college town. His stomach gave a weird flip—not quite discomfort, but something else he refused to name. Time to return his attention to Ulysses. He hurled the tennis ball as hard as he could.
* * *
An hour later, Noah was trying to squeeze in a bit more work before dinner when he heard shouting outside his RV. He looked out the window above his sink, but didn’t see anyone. There was, however, an RV where yesterday there had been only silence and rocky terrain. The camper was one of those RV-USA rental things that screamed, “I’m being very poorly driven by a green tourist with no clue about campground etiquette.” Dozens of empty spots at the Sunny Ridge RV Park this time of year, but of course the universe saw fit to toss Noah yet another distraction. He had to get this Chapter finished tonight. Including the footnotes. December 22 was less than two weeks away, and he was still compiling research. The tenure committee would not be amused if he missed his book deadline and had nothing to show for his sabbatical. He tried putting on his headphones, but he could still hear the distant echo of angry voices. He recognized Adrian’s boyfriend’s heavy New Jersey accent though, and the argument was coming from the RV right next to his.
Hell. Should he go for the park manager? Noah really didn’t want to get in the middle of a domestic dispute, but he also needed to work. He took off the headphones, pushing the useless things aside. He couldn’t make out actual words, but the fight seemed to be escalating with a lot more cursing. The boyfriend seemed to be doing most of the yelling. Hell. If things got physical, Noah would have no choice but to go get the manager. Adrian was a little taller and wider than Noah, but he was no match for his hulk of boyfriend. Noah put on his shoes. His lower back tightened, a deep cramp hitting him. He hated arguments. Hated even overhearing them. God, he hoped there wasn’t alcohol involved—that could get things ugly in a hurry.
“Get out!” The nasal voice of the boyfriend was unmistakable this time.
“Hey!” Adrian’s indignant yell echoed through Noah’s RV.
Noah rushed to the window again. Adrian was standing in front of the door to his rental RV, boyfriend lurking in the doorway.
“Never figured you for such a pussy,” the guy growled. “And take your stupid dog.” He all but tossed a wriggling Pixel at Adrian.
“Do you have to be such an asshole?” Adrian called as the door slammed in his face.
Seconds later, the sound of a revving engine cut through the evening. Oh fuck. Noah swung open his door as the boyfriend backed out of the space.
“What the hell are you doing?” Adrian yelled. Pixel tucked under one arm, he raced after the RV, but it was too late—the boyfriend was ignoring all the five-miles-per-hour signs and booking it out of the RV park, tires spitting up gravel, the smell of diesel heavy in the chilly evening air.
“Ow.” Adrian made a pained sound as he hobbled back toward his now-empty RV spot.
“Are you hurt?” Rage gathered in Noah’s insides as he rushed to Adrian, extending an arm to help him hobble to the site’s picnic table.
“No. Just stupid rocks making it hard to walk.” Adrian looked down, and Noah saw his bare feet. His feet were long and narrow—and rapidly turning pale in the cold.
“You better come inside,” Noah said before he could re-think the offer. “I’ll go get the manager for you.”
“No worries. I’m sure Trent will be back soon.” Adrian’s small smile didn’t reach his eyes. “He probably needs to drive around a few minutes, let off some steam. Don’t get the manager—I don’t want us kicked out.”
Getting kicked out was probably already in the works if Old Billy had gotten a look at Trent’s driving, but Noah merely nodded. Let the man have a little pride. “Can I bring you a jacket and some socks while you wait?”
“I’m good.” Expression tight, Adrian made a shooing motion in the direction of Noah’s RV. He tucked his feet under him and let the dog burrow into his fleece sweatshirt. He pulled his phone out of his pocket.
Effectively dismissed, Noah hesitated on the steps of his RV, hating to leave Adrian outside alone.
“You bastard,” Adrian said into his phone. “Letting me go to voice mail? Where the hell are you? You’ve got all my stuff! My wallet’s in there! If you’re going to abandon me, at least let me get my crap, you asswipe.”
Okay. On second thought, maybe letting Adrian cool down for a few minutes was the right idea.
* * *
Well, crap. Adrian disconnected the call and glanced up at Noah’s closed RV door. He heard Noah murmuring something to his dog. He was a nice guy, far too nice to have to deal with someone’s BS ruining his evening.
But then again, he himself was too nice a guy for this BS. The crisp bite of the early evening air stung his cheeks before nipping into his bones, underscoring just how trapped he was. He checked his phone—less than thirty percent power. No phone charger. No wallet. No backpack with his laptop. No freaking shoes.
Pixel shivered under his sweatshirt. The day had hovered around sixty degrees, but the night had a definite chill to it, and the dry wind was picking up.
“And nothing for you either. I know.” He stroked Pixel’s quivering back. “We’ll get your toys and bed back, I promise.”
His hand tightened on the small dog, Adrian’s insides clenching along with his fist. How had he misjudged Trent so completely? A month ago, the idea of driving across the country had seemed like such a good way for them to finally get to know each other in person. But the man had done nothing but complain for the past four days—ever since he got off the plane in LA. But still, Adrian never would have pegged him for a guy who’d abandon him in the middle of Utah.
He straightened his shoulders, pressing his back into the edge of the wooden picnic table. Trent had to be coming back. Adrian dialed his number again, but it went straight to voice mail. He left another angry “Call me this minute” message, then thumbed through his messages. Nine zillion work emails, all reminding him of the mess waiting for him after his vacation. Nothing from Trent, not that he was expecting him to text an apology.
“Some vacation, huh, baby?” he said to Pixel. “Next time, you and me are going to an island. Just us.”
A deep chuckle cut into Adrian’s monologue. “That would certainly be warmer.”
Great. Now you look even more pathetic. Noah stepped down from his RV, holding a blanket, an expectant look on his face.
“I’m sure Trent’s already on his way back.” Adrian tried to sound way more confident than he felt. Damn it, he was not the kind of guy who got into these situations. Well, okay, clearly he was, but he didn’t have to like looking helpless in front of Mr. Outdoors.
Noah looked totally ready for the climate in a parka and hiking boots and a pair of those camping pants with all the pockets. His closely cropped beard and plaid shirt only added to his very well-kept mountain-man air. And he didn’t seem any too thrilled to be rescuing him. A frown creased his face as he tossed the blanket.
“I brought you a blanket. I’m going to go hunt down Billy. It’s already dark. You can’t sit there all night.” Noah leaned down to give Ulysses a pat. The dog kept tugging on his leash, no doubt eager to play with Pixel, who was wriggling to get down. Adrian was in no such hurry to go search out the elderly campground manager.
He’d met Billy when they’d checked in, and the man had pulled a two-tequila-no-chaser sour face when he’d realized Adrian and Trent were a couple. No doubt the man would be only too happy to be rid of them.
“I should wait here. I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding. All my stuff’s in the RV. He’s got to come back.”
Noah gave him a skeptical look and gestured at Adrian’s phone. “I’d be canceling my credit cards.”
“I trust Trent,” Adrian lied. He didn’t need to air all his misgivings to this guy.
“Suit yourself. I’ll be back.” With that, Noah strode away.
Adrian snuggled into the blanket, creating a little nest for Pixel and covering up his frozen feet. He rubbed them, trying to get a little circulation back.
His brain felt equally frozen, clogged with too many conflicting thoughts and feelings. Instead of using the time to cancel his cards or to call his family, Adrian got involved in a work discussion over email—talking about misbehaving octagons and things failing to render was so much better than thinking about what an epic mistake he’d made with Trent.
Beep. Beep. The battery warning signal sounded. Craptastic. He’d forgotten how fast his battery drained out here.
Looking up, he saw Noah headed back to the site, dark hair ruffled by the cool breeze. He was probably eight or ten years older than his own twenty-five, but he was a good-looking man. Not hot as much as classically handsome—the sort of long regal nose and deep-set eyes in a narrow face that gave him an almost aristocratic air despite the beard and rugged clothing. And he was almost certainly straight and Adrian had only been broken up with Trent for a whole half hour, so he had no business cataloging Noah’s appeal. Ulysses pulled at the leash, looking far more eager to see Adrian than his owner. And that wasn’t saying much seeing as how the dog was rather standoffish—curious, but not playful.
“Billy’s gone for the evening. I was going to have him take you into Green River, but he’s already there. Business’s been so slow, he left a note on the door of the house. Said he’d check in new arrivals in the morning. Too darn trusting, that man.” Noah looked right at Adrian as he said that last bit.
Okay, message received. Did everyone have to have an opinion about Adrian’s taste in men?
“He can just leave like that?” Adrian asked.
“There’s a whole six vehicles here. It’s winter. Most of the RV places nearby are closed for the season. This isn’t exactly a high-class joint.” Noah gestured. The campground was on the outskirts of the national park, more amenable to long-term campers like Noah, but close enough to attract the park tourists like Adrian too.
The other RVs were clustered closer to Old Billy’s cabin, in the neatly numbered spaces surrounding the covered picnic area and horseshoe pits. From here, all he could make out was the distant interior lights on the rig closest to Billy’s cabin. Adrian and Noah were down past the off-leash dog area, on a dead-end gravel drive. No seasonal decor down here. Adrian figured that Billy had stuck him and Trent out in a distant space to avoid gay cooties. He didn’t know what Noah’s deal was, but he struck Adrian as the sort of guy who would request the farthest, most remote space.
Noah scanned Adrian up and down, a condescending little smirk like he assumed Adrian was afraid of roughing it and wouldn’t know how to appreciate a place like this.
And yeah, that had been one of Adrian’s arguments with Trent—Trent liked the swankier RV parks with indoor pools and weight rooms while all Adrian had really cared about was the little dog-friendly icon on his trip guide app.
He wasn’t some pampered princess, no matter what Noah assumed.
“You have someone you can call?” Noah asked. His voice was smooth and cultured, like an NPR announcer, no hint of a Western drawl. Despite the outdoorsy exterior, he wasn’t from around these parts.
“Not exactly.” Adrian laughed because, really, what else could he do? “My family’s in Denver, but...it’s complicated.” Besides being eight hours away, he did not want to deal with confessing the whole Trent tale quite yet.
Noah studied him for a long moment, brows creasing in an expression that said he understood complicated.
“I get that. But you can’t stay outside tonight. The temperature will keep dropping.” Noah held open the door of his RV. “For better or worse, I think you’re stuck with me and Ulysses for the night.” He said the last bit all resigned and not as if he was doing him a favor. More like Adrian’s frozen carcass would be a nuisance he’d rather not have to clean up.
Something about that worse gave Adrian pause. Noah had a confident air, the sort of guy comfortable with the outdoors who probably knew a whole bunch of ways to harm someone that had nothing to do with brute strength. It finally struck Adrian how darn helpless Trent had left him. His chest hitched and his throat tightened. Stranded. He left me. Now he was completely at Noah’s mercy, and defenseless was not the sort of guy Adrian was. In fact, that had been most of the problem with Trent—Adrian wasn’t the sort to shut up and take orders nicely.
Adrian stood, wrapping the blanket tightly around him and Pixel, but didn’t rush to follow Noah. This felt...big somehow. Bigger than admitting Trent wasn’t about to reappear. Warm light spilled out from Noah’s RV along with a spicy, meaty scent.
“Well, come on.” Noah motioned impatiently.
Pixel made a snuffling sound in Adrian’s arms. Poor baby was going to freeze out here long before Adrian admitted he was well and truly fucked. He was out of options—no choice but to accept Noah’s reluctant hospitality.