Well this was certainly unexpected. When Jonah had called Uncle Robert to ask if he could use the cabin, he hadn’t been told there was going to be another occupant. Or that the occupant would be his cousin Mason’s best friend.

They both stood, unmoving, staring each other down as though they were in a shootout in the Wild West. Jonah could practically hear the music in his head. A laugh built in his throat as he imagined the two of them in Stetsons. He tried to contain it, but it gurgled out of his mouth, a strange, stilted sound.

“I’m sorry,” he said immediately. “I didn’t… I didn’t know there was going to be anyone else here.”

Christian hadn’t changed much since the last time they’d seen each other—that last summer before he’d moved to LA. He’d put on some muscle and grown a beard, which did wonders for his jawline, but other than that, he was the same kid who’d roasted marshmallows beside him until they caught on fire.

Except that wasn’t right. He wasn’t a kid anymore. There was something refined about him now. Something that interested Jonah.

“Yeah, I didn’t realize anyone was going to be here, either,” Christian said. He walked down the porch steps, shoving his phone back in his pocket. “Mason didn’t even know…”

That answered that question. At least Jonah hadn’t interrupted anything. Christian eyed him warily from the bottom step, as though he were unsure how to respond. Guess that left it up to Jonah. He crossed the distance between them and pulled Christian in for a tight hug. One thing was certain—Christian was a lot sturdier than the last time Jonah had seen him.

“It’s good to see you,” he said earnestly. “It’s been, what, eight years?”

“Fuck, I guess it has. Doesn’t seem like it.”

In some ways, it didn’t, especially with LA so far away. It felt like he’d never left. But the remodelled cabin and older Christian were new. And as much as Chris looked the same, he’d definitely grown up. At some point, he’d cut his hair from the shaggy mop that used to hang in his eyes. It was perfectly-styled, the honey-blond strands catching in the sunlight. He wore glasses, too. One thing he wasn’t wearing was a wedding ring, and for some reason, that made Jonah’s stomach flip.

It wasn’t that he had anything against marriage. It was right for some people, although marriages in Hollywood rarely lasted more than a few years. But when everyone around him started settling down, Jonah became the odd one out. Even worse was when they started having kids, but fortunately most of his friends weren’t to that stage yet.

“So,” he said, leaning up against the SUV, “you think you can share the cabin for a few days? My agent was only able to get me the week off, and even then it was like pulling teeth.”

Christian laughed. “Yes, please, tell me more about how difficult it was for your agent to get you out of your tough Hollywood life.” He poked Jonah in the arm, no doubt to show he was teasing, but Jonah bristled.

This wasn’t the first time someone had made fun of his career, and in many ways, he was lucky. He’d gotten to travel to some amazing places and work with renowned actors and directors most people only dreamed of meeting. But there was also the constant façade that he was so tired of putting on. If Christian was expecting him to laugh along, he had another thing coming.

“I’ve been talking to reporters non-stop for the last week and been forced to answer some really invasive questions about my personal life. My agent keeps trying to set me up on dates with women I have no interest in. I haven’t had a real vacation in three years, and the last time I got to spend Christmas with my family was the one right before I moved to California. And yes, I know I signed up for all of this when I decided to become an actor, but that doesn’t mean it’s right.”

He took a deep breath, chest heaving. Well, that certainly wasn’t what he’d intended to say. Sure, he wasn’t going to agree with Christian, but he hadn’t meant to give a fucking speech.

To his surprise, Christian grinned, one side of his lips quirking up in a way that made a strange shiver run down Jonah’s spine. “Feel better?”

Jonah huffed a laugh. “You have no idea. Sorry for unloading on you.”

“It’s fine,” Christian said with a shrug. “Trust me, you were much nicer than some people I’ve talked to.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Definitely. You didn’t even call me a fucking bastard.”

Pushing off the side of the SUV, Jonah walked around and opened the trunk. “Does that happen often?” he asked, pulling one suitcase out.

“Couple times.”

Jonah was fairly sure Christian talked more the last time they’d seen each other. Maybe he’d spooked him with his tirade about how difficult it was to be an actor. Or maybe he was intentionally trying to be cryptic. Either way, that would have to change. As much as Jonah had said he wanted to get away from everyone, now that he was actually here with Christian, it would be nice to reconnect.

“So what exactly is it you do that makes people want to verbally berate you?” he asked, hauling out another case. “And a follow-up question. Do you deserve being verbally berated?”

Christian grabbed one of the suitcases with a small chuckle and dragged it toward the porch. “Sometimes. I was interviewing a series of inmates who had just been released from prison as part of a human interest piece to show how difficult it is to re-assimilate.”

Huh. That actually sounded interesting. “What is it you do again? Something in journalism, right?” At least, that had been Christian’s plan the last summer they spent together.

“Yeah, I’m a freelance journalist. I write for a couple of local magazines in Louisville and I’ve had my stuff in a couple of Cincinnati and Chicago publications. But my real passion project is my blog.”

And here he’d assumed when Christian was some small-town reporter covering high school football games. Granted, there was nothing wrong with that, but Chris had always had his sights set on bigger things.

“What’s your blog about?” Jonah asked.

Was that a… blush? What on earth did Christian have to be embarrassed about? “I, um, I have a blog on queer representation in Hollywood. Actors, films, television shows…”

That still didn’t explain the redness in Christian’s cheeks. Unless… Oh. “Let me guess. You did a write-up of Alpha Flight?”

“How could I not? Northstar’s literally married to a dude. I mean, not that you didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, somewhere along the way I got the memo,” Jonah teased. He hefted his suitcase up the front porch steps, then helped Chris with the other one. “So did you get to go to an early screening or anything?”

“Ha. Oddly enough, Marvel didn’t call and invite me. The blog’s only got about three thousand followers. Which is pretty good, but it isn’t enough to get noticed.”

“You’ll get there.” If there was one person he could honestly say that to, it was Christian. He’d always been the same kind of driven as Jonah—the kind of person who would sacrifice everything to get what he wanted. “If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know. I wouldn’t mind promoting your blog.”

“Even if I left a bad review of Alpha Flight?”

Jonah paused, his eyebrows knitting together. “You aren’t planning to, are you?”

“Nah,” Chris said with a grin. “I just wanted to see how you’d react.”

They paused in the foyer and Jonah looked around. If Christian weren’t here with him, he would have sworn this wasn’t the right house. “When did they redo this place?” he asked.

More importantly, why did it feel like he’d lost a beloved relative? It wasn’t as though the building was gone. Hell, his family still had Christmas here every year. But it didn’t feel the same.

“A few years ago. After I stopped coming. It’s weird, isn’t it?”

Jonah nodded. It made sense that Uncle Richard and Aunt Annabeth would have made renovations in the eight years since he’d last been to the cabin, but he hadn’t realized until now just how much he had missed. How much life had gone on while he’d been away. All of the uncertainties from the summer before he left came welling back up.

Had he made the right decision leaving Kentucky?

Was he still certain this was the future he wanted?

Was it worth it, leaving his family behind?

He jumped as Christian put a steadying hand on his shoulder. “You okay? You look a little, um, tired.”

That was probably the nicest way of putting it. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just surprised at how much everything’s changed.”

“Don’t look in the kitchen, then,” Christian said. “If you thought the chickens were bad, just wait until you see Annabeth’s take on Tuscan countryside.”

Knowing Aunt Annabeth, it looked about as great as it sounded. “I’ll skip it for the moment,” he said. “Since you got here first, which bedroom did you take? I’m going to guess it isn’t the attic loft.”

Christian shook his head. “I snagged the master. I can always change, though, if you want. I mean, this is your family’s cabin.”

That drew a frown from Jonah. “You know Uncle Richard and Aunt Annabeth always considered you family, right? I mean, you still live with Mason. You probably talk to them more than I do.”

“I know.” Christian shifted from one foot to the other. “I just feel weird taking it when you’re here.”

“Don’t,” Jonah insisted. “Trust me, normally I have a huge loft. I’ll be fine taking the bedroom down the hall.”

It was the one he’d always had when he stayed at the cabin, and his heart beat faster at the thought of them renovating it. There was nothing for it. He’d have to see the damage sooner or later. Without giving Christian time to argue, he started down the hall, pausing to open the door at the end.

Sure enough, it hadn’t been ignored, but at least the renovations were minimal. The stained cream carpet had been torn out and replaced with a dark hardwood, while the walls had been painted a soft beige. He left his suitcase by the bedroom door and walked over to the window. Now that was what he needed to see. Trees with red and yellow leaves covered the cliff overlooking the Cumberland River. Across the water, the craggy rock rose up like a wall and another cabin was perched among the woods.

He took in a deep breath and released it slowly, feeling some of the tension drain out of him. Seven days of rest, away from the public eye, with his cousin’s best friend. That last part was a little strange, but honestly, of all the people he could have been stuck with, Christian was a pretty good choice. Sure beat having Aspen here. He snorted, trying to picture Aspen roaming the woods of central Kentucky in stilettos. She’d fall down the cliff into the river before Jonah could say ‘Welcome to the holler.’

A knock on the door made him turn. Christian stood there, one arm across his stomach. “Hey, I don’t know if you had any plans or anything, I did bring some groceries if you’d rather stay in but I was thinking about going into town to get something to eat. You hungry?”

When was the last time he’d eaten? There hadn’t been time to grab lunch in Atlanta on his way to the Louisville airport, so all he’d had was a ginger ale and a packet of cookies on the plane.

“Yeah, I could eat. Where were you thinking?”

Christian grinned, his entire face lighting up. “Frisch’s.”