Love Him Free (On the Market #1) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,19
at the look Rocco gave him, he backed up and rubbed his fist over his chest in a circle. ‘Sorry. I just want you to be okay.’
Rocco softened a little, and he let his hand rest on his brother’s shoulder for a moment. ‘I’ll be fine. I just need space.’
Lorenzo nodded and let Rocco go without a further fight.
Rocco felt some measure of relief when he got back to Pietro’s house and found the place empty. He wasn’t sure where his brother or the kids were at, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He gathered James to his chest, then laid down on his bed and pulled his laptop up on his knees.
When he had it situated, he opened his phone and found two texts from Simon. The first was a photograph of him—a selfie holding up a bit of something that looked like darkly toasted pastry, and there were crumbs on his cheek.
Simon: This is the last of the jachnun my brother made me. I’m eating it all, even if it’s stale and disgusting.
Rocco laughed to himself, and stroked his thumb along the side of Simon’s image. He liked him—god help him. He’d never inflict this life and this stress on a sweet man like Simon, but the more they talked, the more he wanted something beyond an internet friendship.
Rocco: I need 2 get hell out of here.
Simon: you should come to cherry creek. Mountain air will do you good.
Simon: I’m kidding, you don’t need to show up in this little town, you’d go insane.
Rocco: if it mean seeing u, would b worth it.
He set his phone aside, then opened up his maps and tracked the journey from Santa Monica to Cherry Creek. His eyes widened when he saw seventeen hours and twelve minutes—an impossible drive, but an easy flight. Yet, he didn’t think he’d go unnoticed at the airport, and a part of him thrummed with possibility of a road trip.
He could make it in a day if he pushed himself. With food stops, bathroom, and walking James, it would be almost twenty hours, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t done it before. He’d road tripped with friends and slept in back seats and ate shitty roadside diner burgers. Once upon a time, his routine didn’t depend on protein shakes and hours on the treadmill.
He didn’t realize the decision was made until James licked him in the face. “Road trip,” he said aloud to the pup.
James licked his nose again, and Rocco smiled.
Easing the dog to the side, Rocco rolled off the bed and began packing without thought. After all, he had nowhere to be. Anthony would take weeks to sort out this issue with Xander—and chances were high Xander would win. So why stick around for nothing? Why subject himself to the constant fear that Eric might come looking for him.
No, he needed this. Even if Simon was just being polite and didn’t want to see him at all, it would be worth it. He zipped up his case, then grabbed James’ travel crate, his leash, his supplies. It took him three trips to fill up the car, but an hour after his decision was made, he was behind the wheel.
Simon: flattery will get you nowhere.
Rocco: lol I guess we c.
He sent a smiley face, then a heart, then threw his phone on the seat next to James and turned the car on. It rumbled to life beneath him, his foot hit the gas, and then—without another thought—he was on his way.
Rocco had never been so exhausted in his life by the time he pulled up to the only vacant resort in the tiny town. The old Victorian B&B near the downtown area had their no-vacancy sign up, but the Cherry Creek Lodge’s parking lot didn’t seem full.
He knew he looked a mess as he stepped out onto the pavement and stretched his back. He’d caught a few hours at truck stop just outside of Grand Junction, then he’d pushed it all the way to the small town.
He thought he was going to fall asleep at the wheel, but as he twisted and turned through the dawn-lit roads that wound around the tall mountains, he found he had a second wind. Cherry Creek itself had a timeless feel to it. Rocco had traveled enough that he could easily compare it to little Dutch cities that were forgotten in time, and he liked it.