Love Him Free (On the Market #1) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,31

some mountain lodge, and Simon was the first person to show genuine concern about him—and not the figure he was to the public.

The thought calmed him a little as he made his way through the lobby doors, and he followed the smell of bacon to a dining room where a large spread was set up against the far wall. There was a short host stand, and a bored looking man who couldn’t have been older than early twenties wearing a tight button down and a smirk as he gave Rocco a once over.

If Rocco hadn’t been utterly consumed with Simon, he might have taken more than just a quick notice of him, but he had no room for anyone else in that moment. He approached with a smile, then pointed to himself, and held up one finger.

The guy didn’t try to talk—so he’d either been informed of their Deaf guest, or he recognized him for his work. By the look in his eyes, Rocco assumed the latter. He tried not to smirk a little as the guy led him to a table near the front of the buffet, and when Rocco sat down, he realized the guy was waiting for his attention.

‘Coffee, tea, juice,’ his hands signed—not quite right, but enough. He pointed to the beverage station at the end of the table.

Rocco smiled and signed his thanks, and he watched the host walk away with a bit of a sway to his hips. He appreciated the view, and the attempt to communicate. He hadn’t expected to feel any sort of warm welcome at all in this little town—but how quickly all of these people were changing his mind. Odd how total strangers were willing to adapt so readily in spaces his hearing friends and family never did.

Setting his phone down, he moved to the coffee carafe first and filled a cup, gulping down the hot, bitter liquid before topping off and taking it back to his table. There were a few people milling around the trays of food, and Rocco seized a plate, moving first for the fruit, then the one holding bacon and sausage. He only took a few—without a gym in sight, he still had to be careful, but he didn’t hold back with the eggs as he piled them into a small mountain.

He moved around toward the little container of salsa, and as he reached for the ladle, his elbow bumped into his neighbor. Eyes wide, he turned to offer some apology, but it died in the air between them as he stared at a man he didn’t know—but he knew.

It was the eyes, mostly. The same color, and the same sort of soul-deep anguish of a lonely childhood that Simon shared. The man had a sharper face, skin a little bit lighter, and without the specks across his nose and cheeks. His hair had the same tight curl, but it was darker and longer, pulled into a bun at the back of his head.

More than just knowing this was Simon’s brother by the look of him, it was the recognition in his eyes when he stared at Rocco.

“Levi?” He wasn’t even sure he had the name right with the movement of his lips and tongue, but the man’s eyes widened, and a wash of color crept over the tips of his ears.

Levi dipped his head, his lips twitching like he wanted to speak, but he wasn’t sure. Rocco regretted leaving his hearing aids in the room and his phone on the table, but he still planned on trying to make something of an introduction.

“I’m Rocco, nice to meet you.”

Levi took his hand, balancing his plate on the other, then looked over his shoulder at a man who had slid up behind him. He looked startlingly like the guy who had checked him in, apart from his shaved head—so clearly he was one of the owners. He was wearing a curious scowl, and he put a possessive hand on Levi’s shoulder as he gave Rocco a look up and down.

Rocco watched as Levi’s lips moved in explanation, watched as the man’s scowl melted into something like amusement. His eyes lifted to Rocco’s, and he extended his hand. His lips curved, and though Rocco had never been great at lipreading, he was pretty sure this was James.

“Nice to meet you,” Rocco said. He pointed to his table and shrugged. “I’m there.”

Levi’s smile went from friendly to a little bit nervous, but Rocco took it with a grain