A Cowboy in Ravenna Read Online Free Page B

will?”
    Chace looked at him, soft blond hair in his eyes so Trin had to fight the urge to brush it back. “Didn’t you read the itinerary I sent you?”
    “Uh.”
    “I emailed it to you days ago, Trin.”
    Trin rarely checked his email. He was more a hands-on man.
    “You’re so retro. No wonder Sasha calls you a true alpha male.”
    Trin grimaced at the thought of their mutual friend, a neighbour who had moved from LA recently. Sasha was a bit New Age, but all right. He lived with Micah Danvers, the new deputy who had turned out to be the twin brother of another resident, the mysterious Luka. The damn valley was turning into a romantic soap opera as far as Trin was concerned. Shifters claiming human mates. He guessed it was possible for those of his kind who had normal abilities, but for someone like him…
    “You volunteer at Charlie’s nature reserve, right?” Chace asked him tentatively.
    “Yeah. Where else would I get to interact with a real Bengal tiger?”
    “Yeah.” Chace sighed. “Charlie lets me sketch his animals all I want as long as I also help out come feeding time.”
    “Seems a fair trade.”
    “Um, well, you know Luka and Charlie had something going ever since Luka showed up at Charlie’s yoga class and folks started talking about them…” Chace began.
    “Did they?” Trin knew very well there was something between Charlie and Luka, since he hadn’t been two feet on Charlie’s land when Luka had shoved him against the barn and challenged him, staking his claim as Charlie’s mate. Luka’d only settled down when he’d recognized that Trin was not a threat. “Folks should mind their own business,” Trin grumbled.
    Chace gave him a ‘yeah right’ look. “And then Sash and Micah had that fire at Micah’s place and now Micah lives with Sash…”
    “What’s your point?”
    “Are Micah and Charlie related? They have the same last name. Folks are saying maybe there’s some incest goin’ on there as well as, ah…”
    “Folks don’t have any sense! No, Micah and Charlie are probably only distantly related.” This was hard for Trin to talk about, but he found himself opening up with Chace, just like always. “I come from a village where the most common name is ‘Danvers’. I think the, uh, people there intermingled with folks in town over the years.” He narrowed his eyes and then shrugged, deciding to share something with Chace he’d speculated about. “I’m almost sure Charlie has relatives from the village since he has that special healing gift with his animals.”
    “Like your healing gift?” Chace asked. His eyes were gleaming with curiosity. He was always trying to dig more about Trin’s past out of him.
    “Yeah.” And when he got home he’d have to bring up that theory with Luka and Charlie, as well as let them know about the ugly incest rumour. Shifters and their mates had to keep a low profile and that was difficult enough when male shifters chose male human lovers.
    Could the men who’d fired Micah’s cabin a few months ago somehow be behind these stories, turning the townsfolk against Trin’s friends?
    He’d damn sure talk to Micah about that theory as soon as he could.
      “Sash didn’t encourage you to come to Italy, did he?”
    “No.” Chace trailed him as they boarded yet another train, this one for Ravenna. “But he did think this trip would be good for me. ‘Insightful’, he said.” Chace flushed. “He was also really sure you would come with me.”
    “Huh.” Trin closed his eyes as Chace slumped in the seat next to him.
    “He’s a lucky man,” Chace went on. “Micah makes no secret of how much he likes, uh…”
    Trin opened his eyes to give Chace a look. “Sex. The word you are looking for is sex. And yes, Micah and Sash definitely have somethin’ going.” This was sensitive ground, so he decided to change the subject. “What’s in Ravenna?” If it was hot gay Italian men, he had to brace himself. The plan was he’d stay