Angel's Redemption Read Online Free PDF Page A

hoped he outwardly looked calm and nonchalant, instead of bursting with the excitement singing through his veins.
    Jackson really liked Elijah, but knew he was too old for him.
    Are you sure? A voice that sounded a lot like Ben's asked inside his head.
    Yes, damn it!
    "Ohhh, a new neighbor?" Shiloh grinned. "So how cute is he?"
    Jackson couldn't help but chuckle at Shiloh's obvious tenacity. The smaller man's stubbornness was one of the reasons why Jackson liked him.
    "What makes you think it's a he? Or that he's cute?" Allen walked toward Jackson with a large steaming cup of coffee. He set his briefcase down on the floor and graciously took the cup from Allen with a smile of gratitude.
    Shiloh cleared his throat, and when Jackson glanced down at him, he couldn't help but chuckle. Shiloh had his delicate hands on his lean hips and tapped his foot while he waited for Jackson's answer.
    "You might as well tell him," Allen said. "He'll drive you crazy until you do." He winked at his lover and then laughed when Shiloh stuck his tongue out playfully.
    Jackson couldn't help but chuckle at both of his friends' antics. He took a sip of the flavorful, hot coffee and nodded at the impatient Shiloh. "Yes, my nosy friend, Elijah's very cute," Jackson admitted. "But he's much too young for me. Elijah's also trying to get his life together, so the last thing he needs is an old man like me drooling over him." Jackson sighed and gave Shiloh a small shrug.
    "How young is too young?" Shiloh asked.
    "Well," Jackson began, "I'm not exactly sure how old he is, but he's definitely in his early twenties—"
    "That's nonsense," Shiloh interrupted. "Age is just a number, Jackson. If you like him, you should go for it."
    Jackson shook his head. "You know it's not that easy, Shiloh. Age does make a difference." He gave his well-intentioned friend a small smile. "No, we'll probably never be more than friends, and that's okay. I could always use another one."
    Shiloh opened his mouth as if to say something, then he shook his head.
    "How about a couple of croissants for breakfast, Jackson?" Allen asked.
    Thankful that Allen changed the subject, Jackson winked at him. "That would be great, thanks."
    Allen nodded and grabbed a sheet of wax paper. He reached inside the glass case and gently grabbed two big, flaky croissants and put them into a multi-colored paper bag.
    "Since summer is about to come to an end, Shiloh and I are having a little getaway in a few weeks at our cabin on Labor Day weekend. We'd like you to come. You can even bring your new friend." Allen handed him the croissant-filled bag.
    Although Shiloh and Allen lived in Charlestown, on most weekends the happy couple went to the cabin Allen lived in before he and Shiloh got together three years ago. It was in a prime location across from the Ozark National Forest. A couple of months before, Allen and Shiloh had invited him for a cookout they planned, and since Jackson didn't want to look like a fuddy-dud; he had made himself go.
    Even though he and the couple were friends, he still sometimes felt like an outsider. Shiloh and Allen invited several couples, and he had been the only person there without someone special. Although he enjoyed seeing the deer and other wildlife that seemed to be at the couple's back door, he still felt uncomfortable being everyone's third wheel. It was a feeling he didn't care to repeat any time soon.
    Maybe he could invite Elijah to come with him as a friend. There was nothing wrong with that, right? It wasn't as if it would be a romantic weekend. He'd just be spending the weekend with friends, so there was no need to think otherwise.
    "Yes! Bring your new friend, Jackson. We'll make a weekend of it." Shiloh clapped his hands excitedly.
    "I don't know about coming down for the whole weekend," Jackson said. "For one thing, I can't leave Shep alone that long."
    "Now, Jackson, we won't take no for an answer," Shiloh interrupted with a dramatic flick of his hand. "You