Worth Keeping Read Online Free PDF Page B

was delicious. Am I?” He shrugged out of his jacket and laid it across the chair back. Owen’s shirt strained across his strong shoulders and Nick saw dark chest curls poking out of his shirtfront.
    The teasing note in Owen’s voice was disconcerting and the tug in Nick’s jeans grew fiercer as his cock screamed to get out and take a better look. “No comment. What did you bring to eat? Something smells good.” He shooed Socks away and the monkey sped to the other side of the table and sat in a sulk.
    “You’ve got your food,” Nick said to him drily. “This is for humans, not cheeky capuchins.”
    Socks blew a raspberry and Owen’s eyes lit up. “God, that is so cute. I’ve never seen a monkey do that before.”
    “Get used to it,” Nick muttered as he unpacked a paper carrier bag. “It’s his favourite party trick.”
    Owen brandished two cartons of food. “I hope you like Chinese. I bought Kung Pao chicken and fried rice. You didn’t eat much last night so I figured you’d be hungry.” He glanced worriedly at Nick, who marvelled at the man’s bounce back from wanting to die last night. There was a little stir of pride inside that said perhaps he might have had something to do with that.
    He shrugged. “It’ll do, I guess,” He smiled wickedly at Owen’s hurt expression, Nick’s own dark depression lifting by simply having company in his home.
    Or was it just this man?
    “I’m joking. I love Chinese. Hand it over.”
    The two men sat companionably eating their takeout, ignoring Socks who sat regarding them with what looked like a monkey scowl.
    Owen squinted at the papers strewn across the table. “What’s all this you’re doing? It looks like some sort of diary.”
    Nick nodded. “It is a diary. As keeper of this place, I’m honour bound to record things that happen for the history of the lighthouse.”
    Owen stopped eating, looking at Nick tensely. “You’re not telling anyone about me, are you?”
    Nick gazed at him. “Not in the diaries.” He saw the trapped expression in Owen’s eyes. Guilt swamped him. Nick wouldn’t tell Owen just yet that he’d called the Coastguard and found out they’d started a search for a man who’d fallen off a boat. He’d had to tell them that he’d found Owen. They’d promised to get word back to Owen’s friends and family that he was alive. Owen might think he was interfering but Nick was the lighthouse keeper. He wasn’t having good men wasting time searching for a mixed-up man who was safe.
    Owen tapped the table nervously. “I don’t want anyone reading this in years to come and knowing I tried—you know—to kill myself. That’s not really how I want to be remembered. I’d rather everyone think I just fell overboard. ” His voice was tremulous and he laid down his chopsticks then rubbed his hands together nervously.
    So Owen did have family he cared about.
    “If you have to say something then just put that I fell overboard and you rescued me and that then I left, and—”
    Nick reached over and stayed the other man’s fidgeting. “Owen. I won’t mention it at all here. Relax. This stuff isn’t gospel. I’m sure other lighthouse keepers have suppressed the truth on more than one occasion. This is just a tradition, not a rite of passage.”
    Owen nodded, his hands still covered by Nick’s. Nick stroked the top of his hand gently before removing his own. Maybe a bit of levity might make things better.
    “I might get fined by the Lighthouse Keepers’ Association for not keeping things straight but I can live with that.” Nick tried to keep a straight face and Owen’s face fell.
    “You can get a fine for that? Withholding things in the bloody diary? I don’t want to cause you any trouble…”
    “Owen, I’m joking. I won’t be fined, I promise.” Nick felt his jest had backfired from the pallor on his friend’s face.
    That was what Owen was now wasn’t he? A friend?
    “Oh. That was a bit mean.” Nick could swear Owen