Winter Boys: Todd Read online

  Todd

  The Winter Boys Book One

  Sean Michael

  Contents

  Winter Boys: Todd

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Want more?

  Coming Soon — Tommy

  Coming Soon — The Needy Boy

  Excerpt

  About Sean Michael

  Also by Sean Michael

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.

  Winter Boys: Todd

  Copyright 2019 by Sean Michael

  All rights reserved. No part of this eBook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address Sean Michael, 2515 Bank St., P.O. Box 40001, Ottawa, ON, K1V 0W8.

  Cover by Morgan Tweed

  Printed in Canada.

  ISBN: 978-1-988377-95-7

  First electronic edition July 2019

  Created with Vellum

  Winter Boys: Todd

  Meet the Winter boys – Todd, Tommy and Troy. Can these triplets each find their happily ever after?

  Todd lives in Northern Ontario and works as an adventure guide, aided by his best friend Smokey the malamute. It’s his dream job, and life is pretty good until a deep winter tour brings five executives, including Todd’s ex, to his neck of the woods.

  Simon is working the job of a lifetime, but he’s living in a big city where he knows very few people and he’s lonely. On top of that, one of his co-workers has made his work environment less than comfortable. The last thing he wants to do is spend time in the northern wilderness with four of his fellow executives, including the man who clearly doesn’t like him. When he discovers that their guide for this ill-advised bonding exercise is his ex, it feels like the universe is playing a cruel joke.

  Forced proximity helps both Todd and Simon remember why they were together in the first place, but the things that saw them ending their relationship are still factors. They’ll have to find a solution that works for both of them if they have any hope of getting their happy ending.

  1

  Todd Winter changed into his black cargo pants. He was pretty sure Victoria was going to comment on him wearing the same pair he’d worn for Christmas Day, but they were the only non-jean slacks he owned and Mom liked them to be sort of dressed up for birthday parties, even if said party was attended by immediate family only. He tugged on his cream-colored dress shirt and left the top button undone. A quick check to make sure nothing was sticking out of his beard and he was good.

  It had been a great visit home for the holidays. Hell, he hadn’t seen any of his family since last Christmas, not even the brothers he’d shared a womb with, and this had felt like a rejuvenation. He was ready to go back to his wilderness, though. There were so many people in the city. That used to not bother him, but he’d been living rough in the bush for long enough that Ottawa seemed huge and noisy and busy, and he was glad they were doing New Year’s Eve and birthday celebrations all together, but only with immediate family.

  He looked around the room he’d shared with his brothers growing up. It seemed different now, with its double bed instead of bunkbed and an extra single. Funny how it had never felt small growing up, but it did now. He shook himself and headed downstairs before Mom had to call up for him—he’d heard the bell go, so he knew one of his siblings had arrived. Probably Troy—he was always Mr. Prompt. He was the reason why they had to celebrate their birthday on December 31 as well as January 1, arriving a full five minutes before midnight. Todd and Tommy had wait until several minutes after midnight before popping out one after the other.

  He went downstairs, and sure enough, there was Troy, giving Mom a hug.

  Troy looked like a goddamn metrosexual—all coiffed and perfect in a suit. His brother was lean, clean shaven, and practically perfect in every way. Troy would say it was because he was the oldest and Todd and Tommy would scoff.

  “Hey, bro.”

  “Two.” Troy looked over at him, dark eyes searching for differences since the last time they were home together.

  He rolled his eyes at Troy, at the nickname, but he went in for a hug. “We missed you around the tree.”

  “I was in Hong Kong, and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it.” Troy kissed his cheek. “Did you have a good Christmas.”

  “We did. After Mom stopped bemoaning you not being there. Seriously, though, it was weird.” There was a time the three of them were inseparable. And sure, now that they were thirty—almost anyway—it would have been weird if they still did everything together. That didn’t mean he didn’t feel their absences keenly.

  “It was from my side, too, but it was that or lose the deal, right? My part of that deal was…lucrative.” Troy’s grin was the smile of a shark.

  “So there’s some good birthday gifts coming from you this year, huh?” He patted Troy on the back, then gave his brother another hug. Damn, he did miss Troy and Tommy.

  “Where’s the baby? He still sleeping off his shift?” Troy asked.

  “Tommy’ll be here by the time we sit to eat,” Mom promised. “He said he had to work until seven, but he was coming here right after.”

  “Good deal.” Troy winked at him and disappeared to find Dad, leaving him with Mom and Victoria, who appeared around the corner like magic. Man, Troy had homing sense when it came to their baby sister.

  “Why don’t the two of you set the table for me. Steph and her gang should be here shortly, and we’ll eat as soon as Tommy gets here.” She patted his cheek. “We’ll do presents at midnight.”

  They’d started that tradition the year they were old enough to understand that they actually had birthdays on two different days.

  “Sure, Mom. Come on, Vicki. You can count high enough to get plates for everyone.”

  She flipped him the bird.

  “Don’t let Mom catch you doing that.” Todd and his brothers never swore around her. It had only taken one soapy mouth washing to put paid to that particular habit.

  She stuck her tongue out in response, making Todd laugh. God, you’d think she was eight instead of eighteen. He thought she still missed her older brothers being around all the time.

  He set the plates around the long dining room table, then added in chairs so everyone would have a place to sit, while Vickie dealt with the utensils. “How’s school, kiddo? You getting ready to start university next year?”

  She shrugged. “Mom’s making me apply, but I don’t wanna go.”

  “No? What do you plan to do instead?”

  “I want to bum around Europe.”

  “Oh, that’s cool. Expensive, though.” He knew she didn’t have a job—she was still relying on Mom and Dad for her spending money.

  “I bet Troy would fund me. He’s stinky rich.”

  “He also works hard for his money. You know if you got a job on the weekends, I bet you’d have enough saved up by the time school’s done in June.” They all adored Vickie, but she was prone to making bad decisions and Todd couldn’t see how a free European
vacation was a good idea. She needed to earn it to appreciate it.

  “Maybe. Maybe Troy would let me do something.”

  “Troy’s a pushover.” Stephanie came bustling in, their older sister covered in snow. “Sorry, shift ran long. Is Carrie here yet? She’s bringing the kids.”

  “No, I think we’d notice if there were three hooligans running around,” Todd noted.

  “Yeah, yeah. Happy almost birthday.” She kissed his cheek. “You look good, man. How’s work going?” She’d worked an overnight Christmas Eve, and while she’d been around for opening gifts with the kids and Christmas dinner, she’d napped a whole lot and they hadn’t had a chance to really talk that much.

  “Great. I have a group on a two-week trek after the holidays. Some executive and his VPs or something like that.”

  “Neat. I saw Tommy this morning; he was guarding some guy in the ER. He looked grumpy.” Steph winked at him, playing.

  “What were you doing at the ER? I thought you worked Christmas Eve so you could have time off?”

  “And that was Christmas Day. I picked up an extra shift this week so I got tomorrow off with Carrie and the kids.” She shrugged. “A nurse’s job never ends.”

  “You mean you work too hard.” She and Tommy both. Troy was always working too. It kind of made him feel like a slacker. He worked hard, sure, but he loved what he did and he had plenty of time to relax, to enjoy nature. He didn’t feel a need to be booked solid and do tours back to back to back.

  “I have babies to raise.” Steph was married to a teacher, so the kids had someone around, most of the time.

  “Those beasts? They clearly live in caves and are raised by bears,” he teased.

  “Don’t call my wife a bear,” she shot right back.

  God, she was smart and quick and he adored the hell out of her. “I wouldn’t in a million years.” If Steph didn’t beat him for it, Carrie would, and his Mom would hold him down. Carrie was a sweetheart and they all loved her.

  She hugged him tight. “I miss you, littler brother.”

  God. They were never going to not be little, littler, and littlest. At least he wasn’t littlest.

  “You too. That’s the only drawback of living up north.” He honestly enjoyed the isolation, but it would be nice to be able to pop into town every couple of weeks for family dinner and to catch up with everyone.

  There was a knock on the front door and Tommy came in with a bag full of gifts. He did look a little grumpy.

  “Happy almost birthday, littlest.” Steph went right to Tommy and hugged him.

  Tommy hugged her back. “Thanks, oldest.”

  Todd chuckled—Tommy was playing with fire.

  “I think you meant hottest,” she shot back.

  “Oooo, burn!” Todd laughed.

  Vickie came into the front hall in time to hear the tail end of their conversation. “Burn?”

  “Yep, your sister got Tommy good.” He stepped closer and hugged his brother, holding on for a minute. Yeah, he’d missed them. They needed a three-way hug before the night was over, just because.

  Tommy relaxed for a second, and they hung out there like they were caught in time. Without a word, Troy joined them and he and Tommy made room, arms looping around him as well.

  Oh, that did his soul good.

  “Creepy! I hate when they’re quiet. They’re plotting something.” Vicki was as disgusted as only a teenaged sister could be.

  Todd could actually hear Tommy rolling his eyes. They all squeezed a bit tighter for a second, then broke it off.

  “You keeping out of trouble?” Tommy asked Vicki.

  “Yeah. I’m good. Ready to graduate, you know?”

  “Yeah, I bet. What universities have you applied to?” Tommy asked, hanging up his jacket on one of the hooks.

  She blushed a little, gaze turning to Troy. “A couple. I’m thinking I could spend some time traveling before.”

  Oh, this could be good. Todd leaned back to watch the show.

  “Yeah? Where?” Troy asked.

  “Don’t take the bait, little,” Steph muttered.

  “Stephanie!” Vicki glared at her older sister.

  “Troy’s a big boy, Steph.” Todd figured Troy would know when he was getting played by their baby sister.

  “Europe. Some of my girlfriends are going, but I can’t ask Mom and Dad for that much money.”

  Or she’d already tried and they’d told her no. Mom and Dad had put all of them through post-secondary, and he was sure they’d do the same for Vicki. A trip to Europe was an entirely different story.

  “Call me Monday afternoon at the office,” Troy told her. “I may know a few people that need data entry help.”

  Vicki’s face fell. “Data entry?”

  “Yeah. It’s decent experience, decent money, good work…”

  She batted her eyes at Troy. “I was hoping more of a birthday gift.”

  “Oh.” There was a flash of disappointment in Troy’s eyes, so fast that he doubted anyone but he and Tommy would know. “Is there anything else Mom needs us to do?”

  Vickie shrugged, pouting hard. “I already helped.”

  “Hey, Mom,” Todd called out, sliding his hand across Troy’s shoulders. “You need us to do anything else?”

  “No, we’re good. As soon as Carrie and the kids get here, we’ll sit and eat. I made all your favorites.”

  That meant meatballs and spaghetti, garlic toast, and Caesar salad with homemade croutons. How many years had they had that for their birthday dinner? Pretty much all of them since they were six or so.

  Todd rubbed his hands together. “I can’t wait. I’ve been waiting all year for this meal.”

  “You know they do make spaghetti with meatballs in restaurants.” Vicki was back in total brat mode now that she wasn’t getting a handout for her proposed trip.

  Todd shook his head immediately. “Not like Mom’s.”

  “Not even close to Mom’s,” Tommy added.

  “Mom’s is the perfect spaghetti and meatballs,” Troy agreed.

  Vickie rolled her eyes. “Suck-ups.”

  Todd knew she was aware that had nothing to do with it. Man, she was going to make them all pay for Troy not giving her a handout.

  Before any of them could get into it with her, though, the door opened again and Steph’s wife and kids came in, shaking off the snow, cheeks red, full of laughter.

  “Hey, everyone,” Carrie called out.

  “Uncles!” The boys tackled him and his brothers, each kid taking one of them.

  Todd had Jason, the middle boy, and he hoisted Jason up, rubbing his beard against Jason’s cheek and making him laugh. He traded with Troy for Dougie, and then Tommy for Matt. He didn’t give Carrie a beard rub when he hugged her.

  “Happy birthday, brother. Love you so.” Carrie loved them all like they were her brothers by blood, and he adored her and their boys.

  “Thanks, lady. Love you too.”

  “All right, let me get my hugs from my favorite grandkids and then let’s sit and eat.” Mom held her arms out, all three boys running over to hug her.

  “Gram! Gram, we brought presents!”

  He watched the boys for a second, and then leaned on Tommy. “Busy?”

  Tommy slid an arm around his shoulders. “Yeah. It’s always crazy around the holidays.”

  “Yeah, and this is one you have to fight to get off, huh?”

  “You know it. That’s why I had to leave early on Christmas Day—and have been working every day since. But it gave me this evening and tomorrow off, so we get to celebrate the birthday in style.”

  “As long as we’re all together, it’s a great birthday.” Todd kissed his brother’s cheek, then headed toward the table, Mom making motions to get everyone moving. She hated having to keep things warm once it was ready—said food was meant to be eaten freshly prepared.

  He, Tommy, and Troy sat beside each other along one side of the table with Steph next to them, while Vicki, Carrie,
and the boys sat across from them. Mom and Dad took the head and the foot of the table. They were a happy, boisterous crowd. Todd sent a little prayer up, thanking the universe that this was his family. He was a damn lucky man.

  2

  Todd whistled up Smokey and she came bounding out of the woods to the cabin. His tour group was scheduled to arrive soon and he wanted her inside before the helicopter landed. She was a beautiful grey malamute who’d been with him for four years now. His only constant companion.

  He kissed the top of her head and offered her a chew. She grabbed it and went to sit in her bed, where she made short work of the treat before curling up and putting her nose on her back paws. Todd went back to making sure he had their supplies equally distributed between the six backpacks. He had a company president with four of his VPs coming for two weeks in the wild to “bond.” Lord help him.

  He hated when the prissy city boys came. They were grumpy, unhappy, and generally tough to deal with. Not to mention it was the middle of the winter and there wasn’t going to be any relief from the cold. He wasn’t sure they really understood that. Toronto was way warmer than it was up here.

  Still, they brought in the cash, and that was important. And these guys were coming in early enough that they could start out after a quick meal of chili. He liked starting them off with a hot meal. He also liked starting them off sleeping rough—that way they didn’t bitch about the accommodations in the cabin. Somehow they always expected they’d be starting out from a luxury hotel or something.

  He shook his head. He would wait and see what this batch were like. Maybe they would surprise him. Smokey chuffed at him. “Yeah, I know. But we can hope, right?” At least they usually liked his dog.