“Aunt Millie is old school,” Alfie said with a shrug.
“I guess so,” Jamie murmured, but the knot in his chest didn’t loosen.
Daddy Spencer came over, looking apologetic. “Hey, I’m sorry. That was a little awkward. I’ll talk to her later about us.”
Jamie hesitated. “Does she know you’re gay?”
Daddy Spencer stroked his beard. “I don’t know. Maybe. She used to read about Black Shadows, and there was always gossip. But we’ve never talked about it. I’ve never brought anyone home.”
“Not even Billy?”
“Oh, never. My grandfather was still alive then. There was no way I could do that.”
“So… he didn’t know either?”
Daddy Spencer looked away. “I’m sure he knew. But we never discussed it.”
Jamie nodded slowly, trying to process it all. He wasn’t mad—just unsettled. He’d come here hoping to feel safe, seen, like he belonged. But now, standing in this beautiful house with its complicated history and crabby Aunt Millie, he wasn’t sure where he fit in yet.
Still, Daddy Spencer had brought him here. That had to mean something.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Spencer
Nathan caught Spencer just as he was heading toward the kitchen, hand on his phone, half-thinking about making phone calls and half-worrying about Jamie’s mood.
“Can we talk?” Nathan asked, voice low but firm. “Alone. In your study.”
Spencer nodded, heart already tightening. He led Nathan down the hall to the study—a room tucked behind the living room with heavy oak doors and a view of the snow-covered pasture. The space was warm, masculine, and lived-in, with dark leather chairs, a wide desk cluttered with veterinary journals and old notebooks. Framed photos of horses and Spencer with his grandfather hung on the walls. The scent of cedar lingered from the logs stacked nearby. It was the one room in the house that still felt like his grandfather’s and never Spencer’s.
Nathan didn’t sit. He stood near the desk, arms crossed, eyes serious. “You really messed up with Aunt Millie,” he said bluntly. “You should’ve prepared her. You should’ve told her about Jamie before he walked in.”
He rubbed his hand through his beard, a familiar comfort against his skin. “I know. I just… I didn’t know how.”
Nathan stepped closer. “If you want this relationship to work, you can’t hide him. Not from her. Not from the town. Show up for him. Can you do that?”
Spencer hesitated. His mind flashed back to California—open spaces and no one asking questions. He’d felt safer there. Always had. Not just physically, but emotionally. He could be himself without worrying about who was watching or whispering behind his back.
“I thought I could,” Spencer whispered. “Back in California, it felt possible. But here? I don’t know. I’m not sure how to do it.”
Nathan’s voice softened, but it didn’t lose its edge. “Did you see Jamie’s face when you didn’t tell Aunt Millie he was your boyfriend? He looked devastated, Spence. Like he’d been shoved back into a closet he didn’t ask to be in.”
Spencer closed his eyes for a second, the image hitting hard. Jamie stood there, trying to smile, trying to be polite while Aunt Millie looked at him like he was a stray. Spencer hadn’t said the words. He hadn’t claimed him. And Jamie had felt it.
“I don’t want to lose him,” Spencer said.
“Then don’t hide him,” Nathan replied. “You can’t keep him tucked away in this house like some stowaway, hoping Aunt Millie doesn’t notice. She’s here every day. And Jamie deserves better.”
Spencer nodded slowly, the pressure mounting in his chest. He was on overload, trying to balance the ranch and the expectations of a town still whispering about Black Shadows, and now the most important relationship of his life. But Nathan was right. Jamie wasn’t a secret. He was Spencer’s heart. And it was time to stop pretending that wasn’t true.
He looked out the window at the snow covering the pasture and made a silent promise: he’d figure it out. He’d find a way to be brave. For Jamie. For them.
For the first time, Aunt Millie didn’t stay for Christmas Eve dinner. Jamie looked relieved and to be honest Spencer was too. He could put off telling her who Jamie was. As they ate the ham dinner, Jamie refrained from joining in any conversation.
“Are we going to go riding tomorrow?” Nathan asked.
“Sure thing. You okay with that, Jamie?” Spencer asked.
