“Yes.” The response came with no hesitation as Galen arched his neck, his hair spilling on the white pillow. “Yes,” he said again, and his chin came down, his gaze on Bede’s mouth. Flicking up to his eyes, his own eyes darkening to gray smoke. “Yes, please,” he said. And then, again, “Yes.”
Chapter 32
Galen
The most glorious thing about Bede spending the night in his tent was that because it was Sunday, they could laze for a bit before getting up to go have breakfast. Sensibly, under the idea that the two of them could keep their relationship a secret, Bede got up to head back to his own tent.
Galen sensed a kiss on his cheek, that the sheet and light cotton blanket were drawn up over his shoulder. That the tent flaps were zipped shut. And then Galen could just drift back into sleep, sound and restful, the kind of sleep you might get when you knew there was nowhere for you to go or be. Or anything.
On Sunday, Galen tended to his laundry, and waved at Bede when he went to the mess tent for lunch.
They sat together. Of course they did.
Bede, who was glowing and flushed, had smiles for Galen and anyone he happened to talk to. But he was discrete. Didn’t say anything about anything, not even when he ran up to the buffet line and brought back extra mayo for Galen’s sandwich without being asked.
If Galen was being romanced with the purpose of getting back into his bed, er, cot, he was fine with that.
And then, that afternoon, they went to Galen’s tent and fooled around like two teenagers and school had just gotten out for the summer. Heavy make out sessions. Handjobs. Blowjobs.
This lasted until they were worn out, which was right before dinner, when Bede crawled off to get a shower, and Galen slept until dinner, and the two of them grinned at each other like loons. Galen had never been demure, by any means, but this was more fun than he’d had in years.
On Monday, he woke up alone and sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the cot.
It was back to reality. Back to work, because he had stuff to do to earn his keep.
He needed to gather his team and start on the task of raking the paddock and the nearby field. Then he needed to check fence lines and make repairs as needed. Maybe Bede could help him with that.
They spent the morning in the paddock, and though Toby complained about raking horse manure by hand, it was only one time, and though Owen complained about having to haul the manure away in a wheelbarrow, they both pulled together and did the work he asked of them.
Meanwhile, Galen and Bede walked along the fence line, which was barbless cable strung between treated wood fence posts.
In the wintertime, the cable would draw tight in a freeze, and not need tightening. But in the summer, the metal warmed up enough to sag between the poles, and a hot day was the perfect time to tighten them.
Galen made a mental note of where the cable sagged, and how many tension hooks they’d need.
“We can work on this project this afternoon,” he said to Bede, almost absentmindedly. He was so comfortable with Bede now,it was like working with a friend, and his orders were more like suggestions.
The sun was straight overhead by the time he figured they needed to head to the mess tent and get some lunch, but Bede stopped him, dragging him between the cables to the shade that was on the path right next to the lake.
He’d had enough of work, it seemed, and pulled Galen close and took his cowboy hat off to lie gently in the grass.
Bede’s own hat fell off as he kissed Galen, unnoticed as he clasped Galen’s head, twining his fingers through Galen’s hair as if he meant to soak Galen in with every touch.
“Someone will see,” said Galen, mumbling, his mouth moving against Bede’s mouth.
“Who gives a fuck,” said Bede, his voice as breathy as if he were reciting poetry.
The idea of Bede reciting poetry, let alone reading any, made the laughter bubble up inside of him, and when Bede asked, he shook his head and clasped Bede’s hands in his own.
“I’m sure we’ll finish early today,” he said, and then turned his expression into puzzlement. “I wonder what might occupy my time work is done today. I wonder, I wonder.”
Bede kissed him again and scooped up the hats, carefully placing Galen’s on his head, not forgetting to tip the brim in a jaunty way.
“I’m sure we’ll think of something,” he said as he put his own hat on, but in a foolish way, tipped to the back of his head in a way he might if he were a new greenhorn of a cowboy. Then, just for the flavor of it, he drawled, “Shucks, I have no idea!”
“You’re a riot,” said Galen, but his smile felt like it went all the way through him. “Let’s break for lunch. And then after, we shall see what we shall see.”
It was easy to gather his team as the day was stiflingly still, too hot to do much more. At lunch, Galen rehearsed in his mindhow he would propose a short trip that did not include Toby and Owen, but would consist of him and Bede. And then scolded himself for excluding half his team.
