“We can talk.”
“Maybe even pash a little bit.”
Nathan laughed. He remembered looking up that slang word during a restless night fantasizing about his boss, Farmer Tight-ass.
“We’ll see.”
A manager from the hotel bobbed and weaved between the sheep, nearly tripping over one of them. He came up to Liam, and Nathan couldn’t hear what was being said, but he got the idea.
Nathan ran downstairs and into the front driveway, where it was sheep central. One sheep had climbed onto the luggage cart. Two others were grazing at the flowerpots. The line of cars backed up into the street. And in the middle of the chaos was Liam, Liam who was currently being chewed out by management, Liam with his burly shoulders and bushy beard and eyes that twinkled in the light and ears that reddened when challenged by a posh Brit.
“If you don’t get these sheep out of here, I’m going to call the police,” the manager said to Liam.
“I can help,” Nathan said. “I have experience working with sheep.”
Liam’s face lit up with a pure warmth that melted Nathan. There was no way he could leave that face behind.
“He’s great with sheep,” Liam told the manager.
Nathan helped Liam shoo his flock of sheep into his truck parked on the street. He knew to handle them delicately so as not to scare them and start a stampede. Mark stopped traffic so the sheep could cross. This couldn’t have been the first sheep crossing in New Zealand. Waiting by the truck were Franny and Walt. Nathan had never been so happy to see them.
“We couldn’t let you leave without saying goodbye,” Franny said.
“Yeah. You’re family,” Walt said.
Nathan looked past them at Liam, who was herding the last sheep to the truck.
“Actually,” Nathan said. He glanced back at his hotel room. His dad watched from the window and gave him a loving head nod, full of the fatherly support Nathan had always craved.
“I think I’m going to stay a little bit longer,” Nathan said.
“Really?” Franny asked.
“Really,” Nathan said definitively.
He walked over to Liam, who shut the back door of his truck. “Can I talk to you a second?”
He had Liam walk a few steps away from the family so they could have alone time. The moon hung low over the ocean and its light sparkled on the water.
“Liam, I’m sorry—”
Liam grazed his fingers over Nathan’s mouth, then he replaced them with his mouth. That familiar beard brushed against his face. The kiss sent Nathan into the stratosphere. He doubted he would ever tire of those lips on his, or anywhere on his body.
“No more lies,” Nathan said.
“No more lies.” Liam kissed him again. “Wait. Was that a lie?”
“Only one way to find out.”
Epilogue
Liam
Baaaa.
Liam peeked out his face from under his pillow and opened one eye. Through the window, he could see it was still dark.
Baaaa.
