“Don’t you insult Tilly,” I joked.
“Tilly? After that chestnut mare of Mr. Ford’s that bit your ass?”
We exchanged grins. “That truck’s seat damned near did the same.”
Seth came up beside me, his eyes on Joe. “I owe you more than I can say, Mr. McNeil.”
“Joe, please. We’re casual here on this ranch.”
“Joe, then.” Seth held out his hand. “Austin’s not exaggerating when he says that truck saved him. And me. I was alone untilAustin came along in that dying Ford pickup and changed my life. You were more generous than ninety-nine percent of folks would be. If I can ever return the favor, just ask.”
Joe took Seth’s hand, slow and steady, and they shook. “Pay it forward,” Joe said. “That’s what I did. I looked at Frankie and I saw me, not that many years before. Young, gay, scared to death, needing a hand up. So someday, you and Austin can help some other queer kid stay on their feet when the world tries to knock ’em down.”
“We will,” Seth agreed.
The sound of tires on the gravel outside made Sylvester turn to a window. “New arrivals,” he told Joe. “I’ll get Nash to help me. You take your time.”
“Not now. We got a job to do.” Joe looked at me. “We’ll catch up proper sometime. Maybe you’ll come with me on my early morning ride and you can tell me what you’ve been up to for ten years.”
“I’d like that,” I told him.
“Right, then. Dinner’s in the main dining room at six. You’re in for a treat. Sylvester’s old hotel chef signed on to give us Michelin-star meals. The barn here’s open to guests, but don’t unlatch any stalls. Paddock over there has the donkey and the mini goats. Most guests have to stay outside the fence, but I don’t gotta worry about you two.”
“Mini goats? For real?” Seth asked and I laughed.
“Yeah. Escape artists, the lot of ’em, but the dudes love ’em. The donkey’s good for the coyotes, keeps the predators off the goats.”
I slung an arm around Seth, feeling that loose, frightened bit that’d rattled around inside me for so long coming to anchor at last. “We’ll check them out.”
“Right.” Joe took two steps toward the barn door, then paused. “You’re happy, Austin? For real? You made it through?”
“Took a few dings here and there, but yeah.” I leaned into Seth’s shoulder. “Happy as it’s possible for a man to be.”
“I’m glad.”
“And you?’ I asked. “Looks like you and Sylvester are together?”
“Yeah. We’re something good together. Ain’t put a name on it, but it’s real. Forever kind of real.”
“I’m glad,” I echoed.
“Me and a rich city slicker. Who’d have thought it, huh?” But already Joe’s attention was pulled to the barnyard, where Sylvester stood greeting a pair of middle-aged women and two pre-teen boys. “Gotta go. Sylvester needs me. I’ll catch you at dinner.” He jogged out the door and up to the group of guests by the shiny SUV.
Seth hugged me close as we gazed out the window together. “I’m glad we came.”
“Me too.” I pulled him down for a quick kiss. “Thank you.”
A young man strode in the back door of the barn and we jumped apart, but he just waved at us and ducked through the door labeled, “Feed.”
“I guess they’re used to PDAs at a place like this,” Seth suggested.
“I guess.” To tease him, I said, “I bet Joe and Sylvester are pretty damned hot together. Sylvester’s got a great ass in those jeans, for a middle-aged guy.”
“Sylvester.” Seth pushed me against the wall. “Want to bet I can get you so worked up you can’t remember how to pronounce the guy’s name?”
I laughed under his kiss. “I’d love to see you try. Maybe in our room. That bed’s bigger than ours at home, and the en-suite bathrooms looked fancy on the website. A shower’s calling my name. Well, our names.”
“I can get behind that.” Seth grabbed my ass and squeezed.
