“Maybe not, but she’s not gay, either. You know as well as I do that it’s not easy to live out and proud. There is always gonna be someone who looks down at us, someone who’s disgusted. Unfortunately for Daniel, he’s feared that person would be his own mother.”
“Meredith wouldn’t do that,” Mack said. “Not to him.”
“There’s no guarantee, and Daniel couldn’t deal with that risk, so he set out on a different path. Probably lost sight of the big picture long ago.” Jeff picked up his fork, twirled it into his spaghetti. “Now eat because I could really use that shower.”
A smile formed on Mack’s face, and some of the tension escaped the air. They ate while Jeff told him about his night, how they’d been called out to Athena Jeffries’ house because she was insistent someone had broken in. She’d been right, but the cat burglar had literally been a cat, so all was safe in Coyote Ridge for one more night.
“Are you finished?” Mack asked when Jeff set his fork down.
“I’m done.”
“Good.” That wicked gleam came into Mack’s eyes when he stood and held his hand out. “I say we move this party to the shower.”
There was something to be said for making love in a shower. Warm water, soapy hands, and naked bodies tended to function rather well in that environment. The bamboo stool Jeff had acquired a couple of years ago had come in handy, too. Especially when Mack took a seat and proceeded to rock his world with his very skilled mouth. Of course, Jeff had to call a halt to it before he came, because he had something else in mind for the man he loved.
After drying them both, he led Mack into the bedroom, grabbed the lube from the nightstand drawer, and handed it over.
“Me?” Mack asked, eyes wide.
“Oh, did I not make myself clear?” Jeff teased, stepping in close and running his lips over Mack’s collarbone. “You’re gonna lube me up and ride me. Think you can handle that?”
For the next half hour, Mack proved just how much stamina they both still had.
Chapter Ten
Friday, January 31, 2020
“Why exactly are we spendin’ date nightat Moonshiners?” Kylie asked as Travis opened the door to the bar.
“To celebrate,” he said simply.
“Celebrate what?”
“Curious tonight, ain’t she?” Travis asked Gage.
Kylie stopped, causing Travis to nearly plow over her. She spun around and stared up at him, her finger poking in his chest. “Just so you know, you, Mr. Walker, are using up valuable time. Time we could be using to do other things.”
“What sort of other things?” he asked, sliding his hand under her hair and cupping the back of her neck.
“Well, I imagine they would involve me wearing less clothing.”
Travis let his gaze rake down her. The short black dress she wore revealed just enough to stimulate the imagination.
“I’m sure I could work around the dress if I need to,” he promised.
Kylie laughed, her blue eyes twinkling as she smacked his chest. He caught her hand, kissed her knuckles, then led her to a table near the door.
“So who summoned us tonight?” she asked, clearly not giving up. “Kaleb?”
“Nope.”
“Zane?”
“Nope.”
“Ethan?”
“Uh-uh.”
