BRANTLEY WOKE UP LIKE HE DID EVERYday. He made his way to the bathroom, took care of business, then pulled on shorts, T-shirt, and shoes, and headed out with Tesha for their morning run.
His pace was for shit today, and he knew it had to do with the fact he’d tossed and turned for most of the night. Evidently, it wasn’t enough for him to know Reese was in Coyote Ridge. He wanted the blasted man under the same roof even if he wasn’t ready to forgive him yet.
He managed six miles before giving up the ghost and heading back to the house. He was unhooking Tesha’s harness when he heard tires on gravel, then turned to see Reese’s truck pulling down the drive.
“You think we should go easy on him, girl?” he asked the dog.
She didn’t answer. Then again, she never gave him advice, but he appreciated the fact she listened to his endless bullshit anyway.
He didn’t wait for Reese, rather going inside and grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. He added more water to Tesha’s bowl after she gulped down most of it before flopping in a heap on the floor. He was putting the water pitcher back in the fridge when the screen door opened. Footsteps sounded.
Brantley tipped his bottle to his lips, turned to see Reese stepping into the kitchen.
“Ouch,” Brantley said aloud. “You look like hell.”
“So I’ve heard.”
Brantley didn’t feel sorry for Reese. Or rather, he didn’twantto feel sorry for the man, but Reese didn’t make it easy. Considering all the times Reese had taken care of him when he’d suffered a migraine, it wasn’t easy to pretend he didn’t care. Even if the devil sitting on his shoulder told him now would be the perfect time to turn on some music and blast it through the house.
“You need somethin’ for it?” Brantley asked.
“Took somethin’ already. I wouldn’t say no to coffee, though.”
Brantley pointed the bottle toward the coffee maker. “Have at it.”
Reese watched him for a moment, then headed for the cabinet, pulling out the coffee and starting a pot.
Brantley stepped back out of the way, tossed his empty bottle in the recycle bin, then leaned against the island and crossed his arms over his chest. When Reese turned around, Brantley asked, “You back to pack your shit?”
Reese’s expression softened. “If that’s what you want me to do.”
Brantley frowned. “It ain’t about what I want,” he said hotly. “It’sneverbeen about what I want, obviously.”
“That’s not true,” Reese countered.
“No?” Brantley felt his ire rising, the pain he’d suffered these past six months returning with a vengeance. “If I recall, I’m the one who was makin’ an effort. And you were the one runnin’ toward the ex-girlfriend.”
Reese’s mouth opened, closed. It was apparent he wanted to say something, but he held it in.
And then there they were, staring at one another while the coffee maker hissed and gurgled. Brantley’s breaths had grown labored; his heart was pounding as he fought the urge to punch something.
Reese spoke first. “I know it means nothin’, but I am sorry. If I could take it all back, I would.”
Of course he would. Hindsight was always twenty-twenty.
Brantley held Reese’s gaze, not even sure what he wanted from the man.
“Can we start over?” Reese asked.
Brantley’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “Start over? As in what? You want me to court you again? To have you turn tail and hide when someone looks at you funny?”
“It’s not like that anymore,” Reese declared.
“Oh, fuck that shit,” Brantley grunted, dropping his arms and turning away from him. “What the fuck does that even mean? You’ve missed me so much that you’re suddenly willin’ to go on a date? Out in public? You won’t freak the fuck out like you did before?”
Brantley recalled all the times he’d sucked it up, making excuses for why Reese wasn’t willing to date him like a normal couple. He’d forgiven him too easily, passed it off as confusion because Reese had never been with a man before Brantley.
No fucking thank you. He was not putting himself through that again. Although he’d abided by the military’sdon’t ask, don’t tellpolicy even after it was repealed, he’d kept his sexual orientation on the DL, hidden from his teammates because it made things simpler for him. However, Brantley had never been in the closet. He had a family who had always supported him, raised him to be who he wanted to be, so he’d never felt the need to hide. Then Reese had walked into his life, and he’d regressed, doing what was necessary to ensure Reese felt comfortable around him.
