Tohis surprise, Mack took a step forward, glancing around at the people stillleft in the parking lot. “I’m the one who’ll be pressing charges if you come onmy property again. You’re not welcome here.” Mack looked around at the men whohad come with Jimmy. “Your kind ain’t welcome here.”
“Ourkind? Don’t you mean the fags? They’re the ones who –”
Mackcut him off with a snarl. “No, I was very fucking clear the first time.” Withthat, Mack turned and stormed back toward the door.
SheriffEndsley, standing just a few feet away, glanced over to where Jimmy was stillpropped up against the truck and then over to Ethan. Then to Beau. Then over toCurtis. “What’s it take to get a beer around here?” he finally asked, deadpan.
Ethanbreathed a sigh of relief as the feeling in his fingers returned. He’d beenclutching his hands into fists for so long, he’d lost the feeling in his hands.
“Comingright up, Sheriff,” Mack called from just inside the open door.
Beforewalking inside, Ethan turned and made eye contact with Jimmy. He wanted toensure the man understood, he wasn’t putting up with his shit from here on out.He’d lost too many years of his life trying to protect those he loved fromhaving to interact with people like that. Jimmy Reardon was a bully. Always hadbeen. People had suffered, Jimmy’s own family included, by his actions.
Itlooked like Jimmy’s fortified wall of hostility was finally crumbling becausethe men around him didn’t seem to be all that interested in backing him up anylonger.
Butmore importantly, it looked like somewhere along the way, Ethan had gotten overhis fear.
Makinghis way over to Beau once they were back inside, he took a minute to check himout. And yes, Ethan touched his hands, his knuckles, the huge knot that hadformed on his temple.
Hewouldn’t lie, it wasn’t solely to make sure he was all right. He knew, by theway that Beau stood straight and tall, taking stock of Ethan’s injuries as well,that the man was just fine.
Ethandidn’t settle for just looking though. No, he touched Beau because hehadto. That connection he found with this man would always be what kept himgrounded. He knew without a doubt that he would heal with Beau’s help.
Lookingaround the room at his brothers, his cousins, and his father, for the firsttime in a long time, Ethan felt… relief? Yes, that had to be what he wasfeeling.
Itseemed that, in a matter of minutes, maybe an hour, all of the demons that hadbeen lingering in Ethan’s life had been addressed directly. Maybe not resolvedcompletely, but Ethan was stronger than he’d ever been, and it had nothing todo with physical power. No, he was stronger because Beau made him that way.Beau filled the empty space that had been eating at him, controlling his lifefor more years than he cared to admit.
Helooked at Beau and noticed he was still staring back at him.
No,Ethan wasn’t in a place where he wanted to show public affection, wasn’t surehe would ever be in that place, but as he studied Beau, he hoped he could seejust how much he loved him. Even without saying it or showing it, he knew ithad to be written all over his face.
Beauleaned over slightly, still keeping some distance between them. “Yeah, I know.”
Itwas Ethan’s turn to cock an eyebrow at his lover.
“Andthe feeling is completely mutual.”
Chapter Forty Two
??
“Doesit hurt?” Ethan asked, standing behind Beau.
“No.”
“Notat all?”
Beaulaughed, making Ethan smile.
“No.Why? Did you want it to?”
“Maybejust a little,” he teased Beau. “I like it.”
Timhanded Beau a mirror and Ethan took a step back, letting him get up from thetable so he could go check out his new tattoo for himself.
“Nice,”Beau said as he admired the ink that spanned the width of his back, standing infront of the floor length mirror on the wall.
NeverToo Late
