Troy sure felt like he’d paled, though he didn’t know for certain. “I. Uh.” He rubbed his forehead and finished dressing. Once he did so, he realised Will and Carlos were still waiting for him to speak. Troy grimaced and scratched his shorn head. “I hadn’t thought about that,” he said truthfully. “Just figured we’d be together and fuck it all, you know? I didn’t even consider how other people would react.”
Will nodded, but Carlos only grunted, watching Troy closely before speaking. “That gonna be a problem, other people’s opinion of us?”
“You know it’s not,” Troy snapped, feeling peevish and petty because maybe it would be, a little, and he didn’t want it to be an issue. He just needed to find his backbone. Other people’s opinions really didn’t matter, he was just being a worry wart. Troy shook himself internally and stood up a little straighter. “It’s not,” he reiterated. “But I think we should hire ugly men with shitty personalities.”
Carlos’ eyes widened and Will laughed like a loon. Troy raised his hands up, palms out in an almost pleading gesture. “What? I’m just suggesting we not be swayed by pretty faces.”
And Carlos, who always seemed to know just when Troy was feeling insecure, pinned him in place with a dark stare. “You know you ain’t gotta worry about neither one of us screwing around. You’re all we want—me, Will, you. That’s it, that’s perfection.”
If Carlos had said it in any other way besides his usual, calm manner, Troy’s doubts might have lingered. But with Carlos so certain, and Will’s heart in his eyes, Troy wondered why he’d ever doubted them in the first place. “Same goes,” he said, a warm, comforting flow of love moving through him. “I’m okay with Will’s idea.”
Carlos didn’t speak right away, instead kissing first Will, then Troy, thoroughly before stepping back. “We’ll talk about it once we get to the ranch and see what’s what there. May be we don’t have any other choice. Montana ain’t the most tolerant place for us folks.”
“Neither is Texas,” Troy pointed out. But they’d had quite a few friends, in the long run. Now they’d have just each other. Troy hoped it would be enough if things got nasty. “I’m not trying to be a jerk. I want this to work.”
“This?” Will asked.
Troy resisted rolling his eyes, barely. “This, as in the ranching thing. I know we’ll work. I just kinda worry.” He tucked his hands into his front pockets and toed at the grass. “You know, like…like that news story about the gay couple whose barn and fields were set on fire? They lost everything except the ranch house. All their cattle and horses, and just ’cuz some dumbfuck bigots got a hateful hair up their ass. That’s the kind of thing I’m worried about.”
Carlos had his deep-thought expression in place, but Will was chattering almost instantly. “Yeah, well, we can put up security cameras and see, if we just hire people who definitely aren’t bigots, they won’t be likely to try to kill us. We don’t have to flaunt anything, but I don’t want us to discriminate against someone who might be more…” Will fluttered his hands in the air. “Stereotypical, I mean, yet still very capable of doing a good job.”
“Let’s not put the horse before the cart,” Carlos finally said, drawing both of their attention. “We’ll discuss this more, but right now I’d really just like to get to the ranch.”
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About the Author
A native Texan, Bailey spends her days spinning stories around in her head, which has contributed to more than one incident of tripping over her own feet. Evenings are reserved for pounding away at the keyboard, as are early morning hours. Sleep? Doesn’t happen much. Writing is too much fun, and there are too many characters bouncing about, tapping on Bailey's brain demanding to be let out.
Caffeine and chocolate are permanent fixtures in Bailey’s office and are never far from hand at any given time. Removing either of those necessities from Bailey’s presence can result in what is known as A Very, Very Scary Bailey and is not advised under any circumstances.
Bailey loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website details and author profile page at https://www.pride-publishing.com
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