The lamp was lit, and Luke was in bed when Sam entered the shanty. He was stripped off and lying on his side, though by the way he shifted when Sam walked in, he knew Luke was awake. “Did you eat supper? I’m sorry I wasn’t here to make it.”
“I didn’t starve before I met you, and I won’t starve without you.”
“That’s reassuring,” Sam said, but it hurt.
“Why did you go out again?” Luke asked.
“I took the family some food and that furniture of mine we stored in the barn. They had nothing to sit or sleep on.”
“You’ll be giving them my quilt next.” Luke turned his back. “Put out the lamp.”
“As soon as I’m ready for bed.”
In minutes Sam was naked and brushing his teeth. He splashed his face and upper body with cool water from the bucket and then threw the bolt on the door. On his way to bed he snuffed out the lamp. The moment he was in bed, Luke pushed him onto his belly and climbed on his back, entering him so swiftly he hardly had time to breathe. It was a hard fucking with no pleasure in it for Sam, but he did not protest. Luke was angry. He needed some relief, and if he wanted to take it this way, Sam didn’t object. When he was done, Luke turned his back and went to sleep.
Chapter Thirteen
Angry and scared were just a couple of the words that came to mind as Luke hammered fence post after fence post into the ground. The day was bright and breezy, perfect for building a corral for the animals.
It was hard for him to admit when he was scared, even to himself. He was a man who got on with life no matter what it threw at him. But why would he meet Sam and fall so deeply in love with him, only to lose him? Surely that couldn’t be fair.
When he saw Sam walking through the long grass toward him carrying a basket, he turned his back to lay in the cross sections of the fence.
He’d said barely a word to Sam at breakfast, just yes and no, ignoring his pleas to talk. It was a childish way to behave, but when he was angry, he didn’t know what else to do. He had never been the kind of man who talked over his problems. For one thing, there’d never been anyone to talk about them with.
“It’s a good day for working outside. Not too hot,” Sam said.
Luke dropped another cross section into the fence but said nothing.
“For God’s sake, Luke, you can’t not talk to me forever.” Sam put the basket on the grass.
“I can do anything I want.” Luke threw the hammer on the ground, aware even as he did it that he sounded—and probably looked—like an ill-behaved child. He turned to look at Sam, who stood with his hands on his hips.
“You must be hungry. I brought a picnic. Bad-tempered old grouch!” Sam had taken a few steps away when Luke grabbed him by the shoulder, forcing him to turn around.
If he held in his anger, which he had a tendency to do, it all burst out at once when he was pushed, like a snow-laden tree where one more flake is enough to make it unload its burden. “You idiot! You didn’t think you needed to tell me you gave up your claim? We agreed you wouldn’t do it till winter when it would be too late for anyone to take it up till next spring. What the hell were you thinking?”
Sam shrugged. “I should have told you, but I didn’t want to hang on to it in case someone needed it, and that family obviously did need it. You saw them.”
“Sure, they did, but what about us? We have to protect ourselves.”
“I didn’t think it would matter. I’m sorry.”
“So you lied to me because you didn’t think I’d find out? That makes it fine, does it? That’s what you think of me? Tell him anything to keep him quiet in the moment and then do what you want.”
“It wasn’t like that, Luke. I didn’t lie. I just did something you told me not to do yet. Sorry I disobeyed you, but I was taught to think for myself, especially when it comes to helping others.”
Frustrated that Sam didn’t seem to understand how much he’d hurt him, Luke said, “How can I trust you if you don’t do what’s best for us? Do you care if we have a future, or are you just playing house? Something to entertain you till you move on.”
“No!” Sam burst out. “How could you think that? I’m sorry.” Sam reached for him, but Luke was in no mood to be placated.
“And since when were you Santa Claus, doling out houses and barns and furniture? How come you bought that expensive butter churn when a dasher churn would have worked just fine? You have to think ahead when you farm. One crop failure and you have no money for the winter or next year’s seed. You have to be cautious. You have to save.” He didn’t even care about the butter churn. In the scheme of things it wasn’t that important. He was angry that Sam had acted alone instead of them making the decision together, as a couple, and he wasn’t ready to give it up.
“I’ll take it back and buy a cheaper one,” Sam shouted. “Happy? I won’t make a move without asking you since you’ve designated yourself the boss between us.”
“Someone has to be the boss since you’re an idiot. And yes. I think you should take it back, especially since we’re sharing our money now. What were you thinking buying such fancy furniture to put in a claim shanty, even if it was secondhand? You act like some rich boy.”
“Oh, shut up!” Sam yelled. “Sometimes your grouchiness is adorable. Other times it’s just annoying.”
With the full force of his strong shoulders, Luke slapped him across the cheek. “Don’t you talk to me like that. I’ll tan your goddamned hide for you.”
Shocked by the slap, Sam gaped at him as his cheek flooded scarlet. For a long moment they stared at each other until Sam walked away. “Eat your dinner. I made potato salad. It’ll spoil if you don’t eat it right away,” he said without looking back.
Luke sank down into the grass, watching Sam’s straight, proud back as he strode off. Maybe it would be better for both of them if Sam left. At least they wouldn’t be in danger from men like Morley—and Sam wouldn’t be in danger from a bully like him. In the basket there was enough food for two. Obviously he’d thought a picnic might make Luke feel better, but he was so angry at being lied to that nothing could improve his mood.
Then I had to go and hit him like some common street fighter.
Getting up, Luke picked up the basket and walked back under the big prairie sky toward their little house. He was never a man who found it easy to apologize, especially when he felt himself wronged. Sam had gone behind his back, made him look stupid, and lied. No. He wasn’t about to forgive him, but he had to talk to him about that slap.
A splash of pink caught his eye, and he remembered Sam telling him he would pick wild columbines and black-eyed Susans and bring them to him. Putting the basket down, he looked at the flowers. Then, glancing around as though he were about to be caught acting unmanly, he picked a posy of the delicate pink blossoms. Before he reached the shanty, he spotted bright yellow-petaled flowers with velvety black centers and stopped briefly to add a handful to the posy.
Nearing the shanty, he saw Sam in the vegetable garden pulling weeds from between the rows of tomatoes. Luke stood quietly watching as Sam, his lithe, slender body so strong and agile, bent to pull up weeds and stuff them into the bag hanging around his waist. When he straightened, he looked so tall and handsome, his dark blond hair shining golden in the sun.
Handsome man. I’m so lucky.
“Sam,” he called out.
Sam walked toward him. His cheek was still red, and Luke could see his finger marks imprinted there.
Luke held out the posy. He dipped his chin to his chest but maintained eye contact, ashamed of what he’d done. “Sorry I slapped you. But don’t think I’m not still mad that you went behind my back to give up your claim.”
Sam ignored the posy. “I should have told you, but that doesn’t mean you can hit me.”
“I know.”
“Don’t you do that again,” Sam told him.
“I won’t. I’ve got a bad temper.”
“You certainly have,” Sam agreed
. “I still love you, though.”
“How about I forgive you and you forgive me?” Luke asked.
“All right. It’s a deal.” Sam took the posy and raised it to his nose. “No perfume, but it smells like you, fresh like the prairie air.” He leaned forward to kiss Luke, who pushed him away, but gently.
“Indoors,” Luke said.
Inside the shanty, Luke put the basket on the table and closed the door. He waited while Sam put the posy in the pickle jar with some water and set it in the middle of the table, and then pulled Sam into his arms. “I shouldn’t have hit you. I’m not that kind of man. I’ve been in a few fights in my time. Lots if I’m honest. But…” He was stuck for words. “Sorry. I’m just…a fool.”
“Oh, shut up!” Sam stopped Luke’s blathering with a kiss. “What do you want first, dinner or bed?”
“Bed,” Luke said quietly and began to strip off his clothes.
Fussing with the flowers again, Sam said, “That looks pretty. No man ever brought me flowers before.”
Luke was already naked, sitting on the bed, watching Sam as he started to undress. When Sam realized Luke was watching him, he slowed and adopted a coquettish expression until Luke laughed. “You look like a woman in a brothel teasing the men.”
Sam laughed, swinging his shirt around his head, and then let it fly across the room. Leaving his clothes on the floor, he joined Luke, and they lay on top of Grandma’s quilt, holding each other, legs entwined.
“You taste like the outdoors,” Sam said, licking Luke’s neck.
Luke pushed Sam’s shoulders down on the bed and rolled on top of him. He closed his mouth over Sam’s, forcing his tongue deep inside. Sam went completely still, allowing his mouth to be fucked by Luke’s tongue. After a minute or two he pushed Luke’s shoulders. Alert to Sam’s needs, Luke pulled back to look down at him. “What do you want?” he asked gently.
“I want to fuck you.” Sam spoke quietly, seeming unsure if he was offending Luke. “But I don’t want to do anything you don’t want.”
The insecurity in Sam’s beautiful young face warmed a place deep inside Luke that he didn’t know existed until that moment. His love for Sam was so intense it hurt.
How can I protect you now the town knows we live together? Now they know you gave up your claim to move into a shanty with another man. I’m older and harder. They’ll blame me, which is fine. I can handle it, but I can’t bear the thought of anyone hurting you.
“What is it, darling man?” Sam asked. “Are you mad at me for asking?” With one hand, he stroked Luke’s face tenderly.
Luke took Sam’s hand and kissed his palm. “No, I’m not mad at you.” Taking a deep breath, Luke rolled off Sam’s body and onto his belly. “I’m ready.”
With the men he’d known on the farms and in the mines, Luke had fucked them, never allowing himself to be taken. He had rubbed their cocks till they spent, or sometimes sucked them, but never had he allowed any man but Holland to fuck him. He had given himself so freely to Holland, declaring his love and offering his body, thinking that Holland returned his trust and love. He didn’t—but Sam did.
Luke closed his eyes and felt Sam’s cheek rest on his shoulder, Sam’s warm breath feathering his back. He squeezed his buttocks tight when Sam’s hand began to stroke his ass, tracing the crack with one finger. “You’ve got a hairy ass,” Sam said.
“You like it?” Luke asked.
“Yes. I love it.” Sam leaned down, dropping tantalizing kisses over Luke’s buttocks.
Each kiss and the feel of Sam’s breath against his ass made Luke’s cock thicken. He was so aroused that he wanted to be fucked. After his initial fear, he wanted to feel Sam’s cock inside him. “Do it. You’re driving me mad.”
Sam shoved Luke’s thighs apart and got between them. He looked over his shoulder to see Sam spitting into his palm and then rubbing it on his cock. Sam looked up, catching Luke’s gaze, and smiled.
Luke closed his eyes again and waited, consciously releasing all the tension in his muscles. First he felt the tip of Sam’s cock pressed against his hole. Sam’s hands were braced on the bed on either side of his hips. Then, slowly, deliberately, Sam eased his cock inside Luke a fraction of an inch at a time. Pleasure shot up Luke’s ass, blossoming in his belly and thighs like ivy unfurling and spreading, taking over everything around it. He pushed himself up on his elbows, his head hanging down.
At first Sam fucked him unhurriedly, easing in and out. Then he sped up, pulling out and plunging in hard. The harder Sam fucked, the higher Luke’s pleasure rose. The sense of vulnerability that had made him say no to Sam the first time, and no to so many other men, was gone, leaving him open to Sam’s love.
Pressed between his belly and the bed, Luke’s cock rubbed against the quilt, searing the tender skin. Just as he felt Sam go still, his own cock pulsed harder, pumping out his fluids while thundering climax overwhelmed him. Behind him Sam suddenly thrust fast and furiously, pounding his hips against Luke’s buttocks before he collapsed on top of him, biting and kissing his shoulders.
Lying flat on the bed now with Sam on top of him, still embedded deep within him, Luke felt more content than he had ever felt in his life. Why couldn’t it be like this forever? Luke and Sam, safe on their land, protected from the world, self-sufficient and in love.
“I love you so much, boy.”
Sam pulled out slowly and rolled off Luke’s back. He lay beside him, smiling. “I love you too. You’re my man, forever and always.”
Luke pulled Sam into his arms, holding him tightly. “We’ll be good together. I’ll take care of you. But you can’t ever keep stuff to yourself. You tell me everything. Understood?”
“Understood,” Sam agreed. “Now…do you want your potato salad?”
“Yes. I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving,” Sam teased.
“And then I have a fence to finish, and you can help me. Do you know how to build a fence?”
“No, but I’m always ready to learn.”
Still naked, Sam set the table and served the dinner while Luke watched him from the bed, smiling.
Everything will work out.
Chapter Fourteen
“You sure this is a good idea?” Luke asked.
Sam looked up from the dry sink where he was washing himself. “I’m going to help bless the church. Why isn’t that a good idea?”
“You know why. Because by now every man in town will know we’re living together and that you gave up your claim to move into a shanty with a man ten years older than you. A man like me.”
Sam smiled, but he had to force it. “A man like you? Strong and handsome and capable.” He hated it when Luke looked nervous. Luke was a man who could handle anything. If Luke was nervous, Sam knew there was good reason to be scared, and he was scared, but he would not let it keep him from church.
Luke sat at the table finishing his coffee. “Yeah, a man like me. Rough, common, who arrived in town with his eyes still black from a brawl. They’ll think I led you astray.”
Sam dried himself on a clean towel. “I seem to remember it was me who made the first move.” He was trying to lighten the moment, but nothing would dissuade Luke from his concerns. Sam strode over and leaned down to kiss him gently on the mouth. “Everything will be fine. We have to be able to go into town. Sometimes there’ll be things we need that you can’t make, even though you’re so clever and you can do just about anything.” He kissed Luke again. “I love you, my darling man.”
Refusing to be placated, Luke stood and began to stack the dishes. “What have I told you about calling me stupid names?”
“That’s an order I’m not going to obey. Leave the dishes; I’ll do them in a minute,” Sam told him. “I’ve got time, sweetheart.” He walked over to the cedar chest to take out a clean shirt.
Sounding irritated, Luke said, “I can wash a couple of plates and mugs. Are you finished sprucing yourself up?” He didn’t wait for an answer but got the
pot of hot water from the stove and filled the sink.
As he buttoned his shirt and tucked it in neatly, Sam watched Luke cleaning dishes and wiping the table. Luke didn’t do household chores often, but when he did, he did a good job.
“What should I do with the fat from the salt pork?”
“Pour it into the drippings jar on the shelf above the sink,” Sam said. “I’d better get going.”
Luke neither responded nor turned from his chore, but Sam knew he’d heard. When Luke was upset, he went silent. Sam walked over to kiss him on the cheek. Still he got no response.
It wasn’t until Sam was mounted on Pip and ready to ride into town that Luke came out of the shanty. “Be careful,” he said.
Sam rode over and leaned down to kiss him again. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
“I’ll be worried till I see you back here with no bruises.”
* * * *
The new church building held many more people than the schoolhouse, so all the children were expected to sit inside and behave during the service. Sam walked in quietly and stood at the back, alert to any unfriendliness. But the people in town knew him and Luke by now. They knew they were good men who worked hard and paid for everything they bought with cash. Maybe they were just sharing a farm, a couple of bachelors helping each other out. How could anyone know what they did in private? Luke was overly sensitive because of that incident in New York. At the same time, Sam had lived through the disaster of his parents finding out about him and Courtland, so he knew how mean and untrustworthy people could be.
The service had not yet started, and so a hum of conversation filled the church.
Near the front Linden Morley turned around. When he saw Sam, he waved him forward. As much as he would rather not sit with the Morleys and give them any encouragement, Sam was relieved things seemed normal. Sam nodded his thanks and walked down the narrow aisle. About halfway a booted foot stuck out, tripping him. He fell headlong on the wood floor and looked up to see the grinning face of a man he’d seen only once that he could recall, in the lumberyard when he’d bought wood for the shanty. The congregation fell silent.
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