Garrett shook his head. “Go take your wife to dinner.”
“I’ve never seen you play this hard to get.” Gavin chuckled. “Guess you’re not as easy as I thought.”
Rebecca walked in and turned around slowly as Gavin let out a low whistle. He glanced back at Garrett. “I’d love to stay here and solve your problems, but the faster I get her out, the faster I can get back and get her out of that dress.”
Rebecca laughed. “I’ll eat fast.”
“You sure we can’t grab drive-through somewhere?”
Garrett wiggled the finger Ryder’s tiny fingers were curled around. “Don’t worry, little man. I’ll teach you better manners than your daddy ever learned.”
Rebecca started rattling off instructions for the kids and Garrett waved her out. “We’ll be fine. Trust me, I’m better at this than your husband is.”
Gavin grinned. “Yeah, but she’ll call you every fifteen minutes anyway. We won’t be gone long. Savannah’s picking out a movie for you to watch with her.”
They left and Garrett made his way to the family room to find his niece. As much as he loved living at the ranch and being close to the kids, he’d been thinking more and more about finding his own place.
Lately, he’d spent every night at Clayton’s and the urge to make his own home with his own family nagged at him stronger than it ever had before. He toyed with the idea of buying a house and asking Clayton to move in with him. But Clayton had just settled into his new place. He’d have to be patient and hope like the devil Clayton wanted to rush this relationship to the next level as much as he did.
Chapter 10
Clayton stepped off the plane in Los Angeles, his second home, and made his way through the crowds headed to baggage claim. He shifted his carry-on over his shoulder and hurried outside to grab one of the waiting cabs. Settled into the back of the taxi, he texted Garrett a quick, “On the ground, miss you already.”
It had been so long since he felt this way about a man. He wanted to sing it from the rooftops.
Forty-five minutes later, the cab driver pulled up in front of the corporate offices of Rhinestone Outfitters, the rodeo apparel company that had been in his family for two generations. His father, president of the board, had called him in for a talk prior to the annual board meeting. There were some changes being made to the corporate operations and he said he wanted to discuss them privately. This wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Business was business, but family always came first. His father wouldn’t spring anything big on him in a room full of people.
Clayton paid his cab fare and pushed open the door to the offices, a massive slab of distressed wood and elaborate ironwork with the company logo carved in the center.
He nodded to the receptionist and made his way to his father’s office, which took up half the top floor.
His mother got up from a chair in front of the desk and greeted him with her usual hug. She toyed with a short curl in front of her ear, the way she always did when she was nervous.
“Son!” His father’s booming voice filled the room. Samuel Lawrence stood and held his arms open. His huge frame matched his voice and his heart.
Clayton hugged his father and took a seat next to his mother.
“We’ve made some big decisions, son. Let’s get straight to it.”
His mother reached over to pat his forearm. An uneasy feeling instantly settled in his gut.
His father cleared his throat and rocked back in his big leather chair. “Rodeo people love tradition and Rhinestone Outfitters has always had a reputation for being a family run company.”
“Is the company in trouble?” Clayton asked. He’d never had much interest in taking the reins of the family business, but he was ready to pull his weight whenever and however his parents needed him to.
“Trouble? No. Your mother and I have decided to retire,” his father said. “We’d like you to come to work full-time for the next year, familiarize yourself with all the vendors. It’s more of a figurehead position than anything, but your input will be taken seriously and you’ll have the final decision on monies spent.”
Clayton’s head spun. Full-time? He’d worked at his parents’ company in one minor capacity or another since he was sixteen years old. But his career path was theater, not rodeo fashion. And now more than ever, his home was in Wyoming, not Los Angeles.
Clayton turned to his mother with what must have seemed like a plea for help.
She patted his arm again. “You can still do theater, dear. This is L.A. If you can find places to act in Wyoming, you can certainly find your fill of it here.”
“And if I don’t want to do this?”
His mother glanced toward his father and then straightened the hem of her rhinestone-studded skirt.
“We’ve gotten an offer. We could sell.” His father’s voice held the tone Clayton recognized too well. Disguised disappointment. He sounded the same way when Clayton mentioned a boyfriend or his mother mentioned the wedding of another friend’s child. Family and tradition were ingrained in his father’s DNA, something Clayton hadn’t come close to giving him yet.
If he turned down this offer, his parents would lose another dream they had built around him.
“When do I need to let you know?”
“The board meets next week. We thought we’d make our announcement then.”
His mother smiled at him. “You’ll make the right decision,” she said. “You always do.”
“Follow me around for the next couple of days.” His father stood and came around the desk. “It’ll give you a better idea of what you’re getting into.”
He felt his whole world start to slide away from him, like he was thirteen again and they’d announced they were moving the family from Wyoming out to Los Angeles so they could expand the business. He was a man now. Perfectly able to decline this offer, to live his life the way he chose. But the future of the business his grandfather had built from the ground up and his father had taken to the top of the cowboy fashion world rested on his decision.
Chapter 11
Clayton boarded the plane back to Wyoming more conflicted than he’d ever been. Garrett never left his mind, and despite the weight and guilt tied to his parents’ proposal, his heart soared with the giddiness of new love. His whole outlook was fogged by the anticipation of getting back to Wyoming and the man he was falling head over heels for.
He settled into his seat and sent another text. “Dinner tonight?”
Garrett responded with an almost instant. “Love to.”
Clayton’s heart gave a little flip. The word “love” jumped off the screen of his phone and struck his chest like an entire quiver of Cupid’s arrows. He had it bad. And it felt so good.
“Pick you up at 5:30. Missed you.” He pressed send and turned the phone off before he put any more of his heart on the line.
The rest of the plane ride was pure hell. His mind wandered every which way it shouldn’t. Garrett’s last relationship had been long-distance. What if he wasn’t willing to go through that kind of challenge again?
Clayton searched for the most logical solution, one that would allow him to take care of business and the man he’d fallen in love with.
He’d keep his house in Wyoming. Maybe he could even work from home enough that the strain on the relationship wouldn’t tear them apart.
He’d have to quit the ranch, but that would just make things easier for them. No more hiding what they had, slipping around town and eating dinners in so no one would see them together.
The knot of tension between his shoulders loosened a little. He’d find a way to make it work. Garrett was worth it. They didn’t play games with one another. He didn’t worry about Garrett having a wandering eye or, worse, a roaming dick. Something big was building between them. The once in a lifetime kind of big. Tingly warmth spread through him. He had it bad all right. He wasn’t falling in love with Garrett. He’d already taken the plunge and now floated deep in the abyss of mind-
bending, body tingling bliss.
A smile spread across his face. He loved Garrett Carter. Loved him with everything he had. Loved him enough to take the next step, as big a step as Garrett wanted to take. Living together. Marriage. Family. It was all in the cards. And tonight he’d lay it on the table. Show his hand and see how much Garrett was willing to wager on what they had together.
As soon as the captain approved the use of cell phones, he dialed information and made reservations at the most romantic restaurant within an hour’s drive of the ranch and requested a table outside overlooking the lake. The cold air wouldn’t matter. He knew how to keep his man warm.
Before he made it out of the airport, he called the restaurant back and reserved a bottle of Garrett’s favorite wine. He hung up with a smile. His hands shook. Nerves had him by the balls, but he had no doubt he was ready. He would never find another man like Garrett. He didn’t want to waste another minute wondering if Garrett felt the same way. His heart swelled. He knew Garrett felt the same. He’d seen it in his eyes. Felt it in his touch. Heard it in the beat of his heart. They were made for one another.
Clayton eased back against the seat of the cab and let his mind drift as the driver navigated the winding country roads that led to his house. Tonight was the first night of the rest of his life. And nothing could ruin it.
Chapter 12
Garrett shut down his computer and straightened the files on his desk. He glanced at the clock on the wall and surrendered himself to the anticipation that had him in its clutches since he’d received Clayton’s text. The connection between them still had the intoxicating effect of new love. This was what he’d been waiting for. Clayton was the one. He had no doubt.
He’d always had a high-flung romantic notion that the right man would be the one who declared his love with some grand gesture or put more effort into romance than sex. He’d tried for years to find little ways to show his love for John and to lure John into the same habits. It hadn’t worked and ultimately he’d given up on that relationship. Distance didn’t help. Their jobs kept them apart more than either of them wanted. And now, with Clayton, every day felt like Valentine’s Day.
The clap of boots in the hall set Garrett’s chest on fire.
Clayton entered the room with a smile. “Hey, gorgeous.”
Garrett met him with a kiss, lingering just long enough on his lips to let the heat of their touch curl in his belly.
Clayton smiled. “More later?”
“A lot more.” Garrett guided him down the hall with a hand low on his back. Thoughts of later already swirled in his mind and Gavin’s drive-through suggestion clung to the tip of his tongue. “Maybe we can have an appetizer in the truck.”
Clayton brushed his hand over the front of Garrett’s jeans. “I am starving.”
The back door swung open. Gavin stepped in first, a suitcase in his hand and a devilish grin on his face.
“Surprise!” John said, moving from behind Gavin and throwing his arms around Garrett. “Oh, God, I’ve missed you, baby.”
Garrett stiffened, too stunned to push John away. “What are you doing here?” The familiar scent of John’s cologne hit him like a freight train. His heart had been working overtime to let go of this man, and Clayton had rooted out a strong spot for himself. But John’s ghost lingered. They’d been together too long to break cleanly.
John rubbed his hands up and down Garrett’s back. “Gavin said my notes had you ready to call in the FBI. They were supposed to be romantic.” He gave Garrett a quick kiss before stepping back. “I thought you’d love the whole secret admirer thing.” He held Garrett’s arm in a familiar grip. “The bedroom’s the only place I’ll ever have you figured out.”
Garrett’s stomach sank, but John didn’t notice. His laughter filled the hall, his personality always bigger than any room he was in.
“Rebecca’s making dinner for the four of us,” Gavin said. “So if you disappear, make sure you’re downstairs and ready to eat at six. Don’t keep my lady waiting.” He smiled at Clayton.
Garrett whipped around to see the cloud pass over Clayton’s eyes.
“Clayton, this is John,” Garrett said quickly.
John stuck his hand out and gave Clayton a warm smile. Garrett’s gut twisted. John had sent the notes. John had finally tried to give him what he needed. But it was too late.
“Clayton was just—”
“Leaving?” Clayton filled in for him.
Garrett swallowed hard. God, he hated scenes. He struggled for the words that would put everything right again, but before he found them, Clayton was gone and the door swung shut at his back.
Chapter 13
Clayton held the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip. Ahead on the horizon, an ominous dark cloud approached in the darkening sky. The storm rumbled, but the drumming of his heart drowned out the sound.
Heat pricked his armpits and jealousy ripped through him like a tornado. He had overreacted. He needed to turn around and go take his man to dinner like he planned.
He pushed a hand through his hair and swore, then pulled off the road and waited for traffic to clear so he could turn around. He wasn’t going to walk away and let some suit-wearing beefcake waltz right back in without a fight. He knew Garrett loved him. John’s arrival had been a surprise. Hell, he might’ve reacted the same way if Devon had swooped in looking hot and smothering him with kisses.
No.
He wouldn’t have.
He loved Garrett. Devon couldn’t have taken his mind off his man for a minute. He pressed the accelerator to the floor and headed back for the ranch. He’d send John back to where he came from if he had to throw him over his shoulder and load him on the plane himself.
The flash of blue against the windshield and the wail of a siren jerked his eyes to the dashboard. Dammit. Eighty and climbing in a fifty-five zone.
He pulled to the shoulder and waited for the officer to approach. In the rearview, Clayton recognized the man’s cocky swagger. Just what he fucking needed. Maybe if he just kept his mouth shut, Chet, the local Barney Fife clone, would write him a quick ticket and let him go.
He rolled down the window and reached for his license and registration.
“You know how fast you were going?”
“Not until you lit me up.” He handed the cop his paperwork while his thigh bounced on the seat. Every second Garrett spent with John killed a little piece of him.
Chet checked his ID, and then glanced at the barcode on his back window. The Fantasy Ranch logo was small, but easily visible.
Three years ago, Chet had been determined to shut down the ranch, convinced it was a brothel for women. The debacle he’d made of his investigation had gotten him demoted and put a very sweet lady in an uncomfortable situation. Clayton remembered her easily. She’d been his guest, and Chet was her nephew. The man was as unscrupulous as they came to use her the way he did.
Chet eyed his driver’s license with contempt. “Ain’t you figured out yet who you work for?”
Clayton held his tongue.
“Or are you just like them?” Pudgy fingers secured his license to the top of a clipboard. “How much do you get paid to sleep with those women?”
“I don’t sleep with women.” Clayton gave him an exaggerated wink and waggled his brow. The pig wouldn’t ever get that lucky, but he’d probably crap his pants thinking about it. And at least it shut him up.
Visibly shaken, Chet started to scribble out the information on the speeding ticket form. He didn’t make eye contact when he ripped off Clayton’s copy and shoved it to him with his license.
Clayton threw the ticket on the seat and pulled back onto the road while the officer stalked back to his car.
He had figured out who he was working for. He worked for a man who wasn’t over his ex. At least not over him enough. He pulled into the first driveway he came to and waited for the police cruiser to pass before he backed out and headed toward home.
He wasn’t going to
chase Garrett down. If Garrett loved him, he’d show up tonight with his tail between his legs and his horndog memories of John shoved somewhere deep in his back pocket.
If he didn’t show up...
Clayton winced and a sharp pain speared his chest. If he didn’t show up, it was better not to waste any more time falling for a man who wasn’t emotionally available.
Lord knows he’d learned that lesson.
His cell phone rang just as he pulled into his garage. His mother. He let the call go to voicemail. He didn’t need any subtle pressure to move to Los Angeles and step up to his position in the family company. She meant well, but right now rhinestone studded t-shirts and hand-tooled belts were the farthest things from his mind. He might have just lost the man he loved.
By midnight, Clayton had watched Devon fuck eight men. He still didn’t miss Garrett any less. And he hadn’t gotten desperate enough to call his ex.
He listened to his mother’s voicemail message. She’d found an apartment for him to look at. So much for subtlety. Acceptance sank in. Whether he nursed a broken heart in Los Angeles or Wyoming, it would hurt the same.
Chapter 14
“Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing Clayton?” Gavin propped his boots on the corner of the desk. “Hell, I’m not a mind reader.”
“I never even suspected John was behind the notes. Or that you were putting them on my desk.” Garrett pushed his hand through his hair. The morning sun burned his eyes. Bitter coffee clung to his tongue and sat like a rock in his stomach. “What was I thinking last night?” He could still see the hurt in Clayton’s eyes, and shame flooded him.
His reaction to John was more of a habit than an emotion. The spark wasn’t there anymore. Last night had proven that. Maybe it had never been there. If it had, it definitely didn’t to compare with what he’d had with Clayton.
Back at the Ranch Page 4