Peyton & Brag_City Boy

by Lynn Stark

“Honey,” Brag whispered, “we certainly seem to have something special together.”

  It was a statement Peyton could not argue with more.

  * * * *

  Peyton was wide awake long after Brag had fallen asleep. He had dozed off for a while, but for no more than twenty minutes. Taking care, he got out of bed, knowing from past experience that when he was in the mood to write, he couldn’t ignore it. That would mean leaving Brag and returning to his own house. Regret filled him, but he was wide awake and itching to write. If they were to have a future together, Brag needed to get used to his peculiar habits, one of which was to write at odd times during the day and night. He dressed, covered Brag with the blankets, and then leaned down to press a kiss to the man’s lips. He turned off the lights and headed out.

  The dogs were waiting at the back door as if they knew he would be awake to write. He let them out and went to make coffee. They returned quickly enough and sat there waiting patiently for him to toss them a treat. It was a ritual they had long since established. Peyton gave both dogs a good scratch as they leaned heavily against his legs, effectively pinning him to the cabinet.

  A smile pulled at his mouth. “Are you Daddy’s good puppies?” King sneezed but didn’t bark. Cupcake’s tongue licked his wrist. “Okay, go back to bed. Get some sleep.”

  He watched as they trotted off. Then he poured a tall cup of coffee and added cream and sugar to it. The aroma filled his nostrils as he made his way to his office. It wasn’t long before he was completely immersed in the story. Words flowed, filling the pages on the screen. He only took breaks to lean back and stretch his back or rest his eyes, taking appreciative sips of coffee as he did so.

  As he glanced away to allow his eyes to focus on something else, a movement near the window caught his attention. Peyton screamed like a girl and fell out of his chair as he saw the huge head mere inches away from the pane of glass. It was illuminated by the light from the lamp. Curious brown eyes studied him. There was an intelligence there he didn’t want to consider. The large brown bear seemed to be thinking about how he was going to get his next meal. It didn’t help when he licked the window with his long tongue and then lifted a paw to press against it. The length of his claws was both impressive and mesmerizing.

  The bear moved back, startled, when the dogs charged in and put themselves between Peyton and the window, barking like crazy. When King walked on him, Peyton scooted back and got shakily to his feet.

  “What the hell?” Brag’s appearance should have surprised him, too, but it didn’t. He was relieved the other man was there.

  “There’s a bear out there,” Peyton said shakily as he pointed unnecessarily. “He licked the window and looked at me like I was a steak.”

  “Well, I doubt he was thinking that. He probably smelled your coffee.”

  “But the windows are triple-paned, sealed, guaranteed to keep the cold out and the heat in, and the walls are insulated. Maybe I should get my money back?” He was babbling as he tried to regain his dignity.

  Brag chuckled and leaned toward him to give Peyton a kiss. “Honey, bears have noses that are a lot better than even a bloodhound. Don’t beat yourself up. I’ll go out to chase him off.”

  That was a horrifying idea to Peyton. He grabbed Brag’s forearm before he could walk more than a couple of feet. “No!” Realizing he’d shouted, he lowered his voice, “I don’t think it’s safe. It never turns out well in the movies. Stay here. Don’t go out until morning, when you can see.”

  His lover stared at him for a moment. “Okay, I’ll stay. But I’m making a call. The bear needs to learn he’s not welcome here.”

  “Who are you calling?” Peyton asked curiously as Brag pulled his phone from his pocket.

  “A husband and wife team who have the experience to reeducate the bear. Their methods might seem harsh, but it’s better than having to put the animal down if he becomes a danger to humans. They’ll find him and direct him back toward the preserve. Hopefully he’ll decide to stay there and avoid people.”

  Brag made his phone call and then they waited. With his writing put on hold, because, seriously, he couldn’t have found a thought worth committing to electronic paper, Peyton made more coffee and heated up the cinnamon rolls he had purchased extra of so he could freeze them.

  The best part of their impromptu breakfast was Brag pinning him against the counter and licking the icing off his lips. At least, that was Brag’s excuse.

  When he pulled back, he said in a husky voice, “Honey, you sure are sweet.”

  Peyton chuckled. “And you sure are corny. But I wouldn’t mind another kiss.”

  There was a knock on the door as Brag leaned in to satisfy his need for their lips being pressed together. They both groaned and stared at each other for a second.

  “Okay. It’s time to get rid of your bear. And I won’t tell anyone how you screamed like a girl.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s a moment I’m going to try hard to forget,” he shot back, feeling his face heat up. He followed Brag outside, curious to see what was about to happen. Life in Montana certainly had a lot of interesting moments.

  He shut the door firmly between the dogs and the great outdoors. They weren’t happy about it, but it was for their own good. They were brave, protective dogs, but he needed to keep them safe. Having them chase after a bear into the wilderness would likely not end well for them.

  By the time he reached the truck and trailer that had parked near the barn, two mules had been unloaded. They were already saddled and had bridles on their heads. The sturdy animals could go places a horse might have difficulty traversing, their surefootedness legendary.

  Brag introduced Peyton to Mac and Millie Benson. They were friendly and didn’t seem to mind being dragged out of their beds in the middle of the night. “No problem,” Millie told him when he commented on it. “We’re used to it.”

  “We sure are. I’m going to take Buck around the house to see if we can pick up the bear’s scent,” Mac said as he took a black and white dog from the front of the trailer. It was a Karelian bear dog, originally bred to hunt bears and likely well-trained for it, unlike his dogs. The Karelian bear dogs were fearless, which made them the perfect breed to teach bears that they weren’t welcome somewhere. “Everyone get ready for the noise.”

  The dogs remaining in the trailer were already excited, but after few moments they went nuts when Buck began barking. Millie let the other dogs out of the trailer but kept control of them with a simple command. Then she mounted her gray mule and rode toward the place they would meet up with her husband. The riderless mule followed without being told to do so. Peyton suspected the bear was on the move away from his house. It had already been startled by his dogs. This would reinforce his fear of human’s and where they lived. At least he hoped it worked. Brag seemed pretty confident, so he would go with that.

  “I’m going to go check on the horses,” Peyton told him as he walked around behind the trailer Max and Millie had brought. “Then, I think I’ll make another pot of coffee.”

  “Sounds like a plan I can live with.” Brag moved closer. “However, I had hoped to do some more cuddling with you. I missed you when I woke up. I figured you were writing. My plan was to sleep on the couch until you were ready to take a break. Then there was the scream. It was like something out of one of your books.”

  Peyton laughed and shook his head.

  The man knew all the right things to say. Brag was practically perfect, and Peyton could easily envision spending the rest of his life with him. Although he didn’t know if Brag considered a permanent relationship with him, he knew he would have to give it a lot of thought.

  It pissed him off that Roger made him second guess what he felt and what he wanted. Peyton’s father had told him that Roger was giving off bad vibes. His father butting into his relationship had been surprising. The older man respected Peyton’s ability to make the right choices. However, after being around Roger for several months, his father felt as
if he couldn’t keep what he suspected about Roger to himself. Oh, how Peyton wished he’d listened to his father. In the end, it had taken longer than either of them expected for Roger to show his true colors, and it had nearly cost Peyton his life.

  After finding the horses seemingly undisturbed by all the unusual activity, Peyton returned to the house and Brag went to his to see how the little Australian cattle dog was doing. The dog had decided to move in with Brag, showing back up at Brag’s time after time when Brag had taken him back to his family’s ranch.

  Peyton told Brag to bring Pee Wee back with him. Cupcake and King loved playing with the little dog. He walked his own dogs, keeping a close eye on them as he did so. They wanted to go off to investigate, but he kept them in check with a command. The dogs forgot all about new smells and bears when Pee Wee showed up. Peyton let them in the house and winced when the dogs shot through the house on a wild game of chase.

  “You know, you don’t have to let them do that,” Brag reminded him with a chuckle.

  Peyton shrugged. “What can they hurt? The house is big and they need to get rid of some energy. I don’t have a bear-proof fence for them to run around in. Until I have something out there, this will have to do when I can’t watch them.” He washed his hands and then went for the eggs and bacon. He put them on the counter beside the stove. “I’m still hungry. Two cinnamon rolls just didn’t do it for me.”

  As he turned around, he saw Brag washing up. Brag nodded. “It must be because of all the excitement from the hot sex and the bear. I wouldn’t mind something more in my stomach.”

  “There are potatoes in the pantry. If you want to get them, we can have home fries, too.”

  “That sounds good to me.”

  With all the work that needed to be done on his family’s ranch, Peyton knew Brag would burn off the calories. With summer heading to a close, it would snow soon, and there was always a lot that needed to be taken care of before the change in weather arrived.

  Brag sliced the potatoes and Peyton put the tray of bacon in the oven. He wasn’t surprised when the dogs stopped their play in order to come to the kitchen to stare pointedly at the oven. He shook his head and washed his hands again. Then he got each a treat, tossing them through the air and watching as they caught them skillfully.

  “How was your writing going before the bear arrived?” Brag asked.

  Peyton didn’t answer him right away. He frowned. “You know, I don’t remember.” He chuckled. “What I do know is, I’m calling over to the Paradise Lake Hotel to make an appointment to speak with Bart about the history of his hotel.”

  Brag nodded. “Bart will love that. There’s no one else around here who could tell you more. And he can tell you which parts of the hotel are the most haunted, although I heard it’s become more random, as well as more frequent, since the place was restored and guests began staying there.”

  “Interesting.” Excitement tingled through him. This was his kind of research for his books. Hell, with a place like the hotel, he might get more than one story out of it. “I’ll definitely be calling today.”

  “If you don’t mind me tagging along, let me know when the appointment is.” Brag moved close, once again pinning him against the counter. Peyton liked it. They stared at each other. Peyton saw a variety of emotions—desire and humor, but it was the hint of love that really interested him. “We can get a room.” He leaned in close, nuzzling the side of Peyton’s neck. “I hear that some of the ghosts like to make mischief when couples are getting romantic with each other.”

  It was Peyton’s turn to chuckle. “I’m all for getting romantic. Get your bag packed. We’ll make a weekend of it.”

  Before he pulled away, Brag kissed the tip of his nose. He winked. “Don’t forget to pack the lube. In the name of research, of course.”

  “Of course. I wonder if lube is tax deductible?”

  Chapter Eight

  The Paradise Lake Hotel was a magnificent structure, built during a time when the wealthy and royalty from around the world wanted a place where they could ‘rough it’ without losing any of the luxury and services they were accustomed to. Now it catered to a wide variety of people.

  Brag and two of his brothers had made extra money during the restoration by working for one of the construction crews. He had been impressed by the sheer size then, as he was now as they drove toward it. Peyton whistled as he took in the sprawling building.

  “The photos certainly don’t do it justice,” he commented. “It’s magnificent.”

  “It is. And it’s Bart’s baby. He loves to share what he knows.” His gaze fixed on the small, bent figure using a walker to get around. He stopped at the top step in front of the huge entrance doors. The veranda, which ran the length of the building, had been built the past year. The original had been torn off when it had become too rickety to be safe and hadn’t been part of the building for more than fifty years. After some debate by the owners, they had decided to add the large veranda as it appeared in photographs of when the hotel had been built. “And there’s Bart. He’s come out to greet you.”

  Bart was wearing his best high-top tennis shoes and what appeared to be new blue jeans. He was also wearing an orange-and-white striped polo shirt and a neon green baseball cap.

  “Amazing! He’s really a hundred and ten?”

  “Yes. His birthday parties have become legendary. I’ve attended a couple of them.”

  “I can imagine they’re probably amazing.”

  “Amazing is when his family shows up. There are hundreds of them. You’ll see photos from past parties and reunions. I can’t wait to see the expression on your face when you do. Do you know how to play video games?”

  “I’ve some experience.”

  “Good. Bart does love playing video games, as well as the more traditional games like checkers, poker, gin rummy, and go fish. He’s known to challenge guests to play.”

  Valets quickly approached the truck and opened the doors for them. They got out and he walked around the truck. Bart was waiting with a big grin on his face, showing off the set of dentures he was so proud of. The rooms he’d lived in for nearly his entire life had been turned into a luxury apartment with every gadget and adjustment to make it easier for him to use. Because he said he was getting up in years, Bart had also accepted round the clock care.

  Brag was surprised by the strength in Bart’s grip. “Hello, Bart. Thanks for coming out to greet us. How are you feeling?”

  “Hiya, Brag.” His faded eyes shifted to Peyton. “I’m always eager to meet new people. Young man, your stories are amazing. I’ve been reading them for years. If I didn’t already live with ghosts, I’d be terrified out of my skull.”

  Peyton and Bart shook hands. “Thank you, sir. I always love to hear from my readers. It lets me know if I’m doing something right or wrong.”

  “Son, you’re doing everything right. I’ve had to leave the lights on a few times and I’ve never done that, despite the fact that I live with ghosts.”

  As he spoke, Bart began the process of turning it around. Then they were accompanying him inside. “You young fellows don’t have to wait for me. Go on, get checked in. Did they get your luggage?”

  “I believe they have,” Peyton said. “We’re in no hurry. Just take your time.”

  “Well, I’m just going over to that chair right there and have a snack. The kids around here call it my throne, but it’s just a real comfy chair. It even tilts so I can get up.” He laughed, which was a happy cackle. “The things they come up with these days.”

  Once Bart got going, he moved surprisingly well with the walker to help stabilize him. The tall man accompanying him helped Bart sit in his chair before moving a table in front of him. Another person approached, carrying a tray with dome-covered dishes. Brag was curious about how much food Bart considered a snack.

  “You boys should get checked in now,” Bart said. “Go up to your room, explore the grounds, and then come back to see me this afternoo
n. I’ll be done with my snack and my nap by then. I’ll give you a map with all the hot spots marked on it.”

  “Will do,” Brag told him. “Enjoy your snack and your nap.”

  As they walked toward the counter, Peyton laughed. “Bart is incredible. If I didn’t know his age, I wouldn’t suspect that he was so old. His mind is sharp and he can still get around.”

  “He says his longevity is because he’s never felt the need to give up. He has family, friends, and a reason for being.”

  “We should all be so fortunate.”

  They finished checking in. They were spending two nights. Brag’s brothers were taking care of both his and Peyton’s animals. He was eager to spend some time alone with Peyton. Now that their relationship had changed from friends to lovers, he wanted to show he could be a part of Peyton’s life. Helping to research ghosts was a good start, as far as he was concerned. If nothing else, it was exciting. He’d never hunted ghosts before.

  “This is going to be fun!” Brag told Peyton as they were led to their room on the third floor.

  The uniformed porter stopped at a door near the end of the hall. There was an ornate gold wall lighting fixture on the right side, light glowing through the frosted glass. Everything looked as if it was from a bygone age. The porter slid the keycard he held into the lock and opened the door, stepping back to allow them to enter ahead of him. Peyton tipped him and he left them alone together in the stunning room.

  “I thought you said you got a regular room with a king.”

  “I did.”

  It was the kind of room Brag guessed a royal could stay in without batting an eye or finding fault with it. Luxury abounded, from the ornate, gilded crown moldings near the ceilings, to the rugs covering the floor.

  They were both speechless as they walked across the room to the massive four-poster bed with the cupola on top and heavy silk draperies tied back to each of the four posts. Brag looked in one of the drawers of a massive chest of drawers and found some of his clothes.

  “I found my underwear,” he joked.