by Tara Lain
“Yeah, I know so. I can tell about guys ’cause I’ve got lots of practice with my daddies.”
Danny gave up and laughed even though there might be some broken glass in his throat.
Aliki put his hands on his hips. “Seriously, you’ve got no idea how hard it was for me and Lani to get Rand and Kai together. I mean, we’re talkin’ Maui and California. That’s a lot further than San Francisco. I mean, there’s ocean and everything.”
“I’ll keep it in mind, Aliki. But I can’t make him want to be with me.” He started combing again.
Aliki stepped closer, wrapped an arm around Danny’s waist, and leaned against him. “Don’t give up, Uncle Danny.”
He stroked Aliki’s silky hair as he combed the horse. “I won’t, Aliki, but I’ve got to ride the buck.”
Six weeks later
DANNY PACED off the dirt on the small rise near the copse of tall trees on his land. Seems like a good place for the house. He’d need to get a soil test before he got any plans drawn. This close to the holidays, though, it was getting harder to snag anyone’s attention.
He hunkered down and gazed around him. Stupid to think about loving some acres of mud—but those were the facts. He fully understood Rand’s attachment to his ranch and land. Now Danny had his own. It would have to be enough.
He heard a motor and turned toward the dirt road they’d had packed down between his place and the McIntyre Ranch. The second van, the old one they used mostly for backup since they’d gotten the newer one for guests, drove toward him. He waved a hand at the vehicle—probably Manolo—then grabbed the small notebook from his pocket and jotted some basic measurements. Not like he had any money to build just yet, but at least he could start figuring out what he needed.
Funny how he hadn’t seriously thought about trying another bull ride since that day Laurie had invaded the PBRA. That was a different life. A big, fancy, macho world he didn’t live in anymore. Sadly, Laurie did live in a big world full of champagne, fancy cars, and success.
He should quit thinking about Laurie, but sometimes thinking was better than nothing.
The van pulled into the stand of trees, and the motor stopped.
Danny kept writing.
Footsteps.
Danny called, “Hey.” He notated the direction of the sun to the prospective front door.
The sound of boots in dirt came up beside him. He turned and smiled and stopped. Not just stopped writing. His heart, lungs, brain all quit functioning.
Laurie.
Laurie pointed. “I’d face the door a little more this way and plant some trees directly behind to keep the worst of the sun off the back windows.” He smiled. “I can draw it up for you, if you like.”
His heart beat in his throat. “That, uh, that would be great.”
“Good. Come on.”
“Where?”
“To draw it up.”
“Now?”
“Sure.” Laurie started walking away, like he had that day two months before when he’d left the Sacramento arena and hadn’t looked back, or called, or e-mailed, or texted, or returned any calls. But this time Danny followed.
He got in the van beside Laurie, who just grinned and drove. What the hell? “What’s going on? Why’re you in Chico?”
Laurie placed a long finger against the Angelina lips. “All shall be made known.”
What could you expect from a unicorn but mystery?
It only took a few minutes to get to the ranch. Laurie pulled up in front and stopped the van, then left the keys and got out. “Come on.”
Danny frowned. “Where?”
Rand yelled from the porch, “Just go, Danny. Don’t argue.”
Laurie had already climbed into the driver’s seat of a blue Prius. Danny rounded the car to the other side and slid into the passenger seat. “This is nice. Yours?”
“Yep.”
He glanced at Laurie’s hands on the wheel. No rings. That gave his heart a lift.
Laurie guided the Prius down the bumpy road to the highway and turned left toward Chico.
“Where are we—?”
“Shhhh.”
“How are your folks?”
“Good.”
Really? “Did your dad sell?”
“Yes.” He smiled.
Laurie drove into town like a native, turned down a side street, and pulled into a gated parking garage. He used a card to get in. Danny turned his head. “Where are we?”
“You’ll see.” Since it was Sunday, there were lots of spaces open in the garage, but Laurie seemed to choose a particular one. He turned off the quiet car and got out. Danny followed as Laurie walked out the entrance to the sidewalk in the artsy part of town they’d visited all those months ago. He turned right.
“Are we looking for antiques?”
“Always.” Laurie smiled, walked a few more feet, and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.
Danny stopped beside him. “Okay. The antiques mall is open on Sundays, I think.”
“Yes, it is.”
People ambled down the sidewalks, scarves around their necks, carrying packages. A woman hurried by balancing a cardboard tray of coffee cups. “Hi, Laurie.”
“Hi, Denise.”
She gave Danny a quick once-over, then disappeared into a shop door.
“You know her?”
“Yes. She’s a neighbor.”
“What? Come on, Laurie, what the hell—”
Laurie waved a hand toward a door. Above it, a sign said Lawrence Belmont Arts and Interiors.
“What?” He just stared.
“What does it look like?”
“Your shop. I mean, like an office.” He finally met Laurie’s eyes, and they were crinkled with smiles but still a little apprehensive.
“Yes.”
“You opened an office in Chico?”
Laurie nodded. Saucer eyes now.
“Why?”
“It’s a great, chic little California town with lots of potential customers who like my style.” He sounded like a brochure.
“When did you do this?”
“I just finished it last week—to the extent that it is finished. Come on, take a look.” He used his key and opened the door that led off the sidewalk into a small but super-chic reception area that mixed really comfy couches in some rose color with all kinds of different antiques—or old stuff, at least.
“This is beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Laurie radiated excitement. “I already have three clients. My friend and customer Viola knows people everywhere.”
“So your business is going well?”
“Please sit down. I’ll show you the rest in a minute, and then I can begin to draw up that site plan for you.” He sat on a couch and crossed his eternal legs. Danny plopped on the love seat across from it.
God, his head ached from all the questions—the ones he was afraid to ask.
Laurie pressed his hands together. “Mama is running the San Francisco office so I can get things going here.”
“Mama?”
He nodded. “Yes, she really needed something constructive to do, and I’d rather have her running my office than my life.” He laughed.
“But—what does Grove think about you being in Chico?”
He raised an eyebrow. “What does Grove have to say about it?”
“You said you weren’t marrying him, but I thought maybe you were back together or something.”
Laurie leaped from the couch to the love seat beside Danny. “No, no. Nothing like that. I’d never go back to Grove. You know that.”
“But it’s been months. You never called or answered my calls.” He shrugged.
“I know. I had to figure out my life by myself. Since I was little, everything has been decided for me by other people. Mama mostly, but also Grove and my employer and Daddy and—others. This time it had to be my decision. If I asked you what I should do, I’d always worry that my love for you made me choose what I thought you wanted. I jus
t couldn’t do it. I had to be selfish and decide for me.”
Danny felt his eyebrows pull together but his chest sounded like a drum. “Uh, excuse me. Would you go back to that thing you said?”
Laurie grinned. “That everything has always been decided for me?”
“No.”
His dimples deepened. “That I had to be selfish?”
“No!” Danny grabbed Laurie and pulled him onto his lap, then looked into that gorgeous face. He touched his cheekbone. “You’re all healed.”
“Yes.” His teasing smile softened. “In more ways than one.”
“So say it again.” Danny kissed Laurie’s eyelid.
“My love for you.”
“Is that true? Really?”
“Yes. It has been for a long time. Maybe since I got out of Grove’s car and saw you striding toward us, I knew everything was about to change. My life was about to begin.”
Danny sat back a little so he could see Laurie clearly. “This is a small town. I’m a small-town man. You’re a wild, exotic creature of myth and legend. Can you really be happy here?”
“I’ve thought about it every which way since I left you that day. Honestly, I’ve considered even stupid things. Modeling, acting, all the things people told me I should do since I was little. But I don’t want to be rich or famous or powerful. I want to be happy. And no matter how I twist the snow globe, it still shows me the same landscape. I’m only really happy with you.”
“Wow.”
“What about you, my cowboy? Have you found someone else while I was thrashing around in the weeds?” He ran a hand over Danny’s hair and sent arrows into his heart. “Because if you have, I might have to kill him.”
“I told you back in that crappy motel, nobody else does it for me, Laurie. You’re it. I love you. The L word. When you left the arena that day, I figured I’d spend my life being content without being happy. I have practice at that. I’m not sure I know how to handle actual joy.”
Laurie wiped a hand on Danny’s cheeks, and it came away wet.
Danny felt his face. Son of a bitch.
Laurie leaned his head on Danny’s shoulder. “Would you mind if I lived here most of the time? I figure I’ll go back to the city a few days a month. Mama can handle the client meetings the rest of the time, and I’ll do the work from here. I promise I won’t get in your way.”
“Way?” Danny inhaled the scent of orange and cinnamon deep into his soul. “Are you going to do that site plan for me?”
Laurie looked a little surprised but smiled. “Sure. It’ll have to be rough until I can look at a topological map and things like that.” He slid off Danny’s lap and took his hand. “Come on.”
Holding hands, Danny followed behind the partition that separated the reception area from the workspace. It looked like there was room for several people in there. Laurie walked into a private office and sat behind a neat glass desk, where his laptop lay. He opened it. Danny glanced around the beautifully designed space. “How did you do all this? Did you make that much money already?”
Laurie chuckled. “No. It turns out I owned twenty-five percent of my father’s company stock. He gifted it to me when they adopted me, but I never knew. I sold my stock too and got the money to support my business. By the way, Daddy’s working as their science officer. He’s having a ball.”
“Amazing. So it all worked out for you.” Danny swallowed and watched Laurie fiddle with his keyboard, and then he grabbed another chair, dragged it over, and pulled out the notes he’d made. “So would you think a house of one or two stories would be best on this site?”
“Do you prefer having vast vistas or a more rooted feel?”
“What do you think?”
Laurie sat back. “I always think ranch houses should be one story and have kind of a sprawling feel, don’t you?”
“Sounds good. Where should the door be?”
“Well, the bedrooms need to catch the sunrise for that wonderful jolt of morning, don’t you think?”
“Sure. Uh, do I need a big dining room?”
“Well, you have all those great friends you’ll want to entertain, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so.” He smiled.
“How many bedrooms?”
“Probably four, right?”
Laurie looked at him. “That’s a lot, but sure. Be prepared.” He turned back to the screen. “And a big master suite with a lovely bathroom and giant closets and—”
Danny laughed. “I only have a few pairs of jeans.”
“True. Sorry. Got carried away. But you’ll want space for a big bed, right?”
“For sure. And which side of the bed do you want to sleep on?”
Laurie’s fingers paused on the keys. “What?”
Danny stared at him. “Seems silly to waste money living in two places when you’re never going to stop fucking me long enough to sleep somewhere else.” He grinned. “Don’t you think?”
“You want me to live with you?”
“Yep.”
Laurie wiped his own cheeks this time. “I won’t crowd you?”
“Only if you hog the covers.”
“Your friends will know—that you’re gay, I mean.”
“Every friend I care about already knows I’m gay.”
“You won’t mind—?”
Danny put a finger to Laurie’s full lips. “Shh. I love you. Stay with me forever. We can talk about marriage and kids and starting decorator services on the moon. Anything you want. I’ll be happy if I’m with you.”
Danny leaned over and kissed Laurie in that way he knew they’d share every day of their lives. Not full of passion at the moment, but sweetness and comfort and the completeness of love.
Laurie looked deep into Danny’s eyes. “Will you be happy not riding bulls?”
“Yes. I’ll be too busy going to school, building our house, teaching our children to ride—horses, that is.”
Laurie flashed a dimple and slid his charm along the golden chain that hung from his neck. “And our kids will know their daddy’s a hero.”
“Why’s that?”
“Everyone knows it takes a real cowboy to ride a unicorn.”
More from Tara Lain
A Cowboys Don’t Story
Rand McIntyre settles for good enough. He loves his small California ranch, raising horses, and teaching riding to the kids he adores—but having kids of his own and someone to love means coming out, and that would jeopardize everything he’s built. Then, despite his terror of flying, he goes on a holiday to Hana, Hawaii, with his parents and meets the dark and mysterious Kai Kealoha, a genuine Hawaiian cowboy. Rand takes to Kai’s kid brother and sister as much as he drools over Kai, but the guy sports more prickles than a horned toad and more secrets than the exotic land he comes from.
Kai’s earned his privacy and lives to protect his “kids.” He ought to stay away from the big, handsome cowboy for everyone’s sake—but since the guy’s just a haole on a short vacation, how much damage can he do? When all of Kai’s worst fears and Rand’s darkest nightmares come true at once, there’s not much chance for two cowboys who can’t—or won’t—come out.
An Aloysius Tale
When Killian Barth, history professor, meets Blaine Genneau, quantum physicist, they ignite their own big bang. But Killian can’t pursue a physics professor—or a human. As the most powerful male witch in ten generations, Killian must bolster his dying race by reproducing—despite the fact that he’s gay.
Even a fling with Blaine is out of the question, because Killian has been told sex with humans drains his power. But if that’s true, why can young human Jimmy Janx dissolve spoons with the power of his mind? If Killian can sort through the lies he’s been fed, he’ll still face his biggest obstacle—convincing rational scientist Blaine to believe in magic.
With his ancient and powerful cat familiar, Aloysius, on his shoulder, Killian brings the lightning against deceit and greed to save Blaine from danger and prove love is the greate
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A Pennymaker Duet
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Beauty, Inc.
Chemist Dr. Robert “Belle” Belleterre dedicates himself to developing a new product to help put his father’s small cosmetics company on the map. Sadly his alcoholic, gambling-addicted father loses Belle in a poker game to Magnus Strong, the CEO of Beauty, Inc.—a man infamous for his scarred ugliness. Belle is uprooted from his home, living in a crazy apartment owned by Mr. Pennymaker, and completely unprepared for his attraction to Strong. Belle fights his passion, but Strong’s scars hide goodness and humility. When Belle’s family starts manipulating his life again, the odds turn against happiness for beautiful Belle and his beloved beast.
A Balls to the Wall Romance
A “pumped up” version of the Volley Balls story, twice as long as the original.
A double dose of alpha male might be better than one.
Despite just getting out of an abusive relationship with an asshole alpha, David Underwood’s wandering glance lands on two hot members of the Australian volleyball team on Laguna Beach and gets him harassed again. Still, when the delicious Gareth Marshall proves his interest by coming out to his team, David succumbs to his attraction. But Gareth’s volleyball partner, Edge, who’s equally hot, makes the lovers’ lives miserable.
For Gareth, a lifetime of hiding his orientation—and his attraction—from his best friend, Edge, as well as everyone else around him, adds up to hurt and frustration. David’s the first man to ever compete with Edge for Gareth’s passion. But Edge has secrets of his own, and David’s ex-lover will never be happy without David under his fist. With everything stacked against him, can a gay Laguna man find happiness with an alpha male–or two?