by Andrew Grey
Ky pulled to a stop at the light at the edge of town. “But it did.”
Brodie leaned over the console. “No, it didn’t. One thing about you cowboys—you can be stubborn as all hell, and there are times when it comes in handy. You are who you are, and my cousin can spread his lies all he wants, but you just continued on.” He pulled him down, and Ky pressed harder on the brake as Brodie kissed him. “You kept that heart of yours intact enough that you helped someone you didn’t know and his little sister from being blown away in that storm. The person you were was still inside. I think you just needed to find him again.”
Ky scoffed. “No. I think what I needed was to find you.” He returned the kiss until a horn sounded from behind them. He sat back up and continued through the intersection and on out to the ranch.
Brodie got Emily into bed while Ky grabbed a couple of beers. He handed one to Brodie when he joined him on the living room sofa.
“That was nice evening, thank you.” Brodie took the beer and leaned against his shoulder. “I’m really tired.”
“Me too. And the mornings come early around here.” Ky closed his eyes and let himself be content.
“Archer!” A cry went up from outside, followed by the sharp echo of a gunshot. “Get your ass out here.”
Ky was already on his feet. “Get into Emily’s room and call the sheriff. Hunker down on the floor if you have to, and lock the door. Don’t let anyone in unless you know it’s me.” He went around through the kitchen and out the side door.
Jacob Tyler stood near the barn. “I know you can hear me. Get the hell out here or I’ll start shooting horses.” He cocked the rifle, the click carrying on the wind.
“Are you drunk?” Ky asked, pulling Jacob’s attention away from the barn and toward the house. “How much have you had, and does Chandra know where you are?” Ky was already on the move as Jacob drew toward him, zipping around the back of the house to the other side just as Jacob approached where he’d been.
“Not too much that I can’t blow your murdering ass away,” he retorted, the ground crunching under his feet.
“What did I ever do to you?” Ky asked from around the edge of the house, and Jacob immediately drew toward him once again.
“You bastard. You know what you did. You corrupted Mason. You led him into your dirty ways, and then… you did as well as kill him.” Jacob’s voice slurred, and Ky wondered how much whiskey Jacob had downed and how recently. His speech seemed to get getting worse, so the alcohol was probably still hitting his system. Maybe all Ky needed to do was stay out of sight and stall for time until Jacob passed out.
“But I didn’t kill him, and you know it. I loved Mason.” Ky steadied his breath as a shot rang out, sending up a spray of dirt nearby. Damn, Jacob was determined to take him out. “I’d never kill him or do anything to hurt him. It was you who did that.” Ky waited but didn’t get an answer. He had to move or Jacob was going to get a bead on him. Movement caught his attention, and Ky hurried back the way he’d come, disappearing into the darkness and using it for cover. He made it to the stand of trees and settled behind one of the large trunks.
“Mason died in a fire,” Jacob said more slowly. “It was you who killed him. You turned him away from me… from his family. That’s what killed him.”
“Was it an accident? Did you fight?” Ky asked, already getting ready to head for the other tree. He waited, but didn’t hear an answer. Movement caught his eye up near the house, and Ky froze. Jacob must have decided to leave him alone and try to go for Brodie and Emily inside. Ky tensed, set to go after him. There was no way that Jacob was going to get anywhere near the people he loved, drunk off his ass, with a rifle.
The front door opened, and Ky’s heart skipped a beat. Brodie stood in the sliver of light, brandishing a rifle.
“Don’t move or I’ll blow your brains out.” Jacob stepped slowly into the light. “I mean it. Put the gun down or I’ll blow you away.”
“Brodie, what are you doing?” Ky called as he hurried over, trying to keep some cover as well as watch for any movement from Jacob. The thought of Brodie out in the open like that sent chills up his spine. It didn’t matter that Brodie had a gun—so did Jacob, and the man was just drunk enough to shoot for the hell of it.
Jacob shifted his weight, and Brodie tensed and hesitated. It was clear to Ky that Jacob was going to shoot. His stance seemed rigid enough, and Ky could almost feel the conflict in Brodie. Ky raced across the yard as Jacob raised the rifle. Without thinking twice, Ky launched himself at Jacob, knocking him off balance. The gun went off, glass shattered, and Ky held on to Jacob, landing hard on top of him.
Ky took inventory as he grabbed the rifle and tossed it away. “Are you okay? Did he shoot you?” Ky asked Brodie, who shook his head, standing stock-still.
It seemed the shot had taken out a window somewhere, and Ky found it was one in Brodie’s poor car. At least it hadn’t hit any of them.
“You killed Mason,” Jacob said.
Ky pulled Jacob’s hands around his back and held them there. “No, I didn’t. I loved Mason, and he loved me, no matter what your pea brain might think. I bet you and Mason fought after I left. Did you start the fire by accident?” Ky asked.
Jacob didn’t answer, but the sobs had already started, the alcohol stripping away Jacob’s outward control. Ky let Jacob sit up as Brodie stood next to him. It was pretty clear that the fight had gone out of Jacob. He held his hands over his face, the tears coming hard and fast.
“He fought me. I tried to get him to understand that what he was doing was wrong, but he just fought me and knocked over a light.” It was difficult to understand him part of the time. “It sparked and caught the hay on fire. I told him to get out, but Mason went for the horses. That old barn went up fast, and the loft caved in on top of him.” His eyes seemed to clear. “You should have left Mason alone. He was….”
“Mason was the person he was, and that had nothing to do with me. If you’d have accepted your son, he’d still be here today. There wouldn’t have been a fight or a fire if you had been a better father and just loved your son for who he was.” Ky had had more than enough of the drunk mess that Jacob had become, and thankfully sirens sounded in the distance. He asked Brodie to put the gun away and stayed with Jacob until the deputies arrived, and after a number of questions, they took Jacob away.
“Does it feel the way you thought it would?” Brodie asked into the darkness a few hours later, once Ky had been able to settle down enough to go to bed.
“I don’t know,” Ky answered. “I’m glad I know the truth about what really happened to Mason. Still, it’s hard. He shouldn’t have had to die just for being who he was. His father should have been able to accept him.”
“Do you think it really happened the way Jacob said?” Brodie asked, gently rubbing his shoulder.
Ky shrugged. “On some level we got the truth, but there’s probably more to it than what we’ll ever find out. Some part of Jacob won’t allow him to admit just how responsible he was for Mason’s death. The fire probably started by accident, but why Mason didn’t just get out is something we might never know.” Ky wondered if Mason had been hurt by Jacob and hadn’t been able to get out, or if Jacob had beaten him senseless. God only knew. One thing he did know—the sole person responsible for Mason’s death had been taken away by the police and wasn’t likely to pay for what he’d done.
“While you were talking to the police, I called your Aunt Rita. I figured she should know what happened. She asked if we needed her, so I invited her for breakfast. She was concerned about Emily, but Emily never even woke up.” Brodie shifted and then straddled him, his weight on top of Ky, who slipped his hands down Brodie’s back, cupping his tight little butt. “You scared the hell out of me with your ‘stay ahead of the crazy man’ routine.”
“And when you stepped out of the house, I thought my heart was going to stop. He could have shot you.” Ky nuzzled the base of Brodie’s neck. Ky shivered and pul
led Brodie closer. “You scared the life out of me. Promise me that the next time a crazy man comes to the house with a gun, you won’t step out on the porch with a rifle you don’t know how to use.”
“I can use it,” Brodie said softly. “But I couldn’t shoot him. If I had, it would have made me as pathetic as the man the police took away, and I couldn’t become like him.” Brodie kissed him. “And for the record, I promise… the next crazy person to come to the ranch with a gun is all yours. I’ll handle the books and let my cowboy protector ward off the crazy people.”
Ky really loved the thought of being Brodie’s cowboy, and showed him exactly how much… twice.
“It looks like you boys slept well after last night’s excitement,” Aunt Rita said with a smile over a mug of coffee.
Ky figured it was probably best to ignore her implication. They had slept in, which was something Ky hadn’t done in years. The work was still waiting for him, but he was rested and ready to take on just about anything.
“Are you hungry?” Brodie asked. “I can make you something.”
Emily hurried up to Aunt Rita and handed her one of her toys.
“Aren’t you sweet,” Aunt Rita told her and reached for the bag next to her chair. She pulled out a baby doll and handed it to Emily. “Since you gave me one of your toys, here’s one for you.”
Emily squealed in delight and hugged the dolly to her before sitting right on the floor to play.
“I thought you were going to be here for breakfast,” Ky said.
“I ate.” She patted Brodie’s hand. “Thank you anyway. I had breakfast with the mayor and spoke to a number of the county council members. It seems our sheriff was asked to resign. He refused at first, but there was enough pressure put on him for dereliction of duty that he had no choice. An interim sheriff has been appointed, and he’s working with the district attorney. It seems that Jacob gave false evidence in his deposition to the court, so he’s being charged with perjury and possible manslaughter for the death of Mason. I doubt they’ll make that stick, but it seems he told you enough about what happened that the rest will come out. Jacob’s lies are now on display for everyone to see.” She finished her coffee and set the mug on the table.
“And the sheriff?” Brodie asked.
“It appears that he and his family are already planning to leave town. It’s the best way to get rid of him. Apparently proving something criminal is going to be difficult at best. But we can remove him from his position and find someone who will actually uphold the law for everyone.”
“So it’s over,” Ky whispered, almost unable to believe it.
“Yes. It’s over. There are already news articles being written that will report what Jacob did, and that should clear your name from Mason’s death. I can’t tell if they’ll be kind about the relationship you had with him, but I suspect that no one is going to be shocked, especially since you two were seen holding hands at Ruth’s the other night.”
Ky shrugged. “Yeah, well. This town is going to have to get used to a number of things. Brodie and I are staying here, and we intend to make the ranch grow and prosper. If people don’t like it, that’s tough. I’m tired of being quiet and feeling like I don’t really matter.” He took Brodie’s hand. “This is our home and our ranch, and I’ll do what I have to in order to defend it.” He shared a smile with Brodie.
“Do you really mean that?” Brodie asked.
Ky nodded and pulled him into a hug. “Yes, I mean that. You and Emily are my family… and I will fight to protect the ones I love.”
“Me too,” Brodie said, and kissed Ky hard. “I fight for the ones I love too.”
Their kiss intensified. It had been a long time since someone had fought for him. Maybe both of them now had something to fight for—love.
E pilogue
“What are you doing?” Brodie whispered as Ky slipped out of bed. “It’s Christmas morning, and you know Emily is going to be up soon.”
“Yeah. But there’s still work to be done.” Ky leaned over the bed and kissed him gently. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Ben is spending the day with Lilly and her family.” Ky hurried out.
Brodie snuggled under the covers to try to go back to sleep, but it didn’t really work. He was awake enough that sleep wasn’t going to return, so he got up and dressed and turned on the Christmas tree, with its sparkling, colored lights and plethora of ornaments, many of them ringing the lowest branches where Emily had put them. His present for Ky was already under the tree, something special for his cowboy.
Brodie left the living room and got the pot on for coffee. Aunt Rita would be over soon for breakfast and present-opening. Brodie was thankful that she had offered to host Christmas dinner at her ranch. She had a number of hands without other family, so she was having a cowboy Christmas dinner. He was relieved that he didn’t have to cook that big a meal, though Aunt Rita had requested that Brodie bring his mac and cheese.
He checked the clock and got started making breakfast, putting a sheet pan of bacon into the oven and making up the batter for French toast. Then he started a pot of water for oatmeal. He had really come to understand just the kind of appetite ranch work entailed.
Emily began stirring in her room, and Brodie went in to get her changed and dressed, ready for Christmas breakfast. Aunt Rita arrived, and Brodie finished the cooking. Ky came in and washed up just in time to sit down to eat. Brodie made up a plate for Emily and placed it on her tray before passing the French toast around.
“I have something that I need to tell both of you,” Aunt Rita said. “First, the not-so-good news. Jacob has pleaded guilty to perjury, and all other criminal charges have been dropped. He was sentenced to time served and two years’ probation.” She sighed. “It is what it is, and he’s the one who will have to live with what he did.”
Aunt Rita was right, but disappointment rolled off Ky. Still, he sighed and then shrugged.
“At least no one can blame me for that,” Ky mumbled.
“No. And now for the rest of the news. As both of you know, I don’t have any children of my own. So I’ve decided that my ranch will go to the two of you. I thought you could combine it with this one and build yourselves a first-class cattle operation. I’m getting on in years, and running a ranch is going to get to be more than I want to take on. So, my thoughts are that in the new year, we’ll develop a transition plan for moving the business forward and transitioning the ranches from two into one.”
“Aunt Rita… I…,” Ky said, turning to Brodie with a smile. “I never imagined.” He swallowed, and Ky held Brodie’s hand, squeezing it.
“That’s too much,” Brodie said.
Aunt Rita shook her head. “It’s what you do for family. I want to retire in a few years and be able to travel. I always dreamed of doing that. When he was young, before life wore him down, your uncle was very much like you. He was a cowboy through and through, and I’ve spent years building something that will continue on. And now I think it’s time to pass it on to the next generation.” She grinned and ate more of her breakfast.
Brodie could hardly believe his ears, and Ky seemed happy as anything.
“Okay, let’s finish here so we can get to the presents!” She smiled at Emily, who banged her tray in excitement.
“Ismas… Ismas….” She was clearly ready.
Brodie finished eating and cleared the dishes before taking Emily to clean up. They then joined the others in the living room, where the tree was bursting with presents, a lot of them for Emily, who tore into them with the force of a hurricane.
“This one is for you,” Brodie said as he handed Ky a medium-sized box. He had tried to figure out what to get Ky to show him just what he felt. He’d thought about a new pair of boots or even a new hat, but Ky already had those things. He’d thought of jewelry of some sort, but Ky never wore any—it could pose a hazard when working with animals. Brodie sat next to him and waited while Ky opened the package.
“I saw that you were reading
Tom Sawyer a few months back, and I found this in a store when we went to Dallas a few weeks ago. Open it.” Brodie smiled as Ky slowly turned back the cover.
“A signed edition of Huckleberry Finn.” Ky smiled as he turned to him, his eyes shining. “This is too much. I love it.” He hugged him hard, and Brodie smiled. “I have something for you too.” Ky handed him a small box, and Brodie opened it. He wondered if Ky was giving him a ring, but instead, inside the box was a delicate gold chain with an antique-looking key.
“It’s beautiful. What does it go to?” Brodie asked.
Ky swallowed and leaned close. “My heart.” Ky drew him into a kiss, and Brodie knew he had everything he had ever dreamed all wrapped up in his cowboy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Grey is the author of over 100 works of Contemporary Gay Romantic fiction. After twenty-seven years in corporate America, he has now settled down in Central Pennsylvania with his husband, Dominic, and his laptop. An interesting ménage. Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He is a recipient of the RWA Centennial Award, has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and now writes full-time. Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing). He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.