Wild Trail

by A. M. Arthur

  Wes had nearly hugged John over that idea—the chance to finally tell his side of the story and prove he wasn’t a vindictive asshole who would out someone. He could finally clear his name down in La La Land.

  “This sounds like a great opportunity for you. I’m so proud of you, Wes, I mean it.”

  Wes heard the genuine pride in his voice, even if it was underscored with sadness. “Mack, can I ask you something personal about Geoff?”

  A long pause. “Yes.”

  “You said he was an actor, too, so did you guys ever talk about what would happen if he made it big? Or even got a role in a film that took him away for a long period of time?”

  Mack sighed. “Some. We talked more about it at the start, but then after a while, his parts stayed small and far between, so it stopped feeling like it would ever be an issue. Being apart.”

  “How did you feel about the idea of him traveling, though?”

  “Honestly? It worried me a lot, because Geoff was an extremely flirtatious guy with a high sex drive. I worried that he’d cheat again, especially after he did cheat.” Mack snorted loudly. “Joke was on me, since he didn’t have to go farther than Hollywood Boulevard to cheat on me.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up a painful subject.”

  “I know, and it’s a fair question. But you’re not Geoff. You and I have a completely different relationship than I had with him.”

  “Yeah. And I swear to you, I would never, ever cheat. I know John is superhot, and we’ve got to kiss and do a love scene, but I will. Never. Cheat. I promise on Sophie’s life, Mack.”

  “I believe you. Same.” Mack’s gruff reassurance unfurled a bit of tension from Wes’s chest.

  “Good. Anyway, it was a good audition, but I won’t know anything for a while. Let’s both put it out of our minds. How was your day, dear?”

  He could hear Mack smiling. “Productive, believe it or not.”

  Wes settled in and listened to Mack recounting some of the new things Avery had discovered about the land and how they could improve the restoration. When Mack was excited about something, it bled through into his voice and Wes could listen to him talk about this project for hours.

  * * *

  Wes still hadn’t heard back about the audition by his Thursday-night Skype date with Mack. Since Wes didn’t have to work—three cast members were down with the flu, and they didn’t have stand-ins—he and Mack had come up with a goofy plan to eat dinner together, while chatting. Like a date, only no touching. Wes had reheated some leftovers he’d brought home from the restaurant the night before, and he poured a glass of wine.

  The app rang, so Wes took the call. Mack smiled at him from what looked like a small office of some sort. He had a plate of food in front of him, too.

  “Anything yet?” Mack asked.

  “No.” Wes pretended to grump. “I guess they don’t want me.”

  “They’d be fools to not want you.”

  “Good answer. You look stressed.”

  Mack shrugged and speared something on his plate. “I am. Remember I mentioned on Tuesday night that some small pieces of equipment had gone missing, and I had to pay for the replacements?”

  Wes couldn’t forget that conversation. Mack had called him an hour after their first chat, and he’d been livid, not only because how did tools disappear from a job site in the middle of the wilderness, but also because the foreman had intimated that maybe someone from the ranch had stolen the tools. Wes had joked about coyotes needing hammers to build a fence to keep hunters away, and that had helped cool some of Mack’s temper.

  “Yeah, I remember,” Wes said cautiously.

  “Happened again this morning.”

  “You’re shitting me.”

  “Nope. I called up a place and arranged for a temporary trailer-slash-office to be brought up to the site so we can lock that shit up at night, starting today.”

  “Oh wow.” Wes hated to ask this, but, “Are you sure it’s not someone from the ranch?”

  Mack growled. “I can’t be positive, no, but I’d hate to think anyone on the ranch is a thief. And everyone on the construction crew is local, so I don’t see them stealing from each other. Finding work around Garrett is hard enough to risk losing your job.”

  “Renting the trailer won’t hurt your budget, will it?”

  “Nah, I got a good deal on a long-term contract. Maybe it’s the cop in me, but I hate thieves.”

  “Me, too. Especially this thief who’s stressing you out.”

  “I’m tempted to invest in some security cameras, just to see what the hell’s going on up here at night.”

  “Honestly, that might not be a bad idea.”

  Mack harrumphed. “Sorry to be such a grump.”

  “It’s fine. You had a bad day. Who else are you going to vent to, if not your boyfriend?”

  “Good point. I’m so busy up here that I barely get to see or speak to Reyes. He got promoted to my position, so he has extra responsibilities that he’s still learning.”

  “Good for Reyes.” Wes figured Mack was already grumpy, so why not prod. “Have you spoken to Colt yet?”

  “No.” His pointed look said the topic was closed.

  “You know, you look like you could use a blow job to relax. Want some company?”

  “It’s a weeknight.”

  Wes blinked hard at him. “Yes, it is, Mr. I’m My Own Boss Now. You don’t work for Arthur anymore, which means you can leave the ranch whenever you want. You don’t have to save that for Saturdays.”

  “Damn.” Mack gaped at Wes with a startled expression. “You know, I’ve been in such a routine for so many damned years, it honestly hadn’t occurred to me I could leave the land without asking permission, or being off the clock.”

  “Happy to help you realize obvious things.”

  Mack very maturely blew a raspberry at him.

  “So what do you say?” Wes asked. “It’s only six o’clock now. I can be there in an hour. Spend some time with you. You can take me around the site and show me what you’ve done so far.”

  Mack stroked his beard with his left hand. “I like that idea. We can hang out up here, so we don’t disturb Reyes for once.”

  Wes laughed, excited by the idea of seeing Mack tonight. “Besides, believe it or not, I kind of miss the wide-open spaces of the ranch. The way you can see a bazillion stars in the sky.”

  “I’ll bring a blanket. We can stargaze together.”

  God, that’s the most romantic thing he’s ever said to me.

  “Then it’s a date,” Wes said.

  “Meet me by the access road. I’ll be waiting for you there.”

  Wes was a little surprised Mack didn’t want him to meet him at the main house, but he didn’t let it bother him. It made more sense than backtracking, and no one had to explain his car to Judson or Arthur. Still, why the secrecy? “Does anyone besides Reyes and Colt know you’re dating me?” he asked.

  “Don’t really see as it’s anyone else’s business right now.”

  Don’t let that hurt as much as it does.

  Nope, it still made Wes feel like a dirty little secret. A fling with an actor that Mack didn’t expect to last, so why tell anyone about the fling at all?

  “Why?” Mack asked. “You tell other people?”

  “Of course I did. I’ve told people at work. Sophie and Conrad know, and probably Derrick by extension. Hell, I even told my parents I was dating a sexy cowboy when I talked to them last night. I’m not ashamed of dating you, Mack. This was a huge step for me, you know. I took a chance on telling people because I assumed you weren’t ashamed of me, either.”

  “Hell, Wes, I’m not ashamed of you. Not even a little bit. It’s just...private. Yeah, I’m out at the ranch, but I’ve never been the guy who discusses his private life. And ma
ybe that’s force of habit, from being a gay cop working with a lot of straight dudes, and I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”

  Wes wanted to take him at his word. If Mack was really pushing him away, he wouldn’t have agreed to tonight’s date. Unless he wanted another go at Wes’s ass before Wes got the movie, Mack decided he couldn’t handle a cross-continent relationship, and ended things. Wes’s emotions ping-ponged all over the place, unable to settle.

  So he painted on a happy smile. “It’s okay,” Wes said. “I get it.”

  “Thanks. I’ll see if Patrice can help me put together a goodie basket for tonight.”

  “You going to tell her who it’s for?”

  “I think I’ll do exactly that.” Mack grinned. “See you in an hour.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The idea of a picnic under the stars was ridiculously romantic, and to Mack, exactly right. Things between him and Wes had been off since their Sunday morning conversation about Wes’s audition, and he wanted to get them both back on solid ground.

  He’d walked to the road junction, partly to enjoy the mild evening and partly to avoid leaving one of their vehicles so far from any buildings or people. Patrice had given him all sorts of knowing looks when he asked for help packing a picnic basket for him and Wes, but she hadn’t pried. Only encouraged him to enjoy himself. So he had a picnic basket in one hand, supplies in his back pocket and a blanket tucked under one arm.

  Now all he needed was his boyfriend.

  Headlights flashed down the road a little after seven. Wes was a tad later than he’d expected, but he was here. Rolling slowly up to where Mack waited by a scrub tree. Mack put his things into the back seat, then climbed in.

  Wes leaned over and kissed him, licking into his mouth with that stud. “Hey, you,” Wes said. “Sorry I’m late. I had to stop for something.”

  “I’ve got condoms.”

  He laughed. “I like where your brain is at. No, I meant a bottle of wine and your favorite beer.”

  Mack glanced at the paper bag he’d spotted in the back seat. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

  “Yup, but it always bears repeating.” Wes indicated the marked dirt path. “So just follow the yellow brick road?”

  “To Oz.”

  Wes drove carefully down the beaten track, his headlights making the reflectors easier to see in the dimming light. They’d get a spectacular sunset before the stars came out. They chatted easily about their days, nothing heavy and nothing else about the audition. Mack wanted to put that out of his head for one evening and simply work on them as a couple. Find a way to get closer to Wes, instead of feeling like they were being pulled apart.

  The rented trailer was to the right of the track, where it dumped out into the valley that held his project. He’d purposely put it a good dozen yards from the start of the work area, so he didn’t need to have it moved later. Eventually, an actual working office would be built to look like part of the town, he told Wes as Wes parked next to it.

  “That’s awesome,” Wes said. “You’ll have a place to work without ruining the aesthetic with metal siding.”

  “Exactly.”

  They collected their stuff from the car. Mack spread the blanket out in a grassy area near the trailer, where they deposited the basket and alcohol. Wes immediately used a bottle opener on one beer and handed that to Mack, then poured wine into a plastic cup. “I’m very high class, can’t you tell?” Wes teased.

  “You’re talking to a man who drinks his beer straight from the bottle. Never did figure why folks pour it into a mug. Loses carbonation that way.”

  “We’re both low-maintenance drinkers. Now show me.”

  Mack didn’t have a lot of exciting progress, but he showed Wes where they’d put the septic system in, which they’d hide with plants and small trees. The electric was being run next week, while the foreman hoped to start reinforcing the saloon on Monday.

  “They can carefully rip up the existing floors, pour a new foundation, and then finish and replace the original wood,” Mack explained. “They’ll save as much of the exterior walls as possible, but since the interior needs to look like it’s modern to the time period, they’ll use new wood on the walls, so it’s all weatherproof and sturdy.”

  They gazed at the hulking shape of the saloon and sipped their drinks. Wes glanced down at his feet once, probably remembering falling through that porch.

  “Avery has found a few references to there being a settlement up here, north of Garrett,” Mack continued, “but so far, nothing specific. He’s tenacious, though, and a really good researcher.”

  Naturally, thinking about Avery made him think about Colt and their strained friendship. They’d spoken once, completely professionally, about the electric work, but mostly Colt was going to the foreman for those things. Mack still felt unfiltered rage whenever he saw Colt in person, so they’d taken to avoiding each other. Colt never tried to force the issue, which Mack did appreciate. This wasn’t something he could get over in one goddamn week.

  “Mack?”

  He looked at Wes, who was frowning at him. “Huh?”

  “Nothing, you just got this angry bear look on your face.” Wes slipped his free hand into Mack’s. “Happy thoughts only tonight, okay? Let’s enjoy ourselves.”

  “Deal.”

  They wandered a bit more, then paused to watch a beautiful sunset. The hills and valleys of Garrett land stretched ahead of them to the east. Slowly the sun touched the horizon, and then began to sink below it. Bathing the sky in burnt orange, red and purple, that eventually melted into blue decorated with millions of twinkling stars.

  Back at the blanket, Mack opened a second beer to drink with the spread Patrice had picked out for them. Sliced cheeses and hard salami, crackers, a bunch of grapes, strawberries, a few cucumber sandwiches—Patrice said they were romantic—and a couple of wrapped brownies.

  They settled next to each other, the food in front of them. Wes was still nursing his first glass of wine. “This looks great,” he said. “Did the world stop when you told Patrice you were seeing me?”

  “Ha ha. No.” Mack swiped gently at his ass. “She was very polite about it and encouraged us to enjoy ourselves.”

  “I knew I liked her.” Wes honed in on one particular plate. “Oh my God, I love cucumber sandwiches!”

  Score one for Patrice.

  “I’ve never had one,” Mack said.

  “Then here.” Wes shoved one at him. “They’re simple but really tasty. Basically seasoned cream cheese, sliced cucumbers and white bread. The flavor is all in how you season the cream cheese.” He took a bite of his. “Oh yum.”

  Mack chanced it and bit into the sandwich. The cucumber had a nice bite next to the soft cream cheese, which also had a slightly garlicky flavor. And something tangy he couldn’t place. “It is good. Huh.” He finished the sandwich, then held up his bottle of beer. “Here’s to trying new things and taking chances.”

  Wes tapped his plastic cup against the bottle’s neck. “Here here.”

  * * *

  They nibbled at the food for a while, taking turns feeding each other bites of cheese and salami, teasing like an old married couple—and it was one of Wes’s new favorite memories. Being silly and romantic with a partner wasn’t something Wes had a lot of experience with, so he treasured these moments when Mack really let his guard down. Mack had an alpha streak a mile long, but with Wes...he softened.

  When Mack had talked about his plans for the site, his excitement hung in the air like electricity. Even when all he was doing was showing Wes stakes in the ground where a building would go, it was the best thing ever. The energy and excitement had climbed beneath Wes’s skin and still clung to him. It made him want to work here with Mack, to act for him and his guests forever.

  But the chance to be in a mid-budget film? How was he suppose
d to choose?

  “I thought we said happy thoughts only.” Mack brushed a lock of hair from Wes’s forehead. “What is it?”

  “I’m sorry.” Wes put his wine on the top of the picnic basket. “I let myself get sidetracked by different things.”

  “Like the movie?”

  “Yeah. Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. This is a huge deal for you if you get it. I know how huge.”

  “But it makes you sad.”

  Mack hung his head. “A little, yeah. I mean, I’m a city-boy transplant turned ranch cowboy who lives in the middle of nowhere. You’re an amazing actor whose talent deserves to be shared and celebrated, and Hollywood would be lucky to have you. It’s hard to feel like I compete.”

  “It’s not a competition.” When Mack flinched, Wes cupped his bearded cheeks and forced Mack to raise his head. To look Wes in the eyes. “Acting is my job, but it isn’t my life. I’m in this with you, Mack, and I’m not going to run off and forget about you. I couldn’t. You’ve stolen a part of my heart that I’ll never get back.”

  Mack’s eyes glimmered in the dim, starlit night. “You’ve stolen a part of mine, too, Wes Not-the-American-Beauty-actor Bentley. I guess I’m scared you’ll get famous and forget about me. That you won’t need me anymore when I’m falling in love with you.”

  Wes’s entire body tensed. “You are?”

  “Sure am, boss. I think I knew after our first night together that you would never be a summer fling. Just didn’t think I’d fall so hard, so fast. We’ve barely known each other two months.”

  “I feel the same way.” Wes clasped their hands together in his lap, needing Mack’s strength to say what he needed to say—and to believe in Wes’s own promises. “I could never forget about you. Ever. We can make this work. I want this movie so badly, Mack, and if I get it, I’ll Skype you every night I’m gone, and I’ll miss you like crazy, but I’ll come home to you. I also want to work here at the ghost town for you. Hell, in a perfect happy ending, I get to stay here and work for you in the on-season, and then go do a movie in the winter.”