Cowboy: The Mathesons Book 2

by Declan Rhodes

  Penny straightened the red Western shirt on my shoulders. I’d always wished they were about twice as wide, like Tate’s, but I had to make do with what the genes gave me. I’d never seen any photos of either of my biological parents, so I didn’t have any reference points growing up. I simply watched it all unfold.

  I was friends with Penny in high school. Her parents enrolled her in the same private day school in Manhattan that my moms picked out for me. We drifted apart during our college years, but we ran into each other again one day at a local hardware store on the Lower East Side after I’d moved back home.

  We became fast friends again, and she was a crucial pillar of support for the first few months that I pined for Tate after our breakup. I introduced her to my circle of friends, and we started a tradition of going out somewhere together at least twice a month. Ally’s party was one of those events.

  I stopped by Penny’s apartment on the way to Ally’s. We were working through our last-minute primping together.

  I asked, “Are you sure this all still fits right? I’ve gained a couple of pounds over the last few years, but not much. I can still wear most of the same clothes.”

  Penny smiled her warmest of smiles. “Just relax, cowboy. I can practically see the energy aura bouncing off of you. This costume’s a huge thing for you somehow.”

  “It’s what I wore the night that I met Tate, and I don’t want anything tugging strangely across my belly or riding up badly on my butt. I’m serious about this. It has to be perfect—or close.”

  “Exactly the same? Wow. And you said he’ll be there? You’ve been waiting for a night like this for a long time.”

  “He told me he would. Yep, it’s the same costume, and yeah, a long, long time..”

  She grinned. “This is like a movie plot or something. It’s a chick flick about guys.”

  I bounced from one foot to the other. “I hope it has a happy ending…this time. He might take one look at me and think I’m pushing way too hard, but I know Tate loves cowboys. That hasn’t changed. He goes out dancing with them now.”

  Penny dressed as a fairy princess, and her costume was perfection. She trimmed her dark hair into a fetching pixie cut for the event. I insisted on borrowing her glittery wand to cast a spell that would bring me back together with Tate. She said, “You’re a fantastic cowboy. You’re so adorable.” Suddenly, she started looking around the room. “But where’s your hat?”

  “Oh, damn, I forgot it. It’s in my closet at home. Yeah, I’ve got to wear that. Do we have time? What’s a cowboy without a hat?”

  “If we call a cab and have him wait outside your moms’ place, I think we’ve got plenty of time. Fashionably late can be up to an hour at Ally’s. It might cost us a minor fortune paying the cabbie, but you’re pretty serious about Tate, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah, I am, and I worry that it’s a sure sign of insanity. If I get to go back somehow, I’ll probably be a basket case just like I was before. I feel like I’ve got about five different threads that I need to weave to try to pull my life together. Tell me I’m not crazy. Please.”

  “You’re not crazy, and you’re one of the best people I know, Simon. I hope all of your dreams come true tonight.” She waved her wand at me and said, “Let’s go.”

  It was a crazy trip to the party. We took the cab up to the condo on the Upper East Side. As I opened the front door, I heard loud giggles from the bedroom, and then Mom Tina called in her loudest voice, “Who’s there? Simon, is that you?”

  Mom Missy’s voice was softer, but she clearly said, “Good God, I hope it’s him.”

  Penny waited just outside the door. I called in the direction of the bedroom, “Yes, I forgot my hat.”

  Mom Missy said, “Have a great night, sweetheart, but don’t come to the bedroom. We’re naked.”

  I laughed to myself. My moms didn’t keep any secrets. They didn’t know how. I said, “Thank you so much. I don’t know how I forgot it, but I’m off again. I’m running late for a party.”

  They shouted together, “Be safe,” and I heard more giggling as I stepped out the door.

  Turning to Penny, I said, “I hope you didn’t hear that.”

  “I did, and it’s so cute. You have to introduce me to your moms sometime. They must be the best if they raised a boy like you.”

  As I climbed back into the cab with my authentic cowboy hat in hand, the cab driver asked, “Did I miss a couple of months on the calendar? Is it Halloween already?”

  In a firm voice, Penny said, “No. It’s a costume party, and we’re running late. Could you step on it?”

  He was a New York cabbie, and he didn’t need the encouragement. I gripped the seat ahead of me with white knuckles at every intersection. When he stopped outside Ally’s building, Penny handed him cash, and I said, “I think we left my stomach behind back at 42nd Street.”

  “Well, we don’t have time to go find it,” said Penny. “You’ll just have to do without.”

  The party was already well underway when we entered. Marshall, a gallery owner friend of Ally’s, answered the door. He was dressed as the devil complete with red satin horns sticking up out of his thinning gray hair. I asked, “Where’s the hostess? I want to say hi.”

  Marshall turned and pointed toward the spitting image of Scarlett O’Hara complete with a hoop skirt that looked at least eight feet wide. Ally’s long dark hair, usually straight, fell in ringlets down the middle of her back.

  Penny whispered, “So much for any costume contest tonight if she’s having one. You look great, but, honestly, we’re not even in the same ballpark.”

  As we followed a zigzag path through the crowd to reach Ally, I kept my eyes peeled for Tate. I didn’t see him anywhere.

  Suddenly, Penny grabbed my arm, “Watch where you’re going. You’re stepping on Ally’s train. We’ll all end up in a heap on the floor.”

  I quickly backed up a moment before Ally turned in our direction. “Simon! Penny! Aren’t the two of you sweet? I’d offer a hug, but I think if you got close enough, I’d knock someone over behind me with the skirt.”

  We all laughed. I said, “It’s perfectly stunning. Did you bring Rhett with you?”

  Ally laughed. “Frankly, he couldn’t give a damn.”

  Penny grinned. “That’s a good one.”

  I tried to lean close enough to Ally that I could whisper. “I am looking for someone.”

  She canted her head to the side. “He’s over in the corner. He looks like a nervous wreck. Is that because he’s waiting for you?”

  I glanced toward the corner Ally indicated while trying not to look too obvious. At first, I didn’t see anyone like Tate, and then I realized one guest was at least two inches taller than anyone around him. I glanced back at Ally and asked, “Is that him?”

  “Unless some other man in black is going around introducing himself as Tate Matheson, yes.”

  Once I spotted Tate, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I could see the broad shoulders from across the room. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about his muscled body. ‘

  Without looking back, I said, “I need to go say hi. Thanks for pointing him out, Ally. Got to run, Penny. Got to go…” My voice trailed off as I found my way to the small buffet table, I started to pile bite-sized hors d’oeuvres onto a plate while I checked out Tate from only about ten feet away.

  He had a cape draped across his back, and the satiny black fabric underneath stretched tight across his broad, powerful chest. The shirt laced up loosely in front leaving plenty of the bare, smooth flesh exposed. If it weren’t for his size, I might have questioned whether it was really Tate. I couldn’t see the defining facial features. He had Zorro down pat complete with mask, black mustache, and hat. I swallowed hard when he raised his sword to demonstrate to the friends standing nearby his skill at outlining a perfect “Z.”

  My moms introduced me to Zorro with a picture book before I was old enough to go to school. He was a hero of the poor and dispossessed,
precisely the kind of champion my moms loved.

  Tate knew about the story, and we watched both of the recent Hollywood movies curled up on the couch together. He was my boyhood hero in the flesh. My heart pounded fiercely in my chest.

  Penny stepped up close to my shoulder and shoved lightly in the middle of my back. “Go say hi. Show him that his cowboy still cares.”

  I edged closer until I could see Tate’s eyes through the mask. He’d left the glasses at home and was back to his contact lenses, at least for the party. I caught his attention. I wondered if it was the first time he’d seen me at the party. The small crowd gathered around him were entranced by Zorro.

  As our eyes met, he slowly sheathed his sword, and he ignored the attention of the others. I watched as a smile curled the corners of his mouth beneath the mustache. With a slight nod of his head, Tate beckoned me forward.

  As the group sensed the connection between Tate and me, they slowly drifted away toward other conversations and left us in the corner to ourselves. Tate spoke first. He whispered, “And the perfect cowboy arrives. It’s the same outfit, isn’t it?”

  I was so used to hearing that big, booming Tate Matheson voice. The whispers were impossibly sexy. He was speaking only for me to hear, and he sounded uncharacteristically vulnerable.

  “My hero, and you know that.”

  He whispered again. “My cowboy.”

  I knew that he’d conquered me. With the costume and the whispers, he had me on the line, and he was reeling me in. I couldn’t think about the problems. I could only think about the great times and the body that lay beneath the black satin. That incredible body. Tate was a muscular rock, and he knew how to use the bulk to his advantage. He claimed that he’d not gone to bed with many men before me. If that were true, then he was a natural and versatile with a preference for driving me to the edge—over and over. He was born with a natural talent that shouldn’t go to waste.

  The party grew hazy around me. It was sorta like a dream. Everything else but Tate fell away, and I stepped forward to throw my arms around him. Ignoring looks and whispers from others, we kissed.

  It was gentle at first. Tate’s lips were like soft pillows, an incredible contrast to the powerful arms wrapping me up tight. I nibbled his bottom lip, and the light touch of my teeth set his passion free.

  Tate deftly lifted the hat from my head and reached around raking his fingers into my hair with the opposite hand. He gripped my body firmly holding me in place. Despite the fact I was out at a party with more than twenty people in the room that I considered friends, I moaned audibly as Tate’s tongue pushed into my mouth.

  My knees were weak, and I had to hold on to the black, satiny fabric to try and steady myself. The muscles of Tate’s back tensed and moved beneath my fingertips while he tilted his head and kissed harder teasing my tongue.

  Tate pulled his lips away from mine, and I stared up into his dark eyes. I mumbled, “Holy fuck.”

  He laughed softly. “We’d better get out of here before they kick us out.”

  “Do you want to leave with me? Are you sure about that?”

  “100%. I’ve missed my cowboy.” He paused for a moment. “That’s such a fucking understatement.”

  Excusing myself from Tate for a moment, I found Penny. She was already smiling broadly. “You don’t have to tell me anything. I’ll find a ride or call a cab. I’m so happy for you, Simon. Have a great night. Just make sure you tell me all the details later.”

  I kissed Penny with a quick peck on the cheek, and I thanked Ally for the fabulous party. Tate was already waiting for me by the door. A chill of excitement raced up my spine as the door closed behind us.

  Tate stopped at the top of the stairwell just outside Ally’s apartment. He asked, “Is that the first time you’ve worn that outfit since…?”

  I nodded. “Yes, I almost got rid of it six months ago. I couldn’t bear to wear it again, and I didn’t like seeing it in the closet, but then you said you’d be here, and I wanted to make sure you could find me.”

  “I guess it worked.”

  “And you—Zorro. Were you looking for something in particular?”

  “The sense of the miraculous in everyday life.”

  I sighed. “Aw, damn, my favorite quote.”

  “I remembered.”

  “After all these years. So what’s next?”

  Tate said, “It’s still early. Would you like a bite to eat—and a little conversation?”

  I didn’t have any idea where the night was leading. All I knew was that I’d likely never want it to end. Tate was mine again, if only for the next few hours. I told myself not to count the minutes. If I did that, I’d undoubtedly feel them slowly slipping away. I needed to stay in the present with the man of the moment, and that man was Tate.”

  9

  Tate

  I didn’t know what people would think seeing Zorro and a red-shirted cowboy spilling out onto the sidewalk from a SoHo apartment building in early July, but it was New York. It was a city where anything was possible. We were far from the most unusual sights that you could discover on any street corner.

  By the time we hit the sidewalk, we were both laughing. I asked, “Where do we go from here?”

  “That’s a huge question,” said Simon. “Do you mean in the sense of where tonight or in the 30,000 feet up view?”

  “Oh, man, I can’t tackle the big picture. Let’s just walk for now.” We turned north in the direction of Greenwich Village and joined the summer evening crowds strolling through the city.

  We were both struck dumb unable to think of anything to say, but I tried to focus on enjoying the fact that I was alone with Simon for the first time since he stormed out of my apartment. He appeared as happy to be with me as I was with him, but there were so many unanswered questions. I couldn’t ask most of them without making it sound like an interrogation.

  Barely three blocks away from Ally’s building, I heard a low rumble in the distance. Turning to face Simon, I asked, “Is that thunder?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know.” As he looked up toward the sky, he said, “Maybe it was only trucks making deliveries. You know how they grind along the cobblestones.”

  I followed Simon’s lead and gazed up expecting to see stars, but they were blotted out by clouds that ominously covered the entire sky. Almost as a reflex, I usually checked the weather forecast every time I prepared to leave my apartment. Unfortunately, I was so nervous about the party that all of my usual preparations for going out slipped my mind.

  “Is it supposed to rain?”

  Simon shrugged. “I’m the last person to ask about the weather forecast.” Then he held his hands out to his sides and smirked. “It’s starting. I feel raindrops.”

  In about thirty seconds, a sprinkle turned into a downpour, and bright bolts of lightning raced across the summer sky. It was like a strobe putting the buildings into sharp relief for a brief moment.

  I dashed to flatten myself up against the nearest building and reached out to pull Simon close. “Now what?”

  “I know a cute little diner with great coffee about two blocks away. Should we make a run for it?”

  “I’m game if you’re game.”

  We might as well have walked. It was raining so hard that it drenched us by the time we arrived at Four O’Clock Diner. We splashed through puddles along what was barely more than an alleyway on the edge of the Village and tried to avoid getting wet in sheets of rain. It was a lost cause. Amber light glowed from inside the diner, and half the tables were empty. It was the perfect port in a storm.

  Fortunately, both Zorro and the cowboy wore hats that kept our hair mostly dry. The rest of our garments weren’t so lucky. The rain plastered the black satiny fabric of my Zorro costume to my skin.

  As we sat, I removed the mask from my face and dropped it inside my hat resting upside down on the table. It didn’t take long for a server to arrive. She looked at me and said, “It’s a little wet out there, hun. Wou
ld you two like menus or do you know what you want?” She didn’t bat an eye at our costumes.

  I glanced across the table at Simon. He shrugged slightly. “How about two cups of coffee, and what kind of pie do you have?”

  She rattled off at least a dozen options. “Your choice.”

  As I ordered a slice of apple warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, Simon smiled. I’d missed that grin on his face so much. I wanted to reach across the table and kiss him.

  As our server stepped away, Simon leaned partway across the table. “Are we crazy?”

  “Maybe.”

  “How are you?”

  “Well, for still being addicted to an ex-boyfriend and suffering through having my big brother try to fix my life, I’m doing okay.” I smirked and then looked down.

  Simon reached his hands across the table, and he wove his fingers together with mine. “Did you say that you’re addicted to me?”

  I nodded. “I think that’s a fair assessment.” I’d stripped myself bare for Simon emotionally. I wanted to ask him about Hamish, but I sensed that it wasn’t the right time. I wanted him to know how much he was on my mind. I didn’t want it to be an obligation, but I hoped he felt at least a few of the same gut feelings.

  Simon squeezed my fingers and pulled his hand back. “What about your other cowboy?”

  I didn’t want to go there so quickly, but Simon jumped right in with his question to try and explore my private life. “My other cowboy?”

  “The one I saw at the Dog Diner. I’m sure you remember.”

  “Oh! You mean Ted?”

  “Is that his name?”

  I nodded. “He was with me that night. He’s my dancing buddy.”

  Simon tilted his head to the right. “Dancing?”

  “We go to Sagebrush. It’s a country western club, and three nights a week the dancing is gay-oriented. The rest of the time the straight folk take over.”

  “Does that mean Ted isn’t a boyfriend?”

  I shook my head. “Ted’s divorced, and we drown each other’s sorrows in two-step and line dances.”