Blaecleah Brothers 3
Cowboy Way Matthew McCallister knew coming out to his father, a very conservative minister, would be the end of life in his hometown. With his younger brother, Ruben, by his side, he flees their hometown only to be arrested for kidnapping and theft. But the sheriff of Cade Creek seems to believe in Matty's innocence and suggests that he and Ruben hide out at the Blaecleah ranch. Matty is in no way prepared for the Blaecleah family, especially Quaid Blaecleah. The man is gorgeous and kind, a combination Matty isn't used to in men he's attracted to. When Quaid proposes marriage as a way to save him from his father, Matty is terrified to agree because he's been used in the past. He's just as afraid to say no. Quaid intrigues Matty in a way he's never experienced. When Matty's father arrives in town and starts making threats, can Matty trust Quaid to keep him safe, or will he be burned again? Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary, Western/Cowboys Length: 45,920 words
COWBOY WAY Blaecleah Brothers 3
Stormy Glenn
EROTIC ROMANCE MANLOVE
Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove
COWBOY WAY Copyright © 2011 by Stormy Glenn E-book ISBN: 1-61034-574-6 First E-book Publication: June 2011 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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COWBOY WAY Blaecleah Brothers 3 STORMY GLENN Copyright © 2011
Chapter 1 “I’m gay.” Matthew “Matty” McCallister folded his hands together in his lap and waited for the fallout from his words. And the fallout would come. How could it not? His father was the Reverend Arthur McCallister, famous in their little town for his anti-gay crusades. His mother wasn’t much better. She had been under his father’s thumb since the day she had married him. She was the perfect minister’s wife…quiet, demure, and unassuming. She never raised her voice, kept the house impeccably neat and clean, and did whatever Arthur told her to do. Matty knew what his parents’ reactions would be. His parents would be incensed. They would never let any son of theirs be gay, like Matty had a choice. His parents believed he did. They believed that being gay was a matter of choice and that anyone that professed to be gay or chose to live that lifestyle should be locked away from good god-fearing folks. He doubted that he was going to be living under his father’s roof longer than it took for his father to throw him out. Luckily, Matty was expecting it. His bags and all of the worldly possessions he wanted to take with him were already packed and outside in his truck.
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That just left his younger brother, Ruben, in this little family saga. He didn’t know what Ruben would do. They had been fairly close when they were younger but had grown apart when Matty had left to go to college. Except for family holidays, Matty hadn’t been home in four years. The only reason Matty was back living at home was that he had finally graduated and was job-hunting. After experiencing life away from his father for four years, then coming home, he had quickly decided that he never wanted to live like he had again. College life had opened his eyes to the world around him. It had been hard to learn that his father’s beliefs were not realistic and to come to terms with his own sexual feelings for other men. But now that he had, he wasn’t going to live in a closet anymore, not even if it meant losing his family. “What did you say?” His father growled quietly. Matty winced at the barely controlled anger in his father’s voice. “I’m gay, Father. I like men…a lot. I do not like women, period. There will be no marriage between Susan and myself because I won’t be marrying her unless she gets a sex change and becomes a man.” “But, Matty, we’ve planned the engagement party for next month. What are we supposed to tell her parents? What will the neighbors think?” his mother added, confused. “No, Mother, you planned the engagement party for next month. I never agreed to it. I never agreed to any of it, including marrying Susan. And frankly, I don’t care what the neighbors think or what you tell her parents.” “Matty, you will not disrespect your mother like this. She has put a lot of work into this engagement party. You will not disappoint her. Now, forget all this gay stuff. You are not a fag. You will marry Susan and forget all of this nonsense.” Matty couldn’t help but smirk at his father’s words. The good reverend had spoken, and he fully expected to be obeyed. He thought
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he could just state his wishes and they would be followed. End of story. “No, Father, I will not. I am gay, plain and simple. Even if I had the choice, which I do not, I would still choose to be gay. I’m sorry that Mother had to put so much work into the engagement party, but I didn’t ask for her help. In fact, I never agreed to marry Susan at all.” “Now see here, you will forget all of this nonsense and marry Susan, or you will leave my house. I will not have a fag living under my roof.” By now, Arthur was standing, his fist banging down on the tabletop. Matty expected one of them to be aimed in his direction at any moment. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time his father had used his fists to get what he wanted. “I understand,” Matty replied as he stood to his feet. He glanced down at the pale, tear-stained face of his mother. “Mother, I do apologize for this mess. I never wanted it. Ruben, remember that I love you, and I hope that one day you will understand why I have to do this.” Without another word, Matty turned and started out of the room. He could hear his mother softly crying in the background, his father yelling about what a sodomite and fag he was and how he was going to go to hell. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t expected. Matty jumped when his father’s hand wrapped around his arm. He readied himself to be hit. “If you leave, you won’t get a penny, Matty McCallister. I will write you out of my will, and you won’t get anything. I’ll leave it all to your brother. You’ll be dead to us,” his father yelled after him. “I understand.” Matty pulled his arm away from his father’s grip and tried to walk calmly from the room. He wanted to run. He could hear his father still yelling even as he shut the front door behind him and was surprised he had made it that far without at least one punch from his father. He had been lucky.
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He was briefly saddened by having to leave his brother and mother. He would miss them. But his brother was finally old enough to be on his own. Just one of the reasons Matty had waited until now to say anything to his family. His brother was in college now and was old enough to leave home if he wanted. His mother was…well, his mother. Matty doubted she would ever leave his father. She didn’t have the backbone for it. Matty hated to leave her there with his father, but not matter how much of an asshole Arthur McCallister might be, he had never laid a hand on his mother. Matty climbed into his truck and started the engine. With one long look at the house he had grown up in for most of his life, he pulled away from the curb and headed out. He wasn’t sure where he was headed. He just knew it was away from here. Everything he owned in the world was packed in the back of his truck. Thank goodness for canopies because while he didn’t have much, at least he could keep it dry. And it really wasn’t much. Mostly clothes and a few personal items that he hadn’t wanted to leave behind. He had sixteen thousand dollars in the bank, a gift from his parents. They had given him five thousand dollars when he graduated from high school and another ten thousand dollars when he had graduated from college. Who knew it would come in handy like it would? But he knew the minute his father remembered the money he would try to get it back, maybe even try to have Matty arrested for stealing. But Matty wasn’t that stupid. He had taken photocopies of the check before he had cashed it then had all of the money deposited in his new bank account. His father had access to his old one. He wouldn’t hesitate to withdraw it if he could. His father would spit kittens when he figured out that Matty was using it to set himself up in a new life. Which he would have to do because he had no place to live and no prospects for a job. He wasn’t likely to get a job in the little town that
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he lived in now that he had come out to his family. His father would see to that. Reverend McCallister held a lot of weight in this tiny town. That was okay with Matty, though. He had no intention of staying around here. There was a big world out there waiting for him. He had a degree, money in the bank, and all of his worldly possessions. He was ready to move on to his new life. Matty was just reaching the outskirts of town when his phone rang. Flipping it open, he saw that it was Ruben calling. Oh, man, how was this conversation going to go? Would Ruben say that he hated him, too? With serious misgivings, Matty hit the call button. “Hello?” “Matty?” “Yes, Ruben?” He could hear the quiet hesitation in Ruben’s voice. “Can you meet me down at the Tastee-Freez? I need to talk to you before you go.” Matty thought about it for a few minutes before answering. “Does Father know you’re calling me?” “Are you kidding? You’re name has been outlawed at home. Mom’s taken a sedative and Father is in his study drinking. You really threw the parents for a loop.” “I’m really sorry about that, Ruben. I hope that none of this comes back on you. I didn’t want that. I was just…” Matty tried to explain. “Look, Matty, can you just meet me at the Tastee-Freez? I really need to talk to you.” Matty sighed deeply. “Yeah, okay. I’m down by Old Thomas Road. I’ll be there in ten minutes, okay?” “Thanks, Matty. I’ll be waiting.” Matty hung up his phone, wondering why Ruben needed to talk to him. He was really hoping Ruben wouldn’t try and talk him into coming home. There was no way that he could. He was gay, and his father would never let him live at home if he was.
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Pulling into the parking lot of the Tastee-Freez a few minutes later, he saw his brother sitting at a picnic table on the side of the building. Luckily, it was still early enough in the day that the little ice cream parlor hadn’t opened yet, and no one was about. Matty climbed out of his car and walked over to his brother and sat down. He folded his hands together in front of him to keep Ruben from seeing them tremble. He was nervous about what Ruben had to say to him, that he might hate him. “Ruben.” He nodded. Ruben glanced up at his then quickly back down at his fingers, twisting them around. Matty could see that he was just as nervous as he was. “Ruben,” he began only to be interrupted by Ruben. “Did you mean what you said? Are you really gay?” Matty inhaled deeply before letting it out. “Yes, I’m really gay.” “Oh, thank god!” Ruben whispered, dropping his head into his hands. What? Ruben was glad that he was gay? What was going on here? Why would Ruben be glad that he was gay? “Ruben?” he asked, confused. Ruben looked up at Matty, the desperation clear on his face. “Take me with you.” “What? I can’t take you with me. What about school? And Mother? You know if I took you with me, Father will disown you just like he did me. You’ll have no place to live, no job, nothing. No, that wouldn’t be a good idea.” “Matty—” “Ruben, you just need to go home and not make any waves. Father will get over his little tiff soon enough. Once I’m gone, he’ll move on to his next crusade, and you’ll be fine.” “Matty—”
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“Look, Ruben, I don’t know when I’ll be back this way, or if I even will. But I’ll find a way to stay in contact with you. When you get out of school, maybe we can—” “Matty, I’m gay.” “Get together but until then you need to—what did you say?” Matty asked suddenly as Ruben’s words sank into his head. “I’m gay, Matty,” Ruben repeated, as he watched Matty stare at him, his mouth hanging open in shock. “Matty, your mouth is hanging open.” Matty snapped his mouth closed, his eyes still intent on Ruben. “Ruben, if you’re just saying this because—” “I’ve known I was gay since I was fifteen years old.” “Since you were fifteen? Why didn’t you say anything?” Ruben just stared at him until Matty began to chuckle. “Okay, I guess I can see that. But why tell me now?” “I can’t live like this anymore, Matty. I didn’t know you were gay until today, but if I had, I would have suggested we leave long before now, at least as soon as I graduated high school and turned eighteen.” “Are you sure you want to leave?” Ruben nodded. “Can you imagine what life will be like in the McCallister household now that you’ve come out of the closet? Granted, my prospects haven’t been all that good, but I’ll never get a date in this town now. And I don’t want to stay single for the rest of my life.” “Well, shit, isn’t Reverend McCallister going to spit purple kittens when he finds out both of his sons are fags.” Matty chuckled. “I can pay my own way, Matty, so I don’t want you to worry about that. I still have all of the money that the parents gave me when I graduated from high school, plus what I’ve been able to add to it. I’ve kind of been saving it up for a day like this.” “I have the money they gave me when I graduated from high school and college, too,” Matty added.
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“Then we should be fine. I have just a little over seven thousand dollars, from when I graduated from high school and another two thousand from summer jobs. Together I would say we have enough to set us up quite nicely in another town. We just have to decide where that town is going to be. Any ideas?” “As long as it is away from here, I don’t much care. I say that we drive until we find what we’re looking for.” “Sounds good to me.” “Are you sure about this, Ruben? Do you really want to leave home and move away from Mother? That’s a big step. You’re going to have to drop out of school and everything.” Ruben nodded. “I’m sure. I’m going to miss Mother, but there’s nothing I can do about it. She’s firmly under Father’s thumb. I’ve thought about this for a long time. I was planning on leaving after I graduated from college anyway. This just ups my timeline a little. Why do you think I’ve been saving up my money?” “What about your stuff?” Ruben chuckled and pointed towards the side of the building. Matty turned his head to see several suitcases and a couple of boxes sitting beside the building. “Already taken care of.” “What would you have done if I had said no?” Matty asked as he turned back to face Ruben. “Begged.” Ruben laughed. “Okay, okay. Let’s get your stuff loaded and get out of here. One question, though. Can Father get to your bank account? If your money is in there, he’ll try to get it out.” Ruben shook his head. “I’m not that stupid, Matty. I transferred everything to another bank a couple of years ago. I told Father that my job would only do direct deposit with one certain bank, so I opened an account with them.” “Has he deposited any money into that account since then?” “Yeah, for my birthday. Why?”
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“‘Cause he’s going to try to get it. We need to stop by the bank on the way out of town and transfer that money to another account or take it out of the bank. Father’s going to hit the roof when he figures out you’re gone, too.” “I told Mother that I was going to go stay at a friend’s house until Father calmed down. I should have a few days before he figures things out. Drew is going to deliver a letter to Mother as soon as I call him and give him the word. I don’t want her to worry.” Matty nodded. He didn’t want his mother to worry either, and she would. He already had plans on calling her occasionally to keep in touch. No matter what, she was still his mother, and he loved her. It wasn’t her fault his father was an asshole. “Let’s get going. I want to get as much of the road between us and Father as possible before he blows.” “Yeah,” Ruben agreed. “That’s going to be ugly.” Matty and Ruben quickly loaded his stuff into the car. Between their two collections of stuff, there was barely enough room left in the cab of truck for the two of them. One quick stop at the bank to transfer Ruben’s money to a new account and they were finally on the road. They made four hundred miles, nearly all the way to the state line, before the police pulled them over, their lights flashing and guns drawn. Matty and Ruben carefully put their hands out the window for the police to see and waited. “Slowly reach out and open the door from the outside. No sudden moves,” the police officer said to them. Matty and Ruben obeyed, opening their doors from the outside, and slowly stepped out of the truck. “Now put your hands on the hood.” Matty put his hands on the hood, looking across to Ruben, rolling his eyes. “Just do whatever they say, Ruben. We haven’t done anything wrong.”
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Ruben nodded, wincing when the police officer behind him pulled his arms back and cuffed him. Matty tried to keep his eyes on Ruben as he was escorted to the back of a police vehicle and locked in the backseat. Ruben was escorted to another vehicle after being read his rights and placed under arrest. Matty couldn’t hear what the charges were, but he knew his father had something to do with it. Arthur McCallister had a lot of power and knew how to use it.
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Chapter 2 Matty sat in the interrogation room so worried for his brother that he was starting to go out of his mind. He knew what would happen to Ruben if their father got his hands on him. Arthur McCallister believed that a gay man could be turned straight with the right medical and psychological treatment, like shock therapy, starvation, aversion therapy, and other stuff that Matty didn't even want to think about. He was afraid that his father would subject Ruben to those methods if he found out that he was gay. He had seen him advise it to his parishioners time and time again. He truly believed that a gay person could be made straight. Matty turned to look as the door opened and a man walked in. He was dressed as a sheriff and had a small manila folder in his hands, which he set down on the table between them, taking a seat across from Matty. He looked to be about forty or so. He seemed too young to be a sheriff deputy, but what did Matty know? He was rather good looking, though. “I’m Sheriff John Riley. Your name is Matthew Jacob McCallister?” “Yes, sir,” Matty replied, silently thanking his mother for teaching him to be respectful towards law enforcement personnel. It usually paid to be polite. “How old are you, Mr. McCallister?” the man asked without looking up from his paperwork. “Twenty-five.” Matty tried to smile, to appear friendly.
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“And the young man with you is—” “Ruben James McCallister, my younger brother. He’s twenty-two, sir.” The sheriff nodded as he read his notes. Finally he looked up at Matty, a question in his eyes. “Do you know why you were detained, Mr. McCallister?” “I’m not real sure, but I know it has something to do with my father, Reverend Arthur McCallister. I assume it has something to do with either kidnapping my younger brother or stealing money.” The sheriff’s eyebrows shot up nearly to his hairline at Matty’s easy words. “You don’t seem to be surprised that you have been detained, Mr. McCallister. Why is that?” Matty shrugged. “My father hates me. He’d do anything to get rid of me. Now that my brother is with me, he has even more reason to hate me. In the mind of the good reverend, I am the devil incarnate.” “Why would your father hate you? What did you do that was so bad?” “I’m gay.” That was simple, wasn’t it? Unless the sheriff hated gays as much as his father did. Then he could be in deep shit, his brother, too, assuming they weren’t already. The police couldn’t hold them because they were gay, could they? The sheriff just stared at Matty, his mouth hanging open for several moments before he threw back his head laughing. Matty didn’t see anything he said as being that funny, but he did like the way the sheriff’s eyes lit up when he laughed. It was nice. It made him look less intimidating. Finally, the sheriff stopped laughing. “I do apologize, Mr. McCallister. That was uncalled for.” “It’s okay,” Matty replied. “However, you are correct in the fact that your father, Arthur McCallister, has filed charges against you for the unlawful detaining of your brother, Ruben, and the theft of over twenty thousand dollars. Care to explain this?”
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“Ruben came with me of his own free will. In fact, he was the one that asked me if I would take him with me when I left. You can ask him. As for the money, it was a gift from my father when I graduated from high school and college. I have a photocopy of the checks in my wallet.” Matty stood up and turned around to show the sheriff the wallet in his back pocket. He felt the sheriff pull the wallet out of his pocket. He turned around and sat back down, watching as the sheriff opened his wallet. “There it is, the white paper folded on the left.” The sheriff pulled the paper out and opened it up, reading over it before looking back up at Matty. “Why do you have a photocopy of checks in your pocket, Mr. McCallister?” “Because I know my father and I knew this would happen the minute I told him I was gay.” Matty looked at the clock on the wall. “Which was about ten hours ago. My father kicked me out of the house and told me never to come back. Oh, he also told me that he was going to cut me out of his will. However, that money was already mine.” “I’m afraid that a photocopy of a check will not clear you.” “Call the bank. Ask for Sara Wilson. I’ve known her since kindergarten. She was the teller the day my father gave me the money. She can verify that he was with me and he voluntarily transferred the money into my account. In the back of my truck is a file folder. My bank statements are in there. You will find a statement that also mentions the five thousand dollars he transferred to my account when I graduated from high school. The account numbers should match.” The sheriff nodded. “Okay, I’ll do that.” “You might also want to verify that he transferred five thousand into my brother’s account when he graduated from high school. Once my father finds out that Ruben is here voluntarily, he’s going to file charges against him, too.” “You seem to be very prepared for this, Mr. McCallister.”
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“Like I said, I know my father. He believes that gays should all be rounded up and kept away from good god-fearing folks. He also believes in aversion therapy for gays. He’s almost fanatical about it.” “Then why in the hell would you come out to him?” “Because I refuse to live my life by his rules. I’m gay. So what? I’m not hurting anyone. I don’t break laws. Hell, I haven’t even had a parking ticket my entire life. But I will not live a lie.” The sheriff nodded his head. “I guess I can understand that, and it’s commendable. But it also may have gotten you into a lot of shit. Was it worth it?” “Getting away from my father or coming out of the closet?” “Either…both?” The sheriff shrugged. “Take your pick.” Matty chuckled. “Yeah, it was worth it, even if it’s just knowing that I finally had the guts to tell my father the truth. For a man that has made it his mission in life to wipe out gays, he has to be steaming mad right about now. He just found out that his oldest son is gay, and he’s about to find out that his youngest son, and his last hope, is also gay. He’s going to shit!” “Ruben is gay, too?” he asked, surprised. Matty nodded. “Yeah, that’s why he wanted me to take him with me. He didn’t like looking forward to life at home after I left. I can’t say that I blame him.” The sheriff stood up, nodding his head. He grabbed the folder and ticked it under his arm. “I’m going to go make a few phone calls. It shouldn’t take too long, then I have to talk to your brother. Is there anything can have one of my deputies get you in the meantime?” Matty shook his head. “No. But please tell my brother that I’m fine. I’m sure he’s worried out of his mind.” He watched the sheriff nod and turn to walk out of the room. ****
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“Matthew McCallister,” the sheriff said as he walked into the interrogation room an hour later, “you are free to go. As far as I am concerned, all charges have been dropped against you. As sheriff of Cade Creek, I apologize for the mix-up. If you’re interested, I will provide you with a copy of my report clearing you of all charges.” Matty quickly stood up and turned around so that the sheriff could uncuff him. He rubbed his wrists as he turned back to face him. “Thank you, sheriff.” “I have just a few things to say to you and your brother and then you are free to go.” Matty looked at him curiously, his head cocked to one side. The door opened and a large burly looking deputy escorted Ruben into the room. Matty nearly jumped across the room to grab Ruben and hug him. “Ruben, are you okay, man?” Ruben wrapped his arms around Matty in a large hug. “Yeah, I’m good. But I was scared that Father was going to come take me back home, though. You said he’d do something like this. I just didn’t believe it. He’s finally gone off his rocker.” Matty nodded as he patted Ruben on the back. “Yeah, but the sheriff says we can go. He just has a few last things he needs to talk to us about then we can leave.” Matty gestured to the chair for his little brother to sit in, standing behind him as they face the sheriff. “You were saying, sheriff?” “I have a few bits of advice for you both. The first one—get a lawyer and fast.” “But I thought you said I wasn’t being charged?” Matty questioned. “You’re not, as far as I am concerned. Sheriff Martin and your father are another thing entirely. The good sheriff bought everything your father sold him, hook, line, and sinker. He’s ready to lock you up and throw away the key. He’s absolutely convinced that Matty is going to sexually assault you, Ruben, and turn you gay.”
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“That’s crazy,” Ruben said. “I’ve known I was gay since I was fifteen years old. Matty had nothing to do with it.” “I know that, Ruben, but your father and Sheriff Martin are another story. What I would like to do is have each of you give a written statement concerning this situation. That, along with your interrogation videos of the events and the evidence Matty provided with me will help keep you safe. I would suggest getting it to the state police and having them review it.” “You think it’s that bad?” “Oh yes. Now, I’ve bought you some time. When I talked to Sheriff Martin, I didn’t tell him that I was holding you.” Lucas started chuckling. “In fact, I told him I wanted to know as much information as I could so that I could keep my streets nice and clean for good godfearing folks.” Matty chuckled. “I can just see Sheriff Martin buying that. The good sheriff is a regular fixture at my father’s church and falls for everything my father feeds him. I can just imagine what he might have told you.” “So, they don’t know where we are?” Ruben asked quietly. Matty reached down and rubbed his brother’s shoulder. He could feel how tense Ruben was in the bunched muscles beneath his hand. Maybe he shouldn’t have brought Ruben with him? “Not as far as I can see, but who knows. I guess it depends on how much of my bull the sheriff bought. But you do need to take steps to keep yourselves safe. I seriously doubt that this is over with.” “Well, shit!” Matty swore as he ran his hand through his dark brown hair. “All right, what do you need from us?” “I want you to write down your statements. Your statements, the interrogation videos, Matty’s bank statement, and the photocopy of your father’s checks should be enough to get to the state police. But I need to know this, if we can prove your innocence with the state police, do you want your father charged?” “Charged? Charged with what?”
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“Well, right now it’s nothing more than filing a false police report. However, that all depends on what happens with the banking stuff. The state police would be better at looking into that. I have a friend up in the state capitol. I’ll give him a call and see what he says.” Ruben looked at Matty. Matty looked back. “Look, sheriff, we just want him to leave us alone to live our lives the way we want. As long as he does that, I guess not. But, if he persists, then yeah, charge him,” Matty answered quietly. “Good enough.” The sheriff nodded. “Until I get the go-ahead from the state police, I’d advise you to stick around. No one knows you’re here at this point. So, you have a little time. And it’s not like we are on the beaten path here in Cade Creek.” “Is there a hotel here in town where we can stay?” “There is, but I’d like to suggest something else if I may.” Matty nodded. “I have some friends that live on a ranch just outside of town. If your father and Sheriff Martin are looking for you, it might be a good idea if you stayed out of the way. Let me give them a call and see if they can put you up for a few days. They’re good people.” “Will they have a problem with us?” “Because you’re gay?” Matty nodded again. “No.” The sheriff nodded. “I just attended the wedding of their son, Lachlan, to his husband, Asa, last month. That’s one of the reasons I suggested the Blaecleahs. Being gay is not an issue in that family.” Matty looked over at Ruben. He could see the exhaustion and worry in his eyes. He was trying to hold up a brave front, but he was beat. He could use a good night’s rest without the worry that their father might find them. Looking at the sheriff again, he tried to give him a small smile. “I would appreciate it, Sheriff. I think both Ruben and I could use a
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good night’s rest. Maybe we could come by in the morning and give our statements?” “That would be fine. I’ll just give the Blaecleahs a call real quick.” Matty nodded and watched the sheriff walk out of the room before turning to his brother. “Well, what do you think?” “This is freaking unbelievable, Matty.” Ruben rubbed his hand over his jaw. “Father has finally lost his mind. He tried to have you charged with kidnapping. Just how crazy is he?” Matty shrugged. “I don’t really have an answer for that, Ruben. I knew he was obsessive over this whole gay thing, but I thought he’d just kick me out and never speak to me again. I didn’t think he’d sic the law on me.” Ruben frowned. “Then why the whole thing with the checks?” “Because I’m not stupid.” Matty snickered. “Father arranges things in his mind to fit his needs. I’m sure right now he is totally convinced that I stole that money. In his mind, I did. I took what didn’t belong to me because I am no longer the good son. I’m evil incarnate.” Ruben was silent for so long that Matty began to grow concerned. His head had dropped down as if he stared at his feet. When Ruben looked up, a single tear was trailing down his cheek. “Ruben?” Matty asked quietly. “Do you know how scared I was when I figured out that I preferred men? I was positive that you would hate me and never speak to me again. It broke my heart to think you would never love me again.” “Oh, Ruben, no.” Matty quickly walked over and squatted down in front of Ruben’s chair. He grabbed Ruben’s face between his hands. “I’m your brother. I will always love you, no matter what.” “Have you ever…” Matty frowned at the slight flush that suddenly filled his brother’s face. “Have I ever what?”
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Ruben shrugged, glancing quickly away. “You know.” Matty smiled when he figured out what Ruben was asking. “Yeah, but I waited until after I left home. I didn’t think that starting anything at home with anyone was as good idea.” “What was it like?” Ruben whispered. Matty frowned. “You haven’t—” Ruben shook his head then laughed harshly. “Who with? Everyone at home is too afraid of Reverend McCallister pointing them out and branding them as a queer. I couldn’t even get a guy to look at me.” Matty patted Ruben’s hand. “Well, don’t be in any hurry. Take your time and find someone you really want to share that with, someone special. Sex for the sake of sex isn’t that exciting and kind of leaves you with an empty feeling inside.” “You sound like it’s happened to you.” “It has. When I arrived at college and was out from under Father’s thumb, I went a little wild. I wanted to experience everything.” Matty laughed bitterly as he thought of all the things he had done. “I think I probably did, but after awhile, I noticed that there was something missing. It was cold and unemotional. There was no connection with anyone I was with, just sex. And, as good as that can be, it just doesn’t mean the same unless you’re with someone you care about.” “Did you have someone you cared about?” “Not exactly.” Ruben frowned. “Then how can you know?” “It’s what I have to believe. If sex doesn’t get better when there is an emotional connection, then what’s the point?” “I don’t know, getting off?” Matty stood up and walked to the chair across the table from his brother. He wished he had some way to explain to Ruben what he felt. It was just too hard to put into words. He knew he spoke the truth though.
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“Sex without an emotional connection is cold, Ruben. It’s an intimate act no matter what anyone says. Yes, you get off, hopefully, but afterwards, the guy leaves. You might never even see him again. For me, it’s just not worth it. I’d rather be celibate.” “I am celibate.” Ruben snorted. “I’d like to not be. I’d like to find out for myself how it can be.” “And you can, just don’t jump into bed with the first guy you meet. Make sure there’s something, and someone, there for you afterwards. Try to find someone that wants to know you out of bed as well as in it.” “I have to find someone first.” “True, and maybe now you will have the chance. I think things might be a little different here.” Matty grimaced as he reached across the table for his brother’s hand. “At least, I’m hoping things are different here, for both of us.” Matty jumped up when the door suddenly opened and the sheriff walked in. “Did you talk with your friends?” “I did, and Mrs. Blaecleah told me to bring you on out. She’s a sweet woman and has a heart of gold. But be forewarned, she will mother you to death. My advice is to let her. It’s just easier that way.” Matty and Ruben followed the sheriff outside. He was surprised to find his truck parked right in front of the sheriff’s office. He gestured for Ruben to get in then turned to the sheriff. “We’ll just follow you, if that’s okay?” The sheriff smiled and nodded. “The Blaecleah ranch isn’t too far out, not more than fifteen minutes. Just stay on my tail.” Matty nodded and climbed into his truck. He turned on the engine and the headlights then waited for the sheriff to pull out. Once they pulled out and got onto the road, Matty turned to look at his brother. Ruben looked nervous. He kept twisting his hands together in his lap and biting his lower lip. “Ru, you okay?” Ruben sent him a weak smile. “I’m scared out of my mind. What if these people are just like Father?”
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“The sheriff told me that he just got done attending the wedding of their son to another man last month. No one could be that bad if they celebrated their son’s gay wedding, right?” “You got me.” Ruben shrugged. “I never imagined having anyone to date, let alone getting married.” “Yeah, me either.” But Matty began to wonder what it would be like to be accepted into a family that not only understood that he was gay but celebrated when he found the man he wanted to marry. Marriage to another man was so out of his realm of reality that he had never even considered it. Matty wondered what it would be like, coming home every night to the same person, having someone there to lean on, having the love of one person. It was almost a fairy tale like he had read about in the romance novels he’d snuck into his room and read. It seemed unreal. “Have you ever thought about getting married, Ruben?” “No, not really. I mean, I’ve always wanted to, but after watching what Mother goes through with Father, I’m not sure marriage is for me. I don’t think I want to be tied down to someone that rules my every thought.” “I don’t think marriage is supposed to be like that, Ruben.” He hoped not, anyway, or he wouldn’t want to be married either. “I haven’t had another example.” “Yeah, me either, but I can hope mother and father are just the exception and not the rule.” “Geez, Matty, I just want to go out on a date with someone. I’m not asking for marriage here.” Matty chuckled as he followed the sheriff’s truck and turned down a dirt road. “This must be it.” “This place is amazing,” Ruben said. “I wonder what it looks like in the daytime.” Matty had to agree. Trees surrounded several acres of field, making the place look like its own little valley. Two white houses sat at the end of a long driveway, a large barn and fenced paddocks off to
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one side. Another house was being built just off to the far side of the main place near the trees. It was a farm, but it looked so serene it seemed like it came from a picture book. Matty pulled to a stop beside the sheriff and turned off the engine. He watched the front door open, and several people walked out to stand on the porch. The sheriff jumped out of his truck and walked up to the people. They started talking, the sheriff gesturing back to Matty and Ruben several times. Matty reached over and grabbed his brother’s hand. “Are you ready for this?” “If they’re mean, we’re leaving, right?” “If they say anything that makes you uncomfortable, we’ll leave. We can always find another place to hide.” “I just wish we were starting our new life instead of trying to hide from Father.” Matty turned to look at the people gathered on the porch. They seemed friendly enough even if they were watching Matty and Ruben with curiosity. The door opened, and someone else stepped out onto the porch. Matty’s breath caught in his throat as the tall man stepped into the light and he got his first good look at him. “Maybe it’s both.”
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Chapter 3 Quaid glanced at the strange truck parked in the driveway next to the sheriff’s vehicle. He could see two people sitting inside, but that was about it. There wasn’t enough light to see who it was, just two figures. He didn’t even know if they were male or female. “Quaid, did you get the guest room set up as I asked?” “Yes, Ma, got the bed all made up and clean towels in the bathroom, just like you asked.” Quaid sent his Ma a smile then turned his attention back to the people in the truck. He didn’t have a clue who they were, but something in his gut was telling him something momentous was about to happen. “Sheriff, why don’t you go ask your friends to come on inside,” Ma said. “I have a pot of tea on the stove.” Yes, sheriff, ask them to come in, Quaid thought to himself. He watched Sheriff Riley walk down the steps and over to the strangers’ truck. A window was rolled down, and the sheriff talked for a moment. Quaid held his breathe as the window was rolled back up and the truck doors opened. One figure hurried around the truck from the passenger side and joined the other one and the sheriff. Quaid couldn’t begin to say what had him so tense, but something did. He felt like he stood on the edge of a precipice, waiting to see if he was going to stay on the rim of fall over the side. His heart began to beat faster as the two figures followed the sheriff into the light cast down from the porch. The man held Quaid
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spellbound. He couldn’t have looked away if the barn was on fire— again. The man’s face was kindled with a passionate sort of beauty. His facial bones were delicately curved, his mouth full with pouty lips. His dark brows and eyes were startling against his fair skin. Waves of shoulder length curly hair the color of wheat fields hung delicately around his perfect face. His body was compact and small, his hips slim, but he stood proudly as if daring anyone to comment about his lack of size. He couldn’t have been taller than the middle of Quaid’s chest. And he moved with a sensuality that set Quaid’s blood on fire. He was breathtaking, and that’s exactly what he did, take Quaid’s breathe away. He felt like he couldn’t drag enough air into his lungs. He’d never seen someone so beautiful in all of his life. When the man’s coppery eyes looked over at him, Quaid swallowed hard. He felt like he had been touched by an angel. It was a feeling he had never encountered before and confused the hell out of him. He certainly didn’t understand the growl that began to grow in his throat when those deep copper eyes looked away from him and at his brother, Seamus. He didn’t want the gorgeous man looking at anyone but him. Quaid wanted his full attention. Quaid stepped forward when the sheriff escorted the two men up the steps of the porch. He had to make himself known, to get the man’s eyes back on him. He needed it more than he needed his next breathe. “This is Matthew and Ruben McCallister,” the sheriff said as he gestured to the two men. “They’re in a spot of trouble and need a place to sit back and regroup. I couldn’t think of a safer place for them to be than here. I hope you don’t mind.” Matthew or Ruben, which one was his beauty? Quaid had to know. He held out his hand to the man with the soulful eyes. “I’m Quaid Blaecleah. If there’s any way that I can help, just ask.”
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“Uh, Matthew McCallister,” the man murmured as he reached out to shake Quaid’s hand. Quaid didn’t miss the man’s sudden inhale when their skin made contact or the widening of his eyes. He knew Matthew had felt the same tingle he did when their hands pressed against each other. “It’s nice to meet you, Matthew.” The man flushed as he pulled his hands away and rubbed it against his other one. “Please, call me Matty. No one calls me Matthew.” “Then I shall be the only one.” Quaid could feel the confused stare of his family members. He knew he was acting out of character. Quaid didn’t have a reputation for being quite so gracious. He just couldn’t seem to stop himself. Matthew fascinated him in a way no one ever had before. “Quaid, let the boys into the house,” Ma said as she opened the screen door. “I imagine they need a bit of rest and something to eat.” Quaid instantly felt like the world’s biggest jerk. He could see the hesitancy in Matthew’s eyes. Roland looked even worse. Worry and fear rolled off both men in waves. Matthew and Ruben had been through something horrible, and they were terrified. Quaid almost growled. He just barely kept the sound behind his teeth as he gestured toward the door. “Ma will take good care of you. You should come inside where it’s warm.” Matthew started herding Ruben toward the door, glancing over his shoulder at Quaid until he walked through it and the screen closed behind him. Quaid immediately crossed his arms over his chest and turned his attention to the sheriff. “Tell me what’s going on,” he demanded. “I’m not sure that’s my right, Quaid. Their story is theirs to tell.” Quaid narrowed his eyes. “I need to know everything if I’m going to protect them.” The sheriff glanced over at Quaid’s Da for a moment. Da just shrugged. “Quaid, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you but—”
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“Just give me the short version then.” Quaid gestured to the house with his hand. “I doubt those two are in any condition to talk right now, and I need to know what sort of danger they are in.” And Quaid knew they were in danger. He could feel it in his bones. Someone was after Matthew and Ruben and meant them harm, someone dark and menacing. It was like an evil touch that sent a chill up Quaid’s spine. He didn’t know how he knew someone with vile intentions was after Matthew and Ruben. He just did. “The boys came out to their father. He apparently had a huge issue with it. He tried to say that Matthew stole some money and kidnapped his younger brother. I arrested the boys after receiving an APB on them. After talking with them, and making a few phone calls, I was able to determine that their father is full of shit.” “However?” “I believe their father is still after them, and he has that sheriff in his podunk town believing every word that comes out of his mouth. Until I can get my evidence to the state police, I think it’s better if the boys stay hidden.” Quaid began getting angrier with each word the sheriff spoke. He kept his arms crossed over his chest just to keep from slamming his fists into the side of the house. His Da would have his hide if messed up Ma’s pretty house. Gaining control of his anger wasn’t quite as easy as gaining control of his body. Quaid had never been one to act rashly, but at the moment, he wanted to pound his fists into Matthew and Ruben’s father. The man didn’t deserve sons like them. “What do you need from us?” “Just keep an extra eye out and keep an eye on Matty and Ruben. They were pretty shook up when they were brought into the station.” Sheriff Riley shoved his hands into his pockets as he shook his head. “You should have seen them, Quaid. They were absolutely terrified. In all my time as a police officer, I’ve never once been ashamed of my chosen profession until today.”
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“It wasn’t your fault, sheriff,” Da said. “You were just doing your job, and I’m sure once they calm down, Matty and Ruben will understand that. Don’t take this on yourself. Use that anger to help keep these boys safe.” The sheriff nodded, but Quaid doubted he would heed Da’s words. The sheriff was a good man. Knowing that he had arrested two innocent people and scared them to death wouldn’t sit well with him. That’s one of the things Quaid liked about the sheriff. The man had a strong sense of honor. Too bad he did nothing for Quaid. He preferred angels. “Matthew and Ruben will be safe here.” The sheriff quirked an eyebrow and stared intently at Quaid for several moments before nodding his head. He pushed the tip of his cowboy hat back with his thumb. “You just remember that those two boys have been through a lot and I don’t think it’s over.” “How can it be?” Quaid asked. “Anyone that wants Matthew and Ruben enough to get the police involved is hell-bent on getting them.” “I’d suggest parking their truck somewhere out of the way. I’ll put it into my report that I released Matthew and Ruben and followed them to the county line. If anyone comes looking for them, that should give us a few more days, but don’t expect this trouble just to disappear.” “We’ll keep an eye out, sheriff, don’t worry,” Da said. “No one comes onto Blaecleah land anymore without us knowing about it. We learned our lesson when Clem Thornton tried to kill Lachlan and Asa by burning the barn down. We don’t take chances anymore.” Especially now, Quaid thought to himself. He wasn’t going to let anyone hurt Matthew and his brother again. Quaid held his hand out to the sheriff, grateful the man had thought of their farm when looking for a safe place to hide Matthew and Ruben. “I’ll take good care of them, sheriff. If you hear anything, please let us know.”
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The sheriff gave Quaid a peculiar look then shook his hand. “I’ll do that.” Quaid tried not to look anxious as he watched the sheriff walk to his car and get in then drive back down the driveway. It was all he could do to keep standing on the front porch until the man’s taillights disappeared from sight. Once they had, he quickly turned to go back into the house. “Quaid, son, I’d like a word with you before you head on in.” Quaid gritted his teeth but stayed behind when his brothers walked into the house. He just knew he wasn’t going to like what his Da had to say, but he also knew he had to listen. He’d no more disrespect his father than he would cut off his arm. “Those two boys in there have been through enough,” Da said as he walked over to sit on the porch swing. He pushed with his foot and started the swing moving. “I saw the way you looked at that boy.” “He’s a man, Da.” “He’s a scared man.” Quaid rolled his eyes. “He’s still a man, Da.” “No man looks at another one the way you looked at Matthew without wanting something.” Quaid ground his teeth together to keep from snapping at his father. The way the man just continued to casually swing as if he wasn’t destroying Quaid’s world drove him crazy. “So, what if I do want something from him?” “Then you’re thinking of yourself and not what Matty needs.” Quaid opened his mouth to argue then snapped it shut when he realized his Da was right. He’d been thinking of nothing but making Matthew his since the moment he spotted him. He hadn’t been thinking about what Matthew might need. Quaid’s shoulders slumped as he walked over to sit on the porch swing next to his Da. The silence between them wasn’t thick, but Quaid still had trouble swallowing. He was at a loss as what to do
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about the intense attraction he felt for Matthew. It bordered on obsessive. “You’re a good man, son,” Da finally said. “I have no doubt that if you really care for Matty, you will do right by him.” “I’ve never seen anyone like him before in my life, Da.” Quaid inhaled softly when the memory of Matthew’s beautiful face appeared in his head. “He reminds me of the angels Ma used to tell us about when we were boys.” “Angels need special care, Quaid, even ones that live here on earth with us.” Quaid looked down at his hands as he wrung them together. “Da, I—” “Give him time, son. Let him get to know you.” Da reached down and patted Quaid’s leg. “If there’s something there, let it develop slowly so that your angel knows it’s real. If it’s meant to be, it will be.” Quaid wanted to argue with his Da, but he knew it would do him no good. Besides, his Da was usually right. That didn’t mean that Quaid had to like it. He just needed to remember what his Da said and take things slowly. His Da never spoke without a reason. “Thank you, Da,” Quaid said as he stood to his feet. “I’ll keep your words in mind.” Quaid’s hands shook as he pulled the screen door open and walked into the house. His searched the room until found the angel he sought sitting at the dining room table. Shock rolled through Quaid as he realized he hadn’t been fantasizing before. Matthew really was as gorgeous as Quaid first thought. Both Matthew and Ruben looked up when Quaid walked into the kitchen. He could see the reserve in their faces, the cautious look they gave him. For two men that were so much shorter than him, he must have seemed like a beast to them. See me? See me sitting with my Ma? See me be unthreatening? Those words kept running through Quaid’s head as he smiled and sat
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down across from them next to his Ma. He leaned back a little, trying to seem as unthreatening as possible, and laid his arm on the back of his Ma’s chair. “Matthew and Ruben have never been on a horse, Quaid.” “I’d be happy to show them.” “Maybe tomorrow you could show them the entire ranch.” Yes! “I’d be happy to.” Quaid gave his mother one of his best smiles then turned to look at Matthew and Ruben. “Have either of you ever been on a working ranch before?” Matthew shook his head. “No, and even though our town is pretty small, I guess you could say we’re both city boys.” “I went to a rodeo once,” Ruben said quickly. “Does that count?” “It’s close but no.” Quaid chuckled and leaned forward to rest his arms on the table, folding his hands together. “We primarily raise Black Angus cattle here. We have a few horses to help us round up the herd, but cattle are our main product.” “Don’t forget my tomatoes,” Ma said, bumping her shoulder against Quaid’s. “Never.” Quaid grinned at the confused frowns on Matthew and Ruben’s faces. “Ma and Billy raise tomatoes. They started out raising two different kinds just to see how they would grow, but now they raise a bunch of different ones.” “Billy?” Matthew asked. “Is he one of your brothers?” “In a way, yes,” Ma said. “My son Rourke and Billy are partners. They are building a house by the barn.” “Partners?” Matthew asked. Quaid dipped his head when he saw Ma glance at him. She seemed to be at a loss for words. He wasn’t. He watched Matthew’s face as he answered, wanting to see his reaction. “Rourke and Billy are lovers. Ma hopes that they will get married one day like my older brother, Lachlan, and his husband, Asa, did. I
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think they probably will. Billy is crazy about Rourke and vice versa. They just need a little more time before that happens.” “Your brother is married to a man?” Ruben whispered. Quaid was surprised to see how wide Ruben’s eyes were when he turned to look at the man. He suddenly realized that no matter how much he fantasized about Matthew, he didn’t actually know if the man was gay. “Yes.” Quaid frowned. He was strangely disappointed with the reaction he was getting from both men. They seemed shocked. “If that’s a problem for you, I can drive you back into town.” “No, I…err…we’re just surprised,” Matthew said after shooting his brother a quick look that Quaid couldn’t decipher. “Why?” “I guess our experiences have been a little different,” Matthew said. “Same-sex marriages aren’t allowed where we’re from.” “Well, to be truthful, the marriage between Lachlan and Asa is not legal,” Ma said. “But we don’t believe it has to be if they commit themselves to each other before god and their family. The state and their licenses have nothing to do with a marriage between two people.” Ruben scooted closer to Matthew and laid his head on his brother’s shoulder. Matthew immediately wrapped an arm around him then looked back, a sad little smile on his face. “Our father is a reverend in our hometown. He preaches about the evils of homosexuality almost on a weekly basis. He not only wouldn’t allow two men to get married, but make sure they were run out of town if they tried.” “He doesn’t sound like a very pleasant man,” Ma said. “He’s not,” Ruben replied, sniffling. “Is that why you’re running from him?” Quaid asked. “Yes and no,” Matthew replied. The corners of his lips lifted a little. “I guess under the circumstances, it’s okay to tell you. When I
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left town after being disowned by them, Ruben asked to come with me.” Ruben sat up, wiping his hand over his eyes. “I wasn’t about to stay behind if Matty was leaving. I didn’t come out to our parents, but they would have figured it out eventually when I didn’t date the woman they picked out for me.” “You’re both gay, then?” Quaid asked. He had to know if his angel was gay or if his hopes would be dashed before they started. “Quaid!” Ma said quietly. “That is not your place to ask.” “No, no, it’s okay,” Matthew said. “I don’t mind answering.” Quaid held his breath. “Ruben and I are both gay.”
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Chapter 4 Matty could feel Quaid watching him. Every time he looked up, the man’s soft green eyes were staring at him. Matty didn’t know if anyone had ever looked at him so intently. It was a little unnerving. It was also sexy as hell. Quaid Blaecleah was a gorgeous man. Anyone would be thrilled to have a man like Quaid looking their way. Matty just didn’t understand why Quaid was looking at him. He wasn’t all that, and he knew it. He was too short, too skinny, and too worried about being caught by his father. He was not a good bet for a relationship or even a onenight hookup. And, while he had told Ruben he had experimented in college, there really wasn’t that much of it, a few rub offs, some kissing and heavy petting, and one night spent with a man he never saw again. It wasn’t that exciting. Matty had read enough romance novels to have a fair idea of how it was supposed to be between two men, at least, how he fantasized it was supposed to be. He just didn’t think he would ever experience it. On the other hand, the heated looks Quaid kept sending his direction said that could change. Matty just didn’t know if he had the courage to step up and accept the silent messages Quaid was sending his way. At least, Matty thought they were messages. He could be wrong. He hoped he wasn’t wrong. “Quaid, why don’t you show Matty and Ruben where they will be sleeping,” Ma said as she stood up and reached for the tea cups on the table. “You boys need to get a good night’s rest. I’ll make us all a big breakfast in the morning, start your day off right.”
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Matty and Ruben quickly stood to their feet. “Thank you, Mrs. Blaecleah.” “Call me Ma, boys, everyone does.” “Yes, ma’am.” Matty swallowed hard. He didn’t understand why a total stranger would be so nice to him and his brother. It just wasn’t something he was familiar with. People weren’t this nice back in his hometown. They were too afraid of his father. “Come on, you’re right upstairs here,” Quaid said as he gestured with his hand for Matty and Ruben to follow him. Matty could feel Ruben right on his heels as he followed Quaid up the stairs. He knew his brother was as mystified by the Blaecleah family as he was. They were virtual strangers, and they had just opened their home for Matty and Ruben. Even their house was welcoming. The white walls with wood trim were common enough, but the homey pictures and colorful quilts everywhere, not to mention the family pictures that graced almost ever flat surface, told of a well-loved family. One pictures intrigued Matty enough for him to pause at the top of the stairs and stare. He felt his brother brush past him and walked down the hallway, but he couldn’t look away. It was of two men dressed in their finest outfits, gazing deeply into each other’s eyes. Matty could almost feel the love between the two of them. “That’s my brother, Lachlan, and his husband, Asa, on the day of their wedding.” Matty glanced over at Quaid in confusion, and a whole lot of curiosity. “Your brother is really married to another man?” “Yep.” “And your parents don’t mind?” “Nope, in fact it was Da who put the idea of marriage into Asa’s head in the first place. And Ma helped plan the wedding. She’s already chomping at the bit to plan Rourke and Billy’s wedding.”
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“Do you have any idea how rare that is?” Matty whispered as he turned to gaze at the picture again. He felt a small ache in his heart that he might never feel what Lachlan and Asa felt for each other. “Not here, it’s not,” Quaid said softly as he stepped over to stand closer to Matty. “Ma and Da have always accepted whatever choices we made as long as we were healthy and safe. And, of course, as long as we’re not breaking the law. Ma would have our hides if we did.” Matty chuckled and snuck a look at Quaid through the fall of his bangs. “They truly don’t mind that you’re gay?” “Nope. Oh, I’m sure that there is a part of them that wishes we were straight but only because they know what we will go through out in the world. It has nothing to do with the sex of who we fall in love with, though.” “We?” Did Quaid have a partner, too? “There are five Blaecleah brothers and every damn one of them is gay.” Quaid chuckled and tapped the glass covering the picture. “Ma didn’t just get one colorful flower. She got the whole blooming bouquet.” “You’re all gay?” Matty gasped. He knew his father had been given the shaft when he figured out that he and Ruben were both gay, but five sons? “What about grandchildren or carrying on the family name? Doesn’t that bother them?” Quaid frowned. “Why should it? If we want kids, then I imagine one of us will have them. As for carrying on the Blaecleah name, Ma and Da seem to adopt enough of strays that there will always be a Blaecleah on this land.” “They adopted someone?” “In a manner of speaking. Asa took the Blaecleah name when he married Lachlan. I suspect that Billy will do the same. Neither of them had happy home lives. They don’t want much to do with their birth families.” Matty nodded, suddenly understanding perfectly. “I can see that. I wish I didn’t belong to my birth family anymore.”
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“So don’t.” Matty’s mouth fell open as he turned to stare at Quaid. “I don’t think it’s quite that easy. Your Ma and Da just met me tonight. I don’t think they are ready to adopt me quite yet.” Matty inhaled sharply when the back of Quaid’s hand brushed the side of his face. The man’s skin was hot, the slight touch intense. Matty couldn’t begin to decipher the strange look in Quaid’s green eyes, and he was almost afraid to try. “There are other ways to become a Blaecleah.” “Wha-what other ways?” Matty whispered. “You could marry me.” Matty opened his mouth to say something but realized he didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure he could have strung two words together anyway. He was just too stunned. “Does the idea seem so strange to you?” “You don’t even know me,” Matty answered quickly over his choking, beating heart. “You know nothing about me.” “I’d like to get to know you, Matthew.” “Why?” “You intrigued me,” Quaid said in a silky voice. “That’s not a good reason to get married,” Matty scoffed. “What is?” “You get married because you love someone, because you want to spend the rest of your life with them. You don’t get married so you can change your name.” “So, we’ll do things in reverse. Marry me, take the Blaecleah name, and then we can fall in love.” “You’re crazy.” In spite of himself, Matty chuckled. Quaid seemed so earnest in his proposal. Matty didn’t want to hurt the man’s feelings, but he really didn’t understand how Quaid thought them getting married was a good idea. “Maybe.” Quaid’s laugh was deep, warm, and rich. “But I think the idea intrigues you.”
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Matty knew it would be stupid to deny it. He was sure his face was beet red when the man cocked an eyebrow at him. Maybe his furtive glances hadn’t gone unnoticed after all. But, could he be blamed for looking? Quaid Blaecleah was sex on a stick. “How about you think about it?” “Oh-okay.” Matty swallowed hard. His fingers began pulling at the loose threads on a rip in his jeans. “Think about this, too.” Matty’s eyes widened as Quaid’s head lowered toward his. The first touch of the man’s lips against his was tentative, hesitant. Quaid’s lips explored Matty’s, gently asking for acceptance. When Matty groaned and opened his mouth, the kiss became harder, more searching. Matty felt like he was being consumed. Quaid brushed his tongue around inside Matty’s mouth, exploring. Matty whimpered when Quaid grabbed his hips and suddenly pulled him forward until their bodies met. The hard length that pressed against Matty made him ache. Quaid’s hands tightened on Matty’s hips when he moved them back and forth, brushing their straining erections against each other. “We’d be so good together, angel,” Quaid whispered against his lips. Matty had to agree, but he still didn’t think that was a good enough reason to get married. He pushed back until there was a bit of distance between him and the temptation of Quaid’s hard, muscular body. He licked his lips then glanced up at Quaid. “You’re dangerous.” “Not to you,” Quaid said, “never to you.” Matty couldn’t even begin to verbalize how those words made him feel. Quaid was a mass of muscles, from his wide shoulders down to his thick thighs and long legs. He could probably squish Matty like a bug.
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And yet, the man seemed to want to insure that Matty wasn’t afraid of him. Strangely enough, Matty wasn’t. He just didn’t know why he wasn’t. Quaid was a dangerous man, and Matty knew it. “I think…” Matty swallowed when he patted the hard muscles of Quaid’s chest. “I think I need to get to bed and get some rest. Maybe we can discuss this later?” He needed time to think, time to digest the proposal Quaid had given him because, honestly, he couldn’t bring himself to give the man an outright no. That didn’t mean he would say yes either, just that he needed time to think. “Of course, angel,” Quaid said quickly as he stepped back and started leading Matty down the hall. “I should have thought of that. My apologies.” “There’s nothing to apologize for. I just need some downtime.” Quaid frowned. “And here I am putting more stress on you.” “I can’t say that you haven’t, but you’ve certainly given me something to think about.” Quaid paused outside one of the doors and turned to Matty. He wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer. Tears almost came to Matty’s eyes at the gentle touch of Quaid’s hand over the side of his face. He couldn’t remember that last time someone had touched him with such care, if ever. “Just remember that I am perfectly serious about my proposal, angel. Marry me, become a Blaecleah. You’ll be safe here, I promise.” Quaid leaned down and gave Matty a small kiss. “Let me take care of you, Matthew.” “I…err…what about Ruben?” “I’ll take of your brother, too.” Quaid’s grin lit up his face. “I just don’t want to marry him, only you.” “I still think you’re crazy.” Quaid chuckled. “I’m okay with that. Just think about what I said, Matthew.”
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Matty nodded. He almost protested when Quaid stepped back. He didn’t want to stop being near the handsome man. He just wasn’t ready to think about anything at the moment. Matty wondered if he could convince Quaid to just stand there silently. Probably not. “I’m right next door if you need anything, angel, and I do mean anything. I don’t care what time it is, day or night, my door is always open for you. If you need me, if you need to talk, or you get scared, anything, I’m right next door.” Matty watched until Quaid walked into his room then blew out a deep breath. His head was still reeling when he walked into the guest room to find his brother sitting on the end of the bed untying his shoes. Ruben looked up when Matty shut the door behind him. “What took you so long?” Ruben asked. “I thought I was going to have to hunt you down.” Matty rubbed his fingers over his lips and walked across the room to sit on the opposite side of the bed. He couldn’t stop thinking about Quaid. “Matty?” “Yeah.” “Are you okay?” “I’m not sure.” Matty chuckled. He felt slightly disconnected from reality. He looked down at Ruben when he knelt on the floor in front of him. Ruben looked concerned, his forehead wrinkled in a frown. “What happened?” Ruben asked. “Do we need to leave?” “No.” “Then what?” “Quaid Blaecleah just kissed me.” Matty wasn’t about to share what else Quaid had done, or rather said. He had some serious thinking to do first. ****
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Matty stared at the ceiling for what seemed like forever. He couldn’t sleep. No matter what he did, he couldn’t stop thinking about Quaid’s proposal. The man seemed so sincere, but was he? Matty didn’t actually know Quaid Blaecleah beyond the fact that he was the sexiest damn rancher he had ever met. That didn’t mean Quaid was telling the truth. Maybe Quaid was just trying to get laid and thought a proposal would get him what he wanted. Crazier things had happened. Matty once had a man pretend to be in love with him until he got what he wanted, and then he was gone. Matty didn’t know if he could trust the promise in Quaid’s eyes. As intrigued as he was by the prospect of belonging to Quaid, he would be devastated if he was played for a fool—again. The first time had been hard enough. Matty tossed the covers back and carefully climbed from the bed as to not wake up his brother. He needed to know if Quaid was speaking the truth or not. He needed answers, and only one person had them. He was in the room next door. Matty tiptoed to the door and opened it just enough that he could slip through. He winced as the door made a loud click when he closed it behind him. It wasn’t that he was sneaking out and had to worry about Ruben, just that he needed to figure this out without his brother’s interference. He turned around and suddenly, Quaid’s door loomed in front of him. Matty took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock, but the door swung open before he could. Matty almost bolted until he saw Quaid standing there, a welcoming smile on his face. Besides his pajama bottoms, the smile was all he wore. “Hello, angel, I heard your door open.” Matty swallowed hard. He clenched his hands into fists and tried to remind himself that he wasn’t here to lick Quaid’s massive muscular chest from collarbone to belly button. He was here to talk— really.
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“I know it’s kind of late, but can I talk with you?” “Of course.” Quaid stepped back, opening the door to allow Matty inside. “I told you my door is always open to you.” Matty twirled around to stare at Quaid. “Why is that? You don’t know me.” “You’ve said that before, angel,” Quaid said as he shut the door. “My answer is still the same. I want to get to know you.” “I could be some horrible person, an axe murderer.” “Are you?” “Am I—no!” Matty’s eyebrows drew together in a frown. “Of course not but—” He suddenly felt flustered when Quaid stepped closer. His heart began to beat faster when their chests brushed together. Quaid’s hand cupped the side of Matty’s face, and he couldn’t keep himself from leaning into the soft touch. “Why are you fighting this so hard, angel?” Quaid asked. “You feel the same connection that I do. I know you do. Why don’t you just give in?” “Because this is crazy.” “Is it?” Quaid began planting small featherlike kisses along Matty’s jaw. “Arranged marriages have been happening for centuries, Matthew. And people have certainly gotten married for less.” Matty felt overwhelmed. He wanted to give in to what Quaid was saying more than he wanted his next breath. He just couldn’t. Matty pushed himself away from Quaid and took several steps back. He couldn’t think when Quaid touched him, and he really needed to think right now. “I was played for a fool once before, Quaid. I won’t do it again.” Matty swallowed when Quaid’s features darkened and the man’s jaw clenched. So far, Quaid has been a gentle soul. That didn’t mean he was always that way. For all Matty knew, the man could be someone that got a kick out of beating other people.
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Quaid’s head suddenly tilted to the side and a strange look came over his face. “Are you afraid of me, Matthew?” “No, of course not, but—” “You are afraid of me.” The sadness that filled Quaid’s eyes made Matty’s heart break. He wanted to tell Quaid that he wasn’t afraid, but he’d be lying. “I don’t know you. I don’t know how you’ll react if you don’t get your way. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” Matty’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head when Quaid stepped forward and dropped to his knees. His hands came up and gently gripped Matty’s hips. “No matter what happens or how angry I get, I will never use my strength against you, Matthew. I may shout and yell at times, but I will never ever hit you in anger.” “Okay,” Matty whispered. What else could he do? He could see the truth shining in Quaid’s eyes. “You believe me?” Matty smiled. It faltered just a little when he reached up to stroke his hand down Quaid’s cheek. “Yeah, I believe you but—” “No buts, angel.” Quaid grabbed both of Matty’s hands and held them between his larger ones. “Just say yes. Let me take care of you. I swear I’ll never let anything happen to you.” “Why is this so important to you?” Matty whispered. “What do you get out of it?” “You.” Matty waited for Quaid to say something more. When he didn’t, Matty blinked a few times, confused. “And?” “Just you, angel, you’re all I want.” “I’m not that special, Quaid, I promise you.” The warmth of Quaid’s smile was echoed in his voice. “Yes, you are.” “You’re crazy.” Quaid’s smile grew into a grin. “Then be crazy with me.”
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Matty was so tempted, but he was also scared. Quaid seemed to want to give him the world. Matty was just afraid it wasn’t real. What happened when Quaid found out he really wasn’t all that great? What happened when Quaid decided he wanted out of the relationship? “I won’t have sex with you.” Maybe that would get Quaid to see the light. Although, how Matty was supposed to keep his hands off of Quaid, he’d never know. Quaid’s brow flickered a little, and the smile fell from his lips. “If that’s what you wish, but my proposal still stands. I still want you to marry me.” “It won’t be legal.” “We’ll make it legal.” “How?” Quaid grinned and stood to his feet. He walked over and sat on the bed, scooting up to the headboard. He held out his hand. “Come sit with me.” Matty stared at Quaid’s hand for a moment then climbed onto the bed. He crawled up to sit down next to Quaid and felt the man’s arm wrap around him. Matty could no more have prevented himself from leaning into Quaid’s larger body than he could have stopped breathing. He felt safe and secure in Quaid’s arms, protected. He also felt horny as hell. He wanted to rub himself up and down Quaid’s body, to lick his tanned skin. He wanted to feel Quaid’s hands move over his body, not just hold him. And he was stupid enough to tell Quaid he wouldn’t have sex with him. Maybe he was the crazy one? “Ho-how do we make it legal?” “We start by changing your name to mine. The Blaecleah name carries a lot of weight in these parts. No one who knows us will mess with you if you’re a Blaecleah. Then, we make you my heir and vice versa. We get medical powers-of-attorney and make out wills, which we file with the county.” “And that would make us married?” Matty whispered.
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“No.” Quaid chuckled. “We’d have to get rings and let Ma throw us a wedding first, then we will be married.” “A wedding?” Quaid held up his hand, his finger and thumb just an inch apart. “Just a small one.” Matty blinked. “I was right. You are crazy.” Quaid chuckled and hugged Matty. “Just about you, angel, just about you.”
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Chapter 5 Quaid couldn’t stop watching Matty even though the man was asleep. He’d slept for a few hours, Matty tightly wrapped in his arms, but he wasn’t used to having someone in his bed. When Matty rolled over, Quaid woke right up. He was somewhat amazed that Matty was still in his bed. He expected the man to bolt sometime in the middle of the night. Matty was still here, right here, tucked into Quaid’s bed with him. If it wasn’t for the fact that it would have woken Matty up, Quaid would have jumped for joy. He wanted to watch his angel just a little longer. The sun was just starting to come up over the mountains and rays of sunlight were streaming through the window, landing right on Matty. Matty’s sandy blond hair was lighter in the sunshine, giving him a golden-hued halo look that made Quaid even more positive he had an angel in his bed. Now, if he could just get that angel to agree to stay with him. Quaid knew he had taken a huge leap when he asked Matty to marry him. He had seen the longing in Matty’s eyes when he stared at the wedding photo of Lachlan and Asa and knew that’s what Matty wanted. Quaid wanted to be the one to give it to him. His Da was going to kick his ass when he found out Quaid hadn’t taken things slow with Matty. That’s what he was supposed to be doing—taking things slow and letting Matty get to know him. He wasn’t supposed to be trying to rush the smaller man into a marriage.
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He just couldn’t seem to stop himself. One minute he was escorting Matty and Ruben up to the guestroom for the night, the next moment he was proposing. Maybe he was crazy like Matty thought? Matty seemed to be warming toward the idea of them getting married even if he refused to have sex with Quaid. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the no sex clause of Matty’s yet. Sinking his cock into the pajama-covered butt he could see rounding out the sheet was his idea of heaven. Knowing Matty wouldn’t allow it didn’t sit well with Quaid, but he would never force the man to do anything he wasn’t comfortable with. Quaid was pretty sure Matty wanted him. He’d seen the way the man watched him. He just couldn’t figure out why Matty wouldn’t accept him. “How long are you going to watch me sleep?” Matty suddenly mumbled. “Until you wake up and open those beautiful copper eyes.” Quaid grinned and laid his head down on the pillow next to Matty, just inches from his face. Matty’s left eye popped open followed slowly by his right. He lifted his head and blinked at the bright light shining through the windows. “What time is it?” “A little after five.” Matty’s eyes widened. “In the morning?” “Yes.” Quaid chuckled. “Why would anyone be awake this early in the morning?” “We’re awake because this is a working ranch and we need to get up and work it.” Quaid leaned in a grabbed a quick kiss from Matty before the man was awake enough to deny him, then swatted him lightly on the butt. Matty groaned and buried his face in the pillow. Quaid chuckled and rolled to the side of the bed. “Come on, angel, breakfast should be waiting for us downstairs. We have just enough time to grab a quick shower.”
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“Don’t wanna get up,” Matty mumbled. “Not a choice, angel.” Quaid turned and reached back for Matty, lifting the man into his arms. Matty yelped, his arms flailing for a moment until they reached desperately for Quaid, wrapping around his neck. “Warn a guy when you’re going to do that.” “Fair warning, angel,” Quaid said as he carried Matty into the bathroom. “I like holding you in my arms. I’m going to do it as often as I can.” Quaid set Matty down on his feet then leaned into to turn on the shower. Matt’s eyes were huge when he turned back and started sliding his pajama bottoms down his legs. Quaid kicked them away then looked at Matty. “Aren’t you going to get undressed?” Matty eyes dropped down, and Quaid knew he was looking at the hard cock that jutted out from his body. Quaid couldn’t help how holding Matty made him feel or the responses of his body. The man was hot. “Matthew?” Matty’s eyes darted up. “I told you I won’t have sex with you.” “We’re taking a shower, Matthew, not having sex,” Quaid said as he waved toward the running water. He tried not to let his disappointment show. It wasn’t easy, but it did make his hard on start to soften. “But you’re… you’re…” Matty pressed his lips together and gestured toward Quaid’s cock. “I’m hard, Matthew.” Quaid wanted to scream in frustration. He could see the desire burning in Matty’s eyes and couldn’t figure out why he was fighting it so hard. “I can’t control my body’s response to you, but I won’t take anything from you that you’re not willing to give me.” Quaid stepped into the large shower then glanced over his shoulder at Matty. He was concerned by the way the man was biting
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his lip and pressing his hands together. He tried to soften his voice when he spoke again, not wanting to scare Matty. “I’m going to take a shower, angel. I’d like you to join me. And no matter how aroused I become, I will not touch you if you don’t ask me to. You’re safe here, Matthew, I promise.” His words said, Quaid stepped into the shower. He hoped Matty would join him, but he promised himself he wouldn’t be upset if he didn’t. Quaid knew he had to give Matty time to get used to him. That was the only way Matty would become comfortable with him. Quaid was just pouring a shampoo into the palm of his hand when Matty stepped into the shower. He tried to keep his eyes glued on Matty’s face and not look down his naked body, but it took every bit of control he had. “Would you like me to wash your hair?” “I… I guess,” Matty whispered. “Well, turn around and get your hair wet then.” Matty’s movements were hesitant as he turned around and stuck his head under the shower spray. Quaid almost cried. Matty’s shoulders were tense as if he expected Quaid to jump him at any moment. Quaid realized that Matty was nervous. Hell, the man was scared. A wave of tenderness swept through Quaid as he started washing Matty’s wet hair. Matty groaned and leaned into his touch, his head falling back on his shoulders. The man was so starved for the simplest of touches. “Have you never had anyone wash your hair before, angel?” he asked quietly so he didn’t break the euphoric bubble Matty seemed to be floating in at the moment. “No,” Matt groaned. “I’ll wash it for you every morning, if you wish?” Matty glanced over his shoulder. “You’d do that?” “I would, if you want me to.” Quaid quickly rinsed the soap off his hands then pushed Matty toward the water. “Time to rinse off.”
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While Matty rinsed off, Quaid grabbed the body wash and poured some on a clean washcloth. He rubbed the soft material together until he had a good lather going then started scrubbing his body. “Can I do that?” Quaid glanced over at Matty and found him looking at the washcloth. He held it up. “You want to wash up? There’s another washcloth on the counter or you can use this one when I’m done.” Matty’s face colored furiously. “No, can I wash you?” Quaid swallowed hard and held the washcloth out to Matty. He barely kept his groan behind his teeth when Matty bit his lip and leaned toward him. The feeling of Matthew’s hands on his chest, even if it was just for washing, was heaven. Quaid felt his cock take renewed interest and start to harden back up. When Matty’s hand started moving further down his chest to his abdomen, Quaid reached out and grabbed his wrist to stop him. Matty’s eyes snapped up to his, his eyebrows furrowing with worry. “If you go any further, you need to know what you’re going to find, Matthew.” Matty glanced down then swallowed. “I told you, I can’t control my body’s response to you. You turn me on a lot, Matthew. I won’t pretend otherwise. The feeling of your skin, your smell, even the way you talk, all of it arouses me. I’ve pretty much been like this since I met you, and I don’t see it going away anytime soon. As much as I want you, I have no doubt that I will feel pleasure if you touch me there.” “But you said you wouldn’t—” Quaid grimaced. “And I won’t touch you until you ask me to. That does not mean that I won’t enjoy feeling you touch me.” Matty chewed on his lower lip, a gesture that Quaid was coming to equate with the man thinking deeply. His knees nearly collapsed beneath him when Matty suddenly pressed his lips together and reached down to wrap his fingers around his cock.
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“Holy—Matthew!” Quaid groaned. His head dropped back against the shower tile. The pleasure that raced through his body at Matty’s simple touch was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Matty’s hands continued to move over Quaid’s body, touching and stroking. At some point, the washcloth dropped away and then all Quaid felt was Matty’s fingers touching his skin. When Matty moved down past Quaid’s hard cock, Quaid spread his legs. They started shaking when Matty gently massaged his balls until they drew up close to his body. Quaid knew he was about to come. How could he not when the man of his dreams was touching him? “Matthew, angel, if you keep… keep doing that…” Quaid panted. “I’m going to come, angel.” Quaid groaned and humped his hips when Matty’s hand tightened around his aching length. “Angel, please!” “So come already,” Matty whispered. Quaid groaned and slammed his hands against the tile walls to keep from grabbing Matty when the man’s touch brought him to release. He had promised not to touch Matty in a sexual way unless the man asked for it. It was the hardest thing Quaid had ever done and took some of the joy out of the orgasm that swept through him. His hands trembled as he hesitantly ran them through Matty’s hair. He wanted to hold Matty in his arms, love on him. He wanted to bring Matty the same pleasure he had received. He planted a small kiss on the top of Matty’s head instead. “Thank you, angel,” he whispered. The promise he made to Matty was meant to reassure the man that Quaid didn’t just want to get laid. He had no idea that it would make his heart ache so much just from experiencing a mind-blowing orgasm. He couldn’t break his promise, but he sure wanted to. “Come on, rinse off,” Quaid said. “Ma is sure to have breakfast on the table by now.” Quaid didn’t want to make a big deal over what had just happened between him and Matty, even if he felt that it was. He wanted Matty
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to feel comfortable touching him and being close to him. But the way Matty avoided his gaze as he rinsed off and stepped from the shower concerned Quaid. He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel off the rack as he did. When Matty quickly wrapped a towel around his waist and turned so his back was to him, Quaid had had enough. He stepped over and wrapped his arms around Matty from behind. “What’s wrong, angel?” he asked softly. “Nothing.” Quaid didn’t believe that for a minute. Matty’s shoulders were too tense. His voice was too low. He was obviously upset over something. Quaid just had to figure out what it was. As he thought back over the last ten minutes, his heart sank. He was pretty sure he knew why Matty was upset and he only had himself to blame. “I’m sorry, Matthew,” he said as he stroked his hands down Matty’s smooth arms. “You were very clear with me that we couldn’t have sex, and I obviously crossed that line. I can only promise you that it won’t happen again. We’ll just need to take separate showers in the future.” “No!” Matty shouted as he swung around and stared up at Quaid. He suddenly seemed to realize that he had shouted and his face flushed. His eyes dropped down to Quaid’s chest. “Please, I don’t want to take separate showers.” “Matthew,” Quaid groaned. He closed his eyes as his head fell back on his shoulders. He drew in several deep breathes, then blew them out before opening his eyes and looking back down into Matty’s worried face. “Okay, angel, if that’s what you want.” Quaid had no idea how he was going to keep his hands off of Matty’s gorgeous body or keep from being aroused around the man, but that seemed to be what Matty wanted. And, if it was in Quaid’s power to give it to Matty, he would.
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Quaid leaned down and pressed a kiss against Matty’s forehead before stepping past him and walking into the bedroom. Until Matty felt safe around him, he needed to change how he dealt with the man. He couldn’t treat Matty as a lover or even a potential lover. He needed to have a clear boundary from what he could do and what he couldn’t do. In Quaid’s mind, that meant no more deep kisses, maybe even no more kisses on the lips. He’d have to restrain himself to simple pecks on the cheek or forehead. Deep kisses could lead to stuff Matty didn’t want. Quaid went to his dresser and pulled clean clothes out. He quickly dressed, wanting to hide the aching erection caused by the nearness of his angel. Keeping his desire from Matty wasn’t going to be easy. Quaid could only hope that Matty would want to be with him once he felt safe and secure. “Do you need clean clothes, angel?” Quaid asked as he sat on the side of the bed and started pulling his boots on. “My brother, Neason, is a bit bigger than you, but he’s still the smallest of us all. I could ask him if he has something you could borrow.” “No, I have clean clothes in the back of the truck.” Quaid glanced up. “Do you need me to go get your bags for you then?” “Could you?” Matty looked so hopeful that Quaid couldn’t help but chuckle. “Not a problem, angel. You just finish getting dried off, and I’ll run and get your stuff.” “My stuff is in the green bags. All of Ruben’s stuff is in the blue bags.” “Right.” Quaid started for the door then stopped, glancing over his shoulder. “Keys?” Matty’s face flushed. “They’re in my jeans in the guest room.” “Ruben won’t freak if I go in and get them, will he?” “Ruben sleeps like the dead.” Matty laughed. “I doubt he’ll even know you are in there.”
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Quaid nodded then walked out of his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He stepped over to the guest bedroom door and knocked softly. He was a little surprised when it opened and a fully dressed Ruben stared back at him. “Hey, Ruben, I need to get Matthew’s keys out of his jeans so I can go down and get his clothes.” Ruben stood back and gestured to a stack of suitcases behind him. “I already got our stuff out of the truck.” “Great.” Quaid walked past Ruben and grabbed the green bags. He started to carry them back to his room when Ruben stepped in front of him. His arms were crossed over his chest, his brows drew down in a deep frown. “Where’s my brother?” “He’s next door in my room.” “Why?” Quaid almost chuckled. Ruben was going to be a tough nut to crack. The man was very protective of his brother. “You’ll have to ask him that. It’s not my story to tell.” Quaid gestured with his head for Ruben to follow him. “Why don’t you help me carry these bags next door and you can ask Matthew yourself?” Ruben seemed to hesitate for a moment then walked over and grabbed the rest of Matthew’s bags. Quaid carried the bags back to his room. Matty was just coming out of the bathroom when he opened the door and walked in. “Hey, angel, you’re brother was awake when I went to get your keys. He’d already brought your stuff up.” Quaid nodded behind him. “I think he wants to talk to you about why you’re in my room. Do you want me to give you a few minutes?” Matty’s face paled as he looked past Quaid. “Yes, please.” Quaid set Matty’s bags down next to the door and walked over to stand between Matty and Ruben, blocking the other man’s view of his angel. He stroked his hand down the side of Matty’s face.
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“We’ve done nothing wrong,” he whispered for Matty’s ears alone. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. We’re getting married, remember? It’s perfectly acceptable for us to share a room together.” Matty grinned. His hands came up to fiddle with the cotton fabric of Quaid’s shirt. “I don’t remember agreeing to marry you.” “But you will.” Quaid pressed his lips against Matty’s forehead. “You can’t resist me.” Matty’s chuckle filled the room. Seeing the light sparkling in Matty’s coppery eyes made Quaid’s physical discomfort worth every second. “You talk with your brother, angel. I’ll be downstairs in the dining room waiting for you.” Quaid gave Matty one more kiss on the forehead then turned and walked toward the bedroom door. He stopped beside Ruben, arching an eyebrow when the man just glared at him. “Be nice.”
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Chapter 6 Matty drew in a deep breath as the door closed behind Quaid then looked over at his brother. Ruben seemed partly confused and partly pissed off. “What was that all about?” Ruben asked as he gestured toward the door Quaid had walked through moments before. “Does he think I’m going to hurt you?” Matty smiled. “No, he’s just protective.” “Of you?” “Yes.” Matty frowned. “Is that so hard to believe?” “Considering we just met the man last night, yeah, I’d say it is hard to believe.” “A lot has happened since then.” That was an understatement of epic proportions. Ruben was going to flip his mind when he found out about Quaid’s proposal, especially after their discussion about marriage yesterday. Matty decided he needed to be dressed to have this conversation with his brother. He walked over and started digging through his bags, pulling out a clean pair of jeans and a white cotton shirt. “Matty, what’s going on?” “Let me get dressed first and then we’ll talk.” Matty made quick work of getting dressed, pulling on his jeans and shirt then searching for his boots. He didn’t wear them often, usually when he was going out, but being on a working ranch, they seemed appropriate.
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Once Matty was fully dressed and his bags stacked neatly against the wall, he turned to face his brother. Rube was sitting on the end of the bed, glaring. Matty blew out the air in his lungs. “Okay, what do you want to know?” “Have you lost your fucking mind?” “Not that I know of.” “Then what in the hell are you doing moving into Quaid’s room?” Ruben’s hands clenched as he jumped to his feet. “If I remember correctly, we’re trying to stay under the radar here, not shack up with some cowboy.” “I’m not shacking up with Quaid.” Ruben glanced at the bed behind him then to Matty’s suitcases before looking at Matty. “It sure as hell looks that way to me.” “Quaid asked me to marry him.” “He—” Ruben’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?” Matty nodded. “Oh yes, I’m very serious.” “Are you going to say yes?” “I wish I knew.” Matty walked over and sat down next to his brother. “There’s a part of me that wants to say yes. I mean, have you seen the guy? He’s the poster boy for gay sex. Every time I see him all I want to do is lick him from head to toe.” “But?” “Marriage?” Matty shook his head. “I just don’t know about that. What do I even know about the guy?” “You mean besides the fact that he’s drop-dead gorgeous?” “Yeah, besides that,” he said through clenched teeth. Matty almost growled. He didn’t like the idea of anyone referring to Quaid as gorgeous, even if he was. Ruben’s eyebrows shot up. “Man, maybe you should consider it.” “Why?” “Because if you get that upset over me saying Quaid is sexy, then you’re already falling for the guy.”
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Matty looked down at his hands, twisting his fingers around each other. “But I’m scared that he’s not falling for me.” “So, make it a long engagement, give him time to get to know you,” Ruben said. “You can always call it off if it turns out he’s just after a piece of ass.” Matty chuckled. “I told him I wouldn’t have sex with him.” Ruben whistled. “I’ll bet that went over well.” “Actually.” Matty grinned. “He agreed with it.” “Seriously?” Matty nodded then flushed when he remembered getting Quaid off in the shower. That had been hot, hotter than anything Matty ever remembered doing. His main complaint was that it hadn’t lasted longer. He still wanted to lick Quaid from head to toe. “What’s that look for?” Ruben asked. Matty felt his face burn even more. “We took a shower together this morning.” “Oh?” Ruben grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. “And how was that?” “You should see this guy, Ruben, he’s—” Matty’s eyes widened as he realized what he said. He quickly shook his head. No one needed to be looking at Quaid when he was naked. “No, you shouldn’t.” Ruben burst out laughing, dropping back onto the mattress. “You’re a riot.” Matty rolled his eyes. “Get your butt up. We’re supposed to be heading downstairs for breakfast and then a ride around the ranch. Not lying around in bed all day.” “Can you believe how early these people get up?” Ruben asked as he climbed to his feet. “I’m not sure that’s natural.” “You’ve been up this early before.” “Not because I wanted to be.” Matty grimaced, knowing exactly what Ruben was talking about. The good reverend liked to wake them up early on Sundays and make
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them clean the church. He wanted it just right for his parishioners, and he didn’t feel he needed to pay anyone to clean it when he had two sons. “Yeah, well, it looks like our early mornings have just begun, so you’d better get used to it.” Matty pushed Ruben ahead of him out the bedroom door then closed it quietly behind him. “If we’re going to be staying here, we have to pull our own weight.” “Yeah, I draw the line at plucking feathers or milking cows.” Matty laughed and bumped his shoulder against Ruben’s as they walked down the stairs side by side. “Like you’d know how to pluck a chicken in the first place. You’d probably run screaming from the chicken coop the first time one walked toward you.” “Hey, man, have you seen the beaks on those things? They’re deadly. I’m telling you, one peck and wham!” Ruban smacked his fist into his hand. “You have gangrene, and they have to cut off your foot. It just goes downhill from there, one body part at a time.” Matty started flapping his arms and making chicken noises until Ruben’s eyes got as round as saucers. Matty froze then swallowed hard. He dropped his arms back down to his side and turned to see who was watching. When he saw Mr. Blaecleah standing behind him, he had a strong wish that the floor would just open up and swallow him whole. “Oh hey, Mr. Blaecleah.” Matty’s face was so hot he could have boiled on egg on his forehead. “I was just telling Ruben he needed to learn how to pluck chickens.” Mr. Blaecleah stared for a moment then shook his head. “Sorry to ruin your fun, boys, but we don’t actually have any live chickens here on the ranch. Ma buys her chickens at the butcher. But if it’s that important to you, I’m sure we can get some.” “No, no,” Ruben said quickly. “That’s okay. I’m not a real big fan of live chickens anyway.” “Nasty creatures anyway,” Mr. Blaecleah said as he started turning away. “They can cause gangrene, you know.”
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“See?” Ruben whispered loudly. “I told you.” Matty could see Mr. Blaecleah’s shoulders shaking and knew the man was silently laughing. It was clear to Matty that the man had heard their entire conversation. Matty could only hope that he kept it to himself. He didn’t want to seem like a complete idiot, even if he was giving it his best shot. “Come on,” Matty said as he walked past Ruben into the dining room. He stopped the moment he walked in. The table was full of people and covered in food. Matty wasn’t sure he had ever seen so much food outside of a holiday in his life. “Wow,” Ruben whispered from behind him. “Did we come at a bad time?” Matty asked when Ma walked in with a plate of bacon. He suddenly wished he had dressed nicer. Jeans and a cotton shirt just didn’t seem appropriate. “Is it a holiday or something?” Ma laughed. “No, son, it’s breakfast.” “You eat like this every morning?” “Monday through Friday, anyway,” Ma said. “I sleep in on Saturdays, and Sunday is church.” Matty licked his lips, his heart sinking. “Church?” “Sunday is the Lord’s day, son. It’s a time for us to thank god for all the blessings he has given us.” Ma wiped her hands on her apron and gestured to the table. “Now, sit down and eat, boys. You’re going to work up quite an appetite today.” Matty glanced at the avid faces watching him from around the table until he found Quaid. He quickly made his way to the vacant chair next to him and sat down, folding his hands together in his lap. Ruben sat down next to him. Neither of them made a move to put any food on their plates. The food looked inviting, but Ma’s comments about church made him feel anxious. He didn’t have a lot of good experiences with going to church, but he wasn’t sure he could refuse considering the circumstances.
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“Aren’t you hungry, angel?” Quaid whispered. “Do we have to go to church?” The words were out of Matty’s mouth before he could stop them. He quickly glanced around to see if anyone else had heard him. A man with dark brown hair was staring at him from across the table with an arched eyebrow. Matty knew his words had been overheard. “You don’t have to go to church if you’re really against it, but I can promise you, our church is in no way like your father’s. It is not a fire and brimstone church.” Quaid chuckled. “The minister has tattoos and piercings and rides a motorcycle.” Matty stared for a moment then started laughing. “You’re playing with me. No one would let a biker dude be a minister.” “I’m perfectly serious, Matthew.” Quaid got up from the table and walked into the living room. A moment later, he was back, a photo album held in his hands. He set it down on the table and flipped a few pages until he found the one he wanted. “This is Reverend Benjamin Brody.” Quaid pointed to a picture of a man standing beside Lachlan and Asa. “He married Asa and Lachlan.” Matty stared at the man, a little shocked at what he was seeing. Reverend Brody was as tall as Quaid, if not a bit taller. And that said a lot. Quaid was huge. Brody’s dark brown hair was pulled back in a braid. He was dressed simply in a pair of jeans, a white dress shirt, and a brown leather vest. He didn’t look like any reverend Matty had ever seen. “He’s really a reverend?” “Reverend, minister, take your pick,” Quaid said as he closed the photo album and picked it up. “He’s the man that stands behind the pulpit on Sundays and gives the sermon.” “Brody is actually a pretty nice guy, Matty,” the man across from him said. “It is Matty, right?”
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Matty nodded. He recognized the man from the wedding photo on the wall. He was Asa Blaecleah. “Yes, Matty is fine. You’re Asa, right?” “That would be me.” The man grinned. “And Quaid is right. Brody is unlike any minister I have ever met, but he’s cool. We’ve ridden bikes together a couple of times. He’s pretty laid back for a man of god.” “Maybe.” Matty was unwilling to agree until he met the man. His experiences so far with men of god weren’t that great. As far as he knew, they were all like his father, preaching the wages of sin, throwing the first stone, and that anyone that didn’t conform to his ideals was a sinner and bound for hell. “Just go once, Matthew, and see what it’s like.” Quaid set the photo album on the hutch behind him and sat back down, resting his hand on Matty’s shoulder. “If you don’t like it, you won’t have to go again.” “Okay.” What else could he say? Quaid was compromising, offering him an out if he absolutely couldn’t stand it. If being here was going to have any chance of working, he had to be willing to compromise as well. “I’ll give it a shot.” Quaid smiled. “Thank you. And if you feel uncomfortable at any time, you just let me know. We’ll take my truck so we can leave if you need to, okay?” Matty nodded, suddenly feeling better. Quaid wasn’t dismissing his feelings, but he was asking Matty to try. He could do that. Matt pointed to the plate of bacon. “Are you going to share or eat that all yourself?” Quad grabbed the plate of bacon and held it out to Matty. “Have as much as you want. There’s always more.” Despite Quaid’s words, Matty only took a couple of pieces. He wasn’t used to eating a huge breakfast. His mother was usually still in bed by the time he got up. Dinner was the big meal in their house.
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Everyone had to be present, not matter what. It was at least a five course meal with the entire family dressed for the occasion as if they were going to church. Matty served up his plate and began eating. He glanced over mid bite and noticed that Ruben had only loaded his plate up a bit also. He was eating slowly just like Matty did, waiting for the small amount of food to fill him up. They really weren’t used to eating large amounts this early in the morning. Matt frowned and reached for the stack of pancakes. He stuck the serving fork into three of them and slapped them down on Ruben’s plate then reached for the eggs and bacon, adding more to Ruben’s plate. “Eat,” he said sternly as he pointed to Ruben’s plate. Ruben stared at the plate for a moment then looked at him. Matty arched an eyebrow, daring Ruben to argue with him. Ruben pressed his lips together for a moment then went back to eating without saying anything. Satisfied that his message had been received, Matty turned back to his own plate. His mouth dropped open when he glanced down to find his plate filled to almost overflowing. He looked over at Quaid to find him smirking. “Eat.” Quaid pointed to Matty’s plate. Matty rolled his eyes and dug in. He could hear Ruben snickering quietly beside him. He reached out with his leg and kicked his brother under the table. Ruben jumped, his eyes widening as he leaned down and rubbed his leg, glaring at Matty. Matty just smiled and went back to eating as if nothing had happened. When the food on the table had been eaten down to the last crumb, Matty grabbed his plate then Quaid’s, and carried them into the kitchen. He came back and started grabbing other plates and dishes. A smaller black-haired man passed him, walking into the kitchen with his own load of dishes.
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The next round, they nearly ran into each other. Matty laughed. “Hey, I’m Matty.” “Billy.” “Oh, right, you’re with Rourke.” “Yes.” The little man’s eyebrows furrowed. “Why?” Matty blinked. “Quaid told me last night that you and Rourke are partners. You’re building a house out back by the tree line, right?” “Yes.” Okay, apparently Billy wasn’t the talkative type. “Um, do you think between you, me, and Ruben, we can get these dishes knocked out for Ma? She spent the morning cooking. She shouldn’t have to clean up afterwards.” Billy smiled for the first time. “I’d really appreciate that. I usually try and help Ma out in the kitchen as much as possible. I’m not much of a ranch hand.” Matty chuckled. “Yeah, well, you might have some company. I wouldn’t know a horse from a hole in the wall. I don’t think I’ll make much of a ranch hand either.” “It’s not that bad. I muck out stalls for Da a couple of times a week, clean the tack room, stuff like that. It doesn’t take a lot of brains to shovel horse manure. But I mostly help Ma out here and in the backyard with her tomatoes.” “I wouldn’t know anything about tomatoes either.” Matty chuckled. He handed over the stack of dishes in his hand. “Why don’t you get the water started while Ruben and I clear the table?” Billy nodded and headed for the sink. Matty turned and walked back into the dining room. The room was already clear of the Blaecleah brothers. Matty assumed they had headed out to the ranch. Ma and Ruben were stacking dishes. Matty walked over and took the dishes out of Ma’s hand. “Why don’t you go rest? Billy, Ruben, and I will take care of these.” “Matty, you don’t have to do that. I know you and Ruben are waiting to go ride.”
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“It’s no problem at all,” Matty said. “After the wonderful breakfast you made us, it’s the least we can do. Besides, I’m not taking no for an answer.” Ma stared at him for a moment, and Matty was almost afraid that he might have overstepped his bounds, but then she chuckled and wiped her hands on her apron then reached up and patted Matty on the shoulder. “All right, boys, I’ll be in the backyard. If you need anything, you just let me know. Billy can tell you where everything goes.” With that, Ma walked out of the room. “Wow, have you ever met anyone like her before?” Ruben asked. Matty shook his head. “She’s definitely not like Mother, that’s for sure.” “She’s not like anyone’s ma.” Matty turned to see Billy standing in the doorway behind him, leaning against the frame. “She does seem a little different.” “They all are,” Billy said, “the whole Blaecleah clan. I’ve known them for years but only recently came to live here with them. You’ll never meet a more understanding or accepting family in your life.” “You mean like Asa and Lachlan getting married?” Matty asked. “It’s more than that, although there is something to say about that, too.” Billy gestured to the stack of dishes on the table. “Come on, let’s get these in the kitchen. We can talk while we wash and dry.” Matt grabbed a stack of dishes and carried them into the kitchen, following Billy. He set them down on the counter. He heard Ruben come in behind him and a second stack of dishes landed on the counter next to his. “I grew up on the farm next door to the Blaecleah ranch,” Billy began as he grabbed the first dish and started washing it. “I think I was always envious of what the Blaecleahs had, how much they all loved and cared for each other, but I didn’t realize how much until my brother, Clem, became obsessed with them.” “Clem?” Matty frowned. “I don’t think I’ve met him yet.”
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“And hopefully, you won’t. Clem is in jail right now awaiting trial. He tried to kill Asa and Lachlan by burning down the barn with them in it. When that didn’t work, he went after Rourke and me. We were lucky. The sheriff caught him in time.” “Damn!” Matty whispered. “Clem was bad news, real bad. He was mean, and he enjoyed being mean. I did a lot of things, bad things, but I did them to save others from Clem.” Billy shook his head. “But that doesn’t excuse the fact that I did do them.” Matty’s hands trembled a little as he took a dish from Billy, rinsed it, and then started drying it. He was a little stunned by what he was hearing, especially the part where Billy said he had done some bad things. The man was being truthful and putting his entire life out there for him and Ruben. It was weird. “So, how did you come to live here then?” Ruben asked. Billy’s smile was kind of wistful. “I love Rourke. Everything I did over the years was with his safety in mind, and let me tell you, that man needs a keeper something fierce. He takes way too many chances with his safety.” “What did you do?” Matty whispered. He had to wonder what he wouldn’t do if he loved someone as much as Billy seemed to love Rourke? Billy chuckled, but it was a harsh sound. “What didn’t I do? It’s enough to say I broke some laws and scared a lot of people, including Asa. I wasn’t a good person, and I’m trying to make up for that now. It’s slow going.” “But what does that have to do with the Blaecleahs?” Ruben asked. “They accepted me. Even knowing all of the things I did, they accepted me. Da pays me to work around the ranch so that I can pay back the people I stole from. And the entire family backs me, supports me. They even protect me from people in town that aren’t ready to
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forgive me yet. They’ve done everything in their power to make me a part of this family.” Matty crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the counter. He understood what Billy was telling him, or basically warning him about. Billy loved the Blaecleah family, every damn one of them. If Matty or Ruben messed with them, Billy would protect them. Matty understood that, the deep need Billy had to protect those he cared about. He felt the same way about Ruben. The rest of his family could go to hell as far as he was concerned. He doubted he even had feelings toward them other than resentment and fear. “So, are you going to marry Rourke?” Matty asked. Billy’s face flushed, but his grin was filled with delight. “He’s asked me, but I want to wait until I have a little more of my past off my back. I don’t want my bad behavior to be reflected onto Rourke or the Blaecleahs. That wouldn’t be fair.” “I think you need to worry less about what everyone else thinks and a little more about what Rourke thinks,” Matty said. “If I had a man that wanted to marry me the way Rourke does you, I’d jump at the chance.” Ruben’s sudden bark of laughter made Matty cringe. He knew he should have worded that differently even as the words came out of his mouth. “Does that mean you’re going to accept Quaid’s proposal?” Ruben asked. “Should I start gathering wedding magazines for you to peruse?” Matty covered his face with his hand and wished his brother would just drop down some deep dark hole. He was never going to hear the end of this until he either accepted Quaid’s proposal or rejected it. “Quaid proposed to you?” Billy whispered. Matty dropped his hand and nodded. “Yeah, last night.” “But you just arrived last night.”
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Matty chuckled. “That’s what I tried to tell him. He doesn’t seem to care.” “Are you going to marry him then?” Billy asked. Matty gapped. “What part of ‘I just arrived last night’ didn’t you get?” “Matty—” Ruben began. Matty waved his hand to cut his brother off. “This is nuts. I don’t even know Quaid.” “But you like him, don’t you?” Billy asked. Matty felt his face flush. “You do.” “Yes, okay, I like him. I like him a lot, but that doesn’t mean I should marry him.” “Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t either.” Billy smirked. “The Blaecleah family is a great one. You could do worse.” Matty blinked. “You’re just as crazy as he is.” “Does that mean you’re going to turn down Quaid’s proposal?” A slow grin started to spread out over Matty’s lips. “I didn’t say that.”
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Chapter 7 Quaid kept looking toward the house as he readied three horses for the ride he promised Matty and Ruben. He didn’t stop worrying about the pair until he saw them walk out the front door, both of them laughing with Billy. After Matty’s worry over attending church, Quaid wasn’t sure the man would want to go for a ride. Matty seemed pretty upset at the prospect of attending church. Quaid hoped to prove to him that not all churches were like his father’s. Reverend Benjamin Brody made their church just a little more than interesting. Quaid actually looked forward to going to church on Sundays. He was never sure what kind of sermon he was going to hear, but they were all interesting in some way. Quaid finished a quick safety check of the gear on the horses then turned to watch Matty and Ruben walk up. “Hey, you two, are you ready for your first ride?” Matty looked the chestnut palomino horse up and down. “Don’t you have something a little… smaller?” Quaid chuckled and patted the horse. “Gina here is a very gentle horse, an American bred Quarter horse. She’s also one of our most gentle horses.” Matty looked unconvinced. Ruben, however, had his thumbs hooked in his pockets, and he was rocking back and forth on the heels of his feet, a wide grin on his face. Quaid arched an eyebrow at him. “Got anything friskier?”
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Quaid laughed and pointed to the sorrel a couple of feet away. “Petey is a good stock horse. He’s a little friskier than Gina, but he’s well-trained. He should give you a good ride.” “Petey, huh?” Ruben asked as he walked over to the horse. “Sounds pretty lame for a horse.” “Don’t let the name fool you, Ruben. Petey is young and likes to run.” Quaid looked at Matty and held out his hand. “Come on, angel, let me help you up.” “Are you sure about this?” Matt asked as he took Quaid’s hand. “I’ve never been on a horse before. I’ll probably end up flat on my back in the dirt.” “You’ll be fine, Matthew.” Quaid yanked on Matty’s hand until the man bumped into him. He lowered his voice so only Matty could hear him. “Do you really think I would put my angel in danger?” “No, but… that’s a really big horse, Quaid.” “She’s only fourteen hands tall, Matthew, rather short for her breed.” Quaid stroked the side of Matthew’s face. “She’s the gentlest horse we have, angel. I picked her out especially for you.” Matty still looked unconvinced, but he allowed Quaid to help him up into the saddle. Once Matty’s feet were secured in the stirrups, Quaid handed him the reins. “Just hold on to these. If she starts to move, pull back on them. Gina is very well-trained.” Matty nodded, but his face was pale and his lips pressed tightly together. Quaid shook his head as he walked around the horse. If Matty was going to stay here on the ranch, he would have to get used to riding. This was a working ranch. “Okay, Ruben, let’s get you loaded up.” Quaid grabbed Petey’s reins and gestured to Ruben to get into the saddle. Ruben let out a loud whoop, smacked Gina on the flank, and jumped closer to Petey. Quaid watched in dawning horror as Gina bolted forward in fear and started an all out run across the field. “Damn it,” Quaid shouted as he swung himself up into the saddle of his horse and took off after Matty.
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He couldn’t believe he had promised Matty that Gina was a gentle horse and here he was chasing him down after she bolted. Matty’s scream of outright terror made Quaid’s heart stutter in his chest. Matty would never forgive him. “Matthew, pull back on the reins,” Quaid shouted as he urged his horse to run faster. Quaid watched with a sense of disbelief as Matty did exactly what he said, pulling back on the reins. Only, it didn’t go exactly as Quaid had planned. Instead, Matty yanked on the reins, and Gina instantly came to a complete stop. Matty flew right over the horse’s head and landed on the ground with a soft thud, dust billowing around him. He didn’t move. Quaid raced his horse toward Matty’s position as fast as he could, sliding from the horse’s back before he’d even brought it to a complete stop. Quaid didn’t think he heart even beat a single thump as he dropped to his knees and reached out to search for a pulse on Matty’s throat. He didn’t start breathing again until he felt the slow and steady beat of Matty’s heart. When Matty’s eyes suddenly popped open and he inhaled sharply, Quaid nearly jumped out of his skin. He quickly brushed the hair back from Matty’s face with one hand and pressed his other hand gently against Matty’s chest. “Sshhh, don’t move, angel. I need to see if you’re injured at all.” Matty’s eyes were huge, frightened. “Ca–can’t b–bre–breathe,” he gasped. “It’s okay, Matthew, you’ve just had the wind knocked out of you. Try and take a deep breath and let it out slowly.” Quaid wanted nothing more than to take Matty into his arms and hug him tight, but he knew he couldn’t. He began feeling Matty’s arms and legs, checking for breaks. When he didn’t find any, he went back to checking Matty’s neck and shoulders. Everything seemed fine, but there was really no way to tell without X-rays. “Matthew, can you wiggle your fingers and toes?”
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Matty’s breathing seemed to be better as he slowly nodded. “Do you feel pain anywhere?” Matty gave him a look that Quaid could only interpret as “really?” Quaid chuckled. “Okay, you hurt, but are you feeling any severe pain? Does anything hurt more than normal?” Matt blinked for a moment then shook his head. “Okay, I’m going to help you sit up. I want you to let me do all the work, don’t strain yourself.” Matty nodded, and Quaid reached for him. He slid his hands under Matty’s back and helped him sit up. The moment Matty was sitting upright, Quaid hugged the man to his chest. The relief he felt almost brought him to tears. His angel was okay. “I’m going to kill my brother,” Matty mumbled against his chest. “I had much the same thought myself.” Quaid grinned. “But I think I’ll just let Da deal with him instead. That will keep him from smacking horses or jumping around them.” “Is that what happened?” Quaid leaned back and nodded. He brushed the dusty hair back from Matty’s pale face and flicked some dirt from his cheek. “Yeah, I think it was a combination of the yell, the smack, and the exuberance. It startled Gina. Normally, she really is a sweet gentle horse. She was just spooked.” “I don’t think I want to try horses, Quaid.” “How about if I ride with you the first few times?” Quaid had to try and figure out a way to convince Matty to ride. Quaid loved to ride, and he was sure Matty would, too, once he got over his fear. “You can do that?” Matty asked as he looked toward Quaid’s horse. “Of course we can.” Quaid shrugged. “It might be a little cramped, and we can’t go for any huge runs or anything, but Shiloh can safely carry the both of us.” “I don’t know, Quaid.” “Trust me, angel.”
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Matty snorted. “The last time I trusted you, I ended up on my ass in the dirt.” Quaid tried to smile, but he knew he fell short when Matty frowned up at him. Matty was right. Quaid had a responsibility to care for Matty, and he had let the man down, let Matty be hurt. He should have been watching better. “It won’t happen again, Matthew,” Quaid growled, “not if I have to keep you glued to my side twenty-four hours a day.” Matty blinked up at Quaid for a moment. “You’re serious.” “I am. I failed in my responsibility to keep you safe. It won’t happen again.” “Quaid.” Matt’s forehead wrinkled as he frowned. His hand came up to stroke the side of Quaid’s face. “This wasn’t your fault. It was just an accident.” “There won’t be any more,” Quaid growled. Matty suddenly grinned. “You’re so cute.” Quaid’s eyebrows shot up. He wasn’t sure what to say to that. He never really thought of himself as cute—handsome maybe, masculine certainly, but cute? Not so much. One the other hand, if it put such a delightful smile on Matty’s face, Quaid would settle for cute. “You think I’m cute?” Matty’s face flushed and he quickly looked away. Quaid reached over and grabbed his chin, bringing his face back up to his. “I think you’re pretty damn cute, too.” Matty had a sort of astonished look on his face. “I think you’d even pass for sexy,” Quaid continued, amused by the look on Matty’s face. “Hot, sexy, gorgeous, mouthwatering, any of those adjectives would work.” “Me?” Matty whispered. “Yes, you.” When Matty’s mouth dropped open, Quaid couldn’t stop himself from leaning in and taking a kiss, no matter how much he promised
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himself he wouldn’t. Matty just looked so so shocked. Quaid had to prove to the man that he meant every word he spoke. It didn’t hurt any that Matty’s lips were meant to be kissed. Hell, Matty’s entire body was meant to be kissed. Quaid just hoped that he had the chance some point in the future to kiss him from the top of his head down to his toes, and every silky inch in between. The kiss started out slow and thoughtful. Quaid didn’t want to scare Matty away. But when he felt the tip of Matty’s tongue brush against his, the hunger he had been stamping down since meeting the man roared forward. Quaid surrendered to the passion swirling through him and claimed Matty’s lips the way he had dreamed of for what seemed like ages. The kiss became urgent and exploratory, filled with every bit of desire Quaid felt for the smaller man. Quaid groaned and wrapped his arms around Matty as the man curved his body around him. He stroked his hand down Matty’s back until he reached the curve of his jean-clad ass. When Matty didn’t protest, Quaid moved down further to cup the man’s firm ass in his hand. The small moan that fell from Matty’s lips was nirvana to Quaid’s ears. It was almost better than the hands that clutched at his shirt— almost. The sound of Matty’s pleasure in their kiss was Quaid’s first look into what their future would be like. Quaid couldn’t wait until Matty felt secure in their relationship and allowed them to physically express their emotions. When Quaid reluctantly lifted his head and pulled away from Matty’s lips, the dazed look in the man’s copper eyes was one that would stay with him for the rest of his life. Matty looked like he had never been kissed before and suddenly found that he loved it. “Are you okay, angel?” Quaid asked as he rubbed his thumb across Matty’s swollen lips. “Yes,” Matty whispered then swallowed hard.
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“You don’t look so sure, angel.” Matty glanced away, looking somewhat flustered. Quaid smiled and decided that getting a kiss was good enough for one day. He’d give Matty a break and hope for more. “Come on, let’s see about taking you on your first horse ride, okay?” Quaid stood to his feet and helped Matty up. He held Matty’s hand as he walked back over to Shiloh. Matty looked as nervous as hell as he eyed the large horse. “I’m not so sure about this.” “I am.” Matty still looked skeptical as Quaid helped him get into the saddle. The color in his face slowly returned as he settled down. Quaid grabbed the pummel and swung himself up behind Matty. He debated the merits of riding behind Matty the moment the man’s body leaned back against him. Matty’s tight little ass was snug up against Quaid’s groin. There would be no way that the man wouldn’t feel Quaid’s every response to him. Quaid tried to ignore the perfect body pressed against him and grabbed for the reins. “Ready?” “No.” Matty laughed nervously. Quaid grinned and flicked the reins, getting Shiloh started in an easy walk. He tightened his arms around Matty when the man jerked and made a quick grab for the pummel. As they slowly walked around the arena, Matty began to relax, leaning back more and more. “How are you doing, Matthew?” Quaid asked after a few moments. “This isn’t so bad.” “Want to try a little faster?” “Faster?” Matty tensed again. “Relax, angel. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Quaid flicked the reins again and moved Shiloh into a gentle trot. Matty’s hands gripped his arms like a lifeline. Quaid guided them around the arena until Matty began to relax again then headed toward the gate where Da was waiting. He pulled Shiloh to a stop when he reached Da.
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“Hey, Da.” “How are you, Matty?” Da asked as he looked Matty up and down. “That looked like a pretty nasty fall.” “I’m okay,” Matty replied, “nothing a good soak in the tub won’t cure.” Da nodded then pulled a small bottle out of his back pocket. He handed it over to Matthew. “This will help. Ma uses it on me and all the boys when we get tossed.” “Happens a lot, does it?” “More often than you would think.” Da chuckled. “Living on a ranch does not mean we don’t make our share of mistakes. My boys have had their share of falling off horses, not to mention falling out of the barn.” Quaid laughed when Matty glanced back at him. “It wasn’t me, swear.” “Uh-uh.” “Da, I’m going to take Matty down by the creek and show him around. We should be back in an hour or so.” “You might want to take this with you.” Da turned around and grabbed a canvas bag off the ground by his feet. He handed it to Matty. “Your ma thought you all might be getting hungry sooner or later. Just don’t forget to bring her dishes back or she’ll have your hide.” “Yes, Da.” “Wait, what about Ruben?” Matty asked. “Oh, son, you don’t need to be worrying about Ruben,” Da said. He gestured over his shoulder toward the barn. “He’s going to be a little busy mucking out stalls for the next few hours.” Quaid grinned when he felt Matty shudder in his arms. He leaned down to whisper in Matty’s ear. “I told you Da would find something to make your brother think about jumping and yelling around horses.” Matty giggled, and Quaid fell in love with that small little sound. It was pure joy and tickled Quaid right down to his toes. He could
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even see his Da smiling. It was a sound meant to bring joy to everyone around. “Come on, angel,” Quaid said as he turned the horse and headed toward the creek, “let’s go find us a nice place to have lunch. I’m sure Ma has cooked us up something good.” “And we can do this?” Matty asked. “Do what, angel?” “Just go off in the middle of the day and have a picnic while everyone is working?” Quaid chuckled. “We can. One of the benefits of working a ranch with your family is that we can take a little time here and there for ourselves. I’ve worked more than once while Asa and Lachlan ran off together, same with Rourke and Billy. Guess now it’s my turn.” “Yeah, but they are all in relationships.” “So are we, angel, so are we.” Matty glanced back at Quaid. “I haven’t said I’d marry you.” “No.” Quaid grinned. “But you will.” “You seem awfully sure of that.” “I am.” “Why?” “Because you think I’m cute.” Matty’s eyebrows shot up. “And that’s reason enough to marry you?” “Well, I think there is more to it than that, but yeah.” “You’re off your rocker,” Matty whispered as he turned to face the front of the horse. Quaid grinned. He loved the fact that Matty was confused by him. He had no doubt that he would eventually be able to wear the man down, though. Matty was intrigued with him. Quaid could see it every time the man looked at him. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t above sweetening the pot. “Just think of how wonderful it could be, Matthew,” Quaid said as he directed the horse down through the trees toward the creek. “You
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and Ruben could stay here on the ranch. You’d be safe with the whole Blaecleah family behind you. And you’d have me.” Quaid was a little worried about the silence he was getting from Matty, but he refused to let it detour him. Matty was going to be his. Quaid just had to convince the man of how wonderful they would be together once Matty gave in. Quaid pulled the horse to a stop when they reached the edge of the creek. He swung his leg over the horse and slid down then reached back to help Matty down. Quaid could barely control his groan as Matty’s tight little body rubbed against his. It felt right, and he knew it. He just wished he could convince Matty of it. “I told you that I wouldn’t sleep with you.” “I know.” “Then why are you still trying to get me to agree to marry you?” Quaid reached up and pushed a strand of light brown hair back from Matty’s face. His little angel seemed so confused. Quaid wished he could tell Matty that sex wasn’t a part of their relationship, but he knew he’d be lying. Being intimate with Matty was very much of Quaid’s mind. But he would never force the man. “I wish I had an easy answer to give you, angel, but I don’t. Does it sadden me that you won’t have sex with me? Yes. I can think of nothing I’d like more than to learn every inch of your sexy body. But does not having you physically mean that I’m just going to toss you away? No. I’ll just have to try harder to get you to see things my way.” “And if that never happens?” Quaid pressed his lips together to keep his anguished protest behind his lips. The thought of never loving on Matty made him ache. On the other hand, he didn’t want their relationship to be based solely on sex. “I hope to be able to change your mind at some point, maybe when you trust me a little more, but I won’t give up on you,
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Matthew.” Quaid stroked the side of Matty’s face. “You’re too special for that.” “How do you know that?” Matty whispered. “You don’t know anything about me.” “So tell me then,” Quaid countered. “Tell me everything about you, and I’ll tell you everything about me. I’ll even start. I’m allergic to strawberries. They give me hives.” “I… you…” Matty blinked for a moment then started laughing. “You’re going to drive me crazy, aren’t you?” Quaid grinned. “I’ll do my best.” “I love strawberries.” “Then I’ll get medication.” A healthy hue filled Matty’s face as he cackled with laughter. Quaid couldn’t help but grin. He liked seeing Matty like this. He also suspected that Matty hadn’t laughed a lot in his life. He seemed almost surprised by his amusement. “Come, angel,” Quaid said as he grabbed the canvas bag from Ma in one hand and tied the horse’s reins to a tree with the other. “Let’s go see what Ma has made us for lunch.”
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Chapter 8 Matty watched Quaid as he slumbered. He didn’t really think Quaid was out cold, rather just relaxing in the shade, his head cradled in Matty’s lap. And how that happened, Matty had no idea. One moment they had been eating, and the next moment Quaid’s head was in his lap. Matty didn’t have the heart to protest, mainly because Quaid had seemed so comfortable there, a deep sigh falling from his lips right before his eyes closed. There was also the fact that Matty liked Quaid right where he was. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was attracted to Quaid. Who wouldn’t be? Quaid was a walking, talking sexual dream. Matty just didn’t know if he could trust the words Quaid gave him. Matty frowned as a sudden thought came to him. He had initially said he wouldn’t sleep with Quaid because he didn’t want the man to run as soon as it was over. In his experience, which wasn’t much, men were after just one thing, and they split when they got what they wanted. If he took that one thing out of the picture… “Quaid?” Matty whispered. “Yes, angel?” Matty smiled. He knew the man wasn’t sleeping. “Make love to me, Quaid.” Quaid’s eyes snapped open and stared up at him. They were filled with shock. “What?” “You heard me.” “No, angel, I’m not sure I did.”
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“I want to have sex.” Matty thought that Quaid would be all for it. He didn’t expect the man to frown and roll over, pushing himself into a sitting position. “Why?” “Why?” Matty squeaked. This wasn’t going quite the way he was thought it would. He expected Quaid to be all over him, not look at him in confusion. “Yes, why?” Quaid repeated. “You’ve said over and over again that you won’t have sex to me. Why have you suddenly changed your mind?” “You’re cute?” “That’s not good enough, Matthew. I want to know why you suddenly changed your mind.” “Don’t you want to have sex with me?” Maybe Quaid had changed his mind. Maybe Matty had been holding out too long and the man had finally given up. Matty was very confused, even more so when Quaid grabbed his hand and pushed against the hard erection in the man’s pants. “I want you with every breath that I take, angel, but I refuse to do something that you’re not a hundred percent sure of.” “I… I’m sure.” Quaid’s lips turned down in a frown, and he sat back on his heels. “No, you’re not. If you were sure, Matthew, you wouldn’t be shaking at the thought of us having sex.” Matty blinked several times as his face flushed. He hadn’t even realized he was shaking until Quaid said something. He dropped his head back to lean on the tree he was leaning against and tried to breathe calmly, something he wasn’t feeling at the moment. “Why does this have to be so complicated?” he asked. He turned and looked at Quaid as the man settled on the ground next to him. He prayed that Quaid had the answers because he didn’t. “What seems complicated about it, angel?”
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“I’m attracted to you. I’d have to be dead six months not to be but…” “But what?” Matty turned his head back and stared up at the tree branches above him. He wondered how truthful he could be with Quaid without having it used against him. “Tell me, angel.” Matty glanced down at his fingers as he twisted them together. “What if I give in and you leave afterwards?” he whispered. “So not going to happen, Matthew.” “But how do I know that?” Matty asked as he glanced up at Quaid. “You could try and trust me a little.” “I trusted someone else once and ended up all alone. I don’t want to go through that again.” Quaid looked pensive, his lips pressed firmly together for a moment. “Matthew, I don’t know who hurt you, but I’m not him.” “His name was Brian.” Matty looked back down at his hands. He couldn’t stand the thundering look that suddenly came into Quaid’s eyes. “He said he loved me, that he wanted to be with me, and I believed him.” “So, what happened?” “The second he got what he wanted, he split.” Matty laughed harshly as he remembered how humiliated he had been. “Oh, Brian explained to me that I just wasn’t his type. I didn’t do it for him in bed. And, as Brian so eloquently put it, since I was a virgin and he wasn’t, it was obviously my fault.” “Matthew, no!” Quaid scooted closer, grabbing Matty’s hand in his. “I don’t know what this Brian’s problem was, but it had nothing to do with you. If he truly cared about you, he would have made sure whatever happened between the two of you was wonderful.” “That’s what I’ve been trying to explain to you, Quaid,” Matty snapped as he jerked his hand away from Quaid. “He didn’t care for
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me at all. He just wanted a piece of ass, my ass. And once he got it, he didn’t want anything to do with me anymore.” “Matthew, I’m not Brian.” Quaid chuckled lightly. “Hell, I’ve been trying to get you to marry me. I want you to stick around, sex or no sex.” Matty cocked his head, his curiosity overwhelming him. “And why is that? If I refuse to have sex with you, why do you still want me to marry you?” “Because I think you’re wonderful, Matthew. You’re like a ray of sunshine, an angel.” A quirky little grin crossed Quaid’s lips. “I thought that the very first time I saw you, you know, that you were an angel.” “I’m not,” Matty said quickly. He didn’t want Quaid thinking he was something he wasn’t. “Yes, you are.” Quaid grinned. “You’re my angel, and that means I’m keeping you.” Matty’s mind just blanked out. He couldn’t think of a single response to that. When Quaid reached for him and pulled him into his lap, Matty willingly went, pushing his face into the crook of Quaid’s neck. Quaid smelled so good, and Matty was so damned tired of denying himself. When Quaid’s arms wrapped around him, Matty settled into them and pushed himself closer. He wanted to feel every inch Quaid’s body. “I want to keep you, Matthew,” Quaid said against the top of Matty’s head. “I want to marry you and change your name to Blaecleah, get all of our papers in order. I want everyone to know you’re mine. I want to tie you to me in every way possible so you never leave me.” Matty swallowed hard as emotion filled him. He couldn’t fight it anymore. Quaid offered him a world he had always wanted to be a part of but never was. He always stood on the edges looking in, dreaming. He didn’t want to just dream anymore.
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“Okay,” Matty whispered. Quaid stiffened beneath Matty. “Okay?” Matty smoothed his hand down the front of Quaid’s cotton shirt, gently patting the wrinkles back into place. “Okay, I’ll marry you.” Matty was totally unprepared for the happy exuberance Quaid showed when he agreed to the marriage. He yelped when Quaid suddenly shouted and hugged him so hard that, for a moment, he couldn’t breathe. Before he could protest, his face was grabbed between Quaid’s hands and peppered with kisses. “You won’t be sorry, angel,” Quaid said quickly. Matty chuckled at the excitement suddenly shinning in Quaid’s eyes. He almost believed him. Matty patted Quaid’s chest again. “Yeah, well, we’ll see what happens.” “I’ll make you happy, Matthew, I promise.” “I’m not sure that’s something you can promise, Quaid.” “I can damn sure promise to try.” Matty laughed. “Okay, I’ll give you that one.” Quaid suddenly hugged Matty again. “We’re going to be so good together, angel. Just you wait and see.” Matty licked his lips and gathered his courage up by his bootstraps. He pushed himself back far enough that he could look Quaid in the face. “I’d rather not have to wait to find out.” Quaid’s eyebrows shot up. His mouth dropped open for several moments before he snapped it shut. “You don’t mean that, Matthew.” “I just offered to have sex with you, and you’re turning me down?” Matty was confused, and maybe a bit hurt. “Isn’t this been what you’ve been wanting this entire time?” “I’m not turning you down exactly, but…” Quaid’s eyebrows drew together in a deep frown. “But, I’m not sure this is what you really want.” Matty was beyond shocked. He’d never in his life met a man that turned down free sex. “I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it, Quaid.”
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“You need to be really, really sure, Matthew, because once I have you, I am never letting you go.” Matty actually kind of liked the sound of that. “I’m sure.” Matty could feel Quaid’s eyes on him, watching him. He knew the man was trying to decide if his invitation was serious or not. Matty was very serious, though, and he wanted Quaid to know it. He was tired of fighting his attraction to Quaid. To prove to Quaid how serious he was, Matty sat up and swung his leg over Quaid’s lap, straddling him. He grabbed a handful of Quaid’s cotton shirt and started pulling it up. His eyes ate up every inch of skin revealed. “Last night, when I first met you, I started thinking how much I’d like to lick you from head to toe.” “Really?” Quaid’s deep swallow was audible and caught enough of Matty’s attention that he looked up. Quaid’s eyes had darkened to a deep emerald green. The heat in them was nearly scorching. “Really.” Matty whipped the shirt off over Quaid’s head. Instead of pulling it off his arms, he bunched it together, trapping Quaid’s arms above his head. He glanced down and groaned at all of the tan skin available to him. Matty placed his hand on Quaid’s collarbone then slowly stroked it down his firm chest. Quaid’s nipples puckered and grew hard when Matty stroked a finger of one, then the other. Quaid’s chest rose and fell rapidly, as if he had just run a great distance. Matty glanced up at him. “Do you like that, Quaid?” Quaid swallowed again and nodded. Matty really had no idea what he was doing. He didn’t even know if he was doing it right. He just knew what he felt like doing, and touching Quaid was at the top of the list. He just hoped the man enjoyed it. Matty’s experience wasn’t that vast beyond things he had read. He didn’t want to mess this up. “Don’t start second-guessing yourself now, angel.”
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Matty grinned and went in for the kill, grabbing one of Quaid’s nipples between his teeth. He was doing it right if Quaid’s response was anything to go by. The man groaned and arched into the air. Matty released that nipple and went for the other one, intrigued by Quaid’s response. He wanted to see it again. He wanted to feel it again. He especially wanted to feel the hard cock pressing up between his thighs. Matty scooted down Quaid’s body until his face hovered above the large bulge in Quaid’s pants. He could feel Quaid’s body shudder as he began to slowly loosen the buttons then pull the zipper down. He was pretty sure what he would find. He’d jerked Quaid off just hours earlier. Still, when Quaid’s hard cock bounced up, the sheer magnificence of it took Matty’s breath away. He traced his finger of the silky top, wiping away a drop of pre-cum. “This is a very nice cock, Quaid.” “Glad… glad you approve.” “I do, I do.” Matty glanced up at Quaid through his bangs. “I just wonder if it tastes as good as it looks.” Quaid’s eyes closed for a moment as if the man was holding on to his control by a thread. When he opened them again, they looked a bit dazed. “Why don’t you find out?” Matty kept his eyes locked with Quaid’s as he leaned forward and licked around the rounded head of Quaid’s cock. When he stroked his tongue across the top, a tangy sensation of flavors exploded across Matty’s tongue. “Oh fuck,” Quaid groaned when Matty swallowed him down. Matty liked giving Quaid pleasure. It made him feel ten feet tall. He wanted to do it over and over again, then once more for good measure. And Quaid seemed to be so responsive. Matty knew if every damn little thing he did aroused the man or not—most did. Matty continued to lavish Quaid’s cock, sucking him down then licking his way back up, until Quaid grabbed his hair. Matty glanced up, confused. Had he done something wrong?
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“I’m going to come, angel.” Matty grinned around the cock in his mouth. Wasn’t that the point? “As much as I’m enjoying this, and believe me I am, I don’t want to come until I’m balls deep in your ass. I want this to be good for both of us, not just me.” Matty took his mouth off of Quaid’s cock and leaned back, resigned to what was about to happen. He’d much prefer to just sucking Quaid off. In that at least, he knew he was bringing Quaid pleasure. He wasn’t so sure about the other. His first time hadn’t been that good and afterwards had been even worse. “Take off your clothes, Matthew.” Matty could feel his face flush as he stood to his feet and started taking his boots off. He had been naked in front of Quaid once before, so he didn’t understand why he was feeling embarrassed this time. It was stupid. Matty finished getting his boots off. He pulled his shirt over his head then went to work on his jeans. He jumped when he felt Quaid’s arms encircle him from behind. “Sshhh, angel, calm yourself,” Quaid whispered in his ear. “Nothing is going to happen here today that you don’t want.” Matty dropped his head back against Quaid’s chest. “I’m really bad at this, Quaid. Why don’t you just let me suck you off? I know you were enjoying that.” “Is there a reason you don’t feel comfortable having intercourse, angel? Something maybe I need to know about?” Matty shrugged. “Not good enough, angel. I need to make sure that I don’t do anything you don’t like. I want you to enjoy what we do together.” “I like everything we do together but—” “No buts, angel. While the physical pleasure would be there, I wouldn’t want to have sex if you’re not enjoying it just as much as I do. It’s just not worth it.”
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Quaid turned Matty in his arms then nudged his chin until he looked up. He looked very serious, but there was something shining in his eyes that made it hard for Matty to breathe. “I will not take you just to appease my own hunger, Matthew. My pleasure comes from you.” Quaid’s hand pressed over Matty’s heart. “From here.” It moved to Matty’s temple. “And here.” Matty jumped when Quaid’s hand moved down to grab his cock. “My pleasure does not come from here. This is just an instrument to create pleasure. My pleasure comes from knowing I’ve brought you pleasure. If you’re not enjoying yourself, then neither am I.” Matty tried to swallow past the tears clogging his throat but it was difficult. They weren’t discussing wine and roses, but that was probably the most romantic thing Matty had ever heard anyone say to him. “Are you for real?” Matty whispered. It just didn’t seem possible that he would be this lucky. Quaid was drop dead gorgeous. But he was also smart, kind, caring, and he seemed to want Matty for just who he was. Quaid had to be a dream. The corners of Quaid’s mouth turned up as he chuckled. “I’m very real, angel. Let me prove it to you?” Matty slowly nodded. He was still scared. He imagined he would be for awhile. But saying no to Quaid wasn’t an option. Matty wanted the man and all he had to offer. He might pay for it sometime in the future, but right now, he wanted everything Quaid’s deep green eyes promised. Matty blew out a deep breath and lowered his jeans and kicked them away. His hands clenched at his sides as he stood there naked before Quaid. He was so nervous he could spit. Quaid just stood there and stared at him. “Quaid?” “You are so fucking beautiful, Matthew,” Quaid whispered. “Me?”
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Quaid’s eyes snapped up to Matty’s. “Yes, you. You’re gorgeous.” Matty felt ridiculous, but he couldn’t help smiling at Quaid’s words. He knew he wasn’t gorgeous, but if Quaid wanted to think he was, Matty wasn’t about to try and change his mind. He wasn’t a fool. “Are you going to finish getting undressed?” Matty may have seen Quaid naked before, but he certainly didn’t mind looking again. Quaid was hot. Matty watched Quaid quickly strip his jeans off, stopping to reach into his pocket and pull something out. Matty frowned when Quaid held it up until he realized what was in Quaid’s hand, and then his face flushed. “Lube and a condom.” Quaid grinned. “Never leave home without them.” “Just one condom?” “There’s more in the nightstand at home.” Matty felt his face flush again. Quaid chuckled and leaned down to grab the small blanket Ma had included in the picnic sack. He shook it out then spread it on the ground. He dropped the lube and condom on the red checkered blanket then held out his hand. “Coming, angel?” Matty smirked as he reached out and grabbed Quaid’s hand. “We’ll see.” “Don’t be such a pessimist, angel.” Quaid chuckled as he drew Matty down to the blanket. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, making Matty laugh. “I can promise there will be lots and lots of coming.” Having Quaid naked in the shower just did not do the man justice. It was nothing like having Quaid naked and hovering over the top of him. Matty was afraid he was going to swallow his tongue. “Just remember, angel, there isn’t anything you can do wrong or any place you can’t touch me. This is just you and me.”
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Matty nodded his understanding, but he was still unsure of exactly what to do. He knew what he wanted to do though. He still wanted to lick Quaid’s body from head to toe. It was just kind of hard to do when he was lying on his back on the ground. Matty let his eyes do the licking instead. “Your genetic pool should be patented.” “My what?” Quaid laughed. Matty laughed. “Your genetic pool. It doesn’t quite seem fair that five brothers all built like you could come from one family. There must be mothers all over town resenting the hell out of your parents.” “You really want to talk about my genetics right now?” “N-no.” Matty tilted his head back when Quaid started nuzzling his neck. He cried out and arched, pulling his knees up, when Quaid’s teeth started scraping along his throat muscles. He never would have thought biting could arouse him so much. He was wrong. It felt incredible. “You taste really good, angel.” Matty had no idea if that was a good thing or not. He forgot to care when Quaid’s lips moved further down his body. Quaid started licking at Matty’s nipples first, moving from one then to the other. Matty shuddered when Quaid started nibbling. Yep, he liked biting. Go him. “Quaid!” Matty inhaled sharply, his abdomen rippling when Quaid’s tongue moved across his hot skin. He reached down and grabbed a handful of Quaid’s reddish hair. Quaid chuckled and moved down past Matty’s bellybutton. Matty held his breath as he watched Quaid hover over his hard cock. He could feel the man’s breath blowing gently across his aching flesh. Quaid glanced up and smiled then stick his tongue out and licked across the top. Matty’s entire body trembled. He didn’t remember sex being this intense. Quaid was turning him inside out, and he seemed to just to be getting started.
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“Hand me the lube and condom, angel.” Matty searched around until his hand landed on the two small items. He picked them up and handed them to Quaid. When Quaid tore the condom package open with his teeth, Matty had to see. He leaned up on his elbows and watched Quaid expertly roll the condom down his thick erect cock. “Damn, that’s hot.” Matty didn’t realize he had spoken out loud until Quaid grinned up at him. His face flushed, and he quickly glanced away. “Not to worry, angel, you can put the condom on me next time.” Matty found himself grinning. He always thought sex was supposed to be so serious. Besides making Matty so horny he could barely see straight, Quaid was also making it fun and less nerveracking. Maybe that was what made sex so special with Quaid. “You ready for this, angel?” “Yes,” Matty whispered as he shook his head. Quaid chuckled. “Let’s see if we can make you a little more comfortable.” Matty’s eyes widened as Quaid leaned down and sucked the head of his cock into his mouth. At the same time, Quaid pushed Matty’s legs up. Matty’s head dropped back when Quaid began to suck on his cock. Okay, Quaid could officially do whatever he wanted as long as he never stopped doing whatever it was he was doing with his tongue, Matty thought as his senses overloaded. The licking and sucking on his cock felt so intense, it didn’t even hurt Matty when Quaid pressed a finger into his ass. Both sensations melded together, becoming one intense, mind-blowing ecstasy until time became meaningless. “Are you ready, angel?” Matty looked up. Quaid’s jaw was clenched. The corded muscles on his neck stood rigid. Matty nodded, fascinated by the control
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Quaid was exerting. He could tell that Quaid was on the edge of control and holding on for his sake. “I’m ready, Quaid.” “Oh hell, I hope so.” Matty’s breath hitched in his throat as he felt Quaid’s cock gently push into his ass. There was a slight twinge but not enough to take away from the pleasure he felt at being so full. Every nerve in his body was tingling. Quaid hooked an arm under Matty’s leg then leaned down over his body. His free hand gently stroked the side of Matty’s face. His deep green eyes, a mere inch away, never left Matty’s. “Breathe, angel.” Matty chuckled. “Can’t.” Quaid grinned and started moving. A slender, delicate thread began to form between them with every thrust. Matty had longed for someone for longer than he could remember. That someone was staring down at him with tenderness that Matty’s eyes watered. He felt special, cherished. He felt wanted. “More, Quaid,” Matty whispered as he pressed his hands against Quaid’s slick chest. “I want more.” He wanted everything! Quaid started moving faster, harder. One of his hands clenched around Matty’s thigh. The other one grabbed a handful of Matty’s hair at the nap of his neck and tilted his head back, exposing his throat. Quaid’s teeth latched on to the exposed skin, and Matty went wild. The combination of Quaid’s cock pounding into his ass and the teeth at his throat were enough to send Matty’s senses swirling out of control. Matty’s cries as he came filled the small cove. The sound seemed to spur Quaid on. He suddenly moved at a ferocious pace, rapidly driving his cock into Matty’s ass. His face grew even more strained than before.
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Quaid suddenly stiffed, his jaw grew rigid. His eyes fell closed and his nostrils flared. Quaid’s fingers dug into Matty’s skin. A low feral growl fell from his lips as he thrust into Matty, once, then twice, then one more. Matt felt Quaid’s entire body shudder as the man’s hot release filled him. When Quaid slumped down against him, Matty wrapped his arms around Quaid’s back. Quaid’s face pressed into Matty’s throat. His hands rubbed up and down Matty’s sides. He whispered something but it was muffled. “What?” Matty asked softly. Quaid lifted his head and smiled down at Matty. “I’m an oldfashioned guy, Matthew. I have my cock in your ass. You have to marry me now.”
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Chapter 9 “Are you sure about this, Quaid?” Quaid smiled at Matty and nodded. “I’m sure, angel.” Matty bit his lower lip and signed on the dotted line next to Quaid’s name. Quaid didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until Matty signed everything and put the pen down. The lawyer they sat across from grabbed the forms and read over them then smiled. “Everything seems to be in order,” Elijah James said. “I’ll file these with the courthouse in the morning. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks for you to receive the final papers but as of now, you can pretty much consider yourself a Blaecleah, Matty.” “Just like that?” “Well, unless you have some legal reason why the courts won’t allow you to change your name, there shouldn’t be any grounds for the judge not to sign the papers.” Elijah frowned and sat forward. “Is there some reason?” “No,” Matty answered quickly. “Except for when Sheriff Riley arrested me, I’ve never even had anything to do with the police, and Sheriff Riley said all charges against me were dropped.” “Then there shouldn’t be any problem.” Elijah pointed to the stack of papers on his desk. “As for the rest of these papers, the living will and power of attorney take effect as soon as I file them with the courthouse tomorrow morning.” Quaid couldn’t keep the delighted grin off his face. Matty was his. Now they just had to plan the wedding to satisfy Ma. As far as Quaid was concerned, the minute he and Matty signed the papers, they were a couple.
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“Come on, angel,” Quaid said as he stood up. He held his hand out to Matty. “Let’s go celebrate.” “Celebrate?” Matty asked as he stood. “Yes, celebrate.” Quaid grinned again then reached for Matty’s hand, entwining their fingers together. He didn’t miss the quick frightened look Matty sent the lawyer. “Matthew, there’s nothing to be nervous about. Elijah is as gay as you and me.” Matty blinked. “You’re gay?” “I am, although I don’t broadcast it as much as the Blaecleah brothers do.” Elijah chuckled and sat back in his chair, folding his hands together over his suit vest. “You don’t look gay.” “Neither do any of the Blaecleahs.” “True.” Matty suddenly grinned and looked up at Quaid. “Thank god he is though. It would be a sad day for me if he was straight.” Quaid chuckled and drew Matty into his arms. He was just as thankful that Matty was gay. He couldn’t even imagine not being able to love on Matty the way he had in the last three days. Ever since Matty agreed to marry him, Quaid’s life had been perfect. “Elijah, do you want to join us?” Quaid asked as he turned to look at the lawyer. “I’m going to take Matty down to the café and get us some lunch to celebrate.” “Actually, that sounds like a great idea.” Elijah stood up and grabbed his navy blue suit jacket off the back of his chair and pulled it on. “It’s about lunchtime, and I can’t think of a better reason to go down to take off a little early.” “Great.” Quaid couldn’t think of another person he would rather take to lunch with him and Matty other than Elijah, the attorney that was making everything possible. Once Elijah got the papers filed, Matty would legally be Quaid’s. “If fact, if you two have an extra few minutes,” Elijah said, “we can swing by the courthouse and file these papers real quick. It
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shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, and then we’d really have something to celebrate.” “Perfect.” Tomorrow morning would have been good enough, but today was even better. Quaid felt like jumping for joy. It took just a few minutes to walk from Elijah’s office to the courthouse. Quaid could barely stand still as he watched Elijah file the living will and power of attorney that he and Matty had signed. Those would be effective immediately, as soon as they were filed. The name change took a little longer. Quaid was willing to wait. “There.” Elijah handed over a small stack of stamped papers. “These are all official now. The judge’s order should be ready in a few of weeks. Due to bureaucratic red tape, there must be a public posting for thirty days before the judge can officially approve your name change.” “Why?” Matty asked. Quaid stepped closer when Matty’s face paled. “Can someone stop me from getting my name changed?” “Not unless you are changing your name to avoid prosecution.” Matty quickly shook his head. “No, I just want to be a Blaecleah.” “Then this is just a formality,” Elijah said. He handed the papers over to Matty and Quaid. “Now, about that lunch celebration…” “We should call Ruben and have him join us,” Matty said as they started out of the building. “We’ve discussed me getting my name changed, but we didn’t talk about Ruben doing the same.” “Matthew, I have no doubt that Ma and Da would gladly accept Ruben into our family. Ma adores Ruben, and Da can’t get enough of fathering him. Ruben may be an adult, but he’s a few years younger than us boys. I think Da misses when we were younger and hungry to learn like Ruben is.” “I don’t know if Ruben will want to change his name but—” “But it should be an option for him?” Quaid asked. Matty smiled and leaned into Quaid. “Yeah.” “Who is Ruben?” Elijah asked.
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“Oh.” Matty turned to look at Elijah. “Ruben is my younger brother. When we left home, we left together. Ruben is kind of in the same situation I’m in.” Elijah’s eyebrows shot up. “He’s marrying one of the Blaecleah brothers?” “No.” Matty laughed. “We were both disowned by our parents because we’re gay.” “Well, then ask him to come along,” Elijah said. “I’d be more than happy to draw up the papers for him if that’s what he wants.” Quaid nodded when Matty glanced at him then handed over his cell phone. He waited while Matty quickly called his brother and invited him into town. When Matty snapped the phone closed and handed it back, he had a wide grin on his face. “He’s on his way.” “Good,” Quaid said. “And if you don’t mind, I’d also like to invite Brody along, too.” “Brody?” Matty asked. “The reverend from my church, remember? I thought you might like a church wedding, so we need to talk to Brody about a date and start planning.” “A church wedding?” Matty whispered. “We can really have a church wedding?” Quaid knew despite Matty’s aversion to what his father preached the man wouldn’t feel comfortable if they were not married in a church. He planned on giving Matty that wedding, one that would be binding to both of them. “Yes, angel.” Quaid tapped his finger against the end of Matty’s nose. “We’re going to have a church wedding.” The smile that blossomed across Matty’s face told Quaid he had made the right decision with insisting they have a church wedding. The man was practically glowing. Quaid couldn’t wait to see Matty’s reaction when he found out about the engagement ring tucked away in his nightstand.
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“Come on, angel,” Quaid said as he wrapped his arm around Matty’s waist, “let’s go eat. I’m starving.” “Wait.” Matty refused to budge. “Call your friend.” Quaid pulled his phone out and called Brody, asking the man to meet them at the café for lunch. Brody agreed, and Quaid hung up. He slipped his phone back into his pocket then looked at Matty. “Happy?” “Yes.” Matty grinned. “And starving. Feed me.” “Anything my angel wants.” Quaid turned to look at Elijah when the man started laughing. “You have something to say?” “No.” Elijah waved his hands back and forth in front of him. “It’s just interesting to see you so wrapped up in someone. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this way.” Quaid shrugged. “Matthew is my legend.” “Yes, I figured as much when you asked me to draw up those papers for you and Matty just like your brothers Lachlan and Rourke did.” Elijah’s smile had a hint of sadness in it. “I guess I’m just a bit envious.” Quaid felt bad for Elijah. He knew the man had been looking for someone special since he had moved to town a few years ago after the death of his partner. Quaid had never heard of the man’s name being linked with anyone, so he assumed Elijah hadn’t found anyone special yet. “Maybe you should spend a little more time out at the ranch. We might rub off on you. Besides, Ma loves you. She’d be thrilled to see you come for a visit.” Elijah chuckled. “Maybe I’ll do that.” “Um, what’s a legend?” Matty asked. Quaid’s mouth dropped open as he realized he had never told Matty about the legend in his family. Somehow, it had totally slipped his mind. He hugged Matty to him and kissed the top of his head. “It’s a very long story, angel.” “I think I can make the time,” Matty replied.
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Quaid chuckled. “Well—” “Matthew.” Quaid swung around when he heard someone call out his angel’s name to find a rather sour looking older man standing behind them. Quaid frowned. Matty was practically falling apart in his arms, the man’s entire body shaking. “Can I help you?” Quaid asked. “I do not believe I was speaking to you, young man,” the man said haughtily. “Then you’re not speaking to Matthew either.” Quaid tightened his arm around Matty’s shoulders and started to turn away. Despite Matty’s silence, Quaid had a pretty good idea who the stranger was, and he wanted to get Matty away from there as fast as possible. “Matthew, I am speaking to you,” the man said. Quaid grit his teeth and tried to keep a civil tone as he turned around to face the man again. “I do not believe my fiancé has anything to say to you, Reverend McCallister.” “Fiancé!” Reverend McCallister’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Matty. “You’ve corrupted another man to your sick perversions? Is that what you’ve done to your brother? Did you corrupt him, too?” Matty shrank back in Quaid’s arms when Reverend McCallister stepped toward him. Quaid growled and pushed Matty behind him. He wasn’t about to let anyone threaten his angel, not even the man’s father. “You need to step back, Reverend McCallister.” “Who the hell are you?” the reverend shouted. Quaid was shocked by the reverend’s words. Except for Brody on rare occasions, he’d never heard a minister swear before. Ma would be shocked. Quaid was also aware that they were starting to draw attention from those passing by. “My name is Quaid Blaecleah. I’m Matthew’s fiancé.” “You can’t be his fiancé. You’re a man.”
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“I’m very aware of that fact. I am also aware that Matthew is a man. That does not mean we are not engaged to be married, because we are. We’re even planning a church wedding.” “Blasphemy!” The reverend’s arms started waving wildly around in the air as he shouted. “You will burn in hell for this abhorrent behavior. No minister of god will ever marry you in a church.” “That minister would be me,” said a voice from behind Quaid, “and I would be more than happy to marry Quaid and Matthew in my church.” Quaid heard Brody’s voice and breathed a sigh of relief. Not only was Brody a huge man and very intimidating, but as a minister, he could fight fire with fire. Quaid started to turn toward Brody to thank him for coming when Matty suddenly pushed him hard. Quaid stumbled backward and almost fell, barely catching himself. He looked up at Matty in confusion, shocked the his fiancé had pushed him, just in time to see Matty grab his face and fly backward. Elijah caught him before he could hit the ground. Brody jumped forward, putting himself between Matty and his father. Quaid dismissed the shouting starting between Brody and Matty’s father. He just wanted to get to Matty. He scrambled forward and reached for Matty. The moment his hands touched Matty, he jumped and jerked away. “Matthew!” “Quaid,” Matthew cried out as he dove into his arms. Tears streamed down his face, mingling with the blood dripping from his forehead. Quaid quickly stripped off his shirt and held it against the gash in Matty’s head. He was so angry he could barely see straight. “Elijah, call the sheriff. I want the good reverend arrested for assault.” Elijah nodded and reached for his cell phone. Quaid heard him start speaking a moment later and turned his attention back to Matty. He lifted his shirt to get a better look and wished he hadn’t. Blood
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gushed from a deep cut in Matty’s head. Quaid knew it was going to need stitches. “Are you okay, Matthew?” Matty looked dazed when he tilted his head back. “He tried to stone me,” he whispered. Quaid’s stomach clenched at Matty’s words. He glanced around and instantly spotted a large stone lying on the ground a few feet from Matty. “Elijah, get something to pick up that rock for the sheriff. It’s what that asshole threw at Matthew.” “Quaid, it’s a rock,” Elijah said. “It’s not going to have his finger prints on it.” “No, but it has Matthew’s blood on it. With witness statements, that should be good enough to put McCallister away for a good little while.” Quaid sneered at the reverend over his shoulder. “Maybe he’ll be lucky enough to meet a boyfriend in jail.” Considering the volatile situation, Quaid was a little surprised when Matty laughed. “Oh, you think that’s funny?” “It would serve him right.” Quaid grinned and hugged Matty to him, making sure he held the shirt on Matty’s forehead. He was glad Matty could laugh right now. He couldn’t imagine not only being hated by his father but having the man throw stones at him. Donnell Blaecleah might not understand how his sons could love men, but he fully supported them anyway. Quaid knew that no matter what the situation was, he could always go to his Da for advice or just an ear to listen to him. His Da never judged. He never put them down. He gave them his unconditional love. Quaid was glad more than ever that Matty was going to become part of his family. The man needed to be in a family that loved him like Quaid’s family did him. Quaid knew that he could provide a loving and supportive family along with himself. Matty would be happy. “Quaid, what seems to be the problem here?”
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Quaid glanced over at the sheriff as the man walked up. “Matthew’s father tried to assault him. I want him arrested.” Sheriff Riley’s eyebrow quirked up. “His father?” Quaid gestured behind him where he could still hear Brody and the reverend arguing. “I’m going to take Matthew to the hospital for some stitches. We’ll come down after that and give a statement.” “Stitches?” Quaid lifted the shirt off Matty’s head. The sheriff grimaced. “And how did this happen?” “He found out that Matthew and I are engaged. He tried to stone Matthew.” “Hmm, sounds like the good reverend needs to spend some time in my jail.” The man suddenly chuckled. “He can keep Ira Thornton company.” “Ira is in jail?” Quaid asked. “Yes,” the sheriff replied. “It seems Ira decided to tie one on last night and then tried to drive home. I would have let him go this morning after he sobered up, but he destroyed his cell. I’m holding him until the judge can order him to pay for the damages.” “Wow, I didn’t know Ira was a drinker.” “He is, just ask Billy.” The sheriff started to step past Quaid then suddenly stopped, eyeing Matty’s forehead. “Get the nurse at the hospital to take pictures of that before Matty gets stitched up. I may need it for evidence.” Quaid pretty much had the same thought. “Elijah has the rock that the reverend threw at Matty. It has Matty’s blood on it.” The sheriff nodded. “Let me get the reverend into handcuffs then I’ll take it. The crowd is getting a little restless, and I don’t want any of them taking a swing at the reverend before I can get him before the judge.” Quaid glanced around as was surprised to find that the sheriff was right. The crowd that had gathered was staring daggers at Reverend McCallister. They looked to be on the verge of becoming a mob.
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“Yeah, you might want to get him out of here. Not that I don’t think he deserves it, but I want him punished legally.” “The citizens of Cade Creek don’t much like strangers coming in and messing with one of our own.” The sheriff pulled his handcuffs out and started toward the reverend. “They certainly don’t like strangers coming into our town spouting off their mouths.” And Reverend McCallister was doing just that, shouting swear words left and right as he quoted scriptures that Quaid was sure the man thought tipped the scales of righteousness in his direction. It could have been the swear words or maybe the fact that Brody had been preaching in town long enough for people to understand religion and being gay were not on opposite sides of the fence, but the crowd was not on the reverend’s side. Quaid watched until Sheriff Riley had Matty’s father in handcuffs then led his angel toward his truck. Unfortunately, it was two blocks over sitting in front of Elijah’s office. They’d have to walk back to it. They didn’t even make it to the end of the block before Seamus and Ruben pulled up. Quaid stopped heading for his truck and walked Matty’s toward his brother’s truck instead. He opened the door and helped Matty climb in then climbed in himself. “We need to take Matty to the hospital,” he said as he closed the door. “What the hell happened?” Seamus asked, already backing the truck up then driving down the road. “Was that my father being put in the back of the sheriff’s truck?” Ruben asked from the backseat of the quad cab. “Yes, Ruben, it was. He attacked Matthew, tried to stone him.” “Oh man, he’s in town?” Quaid glanced over his shoulder at Ruben. The man was pasty white. “It’s okay, Ruben. He can’t hurt you.” “He hurt Matty,” Ruben said, pointing to Matty’s head. “It won’t happen a second time,” Quaid growled. “I’m aware of what he’s capable of now. I won’t let him hurt Matthew again.”
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Chapter 10 “Amen.” Matty opened his eyes and looked up. He’d done it. He had survived going to church without losing his mind. And not only had he survived it, he had actually enjoyed it. Matty couldn’t remember that last time he had enjoyed going to church. He almost felt giddy. Brody was everything Quaid said he was—a minister with tattoos and piercings that gave great sermons on loving thy fellow man. Matty hadn’t heard a single reference to the evils of being gay or being ashamed for acting a certain way. Matty had been a little freaked when Quaid insisted that a clean pair of jeans and a nice dress shirt was perfectly appropriate to wear to church. He had been panic stricken that he didn’t have his usual church suit. Now that he looked around the others worshipping, he suddenly didn’t feel as out of place. Everyone was dressed nicely but nothing fancy. It was a simple church with simple people. “I do have a few announcements before you all run off.” Matty glanced to the front of the church where Brody was still talking. Despite the tattoos and piercings, or maybe because of them, Brody really was an attractive man. Just not as attractive as Quaid was. Matty wasn’t sure there was anyone on the planet as attractive as Quaid. “The Lady’s Saturday Quilting Club will be in the library this week. Maude is out of town for the next few days. Her daughter gave
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birth to a bouncing baby boy yesterday, and Maude has gone to stay with her.” Matty nearly jumped out of his seat when everyone started clapping. He quickly grabbed Quaid’s hand. He had never heard such noise inside of a church building before in his life. He held his breath as Brody looked down from the pulpit and grinned. What was next? “Thomas and Betty Sutherland would like to announce that they are expecting.” Again, the noise inside the church reached epic levels. Matty’s eyes widened as he turned to see a young man across the room stand up. He had a huge grin on his face as he tried to get the woman next to him to stand up. Matty assumed it was the woman expecting. “Congratulations, Thomas and Betty,” Brody said. “I know that house of yours is pretty small, what with a new little one coming and all. If you need help building a nursery on, just give me a call. I’m sure we can figure something out.” “I’ve got plenty of lumber down at the mill,” a man called out from the congregation. “I’ve got tools,” someone else called out. “I ain’t got not wood or tools, but I got me three boys that have plenty of muscles. We’d be happy to pitch in and build that new baby a room.” On and on it went until a plan was formed to build a nursery onto the side of the house for the expectant parents. Matty leaned closer to Quaid, confused. “Is it always like this?” he whispered. “Pretty much,” Quaid replied. Matty was in wonder. He’d never seen anything like it. In his father’s church, no one ever volunteered to help anyone else out unless the reverend demanded it. They were all trying too hard to protect their own to stick their necks out for someone else. “Mrs. Blaecleah wanted me to let all of you know if you need any tomatoes, she has a ton. Just catch her after church or stop by the
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Blaecleah place,” Brody went on. “I have it on good authority that those tomatoes of hers are delicious.” There was a chuckle throughout the room. “Before we all head outside for the potluck, I have one last announcement to make.” Matty started to squirm when Brody turned and looked right at him. What was he going to say? Matty could remember plenty of times when his father had pinned him to his seat during a sermon. Nothing good ever came of it. “Quaid Blaecleah asked me to let you all know that he is no longer on the singles’ market. Matthew McCallister has agreed to marry him. The Blaecleahs would like you all to come celebrate their union here at the church in two weeks.” The breath left Matty’s chest in a rush as he was publicly outed by the minister. He expected to be struck down at any moment, if not by god then by one of the congregation. He shrank down in his seat and braced himself for the first blow. He felt marginally safer when Quaid’s arms wrapped around him, but he still jumped when the first hand landed on his shoulder. When the hand just patted his shoulder and didn’t try to hurt him, Matty glanced up. “Congratulations, boy,” an older man said before turning to look at Quaid. “You take good care of him, you hear, Quaid?” “I will, sir,” Quaid answered. More and more people came up to congratulate them. Not a single person seemed angry or upset. Not a single stone was thrown. Everyone seemed generally happy for them. After a few minutes, Matty started to relax, but just barely. “I can’t believe you had the minister announce our engagement,” Matty whispered as he started to walk out of the church with Quaid. “Why not?” Quaid asked. “I wanted everyone to know that you belong to me.” “Yeah, but—”
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“No buts, angel.” “He’s right, Matty.” Matty glanced up to see Brody standing by the front doors. He felt his face flush when he realized the minister had overheard him. “Cade Creek is a special place, Matty,” Brody said. “The people here are special.” Matty gave the minister a shaky smile. “Yeah, I’m beginning to see that.” Brody grinned. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.” Matty nodded. He still felt like everything was a little unreal. Not only had his engagement to another man been announced, but everyone seemed happy for them. It was so vastly different then what would have happened back home, that Matty was in a state of shock. Not only would such an announcement not be allowed, but if someone tried, they would have been run out of town. Matty wasn’t even sure that they would make it out of town without something horrible happening to them. His father was likely to order a lynching. “Hungry, angel?” Matty glanced up at Quaid and shook his head. “Not really. My stomach is kind of queasy right now.” Quaid frowned. “Do we need to go home?” Matty glanced out over all of the cloth covered tables being set up, the tables filled with food, and the crowd gathering at the back of the church. He shook his head and smiled at the bigger man. “No, I guess I need to meet these people sooner or later. I’m just not quite ready to eat yet.” “If you’re sure…” “I am.” “Okay, I’m going to go help Ma unload the truck. She brought several baskets of tomatoes with her. Why don’t you track us down something to drink? We can eat when you’re feeling better.”
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Matty nodded then tilted his face up as Quaid leaned down to kiss him. He didn’t realize what he had done until Quaid was walking away a moment later. He had asked for, and received, a kiss in public. Matty glanced around quickly for signs of upset, but all he saw was people laughing and talking. Those close by that had seen him kiss Quaid were just smiling. Matty smiled back, his face flushing, and looked around for someplace to be. He spotted Billy sitting by a tree and hurried in his direction. Billy was safe. Billy was a Blaecleah. As he sat down next to Billy, he noticed the man seemed a little uneasy. Matty reached over and patted Billy’s hand. “Are you okay?” “Me?” Billy glanced up from the pile of grass he was pulling at. “I’m fine.” “Where’s Rourke?” Billy glanced to his left then pointed. “He’s over there talking with Da and Brody.” “Planning your wedding?” Billy’s face flushed, and he quickly glanced down at the grass again, twirling a piece between his fingers. “Maybe.” “It’s kind of nerve-racking, isn’t it?” “What?” Billy looked up. “Marrying a Blaecleah.” “Oh, I’ve always wanted to be a Blaecleah.” Billy suddenly smiled. Matty was surprised by how much it lit up Billy’s face. “Well, I’ve always wanted Rourke. Becoming a Blaecleah is just a bonus.” “You love him a lot, don’t you?” “With every breath I take.” Matty leaned back on his hands as he wondered about his own relationship with Quaid. He knew he liked the man a lot. He just didn’t know if he loved Quaid. “How do you know?” “Know what?” “That you love Rourke?”
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Billy smiled again. His eyes took on a dreamy look as he glanced over at Rourke. Matty was surprised when Rourke’s head snapped around as if the man had felt Billy looking at him. He envied the connection he could see between the two men. He wanted that for him and Quaid. “I just know. I’ve always known. Rourke is special. He loves me no matter what I’ve done in my past, no matter how many mistakes I make. He makes me want to be a better man.” Matty grinned. “I can see that. Quaid makes me believe my dreams might actual come true.” Billy chuckled. “They do do that, don’t they?” “Seems to be the Blaecleah way.” “I just wish everyone was that way.” “Yeah, I know what you mean.” Matty frowned and rubbed the small cut on his forehead that was still healing. He started to feel depressed again and didn’t want to feel that way. “Let’s go find something to drink.” “Oh, no, I don’t mingle.” “Why not?” “I did a lot of bad things before Rourke saved me.” Billy glanced around at the crowd moving about the large yard. “I don’t think everyone has forgiven me yet. I still get a lot of looks.” “Have you ever tried to show them that you’ve changed?” “Of course I have,” Billy snapped. “I work for Da every day to earn money and pay people back for things I stole or broke. It just never seems to be enough. They’re never going to forget what I did.” “Billy, paying people back isn’t enough if you don’t give them a chance to get to know you and learn that you’ve changed.” Billy frowned. “But I don’t know what to do.” Matty smiled and reached for Billy’s hand. “I do. Hiding out by your tree isn’t going to get anyone to know you better. You need to get out and meet people, let them see you trying. Come on, I have a plan.”
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He really didn’t have a plan other than getting Billy over to Ma, but he wouldn’t tell Billy that. Ma could charm an Eskimo into buying ice. She would know just what to do to make Billy feel more comfortable. Matty pulled Billy to his feet then dragged him over to the food table where Ma and several other women were setting up food. He stood there anxiously until Ma looked up. “Billy, Matty,” she said. “Hey, Ma, Billy and I wondered if you needed any help.” Ma stared for a moment then smiled. “I can always use help, boys. Why don’t you go back to the truck and grab the tuna casserole from the front seat. There should also be a box with eating utensils and napkins.” Matty smiled and hurried off, Billy in tow. Ma understood exactly what he was trying to do. He knew she would. They grabbed the stuff from the truck that Ma wanted and carried them back to the table, where they were assigned another task. Several of the ladies there seemed hesitant around Billy in the beginning, but little by little, Matty could see them opening up. Before long, they were laughing and joking with Matty and Billy. Matty knew Billy was surprised, but the man seemed to be eating the attention up. “I don’t think we have enough plates or bowls,” Ma said. “Billy, Matty, would you two go into the pantry at the back of the church and grab some more plates and bowls off the shelf?” “Sure, Ma,” Matty said. “Come on, Billy, you know where this stuff is better than me.” Matty followed Billy in the back door of the church. They went down a small hallway to another door. Billy pulled it open and Matty instantly recognized it as a pantry. Boxes of food lined the shelves along with dishes, pots and pans, and linens. “Nice.”
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Billy laughed. “Yeah, Ma has one just like it at her house by the backdoor. She set this one up a couple of winters ago when a bunch of people got snowed in here at the church. She said that everyone should be safe at church, not matter what day of the week it is.” “Right.” Billy grabbed a stack of plates off the shelf and started out of the pantry. “I’ll get the plates, you grab the bowls.” Matty nodded and reached for the bowls as Billy walked out. He had a nice stack in his hands when he heard Billy cry out and the sound of dishes crashing to the floor. He quickly put the stack of bowls back on the shelf and raced out of the pantry. Matty’s heart jumped into his throat when he ran around the corner and found two men beating Billy. One of them was Matty’s father. Matty screamed and jumped on his father’s back, hitting him in the head as hard as he could. Matty could hear Billy crying out in the background. He could feel his father’s fingernails biting into the flesh on his arms. It just all seemed to be coming from far away, like he was watching it instead of experiencing it. His father got a good grip on Matty and tossed him. Matty went flying. The air in his lungs came out with a whoosh as he hit the wall and slid down. He blinked for a moment, unable to drag air back into his lungs. “You will die, abomination!” Reverend McCallister snarled. Matty’s eyes widened at the meat cleaver in his father’s hand as he raised it in the air. He knew he was going to die in that moment. A tear trickled down Matty’s cheek as total misery filled him. He would never find out what being a Blaecleah felt like. He would never get the chance to tell Quaid how much he was loved. He would never get the chance to marry the man of his dreams. “Matthew!”
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Matty’s heart started pounding faster when he heard Quaid shout his name. He glanced around frantically, trying to find the man. Quaid would save him. He just had to hang on until the man arrived. “Come on, man, they’re coming!” Reverend McCallister glared down at Matty. He looked undecided. Stay and kill Matty or run? Finally, the reverend dropped the meat clever on the floor. Pure hatred glowed in his eyes as he glared down at Matty. “You are a blight against god, a disease,” the reverend snarled. “You have corrupted others with your perversions, and you will pay for it in hell. God will have his vengeance, boy.” Matty shuddered. Tears slid down his face as his father and the other man ran out the door. He drew in a deep breath then quickly scampered across the floor to Billy. The man looked like he had gone ten rounds with a prize fighter and lost. He was a mass of bruises. “Billy, man, are you okay?” Billy cracked one eye open. “Are they gone?” Matty nodded. “Yeah, they took off out the door.” “Fucking hate my family,” Billy whispered. Matty’s eyebrows shot up. “That was your father?” “Yeah, he’s just as bad as my brother, but at least this time he only went after me. Clem tried to kill Lachlan and Asa then me and Rourke.” “Dude, you seriously need to marry Rourke and get the hell out of your family. They’re just as crazy as my father.” Billy chuckled then groaned, wrapping is arms around his stomach. “I want Rourke.” “I’ll get him. You just stay here and rest.” Matty started to stand up when Billy grabbed his arm. “No, don’t leave me. They might come back.” Matty nodded and grabbed Billy’s hand. “Okay, I won’t leave you. I’m just going to scoot over to the door and call for Rourke and Quaid. I won’t leave your sight.”
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Billy nodded and Matty slowly moved away, scooting himself across the floor to the back door. As soon as he could see outside, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted for Rourke and Quaid. Matty knew they would come running, so he crawled back over to hover over Billy. The man looked ready to pass out. Hs face was pale white, and his eyes were fluttering. He had a huge bump on his forehead and Matty was afraid of him falling asleep. “Billy, you have to keep your eyes open.” He shook Billy when the man’s eyes closed and didn’t open again. “Come on, man. Rourke is coming. He’s going to want to talk to you. Open your eyes.” Matty gritted his teeth and lightly smacked Billy across the face. “What the fuck are you doing?” Matty cried out as he was ripped away from Billy and thrown back against the wall he had hit before. He was really starting to hate walls. He expected to see his father standing in front of him. He didn’t expect an enraged Rourke. “What the hell did you do to him?” “Me?” Matty whimpered. It was hard not to when faced with six foot three inches of angry male. “I didn’t do anything.” “Matty, no,” Billy whimpered, thrashing around. Rourke dropped down to his knees and gathered Billy into his arms. “Matty, he… he…” “Ssshhh, baby, it’s okay,” Rourke crooned softly. “No one’s going to hurt you anymore.” “But Matty, he… he…” Billy stammered again. Matty shrank back when Rourke turned to glare at him. Rourke had the same angry look in his eyes that his father had. Matty suddenly realized he was no longer safe in the one place that was supposed to be safe. If Rourke got a hold of him, he wasn’t sure he’d survive. Matty pushed himself to his feet and started backing away. “I need to find Ruben.”
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“Matty, let’s just—” Quaid started. Matty shook his head frantically. There was nothing Quaid could say to change things. For a brief moment he had forgotten that no place was safe. He had started to believe in the dream. He wouldn’t forget again. Matty turned and sprinted out the door as fast as his legs would carry him. He had to find Ruben, and the both of them had to get the hell out of town before someone stopped them. Matty didn’t know if it would be the Blaecleahs or his father. He didn’t care. Both represented danger in his book. Matty searched around until he spotted Ruben’s light brown hair. He was talking with the attorney Quaid had taken him to, Elijah James. Matty ran up and grabbed Ruben’s arm then started pulling him toward the truck. “Matty, what are you doing?” Ruben shouted as he tried to pull away. “We have to go,” Matty said quickly. “Father is here.” Fear filled Ruben’s eyes as they widened. He stopped trying to get away and started running toward the truck. For once, Matty was grateful that Ruben had driven his truck to the church. It was supposed to be there in case Matty or Ruben felt the need to leave during the sermon. Who knew they would need it afterwards? Matty had no idea where he and Ruben would go when they jumped in the truck. He just knew they couldn’t stay here. This place came with too many dangers. Maybe there wasn’t a place that was safe. Maybe they really were damned.
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Chapter 11 “Sheriff, come in, sheriff.” Sheriff John Riley rolled his eyes and set down the reports he was filling out to grab the CB handheld microphone. “Yeah, Webber, what’s up?” “We have report of a vehicle off the road down on Hanson Road, about a mile south of the Blaecleah Ranch.” “Okay, I’ll go check it out.” “Do you want me to send paramedics?” “No, not yet,” the sheriff replied as he started his vehicle. “Let me check it out first. If I need the paramedics, I’ll call it in.” “10-4, sheriff.” John hung up his CB and pulled onto the road, heading toward the Blaecleah Ranch. It didn’t take him long to reach his destination. He had pulled off the road just a ways down the road from the Blaecleahs’ driveway. He slowed his car when he spotted a truck off the side of the road. It looked like it had skidded off the road and crashed into a tree. The front of the truck was wrapped around the tree as if hugging it. Something about the truck niggled the sheriff, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He parked his truck on the shoulder of the road and climbed out, checking his gun as he did. He didn’t like the cold chill that ran down his back. John cautiously walked up to the driver’s side and looked in. The cab of the truck was empty except for blood splattered all over the inside. Whoever had been inside was obviously injured. John just hoped they hadn’t tried to walk to town.
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He started to look around trying to find any sign of anyone. The chill running down his spine grew colder when he spotted a small trail of blood leading away from the truck and into the woods. John pulled his gun out of his holster then hit the comm. system on his shoulder. “Webber, this is the sheriff. I’m out at the vehicle off the road a mile from the Blaecleah Ranch. I want all available vehicles headed this way now.” “10-4, sheriff,” Webber replied. “Should I send the paramedics now, too?” John glanced down at the blood trail on the ground. “Yeah, that might not be a bad idea. I don’t know what happened here, but someone is hurt. I’m following a blood trail into the woods now, looking for any survivors.” “10-4, sheriff.” John stepped carefully as he followed the blood trail into the forest. He looked left and right and up. The farther into the forest he went, the more blood appeared on the ground. It was very unnerving. John heard a small groan and froze in place. When the sound came again, he headed in the direction it came from. His heart started beating faster as if he knew what he was going to find would be horrific. John came to a small clearing and paused on the edge of it. His hands began to tremble, the gun shaking in his hands. Tears sprang to his eyes, but he was paralyzed to wipe them away. Never in all of his years, either in the service or as a sheriff had he seen anything so terrible in his life. He didn’t think anything could have prepared him for what was before his eyes. He slowly put his gun back in its holster and reached for the mic on his shoulder. “Web-Web—” John swallowed hard to try and clear the lump in his throat. “Webber.” “Yes, sheriff.”
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“Send the paramedics and send them fast. Then call the hospital and tell them they have a trauma coming in. I want the doctors on standby.” “10-4, sheriff.” “And Webber, call Quaid Blaecleah and tell him to meet me there.” “Sheriff, Quaid Blaecleah and his family are already at the hospital. Billy Thornton was attacked at the church about twenty minutes ago. He was taken in by ambulance.” John had no idea what had happened to Billy, but his most pressing concern was the man in front of him, the man tied to a tree and covered in more blood than John thought was possible. “Fine, I’ll contact Quaid when I reach the hospital. Just get the paramedics here as fast as possible. Give them a damn police escort if you have to.” John swallowed again. “I don’t know if this guy is going to make it much longer.” “10-4, sheriff, the paramedics and backup are on their way.” John walked slowly toward the naked man tied to a tree. He just knew the guy would be dead. There was no way someone could live through whatever had happened to this man. He held his breath until he reached the man. His fingers shook when reached out to see if he could find a pulse. John didn’t start breathing again until he found a slow but steady pulse. He started looking the man over, trying to assess his injuries and what might have happened. John nearly jumped out of his skin when the man’s eyes suddenly popped open. They were dazed and barely visible through the swollen face. When they landed on John, the man began to struggle. “No, no, Matty, don’t move,” John said quickly. “You’re injured, tied to a tree. The paramedics are on their way.” “Fr–free me,” Matty whispered. “Oh, honey, I’m afraid to. I don’t know how badly you’re injured and if I—no, Matty!” John stepped forward and grabbed Matty’s
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shoulder to stop him from struggling. Matty screamed. John dropped his hands, unsure of where to touch the man. “Pl–please.” John couldn’t deny Matty’s plea. He wasn’t sure the man was even going to survive the next few minutes, and no one wanted to die tied to a tree. “Okay, Matty, I’ll cut you down, but you must do exactly what I say.” Matty started to nod then suddenly cried out, his face going even paler than before. John pulled his knife out of his pocket and started cutting the ropes holding Matty to the tree, starting with the ones on his legs. It was slow going, cutting one rope then the next, moving up Matty’s body. When he cut the ropes holding Matty’s arms to the tree, Matty collapsed against him. John barely caught him before he hit the ground. He gently laid Matty the rest of the way down on the ground then pulled his shirt off to cover his naked body. He could hear the sirens coming toward them as he knelt down on the ground next to Matty. “Matty, can you tell me what happened?” “B–Billy,” he whispered. “Billy?” John frowned. “What about Billy?” “Fa–fa–father hu–hurt B–B–Billy.” “Your father hurt Billy?” “Ye–yes.” “Is he the one that did this to you?” “Him and… and…” “And?” John tried to read Matty’s expression, but the man’s face was one big massive swollen bruise. “Was there someone with your father, Matty?” “Yes.” John went to pat Matty’s shoulder but thought better of it when he remembered how Matty had cried out before. He couldn’t find a place on Matty’s body that didn’t look bruised or broken.
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“I’ll call Quaid as soon as we get to the hospital, Matty.” Matty suddenly started crying louder, struggling to sit up. “No, no, no!” “Sshhh, Matty,” John said as he tried to force Matty back to the ground. “You need to lie down. The paramedics are almost here.” “No Bl–Bla–Blaecleahs.” John was confused but nodded anyway just to calm Matty down. He didn’t understand why Matty didn’t want him to contact the Blaecleahs or at least Quaid. He was under the impression that there was something between the two men. Maybe he was wrong. “Okay, Matty, you just lay there. The paramedics are on their way.” **** Quaid smiled as he watched his brother Rourke fawn over Billy. He was glad the little man was okay. Billy was Rourke’s life. Despite the large bruise on his forehead and a few scrapes and scratches, Billy seemed to be in good spirits. He was still concerned over Matty. He had no idea what exactly had happened, but he was bound and determined to find out the moment he got home. Someone had roughed Billy up, but Quaid refused to believe it was Matty, despite what Billy had said. Matty just wouldn’t do that. “So, Billy, can you tell us what happened?” he finally asked when no one else did. Everyone was too busy mothering the poor guy. Ma even stood at the edge of the bed, stroking Billy’s hair back from his face and patting his hand. “My dad and some other old dude jumped me in the back of the church. I think they were trying to pull me out the back door.” Billy blew out a deep breath. “If Matty hadn’t been there to stop them, I don’t know what I would have done.”
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“Billy!” Rourke shouted. “You told us that Matty was the one that did this to you.” “No I didn’t.” “Yes, Billy,” Quaid said as he crossed his arms over his chest, “you did.” Billy’s face was frantic as he glanced at everyone in the room, one by one. They all nodded. “No, I was trying to tell you that Matty needed help. I think the other guy was his dad. The guy just seemed so angry with Matty.” “Damn, Billy!” Rourke whispered as he dropped his face into the blankets covering Billy. “I decked the guy.” Quaid was still steaming over that one. He figured he’d work it out with Rourke later, back behind the barn. Billy inhaled sharply. “You hit Matty?” “Billy.” Rourke’s face was pale when he raised it up. “You said that Matty hurt you. We all heard it. I was just trying to protect you.” “So you hit him?” Rourke nodded solemnly. “Matty wouldn’t hurt a soul,” Billy whispered. “How could you hit him?” “Geez, Billy.” Rourke pushed his hand through his hair. “What do you want me to do, call the sheriff?” Quaid blinked when the door suddenly opened and Sheriff Riley walked in. “Damn, that was fast.” “Sheriff, are you okay?” Quaid asked when he got a good look at the man. “You look like hell.” Sheriff Riley rubbed his hand down over his pale face. Both of his hands moved down to land on his hips as he shook his head. “No, I’ve seen what hell looks like, and this doesn’t even come close.” Quaid didn’t like the beaten look in the sheriff’s eyes when he turned to look at him. “What?” “It’s Matty, Quaid.”
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“Matthew?” Quaid whispered as his heart began to squeeze in his chest. “What about him?” “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Tears started to spill down the sheriff’s face. “They beat him with a baseball bat… a fucking baseball bat.” Quaid stopped breathing. “My Matthew?” he whispered. The sheriff nodded and wiped his hand over his face. “I got a call. It was just a call, a vehicle off the road about a mile south of your place. I’ve had calls like that before. It’s usually no big deal but…” The sheriff dropped his eyes and shook his head. “How could someone do that to another person?” “Is…” Quaid swallowed hard. “Is he alive?” “I don’t know how.” The sheriff laughed harshly. “But he is.” “Where is he?” Quaid asked as he started for the door. He had to get to Matty and see for himself that the man was alive. He quickly crossed the room and started past the sheriff when the man grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop. “Sheriff, what—” “He doesn’t want to see you, Quaid.” “What?” Quaid snapped, pulling at the grip the sheriff had on his arm. “No, he—” “Quaid.” The sheriff’s voice was so low and quiet that it stopped Quaid in his tracks. “He doesn’t want to see you. He doesn’t want to see anyone in the Blaecleah family.” “But…” The sheriff’s words were like daggers. He had to be wrong. Matty needed him. “I doubt he’d even know if you were there, Quaid. He’s unconscious.” The sheriff’s swallow was audible. “And I’m not sure that’s such a bad thing considering the condition he’s in. It’s pretty bad.” “Tell me.” Quaid wanted to know, but he didn’t want to know. The thought of Matty being in any kind of pain was unacceptable.
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Matty was too small to be harmed, too special. No one had the right to hurt him. “I think they drove him off the road,” the sheriff began. “Matty’s truck was wrapped around a tree. They must have pulled him out or something because there was a trail of blood all the way into the woods.” “They who?” Rourke asked. Quaid swung around to look at his brother in surprise. He’d been so worked up over Matty, he’d forgotten anyone else was in the room besides the sheriff. But his brother did have a valid question. “Who did do this to Matthew?” Quaid asked as he turned to look back at the sheriff. “Was he able to tell you that much?” “I think it was his father and Ira Thornton.” Quaid heard Billy gasp behind him but didn’t turn around. “What did Ruben say?” “Ruben?” The sheriff’s forehead wrinkled. “I never spoke with Ruben.” Oh, this wasn’t good. “Sheriff, Ruben and Matthew were together when they left the church.” “I only found Matty.” Quaid didn’t think it was possible, but the sheriff’s face turned even whiter than before. “There was no sign of Ruben.” “Matthew will never forgive me if I don’t find his brother.” Quaid felt like his world was falling apart, one piece at a time. First Billy had been hurt and everyone assumed Matty did it. Then Matty and Ruben had left and driven right into danger. Now, Matty was hurt, and Ruben was missing. He wasn’t sure things could get much worse. “I need to see Matthew,” Quaid said softly. “Quaid, I don’t—” “He doesn’t have to know I was even there. I just need to see him for myself.”
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Quaid felt the sheriff’s stare like a weight. He didn’t know what he would do if he was told no. He had to see Matty. He needed to see him more than he needed his next breath. Just a look to know the man was actually alive. “All right, Quaid,” the sheriff finally said, “just a look, and then we’ll go find Ruben.” Quaid blew out the breath he didn’t know he was holding and nodded. He glanced over his shoulder at his family, each one of them looking as pale as he felt. “We’re going to need help.” “You have it, son,” Da said. “You don’t even have to ask.” “I’ll take Billy home when the doctor releases him,” Ma said as she patted Billy’s hand, “get him all tucked into bed.” Quaid could see the battle in Rourke’s eyes. His brother wanted to help, but he didn’t want to leave his lover. Quaid had just the solution. “As much as I want everyone out looking for Ruben, I think someone needs to stay with Ma and Billy until we know for sure that they are not in danger. Since Billy’s the one injured, maybe you should stay with them, Rourke.” Quaid smiled at the relief he immediately saw in his brother’s eyes. “I’m just going to go take a quick look at Matty. I’ll be right back.” Quaid started for the door, pausing when he noticed both the sheriff and his Da following him. He frowned. He knew why he needed the sheriff to go with him. He didn’t know where Matty was. He didn’t understand why his Da was going. “I said I’d be right back.” Da gave him a sad little smile. “I know, son, but I think you’re going to need me.” Da had an uncanny way of knowing things before they happened. Usually, Quaid was grateful for it. In this instance, when he was about to go see how badly Matty was injured, it scared the hell out of him. Quaid nodded and walked out of the exam room with the sheriff and his Da. His feet felt like he was walking in mud as he followed
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the sheriff out of the emergency room department to the elevators. They stopped on the fourth floor, the intensive care unit. Quaid swallowed past the lump of fear building in his throat as he watched the sheriff talk to the nurse. The nurse nodded then came out from behind the counter to lead the way. Quaid clenched his hands into fists to keep from falling apart as he followed. The nurse stopped at one of the rooms. Sheriff Riley stopped and glanced back. Quaid drew in a shaky breath then stepped over to the doorway. When he got a good look at the man lying on the bed, a breathing tube in his mouth and IV in his arm, he started shaking his head. There was no way the battered mess in that bed was his angel. It just wasn’t possible. “Wha—” Quad swallowed again. “What’s wrong with him?” The nurse grabbed a chart from the wall and started flipping through the pages. “Mr. McCallister has a broken arm, two broken ribs, a fractured cheekbone, and a concussion. He has some serious internal bruising but no bleeding. He needed 360 stitches to close up the cuts and abrasion covering his body.” She closed the chart and placed it back on the wall. “We’ve also had to give him a blood transfusion to replenish what he lost during the attack.” “Jes—Matthew.” Quaid felt his Da catch him as his legs gave out beneath him. He buried his face in his Da’s neck and gave into the tears that had been threatening to fall since he heard Matty was hurt. Great racking sobs shook his body. His Matthew, his beautiful angel… he’d come so close to dying. Quaid couldn’t begin to imagine the amount of pain Matty must be in right now. He wasn’t even sure how Matty was still breathing. “It’s going to be okay, son.” Quaid heard his Da whispering to him, felt the gentle pats on his back. None of it seemed to matter. He knew it wasn’t going to be okay. It would never be okay. Someone had hurt his beautiful angel.
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Chapter 12 Quaid crept up to the side of the Thornton house and peeked through a slit in the fading curtains. He could hear Lachlan and Asa move up beside him along with the sheriff. He heard nothing from inside the house. It had taken them a little while to figure out where Ira and the reverend were holed up. Quaid should have thought about the Thornton ranch in the very beginning. He just hadn’t thought the two men would be stupid enough to be someplace so obvious. Quaid just prayed that they had Ruben inside. Rescuing Ruben was the only way Quaid could think of to get Matty to forgive him. He had royally fucked up, and he knew it. He had just been too concerned with getting Matty to safety and Billy to the hospital. Matty had been moved to a private room at Quaid’s insistence. He still had medical power of attorney, and he wasn’t above using it even if Matty was angry at him. He wanted Matty to receive the very best care. Quaid had spent every waking moment at Matty’s beside. Matty’s room had in fact become a sort of command post while they searched for Ruben and planned his rescue. Quaid was going to do everything in his power to prove to Matty that he was sincere and that he would keep the man safe, even if he hadn’t done a very good job up until this point. Quaid had no idea what Matty was thinking beyond the fact that Matty didn’t want to see him. His heart broke a little each time he thought of Matty’s demand. He couldn’t lose Matty, not now. He’d be lost without him.
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Quaid quickly ducked down when he saw a sudden movement through the curtains. He waited a moment then peeked up again. Ira Thornton was moving around the small kitchen. Quaid could see the silhouette of someone sitting in the dining room, but he could actually tell who it was. He hoped it was Ruben. He gestured with his hands and pointed to his eyes, holding up two fingers. The three men behind him nodded. Lachlan and Asa started around the front of the house. Quaid and the sheriff were supposed to take the back door. The plan was to kick in the front door and make a lot of noise while Quaid and the sheriff came in quietly through the back. They wanted to surprise Ira and the reverend before they could harm Ruben, assuming Ruben was inside the house. Quaid didn’t have a clue where Lilia Thornton was. No one had seen Billy’s mother in weeks. Quaid was a little concerned about that as was the sheriff. Billy seemed to think it was perfectly normal. He said his mother often went to her room and stayed hidden away there for days on end. She stopped being a mother to him years ago. Quaid crept around to the back of the house with the sheriff. He stood back when they reached the backdoor, knowing the sheriff needed to go first. As much as he wanted to tear Ira and the reverend to pieces for what they did to Matty, he had to let the law deal with them. He wouldn’t be much use to Matty from behind bars. “Geez!” Quaid whispered harshly when a face suddenly appeared in the window of the backdoor. He felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. The face disappeared and the door slowly creaked open. “Mrs. Thornton?” Quaid knew he hadn’t seen the woman in ages, but he’d recognize her face anywhere. She looked just like Billy, only older and more downtrodden. The woman held a finger to her lips then gestured for him to come in. Quaid glanced at the sheriff, who shrugged.
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Quaid followed the old woman into the house. He wasn’t sure where she was leading him, but every few feet she stopped and tilted her head to one side then hurried on. She seemed to know just where to step as to not make a sound, and Quaid began to think she snuck around her house a lot. When she stopped at a small door under the stairs, a creepy feeling began to crawl up Quaid’s spine. He didn’t know how much he could trust Mrs. Thornton. She could very well be walking him right into a trap. The woman leaned closer, so Quaid bent down until she could whisper in his ear. “Can you save Billy? Ira said he’s in timeout in the cellar, but I think he’s lying to me. Ira’s been drinking, you know.” “Billy?” Quaid whispered. He glanced over his shoulder at the sheriff, concern warring with his need to be cautious. Mrs. Thornton sounded a few sandwiches short of a picnic. Besides, Billy was safely back at the ranch under the watchful eye of nearly every Blaecleah. He couldn’t be in the cellar. “You have to help Billy,” Mrs. Thornton said. “Ira’s planning something with that strange man. I know he is. Ira tried to tell me that the man was a reverend, but he was lying. I know he was. Men of god don’t drink.” Quaid blinked. He didn’t know how to respond to Mrs. Thornton. “Can you save Billy?” Mrs. Thornton asked. Her hand started to flutter at her collarbone as she looked around wildly. “You have to get him out of here before Ira hurts him again or Clem comes home. Clem is awful mean when he starts drinking. He always hurts Billy.” Mrs. Thornton got a faraway look in her eyes. “It’s not Billy’s fault, really it’s not. Ira just couldn’t stand that fact that Billy wasn’t his. He’s taken it out on Billy since the day I brought him home from the hospital.” Quaid’s mouth dropped open. Billy wasn’t the son of Ira Thornton? Was it even possible that Billy wasn’t related to the
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Thornton men? Billy would be thrilled. Quad couldn’t wait to get home and tell Billy. “Mrs. Thornton?” Quaid whispered. “Where’s Billy’s father?” “Sheriff Miller?” “Sheriff Miller is Billy’s father?” Quaid immediately snapped his mouth shut when he realized he had spoken louder than he should have. He was just so surprised. He wasn’t sure Billy would be happy to find out the retired sheriff was his father. Billy hated Sheriff Miller almost as much as he did his own father. “He was very sweet to me, you know.” Mrs. Thornton smiled. “He was such a handsome man. I know it was wrong of me, but I didn’t mind when Ira made me go to him. Sheriff Miller was so much nicer than Ira ever was.” This was just getting more bizarre by the moment, Quaid thought. “Mrs. Thornton, Lilia, why did Ira make you go to the sheriff?” “Ira was making moonshine, and the sheriff found out about it, told Ira he was going to jail unless I was real nice to him. Ira said I had to be.” Quaid wanted to pound someone’s head in. It was clear that Lilia Thornton wasn’t mentally capable of making decisions on her own. It explained a lot of why she let Billy be abused for so long. She didn’t know any better. Quaid decided that he needed to get Lilia out of the Thornton house as much as Ruben. She needed to be in a safe environment where no one could hurt her, especially her husband. How she ever ended up married to the man, Quaid would never know. “Lilia, can you show me where Billy is?” “He’s in the cellar,” Mrs. Thornton said. “Ira tied him up and said I wasn’t supposed to bring him any food, but he just looked so hungry.” She giggled and covered her mouth. “I snuck him some stuff earlier when Ira and his friend were drinking.” “I promise I won’t tell if you show me where Billy is.”
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Lilia nodded and opened the cellar door. Quaid had to clench his fists as he followed her down the steps. The place stank of decay. He imagined Billy had seen a lot of the cellar when he lived here. Quaid wanted to run home and hug the little guy just to assure himself that Billy was safe. His life before Rourke had been horrible. The stairs leading into the cellar were dark and steep. Quaid didn’t understand how Mrs. Thornton could traverse them so easily except that she had lived there for so very long. She obviously knew her way around in the dark. “He’s over here.” The woman gestured with her hand as she walked into the corner of the cellar. When she squatted down and started brushing the light brown hair from Ruben’s head, Quaid finally got a good look at the man. Ruben had a few bruises on his face, but otherwise he looked okay except for the iron shackles around his wrists. They were connected to short bits of chain that secured Ruben to the wall. “Ruben?” Quaid whispered. “Shit, Quaid, get me the hell out of here!” Ruben snapped, jerking on the chains holding him to the wall. “Billy!” Mrs. Thornton admonished. “You shouldn’t swear.” Ruben rolled his eyes. “Sorry, Mom.” Mrs. Thornton smiled and went back to stroking her fingers through Ruben’s hair. “You’re such a good boy. You always were.” She frowned suddenly. “Not like your brother Clem. He’s just like Ira, so mean, both of them.” “Yes, Mom,” Ruben said. He made an exaggerated widening of his eyes. “Billy,” Quaid said as he reached to uncuff Ruben’s hands. “Your mom wants us to take you out of here and get you somewhere safe. I was thinking that maybe your mom could go with us. Wouldn’t you like that?”
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Ruben looked at Quaid like he was crazy, but he nodded his head anyway. “Yes, I would like it very much if my mom could go with us.” “Lilia, would you like that?” Quaid tried to speak very softly as he finished uncuffing Ruben. “Maybe we could go down by the creek for a picnic.” “Oh, I haven’t been on a picnic in years, not since Billy was a baby.” Mrs. Thornton turned to look at Ruben again. “Do you remember when we used to go down by the creek, Billy, just the two of us? Those were my favorite times.” Ruben seemed to be getting what Quaid was trying to do with the older woman. He smiled and once his hands were free, reached down and grabbed Mrs. Thornton’s hand. “I’d love to go for a picnic with you, Mom.” Mrs. Thornton suddenly frowned and looked down at their clasped hands. “I miss my Billy. He was such a good boy. Ira took him away from me. He said I couldn’t keep Billy anymore because Billy belonged to Clem.” She turned to look at Quaid, and for just a moment, Quaid saw intelligence in the woman’s eyes. “That’s not right, is it, taking a boy away from his mother?” “No, Mrs. Thornton, it’s not right.” “I tried to stop it. I threatened to go to the sheriff if Ira didn’t send Clem away. I wasn’t going to let Clem hurt my baby, but when he came back, he was even worse. He never touched Billy like that, but he beat him all the time. Ira said either Clem beat Billy or he—” She shook her head. “It’s just not right for a brother to want those things with his own brother. It’s not.” Quaid inhaled softly as all the pieces of the puzzle fell together for him. He knew Clem had an unreasonable obsession with Billy. He just never understood why until now. “Mrs. Thornton, was Clem in love with Billy?”
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“That wasn’t love,” she replied. “You don’t hurt the ones you love. Clem is infatuated with Billy. He thinks Billy belongs to him. That clinic he went to taught him he couldn’t touch Billy the way he wanted to, but he wouldn’t stop obsessing over him.” “Quaid, we need to get out of here,” Sheriff Riley whispered. Quaid nodded, having forgotten the sheriff in the face of Mrs. Thornton’s announcement. He would be really interested in finding out what clinic Clem had been sent to. It might help convict the man and send him to prison for even longer. The man never needed to see the outside of a jail again in his life as far as Quaid was concerned. He was a menace. “Come on.” Quaid held his hand out to Ruben and helped him up. Ruben groaned just a bit but seemed to be able to walk on his own. “We need to be as quiet as possible. We have no idea who might hear us.” Ruben nodded and wrapped an arm around Mrs. Thornton’s shoulders. The four of them slowly crept back up the stairs. Quaid still couldn’t hear anything from upstairs. He assumed Lachlan and Asa hadn’t broken in the front door yet. They needed to get as close to the backdoor as possible before that happened. Quaid grabbed Mrs. Thornton’s arm and started pulling her faster up the stairs. If he wasn’t afraid the woman would freak, he would have just picked her up. But she was so out of it, Quaid didn’t know what the woman would do. Once they reached the top of the stairs, Quaid ushered both Ruben and Mrs. Thornton toward the backdoor. He could hear the sheriff walking quickly behind him. They all wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. “Get the door, Ruben, but open it slowly,” Quaid ordered softly. “It squeaks.” Ruben nodded and stepped up to the door, pulling it open. From there, things seemed to happen so fast that it was all just a blur to
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Quaid. Lilia Thornton screamed and threw herself in front of Ruben just as a gun went off. Quaid grunted as he was shoved aside by the sheriff. He heard another gun go off as he righted himself and watched Reverend McCallister fall to the ground. Ruben sank to the ground, holding Mrs. Thornton in his arms. Blood spread across her chest like red dye in a washing machine. “Damn,” Quaid snapped as he raced over to where Ruben was holding Mrs. Thornton and knelt down next to them. He felt a sense of déjà vu as he pulled his shirt off and held it to the bleeding wound on Mrs. Thornton chest. “Quaid, do something,” Ruben cried. “I’m trying, Ruben.” Quaid grimaced. “There’s just so much blood.” “I’ve called for an ambulance, Quaid,” the sheriff said as he came to stand next to him. “I also called Rourke and told him to bring Billy over. After what we heard in the cellar, I think he needs to be here in case Mrs. Thornton doesn’t make it.” Quaid nodded. He agreed with the sheriff. With all of the blood seeping out of Mrs. Thornton’s chest, he wasn’t sure the woman would make it until Billy arrived, let alone until she got to the hospital. He just hoped everyone hurried. “What about him?” Quaid nodded toward the reverend. The sheriff shook his head. “No.” “And Ira?” he asked. “Did you catch him?” “Asa and Lachlan have him handcuffed in the front of the house. They’ll hold him there until my deputy arrives then take him to the jail.” The sheriff ground his teeth together. “If I have anything to say about it, that man won’t see the light of day until he’s old and grey.” “He’s already old and grey,” Quaid snorted. “You know what I mean.” “Yeah, I do.” Lilia Thornton’s eyes started to flutter. Quaid leaned closer. “Mrs. Thornton, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?”
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The woman’s eyes fluttered some more then slowly opened. There was pain in her eyes but also a light of intelligence. Quaid had a pretty good idea that she was in her right mind for the first time in a long time. “You need to stay with us, Mrs. Thornton,” Quaid said. “Billy is on his way.” “No, no, don’t bring Billy back here.” She clutched at Quaid’s shirt desperately. “They’ll get him.” “Clem is in jail, Mrs. Thornton, and the sheriff has Ira in handcuffs. They can never hurt Billy again.” “But… but... that other man, the one that wanted to hurt Billy’s friend.” “He’s dead, Mrs. Thornton. The sheriff shot him.” Mrs. Thornton breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes closed briefly then snapped back open. “You will tell Billy that I’m sorry? I never meant for him to be hurt. I just wasn’t strong enough to protect him.” “Mrs. Thornton, I don’t—” “Call me Lilia.” A small smile crossed the woman’s lips. “I was never Mrs. Thornton.” “But—” “I never married Ira.” Quaid’s eyebrows shot up. “But all of these years…” “Ira threatened to give Billy to Clem if I didn’t stay. Since he had a business deal with Sheriff Miller, the sheriff backed him up, said he would testify in court that I was a bad mother and take Billy from me.” “But I thought you said the sheriff was Billy’s father.” “And I thank god that he is. I never wanted Billy to become what his brother has become. Clem is a bad seed brought into this world by a bad seed. He never had a chance. But Billy, he’s with the Blaecleahs now. He has a chance.” “Bad seed?” Quaid asked. “You mean because he’s obsessed with his brother.”
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Blood bubbled out of Lilia’s mouth when she chuckled. Her chuckle turned into a cough that racked her body for several moments. Quaid glanced up at the sheriff. The sheriff nodded and pulled out his cell phone. Quaid knew he was calling Rourke and Billy. They needed to hurry. Lilia didn’t look like she had much time. “Clem is just like his father, obsessed with what he cannot have, obsessed with his sibling.” Quaid swallowed hard. “Do you mean—” “Ira is my half brother,” Lilia said. “He raped me on my eighteenth birthday. My father made him wait until then. Clem is the product of that rape. I had hoped that Clem would be different until Billy was born and then I knew. Clem refused to stay away from Billy.” Quaid squeezed Lilia’s hand just because he had nothing to say to that. The woman had been through hell and all to save Billy, even if it didn’t work. He just wouldn’t tell her that. She deserved to believe her efforts were not in vain. “Billy’s safe, Lilia. He’s with Rourke, and my brother is very protective of Billy. He loves Billy very much and won’t let anything happen to him.” Lilia’s eyes watered. “Is he happy?” “I’m very happy, Mother.” Quaid jerked a little and turned to see Billy and Rourke standing behind him in the hallway. He quickly stood up and back away so Billy could take his place. The agony on Billy’s face said that he had heard everything his mother said. “Billy,” Lilia whispered. Her hand trembled as she brought it up to stroke the side of his face. Billy covered her hand with his own. “I’m so sorry, Billy. I tried, I swear I did.” “I know you did, Mother.” Billy sniffled. “And it’s okay. Clem never got to me.” “He hurt you. I know he did. I heard you crying in your room so often.”
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Billy shrugged. “He can’t get to me anymore. Rourke keeps me safe.” “Rourke?” Billy smiled and held out his hand. Quaid watched his brother step over and kneel down beside Billy. “Hey, Lilia, how are you holding up?” “You love my Billy?” “More than my own life.” “You’ll take good care of him?” Quaid felt tears clog his throat when Rourke nodded. “I promise, Lilia. I’ll protect him until the day I die. Billy means the world to me.” Rourke smiled. “I’m hoping he’ll agree to marry me some day.” “Oh, I’d like to see that,” Lilia whispered, “my beautiful baby boy getting married.” “Then you shall,” Rourke said. He stood up and stepped to the door, motioning for someone. A moment later, Quaid saw paramedics step into the house. Rourke moved back to Lilia. “You just hang in there, Lilia, and I’ll make sure you see your son walk down the aisle.” The next few minutes were a flurry of activity as the paramedics worked on Lilia and Ruben then transferred them both to the hospital. Billy and Rourke rode along in the ambulance with Lilia. “I need a drink,” the sheriff said as after the ambulance drove away, “a really big drink.” “I’m buying,” Quaid said. He rubbed his hand down over his face, amazed at what a person could learn in a matter of a few minutes what he didn’t know for years. “Can you do anything about Sheriff Miller?” “I don’t know. I’m not sure there’s much I can prove at this point. It’s basically Lilia’s word against his, and considering that he was the sheriff and she’s a Thornton, our chances aren’t good that anyone would believe her.” “Surely, there’s a way to—”
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The sheriff held up a hand. “Just because I can’t prove anything right now does not mean I won’t keep looking. That man was too deep in shit for there not to be a trace of it somewhere. I just have to find it.” Quaid nodded, feeling a little more satisfied. Sheriff Miller might not have broken any laws outright that they could prove, but the man was dirty. Quaid would bet his life on it. He deserved to be in a jail cell right next to Ira and Clem Thornton. “Just one thing, sheriff, until we know for sure that we can prove something, we need to keep this quiet. Lilia and Billy don’t need the entire world knowing about their family connections. I’m not sure everyone would understand.” “I agree. I assume you’ll be telling your family, so besides me and them, no one else will know. But you need to understand, if this goes to court, all of this is likely to come out. People will know.” “I’ll talk to Elijah, see if maybe he can file some sort of paperwork with the courts to put a gag order on all of this. He’s sure to know how to keep the more sordid details out of the papers.” “Good plan.” “Come on, I think I need that drink now, and then I need to get back to the hospital. My angel is waiting on me.” “Matty’s agreed to see you?” “Not yet, but he will. Matty loves me.” Quaid grinned. “He just doesn’t know it yet.”
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Chapter 13 Matty smiled as he listened to Ruben retell his tale for yet the fifth time. He had stopped freaking out around the third time Ruben had explained everything that happened. The first time nearly gave him a coronary. He had been terrified out of his mind when he regained consciousness after being run off the road only to discover Ruben missing. His terror had turned to a cold dread when he was yanked out of the truck by his father and the man that beat up Billy. Fighting his father off had been impossible. Hs brains had been too scrambled and the pain in his body from wrapping his truck around a tree too much. When his father started beating him, the pain just continued into a blur of darkness he never thought he’d be able to get out of. When the sheriff found him, Matty was positive he was already dead. He just wanted a chance to save Billy and Ruben. He never imagined he would actually live. But he had, and now he lay in a hospital room with Ruben talking excitedly next to him. “Is Quaid going to come see me?” Matty had been waiting to see Quaid. It had been almost a week since he was attacked. He expected the man to be at his bedside when he woke up yesterday. He wasn’t, and Matty hadn’t seen him since. He was starting to wonder if he ever would. “I thought you didn’t want to see any of the Blaecleahs.” “You said father was dead. There’s no reason to stay away from them now.”
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Ruben’s mouth dropped open. “That’s why you didn’t want to see them, because of father?” “Of course.” Matty frowned. “Is there another reason?” “Matty, Quaid thinks you don’t want to see him because he didn’t protect you when Billy got attacked. He thinks you hate him.” “What? No!” Matty struggled to sit up, sucking in his breath when pain wrapped around his chest. “Shit!” “Matthew!” a voice admonished from the doorway. “No swearing.” Matty’s eyes widened. “Sorry, Ma.” Ma smiled and stepped inside the room, followed quickly by Da. Matty looked beyond them, hoping to see Quaid, but the door just slowly closed. He slumped back against the bed, feeling dejected. “How are you feeling today, Matty?” Ma asked as she stepped up beside the bed. “I’m okay,” Matty replied. “The doctor said I could come home soon.” He didn’t like the look that passed between Ma and Da. It felt like they knew something he didn’t. Maybe they didn’t want him to come back to the ranch. Ruben had assured him that no one believed he had hurt Billy, but maybe he was wrong. “Where’s Quaid?” Matty asked. “Why hasn’t he come to see me?” Another look passed between Ma and Da. “Quaid has been very busy, Matty,” Da said. “He’s been catching up out on work at the ranch. I’m sure he’ll come and see you and soon as he can.” “In the meantime,” Ma said as she walked back over to the door, “there is someone else that would like to see you.” The door opened and Billy and Rourke walked in. Matty was glad to see them, but they weren’t Quaid. He tried to smile anyway. He didn’t want to make them feel bad, and he knew from Ruben that Rourke felt bad enough for roughing him up back at the church.
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“Hey, Matty,” Billy said as he hurried over to the side of the bed, “how are you feeling?” “I’m getting there.” “You’ve missed so much since you’ve been in here. My mother is going to go into a rehab facility when she gets out of the hospital, and then she’s coming home to live with me and Rourke when we get our house built.” “Your mother’s an addict?” Matty didn’t remember anyone mentioning that part. “No, she just needs some intensive psychological help. Ira messed her up in the head pretty bad. The care she needs is better taken care of in an inpatient facility in the beginning. After she gets out, she’ll still see a therapist, but she’ll be able to come live with us.” “That’s nice.” Matty was happy for Billy that the man was getting his mother back. He felt a little sad that his own mother wasn’t miraculously changed after the death of his father. She still refused to speak to either him or Ruben. She mourned the reverend’s death like he had been a saint instead of the devil in disguise. “I took your advice and joined the quilting club,” Billy went on. “You were right. Once I started mingling with people and they got to know me better, they stopped ignoring me or treating me like I had a disease.” Matty wasn’t sure he would have chosen the quilting club for his first foray into the world, but if that’s what Billy wanted, more power to him. “They actually like me,” Billy said. “Rourke and I have even been invited to dinner by a few different people.” “That’s great, Billy.” Matty patted Billy’s hand. The man was so excited he was practically bouncing. “I’m glad you followed my advice.” “I want to thank you also, Matty, for what you did for Billy,” Rourke said as he stepped up behind Billy. “I also want to apologize
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for what I did. I had no reason to attack you the way I did. I hope you can forgive me.” Matty smiled. “There’s nothing to forgive. You were just worried about Billy.” “It doesn’t excuse my behavior.” “Rourke, let it go. We both made assumptions that were wrong. I thought you were going to hurt me, and you thought I was trying to hurt Billy.” “I did hurt you,” Rourke snapped. “Oh please.” Matty waved a hand at Rourke. “You tossed me into a wall. If I can survive being tossed off a horse, I can survive being tossed into a wall.” Matty remembered being scared of Rourke, but after seeing true evil, he knew the man was just trying to protect what was his. Rourke would no more hurt him than he would try and hurt Billy. He was angry and scared, just like Matty had been. “Let it go, Rourke,” Matty said. “There’s nothing to forgive.” “Matty—” “Rourke,” Da said, “listen to the boy. If he says to let it go, then let it go. Matty doesn’t blame you, and you shouldn’t blame yourself.” “Yes, sir,” Rourke answered. Despite his words, Matty doubted that would be the end of it. Rourke looked pretty upset. He wished he could convince the man that he didn’t blame him. Maybe he would get together with Billy when he came home and figured something out to get Rourke to forgive himself. Matty wondered how Rourke felt about mucking stalls. “So, when can I come home?” ****
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Matty slumped against the wall of the small bench seat he sat on and watched the rain fall outside his hospital window. He’d been in the hospital for two weeks now. Every time he asked when he could go home, everyone avoided his question. Matty was beginning to think he wasn’t welcome at the Blaecleah ranch anymore. Ma and Da had even stopped coming to see him. Only Ruben and Billy still visited him, and they refused to answer any questions concerning going home or why Quaid wouldn’t come visit him. He missed the ranch—the people, the animals, the closeness of the Blaecleah family. But mostly, he missed Quaid. He knew he was healthy enough to leave the hospital. His ribs were healing fine, and most of his other injuries were already a fading memory. Matty considered just walking out, leaving the hospital, but where would he go? He had no truck, and now it looked like he had no home to go to either. He wasn’t even sure if Ruben would go with him if he did leave. He’d been talking about this man he had met and seemed like he wanted to stick around Cade Creek. Matty was happy for his brother, but that left him all alone. Matty wiped a tear off his cheek. He wondered if he would always be alone. Maybe there was something wrong with him that made people stop caring for him. His parents had certainly never cared for him beyond parading him around as the good child. The moment he stopped being the good child, they no longer wanted him. Matty didn’t have a clue why Quaid no longer wanted him. He had racked his brain for days trying to figure out what he had done to make Quaid not want him anymore. The only conclusion he had come to was sex. Brian had left him after they had sex, and now Quaid had also. He knew he wasn’t that good at it, but he didn’t think he sucked that bad. Unless Quaid had lied to him just like Brian had. It wouldn’t explain the marriage proposal and all of the planning Quaid had done after they had sex, but it did explain why Quaid
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refused to come see him. Quaid didn’t really want him. He just wanted sex, and he had used every means to get what he wanted. Matty wavered between anger and misery. He wanted to be angry at Quaid for lying to him, for leaving him. He wanted to rage at the man for making him dream then yanking that dream away. He also wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. His heart hurt so bad he had almost asked the nurse for something to make the pain go away. He wanted to sleep except when he slept, he dreamed of Quaid. “Hello, angel.” Matty closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the cold glass. He’d stopped taking the sleeping pills the nurse gave him just so he wouldn’t sleep and hear Quaid. He was so pathetic he was hearing Quaid in his waking moments now. “Aren’t you going to talk to me, angel?” Matty started banging his head against the glass. It wasn’t real. Quaid wasn’t real. Quaid wasn’t here. Quaid didn’t want him anymore. No one wanted him anymore. “Matthew, stop!” Matty’s eyes snapped open when he was suddenly lifted into the air. He was spun around and sat down on Quaid’s lap. When Quaid grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled his head back, Matty could only stare in shock. “What in the hell were you doing?” “You came,” Matty whispered. He was suddenly giddy. Joy filled his heart. And then his head reminded him that Quaid didn’t want him. The man was probably there to tell him to go away. Matty’s joy vanished in an instant. Matty scrambled off Quaid’s lap and moved to the opposite side of the bed. He pressed his hands together and held them against his chest to hide the fact that they were shaking. He was embarrassed enough as it was. He didn’t want to add to it. “He–hello, Quaid.” Quaid’s eyebrows were drawn down into a frown. “Matthew.”
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“I guess I kind of know why you’re here.” “You do?” This time, Quaid’s eyebrows shot up. Matty dropped his eyes. This was even more uncomfortable than when Brian had broken up with him. Matty hadn’t really cared that much about Brian, although he didn’t know that at the time. He knew he loved Quaid, though. His heart started aching again. Matty pressed his hand against his chest and wished this was all just over. He didn’t want to be on this emotional roller coaster ride. Why couldn’t Quaid just say what he had to say and leave? “Please, Quaid, don’t drag this out.” Quaid went back to frowning. He even crossed his arms over his chest. “Don’t drag what out, Matthew?” Matty swallowed hard and glanced up. He instantly wished he hadn’t. Even confused and stern-looking, Quaid was gorgeous. It was painful for Matty to look at the man knowing he would never have him. “Just say what you have to say and go.” “Where do you think I’m going, Matthew?” “I… I don’t know.” Quaid suddenly pushed his hand through hair and turned to face the other way. Matty didn’t know what to do so he just stood there waiting for Quaid to say something or do something. It was agonizing. “Did you mean what you said, Matthew?” Quaid asked. His shoulders slumped a little as he rested his hands on his hips. He didn’t turn back around. “Do you really not want to see me?” “I didn’t want my father to hurt you or your family.” Quaid swung around. “So, you were just trying to protect us then? You didn’t really mean it?” “Of course I meant it,” Matty shouted. He didn’t understand how Quaid didn’t see the danger they had been. “Did you see what my
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father did to me? What if he had gotten a hold of Billy or Ma? Can you imagine what he would have done to them?” When Quaid came around the end of the bed, Matty quickly backed up. He couldn’t stand for Quaid to touch him, not when he ached so badly for the man. He had no resistance to Quaid. One touch and he’d be begging. “Please, don’t—” “I love you, Matthew.” Looking back, Matty knew his brain had short-circuited with those four simple words, but when he heard them all he could do was stand there and stare at Quaid. Something silent passed between Matty and Quaid as they stood there. Finally, Quaid stepped forward. “Matthew?” “You love me?” Matty asked in a hushed whisper. “Yes, angel, I do.” Matty licked his lips. “If… if you loved me, then why haven’t you come to see me? I’ve asked and asked for you but… but you never came.” Quaid suddenly grinned, which Matty thought was totally out of place under the circumstances. “Let me show you where I’ve been, angel,” Quaid said as he held out his hand. Matty started at Quaid’s hand for several moments. Quaid just stood there as if leaving the decision up to him. But Matty didn’t know what to do. If he took Quaid’s hand, he might be setting himself up for more heartbreak. If he didn’t take Quaid’s hand, he knew he would have heartbreak. Matty slowly reached out and took Quaid’s hand. Before he knew what was happening, Quaid pulled the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around Matty then lifted him into his arms. He headed for the door. “Quaid, the doctor hasn’t released me yet.” “Then you must be very quiet.”
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Matty pressed his lips together to keep from laughing as Quaid carried him out of the room. They snuck past the nurse’s station when the nurse was looking the other way then quickly went to the elevator. They took the elevator all of the way to the parking garage level. Once the doors opened, Quaid carried Matty to his truck and set him in the passenger seat. He closed the door and hurried around to the other side then climbed in. Quaid grinned at Matty as he started the truck. “Stay down.” “Can we get into trouble for this?” Matty asked as he scooted down in the seat. “Only of we get caught.” Quaid chuckled. “Where are we going?” Matty asked when they hit the road and started driving out of town. “It’s a surprise. I’ve been working on it since we rescued Ruben.” Matty was confused, but Quaid seemed excited. He didn’t want to say anything to change the man’s mood, no matter how much he wanted to know where they were going and why it would keep Quaid away. It was dark out, so Matty couldn’t see much, but he knew where they were when they pulled into the driveway leading to the Blaecleah ranch. “We’re at the ranch?” “We are,” Quaid said as he brought the truck to a stop and turned to look across the cab at Matty. “I want you to trust me, angel. Close your eyes and keep them closed until I tell you to open them.” Matty was confused, but he did as Quaid asked. He grabbed on to the handle on the door when he felt the truck begin to move again. He wasn’t scared exactly but definitely nervous. Considering he thought Quaid was kicking him to the curb, Matty couldn’t figure out for the life of him why he was agreeing to go anywhere with Quaid. He should have just had it out with the man back at the hospital.
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Matty’s eyes almost popped open when they suddenly hit rough terrain. He knew they were no longer on the driveway that led up to Ma and Da’s house. “Quaid?” “Just a little longer, angel, I promise.” Matty tried to trust in Quaid, really he did, but he was just about ready to open his eyes when the truck finally came to a stop and turned off. “Okay, angel, keep your eyes closed. I’m going to come around and get you.” Matty pressed his eyes tightly together to keep from opening them. He heard Quaid climb out of the truck, the door slammed, and then nothing. Matty’s heart began to pound faster. When his door opened, Matty yelped and jerked. “Ssshhh, angel, I have you.” Matty felt himself being lifted again, and then Quaid was walking. In just a few steps, he was set on his feet. The blanket was readjusted around his shoulders, and then Quaid’s arms wrapped around him. “Okay, angel, you won’t be able to see much because it’s dark but open your eyes.” Matty was almost willing to forgo whatever surprise Quaid had for him just to remain in the man’s arms. But whatever Quaid had to show him seemed important enough to kidnap him out of the hospital, so Matty opened his eyes. “Wha—” Matty frowned. “What is it?” “It’s our house, angel,” Quaid whispered into Matty’s ear. “That’s where I’ve been, building our house.” “A house?” Matty frowned in confusion. “How could you build an entire house in two weeks?” “With the help of a lot of friends and family. Everyone’s been working on it, most of the congregation at church and half the citizens of Cade Creek. Every spare minute has been spent building our house so you would have a place to come home to.”
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Matty was in complete shock. It looked a lot like Ma and Da’s house, complete with a huge front porch and large front steps. There was even a porch swing off to one side of the main door. Matty could picture the two of them sitting there and watching the sunset for years to come. “It’s beautiful, Quaid.” Quaid kissed the side of Matty’s neck. “I hoped you’d like it. It has three bedrooms, in case we decide to have kids one day, two bathrooms, an office, kitchen, dining room, living room, and laundry room. It’s not a huge house, just barely 2,000 square feet, but I think it will do for our needs.” Matty was amazed. The place looked ready to move into. Was it? He glanced up at Quaid. “How soon can we move in?” “How soon can you get released from the hospital?”
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Chapter 14 Quaid was so nervous he could spit. He paced back and forth in front of the window. The minutes seemed to tick by at a snail’s pace. He’d been ready for hours. He wondered if this was how everyone felt. Maybe it was just him? Was Matty feeling just as nervous? Was he pacing? Quaid shook his head. Probably not. Matty seemed to take most things in stride. He didn’t flip out at the littlest things. He just accepted them, dealt with it, and moved on. It was one of Matty’s most endearing qualities, but right now, Quaid wished Matty was just as nervous as he was. He was going to lose his freaking mind if something didn’t happen soon. Quaid swung around when the door flew open. Hs jaw dropped when he saw Matty rush in and slam the door closed then lean back against it. Matty was panting heavily as if he had just run a marathon. “Matthew, what’s wrong?” “Your mother is driving me crazy.” “My mother?” “She thinks I’m a girl.” Matty started pacing as he waved his hand wildly in the air. “She wants me to carry flowers down the aisle and let your father give me away. I’m surprised she didn’t try to get me into a wedding dress.” Quaid snickered. “She did. I told her no.” “What?” Matty’s head snapped around. “Are you serious?” “No, angel, I’m just joking. Ma is just excited that we let her help plan the wedding. She’ll settle down once we’re married and move on to Billy and Rourke’s wedding. Then we can watch them squirm.”
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“Your mother is like a pint-sized dynamo.” Matty pushed his hand through his hair, leaving it messy. “It’s like the woman never stops.” “Hiding is definitely our best option.” “Hiding?” Matty’s eyebrow arched. “You do remember that were getting married in less than an hour, right?” “Then we’d better make this quick.” Quaid wiggled his eyebrows. “Lock the door.” Matty stared for a moment then chuckled. Quaid pulled at his bolo tie as Matty walked over to lock the door. He dropped it on the table behind him and started unbuttoning his shirt. “Your mother will kill us if we’re late for our own wedding.” “Then I guess you’d better hurry.” Quaid nodded down at Matty’s back end. “I plan on getting me some of that ass before we leave this room.” “Oh, you’re so romantic.” Matty chuckled. Quaid dropped his pants on the floor and stepped over to take Matty into his arms. “You want romance? What if I told you how much I love you? Or maybe I should tell you that you reminded me of an angel sent from heaven the night I met you? Better yet, maybe I should tell you how hard my dick gets every time you breathe? Would that be romantic enough for you?” “Yeah.” Matty swallowed. “That will do.” “Good.” Quaid grinned. “Then give me some of that gorgeous ass.” Matty rolled his eyes but quickly finished getting undressed. Quaid tried to keep his eyes off of Matty’s gorgeous body as he pulled the lube and condom out of his pants, but it wasn’t easy. Matty was a beautiful sight to behold, Matty naked was even better. By the time Matty was undressed, Quaid had the condom on his aching cock and the lube open. He grinned when Matty arched an eyebrow at him. “This is going to be quick, angel, just a little something to take the edge off.”
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Matty chuckled and turned to bend over the edge of the table, wiggling his ass. Quaid swallowed the sudden knot that climbed into his throat. “Hell, angel, you’re trying to kill me before we get married.” Matty laughed as he glanced over his shoulder and wiggled his ass again. “Naw, this was supposed to be your wedding present. Guess you get it a little early.” Quaid swallowed again. His throat felt incredibly dry all of a sudden. The sight of the bright red butt plug in Matty’s tight little ass was enough to bring Quaid to his knees. In fact, he thought that was a very good idea. Quaid dropped to his knees behind Matty and grabbed the butt plug. Matty’s entire body shuddered when Quaid started playing with the plug. His soft cries of pleasure filled the room, spurring Quaid on. Quaid liked that response and played with it even more, pushing it, pulling it, and twisting it. “Quaid, please!” “Okay, angel.” Quaid quickly stood to his feet and pulled the plug from Matty’s ass. He dropped it on the table next to Matty then flipped the man over. “Wha—” “Want to see your eyes, angel.” Matty grinned, but Quaid was serious. Matty’s eyes were the most expressive part of the man. He could see every emotion, every thought as it flew across Matty’s mind. And he wanted to know he was brining his angel pleasure. “Hold these, angel,” Quaid said as he lifted Matty’s legs up to his chest. Once Matty had a good hold of his legs, Quaid looked down. He nearly swallowed his tongue as Matty’s quivering little hole blinked up at him. He rubbed his thumb down over the glistening entrance. “So pretty, angel.”
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“Glad you thin—aahhh!” Matty’s voice went into a high cry as Quaid pushed his thumb into the tight hole. His entire body shuddered. Quaid grinned and pulled his thumb out, replacing it with the head of his cock. He grabbed Matty’s thighs and watched as his cock slowly sank into Matty’s ass. Quaid groaned and dropped his head back as his cock was sucked right into Matty’s body. Sex was great, especially with Matty, but the few seconds right after they connected were the best. Quaid felt like their souls were merging together, and that was something he’d never felt with another living person. Quaid leaned forward and gathered Matty into his arms. He took a moment to stroke Matty’s cheek, to push his light brown hair back from his face, to just stare into Matty’s coppery eyes and see the love shining there. “Love you, angel.” “Love you, too.” Matty smiled then wiggled his hips. “Now, gimme.” Quaid chuckled as he lifted Matty into his arms and swung him around. He took two steps then pressed Matty up against the wall. Matty was panting. His eyes were huge. His hands clutched at Quaid’s shoulders. Quaid didn’t say a word. He didn’t look away from Matty’s eyes. He just slid his hands down to grab Matty’s ass then began lifting the man up and letting him fall back down, impaling him over and over again. Matty’s body fluttered around Quaid’s cock with every move, squeezing him when he pulled out then pulling him right back in. Matty had amazing muscle control. He could bring Quaid to orgasm in a matter of moments. Despite what he had said, though, Quaid wanted this time to be slow. He never quickened his strides, just kept a slow, steady pace
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thrusting into Matty. He could see the passion rising in Matty’s eyes with every thrust. “Gonna spend the rest of my life with you, angel,” Quaid said. He could see Matty’s response to his words in the darkening of his eyes, the increased panting. “Gonna love you like this every day.” “Yes,” Matty hissed. “Forever is a long time, angel,” Quaid said. “Are you ready to spend forever with me?” “Yes!” Quaid watched in awe as Matty’s head slammed back against the wall, and he filled the space between them with his release. Quaid groaned as Matty’s ass tightened on his cock like a vice. He thrust into Matty’s body once more, as far as he could go, and let his own orgasm sweep through him. His hands gripped Matty’s ass, and he dropped his face into the soft curve of Matty’s neck as he panted through the ecstasy rocking his body. He could just barely keep himself from sinking to the floor. His legs were shaking. Once he could breathe again, Quaid kissed the side of Matty’s neck then lifted his head. His face was a mere inch from Matty’s. He smiled when he saw that Matty’s eyes were still a little dazed. “So beautiful,” Quaid whispered. “And all mine.” Matty’s face flushed as he smiled. “Always.” Quaid jumped and almost dropped Matty when someone suddenly pounded on the door. He laughed quietly and dropped his forehead against Matty’s when he heard Ma shout through the door. “Quaid Blaecleah, if you and Matty are fooling around in there again, I swear I’m going to take a switch to your hide.” “Uh-oh, we’ve been found.” Matty chuckled. Quaid slowly pulled his softening cock out of Matty’s ass and lowered the man to his feet. “And we’d better hurry up and get dressed before Ma barges in here and catches us again. She wasn’t too
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happy the last night when we got caught fooling around during the rehearsal.” Matty chuckled as he reached for his shirt. “But what a way to go.” “It’s the only way, angel.” Quaid grinned as he grabbed his jeans. “It’s the cowboy way.” “Don’t fool yourself, my love. I’ve met your brothers. It’s the Blaecleah way.”
THE END WWW.STORMYGLENN.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Stormy believes the only thing sexier than a man in cowboy boots is two or three men in cowboy boots. She also believes in love at first sight, soul Mates, true love, and happy endings. Stormy lives in the great Northwest region of the USA, with her gorgeous husband and soul Mate, six very active teenagers, two boxer/collie puppies, one old biddy cat, and one fish. You can usually find her cuddled in bed with a book in her hand and a puppy in her lap, or on her laptop, creating the next sexy man for one of her stories. Stormy welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website at www.stormyglenn.com
Also by Stormy Glenn Siren Classic ManLove: Blaecleah Brothers 1: Cowboy Easy Siren Classic ManLove: Blaecleah Brothers 2: Cowboy Keeper Siren Classic ManLove: Wolf Creek Pack 1: Full Moon Mating Siren Classic ManLove: Wolf Creek Pack 2: Just a Taste of Me Siren Classic ManLove: Wolf Creek Pack 3: Tasty Treats, Volume 3: Man to Man Siren Classic ManLove: Wolf Creek Pack 4: Blood Prince Siren Classic ManLove: Wolf Creek Pack 5: Love, Always, Promise Ménage Amour ManLove: Wolf Creek Pack 6: Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Siren Classic ManLove: Wolf Creek Pack 7: Pretty Baby Ménage Amour ManLove: Tri-Omega Mates 1: Secret Desires Ménage Amour ManLove: Tri-Omega Mates 2: Forbidden Desires Ménage Amour ManLove: Tri-Omega Mates 3: Hidden Desires Ménage Amour ManLove: Tri-Omega Mates 4: Stolen Desires Ménage Amour ManLove: Tri-Omega Mates 5: Unspoken Desires Ménage Amour ManLove: Tri-Omega Mates 6: A Hunter’s Desires Ménage Amour: Lovers of Alpha Squad 1: Mari’s Men Siren Classic ManLove: Lovers of Alpha Squad 2: The Doctor’s Patience Siren Classic: Lovers of Alpha Squad 3: Julia’s Knight Ménage Amour ManLove: Lovers of Alpha Squad 4: Three of a Kind Ménage Amour: Love’s Legacy 1: Cowboy Legacy Ménage Amour ManLove: Love’s Legacy 2: Cowboy Dreams Siren Classic ManLove: Sweet Perfection 1: Sweet Treats Siren Classic ManLove: Sweet Perfection 2: Mr. Wonderful Siren Classic ManLove: True Blood Mate 1: Heart Song Ménage Amour ManLove: True Blood Mate 2: Alpha Born Siren Classic ManLove: True Blood Mate 3: Love Sexy Siren Classic ManLove: True Blood Mate 4: Redemption Siren Classic ManLove: Katzman 1: The Katzman’s Mate Siren Classic ManLove: Katzman 2: Dream Mate Siren Classic ManLove: Katzman 3: Pride Mate Siren Classic ManLove: Midnight Matings 2: Scales and a Tail
Siren Classic ManLove: My Lupine Lover Siren Classic ManLove: The Master’s Pet Siren Classic ManLove: Fire Demon Siren Classic: Wolf Queen Siren Classic: His Gentle Touch Ménage Amour: Mating Heat
Also by Stormy Glenn and Joyee Flynn Delta Wolf 1: Chameleon Wolf Delta Wolf 2: Mating Games Delta Wolf 3: Blood Lust
Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM
Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com