Epilogue
Heath really wanted to try it himself, but dealing with concrete during mud season was best left to the professionals.
They’d had a huge slab poured, big enough for the two-car garage, a covered port for the trailer and a workshop that connected the house to the garage and kept the thing from looking as monstrous as it was.
The footprint was nearly as big as the house itself, but it was going to be great.
Their trucks would be tucked away from the snow leaving a big open, clear driveway for the plow—and the workshop was a smart addition.
They’d even put in a potbelly stove. That was Parker’s idea, so they could still do some DIY in the wintertime.
The walls went up quickly and they were roofing now. It was perfect timing, because they’d have it done before summer warmed everything up. Heath dug around for some nails, or pretended to. He was actually taking a second to watch Parker hammer away in the sunshine. So sexy. So capable.
Parker had been having a ball working with Sky, helping to create a series of small bull riding events all over the northeast, but his cowboy still had plenty of time to help with the construction and spend time with him, so it was a win-win.
He squinted at the sky. It was late afternoon, there was a storm in the forecast, and he’d rather be grilling and drinking a beer.
“Hey, babe? You want to wrap it up and call it day?”
“You know it. It’s hot, and it’s fixin’ to pour down.” Parker shot him a happy grin.
“I was thinking burgers. You in?” He started cleaning up, putting tools into a bucket and lowering them down on a rope.
“Perfect. We got chips and onion dip. Nom nom nom.”
The barking from the dog run started as soon as they stepped off the ladder.
“Hello, ladies! Have you missed us?”
Sheila jumped up and down with her little doggie smile and Waffle, their new little terrier and something mix-breed rescue was running back and forth behind her, wiry fur flopping in her eyes.
“Hey, gorgeous girls. I’ll make doggie dogs for y’all.” They kept cheap hot dogs to tempt the puppies with, and both of the girls loved it.
“We might be grilling in the rain.” He shrugged. He didn’t care, but it made the idea of a shower sort of stupid right now. “You want to get the girls inside?”
“Otherwise, we’ll have wet dog smell sunk in the couch again.”
“You blame that on the dogs, but really, it was your farts.” He laughed, side-stepped Parker’s swat and ducked into the house.
“Oh, you little shit.” Parker chased him, making grabby hands.
“Nope. Nonono!” He turned the corner into the den, grabbing onto the door jamb for balance.
“Yep. Gonna get you, sweetheart.” Parker laughed for him, catching him by the hips.
“You’re so fast.” He turned in Parker arms, laughing. “Don’t hurt me. I have to grill.”
“Never going to happen. Never.”
He nodded. “I know. You take care of me.” He took Parker’s left hand and kissed it. He was still so proud of the engagement band on that ring finger, and that Parker had said yes. Every time he saw that ring there, he felt like he had in that moment—happy, in love and grateful.
“Mmm… Love the way your ring looks on my hand.”
He blushed, because he probably should be past all of this but he wasn’t. “I’m still so amazed and happy you said yes.”
“Mmm…” Parker stepped right into his space and lifted his face for a kiss. “We going to shower and then cook or cook and get wet, then shower?”
So many options. “Well, naked things always seem to happen when we shower together.”
“Uh-huh… What’s your point?” Parker squeezed his ass.
He licked his lips and pressed back into the touch. “Well, are you hungrier for steak, or me?”
“Are you kidding? We can have cereal later.”
“Fuck, yeah. Cap’n Crunch, here we come.” He caught Parker in a hug and dragged him toward the bathroom. “You stink. You smell like you’ve been roofing all day.”
“Go figure. It’s like magic, isn’t it?” Parker started pulling off his shirt.
“I wouldn’t call it magical, but it’s a great excuse for a magical shower.” He followed Parker’s lead, tugging off his jeans and socks.
“Hot hot or just warm water?” Parker kissed the corner of his mouth.
“Hot hot. Always hot.” There wasn’t any other way with his fiancé. He let Parker pull him into the shower and everything else disappeared.
“Hey, love.” Parker leaned in, his own personal bull rider lifting his face for a kiss.
“Hey, babe. We did good work today.” Hell yes, he would take that offer. He bent and kissed Parker, then nipped at his lower lip playfully.
“I like roofing. There’s a beginning, a middle, and an end.” Parker patted his butt. “Unlike us. We’ve just got a beginning and then forever.”
“Forever sounds about long enough. Maybe. Sex though, that has a beginning, a middle and an end too.” He slipped his fingers around Parker’s silky balls. “This is the beginning, if you’re curious.”
“Oh, that’s so good to know. Can we have a long, lazy middle?”
“We can. I hear you bull riders love the middle.”
“Oh.” Parker’s eyes lit up. “Very nice. My brilliant lawyer-jack.”
“That’s me. Brilliant.” He understood the assignment. He was going to keep Parker up all night.
And then, if the world worked the way it ought to, tomorrow they’d do it again.