8. Eli
Chapter 8
Eli
C olt had been staying at my house for two days now and I was starting to go crazy. Sure, we weren’t constantly at one another’s throats. But we still despised each other most of the time. In fact, I was finding him especially annoying lately because he’d taken to sitting in bed all day shirtless, stuffing his face with any food I could scrounge up for him. That motherfucker was ripped. And he stayed ripped despite the amount of food he shoveled down his gullet. It was infuriating.
And, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I liked the eye candy. Call me a masochist or another gay with daddy issues, but having a hot shirtless cowboy in my bed all day was my high school fantasies come to life. The amount of times I’d had to sneak away to jerk off just so my boner would go away was alarming. And the worst part? The fact that it was Colt Dawson.
Anyone else would’ve been fine. But something about the smug way Colt looked at me made me think he could read my thoughts. Last night a drip of barbecue sauce had fallen on his pec. When he saw me staring, he used his finger to wipe it clean and suck it off sensually with those perfectly kissable lips of his. I looked away of course, but I swore I saw him smirk out of the corner of my eye. He was straight up fucking with me.
First of all, how dare he? The guy knew I was gay to begin with and he knew how hot he was. I hated that smug look on his face. But, as far as I knew, he was straight, so he was just torturing me on purpose. Needless to say, it was working, but I was still pissed about it.
That’s why, when opportunity knocked for me to leave the house for the first time in two days, I took it as fast as I could. Mom decided she didn’t want to cook dinner after helping me father with a particularly irritable calf all afternoon. When I offered to go down to the diner and buy dinner for everyone, she happily agreed. And since Colt was on bed rest, that meant I could finally get some much needed time to myself.
I grabbed my keys and headed for the door, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere of sexual tension and annoyance that had taken over the house. As I reached for the doorknob, I heard Colt's deep, gravelly voice call out from the bedroom.
“Hey, Eli! Don't forget to grab me an extra-large order of fries, would ya?”
I clenched my jaw, my hand tightening on the doorknob. Of course he'd have one last request. I turned my head slightly, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of my full attention.
“Sure thing, Colt,” I replied, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice. “Anything else you need, your highness?”
I heard the rustle of sheets and the creak of the bed as he shifted. “Nah, that'll do. Unless you wanna bring me back a six-pack of beer too,” he chuckled. “Doctor said no alcohol, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?”
I rolled my eyes, not bothering to respond as I yanked open the door and stepped outside. The cool evening air hit my face, a welcome relief from the stuffy house. I took a deep breath, savoring the scent of sage and prairie grass. Spring had come on quickly since I’d been home and already I could see a wildflower or two coming into bloom. It wouldn’t be long before the prairie was nothing but flowers.
As I walked to my truck, I couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and frustration. Relief to be away from Colt's infuriating presence, but frustration that even now, he was occupying my thoughts. I climbed into the driver's seat, slamming the door with more force than necessary.
The drive into town was mercifully quiet, giving me time to clear my head. By the time I pulled up to Dolly’s Diner, I felt more like myself again. The familiar neon sign flickered in the twilight, casting a warm glow over the parking lot. I stepped out of my truck, the gravel crunching under my boots.
As I pushed open the diner's door, the bell jingled overhead. The smell of fried food and coffee hit me immediately, along with the low hum of conversation and clinking cutlery. It was busy for a weeknight, but then again, there weren't many dining options in Sagebrush.
“Well, look who it is!” a cheerful voice called out. I turned to see Dolly Levi, the owner of the diner, waving from behind the counter. “Eli Daniels! I can’t believe you’re back, sugar!”
I smiled without meaning to as I approached the counter. “Hello Dolly,” I said, reaching over to give her a hug. “How have you been?”
“Well, I’ve been doing just fine, sugar. Just been kickin’ butt, runnin’ my diner, and helpin’ the occasional cowboy find a little slice of heaven right here in Sagebrush if you know what I mean.” She gave me a wink. “With my pie of course. Nothin’ shameful.”
“You Dolly? Shameful? Never.”
“That’s why I like you, Eli. You always know how to lie to make a girl feel better.” Her bright red nails clacked on the counter as she grabbed her order pad. “You eatin’ in or gettin’ something to go?”
“To go,” I sighed. “Mom needs a break, and we’ve got an unexpected house guest.”
“I heard a rumor it’s Colt Dawson,” she grinned.
Another sigh. This was why I hated small towns. “Well, you heard right.”
“You lucky thing!” She leaned across the counter, keeping her voice low. “If there was a rodeo around here that needed a bull to ride, he’d be the one I’d pick.” She winked again. “Hopefully longer than eight seconds though.”
“Dolly!” I laughed, leaning closer. “You can’t say stuff like that! People will talk!”
“I’m too single to worry much about that, sugar.”
I shook my head as she pulled away, grinning from ear to ear. If there was one person in Sagebrush I actually wanted to see, it was Dolly Levi. She was the most entertaining woman in all of Texas. And, if you got a couple shots in her, a damn good singer.
We chatted for a moment longer before I gave her my order. She pulled a soda out from under the bar and sent me off to one of the small booths near the back to wait. The dinner crowd was starting to clear out, so there was plenty of room. Being in a restaurant alone was a weird feeling, but I was happy for the time to myself. With Colt around, everything was far too noisy and confusing.
I settled into the booth, sipping my soda and trying to relax. But even here, away from Colt's infuriating presence, I couldn't escape thoughts of him. The way his muscles rippled when he stretched, the low rumble of his laugh, the glint in his green eyes when he caught me staring...
“Get it together, Eli,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head.
“Talking to yourself now, city boy?”
I looked up to see none other than Logan Baker sliding into the booth across from me, a mischievous smile on his face. Logan had been a couple years behind me in school, but we'd always gotten along well with his sister in my year. He was one of the few people in Sagebrush I actually didn't mind seeing. He was also one of the only other gay people I knew of in this tiny town.
“Logan fucking Baker,” I laughed, holding out a hand to shake. “Talk about a blast from the past!”
He took my hand, shaking it vigorously. Then, without warning, pulled me across the table and hugged me. “Caroline said you were back in town, but I hadn’t gotten the chance to reconnect!”
Before I could say anything, a tall man sat down next to Logan, his dark hair pulled back into a loose ponytail at the base of his skull. He was all sharp features and tanned skin. I’d never seen him before.
“Oh, this is my boyfriend, Dakota,” Logan said, letting me go and sitting back in his seat. “He works on our ranch.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, holding out my hand again.
“Likewise,” he nodded, returning the gesture.
“So, when the hell did you get back here?” I asked, turning back to Logan. “I thought you were out in New York!”
Logan chuckled, shaking his head. “Man, that feels like a lifetime ago. I came back last summer after I lost my job and didn’t have anywhere else to go. Started helping on the ranch until daddy got sick, then I sort of took over. Once daddy was back on his feet, we started revitalizing the ranch.” He glanced at Dakota with a soft smile. “Once this guy swept me off my feet, I knew I didn’t have a choice but to stay.”
Dakota's stoic expression softened slightly as he returned Logan's look. It was clear there was a deep connection between them.
“Well, I'll be damned,” I said, leaning back in the booth. “Logan Baker, settled down on the family ranch. Never thought I'd see the day.”
“Hey now,” Logan protested with a grin. “I'll have you know I'm still plenty wild. Just... in a more domesticated way.”
Dakota snorted at that, earning him a playful elbow from Logan.
“So, what about you, Mr. Big Shot?” Logan asked, turning his attention back to me. “Last I heard you were head of finance at some company down in Dallas. What brings you back here?”
I let out a long sigh. “Kinda the same thing as you. The company imploded unexpectedly, I lost my job, and now I’m here, trying to figure myself out again.”
“And now you have to put up with Colt,” he added, shaking his head. “Caroline said he’s been a real idiot.”
I chuckled dryly. “You could say that. He's driving me up the wall, to be honest.”
Logan leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Oh? Do tell.”
I hesitated, glancing at Dakota. The quiet cowboy raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
“It's fine,” Logan said, waving a hand. “Dakota's not one for gossip. Besides, we're all friends here.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “It's just... he's always there, you know? Shirtless, eating everything in sight, and somehow still looking like he walked off the cover of a porno magazine. And I swear he's doing it on purpose, just to mess with me.”
Logan's eyes widened slightly. “Wait, are you saying Colt's... flirting with you?”
“No! He can’t be. He’s straight. He… He’s just torturing me for fun because he knows my mom won’t let me retaliate.”
Logan exchanged a glance with Dakota, a knowing smirk playing at his lips. “Oh Eli, you sweet summer child. Colt Dawson is about as straight as a rodeo rope.”
I blinked, taken aback. “What? No, that can't be right. He dated half the cheerleading squad in high school.”
“And I dated like seven girls in middle school,” Logan countered with a chuckle. “Doesn't mean much. Trust me, Colt plays for the home team. Has for years.”
My mind reeled with this new information. Could it be true? Had I completely misread the situation? I thought back to all the times I'd caught Colt watching me, the way his eyes lingered a bit too long when I walked by. Suddenly, his behavior took on a whole new meaning.
“That… That can’t be right. Why didn’t he say anything?”
“From what I hear, you two ain’t exactly the best of friends anymore. And from what Caroline said, he doesn’t want people to know. Think’s it’ll ruin his rodeo career.”
“She told you this?”
“No,” Logan sighed nonchalantly. “I read her diary a few times in high school while she was out on the rodeo circuit. You wouldn’t believe the kind of shit that happens after hours at those places.”
I hardly heard what Logan said. My mind was still reeling from the shock. Colt Dawson was… gay? How could that be possible? The guy was nothing but bravado from head to toe. Sure, I’d met quite a few gay men that liked to peacock or act tough, but never to this extent. Was he doing it to throw people off? Or was it just an act that came with his rodeo persona? And he was such a dickhead too… that part couldn’t be for the fans. Could it be a defense mechanism?
I sat there in stunned silence, trying to process this new information. Logan and Dakota exchanged knowing glances, clearly amused by my reaction.
“Look,” Logan said, leaning in closer. “I can see I’ve upset your entire world. But think about it from my perspective - all that showing off, the shirtless lounging, the suggestive comments. I don’t think he's just messing with you, Eli. I think he's trying to get your attention.”
I shook my head, still in disbelief. “But why? We haven’t gotten along in years. I’m pretty sure we hate one another despite any recent progress to the contrary. Loathing like that doesn’t just go away. So why would he suddenly be interested in me?”
Dakota spoke up, his voice low and quiet. “Sometimes, when a man's been hiding who he is for so long, he doesn't know how to express himself properly. Especially to someone he's got history with.”
Logan nodded in agreement. “Dakota's right. Colt's probably just as confused and frustrated as you are.”
“And,” Logan added with a smirk. “You don’t have to be friends to fuck him. Sometimes the best sex is with someone you don’t like very much.”
Dakota made a face, looking over at Logan like he didn’t know the man sitting next to him anymore.
“Oh, don’t pretend like you’ve told me about everyone you’ve ever slept with,” Logan said, giving him a dismissive wave. “We all have a past.”
“I’ve told you about all of mine. Literally every single one.”
Logan stared at him for a long moment before grabbing his hand and pulling them both up from the seat. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said, a mischievous glint in his eye. “I need to go get my boyfriend caught up on a lifetime of debauchery. But you think about what I said. Colt’s not half as stupid as he pretends to be.”
And with a jingle from the door, they were gone. I barely had a moment to collect my thoughts before Dolly sat down a large paper bag in front of me, full of delicious smelling food.
“Don’t keep your mama waitin’,” she grinned. “And make sure you come back sometime so we can catch up.”
“Yes ma’am,” I replied automatically. But my thoughts were elsewhere.
All of them, every single one, was bent toward Colt Dawson, the cowboy who suddenly wasn’t nearly as off limits as I thought.