Chapter Twenty-Six
Carter didn’t want to let go of Ethan. There was so fear it would all fall apart.
They would fall apart. Interference and undue pressure to part.
Carter kissed the top of Ethan’s nose then he played with his light-colored hair.
His hands stroked from his neck, over his shoulders, down to his arms. He grabbed Ethan’s hands, then held them in front of him and paused.
Ethan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Then Carter’s lips kissed his cheek, brushing it lightly—and still, that light touch.
“If you want me to stop touching you, tell me now,” Carter whispered.
When Ethan said nothing, Carter rested his mouth against the hollow of his temple.
“Do you want to sleep?” Carter asked. He traced the line of Ethan’s cheekbone.
Ethan pressed his lips against Carter’s. Within seconds, Carter took control, pressed back and slipped his tongue inside of Ethan’s mouth. Carter groaned, low in his throat, and then his arms circled around Ethan, gathering him closer against him.
Carter stared into his eyes and smiled again. His two large hands grabbed Ethan’s left hand, and he placed his open palm on his heart, and he held it there. “This is how I feel about you.”
“I feel so many feelings when it comes to you. I don’t want you to change your mind about me.”
Carter let go of his hand. He ran his fingers through Ethan’s hair again and gently guided his face closer again to his, eventually leaning Ethan’s head on his chest. His other hand stroked his back.
“Not leaving you no matter how bad you get.” Carter grinned.
“I can get really bad.”
“Then I’ll spank you over my knee.”
“Really? Maybe I’ll be bad tomorrow.”
“I’ll remember you want to be spanked. I could spank you in the mornings before you do anything bad.”
Ethan rolled into a ball laughing. “Oh, please, Boss Carter, wait until I’m bad.”
Carter pulled him closer to him again. “Where were you all my life?”
“Growing up for you.”
“Stay here, I’m going to get us a soda.”
“Okay.”
Carter hurried out of the bedroom, checked the blinds, and both doors before he went to the kitchen and pulled out two sodas. He returned to the bed and handed one to Ethan.
They both sat up in bed, opening their soda cans.
“I love kissing you, Ethan.”
“My hookups never kissed me like you did. Never kissed me at all. And I never kissed anyone either. You’re the first man to kiss me.”
“What about women? Girls?”
“Well, I wasn’t talking about them. But when I was a teen, I dated church girls. I didn’t dare date guys. Unless I wanted to be murdered.”
“Did you kiss them?”
“I did more than kiss.”
“Why did you switch to men?”
“It wasn’t like that. When I got away from Foggy Basin, I wasn’t bound by rules. I did exactly what I wanted.”
“Did you know you were gay before college?”
“I always knew but I tried to talk myself into being straight. Then the first time I was with a man, I saw the difference. I knew I couldn’t be with girls anymore.”
“I’m a little different. I knew who I was and knew that I would not be accepted by my family. I never dated women. No interest.”
“Did you ever consider coming out in Texas?”
He shook his head. “You’re the first person I came out to and that’s because you asked. Of course, it’s so much easier in gay bars. You just do it.”
“Why did you come out to me?”
“When you trusted me by coming out to me, it complicated things. But it also made me feel safe to trust you. I wanted you, but I didn’t know what you wanted.”
“So, my father didn’t add I was gay in his file?”
“Nope. He apparently doesn’t know.”
“I thought—”
Carter covered his mouth lightly and said, “No more thinking out loud.”
They snuggled close together, the warmth of their bodies lulling them into a deep sleep.
***
Carter woke up slowly, warm, and comfortable in a way he hadn’t felt in years. It took him a second to realize why—Ethan was curled right into him, head tucked under Carter’s chin, one leg thrown over his like he owned the spot.
Carter didn’t even try to stop the smile that pulled at his mouth. He dipped his head and pressed a soft kiss to Ethan’s temple. Ethan stirred, eyelashes fluttering before he blinked awake. When he saw Carter, he smiled—small, sleepy, and so damn sweet it hit Carter straight in the chest.
“I can’t believe we’re together like this,” Ethan murmured, voice rough from sleep.
Carter leaned down and kissed him properly this time. “Morning, Ethan.”
“Morning.”
Carter brushed his thumb along Ethan’s jaw, liking the way Ethan leaned into it. “Let’s eat naked,” he said, grinning. “Then we’ll take a shower and get dressed.”
Ethan’s face went bright red, but he nodded fast, like the idea made him happy in a way he didn’t know how to hide. They got up, still laughing under their breath, and headed to the kitchen.
Carter started scrambling eggs for an omelet while Ethan made the coffee.
Every few minutes, Ethan drifted close just to kiss him—on the shoulder, the cheek, the corner of his mouth—like he couldn’t help himself.
Carter pretended to focus on the pan, but inside he felt stupidly full, like someone had packed his ribs with sunlight.
Then the pounding hit the front door—hard, sharp, shaking the whole damn cabin.
“Oh fuck,” Carter muttered.
Ethan froze mid-step. His face drained so fast it scared Carter. He looked like a kid caught doing something wrong, even though he hadn’t done a damn thing.
“Okay,” Carter said, keeping his voice steady. “Let’s get dressed and I’ll answer it. Hurry.”
Ethan bolted for the spare room. Carter threw on jeans and a shirt, heart thudding. The pounding only got louder, angrier.
Carter yanked the door open. Mrs. Evans stood there clutching a Bible like she planned to use it as a weapon. Her eyes were sharp enough to cut glass.
“Is my son here?”
“Yes. Come in, ma’am.”
She shoved past him so hard he had to catch himself on the doorframe. Carter clenched his jaw but let it go. No point starting a fight.
Ethan stood in the living room, hair sticking up in every direction, shirt half-tucked like he’d dressed in a panic. His eyes were wide, shoulders tight.
“What are you doing here?” Ethan asked, voice thin.
“Picking you up for church,” she snapped. “I brought your Bible. Change your clothes and brush your hair.”
“I told you I’m not going.” Ethan’s voice shook, but he didn’t back down. “You need to leave.”
Her anger swung straight to Carter like a spotlight. “What have you done to my son?”
Carter stepped forward, calm but firm. “He makes his own choices. He told you he wasn’t going. Respect his decision.”
“This living arrangement is totally inappropriate. He can’t stay here.”
“It’s not your decision,” Carter said. “Mr. Evans approved it.”
“He what? Has he lost his mind?” She stormed down the hall, throwing open doors, inspecting everything like she expected to find sin dripping off the walls.
“Why are the blinds down like this?”
Neither of them answered. Carter didn’t trust himself to speak, and Ethan looked like he wanted to disappear.
She spun around, face tight with fury. “This arrangement is wrong. I’m going to make sure it ends.”
She threw Ethan’s Bible on the couch, then marched out and slammed the door so hard the windows rattled.
The door had barely stopped rattling before the silence hit—heavy, sharp, too damn loud.
Ethan stood in the middle of the living room like someone had unplugged him. His shoulders were tight, his hands shaking at his sides. He wasn’t even blinking.
Carter exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over his face, then crossed the space and put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey. It’s okay.”
Ethan swallowed hard, eyes shining with something between fear and humiliation. He leaned into Carter’s touch like he needed it to stay upright.
And Carter felt that protective heat rise in his chest again—stronger this time, sharper. No way in hell was he letting anyone rip this kid out of his home.
Not now. Not ever.
A hollow, sinking feeling spread through Carter’s core. “Ethan,” he said.
That was all it took.
Ethan’s breath hitched—once, twice—and then everything inside him seemed to collapse at once. His face crumpled, and he pressed both hands to his mouth like he was trying to hold the sound in. A broken, choked noise still slipped out.
“Hey—hey, come here.”
Ethan didn’t move at first. He just stood there trembling, eyes shiny and wide like he’d been hit. Then he was in Carter’s arms, burying his face in Carter’s chest.
His whole body shook.
“I’m sorry,” Ethan said, voice cracking. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry—”
“Stop.” Carter wrapped both arms around him, pulling him in tight. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Ethan’s fingers curled into Carter’s shirt like he was afraid Carter might disappear. His breath came in fast, uneven bursts against Carter’s collarbone.
“She hates me,” Ethan choked out. “She—she looked at me like—like I’m—”
“She’s scared,” Carter said. “And she’s wrong. But you’re not whatever she thinks you are.”
Ethan shook his head hard, tears soaking into Carter’s shirt. “She’s gonna ruin everything. She always does. She—she won’t stop.”
Carter slid a hand up Ethan’s back, thumb brushing slow. “Breathe for me,” he murmured. “Slow. Right here.”
Ethan tried. His breath stuttered, but he tried.
Carter kept grounding him—steady pressure on his back, warm hand at his neck, quiet voice in his ear. “You’re safe. She can’t drag you out of here. She doesn’t get to decide your life.”
Ethan’s grip tightened. “I don’t want to go with her,” he said, terrified. “I don’t want to leave.”
“You’re not leaving,” Carter said, firm enough that Ethan looked up at him. “I’m not letting anyone take you out of this cabin. Not today. Not ever unless you want to go.”
Ethan blinked, tears still clinging to his lashes. “You promise?”
Carter cupped his cheek, brushing away a tear with his thumb. “Yeah. I promise.”
Ethan leaned into the touch like it was the only solid thing in the room. His shoulders slowly loosened, the panic easing just enough for him to breathe again.
Carter kept him close, kept him steady, kept him grounded. Because if Ethan was falling apart, then Carter sure as hell wasn’t letting him fall alone.
Carter kept one arm around Ethan until the shaking eased enough that Ethan could breathe without gasping. He didn’t rush him. Didn’t push. Just held him until the worst of it passed.
When Ethan loosened his grip, Carter brushed a hand through his messy hair. “Sit down a minute,” he said gently.
Ethan nodded, wiping his face with the back of his hand. He sank onto the couch like his legs weren’t fully steady yet. Carter grabbed his phone off the counter, jaw tightening as he scrolled to Mr. Evans’s number.
He didn’t want to do this in front of Ethan, but he also wasn’t about to leave him alone in that state. So he sat beside him, close enough that their knees touched, and hit call.
Mr. Evans answered on the second ring. “Carter? Everything alright?”
“No,” Carter said bluntly. “Your wife just showed up here pounding on my door like she planned to break it down.”
There was a pause—sharp, surprised. “She what?”
Carter kept his voice low, steady, but there was no hiding the edge underneath.
“You need to keep her away from Ethan if you want him to grow up and become a man. She scared the hell out of him. He told her he wasn’t going to church, and she showed up anyway.
Bible in hand. Demanding he leave with her. ”
Ethan flinched at the memory. Carter rested a hand on his knee, grounding him.
Mr. Evans exhaled hard. “I had no knowledge of this. None. I told her not to communicate with him. I was very clear.”
“Well, she ignored you,” Carter said. “And she barged into my cabin. Started checking rooms. Accusing me of influencing him. It was a mess.”
Another long silence. Then, quieter, “I’m sorry, Carter. Truly. I’ll handle it. It won’t happen again.”
Carter believed him—mostly. The man sounded tired, frustrated, and embarrassed all at once.
“Good,” Carter said. “Because Ethan’s shaken up. And I’m not letting anyone drag him out of here.”
“You have my word,” Mr. Evans said. “I’ll speak to her. She won’t come near him again.”
Carter nodded even though the man couldn’t see it. “Alright.”
They hung up.
Carter set the phone down and turned fully toward Ethan. The kid was staring at the floor, shoulders still tight, but his breathing was steadier.
“Hey,” Carter said. “He’s on our side.”
Ethan swallowed, eyes flicking up. “He… he really didn’t know?”
“No,” Carter said. “And he said it won’t happen again.”
Some of the tension slipped from Ethan’s face. He leaned into Carter’s shoulder, not crying anymore—just tired, worn down, needing closeness.
Carter wrapped an arm around him and pulled him in. “You’re safe here,” he murmured. “I’ve got you.”
Ethan nodded against him, small and quiet. “Okay.”
And Carter held him, steady and sure, until the fear loosened its grip.