Chapter 22 - Ethan #2
The group remounted and they set out again, the mood charged now, every glance between them thick with memory and intent. The horses picked up their pace; the group fell into a loose single-file as the trail narrowed along the valley wall.
After a while, they pulled into a broad overlook. The land dropped away in a wide, panoramic scoop—lowland forest, river winding through it, the first pale rooftops of Walker’s Edge Ranch barely visible on the horizon. The group halted to take in the view.
Harper stood at the edge, arms crossed, and after a minute she turned to Ethan. “I hope someday someone will look at me the way you two look at each other.” She jerked her head towards Cole, who was pretending not to listen.
“You will,” Ethan promised. “Your dream man is out there just waiting to be found.”
She laughed—a bright, open sound—and ruffled Ethan’s hair.
Jack rolled his eyes. “I give them another two miles, tops, before they’re fucking in the bushes.”
“We’re saving that for later. It’s called delayed gratification, Jack. You should try it sometime.” Cole said.
Riley’s laugh was a little too loud.
Ethan looked over at Cole and for the first time in his life he felt like the happiest person on earth right now.
They watered the horses at a nearby stream and lingered in the shade, the heat of the day building slow and sweet.
After a while, Harper’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she proposed a challenge.
“How about a race? First one to reach that big pine tree at the far end of the meadow wins.” Jack’s enthusiasm flared instantly.
“Finally! I’ve been waiting for my moment to show you all how it’s done.
I must have been a jockey in another life. Get ready to eat my dust!”
Riley chuckled, “I’ll give it my best shot.”
Cole turned to Ethan, his brow raised in playful challenge. “You ready to smoke these amateurs?”
“Absolutely,” Ethan grinned back.
They mounted their horses and lined up side by side, the energy crackling between them. “Who’s calling the start? How do we time this fairly?” Cole asked, glancing around.
“GO!” Jack yelled as he launched himself forward without a second thought. Harper and Riley bolted right after, followed by Cole and Ethan.
The horses thundered across the meadow, hooves pounding against the earth, laughter and shouts filling the air. They quickly caught up to Jack, and the last fifty yards turned into a three-way slugfest between Harper, Cole, and Ethan.
As they neared the finish line, Ethan eased up, content to watch Cole win by a nose—he wanted to see that triumphant smile and it did not disappoint.
Harper crossed in second place, Ethan claimed third, Jack came in fourth, and Riley ambled in last, taking his time as if the race had been a leisurely stroll.
“I almost had you!” Harper exclaimed, breathless yet beaming.
“I felt guilty about the head start, so I eased up to let you guys win.” Jack said with a nonchalant shrug, trying to downplay the fierce competitor lurking beneath his relaxed demeanor.
Riley chuckled, shaking his head. “Honestly, I didn’t have much confidence in my racing ability. At one point I was almost thrown completely off my horse! After that, I just slowed down and enjoyed watching the fun.”
Everyone was sweating, faces bright, grins locked in place. For a moment, the world was distilled down to this—a gang of battered, jubilant idiots, a few good horses, and the man Ethan couldn’t believe he’d been lucky enough to find.
They all dismounted and flopped down in the grass for a breather. Cole sprawled next to Ethan and lay back, arms behind his head, eyes shut against the sun. For the first time since the trip began, he looked at peace.
Ethan leaned over and kissed him, right there, surrounded by wildflowers and friends and the kind of sky that made you think anything was possible.
Cole kissed back, fierce and gentle all at once, and then said, “You know, I was wrong.”
“About what?”
“About everything. I used to think you had to suffer for happiness. That it had to cost you something.” He opened his eyes. “But this… you… It’s just perfect. Pure happiness. I didn’t know it could be like this.”
Ethan touched Cole’s face. “Me either.”
The others were watching. Harper was grinning, Riley looked misty, and even Jack cracked a smile.
Harper cleared her throat. “So what now, lovebirds?”
Cole rolled over and looked at the group. “Now we ride the last stretch and then it’s all over.”
They mounted up for the last time, a contented hush settling over the group as they took the final mile of trail. The sun was high and the air was sweet with possibility. In the near distance, the roofs of the ranch appeared, a sign of endings and beginnings all at once.
As they rode, Cole and Ethan stayed close—sometimes just riding, sometimes holding hands, sometimes saying nothing at all.
And when the ranch gates came into view, glittering and impossibly far away, Ethan looked at the man he’d once been terrified to want, and realized he didn’t regret a single second.
This was what it meant to live on the edge. And he never wanted to go back.