Chapter 15 Dante
Dante
Ihad nothing better to do than sit around all day, waiting for Nick to return.
He’d been gone when I woke up, the bed cold again where he’d slept as far away as possible from me for the rest of the night.
I never even heard him leave. But he had a ranch to care for, our ranch, so I couldn’t really hold it against him.
Still, I sat there all day, anticipating the moment he’d return.
I wanted to talk to him, to reassure him that everything that had happened between us was fine.
That there was nothing wrong or unnatural about it.
That he didn’t have to do it again if he didn’t want to.
I was more worried about him than I’d been about anything else in my life. And that kind of terrified me.
But I was Dante Valenti. I’d been running parts of the family business for years, breaking fingers when needed and having people dealt with who went against my family.
And now, this cowboy I barely knew had gotten so far under my skin that I could hardly think anymore.
And that, as my father would say, was dangerous fucking territory.
The sound of a truck engine cut through the late afternoon quiet, and my pulse kicked up.
I moved to the window, watching as Nick climbed out of his pickup, dirt on his jeans and exhaustion written across his face.
He paused before heading toward the house, his hand on the door of the truck like he was steeling himself.
I backed away from the window, not wanting him to catch me watching like some desperate fool. My ribs ached as I settled onto the couch, trying to look casual. Like I hadn’t been counting down the hours until he came back.
The door opened, and he stepped inside. Our eyes met for a half-second before he looked away, his jaw tight.
“Hey,” I said, keeping my voice neutral. “How’d everything go out there?”
“Fine.” He kicked off his boots by the door, not moving any further into the house. “Angelo’s got the cattle situation under control. Fences held up.”
“Good. That’s good.”
Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. This was exactly what I’d been afraid of, that he’d retreat so far back into himself that I’d never reach him again. I didn’t know what to do, so I just did what I always did when I felt uncomfortable. Act overconfident.
“So, did you miss me?” I asked, a cocky grin on my face. “After last night I figured you’d be begging to kiss me again.”
Nick stared at me, his jaw tensing.
“I mean, I hate to say it, but I told you so,” I continued, watching him get more frustrated by the second. “Everyone always gives in to my charms, eventually.”
Nick stormed away from me, heading for the bedroom in a huff.
For half a second I opened my mouth, intent on calling him back.
But he stopped in the doorway first, his shoulders heaving.
Then he turned on me and my god… I don’t think I’d ever seen such fire in his eyes before. It went straight to my cock.
“Are you really this much of a fucking prick?!” he snapped, no longer able to contain his anger. “I show you an ounce of vulnerability and you what? Walk all over me? Is this really who you are, Dante? Tell me now so I can figure out if I’m fucking done with you or not.”
The anger in his words hit me like a slap, cutting through my bravado and leaving me exposed. I felt my cocky grin falter, then disappear entirely as the weight of what I’d just done crashed over me.
I’d fucked up. Badly.
I’d pushed too hard. Done exactly what my father always did. He used control and swagger to cover up anything that felt too real, too vulnerable. And now Nick was looking at me like I was every bit the monster he’d originally thought I was.
“Nick, I—” I started, but the words caught in my throat. What could I say? That I was scared? That I didn’t know how to handle the fact that last night had meant something to me? That I’d spent my entire adult life using confidence as armor, and I didn’t know how to take it off?
“You what?” he demanded, taking a step toward me.
“You didn’t mean it? You were just joking?
Because that’s what you mobster types do, right?
You play with people for fun? What are you going to do next, huh?
Break my legs? Toss me in the river? Have Angelo make me disappear because I stood up to you? ”
“No.” The word came out rougher than I intended. I pushed myself up from the couch, ignoring the protest from my ribs. “That’s not what I—fuck, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“You shouldn’t have said a lot of things.
” But some of the fire in his eyes dimmed slightly, replaced by something that looked like hurt.
“I spent all day out there trying to figure out what the hell happened last night. Trying to understand why I wanted...” He trailed off, shaking his head.
“And you’re just making jokes about it like it was nothing. ”
“It wasn’t nothing.” I took a careful step toward him, watching for any sign that he’d bolt. “Last night was... it meant something to me, Nick. More than I know how to say.”
He studied my face, and I could see him weighing whether to believe me. “Then why act like such an asshole about it?”
“Because I’m scared too,” I admitted, the words feeling like they were being dragged out of me.
“Because I don’t know how to do this. Whatever this is.
Back in Jersey, everything was about control.
About never showing weakness. If I showed weakness, everything collapsed.
And when my father cleaned it up, people died. ”
Nick flinched at that. “I knew you people were bad, but I didn’t know you’d spent your whole life killing people who crossed you.”
“I’ve never killed anyone,” I said, my tone harsher than I intended. “I’ve roughed up some people, but I’ve never killed a single fucking person. I told you, I’m not a monster.”
“Then stop trying to pretend to be one,” Nick replied. “Talk to me instead of making me feel like shit.”
“Fine. You want the truth? The truth is you make me feel...” I gestured helplessly. “You make me feel things I don’t know how to handle.”
The silence that followed felt like an eternity. Nick just stood there, his chest rising and falling with each breath, his green eyes locked on mine. I’d laid myself bare in a way I never had before, and now I could only wait to see if it was enough.
“I would trust you a lot more,” he said finally, his voice quieter now but still edged with frustration, “if you were honest like that instead of acting like a dick all the time.”
He was right and I knew it. I’d spent so long playing a role—the confident enforcer, the untouchable Valenti—that I’d forgotten how to just be human. How to just be a man talking to another man he cared about.
“You’re right,” I said. “I’ll try. I’ll try to be better about that.”
He nodded slowly, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “And I’ll try to... figure this out. Whatever this is.” He ran a hand through his hair, looking exhausted. “But it has to stay between us. Nobody can know. Especially not my family.”
“Nobody will know,” I promised. “We can take this as slow as you need. No pressure, no expectations. Just... us figuring it out together.”
“Slow,” he repeated, like he was testing the word. “Yeah. Slow works.”
I wanted to close the distance between us, to pull him into my arms and kiss away the worry lines on his forehead. But I held back, giving him the space he clearly needed. This was progress. This was more than I’d dared hope for.
“I really am sorry,” I said again. “For being a dick about it.”
A ghost of a smile flickered across his face. “You’re gonna have to work on that.”
“I will. I promise.”
He held my gaze for another long moment, then nodded once. “Okay. But Dante? If you pull that cocky shit with me again, I’m sleeping in the barn.”
“Understood.”
“Good.”
But just as he turned to head into the bedroom, there was a knock at the door. We both stared at one another for a moment.
“You expecting Angelo or something?” he asked.
“No. You?”
“Nope.”
I crossed the kitchen in a flash, ignoring the pain in my ribs. Reaching down, I pulled open one of the kitchen drawers and pushed on the bottom panel. The wood flipped up easily revealing a loaded handgun. I lifted it out, cocked it, turned off the safety, and nodded to Nick.
“Open the door.”
He stared at me, a mixture of shock, surprise, and fear on his face. “You’ve had that the whole time?”
“Open the door please,” I repeated. “And step to the side when you do.”
“There’s no need for that—”
“Do it, Nick!” I barked.
I watched the color drain from Nick’s face, but to his credit, he didn’t argue further. He moved to the door, his hand hesitating on the knob for just a second before he grabbed it.
I kept the gun at my side, my finger resting alongside the trigger guard, ready but out of view. My heart was pounding, adrenaline flooding my system in a way that made my fractured ribs feel distant and unimportant.
Nick pulled the door open, keeping it between him and the unexpected visitor. A woman stood on the porch, older, maybe sixty-something, with gray hair pulled back in a bun. She was holding a casserole dish covered in aluminum foil, and she was all smiles as her gaze landed on Nick.
I recognized her then. Evelyn. The woman from the feed store who’d helped me pick out my first set of ranch clothes. The one who’d invited us to visit the Nelson Ranch.
“Shit,” I muttered, immediately taking a step back and clicking the safety back on. I quickly tossed it in the drawer and slammed it shut, hoping she hadn’t noticed.
“Hi Evelyn,” Nick said, stepping out from around the door. “Didn’t think I’d see you out this way.”
“Neither did I, sugar. But when I heard your husband got hurt, I knew just the thing that might help.” She lifted the casserole dish. “Y’all had dinner yet?”
I watched Nick’s entire body relax at the sight of her, his shoulders dropping as he let out a breath I hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
“No ma’am, we haven’t,” Nick said, stepping aside to let her in. “That’s real kind of you.”
Evelyn bustled through the door, her eyes immediately finding me standing in the kitchen like an idiot who’d been prepared to shoot a sweet old lady bearing food.
“Dante! Look at you, up and about already.” She set the casserole on the counter and turned to give me a once-over that reminded me uncomfortably of my grandmother. “How are those ribs treating you?”
“Better every day,” I said, forcing a smile despite the lingering adrenaline still coursing through my veins. “Thank you for asking.”
“Well, you boys need to keep your strength up. Can’t run a ranch on an empty stomach.” She pulled back the foil, revealing what looked like some kind of chicken and rice dish that smelled incredible. “This is my mama’s recipe. It’ll stick to your ribs—no pun intended.”
Nick moved past me to grab plates from the cabinet, and I caught the way his hand brushed against my arm as he passed.
Intentional or accident? I couldn’t tell, but the brief contact sent a spark through me that had nothing to do with danger and everything to do with what had happened between us last night.
“You didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” I said, watching as Evelyn started serving up portions like she owned the place.
“Nonsense. That’s what neighbors do out here.” She glanced between us, and I saw something knowing in her eyes. “Besides, I wanted to check on you boys. Make sure you’re settling in alright.”
“We’re managing,” Nick said, accepting the plate she handed him. “It’s been an adjustment, but we’re figuring it out.”
“I’m sure you are.” Evelyn’s smile was warm but her eyes were sharp. “Marriage is always an adjustment, especially in a town like this. But you two seem like you’re making it work.”
I felt Nick stiffen beside me, and I reached out without thinking, placing my hand on the small of his back. He didn’t pull away.
“We are,” I said, meeting Evelyn’s gaze. “It’s different from what either of us expected, but... yeah. We’re making it work.”
The look she gave me then was approving, almost maternal, and I felt something in my chest tighten. When was the last time someone had looked at me like that? Like they were actually rooting for me?
“Good,” she said firmly. “Now sit down and eat before it gets cold. I want to hear all about how the ranch is coming along.” She took a seat.
“Oh, and Jesse wanted me to extend an invitation to you both, when you’re feeling better, to come out to the ranch for dinner one night.
It’s not like there’s a lot of other gay couples in this town to socialize with. ”
“Gay?” I said, choking on my first bite of her delicious casserole.
“Well yeah,” she laughed. “What else would they be?”
“Jesse isn’t short for Jessica?”
Both Evelyn and Nick looked at me and then began to laugh. It was the first time I’d seen Nick really smile like that since… Well, ever.
Maybe we were gonna be okay. And maybe we weren’t nearly as alone in Hell Creek as I thought.