Chapter 4 #2
Two men getting married? In Hell Creek, Montana? Had the world changed so much in the seven years I was in prison? I knew same-sex marriages were legal, but I wasn’t really convinced anyone would actually act on it, especially not a couple of ranch owners.
“Oh?” I was all I could manage as a response.
“Yep,” she nodded. “One of them, Cole, has spent his whole damn life trying to hide from who he really is. But now that he’s finally given in…
well, I’ve never seen him so happy.” She reached up, patting me on the shoulder.
“Not all of us out here are bigots, Connor.” Then she sighed, shaking her head.
“But we still have to go to church with a few of them, don’t we? ”
I nodded, still unnerved that she’d spotted me so easily. “Yes, ma’am.”
She seemed to notice my reluctance and pulled her hand away. “Well, hopefully we’ll be seeing more of each other.”
With that and a soft smile, Evelyn moved on to chat with other churchgoers, leaving me standing there feeling exposed. I shoved my hands into my pockets and made my way to the truck, keeping my eyes on the ground. The last thing I needed was for someone else to catch me staring at Ryder too.
The ride back to the ranch was quiet. Sam dozed off against the window while Greg stared out at the passing landscape. Joey and Kyle whispered about some women they’d spotted in church. I kept my thoughts to myself, trying to focus on anything but Ryder McGrath.
When we returned to the ranch, Pete announced we had the rest of the day to ourselves. Some of the guys headed to the bunkhouse to rest, but I needed to clear my head. I wandered toward the fence line, finding a quiet spot where I could be alone with my thoughts.
The mountains in the distance were beautiful, their peaks still capped with snow despite the warming spring temperatures. I sat on a fallen log, taking in the view and the freedom it represented. Seven years behind bars had given me a new appreciation for open spaces.
“Quite a view, isn’t it?”
I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of Ryder’s voice. I hadn’t heard him approach, too lost in my own thoughts. He stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets, that same cocky smile playing on his lips.
“Sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine,” I muttered, my heart racing. I should have gotten up and walked away. That would have been the smart thing to do. But my body refused to move.
Ryder closed the distance between us, sitting down on the log beside me. Not too close, but close enough that I could smell his cologne. It was something expensive and woody that made my skin tingle.
“You’re not much of a talker, are you?” he asked, tilting his head to study me.
I shrugged. “Not much to say.”
“I doubt that.” His green eyes sparkled with mischief. “I bet you’ve got plenty of stories locked up in that head of yours.”
The double meaning wasn’t lost on me. “None worth telling.”
“So mysterious,” Ryder laughed, the sound warming something inside me that had been cold for too long. “I like that.”
I stared straight ahead, trying to ignore the way his presence made my skin prickle with awareness. “Shouldn’t you be with your father?”
“Dad’s busy with the books.” He leaned back slightly, stretching his long legs out in front of him. “Besides, I wanted to see how our newest recruits are settling in.”
“You checked on the others already?”
“Nope.” His grin widened. “Just you.”
The directness of his statement caught me off guard. I finally turned to look at him properly, trying to read his intentions. His expression was open, playful, but with something beneath the teasing, something hungry that made my pulse quicken and my cock stir.
I cleared my throat and looked away. “I’m fine. Nothing to report.”
“Come on, Connor.” The way he said my name sent another shiver down my spine. “I’m just trying to be friendly.”
“Why?” The question came out harsher than I intended, but I needed to establish boundaries before this went any further. “You don’t need to check on me. I’m doing my job.”
Ryder raised an eyebrow, looking more amused than offended. “Maybe I just want to get to know you better.”
“Bad idea,” I muttered, standing up. I needed to get away from him before I did something stupid, before my long-neglected dick took over my brain. “I should get back to the bunkhouse.”
“Wait,” he said, catching my wrist before I could walk away. His touch burned through my skin, and I jerked back instinctively. He held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep.”
“Look,” I said, keeping my voice low even though there was no one around to hear us. “I appreciate what your father’s doing, giving guys like me a second chance. I’m not about to jeopardize that by... by whatever this is.”
“Whatever what is?” He blinked innocently, but there was a glint in his eyes that told me he knew exactly what I meant.
“I’m not stupid,” I growled. “And I don’t play games. I’m too old for that shit.”
His smile widened. “So do you want to just get down to it then or?”
My face burned hot. This kid was seeing right through me. Clearly, I was much worse at covering up my attraction than I thought.
“I say this with as much respect as possible,” I said slowly, knowing he was still practically my boss. “Leave me alone.”
Without waiting for a reply, I turned on my heel and walked off down the fence line, my cock still straining against my jeans.