Fifteen
Bart
“So, what do you think of Foggy Basin?” Isaac asked.
I liked him, he was very direct and didn’t beat around the bush.
If he wanted to know something he just asked.
His hot boyfriend was the opposite. Tall, dark, and mysterious, or maybe that was just me.
Tig seemed very sweet and was obviously very in love with Isaac.
“I like it. I was only going to stay a weekend, that turned into a week. That was more than four months ago.”
“So, you and Keith?” Isaac asked and tipped his head at Keith who was watching us from across the table like he was waiting to throw me a life preserver at any moment.
“We met on the first day I came here. I was having a hard time finding that fucking road to the ranch, so I doubled back to town and stopped at the hardware store.”
“Nuts and Bolts, that’s my guy Jack’s place. Oh, and Hudson, can’t forget him.”
“Keith was there and offered to lead me there. We’ve talked a couple of times when he’s been out there to work.”
“He’s fucking hot. What is with all the old dudes around here? Am I wrong?” He looked around possibly to prove his point, but all I needed to see was the two hot men at the other end of the table.
“You’re not wrong,” I said and grinned at Keith who still hadn’t relaxed.
“He’s ready to jump over here and save you,” Isaac whispered as he leaned in, close enough I could feel his breath on my ear.
Tig laughed, and I’m fairly sure Keith growled, which Isaac found hilarious.
“Yep, he’s into you.” He sauntered over to Tig and wrapped his hand around the back of his neck to steal another kiss which sounded so much louder than it should have been while Keith stared at me.
I walked over to him and bumped his hip with mine. “He’s messing with you. That guy only has eyes for Tig,” I murmured into his ear. “I know I didn’t tell you, but I’m the kind of guy that likes to focus on the one I’m interested in. And right now, the only guy I’m interested in is you.”
“Really?” he whispered like he expected me to punch him in the arm and tell him I was joking.
“Really.” I kissed his cheek and walked back over to the other side while Isaac wrapped himself around Tig and made sure everyone in the place knew it. My eyes locked on Keith and now instead of looking like he was ready to attack, he looked like he was ready to . . . attack me for other reasons.
He shook his head before smacking his stick on the edge of the table. “Isaac, let Tig shoot,” he said making Isaac laugh while Tig fought to get away before giving up and turning around to kiss Isaac.
“Do you work tomorrow?” I asked Isaac when he finally left Tig alone and wandered back over to this side of the table.
“Nope, this is our official weekend off and we’re staying in town tonight, so we don’t have to worry about driving to Tig’s house.”
“Does he live out of town?”
“We live out of town,” Tig said. “We have two houses, so we trade off staying out there and in town. Do you stay at the farm full time?”
“Yes, this is the first time I’ve come into town with someone besides Asa.”
“You need to get out more. I mean not that there’s all that much to do around here but there’s a lot more than there used to be.” He told me how he and Tig both worked at the dryer just outside of town.
“This is all new to me. I didn’t grow up around farming so it’s both interesting and a little terrifying.”
“Have you seen any of Kendall’s pets?”
“We had a giant tortoise hanging out in the pasture with the old ladies the other day.” I stepped forward and got ready to take my shot.
It was obvious Tig and Isaac played for fun, but I was one competitive asshole, and I didn’t take it easy on anyone.
Bending over, I let the stick slide through my fingers a few times while calculating my shot. Then I glanced at Keith.
His eyes were narrowed as he watched every move I made, and once again he looked at me like he wanted to devour me, and the more I considered that the more I was interested.
He was hot as hell and also a really nice guy.
Not that I’d known him very long, but Asa was a great judge of people, and he would never let me go out with him if he thought he was an asshole.
I grinned at him before taking my shot and sinking only one ball when I had planned a combination.
It was worth it to make the game last longer.
He shook his head and grinned just enough to show off a dimple I hadn’t noticed before but then I hadn’t seen Keith smile all that much.
“I thought you said he was a shark?” Isaac asked Keith as he watched Tig take his shot.
“I don’t think that’s what I said.” Keith glanced around the room and stared someone down who apparently held his gaze too long.
“Oh, it’s exactly what you said isn’t it, Tig?” Tig ignored him and gave him the heads up to take his shot, which Isaac ignored.
He sunk a ball and then it was my shot. There were only four balls left and it was an impossibly tricky shot.
But what the heck. I lined it up, stood, lined it up again.
My fingers were splayed out on the edge of the table, and I slid the stick smoothly between them, lined up the shot again and hit the cue with a loud crack.
All four balls shot across the table while the cue ball stopped in the center.
By the time it came to a rest the other balls were all in their pockets.
“Fucking shark,” Isaac grumbled while Keith whooped.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” he said before rushing over and spinning me around. “That was amazing!”
“You’re amazing,” I whispered and forced myself not to kiss him as we stared at each other like we were all alone and not in the middle of the local bar.
“Get it, dude,” Isaac said making me smile.
“Oh, I plan to.” Keith’s eyebrows rose but he pulled me closer with a look of promise and mischief written all over his handsome face.