Chapter 24
Diego
It took another thirty minutes for Hayden and I to shower, getting lost again with my cock in his ass.
It was surprisingly easy to do with him around.
Then again, if anyone I’d ever slept with had been even half as beautiful as Hayden, I’m not sure I would’ve ever let them go.
But Hayden was more than that too. He was kind, thoughtful, and honestly, a bit of a grump, which I found desperately adorable.
It was no wonder I was so in love with him.
Eventually we left the shower, dried off, and got dressed for the party down at the diner.
Nearly everyone in Sagebrush that I knew was going to be there.
Beau and Lucas of course, and their family.
There would also be all the boys over at the Baker Ranch and their partners, other gay men that I knew Hayden would be not only surprised to meet, but happy to know that we weren’t going to be alone in this tiny town.
There were so many people I wanted him to meet, to prove to him that he’d made the right decision staying with me.
And also to prove it to myself. Sagebrush, while small and dusty, had grown on me in a way that I never thought possible.
Now, thanks to Hayden, it was home.
“You ready to go down to the party?” I asked Hayden as he adjusted his collar in the mirror. He’d chosen a deep green sweater that made his eyes pop and a pair of dark jeans that hugged him in all the right places.
“Almost,” he said, running his fingers through his hair one more time. “Do I look okay?”
I came up behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my chin on his shoulder. Our reflection stared back at us… him lean and perfect with those freckles I couldn’t get enough of, me a bit rougher around the edges with my dark hair still damp from the shower.
“You look incredible,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck. “Everyone’s gonna be jealous that I somehow managed to snag the hottest guy in Texas.”
Hayden rolled his eyes, but I caught the hint of a smile playing at his lips. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously in love with you,” I countered, giving him a squeeze before releasing him.
As we headed down the stairs, I could already hear the buzz of conversation and music from the diner. Christmas lights twinkled all around the building, casting a warm glow over everything. But what surprised me most of all was the little flecks floating down that caught the light.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” I grinned, catching a snowflake on my palm. “White Christmas after all.”
Hayden’s face lit up with childlike wonder, his freckles standing out against his flushed cheeks as he tilted his head back to catch snowflakes on his tongue. The sight made my heart swell.
“It almost never snowed in my part of California,” he explained, eyes sparkling. “This is like... perfect Christmas card material. Way better than the slushy stuff in Amarillo.”
I pulled him in for a quick kiss, tasting the cold moisture on his lips. “You’re perfect Christmas card material.”
He rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide his smile. “That was cheesy even for you, cowboy.”
The diner windows glowed warmly against the darkening evening, and through the glass, I could see that the party was already in full swing.
The tree we’d decorated stood proud in the corner, and someone had hung more mistletoe in strategic locations throughout the diner.
Every surface had been draped in garland, lights, candy, and baked goods.
And from the looks of things, the party was already a hit.
The moment we stepped through the door, Dolly spotted us from behind the counter.
“There they are!” she called out, causing several heads to turn our way. “Thought you boys might’ve forgotten about us.”
I felt Hayden stiffen slightly beside me, uncomfortable with the sudden attention. I slipped my hand into his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“Sorry we’re late,” I said, guiding Hayden through the crowd. “Lost track of time.”
Dolly gave us a knowing look that made Hayden’s cheeks flush pink. “I bet you did,” she said with a wink before turning to grab a tray of appetizers.
The diner had been transformed for the party.
Tables had been pushed to the sides to create a dance floor in the middle, and the counter was laden with food and drinks.
Christmas music played from speakers in the corners, and someone had set up a small photo booth complete with holiday props in the far corner.
“Diego!” Lucas’s voice cut through the crowd, and I spotted him waving from near the tree, Beau at his side looking handsome in a red sweater.
“Come on,” I said to Hayden. “Time to meet everyone properly.”
We made our way through the crowd, stopping every few steps as people greeted me and introduced themselves to Hayden.
He was polite but reserved, that city-boy shield going up slightly as he navigated the unfamiliar social waters.
I kept my hand firmly in his, a silent reassurance that I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Finally!” Lucas exclaimed when we reached them. “We were starting to think you two were skipping the party altogether,” Lucas said with a mischievous grin. “Though I wouldn’t blame you.”
“We wouldn’t miss it,” I assured him, giving Hayden’s hand another squeeze. “Too many people I want Hayden to meet.”
Beau stepped forward, offering his hand to Hayden. “Good to see you again. Properly this time, without all the chaos of the ranch.”
“You too,” Hayden replied, shaking Beau’s hand. His voice was steady, but I could feel the tension in his shoulders. He was nervous, which was adorable considering how confident he usually was.
“Hayden’s decided to stay in Sagebrush,” I announced, unable to keep the pride from my voice. “Permanently.”
Lucas’s eyes widened with delight. “Really? That’s fantastic news!” He turned to Hayden, giving him a big smile before looking back at me. “And what about you, Diego? You sticking around too?”
“Try and make me leave,” I replied, wrapping an arm around Hayden’s waist. “I found my reason to put down roots.”
Beau and Lucas exchanged knowing looks, and I could’ve sworn I saw Beau mouth I told you so to his fiancé.
“Well, this calls for a celebration,” Beau declared, handing us each a glass of what looked like the eggnog I’d been craving. “To new beginnings.”
We clinked glasses, and I watched as Hayden took a tentative sip, his nose wrinkling slightly at the strong taste.
“Jesus, what’s in this?” he coughed.
“Mabel and Dolly cook it up every year. It’s a special recipe,” Lucas laughed. “It’s about ninety percent bourbon.”
“It’ll put hair on your chest,” I teased, taking a healthy swig of my own drink. The warmth spread through me immediately, adding to the glow I already felt.
“Speaking of Mabel,” Beau said, glancing around the crowded diner. “She was looking for you earlier, Diego. Something about a fence post?”
I winced, remembering the white fence I’d backed over. “We can worry about that later. First, I want to introduce Hayden to some folks.”
As if on cue, the door swung open, and a boisterous group entered, shaking snow from their coats. I recognized Logan Baker immediately, along with his partner Dakota and the other gay boys that lived over at the Baker Ranch.
“Perfect timing,” I grinned, guiding Hayden toward the newcomers. “There are some people you should definitely meet.”
Colt Dawson spotted us first, his face lighting up in recognition. He was arm-in-arm with his boyfriend Eli, both of them decked out in matching Christmas sweaters.
“Diego!” Colt called out, waving us over. “Merry Christmas, man!”
“Merry Christmas,” I replied, leading Hayden through the crowd. “Hayden, I want you meet Colt Dawson. He teaches bull ridin’ over at the Baker Ranch.”
Colt shook hands enthusiastically with Hayden, looking him up and down. “He’s quite the catch, Diego.”
“Hands off, slut,” I said, swatting him away. Then I turned to Eli, who was smiling from ear to ear. He loved the way Colt and I bickered. “And this is his boyfriend, Eli. He does the books for the ranch.”
Eli shook Hayden’s hand with a normal amount of gusto. “Nice to meet you. And ignore Colt. He’s an insatiable flirt.”
“I’m just giving compliments!” Colt shot back. “It’s called being nice.”
“Right,” Eli muttered. “Let me point out the rest to you.” He stepped closer to Hayden, pointing to the others in turn.
“That guy with the long hair and the grumpy look is Dakota. He works on the ranch. That guy, Logan, is the owner of the ranch and Dakota’s partner.
The dark-haired guy with the ridiculously blue eyes is Dustin Corvus.
He’s our big investor. Saved the ranch from foreclosure a couple years back.
And that cute asshole is Alex, his boyfriend.
He is absolutely trouble. It’s a good thing he and Diego don’t work on the same ranch because they’d get into far too much mischief. ”
“Hey! I’m not that bad,” I said, grinning over at Alex. “The guy just knows how to have fun, okay?”
“Uh-huh,” Eli nodded. “The two of you have fun straight to the bottom of a whiskey bottle and then set things on fire.”
“By accident,” I corrected. “And it was only once.”
Eli just rolled his eyes, but I could see the grin spreading over Hayden’s face. He was enjoying this.
“And those two that just walked in,” Eli added, pointing to a long-haired cowboy in his late thirties and a cheerful, bouncy man ten-ish years younger.
“That is Brooks and Rowan. Rowan is the town vet and Brooks… well, he’s a grumpy old farmer to be perfectly frank. Got a voice like an angel though.”
“Are they…?” Hayden started.
“Gayer than hell?” Eli finished with a nod. “Absolutely.”
Hayden turned back to me. “Is there something in the water here? There were fewer gay men than this at the nightclubs I used to go to back in California.”
I chuckled at Hayden’s bewilderment. “Sagebrush is like a magnet for queer cowboys. Don’t ask me why. Maybe it’s because once one of us feels welcome, we tell others.”
“It’s true,” Dakota said, approaching with a drink in hand. “Word gets around about which small towns are safe. Sagebrush might be tiny, but it’s special.”
Logan nodded, his arm sliding around Dakota’s waist. “We’ve all found our place here. Seems like you have too.” He extended his hand to Hayden. “Welcome to the family.”
I watched Hayden’s face as he shook Logan’s hand, saw the moment when something shifted in his expression—surprise melting into understanding, then something like relief. He hadn’t expected to find community here, certainly not one that would embrace him so readily.
“Thanks,” Hayden said, his voice a little rough with emotion. “It’s... nice to meet all of you.”
“Alright, enough with the formal introductions,” Colt announced, slapping me on the back. “Let’s get these boys some real drinks and show them how we celebrate Christmas Eve in Sagebrush!”
Before I could protest, Colt was dragging us toward the makeshift bar, where Dolly was mixing what looked like dangerously strong cocktails.
“Two Christmas specials,” Colt ordered, ignoring our protests.
“Anythin’ for you, sugar!”
Dolly grinned wickedly as she poured generous amounts of vodka into glasses already half-filled with cranberry juice and something that smelled like cinnamon. “Diego’s new boyfriend gets the extra special treatment,” she said, adding another splash of liquor to Hayden’s glass.
“I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?” Hayden murmured to me.
“Probably,” I admitted, accepting my drink with a nod of thanks. “But that’s half the fun.”
The party was picking up steam, with more locals arriving despite the snow.
Dolly had cranked up the Christmas music, and couples were starting to dance in the cleared space in the middle of the diner.
Lucas grabbed Beau by the hand, pulling him onto the dance floor as Jingle Bell Rock started playing.
“They’re cute together,” Hayden observed, sipping his drink cautiously.
“They are,” I agreed, watching as Beau twirled Lucas around. “I guess Beau was pretty closed off before Lucas came. He barely said two words to anyone. Just kept his head down and did his work. Then Lucas showed up and...” I made an exploding gesture with my free hand. “Total transformation.”
“Love does that to people,” Hayden said softly, his eyes finding mine.
I felt that familiar warmth spread through my chest, the one that appeared whenever he looked at me like that. “Yeah, it sure does.”
Rowan bounded over to us, his enthusiasm practically radiating off him like heat. “Diego! Merry Christmas! And this must be Hayden!” He pulled us both into a tight hug before either of us could respond.
“Careful with the drinks,” I laughed, trying not to spill my Christmas special all over his sweater.
“Sorry, sorry!” Rowan stepped back, still beaming. “Brooks and I are so excited to meet you, Hayden. We’ve heard so much about you!”
“You have?” Hayden said, scrunching up his eyebrows.
“Yep,” Brooks explained, appearing behind his partner with two plates of food. “Diego’s mouth runs faster than a whippoorwill’s ass.” His voice was deep and melodic, just like Eli had described. “Never shuts up about you when Rowan comes to do checkups on the horses.”
I felt my cheeks heat up. “I don’t talk about him that much…”
“Uh-huh,” Rowan nodded. “Whatever you say.” He gave Hayden a wink before turning back to Brooks. Without a word, he took the plates out of Brooks’ hands and sat them down. “Dance with me,” he grinned.
Brooks just glanced back at us with a woeful expression as he was dragged onto the dancefloor.
“So, you talk about me, huh?” Hayden asked, giving me a nudge.
“Can you blame me?” I replied, taking a sip of my drink. “You’re cute and perfect. How could I not talk about that?”
“Stop flattering me,” Hayden whined, his cheeks turning red.
“Not on your life.”