by Lynn Lorenz
“Please, don’t say ‘thing going on’ ever again.” He shook his head, then frowned. “How did you know I was gay?” He glanced over to the shop door to see if Jimmy was lurking.
“Just from the way you two were staring at each other, making googly-eyes, at dinner the other night.” He batted his lashes. “It’s fine with me. What is it y’all say? Love is love?”
If anyone had touched him, Estaban would have fallen right over, flat-out on the floor. Joe Smith, teasing him about his date with Phillip. And quoting a queer mantra? Joe Freaking Smith? Wow.
He smiled, trying to take it all in, but his mind spun like a windmill in a thunderstorm. “I need to get back to work.” He pointed to the garage and sidled over to it.
Joe picked up the phone. “I’ll let you know when I get the okay on the work from Ms. Mason.”
He nodded and left, thinking on the words Joe had said. He walked over to his workbench and sat on the stool next to it.
Damn. Was the world trying to tell him something he didn’t want to hear? Because if it was, he was fucked. Or saved. Depended on how he looked at it.
On one hand, he’d walked away from Phillip, refused to give him the benefit of the doubt, no second chance, not even a tiny bit of trust. He’d put protecting his heart above opening his heart.
How’s that working for you?
On the other hand, he could believe in Phillip. Follow his heart and give him another chance. Trust him. He’d never lied to him before, not that he’d ever known. Could he give Phillip a second chance?
Hell, could he give himself a second chance?
Sammi had believed in Phillip. Joe Smith believed in second chances. His mom? She’d kick his ass right back to Phillip and tell him to get on his knees and beg for that second chance.
But…Phillip’s power. It was mighty, much more than his.
Yet.
If he opened his heart and let Phillip in, only to have him manipulate him, he didn’t think he’d survive. He’d shut his heart away forever.
He shook his head. How much pain could one man stand?
And could love really be worth the risk?
* * * *
“Hey, whose truck is that?” Manuel pointed. “Phillip? You expectin’ someone?”
Phillip pulled back on the reins and halted Bart, the horse he was riding today, next to Manuel. Rush came up on the other side of him. He squinted down at the ranch from the hilltop they’d stopped on.
“I’m not sure, but I think I know who it is.”
“So, gonna enlighten us?” Manuel shot Phillip a glare. “Or just leave us hangin’?”
Rush laughed. “Come on, cut him some slack.” He lifted his hat off his head, scratched his temple, then reseated the Stetson. “I think I can make a wild-ass guess.”
Phillip groaned. “Maybe. Might be Estaban.”
Rush chuckled. “Well, this should be interesting.”
“Leave me outta it.” Manuel snorted. “I ain’t interested in personal crap.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll be safe.” Phillip exhaled and kicked Bart to get him started down the hill.
The other men followed him, Manuel making tsking sounds and Rush shaking his head. Phillip stared at the man who got out of the truck and had come around to lean against it.
Estaban.
His breath caught in his throat and the temptation to steal a quick sip from his water canteen almost got him, but no way would he show Estaban that coming to see him affected him. Damn his heart for racing at the sight of him, and damn his dick too, for getting excited, especially while he was riding.
They rode into the stable yard. Rush raised his hand to Estaban, who waved back. Phillip ignored him, too afraid to give his emotions away. Manuel dismounted and waited for them to get off also.
“Here, let me take Bart. I’ll put him away for you.” Manuel took the reins of all three horses and led them into the stable.
“Thanks, Manuel.”
Rush headed toward Estaban, hand outstretched for a shake. They met, said a few quiet words Phillip couldn’t hear, then Rush strode off to the porch and inside.
Leaving Phillip to face…whatever.
He couldn’t wait any longer next to the corral fence, so he ambled over to Estaban.
“Hi.” Estaban gave him a half-smile, then cleared his throat. “I figured you’d be back at the ranch around now.”
“Yeah.” Phillip kicked the dirt with the toe of his boot. “I’m back.” He paused, then leaned against the truck’s hood. “So, why are you here?” Time to get down to business and stop messing around. He had no idea what would make Estaban drive out to the ranch… Well, he had some idea, two actually, but without him telling the real reason, guessing was a waste of time.
“I wanted to talk to you.” He looked up, catching Phillip’s gaze. “Anyway, I think we need to talk.”
“Okay. Talk.” He wasn’t going to make this easy on Estaban, whatever this was. An ‘I screwed up’? A ‘Don’t ever speak to me again’? Deep in his heart something whispered ‘Let’s try this again.’
Estaban exhaled. “Look. I’ve never met someone who had a power like mine. Well, better…stronger than mine. And I never for an instant thought about how someone might handle it, if what they could do might hurt someone.”
“What the hell?” Phillip pushed off the truck, his anger surging from his belly.
“Wait!” He held out his hands for him to stop. “Let me try to explain. My power, it’s not so much. I can ‘feel’ what’s wrong with a vehicle or motor. I sort of visualize the problem.” He shrugged. “But I can’t really affect anyone, good or bad. Either I fix the car or not. But you, and that Sammi guy?” He shook his head. “Man, you’ve got wicked power. Real power, you know, over people.”
“I suppose.” Phillip let him go on, really trying to listen, because this might be not only an apology, but what he’d dreamed of…a second chance.
“So, like Sammi can hear thoughts, right? He can hear people’s deepest, darkest thoughts and dreams and wishes. You have to have some real internal strength to not go around hearing shit and then using it to get stuff from people. You can hurt folks with it, but Sammi, he uses it to help.” He ran his hand over his face. “I know he could use it for bad, but he’s made a choice to only use it to help, right?”
Phillip nodded. “Sammi’s a good guy. Honest and caring. He’s my friend.”
“You’re lucky.” He exhaled. “So, I figured if I can see that in Sammi, why can’t I see that in you?” He held out his hand to stop Phillip from speaking. “I thought on it a long time, turning it all over in my head. And I took a step back. I let it get personal, because of how I feel about you. And that colored my thinking, made me nuts, got me scared and mad all at the same time.”
“Okay.” He didn’t want to interrupt because it looked as if Estaban was going somewhere with this speech.
“So, once I backed up, came at it from a longer perspective, I saw the real truth. You took a power that could hurt someone, you broke away from your mom’s hold on you, and you walked away. Gave it up. But you still have this awesome power, so what do you do with it? Forget it? Ignore it? Or maybe because it’s a part of you, you control it, and you put limits on it that you can live with, right?”
Phillip smiled and, for the first time since he got off his horse, a spark of hope flickered in his chest. “Right. I came to grips with what I can do, and set boundaries. I’m glad you can see that. And I hope you can believe it when I say I never used it on you to make you feel anything about me.”
Estaban took a few steps closer, coming almost chest to chest with Phillip. “I do. Believe you.”
“Really?” He gazed up into Estaban’s eyes.
“Yeah. Hell, if everyone I meet who knows you can trust you, I can too. And I have a bigger stake in this than they do.”
“Stake? What are you talking about?” Phillip inched closer, eliminating any space between them.
“My hea
rt. I’m giving you my heart, if you’ll forgive me and take it.” Estaban cupped his cheek and tilted his head back. “It’s all I got and I want to give it to you. I want you to say you want it, and you want me to have a piece of your heart. I want you to tell me that you’ve been miserable without me, like I’ve been miserable without you.” He buried his fingers in Phillip’s hair, knocking off his hat.
Phillip’s heart near about stopped dead. “You want to…to…?” he stuttered.
“Date. See what happens. Spend all our free time together. Hell, I’d even ride a horse for you, if you want.” He grinned. “I want us. I want there to be a future for us here in Spring Lake. I got dreams, and you’re in them.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to Phillip’s for just a heartbeat, then sighed. “You think you can give me a second chance to get this right?”
Phillip’s throat tightened and he tried to swallow, but…nothing. Instead, he nodded his answer. He wrapped his arms around Estaban’s neck and kissed him this time, with all the passion he could muster. His toes curled in his damn boots and happiness bubbled up.
“I can. Give you a second chance, if you can give me one too.” Phillip sandwiched Estaban’s head between his hands and pulled him down so their foreheads touched. “I’ve been trying to make up for all the wrong I did when I was a kid. And I never thought a good man like you would ever want me. But you do. Want me. And it’s so fucking great. I’m about ready to burst open.”
“You are a good, honest man, Phillip Mott. And I’m crazy wild about you. You make me want all my dreams to come true. And when I look in your eyes, I see them. And you’re right there with me.”
“What are we doing? In your dreams?” Phillip spoke with his lips against Estaban’s.
“Well, in one, we’re moving in together. In another, you’re smiling as I open my own garage. Sometimes, it’s a new place. In other dreams, I buy Smith’s and change the name to Martinez Motors.” He laughed and kissed Phillip. “And always, we’re lying in bed together, saying good night with a sweet good night kiss.” He kissed Phillip, showing him how he’d do it.
“I like your dreams. I like being in them. I’ve never been in anyone’s dreams before.” He shook his head, the feeling of being someone’s special person swamping him. “It’s good. Feels so right.”
“What about your dreams? See me there?”
“I never thought I’d be with someone like you. Never let it be, so I never had to feel the pain of it not happening. But my dreams? Mostly I had dreams about working on a ranch. I just wanted a simple, honest job.” He closed his eyes. “Now, I can see new dreams.”
“What do they look like?”
“Like heaven. Like lying in bed with you, kissing good night. Like coming home to you, making dinner, talking about the day. About riding out to the pasture for a quiet picnic on a Sunday afternoon. About standing next to you when you open your own garage, being so damn proud of you I could burst.”
Estaban pulled him into his arms and whooped as he spun him around in a circle. Phillip laughed harder than he’d done in years.
Could it really be true? Could this be my life from now on?
“Well, no one invited me to the dance!” Manuel cackled as he approached them.
Estaban stumbled and nearly dropped Phillip, who slid down his body until he reached the ground. “Dance?” Phillip held out his hands. “Come on, I’ll dance with you!” then he ran at Manuel, grabbed him and tried to spin him around.
“Get offa me, you fool boy! I got two left feet,” Manuel grumped, but the twinkle in his eyes told Phillip he was just teasing.
The door slammed and they stopped, then turned to face Rush, who leaned on the porch post. “What’s the celebration?”
Phillip and Estaban stared at each other. Phillip turned back to Rush. “Well, I guess I got a boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend, huh?” Rush narrowed his eyes at Estaban. “What’s your intentions toward my best ranch hand, Estaban?”
Phillip’s heart about burst with pride. “Best,” he whispered to himself.
Estaban strode over to the stairs and gazed up at Rush. “Well, Mr. Weston, I guess I intend to make Phillip Mott mine. Forever. If he’ll have me.” He turned back and held out his hand. Phillip rushed to him and took it, linking their fingers together.
“And you, Phillip? What do you say to this?” Rush flashed a grin, then sobered.
“I say… Hell, yes!” He threw himself into Estaban’s arms and hugged him so tight he could barely catch his breath. He glanced at Rush. “If that’s okay, sir.”
“Rush.”
“Rush. If that’s okay with you?”
“I’m not your father, Phillip, but as long as you do your work, get along with the other hands and keep your power to yourself, I’m good.” He pushed away from the post. “Now, you two get. I think you’ve got some talking to do.” And with that, he went inside.
“I got to go.” Manuel headed to his truck. “Morning comes early, son.”
“Yes, sir!” Phillip gave him a loose salute then retrieved his hat. As he brushed it off, Estaban opened the truck door.
“Go for a ride?”
“You bet!”
Phillip got in the truck and buckled up. “Where we headin’?”
“Well, if you don’t mind, my mom’s cooking tonight and she told me not to ever come back if I don’t come back with you.”
Epilogue
Six months later
“If you don’t go to sleep, you’ll never wake up for the grand opening.” Phillip nudged Estaban, who spooned him from behind.
Estaban groaned and pulled Phillip back into his body. His erection prodded Phillip’s ass, making his intentions clear. He’d woken up two hours after going to bed, randy as hell.
“Don’t care. Want you,” Estaban mumbled into the back of Phillip’s hair.
“Again?” They’d made love earlier, Estaban taking Phillip hard and fast, both of them coming one after the other. His ass could still feel the stretch to accommodate Estaban’s cock. God, he’d never thought fucking could be so very good, but Estaban had eased Phillip into full-on anal and he’d taken to it like a duck to water.
Turned out, he was a greedy bottom, as Edward and Sammi would, and did, tell him.
“Yes. And I’ll want you in the morning too.” He chuckled deep in his throat. “Don’t you want me to fuck you again? You do it so sweet, babe.”
“Of course, but I have to get to the ranch in time to feed the horses. Rush gave me the rest of the day off so I can be with you. He’ll be there too, by the way. Brian said he’s on duty, but he’d try to swing by.”
“Good. I’m glad they’re coming. Now, I want to be coming…inside you…with you coming on my cock.” He bit Phillip’s shoulder, sucking and marking him. Phillip loved that too, being marked, belonging to Estaban.
“But you’ve already kept us up past our bedtime.” He loved teasing him. Seemed he was a mouthy bottom too…as Edward had informed him.
Estaban sighed. “We need to find a place between town and the ranch. This commuting is for the birds.”
“I mentioned it to Brian the other day. He said Jack has a place, closer to the ranch than the town. It’s empty. He thinks we can rent it.”
“Really? That would be great. Can you call him and find out?”
“Sure.”
“Right away. I love my mom, but I want out of here. We need privacy and she needs…well, privacy from us.” He chuckled.
“I’ll talk to him after the ceremony.”
“Good.” Estaban snuggled tighter as he reached around Phillip and took hold of his cock. “See? You want me.”
Phillip laughed. “I do. All the time.” He slid over onto his belly and shoved a pillow under his hips. “Like this?”
Estaban moaned as he ran his hand over Phillip’s ass. “Damn, you are finer than an April morning.” He leaned over and took a bite of one cheek, then sucked up a mark. “Mine.”
“All yours.
” Nothing was better than Estaban making love to him. Fast and hard or slow and tender. On his hands and knees, on his back, or just on his knees, Phillip loved loving his man.
Estaban sat up, found the lube under the pillow where they’d left it a few hours before and applied the slick. They’d stopped using condoms once their tests had come back negative.
Phillip arched, sticking his ass up higher, then pried his cheeks apart with his hands. “See what you like?” Man, he’d gotten so bold in just a few months.
“Yeah, babe. I see it. It’s crinkled and pink and made just for me.” He ran a lubed finger around Phillip’s hole, setting off all the nerve endings surrounding it.
Phillip shuddered. “Stop playing with me.” Now that he’d been riled up, he needed to get to the part where Estaban breached him, so he pushed back.
“Eager, huh?” Estaban licked down his spine, sending more waves of pleasure through him.
“So eager. You started it, now let’s finish it.”
Estaban chuckled deep in his throat. “I’ll finish you. Leave you boneless. Too weak to stand.”
Phillip knew he could make good on his promises. Behind him, Estaban grabbed his hips and dug in his fingers as he pushed the head of his cock against Phillip’s hole. This was the best part, besides coming. The first stretch of his muscles, the tension and the fight to be entered. Then, the collapse of his body’s resistance and the heavenly slide of Estaban’s thick cock inside him.
He pushed back, easing the way, and with a flash of pain Estaban broke through and filled him. He cried out, but muffled it into the pillow. After all, they were in Estaban’s mother’s house tonight. And it was only right to keep their noises to themselves.
No way could he let Estaban sleep over at the bunkhouse, not with the crew of four other men sharing it. They might be gay-friendly, but their tolerance would be stretched to the limits.
Just like Estaban was stretching him to his limits. “Ah, fuck. Me. Harder.”
And he did, thrusting in and out, burying his cock inside Phillip, riding him until sweat dripped on them both. Estaban’s quiet grunts and the slap of flesh on flesh filled the room.
