by Lynn Stark
“I take it you have an overactive imagination.”
Peyton threw the man beside him a glance. “Did you really just say that?”
Brag grimaced, following up with a chuckle. “Yeah, I didn’t give that much thought. Best-selling author and everything. I can point you in the right direction for the best birding. Don’t put birdseed out, including feeders for hummingbirds, unless you want potential visits from bears.”
“I’d rather keep the temptation to a minimum. I know bears come around occasionally. I’m prepared for that mentally.”
A strong hand squeezed Peyton’s shoulder. Heat flashed through him, heading straight for his dick. It was becoming impossible to ignore his growing attraction to the other man. What kept him from asking Brag if he was gay or not were Peyton’s clear memories of Roger. He suspected it would take a while before the pain would fade away and he would feel he could move on. It sucked, but he had fears to deal with. Roger had been nice in the beginning, too. Not that he believed Brag was the kind of man to be violent. He didn’t. However, Peyton knew he wouldn’t be completely free until he dealt with his trust issues.
Peyton blinked as he realized he was only partially listening to the other man.
“Don’t worry about it. Bears haven’t been much of a problem. If you see one close by, then we’ll call in the bear service. They’ll deal with it, make it feel very unwelcome. Most bears have found that being around humans isn’t all that fun.”
“Good to know.” They had stopped in front of a store offering unique furniture made by local craft people. “Hey, this place looks interesting.”
“It has a lot of beautiful furniture. The guy sitting there at the desk waving at us like a lunatic is Angel Salazar. He’s an author, too.”
Peyton nodded. “I’ve read his stories. They’re great. Let’s go in. I’d like to meet him.”
Once he’d met Angel, Peyton discovered he was sweet, entertaining, and filled with charm. He also had two husbands. There was a framed photo of the three of them with two small children. They looked like a very happy family. Peyton remembered his parents explaining the different relationships there were in Silver. Some people had more than one husband or more than one wife. Some men had men for partners. There were women who had women for partners. The list went on and was somewhat confusing for him at the time, but he got the gist of it. It also helped him when he became aware of his own growing interest in the same sex, rather than those of the opposite. That had begun with Brag.
“I love your books, too!” Angel gushed after they shook hands. “I have every one of them on a shelf at home. I only read them when my husbands, Ben and Cross, are home. They protect me from all the scary stuff.” Angel glanced around and then leaned close, although the three of them were the only ones in the store. He whispered, “They even look in the closets and under the bed for me. Is that love or what?”
“That is. I’m sorry my stories scare you so much.”
Angel waved a careless hand. “No problem. They give me a thrill and that’s the point, right? If I didn’t love them so much, I wouldn’t read them.”
“Your books scare me, too. You have some wickedly frightening werewolf shifters. You have a real grasp on creating suspense. And do I have to mention how hot your sex scenes are?” There was little to no sex in the stories Peyton wrote, as it was unnecessary to most of the stories, and it was never graphic. “You don’t know how many times I’ve had to go take a cold shower after reading one of your stories before I could go out in public.” Peyton leaned close, as Angel had done, to whisper conspiratorially, “It’s difficult to go out if you’re sporting wood.”
That set Angel off. He laughed until tears streaked down his cheeks. He was adorable and Peyton took an instant liking to him, believing he’d made another friend. Once Angel had regained his composure, he showed them around the store.
“Are you looking for anything in particular?”
“I wasn’t before I came in here, but I see several things I think would look spectacular in my house. I don’t have enough furniture to fill every room. I love this bed.” He walked the length, stroking the Birdseye maple. The headboard was high, nearly to his shoulder, and featured staggered, horizontal panels. Every other one was of the Birdseye maple, the others were a pale, complementing, plain maple. “This is wonderful and the right size for my bedroom.”
“My husband Ben made it. I have a few other pieces that will go very well with it.”
“Your husband is certainly talented.”
Angel puffed up. “Thank you. I’ll pass it along.”
By the time Peyton and Brag left, he had new furniture for his bedroom, a dining room table and chairs, as well as tables for the living room. His old furniture would serve well in other places. He would scatter it around.
“You’re something of a power shopper,” Brag teased as they continued along the sidewalk. The sun was lower in the sky. There was a distinct cooling as the town filled with shadows. “For a minute there, I thought I would have to stage an intervention.”
Peyton laughed and shook his head. “It wasn’t that bad. I needed everything I bought. My new home is very large.”
“You really needed a cheval mirror?”
“Did you see the carvings of the flowers and animals around it? The thing is a work of art. I wish I could learn to do wood carvings like that.”
“There’s nothing that says you can’t. There certainly are enough people around here for you to learn from,” Brag told him. “Personally, I started taking photography classes a few years ago. I’m never going to wow the world, but it’s relaxing and I enjoy doing it.”
“That’s better than having a hobby you hate,” Peyton teased before ducking into a small shop. It was a yarn store and he was greeted at once by a small, beautiful man of mixed race.
“Hi, welcome to my store. My name’s Jade. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“I’m Peyton.” He held out his hand. Jade took it and shook it warmly. “I’m looking around, getting to know my new home. Do you have any alpaca fiber yarns?”
Jade nodded, his eyes bright with excitement. “As a matter of fact, I do. Nearly half of the second floor is dedicated to it. Follow me, please.”
They went upstairs and when they reached it, Peyton felt as if he’d been swallowed by a rainbow. There were skeins of ultra-soft fiber in hundreds of incredible colors displayed in every available space. They were piled in baskets, tucked into cubby holes, and arranged creatively to form flowers on one large table.
“Do you knit?” Brag asked curiously.
Peyton nodded. “I do, actually. I also crochet. It uses up those pauses I have while I’m writing. There’s very little wasted time in my life.” He chose a color and then turned to hold it near Brag’s face. The man looked startled and Peyton laughed. “You look like you need a sweater.”
The man stepped back quickly, holding his hands up in front of him, as if warding off an attack. “Hold on there, mister. I haven’t worn a sweater since I was six, and even then, my mother had to wrestle me into it.”
The image made Peyton laugh. “Every well-dressed man needs a sweater for certain casually dressy occasions.” He waved a hand. “Don’t worry. You’ll love it.”
Brag was all but held down by Jade as he began to take the man’s measurements. Then he was calculating what Peyton would need. The skeins of russet and cream alpaca fibers were placed into a basket.
His new friend grumbled all the way back downstairs. Peyton pointedly ignored Brag as he looked at the displays of unique knitting needles and crochet hooks. He had a beautiful collection. As far as he was concerned, they were art. Art he could also put to their purpose.
There were so many to choose from. Peyton finally settled on a pair of with white daisies inside the blown glass ends.
“Oh, those are so adorable!” Jade exclaimed as he took them and placed them in a long, cotton-lined box. “If there’s ever anything special you’d
like, a friend of mine makes them.”
“Thanks. I’ll remember that. It was nice meeting you,” Peyton said as he paid for his purchases. Then he picked up the reusable bags with amusing, knitting-related jokes on them. “You have a lovely store.”
Jade ran from around the counter to hug Peyton tightly. “Thank you so much! It was nice to meet you. Come back anytime. There’s a brochure in the bag that describes the classes and groups that meet here.”
“Sounds interesting. I’ll look it over. See you later, Jade.”
“Tootles!”
As they continued down the street, Brag continued his grumbling. “You’re not really going to make a sweater for me, are you?”
Peyton nodded. “I really am.”
“I won’t wear it.”
“I think you will.”
“We’ll see.”
“Yes,” Peyton agreed as he held back the smile tugging at his lips. “We will.”
He made a few more purchases before they returned to the car to stuff them into the small rear seat. Brag even managed a few of his own. Then they chose a restaurant and went in for supper. Being together as friends was comfortable for Peyton. They were getting to know each other without the pressure of expectations. Although he had his suspicions, Peyton hadn’t yet determined if Brag was gay or not. As far as their growing friendship was concerned, it didn’t matter at all. But if he had hopes of creating something more with the sexy cowboy, Brag being gay was definitely a necessity. In the past, he probably would have discovered which way Brag leaned sexually. However, Peyton was discovering that he craved Brag’s friendship as much as he might want something else.
It was certainly a tangle.
Peyton and Brag talked as they ate their meal. Brag was able to fill him in on everything he needed to know about living in or around Silver, including the name of a realtor he could use if he was interested in also having a house in town. The idea appealed to him. Having a house in Silver would serve several purposes. One was that if he felt stuck with his writing, he could change locations. That often triggered his imagination. And if he wanted to spend a weekend in town to enjoy what it had to offer, then he could do so without having to stay in a hotel with his dogs. They were well-behaved and experienced hotel guests, but he preferred to be able to have a yard for them to exercise in. Finally, it would offer another place to entertain friends. Peyton loved to do so and had high hopes of making new friends. He could also host a knitting night. The thought made him smile as he chose apple pie for dessert.
What Peyton took away from his evening with Brag was that the man hadn’t looked once at any of the attractive women they had encountered. It was a good sign.
Chapter Four
Waiting for Peyton outside of the barn, Brag wondered about his nervousness. It wasn’t like they hadn’t spent time together before. They had done so many times now. Part of Brag felt bad that Peyton spent so much time alone, although when he had mentioned it, Peyton had assured him that he enjoyed quiet hours alone as he wrote.
Brag’s parents had invited Peyton to supper at least once a week. He had accepted them on each occasion, seeming pleased by the food and the company. They had played cards afterward. Peyton was no slouch at poker, giving nothing away, and had succeeded twice in winning the pile of coupons in the center of the table.
Peyton and he were becoming an item, even if Peyton wasn’t aware of it. Brag was pretty sure the man was gay. If he wasn’t, it should be considered a crime. It was kind of disappointing that Peyton hadn’t made a move on him. Brag would have done so, but he didn’t want to come across as too aggressive. What he did like about all this dating, without actually dating, was that they were becoming good friends.
When Peyton walked out of the house, Brag thought he would swallow his tongue. The man always looked good, but this time he was dressed for riding one of his horses. Peyton was wearing cream-colored jodhpurs and tall, brown leather boots. The top half of his body was slightly more casual. He wore a dark blue T-shirt that hugged his upper torso and he was carrying a pair of gloves and a helmet.
“Good morning,” Peyton greeted. He looked up at the sky. “It looks like it’ll be good weather for a ride.”
“It’s perfect weather. Which horse will you be riding?” Brag asked.
Peyton worked with his horses every day. He was also letting them out in the large pasture together but hadn’t been able to get himself to run with the herd. Neither horse seemed to mind. Brag had told his friend that they were stuck up, making Peyton nod in agreement and laugh.
“I think I’ll ride Kroenraad. He likes adventure.”
Once inside the barn, Peyton set aside his gloves and helmet to get the horse out. Brag’s own horse was already saddled and waiting patiently. He watched as Kroenraad was led out of his stall and put in the crossties. Peyton brushed the glossy coat before placing a pad on the horse’s back and then the saddle Brag had gone for. By the time Peyton had removed the halter, replacing it with the bridle, Kroenraad was ready to go. Brag admired the grace of the tall, leggy gelding as he danced beside Peyton as he was led outside.
Then he was admiring Peyton’s ass in the fitted jodhpurs as he mounted the horse and swung his leg over the horse’s rump before seating himself in the English, forward-seat saddle. Brag had told Peyton there were several obstacles he could jump his horses over. They weren’t overly high, but they would give the horses something of interest to do to keep their minds engaged.
Kroenraad was not interested in a slow, gentle ride. When they reached the valley floor, Peyton warmed the horse up and then put him into a canter. Brag’s horse, Rogue, snorted, and he gave the horse his head. Rogue didn’t like to be left behind.
With their energy levels lowered slightly, the horses were finally willing to amble along. They rode nearly a half an hour before they arrived at a spot Brag had always wanted to bring a special someone to. He’d decided that Peyton was about as special as anyone could be to him in a romantic way.
They dismounted in the small group of aspen trees that were in the center of a chunk of land that pushed out into the river. It was slightly above, with tumbled boulders close to the water. Brag unbuckled the leather case from the back of his saddle. He had made lunch for them and hoped Peyton enjoyed the surprise. They walked to the boulders and sat down. A soft breeze blew across their skin. He watched as Peyton closed his eyes as he enjoyed the moment. Brag’s gaze slid over the other man, from the dark hair moving slightly in the breeze, the healthy flush on his cheeks, to the Adam’s apple he would love to lick and suck on.
That thought had the blood rushing to his cock. Trying to distract himself from thoughts of sex, Brag cleared his throat. “I brought lunch.”
Peyton opened his eyes and turned his head. The smile he gave Brag was enough to make him forget about cooling things off. He hoped Peyton didn’t notice the swell beginning to press again his zipper.
“Baloney sandwiches, potato chips, and water.”
“Mmm, my favorite.”
Laughing at the comment, Brag opened the pack and took everything out. “I didn’t want to waste time making something fancier.”
“This is perfect.”
Feeling bold, Brag sat down beside Peyton on the large rock. It wasn’t so large that they would have much space between them. In fact, their bodies touched, the bare skin of their arms brushing as they lifted their sandwiches.
Brag felt like a teenager again. It was as if he was reaching for that first sweet temptation. Awareness rippled over his skin and through his body, dancing along his nerves and muscles. He wanted to turn to Peyton and kiss him. His teeth captured his lower lip, as if that would stop him from doing so. There was an internal struggle going on. His breathing quickened and his blood turned to lava, making his dick hot and thick in his jeans.
“Brag.”
Peyton spoke his name with a voice that was slightly husked. Brag turned his head, wondering, when he saw the intention in Peyton’s beaut
iful hazel eyes. His heart pounded in his chest, making him wonder if he would survive a kiss between them. Peyton tipped his head and moved in until their lips met. Brag’s eyelids slid down. He moaned, his lips parting as the tip of Peyton’s tongue slid over them, gently demanding entrance to his mouth.
The kiss intensified as the seconds ticked by. If Brag had ever dreamed of a kiss, this would have been it. A perfect blend of desire and curiosity flowed between them. Another moan left him when Peyton lifted a hand to stroke Brag’s jaw, fingertips running over the rough growth of a day’s beard. He wasn’t big on shaving, but managed to do it every other day or so. Now his nipples puckered as new sensations ran over him. Their kiss deepened, their tongues teasing and stroking. Long, strong fingers slid behind his neck. Peyton held onto him as he removed Brag’s hat and tossed it away.
Although the rock was nearly four feet across, it wasn’t nearly large enough for what Brag wanted to do with Peyton. His poor, aching cock was ready to burst. His balls were tight, threatening to release their load. But their circumstances weren’t going to allow for relief.
When something jumped up against Brag, he tore his mouth from Peyton’s. A startled glance locked on one of his family’s dogs. The Australian cattle dog was looking at him with expectation, his pink tongue hanging out.
“What the hell, Pee Wee!” The dog’s gaze went to the sandwich now mangled in Brag’s hand. He grimaced and dropped it while Peyton chuckled.
“I’ll share my sandwich with you.”
“I’m not really hungry for food right now.”
Hazel eyes fixed on him as Peyton held out one half of his sandwich. “Take it. You need to keep up your strength.” He didn’t ask what Brag was hungry for.
Pee Wee began barking and the horses moved restlessly. Turning his head, Brag looked in the direction in which Pee Wee was staring. He saw a large brown bear walking along the river. It was about a half mile away, but that was too close for Brag.
