Shane sighed; he was partly to blame for not having put a stop to Sherry Ann’s nonsense sooner. Shane hadn’t really considered the ramifications of Kauffman’s tenacity and bullheadedness until Gray had pointed them out. If he dug in the right places, it wouldn’t be hard for the man to discover Shane’s homosexuality. Shane had been very careful to hide it, but it wasn’t like no one else knew.
He wasn’t concerned about what most people thought of him, but the Hunters were his family. They deserved to know and should hear it from him, not the town gossips. God, he did not want to do this.
The back door opened. “Shane? Honey, you all right?” Kaitlyn bent and picked up Shane’s hat, then sat down on the swing next to him.
Shane turned his head to look at her and she handed him his hat. “Thank you.” He put it back on his head and leaned back in the swing.
“You’re welcome. What’s the matter, Shane? And don’t tell me nothing. I’ve known you a long time and I darn well know when something is bothering you.” She reached out and rubbed his back. “Is it this nonsense with Sherry Ann? Honey, don’t worry about that. We all know you don’t have anything going with that little girl. The child needs her backside blistered.”
Shane nodded and closed his eyes. She sure did, and at this point Shane was considering being first in line to volunteer to administer it. Kaitlyn was like a mother to him, always trying to take care of him. She treated him damned near the way she treated Gray. He opened his eyes and took her hand, lightly squeezing. “Kaitlyn, I ... thank you. Thank you for being the mother that mine never was. I could never repay all that you’ve done for me over the years. No matter what happens, I want you to know that and that I love you.”
Kaitlyn framed his face with her hands, pulling him down to kiss his forehead. “I love you, too, honey. Nothing going to change that. You are like a son to me; you have been for a long, long time. Taking you in was never a hardship, you know. You’ve always been very appreciative and you’ve repaid us in kind over and over. Try not to be so upset over this. It will work out, I promise.”
He hoped like hell that she was right -- and that she still felt the same way after he told them what he needed to say. “Ted still awake?”
“He’s in his office. You eating with us tonight?”
Shane got up, drawing Kaitlyn with him. “I actually have plans for dinner tonight, but I’d like to talk to the two of you first.”
Kaitlyn gave him a speculative look, opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. “Come on in, then.” She tugged him behind her into the house. When they reached the office, Shane had the sudden urge to flee.
“Ted, Shane has something he wants to talk to us about.” Kaitlyn let go of his hand and went to the couch and sat down.
“Oh, good, I have something I want to talk to him about, too.” Ted glanced up from some papers on his desk and smiled at Shane.
Shane swallowed hard and took a deep breath. He pulled his hat off, circling it around and around in his hands.
Ted looked at Shane’s hands and frowned, then gazed back to meet his eyes. “I’m guessing this is pretty serious. Have a seat, son. You aren’t going to tell me that you did get that Kauffman girl pregnant are you?”
“No! Oh, good Lord, no!”
Ted grinned. “Well, I didn’t think so, but you look like you’re going to a funeral.”
Shane walked across the office and sat down beside Kaitlyn.
“I ... Gray was right today when he said that Kauffman was probably going to dig up a lot of stuff about me. And I owe the two of you too much to not let y’all know what he’s likely to find out.” Damn, this sucks! His stomach was such a mess he wasn’t going to be able to eat a damned thing tonight. He had the sudden urge to throw up.
Kaitlyn patted his knee encouragingly.
Ted nodded. “This have anything to do with why you left New Mexico at alone at sixteen and ended up in Texas?”
Shane nodded. “Sort of.”
“Well, I can’t tell you that we haven’t wondered over the years, but I’ll be honest, son, I doubt you can tell me anything that is going to make me think less of you. I’ve watched you grow up, boy, I know what kind of man you are. Whatever you ran from, was a long time ago and --”
“I’m gay!” Well, shit! He’d just blurted that right out, hadn’t he?
Ted sat still for several seconds, frowning, eyebrows pulled together.
Kaitlyn gasped, clutched her hands to her chest and flopped back against the couch. “Oh, God!”
Shane felt tears burning his eyes. He couldn’t look at either one of the Hunters. They didn’t understand and were going to toss him out. Worse, they didn’t love him anymore.
Kaitlyn took a deep breath and dropped her head in her hands. “Oh, God, honey! You scared the heck out of me! I thought you were going tell us you’d murdered someone.”
What?! Shane’s mouth dropped open.
Ted groaned. “Now, Katy, how it the world could you think that?”
His wife blushed. “Well, what did you think he was going to say?”
“I thought maybe he’d stolen a car or something.”
Shane couldn’t help himself; he just stared, looking back and forth between the two of them. He didn’t know whether to be insulted or relieved. They’d thought he was a criminal on the lam? Did this mean they didn’t care that he was gay?
Kaitlyn wrapped her arms around Shane, hugging him tightly. “Honey, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. Say something.”
“Y’all don’t care?”
Ted chuckled. “Hell, son, we’ve known that for years!”
Shane was aghast. “You have?”
Kaitlyn nodded. “Of course, honey. Is that why you left home so young?”
Even after all this time and in the midst of one of the hardest conversations he’d ever had, Shane still felt old anger boiling up inside him. He clenched his jaw and gave a crisp nod, hoping like hell the response would be enough.
Ted got up from his chair and slowly made his way around the desk and over to the couch. He sat down on Shane’s other side and slung an arm over his shoulder. “We figured as much. You don’t have to talk about it. Nothing has changed, son. We love you and support you, just like always.”
Shane swallowed hard. “How long have you known?” Did he dare to ask how they’d known?
“Since you were a teen, honey. You never brought it up, so neither did we.” Kaitlyn reached behind him, grabbing Ted’s hand.
Shane felt a tear slip down and swiped a finger under his glasses to catch it. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. Ted and Kaitlyn hugged him and each other.
Kaitlyn kissed his cheek. “Did I tell you I like the glasses?”
Shane grinned and shook his head. “No, but thank you.”
“So when do we get to meet him, boy?”
Huh? Shane jerked his head around to face Ted.
“You’re seeing someone, aren’t you? That’s why you aren’t eating at home and why you’ve told us not to wait up for you, isn’t it?”
Oh, shit! How in the hell did he answer that without telling them about Gray? Shane silently groaned. Oh, man, he’d solved one problem only to realize he had another. He had no idea how they’d react to him seeing Gray. Would they think he’d taken advantage of Gray? Probably not, they weren’t those kinds of people. They truly cared for him, but he was so tired of emotionally draining confessions today. And what if it got out that Gray was gay? How would that affect him in the community? At work? Shane didn’t care so much what others thought of him or how they treated him, but Gray ... He didn’t want to chance it, not now, and it wasn’t up to him to tell them before Gray did. Or, at the very least, the two of them tell his parents together.
Ted chuckled. “Well, hell, boy, you don’t have to bring him home. You look like a teen balking at bringing your prom date to meet your folks.”
Shane chuckled. “It’s not that. I just ... well, I’ll talk to
him, see if he wants to come to dinner one night.”
Kaitlyn grinned. “Good. We miss not having you eat with us. It’s bad enough that Gray doesn’t come by more often. Although I will point out that you are way too late. You should have done this years ago when most kids bring their girlfriends or boyfriends home to meet their parents.” Kaitlyn rose. “I’m going to go start dinner.” She stood in front of Shane and patted his head. “We love you, honey. You don’t have to be afraid to tell us stuff; you should know that by now.”
Shane got up and hugged her tightly, warmth welling up in his chest. “Love you, too ... Mom.”
When he pulled back, Kaitlyn had tears in her eyes. “I like that! You call me that anytime you want. I’ll always answer, you hear?” She pinched his cheek, gave him a watery smile and left the room.
Ted left the couch and slapped Shane on the back. “Get out of here, boy! Go meet your date.”
Shane grinned and put his hat back on his head. “Yes, sir.” He turned to leave, but Ted’s voice brought him up short. “Son, if Kauffman starts anything else, I want to know. I’ve already talked to our lawyer, and he’s working on it, but it’s gonna take time. If nothing else we can get them for slander.”
“I just want them to buzz off.”
Ted nodded. “I imagine we can do that, too.” He was quiet for a moment, then smiled. “And, Shane?”
Shane faced Ted.
“I’m happy that you’ve finally found someone important enough to get you off the Broken H now and again.”
I just hope you still feel that way, when you find out that someone is your son.
§ § § §
Gray had just finished filling the tea pitcher with water when he heard the door open. He grinned and pulled down two glasses. “You’re just in time; the hamburgers are almost done.”
Shane groaned from the living room. “If you’re serious, I’m going to beat you, then hightail out of here!”
Gray chuckled as he filled his and Shane’s glasses with ice and tea. “Nah, of course I’m not serious -- we’re actually having hot dogs.”
Shane’s groan was closer this time, almost behind him, in fact. “I’m still going to beat you.”
“I’m joking, chief. I ordered pizza. I got home late and --” Gray swung around and stopped dead in his tracks.
Shane stood a little way inside the kitchen sporting a pair of low-slung jeans and a red pullover with a collar. The clothes were nice, but that wasn’t what had garnered Gray’s attention. Shane’s hair was loose and hanging down his back, slightly damp from the looks of it.
“Damn! I ... you ... damn!” Gray wordlessly held out the tea. His cock had already started to fill. After Shane took the refreshment, Gray reached down and adjusted himself.
Shane’s lips quirked. “Hmm, must be my sexy eyewear again. Thanks for the tea.”
Gray looked at the gold wire-rimmed frames and hell if his prick didn’t get even harder. He sighed and shook his head. “Yeah, they’re pretty hot, but I was drooling over your hair.” He tipped his head toward the little, round, four-seater table in the middle of the kitchen. “Have a seat. I’ll get us some plates and napkins.”
Shane did so and lifted his nose, sniffing. “Mmm ... pepperoni, hamburger, sausage and jalapeños. You remembered.” He took another whiff of the air, then settled back. “I broke my rubber band on the way out the door and didn’t want to go back for another one. You’d think I’d learn to keep a bunch stashed in my truck.”
Gray chuckled, grabbing two plates and some paper towels off the roll next to the sink, then opened the oven door and removed some pizza slices. “Not that I’m complaining, but if you wouldn’t continue to try and wrap the things around again after you’ve stretched them to their limits, you wouldn’t keep snapping them.” He handed Shane a plate and watched the man dig in.
“Yeah, but if I don’t get them tight enough, my hair slips out. Then what would be the point?” Shane took a bite. “Mmm ...”
Gray munched on a slice himself. “How did things go after I left today? Kauffman didn’t come back, did he?”
Shane shrugged and finished chewing his pizza. “No; things were fine. I left right after you to get back out to the south pasture and put up the new fence.” He paused to take another bite. “You know, I don’t get it. What does Sherry Ann possibly think to gain by this? Does she think if she can trap me that I’ll somehow magically fall head over heels in love with her and marry her?”
“I don’t know, chief. The whole thing is weird.”
Shane grunted his agreement.
“She’s obviously got problems if she’d make up such a story to get revenge on you. And I want you to file a restraining order against both her and Kauffman. She needs to stay the hell away from you and I want him to keep his distance, too.” He lifted his eyes to let Shane know he meant it. “You think she really is pregnant?”
“Who knows? But if she is, it sure as hell isn’t mine.”
Gray snorted. “It’s quite possible she’s really pregnant and doesn’t want to tell her daddy who the baby’s father is.”
Shane shrugged. “Maybe so, but I can’t see how pointing the finger at me is going to help anything. I think she’s still trying to get her father’s notice, albeit in a somewhat extreme way. You think I should try and talk to her by herself, see what the hell she’s thinks she’s doing?”
Gray had started shaking his head before Shane finished talking. “No. Stay as far away from her as possible. I don’t need people telling me they’ve seen you together and her hollering rape or something. That girl obviously has issues, I wouldn’t put that past her. Not to mention you might agitate things by confronting her. At this point, they have to prove that she’s, one, pregnant and, two, if she is that you’re the father. And they can’t. They definitely won’t have DNA evidence of any sexual activity, and if she’s with child, it’s much too soon to get DNA results from the fetus.”
“Yeah, okay. I’ll keep away from them, but there isn’t any need to file for a restraining order.”
Gray groaned.
“I’m tired of talking about the Kauffmans, so let’s drop it. Besides, I need to discuss something else.”
Gray frowned, letting him know the business of the restraining order wasn’t done. “Oh?”
Shane nodded. “Yeah, but not now. Eat.”
He studied Shane for a few minutes, trying to decide whether to push or not. Shane didn’t look visibly upset, so he decided that whatever it was would wait. They sat in silence, taking care of four slices of pizza apiece. Finally, Gray pushed away from the table a little and leaned back, relaxed. “You staying the night?”
Shane nodded. “I will if you’ll set the alarm for five.”
“As long as you don’t expect me to get up that early.”
Shane chuckled and moved back from the table, too. “Lazy.”
Gray nodded. “Yup, that’s why I went into law enforcement instead of ranching. No getting up with the roosters for me. It isn’t natural to be up before the sun is.” He grabbed his plate and reached for Shane’s. “You done?”
“Yeah, thanks. I really was tired of hamburgers.”
“I was, too, and would have made something but that last call took more time than I thought, so I didn’t get back into the office till way after my shift ended. And I’m off this weekend.” He put the plates in the sink and came back to Shane. He dropped to his knees in front of his lover, resting his hands on the man’s thighs. “I’ll fix something tomorrow. Maybe we can do something like fishing or go into San Antonio for a movie.”
Shane shifted in his chair, spreading his legs wider. He looked down at Gray and grinned. “We could do that. Next weekend I’m going to a livestock auction. Want come with me? If you’re especially nice, I’ll buy you a horse. Only you have to break it in.”
“Sure. Do I get to ride on your shoulders like when I was a kid?”
“I’ll give you something to ride ...”
; Gray ran his hands up and down Shane’s denim-clad thighs. His gaze drifted down Shane’s long body, finally settling on the bulge in his jeans. The sight made his own cock stand up and take notice. He unbuttoned and unzipped Shane’s pants, tugging the flaps apart. “Mmm, and what a nice ride it’s going to be.” He hooked his fingers beneath the waistband of the jeans and Shane’s underwear.
Shane lifted his hips just a little, allowing Gray to tug them down to mid-thigh. The beautiful wide prick that gave so much pleasure came free. It wasn’t hard yet, but it was getting there. Shane’s hand traced down the side of Gray’s cheek, his thumb rubbing back and forth over the cheekbone.
Gray looked into the brown eyes, taking a minute to absorb the beauty of that beloved face. Damn, those glasses really were sexy. Maybe Shane would let him --
“What are you thinking?” Shane smiled quizzically.
“Why?”
“You’ve suddenly got this naughty little glint in your eyes.”
Gray inspected Shane’s lap, noticing the now fully erect cock. He touched it and squeezed gently, making Shane hiss out a breath. “Just thinking about those glasses.”
“No.”
“You don’t even know what I want to do. Please?” He swiped his tongue up the long shaft along the prominent vein.
Shane groaned and scooted his ass closer to the edge of the chair. “You aren’t spunking on my glasses, you perv.”
Gray twirled his tongue around the plump head, sucking it deeper into his mouth. His own dick was like a brand inside his uniform trousers. He unfastened them as he gulped Shane further down his throat, then pulled back up. “Come on, chief. Haven’t you ever watched porn? The guy with the glasses always gets --”
Shane gripped his cock and tapped the head against Gray’s lips. Obediently, he opened his mouth again and engulfed Shane, forgetting all about what he was saying. He was going to come on those glasses and that fucking beautiful face, but he’d argue his case later.
The Broken H Page 8
