by Lynn Hagen
“I’m twenty-one, Darcy. That’s a long way off.” Sterling shook his head, as if Darcy were being unreasonable.
Darcy looked away from his brother and glanced around the busy diner. They’d had this argument before. Sterling lived in the here and now, never thinking about tomorrow. His brother was impulsive and never thought anything through.
Darcy on the other hand knew they would need a savings. He planned and saved what little money they made, investing it into stocks and bonds. He may only be twenty-five, but retirement would be here before both of them knew it. He had to think of their future, something Sterling refused to even talk about.
He was a bean counter. Sue him.
He also overanalyzed things until they were lying dead on the ground in agonizing pain. Darcy didn’t make a move unless he thought it through, and then flipped it over, and reexamined it from every angle. It was a wonder they had even left their old apartment with as many new decisions that had been made over the past few months.
Darcy saw the waiter talking with a guy behind the counter and then pointed over to their table. He sat up straighter, trying his best to look presentable as the man with every damn natural highlight imaginable in his hair looked their way. There was no way that hair coloring came from a bottle. Some people had all the luck when it came to good hair. It seemed Cody—if that was who the waiter was talking to—was blessed with not only good hair, but good looks as well.
Some people had it all.
Darcy didn’t consider himself bad looking, just plain. He was nicely built. Working outdoors had given him a nice body along with a great tan. But his hair was average brown, and so were his eyes. He was so nondescript that he was often overlooked.
Sterling had taken his looks from their mother. He was a very goodlooking man. Whenever attention was thrown their way, it was usually Sterling who was flirted with.
Talk about kicking a guy’s ego in the ass.
He didn’t harbor any ill feelings toward his little brother, but it would be nice every once in a while to catch a fish.
The man with the multicolored hair walked their way, and Darcy saw how the man was smiling at Sterling. If his brother’s good looks could get them jobs, more power to Sterling.
“I hear you are looking for work,” the man said as he walked over to their table.“I’m Cody.” The guy stuck his hand out, and Sterling shook it.
Sterling’s head bobbed up and down quickly as he spoke.“I’m Sterling, and yes, I’m looking for work.”
Darcy kicked his brother under the table again.
“And so is my brother, Darcy.” Sterling kicked Darcy back as he released Cody’s hand. Cody glanced at Darcy and gave him a polite smile.
“I need a prep cook and a dishwasher. Which one of you can fill which job?”
“I can bust suds,” Sterling said quickly, tossing in that pretty boy smile he loved to use when he wanted something to turn in his favor.
Yeah, take the easy job.“I can cook. I’ve worked in plenty of diners.” And he had. They had been on the road for a few months now, and Darcy had picked up work in a diner or two. Cooking wasn’t that hard. It was just boring as hell. He couldn’t understand how some people made a career out of cooking. But the upside to cooking here was that the place was clean. Darcy was used to lessthan-desirable surroundings. That had been part of the reason he hated working in kitchens. Some places should have been shut down for health violations alone.
But he had a feeling this diner had none of those issues. That was a relief.
“Then eat up, gentlemen, and I’ll give you a shot,” Cody said toward Darcy. It figured Sterling was automatically given the job and Darcy was offered a shot at his. It wasn’t hard to scrub pots and pans.
“I’ll ask for you when I’m done eating,” Darcy said and wished Cody would leave. He felt like he was being scrutinized, and he didn’t like the feeling. Darcy was relieved when Cody finally walked away. He gazed out of the window to his left at the gazebo across the street, watching the sun set on the beautifully colored horizon and then fade away to leave behind a darkness that reminded him that he and Sterling needed to find a place to sleep tonight.
The waiter came back over to them, and Darcy found out the man’s name was Tangee. They ordered their food and then ate. Darcy stared out of the window at the small town, watching as lights glowed in various shops, some turning out altogether as the business closed for the night. It truly was a beautiful small town, a place he and Sterling could set down roots in, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a little too perfect.
He wasn’t sure where that feeling was coming from, but it stuck in his gut, and Darcy wasn’t one to ignore his gut feelings.
“Is it me, or does this place seem a little too perfect?” Darcy asked as he ate the last of his vegetables. Of course, Sterling didn’t have one nutritious thing on his plate. Hamburger and fries were not a part of a healthy diet. But telling Sterling to eat better for his health was like telling a kid to voluntarily take baths. It wasn’t happening.
“You worry too much, Darcy. This place is perfect. The people are friendly, the food is awesome, and I have a job. What could be so wrong about that?” Sterling glanced around, smiling and waving at an elderly couple.“It’s like living in Mayberry.”
Darcy wasn’t sure, but there was a strangeness about this town that felt like ants crawling down his skin. This place was a little too perfect to him. The town was picturesque, serene, and slow. Some of the buildings were new, while others held a vintage feel to them. The village was nestled inside a deep forest that helped shade a lot of the buildings, and gave it a homey feeling.
He just flat-out didn’t trust the place now that he took a closer look at it.
“You should go see Cody. We still have to find someplace to sleep tonight,” Sterling reminded him, bringing Darcy out of his thoughts.
After pushing away from the booth, Darcy wandered over to the counter. There was a small Asian woman talking to a customer on the far end of the counter, and Darcy spotted a cowboy hat just beyond the ordering window. It all seemed normal.
“Can I help you?” the Asian woman asked.
Darcy felt his cheeks heat up when he realized the woman was actually a very fine-boned man. Damn, he was glad he hadn’t said ma’am. That would probably have gotten him kicked right out of the place. But he did have to fight not to openly stare at the guy. And it was a fight. He had never seen a man who was that pretty before. Sure, Sterling was, but in a very masculine way. Not this guy. He was androgynous in every sense of the word.
Darcy pulled himself together and banished the need to openly stare, looking past the man’s shoulder instead of at his face. He prayed the man didn’t pick up on what he was doing. “Cody asked me to see him when I was done eating.”
The man nodded, and Darcy caught sight of a bright smile on the guy’s face. Did everyone here smile? Again the thought of this place being a little too perfect chased across Darcy’s mind. The guy left the counter, walked through chrome double doors, and then disappeared. Darcy took a seat on one of the stools, blew out a deep breath, and waited for Cody.
“I told you everyone was friendly,” Sterling said as he sat down next to Darcy.“Even that woman was nice.”
The heat in Darcy’s face returned as he stifled a laugh.“She is actually a he.”
“No way!” Sterling said louder than Darcy would have liked. Sterling didn’t have a buffer between brain and mouth. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching them. It wouldn’t do to make enemies in the town they were trying to find work in.“He sure is pretty.”
“Knock it off. You’ll get yourself fired before you even see the kitchen.” And that would be a record for Sterling. The man had a way about him, but even pretty boys could only push the envelope so far.
“Sourpuss,” Sterling complained as he rested his chin in his hands.“Maybe you can find a doctor around here to pull that stick out of your ass.”
“Sterling.” Darcy gritted his brother’s name out between clenched teeth. The man was on a roll today. He turned on the stool to face Sterling, cocking his head as his brother tilted the salt shaker, creating a small mound of white granules, and then his brother did the same with the pepper. He then grabbed a straw and began to mix the colors together.
“You guys finished eating?” Cody asked as he walked from behind chrome double doors, his eyes automatically zeroing in on the mess Sterling was making. Darcy let his leg swing lightly, glaring at his brother as he kicked him.
Sterling sighed and scooped the grains into a napkin and then dusted his hands off.“We’re finished.”
“Great. Since it’s so late, we can start first thing in the morning,” Cody replied as he grabbed the napkin Sterling had deposited his mess in and tossed it into a trash can.
“Do you know where we can stay for the night?” Sterling asked before Darcy had a chance to form the words on his lips. He glanced over at Cody.
“Well, the bed-and-breakfast is full. So there is only one place I can think of.”
“Pa’s,” the man who Darcy thought was a woman blurted out with a smile.
“Who?” Sterling asked, his dark-blond brows furrowed deep.
“Malcolm Lakeland. He has a ranch a few miles out. He also takes in people who need help,” Cody replied.
“No one said anything about needing help,” Darcy automatically shot at Cody and then regretted the words. Cody looked surprised at Darcy’s outburst. Sterling looked at him like Darcy had mental issues and had forgotten to take his medication.
Gods, he was screwing this up.
“I wasn’t saying you needed help. Pa Lakeland will give you guys a room to stay in until the bed-and-breakfast has an opening.”
Darcy wasn’t too sure he could afford a fancy place like a bedand-breakfast. Those places charged an arm and a leg. He was a bean counter, and that place would suck all of his beans right out of his pocket.
Darcy didn’t mind staying broke as long as he knew that he and Sterling had their savings. But he wasn’t willing to just throw money away. A cheap motel would do just fine, even if he was sick and tired of them.
“Thanks,” Darcy said with humbleness in his voice, realizing he had no choice but to take Cody up on his suggestion. It didn’t mean that he liked taking handouts, but knew when to shut up and play nice.
“I’ll give him a call and then give you the address. Like I said, it’s only a few miles from here.”
“How far is it to walk?” Sterling asked, and Darcy could hear the weariness in his brother’s voice. He knew the feeling. He was so damn tired that he could lie on the counter for the rest of the night with no problem.
Again, Cody looked surprised. But he didn’t ask how they had gotten to town. He just nodded as he pulled his cell phone out.“I can have one of the Lakeland men pick you up.”
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Darcy said before he could close his lips. Sterling had told Darcy time and again that he had too much pride, and it seemed to be shining through at the wrong time. Darcy was starting to see that Sterling was handling this situation better. For once, maybe he should let his little brother take the reins, although that was a foreign feeling for Darcy. He was the older brother, the one who should take care of Sterling, not the other way around. But he conceded.
Even if he didn’t want to.
“No bother. A few of the men who live on the ranch work here. Steven will be coming in in the morning anyway. You can catch a ride with him.”
It was really nice of Cody to offer Steven’s services without asking the man. Now he knew this town was a little too perfect. Darcy wasn’t normally a suspicious man, but there was just something about this place that was off. His gut was screaming for him to examine this place with a fine-tooth comb before he agreed to anything. He didn’t want to end up in a worse situation than what they had left in the city.
And he knew he would analyze that thought to death…once he laid his head down for the night. Darcy was tired as hell and knew his judgment would be impaired by lack of sleep and exhaustion.
Cody slid the cell phone back into the leather case attached to a belt loop.“Olsen Lakeland is on his way.”
“Thanks.” Sterling grinned at Cody and then turned toward Darcy, clapping him on the back.“I told you things would work out.”
Darcy wasn’t so sure about that. He noticed the way Cody was staring at him strangely. They were clandestine looks, but Darcy caught them all. The man seemed to be studying him, or hiding something. He just couldn’t tell.
After about twenty minutes, the diner door opened, and in stepped a very large man. Darcy’s instincts told him that this was the guy who he and Sterling were waiting on, and his instincts were also telling him to get as far away from the man as possible. There was another guy with him, and the redhead was larger than the first man.
“Here’s your ride,” Cody announced.
Darcy swallowed as he looked at both the men and then at Sterling. His brother was grinning.
Figures.
Sterling would grin even if a gun was held to his head. The man had no sense.
“You must be Darcy and Sterling,” the dark-haired man said as he nodded at both of them.“I’m Olsen, and this is Tater.”
Tater gave a tight grin, showing no teeth, but his eyes were friendly enough—too friendly in Darcy’s opinion. He wouldn’t look fully at Darcy, and that made Darcy even more suspicious. Maybe it was lack of sleep that had him on edge, ready to judge the whole town of friendly folks. Darcy had never reacted this way before when entering a new town.
He couldn’t understand why he was reacting this way. Never in his life had he been this suspicious, and it was giving him a damn headache. He didn’t like it, but couldn’t dismiss the gut feeling gnawing at him to leave this place and not look back.
“I’m Sterling,” his brother said as he jumped up and shook both men’s hands.“And that’s my brother, Darcy. Don’t mind him, he’s the brooding type. He’s well trained though, so you don’t have to worry about him biting anyone or pissing on your carpet.”
Darcy wanted to smack Sterling.
Olsen chuckled, and Darcy relaxed. The man had a genuine smile on his face, softening his rugged features. Maybe it was lack of sleep that had him on edge.
“Come on, gentlemen, let’s get you back to the ranch.” Olsen waved them toward the door, Tater walking out first. Darcy felt like a shrimp next to these massive men, and he was five-eleven.
“Cool truck,” Sterling said as he appraised Olsen’s truck. It really was a sweet-looking ride. It was better than what Darcy had, which was nothing. But the truck was decked out with add-ons that made it seem even more impressive, making Darcy a bit envious. What man wouldn’t be?
“Thanks.” Olsen opened the small door in the back, allowing Sterling and Darcy to climb into the extended cab. Darcy normally didn’t take rides from strangers, but with no place to sleep, what choice did he have? If he had enough time, Darcy would stand there and grill Olsen about where exactly they were going and why he should trust a complete stranger. But Darcy saw the exhausted look on Sterling’s face and decided he would let this one slide.
He didn’t like it though.
On the ride to the ranch, Darcy noticed Olsen and Tater’s fingers twined together. So, they’re a couple. Okay, he could get with that. Being gay himself, it was sort of a relief. He still hadn’t told Sterling about his preference for men, but the conversation had never come up. No time seemed right, and the longer Darcy took telling his brother, the harder it had become, to the point that Darcy hadn’t spoken a word about his sexuality.
Olsen turned from the main road onto a paved driveway. Darcy was impressed when they pulled in front of an old ranch house. It was the largest home he had ever seen while still maintaining the Victorian appearance. He especially loved the porch swing. It gave the house just the right added touch to make it a home. He liked it.
Darcy was a sucker for the country life. There was something about the fresh air and open fields that made him feel like he could set roots down.
Too bad he hadn’t found a place he liked yet.
And he still didn’t trust Brac Village, although it was the best town so far that they had come across. He just wished that gnawing in his stomach would go away.
“Here we are,” Olsen said with a bit of pride as he pulled the truck to a stop.“Pa has rooms already set up for the two of you.”
“We get our own rooms?” Sterling asked, and Darcy elbowed his brother. The man was acting like they were coming home or something.
“Yep.” Olsen climbed out of the truck, and then pulled the small door open to the extended cab. Darcy hopped out, staring up at the large, looming home. If only he could call this home. Once again, things were just too perfect.
“Come on, fellas.” This time it was Tater who waved them toward the house. Darcy glanced up toward one of the bedroom windows, seeing a man standing there staring down at him.
The guy watched Darcy as he slowly made his way to the porch. It must be the late hour, because Darcy could have sworn the man had black irises. Maybe they were just dark brown.
“Who is that?” Sterling asked as he stopped next to Darcy.
Olsen glanced up at the window they were staring at. The man hadn’t moved. He just stood there with a rather blank expression on his face as he stared directly at Darcy.
“That’s Raven.”
Raven.
Why did Darcy have a feeling that he was going to regret ever coming to this town? He shook his head, heading up the porch and following Sterling inside, praying he wasn’t making the biggest mistake of his life by coming to this ranch.
Chapter Two
Raven stepped back from the window, letting the curtain fall back into place as the image of the unknown man burned in his mind. He could hear the voices coming from downstairs, but he stayed in his bedroom. His younger brothers, Remus and Daniel, were downstairs, but Raven wasn’t sure going down there was a wise thing to do at the moment.
