by Faith Gibson
“That’s all I can do at this point. Please, if anything comes up I need to know about, call me. Unless I’m in the middle of a show or rehearsal, I’ll answer. No matter what time it is.”
“You got it. Can’t wait to see your show in Nashville later this year. I can’t believe I know Cade Anderson,” Bryan said, laughing. Cade was a down-to-earth man, but it was still a little surreal to be having a friendly conversation with him like they were best buds.
“Yeah, not that exciting, is it?” Cade laughed, too, but Bryan could tell Mal wasn’t the only one hurting.
“I don’t know about that. I bet I’ve seen a side of you a lot of people don’t get the chance to.” The ‘standing in the kitchen with no shirt on staring lovingly at your boyfriend’ side.”
“You’re right there, but don’t go letting people know I’m not always the cool rock star. If you want, I’ll get you backstage passes. That way you can hang out side stage during the show.”
“Hell yeah! Thanks, Cade. And don’t worry about Mal. I’ll take care of him until you two are back together.”
“Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Later.” Bryan disconnected and once again turned his gaze skyward. Why did shit have to be so complicated? Speaking of complicated, Andy’s silhouette crossed the kitchen window. Bryan was figuring out the cattle and the horses. Now, if he could only figure out his best friend.
Chapter Nineteen
Andy
As well as things had been going, they slowly turned to shit. Ever since Mal found out Cade owned the farm, their boss became a surly ass. They had put off building the deck because neither Andy nor Bryan wanted to finish it only to have Mal say it wasn’t done properly. One of the rare occasions he was civil was when they were sitting around the fire on the Fourth. Kason had declined their offer to join them, saying he was fine with fireworks. He was on shift at the bar, anyway. They still cooked hamburgers on the grill and had a bonfire afterwards.
After he lost his temper over the tractor needing repaired, Mal retreated to his office where he had been staying more often than not, leaving Andy and Bryan to tend the cattle. It wasn’t that Andy didn’t like his job, because he did. With Mal staying closed up, Andy and Bryan divided and conquered the outside chores. Alone. When they set out on the horses, they went their separate ways and didn’t see each other until they were back at the end of the day.
This should have made their friendship stronger, but to Andy, it felt as if they were slowly drifting apart. Bryan had called Addison and taken her on a couple of dates. He wouldn’t talk about it afterwards, so Andy didn’t know if the date hadn’t gone well, or if Bryan didn’t want to rub it in Andy’s face. Neither one was acceptable as far as Andy was concerned. They should be able to talk to each other. All Andy knew was, after the second one, Bryan had come home with some weights in the back of the truck. He’d put them in one of the spare stalls and spent a good amount of time burning energy.
Bryan had also installed a chin-up bar in the barn, and Andy often found Bryan doing pull-ups when he was supposed to have gone to bed. One night, Andy had been restless and decided to go talk to the horses. The light in the barn was already on, and when he looked through the open door, he’d about jizzed in his jeans. Bryan was hanging by his knees doing upside down sit-ups without a shirt on. The flexing of his sweat-glistening muscles was more than Andy could handle, so he did the only thing he could – he returned to his bedroom and jacked off.
The two of them continued to cook together on Bryan’s night, and he was actually getting pretty good. Granted, it wasn’t gourmet, but it was more than edible. They were preparing supper when Mal made one of his rare appearances. “What’s for supper?” he asked.
“Chicken pot pie,” Bryan answered.
Bryan was rolling out homemade pie crust Andy had mixed up. They didn’t discuss who was going to do what. They naturally had an unspoken routine. They worked well together, and it did crazy things to Andy’s heart. He wanted their friendship back on track, but more than that, he wanted something more. Something Bryan wasn’t willing to give him.
“Say, do you know when Cade’s band is comin’ through Nashville?” Mal asked. Since Andy had his back to his boss, he didn’t know which one of them he was asking. Andy talked to Cade on occasion, but Bryan was the one the man reached out to most often. They talked at least every other day.
Bryan halted the rolling pin and turned toward Mal. “Yeah, you wanna go with?”
“You’re goin’?” Mal asked almost accusingly. He shouldn’t be surprised, though. Bryan was a fan of Cade’s music. The little bit of time they spent together that one morning had been filled with talk of albums and touring.
“Yeah, Cade’s getting me a backstage pass. I’m sure he’d get you one, too.”
“I’d appreciate it if you’d talk to him about it.”
“Why don’t you ask him yourself, Boss? I know he’d rather talk to you than me.”
“You talk to Cade a lot?”
“Not a lot,” Bryan fudged. If Mal knew how much they talked, he would probably toss Bryan out. Andy picked up the rolling pin and turned his back on Mal. This was not a conversation conducive to keeping their jobs. Jealousy was a righteous bitch.
“And what about you, Andy? You talk to Cade, too?”
“Not a lot,” he said, keeping his back to Mal. When he heard an almost imperceptible growl, he knew he had to do damage control. “Boss, Cade isn’t my type.”
“Oh, really? And what is your type?” Mal grumbled
“I like twinks,” he lied. There was no way Andy could admit that he preferred his men to be built like Bryan. Even though he had been hurt, that was because he was much smaller at the time and had trusted his boyfriend to protect him. His older, larger, stronger boyfriend. There was nothing sexier to him than someone who took great care of their body. Someone like Bryan.
“What the fuck’s a Twinkie?” Mal asked. If their conversation wasn’t so serious, Andy would have laughed. Gay men had so many names for the different types of bodies, but Mal wasn’t out and proud. He didn’t go to gay clubs. Hell, he probably didn’t watch gay porn if he didn’t know what a twink was.
“Even I know this one,” Bryan said. “It’s a man who looks young, almost like a boy still.” The look he was giving Andy wasn’t a friendly one.
“Why would you want a boy when you can have a big man to toss you around and manhandle you?” Andy looked at Bryan at the thought of him tossing Andy around. He grinned to hide his true feelings as well as hoping to remove the scowl from his friend’s face.
Mal huffed, “Oh, shut up. Seriously, why would you want a boy?”
Dammit. Now Andy had to continue the lie. He needed to make it sound convincing. “I don’t want a boy per se, but I like my men a little less hairy and masculine looking. I also like to be in control. I like to do the manhandling, if you get my drift.” While he wouldn’t mind handling Bryan, Andy didn’t know if he would be willing to hand over control in the bedroom to his best friend. He knew in his heart Bryan would never hurt him, but the thought of having someone that large behind him scared the shit out of him.
Mal must have accepted his explanation, because he changed the subject. “We’ve got two new guys startin’ tomorrow. They’re gonna be watchin’ over the place since my fuckhead father is up for parole next week.”
“Good,” Bryan said over his shoulder while he shredded the chicken. “Andy and I do our best to watch things, but eleven hundred acres is a lot of land to cover. If Dwight decides to come after you, it’s gonna take more than the two of us to watch your six.”
“Mr. Matheson sent me pictures of the men so we know what they look like. Their names are Cole and Toby. They’re former Marines like you.”
When Andy got a look at the photos, he whistled. “Holy shit, they’re hot.” The angry look Bryan flashed him confused Andy. Was he jealous?
Mal frowned and asked, “I thought you liked ‘em litt
le?”
Oh fuck. That right there was why lying was bad. You had to continue piling shit on top of shit. Eventually you’d step in the shit when it got too deep. “I do, but I can appreciate a fine piece of man when I see one, and those two are finer than frog hair.”
Mal laughed, and Bryan rolled his eyes. “As long as you keep the frog hair outta my pie, I’ll be happy. I’m gonna go for a drive. I’ll be back in a bit.” With that, Mal left them alone. Again.
Cole and Toby arrived the next morning. Cole was built a lot like Mal – tall and muscular, but in a lean way. He would be one of those sneaky bastards who could take you down with his quickness. His dark hair and eyes gave him a mysterious air. Toby was even more massive than Andy was. They had the same coloring, but where Andy’s blond hair was spiky and styled, Toby’s was still military perfection. You could balance a plate on his flat top. His eyes were a darker blue than Andy’s, but they were more haunted, if that was possible. This man had seen things even Andy hadn’t. As tough as Toby appeared, his deep voice was friendly.
After a while, Mal left the four Marines to talk amongst themselves. He said he trusted them to do whatever it was they needed to do to look after things. After chatting briefly about their time served, talk turned serious. Cole took point and asked Andy and Bryan to show them around the farm. It took most of the day, but Cole came up with a game plan that allowed for the most coverage. Until Dwight got out of prison, the four of them would take a quadrant to watch over during the day. Cole and Toby agreed to split the night shift, just in case. Andy and Bryan both offered to take turns, but Cole insisted he and Toby could handle it. Besides, they needed to be well-rested to continue doing their day job well.
On the morning of August 3rd, Mr. Matheson called with the news that Dwight’s parole hearing was the following day. He had come up with a plan, and he needed Cole and Toby to accompany him to the prison. The four men spent the day going over the best way to keep Mal safe in case things went awry. Mal wouldn’t like being babysat, but his safety was more important than his attitude. Curing the day, Mal was still sulking about this thing with Cade, but when it came time for supper, he joined the four Marines and actually participated in their conversations. The five of them were more like a brotherhood than boss and employees. Andy enjoyed having the other two men around. It gave him something to focus on other than his best friend.
Cole and Toby left before daylight to meet Mr. Matheson at the prison. They didn’t elaborate on the plan, but Andy figured if Cade was behind it, he was going to pay off Dwight Wilson to stay away from his son. That or kill the bastard. Toby had broken down his rifle, cleaned it, and put it back together faster than anyone Andy had ever seen. The man and his weapon were one. Andy didn’t want to imagine being a sniper. Being in charge of killing people with little to no intel had to be a mind fuck. He knew from those snipers in his platoon it took a special kind of mentality to do what they did.
Cole had insisted Mal remain in the house where Andy and Bryan would be able to keep him safest. He hadn’t complained about it, but he did shut himself in his office. Andy had a feeling he was doing something other than paperwork, but who was he to question his boss? He and Bryan both had tried countless times to get Mal to talk to Cade and try to work things out. Andy had tried making Mal mad and jealous by telling him if he didn’t want Cade, Andy would be more than happy to take him off his hands. That riled Mal up, but as far as Andy knew, Mal still hadn’t called Cade.
A few hours later when Mal got a call from Mr. Matheson, who they now knew was Cade’s uncle, the look on his face offered no clue as to how things went when Gerard and the two bodyguards met with Mal’s dad. His side of the conversation consisted of a lot of uh huhs and yeahs. Before he hung up, Mal said, “Why… Why would he do that?” He listened for a few more seconds then disconnected the call. Mal looked at them and, with no emotion in his voice, said, “It’s over. Gerard convinced my father to leave town and never come back.”
Andy and Bryan both gave loud cheers congratulating Mal, but he seemed to be in a daze.
“We should go celebrate!” Andy suggested, thinking that no longer having his life threatened should make Mal happy.
“We’ll do that tonight. Right now, I want to tell Ma the news.”
Andy knew where he wanted to go. He had been planning on testing a theory or two, and he knew just how to do it. He was going to suggest they go to the gay club in Nashville, and if things went as planned, Mal would realize how much he missed Cade, and Andy would know how Bryan really felt, one way or the other. When Mal returned, he gave them a little more detail about the “deal” Gerard had made with Dwight. He also informed them Toby was the one driving Dwight to Florida. Now that Mal’s life was no longer in danger, Cole and Toby wouldn’t be hanging around.
Andy suggested going to Primus, and Mal reluctantly agreed. They had to tell Bryan what kind of club it was, but he also agreed, saying he was secure in his manhood. Andy shut himself in the bathroom to get dressed. It took Bryan about ten minutes total to shower, shave, and dress. Andy? He could linger an hour if he set his mind to it. He wanted his hair to be perfect. He wanted everything to be perfect. Now that he’d taken a shower and was almost ready to go, he felt like he was going to throw up. He didn’t know if he could go through with his plan to find out Bryan’s feelings once and for all.
Andy closed the toilet lid and sat down, sticking his head between his knees. It took several minutes, but he finally felt well enough to leave. The three men piled into the cab of Mal’s truck and headed toward Nashville. Mal had the radio tuned to a rock station, and since it was really his night to celebrate, Andy didn’t mind. He’d started listening to some of Cade’s music so he wouldn’t feel left out if Cade came back one day. Andy prayed tonight proved to Mal he wanted Cade in his life. Cade was a good man who loved Mal with everything he had, even if everything included a shit ton of money.
Primus wasn’t as busy as Andy figured it would be, but it was a weeknight, and it was relatively early. According to Mal, who admitted to coming there in the past, the place didn’t start getting packed until around ten or eleven. They should have gone to eat beforehand, but they’d agreed to drinks first. Since they were there before nine, there was no cover charge. They walked in after showing their IDs and found a high-top table close to the dance floor. It was the perfect arrangement for what Andy had in mind.
Andy ordered a whiskey and soda. He downed it before leaving the bar and ordered a second one he took back to the table with Mal’s and Bryan’s beers. Andy sipped his drink while looking for the perfect dance partner. “Mal, see anybody you want to… dance with?” Mal frowned at him, but Bryan glared. “I mean, if you aren’t with Cade anymore, you can at least dance. Nobody says you have to take a trip to the men’s room.”
“Primus is a little classier than havin’ to get blown in the bathroom. There are private alcoves along the back hallway where you can duck in for a little privacy.”
“Good to know. See anyone who strikes your fancy?” That little tidbit of information worked nicely with his plan.
Mal took a swig of beer and glanced around the room at the men who were trickling in. There were all kinds to choose from, including several twinks Andy hoped to get up close and sweaty with the dance floor. When Mal stopped looking around, Andy pushed a little more. “Come on, Boss. This is your night to celebrate. If this isn’t getting it for you, we can go somewhere else.”
“No, I’m good here.”
Andy nodded and turned away before Bryan came across the table. Andy didn’t want Mal to hook up, but Bryan didn’t know that. He was a romantic at heart, and he knew Mal and Cade belonged together. Maybe the first part of his plan wasn’t working, but he wasn’t going to give up on the second part.
The music was some techno junk that Andy didn’t care for, but he was in a club, and he was ready to shake his ass. He noticed one of the twinks staring his way. When he made eye contact, Andy winked at the man. He
used the term man loosely. The guy had to barely be legal. He smiled even larger and made his way toward Andy. Andy remained seated and let the guy come to him. He spread his legs, and the guy stepped between them, getting much more intimate than Andy would have liked, but it was all part of the plan.
“Hey, Sugar. You wanna dance?” Twink asked, running his finger down Andy’s chest beneath his shirt.
“Sure.” Andy downed his drink and let the guy grab his hand. When the man wanted to wade deeper into the sea of bodies, Andy pulled back. “This is far enough.” Twink must have liked Andy’s authoritative tone, because he practically swooned. The music was fast, and the man was good with his body. He didn’t hesitate to shove his tight ass into Andy’s crotch. Andy put his hands on the guy’s hips and ground against him, praying his dick would get on board with what was happening. Andy closed his eyes and imagined it was Bryan he was grinding against, and his erection came to life. Twink had to think it was for him.
With all the bodies swarming around them, it was hard to remain close to the edge of the floor, but when Andy turned, the look on Bryan’s face said Andy’s plan was working. Someone approached the table. Bryan scowled, and Mal said something to the man, who walked off alone. The same guy came back to the table for Mal, and on the third try, Bryan got in the man’s face. Damn, that was hot. Now, to drive the final nail home. Andy told his dance partner he was going to find the restroom and wiggled his eyebrows for good measure. He wasn’t stupid enough to ask the man for a blowjob and then turn him down once they were out of Bryan’s sight. He didn’t want to be accused of being a cock tease even if that’s exactly what he was.
