Keys to Love (24 page)

Morgan gave him a doubtful look.

Julian held up one hand as he relented. “Okay, I used to go three times a week and swim every morning until a certain someone started giving me workouts of a different and more enjoyable kind.”

Morgan laughed and held his hand out to him. “Let’s go.”

Julian took it and walked with him toward the trailhead, Chopin trotting in front of them without a leash, as Morgan told him the dog never strayed. They entered the woods, the air cool and moist, smelling of fallen autumn leaves and wet earth.

Julian breathed deep the refreshing scent. It invigorated him, as if touching a part of himself he’d never known he had.

They walked slowly up the ragged little trail that wove in a gentle incline, then dipped again. Julian gazed into the forest, drinking in the leaves colored with fiery reds, burning oranges, brilliant yellows, and some still vibrant green. He had admired the forested mountains when they were driving toward them.

From a distance they were stunning, a collage of color all blended into smooth slopes, but now he saw the individual pieces, the oaks, the maples, the birches, and so many others that made the mountains what they were.

Morgan squeezed Julian’s hand. “You’re so quiet.”

“I’m just taking it all in. I’ve never really paid much attention to natural things. I’ve flown over or driven through mountains and forests hundreds of times and always thought, how pretty, but it seems different now.”

“Because now you’re really looking at it. You’re seeing how each small thing is intricate to making the greater thing beautiful.”

Julian turned a smile on him. “And I have you to thank for it.”

Morgan stopped. He lowered his head and laid a tender kiss on Julian’s lips.

As they drew apart, Chopin let out a bark. Both turned in his
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direction a few feet up the trail. He rapidly sniffed at something on the ground, his tail wagging at a furious pace.

“Did you find something, Sho Sho?” Julian called as they approached.

Morgan shot him a confused look. “Sho Sho?”

Julian sighed. “It’s what Jesse calls him. I didn’t even realize I said it.”

“You know, I’m starting to get jealous of all the time he’s spending with him.”

“What? Like Jesse’s the other man in his life?”

“Exactly!” Morgan squatted next to Chopin and laid an arm over the Golden Retriever. “So you found a turtle.”

Julian stared down at the small creature hiding in its black shell accented with yellowish lines. “What’s it doing out here?”

Morgan grinned at him. “It lives here.”

Julian rolled his eyes. “I figured. But I thought turtles lived in water.”

“He’s a box turtle, so he’s happy living in the woods.” Morgan carefully slid his fingers under the turtle’s shell and slowly lifted it from the ground. He stood and held it up to Julian’s eye level.

“But we’re not far from the stream we’re going to camp by either.”

Julian peeked into the turtle’s shell at its leathery face, its tiny hooked beak.

Morgan smiled at Julian’s fascinated expression. “Another part of the world you’ve never seen before.”

Julian looked at him. “Another of the smaller beauties.”

“That’s right.” Morgan placed the turtle on the ground in the same way he’d found it, then took Julian’s hand again. “Not too much further now.”

They walked for another half mile, Morgan pointing out things to Julian; gouges on a tree where a buck had rubbed the velvet from its antlers, tiny wildflowers blooming in the shadows of the trees, the songs of various birds. It felt almost surreal to Keys to Love
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him, as if he’d stepped into another world, and for him, he had.

The trees thinned, and Julian heard rushing water. They walked from the forest to a stream rolling over boulders and the silt bank dotted with large rocks. The area where they came out was fairly clear, though further along the bank and on the other side, trees kissed the water’s edge.

Morgan shrugged out of his pack near a couple downed logs. “We’ll set up the tent first, then dig the fire pit, gather some wood, and we’ll be set.”

Julian set his pack next to Morgan’s, then sat on one of the logs, watching Morgan untie the tent in a long, blue nylon sack from the top. “That’s all of it in there?”

“Yep.” Morgan pulled several steel poles from the sack and handed them to Julian. “You can be in charge of the poles.”

Julian gave Morgan a smirk. “I am rather handy when it comes to poles.”

Morgan leaned toward him. “Especially when you’re using your
hands
to make them
come
.”

Julian touched their lips together in a light kiss. “Already getting naughty, are we?”

“I’ve been trying to restrain myself all day.” Morgan delivered a deeper kiss.

Julian wrapped his arms around him. His lips still on Morgan’s, he whispered, “I knew I wanted this, to have you completely to myself, but I didn’t realize how much. Why have we tortured ourselves like this?”

“It’s hard to remember, isn’t it? Things like people being difficult about our relationship and my job seem pretty meaningless right now.”

Julian placed his hand on Morgan’s jaw, caressing the stubble with his thumb. “I know we agreed to talk to everyone, and you said you’d accept my help if the worst happened and things didn’t work out with you continuing to work on the tour, but I also want you to stay on the road with me. The thought of sending
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you back to Chicago while I continue on, I don’t even want to think about it.”

Morgan laid his hand over Julian’s. “I’ll stay with you on the road.”

“Then after we return home, I want to continue helping you until you find another teaching job and get the store running well again.”

Morgan chuckled under his breath. “You want an awful lot of things.”

Julian’s expression remained resolute. “I’m serious.”

Morgan gazed at him for a moment. He lowered his head and shook it. “It could take a very long time for me to find another teaching job. I’ve actually been playing with the idea of going back to school myself. Maybe if I got my Master’s, it’d make me more marketable, or even let me look at colleges for a professorship.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea.”

“Yeah,” Morgan said softly. “But it’d take a long time and a lot of money.”

“I don’t care how long it takes. If you’d like to go back to school, I’ll help you and cover your tuition.”

Morgan snapped his head up in a look of shock. “Jules…”

Julian held up one hand. “There’s just one thing I’d want from you in return.”

“What?”

Julian cupped Morgan’s face in both hands and met his gaze.

“For you to move in with me.”

Morgan’s breath fled from him. “You’re serious?”

“I already said I was. You don’t have to answer now. Take some time to think about it.” Julian smiled. “I know you’ll need a few minutes to talk it over with that pride of yours.”

Morgan laughed softly. “Yeah, maybe just a few.” He slid one hand to the back of Julian’s head as he brought their lips together in a passionate kiss. He slowly drew back, his voice a breathless Keys to Love
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whisper. “We better get things set up before it gets dark.”

Julian nodded.

Morgan stood and held both hands down to him. Julian took them and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet by Morgan’s strength. He helped Morgan set up the tent, which to his surprise was much larger than he thought and couldn’t quite understand how it managed to come out of the small bag. They laughed and joked through the process, but he couldn’t deny part of him felt hurt that Morgan hadn’t jumped at his offer to live with him.

He shouldn’t have expected him to, not with how independent Morgan was, but he started to fear his feelings had deepened quicker for Morgan than Morgan’s had for him. Julian felt like kicking himself. Twenty-six years old and he still didn’t know how to do things right in a relationship. He realized some time ago he was falling in love with him. Being without Morgan after their fight made him fully acknowledge it. Before asking Morgan to move in with him, he should’ve told him he loved him. He had moved a step too quickly. What if Morgan wasn’t in love with him yet? What if he never would be?

Julian tried to stop the doubts and anxiety before they took control of his mood. He saw Morgan putting the finishing touches to the tent and forced a smile, raising his hands in a light applause. “Well done!”

“Yeah, not too bad considering I haven’t done it in years, and this is a new tent.” Morgan turned to him and paused. “Is everything okay?”

“Of course. What could be wrong?”

“You look a little upset.”

Julian let out a doubtful snort and walked past him. “If I do, it’s because I’ve realized I can’t hold off on going to the bathroom any longer.”

Morgan gestured out to the woods. “Pick any tree or bush, but don’t go too far. There are bears in these mountains.”

“Oh, lovely.”

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Morgan watched him disappear into the woods, then turned to retrieve a small shovel from his pack. He worked on clearing a spot for the fire pit, and though his hands moved automatically, his mind lingered on Julian’s early words. He hadn’t expected Julian to ask him to move in with him. What he expected even less was how badly he wanted to say yes. After the fight they’d had, when he’d faced those handful of hours filled with uncertainty as to whether they’d be together again or if he’d ruined things between them, he’d realized he didn’t ever want to be without Julian.

So why hadn’t he accepted immediately? Because it didn’t feel right to say yes to such a thing without first telling Julian he loved him. He had to tell him. He couldn’t let Julian think he was accepting his offer for no reason other than the benefits to himself. Yes, he wanted to teach again, and of course he wanted the store to return to success and profit, but what he wanted more was a life with Julian.

Morgan glanced back in the direction Julian disappeared.

“Jules, you doing okay?”

“I’m fine.” Julian stepped around a tree and some brush.

“That was an…
experience
.”

“Nothing like feeling the cool breeze where it doesn’t often touch, huh? I was starting to worry about you, it was taking so long.”

“Well, I sort of had to convince it that it was alright to come out.” Julian held up his hands. “And now where am I supposed to wash?”

Morgan pointed to the stream with the shovel.

Julian’s hands fell to his sides. “Of course.”

Snickering, Morgan watched him walk up to the stream bank.

“But be sure to wash them downstream so all the nasty gets washed away.”

“As if there’s not already nasty in this water.”

“I’ll bet it’s cleaner than the bottled stuff you’re always drinking, with its refreshing pictures on the label of crisp Keys to Love
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mountains, when it’s really coming out of any Joe’s garden hose.”

When Julian didn’t answer, Morgan stretched his neck to see what he was doing. Julian kneeled on the bank, letting the water rush and swirl around his fingers while he gazed at it like a fascinated child. Morgan smiled and turned back to finishing up the fire pit.

Julian rose from playing in the water, grinning to himself. He turned to Morgan, wiping his hands dry on his jeans.

“Now that’s something I never thought I’d see,” Morgan said.

“What?”

“You just wiped your hands on your pants. I do believe you left some of your sophistication back with civilization.”

Julian waved him off. “Now what?”

Morgan stood and held his hand out to him. “Now we gather some wood.”

Julian pulled Morgan to him, pressing their hips together as he slid one hand around to stroke Morgan’s ass. “That sounds like fun.”

Morgan grazed his lips across Julian’s. “That wasn’t the type of wood I was talking about, but it
is
part of the later plan.”

Julian kissed him, then with Chopin leading the way, they traveled along the forest’s edge gathering their wood supply. As they brought the last load back, dusk threw a purple haze over the trees, yet lighted the stream with a fiery glow. Julian sat on the ground, leaning back on one of the logs. He gazed at the water, then looked at the opposite bank. He saw movement. He sat up straighter, his heart started to pound faster. The sound of soft rustling and cracking twigs carried over the gurgling stream. Dark shapes moved among the trees like living shadows.

“Morgan,” he called in a loud whisper.

Morgan glanced back at him. Julian’s gaze remained fixed across the stream. Morgan moved to his side. “What it is?”

“Something’s over there. You said there are bears in these
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mountains, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but they’re usually very shy.” Morgan let out a low whistle. Chopin was instantly at his side. He put one arm around the dog.

The rustling grew louder, then stopped.

Julian glanced at him. “What’s our defense against a bear?”

“Praying it doesn’t eat us. Well actually, it wouldn’t eat both of us, anyway. Just whoever is slowest.”

Julian shoved him hard and spoke in a loud whisper, “You’re not funny.”

Chuckling, Morgan put his index finger to his lips. “Shhh, I know what it is. Or what they are. Sit very still and watch.”

Julian shot him a doubtful look, but did as Morgan said. After a few minutes of silence, the rustling sounded again. A stag with a massive set of antlers stepped from the shadows.

Julian let out a soft gasp and laid one hand on Morgan’s arm.

Morgan grinned at him and rested his hand over Julian’s. The stag took a cautious step closer to the stream, then another. More rustling came from behind him and a doe emerged, followed by three more. The stag’s head moved back and forth as he eyed the blue tent. He snorted and stomped one front hoof.

“Is he angry we’re here?” Julian whispered.

“He’s being cautious. He knows something’s different and he’s warning the others to be on guard.” Morgan shook his head slightly. “He’s one of the biggest deer I’ve ever seen. Good thing he’s living in a protected area.”