Sunset Ridge (6 page)

“The entire county doesn’t need to know if you align yourself with people on the ranch you can trust.” In an uncharacteristic move, Georgia punched Gray in the shoulder. “You shouldn’t have to spend the rest of your life alone. Besides, I’ve spent enough time around those buyers of yours to know a few of them share your particular taste in partners.”

“No way. If there’d been a gay man through here I would’ve known it.”

Georgia put her hands on her hips. “You’re blind. That Russell whatever guy couldn’t stop staring at”—she gestured towards Gray’s groin—“ya know.”

Gray thought of Russell Farrington staring at his cock and almost threw up. “He’s, like, eighty!”

Georgia grinned. “Yes, but you get my point. I don’t believe you would lose your business if the truth were to get out. People in town might not like it, and you could lose some of your friends, but isn’t being happy worth the trouble?”

Although he’d grown up in Wellington, Gray had few friends. For the most part, he had what he’d call acquaintances. It was hard to let people get close when he had to hide one of the biggest parts of himself. He thought of Raleigh and how the truth would affect her. Appearances meant everything to his niece. She was popular in town and loved being the ‘it’ girl at her high school.

In a town of roughly three thousand people, Gray didn’t doubt there were other homosexuals in Wellington, but, like him, they chose to keep their secrets to themselves.

“You like Mr Ramsdale, don’t you?” Georgia asked, cutting into Gray’s thoughts.

“Yeah, but I’m not sure where it will go. What if I come out and Ram decides he can’t take the public scrutiny and leaves?”

“Then you’ll go on, but you’ll be prepared for the next time love comes your way.”

“I think it would be better to wait until Raleigh goes off to college. My problems shouldn’t become hers.” It would also give Gray seven more months to build something with Ram that would weather the storm ahead.

“You will do what you think is best. I know from experience there’s no changing your mind once it’s made up.” Georgia stood on her toes and kissed Gray’s cheek. “You can talk to me if you need to.”

“Thanks.” Gray left the kitchen and grabbed his hat on the way out of the front door. He’d been longer than ten minutes and hoped Ram was still interested in taking that ride. A ride to the cabin was still up in the air though. Hopefully he’d figure it out once they got away from the house.

* * * *

After saddling both horses, Ram mounted Bean, his black and white gelding, and waited for Gray to emerge from the house. Covering a yawn, he thought of the condom and small packet of lube in his jacket pocket and hoped he could stay awake long enough to finally have sex with Gray.

As hard as it was to keep his hands off Gray when they were within shouting distance of others, it was going to be nearly impossible once they reached the desolation of the far pastures. He shifted in his saddle when his body started to respond to the mental image of fucking Gray. With a shake of his head, Ram turned his thoughts back to his mom. Was he being selfish by spending the evening away from the hospital? Probably, but after watching the life drain from his mother all week he needed the comfort Gray’s arms provided.

The front door opened and Gray finally appeared. His long legs quickly ate up the distance across the ranch yard. “Sorry about that.”

“Everything okay?” Ram handed Bellamy’s reins to Gray.

Gray swung himself up onto his horse’s back and settled into the saddle. “Yeah.” He hit the upper latch and the gate swung open. Ram licked his lips as he followed Gray’s lead. It was the first time Ram had seen his sexy employer ride, and Gray definitely didn’t disappoint. Maybe it was the horseman in him, but there was nothing that turned him on more than the sight of a sexy man handling a horse like he was born to it. Ram took the time to shut the gate before catching up with Gray.

They rode in silence for about fifteen minutes before Ram started to get the uneasy feeling that something was wrong. “What’s bothering you?”

Gray glanced over his shoulder before looking at Ram. “Georgia knows.”

The news didn’t surprise Ram. He’d noticed the way the older woman had smiled at the two of them at dinner. “Does that worry you?”

“No.” Gray changed directions, and started towards a far rise in the landscape. “There’s a cabin out this way I’d like to show you.”

“Does someone live there?” Ram hoped Gray wasn’t taking him to visit an old neighbour. He wanted to spend some time alone with the man he couldn’t get off his mind.

“Nope. It belonged to my grandpa. After he died, I took the place on as my own. It’s the kinda place I can get away to and be alone with my thoughts. Evidently Georgia went to clean it a couple years ago and discovered my stash of videos and magazines.”

It didn’t take more than that for Ram to understand Gray’s quiet mood. No doubt Gray felt his privacy had been violated and was trying to cope. “That sucks.”

Gray nodded. “I’m not mad. More than anything I think I feel guilty that Georgia’s had to carry my secret for so long.”

They arrived at a dirt path and began to follow it. Ram was surprised Gray was willing to take him to his secret hideaway. “So you’re really taking me to your cabin?”

“Would you mind?” Gray asked, looking at Ram from under the brim of his hat.

“I’d be honoured.”

Gray kicked Bellamy into a canter. “Then let’s stop wasting time and get there.”

Chapter Four

By the time they reached the cabin, the sun had nearly set. “It’s bigger than I expected,” Ram said, dismounting Bean.

“Right at six hundred square feet. Plenty big for what grandpa needed.” Gray yanked on the saddle cinch and unbuckled it.

The action prompted Ram to do the same. Evidently Gray planned to stay a while, which was fine by Ram. Before long, both horses were unsaddled and safe inside a small corral with plenty of grass for them to eat.

While Gray pumped water from the old well to fill the trough, Ram decided to have a quick look around. Nestled in a grove of soaring eighty-foot sugar maples, the small log cabin looked like something from a postcard. The overhead leaves were just starting to change colour. Ram couldn’t imagine a prettier place to be in the fall.

“Nice, isn’t it?” Gray said, wrapping his arms around Ram from behind.

“Gorgeous.” Ram grabbed Gray’s hand as it headed down to his cock and pulled him towards the small front porch. “Show me the bed.”

Gray dug a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the deadbolt.

“Get a lot of burglars up here?” Ram asked, his hands roaming Gray’s back and ass.

Gray shrugged. “I told you, this is my place.” He pushed the door open and turned on a small floor lamp.

Ram’s first look at the interior of the cabin surprised him. The main house was furnished with practical leather furniture suitable for the dirt and sweat that came with ranch life, but Gray’s hideaway was completely different. From the soft chenille overstuffed couch to the quirky chandelier made of repurposed wine bottles, the cabin held treasures that were obviously important to Gray. “Yeah, this is definitely your place.”

Sex forgotten for the moment, Ram studied a painting mounted above the river rock fireplace. It was a watercolour portrait of the cabin. The fall leaves Ram had glimpsed earlier were depicted in perfect harmony with a newer version of the cabin. “Who did this?”

Gray stared at the painting and smiled. “Grandpa Conner. There are several more throughout the cabin. I found them here after his death.” Gray shook his head. “It seems he used this place for his secret passion as well. As far as I know, no one else knew he had such a gift within him.”

What was it about the Conner men that led them to hide the best parts of themselves from the outside world? Looking at the painting, Ram wished he’d known Gray’s grandfather. He realised what a gift Gray had given him by bringing him to the secret world he obviously loved. Now he understood why Georgia’s intrusion had upset Gray as much as it obviously had. Ram turned and pulled Gray into his arms. “Thanks for bringing me here.”

Gray covered Ram’s mouth with his own. The kiss was more than tongue play to Ram. It was the true beginning of what he hoped would be a lasting partnership. He’d had plenty of sex but he’d never felt connected. It might have been the intimacy of the cabin, but Ram thought it went beyond their location. Understanding dawned as the kiss deepened. He truly cared about Gray.

Suddenly kissing wasn’t enough. Ram needed more of Gray than he’d ever wanted before. He broke the kiss and reached down to unbuckle his belt. The bed was across the room, begging for attention, and Ram’s body yearned to roll naked in the sheets with Gray.

Buckle out of the way, Ram unbuttoned before lowering the zipper on his jeans. He watched as Gray mirrored his actions, their knuckles brushing more than once as they stripped out of their boots and clothes without moving away from each other.

Although it was close, Gray was the first to get naked. He went to his knees and swiped the pierced head of Ram’s cock with his tongue. “Mmm.”

While his brain still worked, Ram dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the lube and a single foil packet. He hoped they could do without the condom, but he wanted Gray to make the decision.

In the process of tonguing the silver Prince Albert, Gray stared up at Ram for several moments before knocking the condom to the floor. “Don’t need it. You’ve shown me your test results, and I’ve shown you mine.”

Those simple words spurred Ram into action. Although he loved the feel of Gray’s mouth on his cock, there were other things he wanted to get to before they were interrupted again. He reached down and pulled Gray to his feet. “Let’s go to bed.”

The light from the lamp beside the front door cast a soft glow on the bedroom niche carved out of the cabin. Because fall was upon them and they hadn’t bothered with a fire, the cabin was too cool to strip the covers from the bed. Ram slid between the sheets and waited anxiously for Gray to join him.

Naked, Gray took the time to lock the front door and close the curtains. By the time Gray joined him in bed, Ram’s cock had begun to soften.

Seemingly unaware of Ram’s predicament, Gray opened the bedside drawer and withdrew a bottle of lube. He placed the bottle at the head of the bed above them before pressing himself against Ram. “Mmm, finally.”

Ram stared into Gray’s eyes. “It’s after nine and we’re in the middle of four hundred acres. Did you really have to take the time to close the curtains?”

Gray brushed a kiss across Ram’s lips. “Old habit, I guess. Don’t read too much into it.”

Right.
Ram tried, once again, to remember the reasoning behind Gray’s request for absolute secrecy. He’d never been the kind of man who openly sought out men to fuck, but he’d never felt the need to hide who he was either. Still, Ram understood that everyone deserved to come out to their friends and family at their own pace.

Gray reached between them and wrapped his hand around Ram’s cock. He seemed surprised to find Ram’s erection deflated. When Gray started to withdraw his hand, Ram quickly reached down to hold it where it was. Looking Gray in the eyes, Ram knew he had to speak his mind. “I knew going into this that we’d have to keep things quiet, but I never imagined it would bother me so much.”

“Sorry, but…”

Ram shook his head, cutting Gray off before he could finish. “I know that. You’ve been upfront with me, and I respect you for it.” To soften his words, Ram brushed a kiss over Gray’s lips. “But would you do me a favour and not make it so noticeable? I’ve never been someone’s dirty secret, and I don’t care for it.”

Gray’s thumb lightly rubbed the tip of Ram’s cock. “I don’t want you to feel that way. You’re the most exciting thing to happen to me since I admitted to myself I didn’t feel any attraction towards women.”