The Stolen Suitor (27 page)

“Eric, there is no way I can hold you. You’re much bigger than me, and you’ve got the muscles to pull us up. Come on!”

“This is stupid and dangerous,” Eric said. “We should wait!”

But Chris didn’t think that was an option and apparently Eric didn’t either, because he handed Chris the rope.

Chris looked around one more time for any sign of lights and sirens, but they were alone in the storm. “No choice,” he muttered, more to himself than to Eric.

Jeremy wasn’t dead yet, and if Chris had anything to say about it, that wasn’t going to happen. And if he died in the process, well, that would be easier than living with himself if he did nothing.

Chris hoisted himself up onto the rough concrete railing.

IT
was awkward, but Chris got on his stomach on the railing, rope in his hand, and Eric grabbed his ankles. Slowly Chris walk-crawled down the vertical side of the bridge.

It was terrifying, much scarier than he would have guessed. But Eric’s hands on his ankles were tight, and Chris’s shoes seemed to be providing a deterrent against them slipping. He crawled down with his hands. Then he reached the place where the top of the piling curved sharply inward and he couldn’t use his hands anymore. He waved one arm, hoping Eric would understand. He did. Eric slowly lowered him another few feet.

Chris risked a look up over his shoulder. Eric’s forearms were braced on the top of the railing. This was as far as he could go. His face already showed strain. Chris took a deep breath. “Jeremy! Jeremy!”

Slowly, Jeremy raised his head and the white of his face appeared. His eyes widened. “Chris, no!”

“Grab the rope!” Chris wrapped the tail end of the rope several times around his hand and tossed down the lasso end.

Jeremy looked at it. It was within reaching distance now, but he appeared to be afraid to let go of the piling.

“Just try one hand!” Chris urged.

Jeremy let go of the piling with one hand, pressing against it as hard as he could, and reached up. His fingers closed on the rope.

Oh, thank God.
Still, they were all in a precarious position. It could go south at any moment.

“Can you get the lasso under your arms?” Chris shouted.

Slowly, hanging on to the piling with one hand and the rope with the other, Jeremy slid up the piling, getting to his feet. He wobbled and pulled hard on the rope. It bit into Chris’s hand, and he could feel his weight pulling on Eric. But Jeremy made it to his feet and got one arm and his head inside the loop. He tightened the knot, the rope under his right arm. That would have to be good enough, Chris knew. Jeremy couldn’t let go with the other hand.

Now, somehow, Eric had to get both Chris and Jeremy up. Chris looked up and behind him. Eric’s face was lost in the dark, but his posture was straining. And Chris realized Eric wasn’t going to be able to pull him and Jeremy’s dead weight up at the same time. And if he dropped the rope and Eric pulled him up, they’d be no better off than before.

Eric’s grip shifted a little on Chris’s ankles. Chris could feel Eric’s left hand tremble with the effort.

Chris looked back down at Jeremy. Jeremy’s face was against the piling as he clung to it with both hands again, his fingers white.

And there, hanging over the side of Noximon Bridge in the middle of a storm, Chris knew. “I love you, Jeremy,” Chris said, with a heavy resignation and a lump in his throat.

Jeremy looked up. Chris could see his lips curve. “I love you, Chris.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t leave you.” Chris’s voice was thick, but he meant it. Now he could feel both of Eric’s hands shaking on his ankles. Should he swing his body out when he fell? Make sure he didn’t hit Jeremy?

“Chris!” Eric shouted, his voice fearful. “I’m losing it!”

“It’s okay,” Chris said, not bothering to take his eyes off Jeremy to look up.

Jeremy gave him a small smile. “Let him pull you up, Chris. I’ll be fine.”

“No. I’m not leaving you.”

Jeremy rested his cheek against the piling, too tired to argue.

That’s when Chris finally heard the sirens and, above that, the sound of horses running at a full gallop onto the bridge.

One year later

IT
was a twelve-hour drive from Denver to Clyde’s Corner. Chris and Jeremy took turns driving Chris’s Jeep to get home for the weekend of the Fourth of July. There was someone they had to meet.

Jeremy wasn’t taking any classes over the summer. He’d taken a part-time job working the grill at a fifties diner because he refused to completely live off Chris’s income, but he was mostly focusing on a new novel as a summer project. He could hardly believe he’d finished his first year of college already.

Chris had gotten four days off from his marketing job at a trail-bike company in downtown Denver, and they’d loaded up the Jeep.

They’d been invited to stay at Big Basin. They drove through town first, though. It was dark by the time they arrived, and downtown Clyde’s Corner was decked with white string lights, flags, and red, white, and blue banners across the street, announcing the Fourth of July parade that was scheduled for tomorrow. It felt like home.

They were quiet as Chris drove slowly through the town. Jeremy squeezed Chris’s hand. He smiled as they passed Nora’s. He was eager to go there for breakfast and see everyone, and he knew Chris was looking forward to seeing his folks too. His dad had recovered fully from his surgery and was back to running the Merc like a general these days. Chris claimed he didn’t miss it at all.

When they got to Big Basin, the house was cheerfully lit, and there were several cars out front.

Jeremy felt the hum of nerves as Chris parked the Jeep.

“Ready?” Chris asked him, smiling.

Jeremy opened the passenger door with a huff. “This is at least a little weird.”

“It’s fucking awesome. Come on.”

Billy answered the door. His face was glowing and his welcome was enthusiastic. “Hey, look who’s here! Come on in! Come on in!”

Jeremy and Chris stepped inside and put down their bags. The whole house was lit up and there was the smell of something incredible—chili and cornbread, Jeremy guessed—coming from the kitchen.

“Jeremy!” Mabe came out of the kitchen with her arms held wide.

“Hey, Ma.” He hugged her. She looked different and felt different too. She’d lost at least another twenty pounds, and her hair was cut shorter and dyed a deep red. She wore a classy-looking tan sweater and slacks. “Hey, Chris!” She gave Chris a hug too.

“Hello, Mrs. Crassen.”

“Oh God’s sake, call me Mabe!”

Billy was still grinning at everyone, and Mabe put her arm through his in a suspiciously familiar manner. “There’s supper in the kitchen, but you might want to go in and say hello first. Once my grandbaby goes down, he’s down for the night. You were just like that, Jer! Slept six hours a night right off the bat.”

Jeremy and Chris looked at each other. Jeremy was still nervous. He wasn’t sure why. He just felt uncomfortable around Trix, even though it seemed she was happy with Eric, and he was certainly happy with Chris. It just was weird that his boyfriend used to date her. He’d learned he was the jealous type.

But when Chris took his hand and tugged him into the living room, all of that seemed so trivial.

Trix was sitting on the couch, homecoming-queen pretty in a soft white sweater and pajama bottoms. She was smiling and looking toward the window where Eric stood, holding a tiny infant and swaying back and forth. Eric was completely focused on the baby’s face.

Janie was curled up with her head on her mother’s lap, fast asleep. Lord, she’d grown since Jeremy had seen her last!

Trix noticed them and her smile widened. “Hey, Chris! Jeremy! Welcome to Big Basin!”

Chris went over, kissed Trix on the cheek, and snuck a fond look at Janie. “How are you? Was it another watermelon birth?”

Trix laughed. “Oh yeah. He’s a big boy. Ten pounds! I about squeezed Eric’s arm right off during labor. We’re doin’ good, though.”

“Yeah?”

“Yup. I think everyone in Clyde’s Corner has come by to meet the new Stubben. Last night Joshua and Ben came and brought him the sweetest little baby cowboy outfit! They told me to say hi to you two. Said they’d like to see y’all while you’re in town.”

Chris smiled and exchanged a pleased look with Jeremy. Maybe he was thinking, like Jeremy was, about that night on the bridge when Ben and Joshua had helped pull them both to safety. They owed those two a lot. “Glad to hear they’re doing well. How’s Bug dealing with the interloper?” Chris touched Janie’s head lightly.

“Oh, God, you’d think she was the mama. She wants to dress and feed John all the time. She told all her friends in summer school….”

Jeremy left Chris chatting with Trix and went over to his brother.

Eric gave him a soft smile, and Jeremy peeked around so he could see beyond the edge of the blanket. His nephew, John Frank Stubben, seemed tiny to Jeremy, no matter what Trix said. He was beautiful, though. He had fat cheeks, a flattish nose, a dimple in his chin, thick dark hair, and eyes as blue as cornflowers. He stared right up at Jeremy, looking way more wise than any baby had a right to.

“Look at him,” Jeremy whispered. “He’s amazing.”

“He is,” Eric agreed in a contented voice. “Got a set of lungs on ’im too. You should hear what he thinks of bath time.”

Jeremy reached out and stroked the baby’s itsy-bitsy hand. It opened up and closed around Jeremy’s finger. “Damn, he’s strong.”

“Sure is.”

Jeremy and Eric shared a look. A
can you fucking believe this amazing shit
look. Jeremy had never seen Eric so happy. “You’re getting a double chin, Bro. Married life agreeing with you?” Jeremy smirked, because a little brother couldn’t get
too
schmoopy.

“Am not. Shut up,” Eric said.

CHRIS
watched Jeremy with the baby, feeling all kinds of warm. Maybe someday… maybe someday, they could have a baby like that of their own. Maybe even more than one. One from Jeremy’s sperm and one from his, Chris thought. But Jeremy had a lot he wanted to do first.

“You love him,” Trix said, matter-of-fact.

Chris was perched on the arm of the couch, and he looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. “Yeah. I do. You?”

Trix looked a little abashed. “I know I told you I didn’t want to replace John. But…” She watched Eric holding their newborn and her eyes grew damp. “…that night at the river, when Eric risked his life to save Janie…. This sounds loony, but I felt John that night. I feel like Eric is a gift from John. Like John gave him to me and Janie to love because he couldn’t be with us anymore. Is that crazy?”

“No,” Chris said honestly. “It’s not crazy at all.”

A big guy walked into the room with a bowl of chili and a bottle of beer. He sat in an armchair with a sigh and looked at Chris. “Hey, Chris. How you doin’?”

It took a moment for Chris to realize what he was seeing. The guy across from him was huge and strikingly handsome, with dark hair and blue eyes and—
shit
. It was Henry Atkins. He had to have lost fifty pounds and shaved too.

“Hey, Henry,” Chris said, trying not to gape.

“Hey, Eric!” Henry said. “Ya gonna turn on the game? Ya need to get little John there used to baseball, man. Never too young to start.”

“Did someone say baseball?” Billy strolled from in from the kitchen with a beer.

Eric gave Trix a wistful look.

“Oh, go ahead,” Trix laughed. “Just keep the volume down for baby ears. I’ll put Bug to bed.” She got up, still looking a little sore, and urged Janie to her feet. The sleepy little girl didn’t notice a thing as Trix led her from the room.

Oh, well, Chris would get to say hi to her tomorrow.

Billy turned on the TV, and Eric settled down on the couch with the baby. Mabe came in, as anxious to see the game as any of them. Jeremy and Chris went into the kitchen to get food.

Before Chris could dip into the large vat of chili, Jeremy wrapped his arms around his middle from behind and rested his chin on Chris’s shoulder.

“Do you feel sorry that little baby in there isn’t yours?” he asked. “Be honest.”

Chris turned to face him, surprised. “No. Not even a little.”

“Good.”

“I think everyone ended up right where they belong. Don’t you?”

“I do,” Jeremy said solemnly. “But then, I’m always the hero of my own stories.”

Chris laughed. “Well, in this case, the supporting characters did all right too. Thank you for seducing me, Jeremy Crassen.”

“
Stealing
you,” Jeremy said. “Like this.” And he leaned in for a kiss.

#5

Taylor Maid
by Tara Lain

He'll marry the maid to get $50 million but a secret could queer the deal.

Taylor Fitzgerald needs a last-minute bride.

On the eve of his twenty-fifth birthday, the billionaire’s son discovers that despite being gay, he must marry a woman before midnight or lose a fifty-million-dollar inheritance. So he hightails it to Las Vegas… where he meets the beautiful maid Ally May.

There’s just one rather significant problem: Ally is actually Alessandro Macias, son of a tough Brazilian hotel magnate. But if Ally keeps pretending to be a girl for a little while longer, is there a chance they might discover this marriage is tailor made?

#6

Trial by Fire
by BA Tortuga

One Aussie. One Texan. One baby. One hell of a fight.

When his sister and her husband are killed in an accident, Aussie cattle station owner Lachlan McCoughney rushes to Texas to rescue their infant daughter, Chloe. He expects to find his niece living in squalor with the Sheffields, a rodeo family.

Instead, Lachlan finds Holden Sheffield, a salt-of-the-earth cowboy running a huge business operation. They want to explore their mutual attraction despite the many problems thrown their way, and together, they must find a way to give Chloe a new family and find a love that spans thousands of acres and two continents.