The Tin Star (24 page)

She glanced back at them, then leaned on the counter, motioning them forward. She lowered her voice. “I don’t like this one bit. Those men are no good. They aren’t any better than Killian himself. I overheard Carl Blake and Jeff-what’s-his-name talking to Tom the other day. Said he’d gotten himself a new rifle and that it was going to come in handy for huntin’ fairies -- no offense, Jamie; just repeating what he said. He also said how the ‘damned fag’s boyfriend’ wasn’t going to come to his aid next time.”

Jamie saw his cowboy stiffen, but Ethan didn’t say anything.

Melissa shook her head and looked at Ethan. “Killian himself has been stirring up trouble. He’s trying to get the town council to change the zoning laws. The man has it in for you, Ethan, as much as he does for Jamie.”

Ethan shrugged. “Well, I can’t say he’s my favorite person, either. What’s up with the zoning laws? How’s that going to affect me?”

“Not you directly, darlin’, your Aunt Margaret. Heard Jeff telling Tom that Killian was trying to get the council to change the laws so your aunt couldn’t run her business out of her home anymore.”

Jamie gasped.
That son of a bitch!
It was one thing to try and run him out of town; it was another one entirely to try and hurt Margie and Ethan to get to him. “Damn it!” Maybe it would just be best if he left. He didn’t want to hurt any of them.

“No!” Ethan grabbed his shoulder.

“Huh?”

“I know damned well what you’re thinking; I can see it on your face. You are not leaving. We’ll fight this. He’s not going to win!”

“I don’t know, Ethan. I mean, I’d hate to see Jamie leave, too, but it might be for the best, at least for a short period.” Melissa gave him an apologetic smile. “Things will calm down after a while and people will stop talking.”

Ethan raised a brow. “Talking?”

Melissa cleared her throat. Her gaze darted back and forth between them. “You know, saying you’re gay, too, and how you and Jamie are together.”

Ethan faced her squarely. “I really don’t give a shit what everyone thinks. Fuck ’em! Maybe Jamie was right in the first place, maybe hiding isn’t the answer. They don’t have to like me, but I’ll be damned if they run me and the people I care about out of town. We have as much right to be here as they do.” He pulled his wallet out and tossed it to Jamie. “Pay Melissa. I’m going next door to get a bite to eat. I can’t think on an empty stomach.” He turned and stalked out, leaving Jamie and Melissa speechless.

Melissa watched him leave, then her shocked gaze snapped back to Jamie. “Oh, my God! It’s true? Y’all are lovers?”

Jamie shrugged. How the hell was he supposed to answer that?

“Damn! Another good one lost. I swear! It
is
true! Y’all are either married or gay!”

Jamie laughed. “My sister says the same thing. I'll tell you just like I tell her: you’ll find a good man one of these days.”

She grinned and patted his hand. “Maybe. I’m beginning to give up hope. You wanna come back and pick up your order after y’all eat?”

“Yeah. I better pay you and find him.” He handed her Ethan’s credit card, signed for it, then put Ethan’s wallet in his shirt pocket. “Thanks, Melissa. We’ll meet you at the ramp ’round back in about half an hour?”

“That’d be fine, darlin’ Take your time.”

He nodded and turned to leave.

“Jamie?”

He reversed.

“Be careful. I don’t think you and Ethan should leave town either ... not really. Y’all do have as much right to live here as anyone, but please be careful! I don’t trust your daddy or those men he’s got working for him. Not one bit.”

He tipped his hat in thanks for her concern. “I don’t either, Melissa. I don’t either.”

Chapter Seventeen

Jamie walked into the little restaurant across the street from the feed store. Ethan was sitting at the booth in the back corner, frowning at his salad and stabbing pieces of it with his fork.

Jamie tossed Ethan’s wallet onto the table and slid into the booth across from him. “Geez, what did that salad do to piss you off?”

His cowboy looked up, brown eyes flashing from under his black hat. “The salad didn’t piss me off, you did.”

Huh. He hadn’t expected that. He’d thought Ethan was pissed about Jacob trying to cause more problems.

“Goddammit, Jamie, if you want to leave so fuckin’ bad, then go! You’re the one who convinced me that we have to fight this. That we need to make people accept us, not stick our heads in the sand and pretend to be like everyone else so that their delicate sensibilities aren’t disturbed.”

Aha!
Jamie grinned.

Ethan glared.

“I’m not going anywhere, Cowboy. Not unless you come with me.” And he meant it. He wasn’t leaving unless Ethan wanted him to. He was finally making a place for himself and he’d be damned if he’d toss it all aside the way he’d been tossed. He’d fight as long as Ethan would fight with him, as long as there was something worth fighting for.

Ethan sighed, his face relaxing. The anger disappeared.

Under the table, he ran his booted foot up the side of Ethan’s leg. “I can’t say I’m thrilled about causing you problems. I never meant to do that. And I damn sure don’t like causing Margie grief, but I’m not going anywhere, Ethan. It was just a fleeting thought.” He stared into those brown eyes, begging the man behind them to understand, willing him to see everything he felt inside. Everything he was afraid to say out loud for fear that he’d somehow jinx it.

“I won’t leave unless you tell me to. If I run now, I’ll always be running.” He winked. “Unless I run off to California to be with all the other oddballs.”

“Well, now, that’s just stereotyping ... prejudiced, even. I went to school with a guy from California. He was a good man.”

Jamie raised a brow, staring into his cowboy’s suddenly twinkling eyes. “Yeah? I guess you’re right. It is stereotyping, isn’t it? The old, ‘in Texas, men are men, steers are steers, and queers should all move to San Francisco’ mentality. I’m sorry.”

Ethan smiled. “’S okay; that guy was weirder than hell.”

Jamie laughed. “We all right now?”

“We’re good. I just ... I don’t want you to be anywhere but here, Jamie. We’ll handle it. I can guarantee you that Aunt Margaret won’t want you gone, either.”

Jamie blinked. His damn eyes were all watery. He grabbed Ethan’s tea glass for something to do, and took a drink as the waitress came over and set another glass down in front of him.

“Here ya go. You want your salad now? Y’all’s chicken fried steaks will be out in a minute.”

Jamie looked up at the waitress and smiled, and gave Ethan his tea back. “Sure. Thank you.”

“Welcome, hon.” She winked and left.

“Hope the order’s okay with you.”

Jamie smiled. “What if I didn’t want chicken fried steak?”

Ethan nudged him under the table with his foot, not quite a kick. “Don’t be difficult.”

“When am I ever difficult?”

“You’re always difficult, or you’d have gotten it through your thick skull a long time ago that I want you here.”

Jamie sat quietly for several minutes. Then, “I’ve got it, Cowboy. I’m staying and I won’t ever doubt you or that I belong here again.”

Ethan nodded. “Good.”

“We’re going to need to sit in on the town council meetings to find out what the hell is going on.”

“Yeah. I already asked around; they have one this next Friday. Already called Hunter to tell him about what Melissa overheard, including the rifle comment.”

Jamie nodded. That was his cowboy, already looking ahead.

Their lunch arrived and they finished their meal with talk about the ranch and the upcoming holidays. Jamie thought both of them were more at ease with each other now.

* * * * *

Ethan pulled the last bag of feed off the truck, threw it over his shoulder and headed toward the barn.

Jamie came out just as he was going in. “That it?”

He dropped the bag on top of the others. “Yeah. What now?” A hand cupped his ass.

“I can think of a few things.”

Ethan chuckled as his cock perked up. “I bet you can.” He leaned in for a quick kiss.

Jamie’s hands, as usual, began roaming everywhere at once. His sweet little moans weren’t long in following.

Ethan pulled back, his prick throbbing, and stilled those octopus hands. “Good thing Bill’s out with the boys. Inside, Blue Eyes.”

Jamie whimpered, but followed him outside and across the way into the house.

No sooner did the door shut behind them than Jamie was all over Ethan. Pushing him against the wall, kissing the living daylights out of him. He could barely catch his breath. Before he knew what hit him, Jamie had his jeans open and was kneeling in front of him, sliding that hot, incredible mouth over his cock. “Oh, damn! Jamie!”

Jamie suckled the head for a few luscious seconds, then that greedy mouth was sliding down his shaft, taking him deep. Those whimpers, sexy as hell, filled the air as his Blue Eyes swallowed his cock, sucking and licking like his life depended on it.

Pale blue eyes peered up at him, Jamie’s gray hat tumbling to the floor as his swollen lips and one hand worked Ethan’s prick. Fuck! The sensations were indescribable. His balls pulled up, his cock jerked. Damn, Jamie had become an expert at blowjobs, all right!

Jamie’s other hand found his balls, fondling and teasing. His cheeks hollowed out every time he pulled up.

Ethan grabbed that dark head, sliding his fingers into the thick black hair, gripping fiercely. He tried not to thrust, to be still, but he was failing miserably. That hot mouth on his cock -- it was like a fucking work of art. He groaned in time with Jamie’s little mewling noises.

Jamie seemed to be enjoying it as much as he was. His other hand slid around to Ethan’s ass, pulling him closer, encouraging him. All the while those blue eyes peered up at him.

“Oh, fuck, baby!” Ethan thrust, fucking that tender mouth. Jamie accepted it, tugging him closer, his other hand still working Ethan’s balls. His eyes closed and he moaned, stiffening a little, but continued to suck Ethan’s dick.

The knowledge that Jamie had just come in his jeans from sucking him off was exhilarating and pushed Ethan to orgasm. He hardened still more, held that beautiful face to his groin as he came down the back of Jamie’s throat with a hoarse groan.

Jamie sucked and laved him even as Ethan’s cock softened. He finally pulled away and kissed Ethan’s hip, then nuzzled his face in the crease of Ethan’s thigh. Ethan’s fingers released Jamie’s hair. He sighed, stroking the black strands out of Jamie’s face.

Jamie gave him one last kiss and smiled up at him. “Damn, it’s good to be home.”

Ethan smiled back, feeling a stab of relief.
Home.
His and Jamie’s. Jamie was here to stay.

“Where the fuck did my hat go?”

Ethan laughed. So much for romance.

* * * * *

When he woke up, it was almost dark and Ethan was not in bed. He lifted his head and looked around. Hmm, didn’t look like he was anywhere in the room. Jamie sat up and stretched. Where the hell had his lover gone? How was he supposed to wake his cowboy up with a kiss if he wasn’t there? Guess they weren’t going to have another round of fucking.

Jamie got out of bed and pulled on a clean pair of jeans and the shirt he’d worn earlier. Ethan was probably downstairs. Maybe even fixing supper, if he was lucky. That would be nice. It would save him the hassle of cooking. Of course, if Ethan was taking care of their meal, it was TV-supper night, but that was okay, too.

He got into the kitchen only to find it empty. There was a note on the counter, however.

Went to town to pick up supper. Be back soon. Love, E.

He touched the last two words gently.

“Hmm, wonder where he went to get supper.” He looked out the back window and saw Bill walking toward the bunkhouse. He opened the door. “Hey, Bill! You know where Ethan went?”

Bill grinned and ambled on over. “Yep.” He smiled.

“Well?”

“If ya wait just a little longer, you’ll find out.” He grinned and headed back to the bunkhouse.

Okay, that was weird. Damn, he hated secrets. The sound of a vehicle pulling up cut off any further thoughts. From the corner of his eye, he saw something red. He turned his head and saw Ethan come to a stop in Jamie’s truck.

Jamie felt a huge smile beaming from his face. Wow, Ethan had gone and gotten his truck from the body shop! He hadn’t even known that it was ready. After a week of messing with the insurance company and another two weeks in the shop, he had begun to give up hope that he’d ever get it back. The Mustang was great, but he’d missed his truck. Ethan was going to get the biggest kiss of his life for this.

Jamie started down the steps to meet his cowboy. Ouch! He should have put his boots on. Oh, well, he’d tough it out. He wanted to see his truck -- and the man who’d driven it back.

Ethan stepped out of the truck, grinning at Jamie. He opened his mouth to say something, but a shot rang out.

“Shit!” Jamie looked around real quick, but didn’t see anybody. He turned back to Ethan to question him before he noticed the look of shock on his cowboy’s face. Then a red stain appeared on the front of his light blue shirt.

“Fuck! Ethan!” Jamie took off running toward his lover. The only thought in his head was that he had to get to Ethan. Everything felt like it was in slow motion. He could see Ethan begin to fall. From a distance, Bill was yelling for him to get down.

He ran, his bare feet barely registering the sharp gravel on the driveway. He reached Ethan seconds after he hit the ground belly first, his cowboy hat rolling past Jamie’s foot.

“Ethan!” He landed on his knees, sliding into Ethan, one leg hitting a muscular shoulder. Jamie rolled Ethan over and shielded him with his own body. Ethan’s eyes were closed, his face pinched, rapid, shallow pants bursting from his lips. “Fuck! Bill! Call 9-1-1! Get us a helicopter here now! And call Sheriff Hunter!”

He barely heard Bill’s quick acknowledgment before Ethan gasped something and pulled him down.

He leaned down to hear. “What?”

Pain-filled brown eyes looked up at him savagely. “I said, get your ass down! Before they decide to shoot you, too.”