“There’s someone out there for you,” Sully assured him.
Griffin shrugged off the subject. “You know…I’m glad I came out to
Verus
today. I feel like I was finally able to close a door.”
Sully felt similarly, though Griffin’s words didn’t match his expression. “I’m glad you did, too. So, um…do you mind if we talk about Kally Kin a sec?”
“Nope; shoot.”
“What was she like when she first got to your place?”
“Headstrong but a little withdrawn—I think that was from moving from one home to another. Once she settled in, she was a great jumper. Really intelligent. Easy to work with and eager to show what she can do. Then one morning she was just…a different horse. It got harder and harder to get near her, let alone train her.”
“I’m not one hundred percent confident there isn’t an underlying physical issue. She’s let me close enough to groom her but if she feels like I’m taking too long, she gets wound up again.”
Griffin sighed. “She’s a really good horse. I hope you can get to the bottom of this.”
Sully nodded. Caught up in his thoughts, he swirled a fry through the pool of ketchup on his plate. “I wish Cord was here. It might sound strange, but he helps me think.”
“Cord?”
“My partner…the boyfriend I mentioned.”
“Oh…” Griffin sounded just a little disappointed, which underlined Sully’s suspicion about the claim of no lingering feelings. “So you hooked up with some farmer from BFE? I guess there aren’t a lot of pickings over in cow country.”
Sully cocked an eyebrow at his companion and laughed. “Like there were a lot here when we were growing up? Anyway, Cord’s not a farmer; he’s a cowboy. He grew up on the rodeo circuit and rode broncs until he quit and came to work for the
Flying D
—that’s the ranch where we live. I work there, too.”
“Rodeo? How could a guy hope to compete with that?” Griffin said dryly.
Sully shook his head. “It’s not a competition…no contest, remember? Ask Socrates.”
A quiet snort reached him from across the table. “Right.”
Feeling as if they were straying into sticky territory, Sully altered the direction of the conversation and asked about the changes in town since he’d been gone. Happily, Griffin took off into the subject of their old acquaintances and getting him up-to-date on the Blue Grove dirt.
* * * *
Twilight shadows had fallen over
Verus
by the time Cord arrived, even so he could admire the beauty in the land here. Large, split-rail pastures ran as far as the eye could see to both sides of the long drive to the house. In the distance, the looming outlines of mountains promised a spectacular view when it was full light once more. Everything was a lush green, teeming with life. As he approached the plantation-style home, he also spied a large stable and a couple barns nearby.
This was where Sully had grown up. No wonder he was so comfortable in Daly. The splendor of this place, however, amplified the uneasy feeling Cord had brewing in his gut. If he struck out on his own, he could never afford a place like this or the
Flying D
. Though he had a lot of savings, he doubted he could manage a spread even as large as the smallest ranch in Daly. What would he even be offering Sully?
Cord sighed. Maybe, he needed to just forget his pie-in-the-sky dreams and settle for the life he had. Admittedly, his current situation didn’t suck. He just wanted…more.
When he pulled up to the house, a tiny woman waited on the porch that ran the length of the place. Floodlights illuminated the area, almost as bright as day.
“I’ve got a gun,” she called as he got out of the car. “If you’re planning any funny business, you’d best be on your way.”
“I’m not here for trouble, ma’am.” He didn’t try to advance up the steps, not until she gave him the go-ahead. “I’m just here for Sully, um, Sullivan Przkop.”
“And what do you want with him? I won’t have some hooligan running off my grandson again.”
Cord grinned inwardly. This woman had spunk. No wonder Sully spoke so highly of her. He just hoped Sully had spoken of him to her, though she might not be thrilled that he’d eventually
take
Sully away. “I wouldn’t ever hurt him,” he said. “I’m Cord—Cord Sabatello. Sully’s partner. Maybe, he’s mentioned me?”
She crossed her arms, and he saw she did not in fact have a gun. Her brow furrowed and she appeared worried. Or maybe that was fatigue and a little pain. He’d seen that look enough times on the rodeo circuit.
Just then, a man bearing striking resemblance to Sully came out of the house in pajama pants, his T-shirt stretched over his thick muscles…and not a bit of infirmity to be seen. This had to be Sully’s brother, so what the hell?
“Where’s Sully?” Cord growled. This had to be the reason for no communication from his lover. They’d done something to him!
“Whoa, there,” the man cajoled, holding up his hands and stepping around the woman as if to protect her. “Sully’s fine. He’s out with a friend right now, but we’re expecting him back soon.”
“You tricked him,” Cord said through his teeth, fury for his partner burning through him.
“I did, and we’ve hashed it out,” Brian—that’s what Sully had told him the brother’s name was—said. “I can explain, or you can let Sully explain; whatever you want.”
“I’ll wait for him.”
“Get out of my way, you big ox,” the woman exclaimed, pushing fruitlessly at Brian. “Let me see Sully’s young man.” When her grandson let her through, she marched down the stairs, stopping a few steps from the bottom so they were almost eye-to-eye. “My land, you’re taller that Sullivan. And so handsome, too. I’m so happy he has someone important.” She cupped his cheeks, and he half-expected her to pinch them. “Do you watch
Jeopardy
?”
He blinked at her, surprised by the sudden left turn. “I’m afraid not, ma’am. I’m usually still working when it airs.”
“Rats. My grandsons don’t either. And don’t call me ma’am. If you’re Sullivan’s beau, I’m Gran to you, too.”
He couldn’t help his grin. “Okay, Gran.”
“Good. Now, do you have a bag? Have you eaten? You must be tired from your trip. How long was it, anyway? I hate planes, myself. Would rather drive. Well?” She looked at him expectantly, as if wondering why he hadn’t answered.
“Yes, I have a bag.” He glanced over at Brian who rolled his eyes at his grandmother’s frenetic energy, and Cord felt himself softening toward the man—no! He couldn’t let that happen! He hated this man for what he’d done to Sully.
“Well, go get it!” Gran exclaimed. “Son, are you a little touched?”
He laughed. “No, ma’am.”
“Geez, Gran, chill,” Brian said. “You’re going a mile a minute again. Don’t wear yourself out, okay?”
Cord turned to get his bag from the car before he was admonished again. These people certainly weren’t the same as he’d always thought they would be, and he almost felt ashamed for demonizing them the way he had over the years. But first impressions could be wrong, he supposed. He wasn’t prepared to accept them at face value; not yet.
“Have you eaten?” Brian asked as Cord returned and they all climbed the steps to the front door. Cord considered the pretzel knots he’d had on the plane. That hardly qualified. He’d meant to stop on the way here but had been so focused on getting to Sully that he hadn’t.
“No. I guess I was kind of in a rush.”
“Eh, no worries. We were just eating, and there’s plenty.”
Bemused, Cord followed the pair inside the house and hoped he wasn’t making a big mistake in trusting them.
Chapter Four
Dinner had turned out to be pleasant. Gran had dominated the conversation with tales of her grandsons’ childhoods and events on the plantation. Cord was only mildly surprised when he glanced at his watch and found it was already after eight. Gran had excused herself shortly after to do her nightly “girl things” then Brian, seeming embarrassed, had mentioned that he had some business he had to attend to in the office. Cord had assured him he’d be okay on his own, and Brian seemed relieved. After showing Cord into Sully’s room then directing him to the family room and the fridge where he kept his beer, he left Cord to his own devices.
Truthfully, it was a relief to be alone after the long day of travel, though he really wished Sully would arrive soon. Damn, but he missed his man. It had only been a week, but he was itching to be inside Sully again, fucking him until Sully was begging to come.
Taking a deep breath, Cord pushed aside his lust-filled thoughts for now. Much more and he’d been rock-hard and aching when Sully walked in the door. It wouldn’t be good form to fuck him against the foyer wall of his family home, not when Gran or Brian could witness it.
Too restless to watch television, he grabbed a beer from the mini-fridge under the bar in the family room then headed outside. The porch lamps were off, and he sat on the steps. Relaxing finally and letting down his guard, he sighed and stared up at the stars. It was a clear night, and it seemed a trillion bright lights were visible overhead. He was hundreds of miles from home, but this view remained pretty much the same. In a couple hours, these same stars would twinkle over Daly and his friends there.
Taking a sip of his beer, he hoped things would be the same with Sully as it was with the stars. Different place, same view. Everything had just gone weird lately. Admittedly, it was mostly his fault since he’d been so eaten up by his worries.
He blew out a harsh breath. That would change. He had to get things out in the open with Sully. Hopefully, Sully would understand, and Cord was only making the proverbial mountain out of a molehill.
Leaning against the thick porch post behind him, he bent one knee and let the other stretch in front of him on the next step down. It felt good to get out some of the kinks after the long day. As he took another swallow of beer, he saw two pinpoints of light piercing the blackness as a car zoomed up the driveway, the telltale sound of flying gravel attesting to the speed. Whoever it was knew the path well or was reckless. Maybe both. Was Sully driving that fast? It seemed unlike him.
Cord set the can to the side and stood. As the car grew closer, he moved down a few of the steps.
The vehicle skidded to a stop, and Cord could see there were two occupants in the car, lit by the dashboard lights. The passenger was obviously Sully. Neither man saw Cord as he watched them, acid churning in his gut. What the hell…was…this? Seriously, what the holy hell? His outrage climbed higher as Sully exited the car and the other man raced from his side, circling the car and stopping a step away from Sully—about five steps too close in Cord’s opinion.
“Griffin, really. You didn’t have to get out of the car.”
“Of course, I did. How can I do this if I don’t…?” He leaned in as Cord’s fist clenched in rage. A moment before the man’s lips touched Sully, Sully shoved him back.
“What the fuck! I told you I’m committed to someone else. What the hell happened to you and Socrates not being interested and us just being friends?”
Griffin sighed loudly—and a little theatrically in Cord’s opinion. “I lied, okay? I figured I’d get you to change your mind when we got back here.”
“I’m not changing my mind. I’m—”
“Yeah, yeah. Committed. I know. But he doesn’t have to know.”
Sully stared at the man, and Cord hoped it was because of shock that his partner let the silence stretch on a few beats.
“
I
would know,” Sully rasped. “And I care about him—I love him. Sleeping around isn’t how our relationship works.”
“And you think he’s just waiting around back in Podunk, Wyoming for you and not getting it on with some hot, lonely cowboys while you’re gone?”
There was another pause, and Cord wanted to yell in frustration. Why wasn’t Sully jumping to his defense? Why the hesitation? “You’re wrong,” Sully whispered.
Griffin chuckled, obviously ready to pounce on Sully’s lack of conviction, and Cord couldn’t hold back his growl. Both heads snapped in his direction.
“You’re part right,
Griffin
,” he snapped, stepping a little closer though he was sure he was probably still in shadows. “Like you said, I’m not back in Wyoming. I’m right here for
my
partner and wondering what the fuck you’re doing.”
“Cord?” Sully took a few steps toward him then a grin split his face, and he launched himself into Cord’s embrace. “Cord!”
As their lips met and Sully’s arms squeezed him, some of Cord’s annoyance melted away. They’d still have to talk, but this was no act.
His fingers laced into Sully’s hair, angling his head as Sully opened his mouth and Cord plundered what was already his. He inhaled deeply, drawing in the scent of his man. Arousal burned through him, a primitive force demanding he reclaim his mate.
A throat cleared, registering far too close to them. Cord wanted to ignore it and sink deeper into Sully, but he knew he had to get this dick on his way. Reluctantly, he pulled his lips from Sully’s. With his hand still cupping Sully’s head, he tipped his forehead to his lover’s, breathing in through his nose and savoring the connection between them that had been stretched but never broken. Already, he felt it stronger than just ten minutes ago. Sully always filled him with peace.
“When did you get here?” Sully asked.
“About two hours ago. I had dinner with your gran and your brother.” He turned Sully, slinging an arm around his waist and keeping Sully close to his side. He shifted his gaze toward the third man and thrust out his hand, though his instincts screamed to pound his fist into the guy’s smug face. “Cord Sabatello,” he said.
“Griffin Thomas. I…uh…well, I should be going…um…yeah, sorry.” Leaving Cord’s hand hanging in the air, he took off around the car like a scared rabbit and jumped inside as if he expected to be attacked.
Cord shook his head as the car sped away down the driveway. The man obviously didn’t know himself, or at very least, he wasn’t comfortable with who he was. In the space of moments, Cord had seen two different versions of Griffin Thomas.