36. Aiden

Chapter Thirty-Six

AIDEN

Aiden's palms were so damp, he was forced to wipe them on his jeans as he followed Seth’s truck up the familiar drive to the Double Jay. His breathing was rapid and shallow, but he calmed it by focusing on Seth’s brake lights and nothing else. Gravel crunched beneath their truck tires, and a chill seeped into his bones.

It felt like the world had changed. Aiden felt like he was stepping onto shifting sands, off balance and uncertain of his footing. It seemed impossible that the life he’d walked away from could still be waiting for him. A man couldn’t take a mallet to the clockworks of his life and then expect the gears to keep turning once he reassembled all the pieces. Then again, Sweetwater had a way of drawing people back. Calvin Craig and Nate Silva had come home again after years of wandering, and even Aiden’s own mother hadn’t made it far.

He wasn’t aware of consciously holding his breath, but it escaped in a rush as they took the last bend and the ranch came into view. Wide-open pastures stretched out like a landscape of fading bruises, smeared greens and browns that were just beginning to pluck up from months crushed beneath snowpack.

But it wasn't the view that captured his attention—it was the ranch itself. A refurbished feed truck sat beside the freshly painted barn; fence lines were straight and sturdy, even the areas Aiden hadn’t been able to help Seth get to yet; and the house had a new shingle roof.

Aiden frowned, bewildered, as he pulled behind Seth’s truck and cut the engine. He sat there cataloging changes with a perplexed furrow between his eyebrows.

Even with the headway they'd made over the winter, the Double Jay had still been on the brink of collapse—literally and financially. The checks he'd signed over to Seth couldn't have covered half these improvements.

As if sensing his uncertainty, Seth approached Aiden's truck and opened the door before he could muster the courage.

"You planning on camping in there?" Seth teased, a half-smile tugging at his lips.

"Just waiting for you to roll out the red carpet," Aiden quipped, fumbling with his seatbelt and stepping into the spring sunshine. The air smelled different in Oregon—richer, greener—but even a deep lungful couldn't ease the knot of anxiety in his chest. His gaze flitted over the clean, freshly repaired buildings. "You've been busy."

Seth's smile widened into a breathtaking grin, and Aiden's heart gave a painful thump. God, he was so handsome. Aiden must have been crazy to think he could ever live without seeing that smile every day.

"It was a way to keep from going crazy," Seth admitted, reaching out to give Aiden's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"How did you afford the supplies?" Aiden asked cautiously.

"Word got around about the breeding arrangement I had with Whit," Seth explained, glancing out at the grazing herd with a hint of pride. "Once they got a look at my stock, other ranchers started lining up. It's been a good couple of months, but I didn't do all this on my own. Your friends helped."

"What friends?" Aiden asked, blinking rapidly as he processed the information.

Seth chuckled. "You've got a lot of them, but I mean the crew at the Triple M. West came up to deliver some supplies, and once he got a good look at the place, he insisted on sticking around to help. They all pitched in whenever they had the spare time, especially once I made it clear you'd be living up here with me someday."

Aiden's throat tightened with a mix of emotions—gratitude, disbelief, and a lingering sense of unworthiness. Maybe someday Seth's love would heal the last dregs of doubt out of him, but until then, he would battle it on his own. For the first time, he believed it was a fight he could win, so long as the glow of warmth and affection stayed in Seth's eyes.

"It looks like it did the first time I saw it," he murmured, more to himself than to Seth. “Maybe better.”

"Come on," Seth said, slipping an arm around Aiden's waist and turning him toward the barn. "I want to show you something."

The strange tension in his voice piqued Aiden's curiosity. Seth's hand was warm and solid on his back, grounding him, and Aiden couldn't help but lean into the touch as they walked, seeking his strength and reassurance.

The barn overflowed with golden afternoon light, and for a moment, Aiden was overwhelmed by a wave of nostalgia. By comparison, the ranch he'd been working in Idaho seemed soulless.

Seth didn't stop inside the barn like Aiden expected. Instead, he guided him through it and out the back door, where a horse paddock emptied onto a small pasture. In the distance, beneath the new spring leaves of an oak tree, was Bandit. He looked sleek and robust, frisking like a colt with Diamond.

Aiden's breath caught in his throat. He shook his head, unable to process what he was seeing. He'd spent months mourning the loss of the horse that had gotten him through such hard years when he was a child. As old as Bandit was and as little as his mother cared for him, Aiden had known he might never see him again.

"Seth…" his voice was barely a whisper.

Seth's hand rested on his back, rubbing soothing circles between his shoulder blades. "I knew how much he meant to you," he said softly.

"How did you get my mom to let him go?" Aiden asked, his voice strained with awe and disbelief.

"We had a long talk," Seth said wryly. Aiden got the sense from his tone that it hadn't been an easy conversation. "I used the money you left to pay for her roof, and then I got a deal with the company to take care of her place at the same time they were laying shingle for me. She's called a few times since then, mostly just to ask questions about the process, but I think she wanted to know if I'd heard from you. She's lonelier than I ever realized. You were right about that."

"She's the one who told me about the ceremony today," Aiden said, tearing his eyes away from Bandit long enough to glance at Seth.

Seth's dark eyes twinkled. "I know," he said impishly. "I might've suggested it the last time we talked."

Aiden opened his mouth to say something clever, but he was distracted when Bandit looked toward him and pricked his ears forward curiously. The gelding took a tentative step toward them, then a few more, picking up speed until he was loping across the pasture. Aiden stepped forward to meet him, tears burning the backs of his eyes. He blinked them away and let out a small, broken laugh when Bandit skidded to such a hard stop that chunks of earth flew up in front of him.

"I can't believe you did this for me," he said, grinning so hard it hurt.

"I'd do anything for you," Seth replied fiercely. "Bandit belongs with you…and you belong with me. This is your home, Aiden. It always has been."

Aiden looked up from Bandit, toward Seth, who was watching him with an expression of such love, and in that moment, Aiden felt something click into place—something he hadn't realized was missing until it settled deep in his chest and filled the last hollow spaces with warmth and light.

"Beats the hell out of a trailer," he tried to joke despite the quaver in his voice.

Seth's smile widened. "That reminds me. I've got something else for you to see…when you're ready."

Aiden smiled fondly at Bandit, stroking his freshly curried neck and giving it a few extra pats. "Lay it on me," he said gamely, so full of joy he felt ready to fly. "Bandit and I have all the time in the world to spend together now."

Seth took Aiden by the hand, then stopped dead and frowned down at his raw palms. "What happened here?" he asked.

"Would you believe me if I said that's how much I missed you?" Aiden joked, waggling his eyebrows and making a lewd gesture.

Seth rolled his eyes, tugging Aiden toward the house, and said, "I'd believe that you lost your gloves again."

"Maybe a little of both," Aiden said, leaning forward to grab a handful of Seth's deliciously muscular ass. "Whatever you want to show me, I hope there's a bed involved."

"What if there isn't?" Seth asked, sliding him a hot look from the corner of his eyes.

Aiden shrugged. "There's always the kitchen table. Tessa's taking a bullet for us at the ceremony, so we won’t be interrupted, and I’m not picky.”

Seth laughed, but he didn't stop at the table. He bypassed the kitchen entirely and led Aiden up the creaky staircase toward the second floor.

The farmhouse was the same as it had always been, with a solid, lived-in feel that whispered of all the generations that had come before them. The scent of cedar, coffee, and old leather lingered in the hallway, filling Aiden with a sense of peace that almost beat back the lust tightening the front of his jeans.

Disappointingly, Seth didn't stop at his own bedroom door. He headed down the long, narrow hall and paused at the master bedroom that used to belong to his parents.

"You switched rooms?" Aiden asked in surprise.

Seth cocked his head as if to tell Aiden to see for himself, and Aiden reached out to turn the old brass knob.

The room was flooded with soft afternoon light. It poured through windows overlooking the sprawling pastures, illuminating dust motes as they danced through the air. The old, faded wallpaper was gone, and the floors and heavy oak furniture were polished to a warm glow. Traces of Seth's quiet labor were everywhere. The lumpy mattress with broken springs that Seth's father had stubbornly clung to had been replaced by a thick, plush-looking king-size. The patchwork quilt Seth always used was folded at the foot of the bed.

Aiden's hungry gaze took in dozens of details at once. Seth's spare boots sat beside the door, and the scent of his aftershave lingered in the air. His presence was everywhere—but shockingly, so was Aiden's. On the dresser, beside a few spare coins and a tube of chapstick, sat the tin of hand-rolled cigarettes Aiden used to smoke just for the scent. A worn baseball cap he thought he'd lost forever hung on a peg beside Seth's summer Stetson. The nightstand was bare except for a silver picture frame and a photo of them from their younger days, both grinning like fools, sunburned, mud-splattered, and wild-eyed after a long day in the saddle. It was as if Seth had taken pieces of him and wove them into the fabric of the room, turning it into more than a place to sleep. It was a sanctuary for both of them.

Aiden's heart swelled as he turned a slow circle inside the room. "What did you do?" he asked in wonder.

"I picked up the boxes from your neighbor," Seth said. He wrapped his arms around Aiden from behind and rested his chin on his shoulder, gazing at the room around them. "I wanted this to be a fresh start for us both. No more living in the past. Just you and me building our future together."

"Seth…" Aiden began, but the words tangled in his throat. He was overwhelmed by the enormity of Seth's gesture. It was more than a room. It was proof that Seth had been preparing for this moment. Seth had believed in it—in them —even when Aiden hadn't. "We've lost so much time," he said thickly.

Seth shrugged. He kissed Aiden’s temple, and his voice was a deep rumble against Aiden’s back when he said, “We have the rest of our lives to make up for it. From today on, this is your home as much as mine. You're the person I can be tired with, the one who can share those quiet moments with me. Even when nothing much is happening, it still means everything. You’re the one I can look at and feel peace, and I’m the one who will listen to you breathe until you fall asleep. I’m yours, Aiden Doyle, body and soul. For the rest of our lives. I swear it.”

Aiden's cheek tickled, and he belatedly realized a tear was slipping down his cheek. For the first time in his life, he didn't bother wiping it away or hiding behind a joke. Instead, he turned in Seth's arms and buried his face in the crook of his neck, holding him like he'd never let go.

"I felt it the moment I met you," he whispered, unsure if the salt on his lips was from his tears or Seth’s skin, “but it took me this long to believe it.”

"Believe what?" Seth asked, kissing his earlobe. He ran a caressing hand down Aiden’s back, coaxing their hips together, already beginning to work on the buckle of Aiden’s jeans. Aiden’s body responded instantly, just like it always would, and he happily backed up a few steps toward that beautiful new bed.

“What?” he asked distractedly, tilting his head to give Seth’s mouth access to the side of his neck. He slipped his hands beneath Seth’s shirt and reclaimed the territory of his muscular abs. He’d never get enough touching him.

“What do you believe?” Seth reminded him gently.

“Oh.” Aiden tipped his head back and smiled blindingly up at him. "I'm home," he said simply. "I'm finally home."

Then he wrapped his arms around Seth’s waist and tipped over backwards, toppling them together into bed.