Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Seth

The Double Jay was a place reborn. The ranch had weathered storms and come out the other side stronger than ever. Summer beat like a vibrant pulse through the land. Oaks unfurled into a lush, green canopy, and the pastures were thick with new grass that swayed in the mountain breezes. It looked good—no, better than good. Something all the generations that had come before Seth could be proud of. The once weather-beaten fences were freshly painted, and the barn with its new timber stood proudly as the heart of it all.

Well, not quite the heart—that was Aiden.

Seth couldn't have been prouder of the man he'd become. Strong, determined, and so full of life, it took Seth's breath away. The days were noisy and full of laughter, but it was the quiet moments that Seth cherished most—Aiden's sleepy smile in the morning, the way his hand would find Seth's in the dark, and the warmth of his body curled around Seth's at night.

His presence had helped ease the sting of Tessa's departure once she packed her bags and moved into town with Riley. It had been a rough transition, but Seth couldn't begrudge her leaving, not when she was so happy and excited for the future. She'd decided to continue her schooling online and switched her major to counseling so she could work part-time as an assistant to Barbara Doyle.

"The town needs more help than that woman can give," Tessa had said, grinning cheekily over her burger when they met for lunch at the Hungry Pig. “And she needs someone who won’t put up with her shit.”

Aiden's mother would never change, but she'd softened since her son's return. Though she’d never admit it, his leaving town had shocked her to the core. She’d been forced to come face-to-face with the fact that he wasn’t a child. She seemed more tentative around him now, more eager to please, or at least more willing to make an effort. She’d never stop trying to manipulate the people around her, but she seemed to have decided to try catching flies with honey. Seth could live with that, so long as she kept building Aiden up instead of tearing him down.

Aiden was standing inside the corral that afternoon, lunging Bandit in gentle circles. Even from a distance, contentment beamed from him like sunshine. He was still a jittery, sarcastic smartass determined to eat Seth out of house and home, but in the past few months, a joyful peace seemed to have settled over him. When a man was confident with his place in the world, nothing could stop him. This was where Aiden was meant to be, where he'd always belonged.

It filled Seth with a sense of deep satisfaction.

They'd accomplished so much together. The ranch no longer felt like a relic of the past. It was thriving again, not just because of the stud fees coming in from Whit's glowing recommendation, but because of the hard work he and Aiden had poured into it.

Even the town felt like it had changed, or maybe Seth's heart had changed, and with it, the way he viewed everything. Sweetwater had once felt like a place full of closed-door whispers, but Seth had been shocked to discover how eagerly bridges were mended once he stopped isolating himself. It was a slow process, but every day brought more acceptance. He no longer felt eyes boring into the back of his head when he walked down the street beside Aiden.

Sweetwater was alive with the promise of summer, a hive of activity as folks prepared for weddings, vacations, and celebrations. Derek Owens and Briar Phillips were tying the knot, sending the old biddies at church into a tizzy of preparation. Seth had never been a fan of big gatherings, but Derek had always done right by him when he was an outcast, and Aiden loved a good party. There was something reassuring about how enthusiastically the town had embraced same-sex couples settling down. It was a community he was proud to return to, even if he’d done it kicking and screaming once Aiden popped back into his life.

Seth hopped the corral fence and strolled over to Aiden, sliding an arm around his waist and pulling him in for a deep kiss. Aiden dropped Bandit's lead line and instantly relaxed into him, his lips warm and pliant beneath Seth's mouth.

"You plan on playing with your friend all day?" Seth teased, nudging Aiden's hat back and pressing an extra kiss to his temple.

Aiden looked up at him with eyes as clear and blue as the sky after a summer storm. "Maybe," he replied with a cheeky grin. He hooked a finger through Seth's belt loops and hauled their hips together suggestively. "Unless you've got another kind of fun in mind."

Seth's blood stirred in response, and his hands wandered freely over Aiden's body. Having him so close and available to touch, hold, and kiss whenever he wanted was a luxury Seth would never take for granted.

"Now that sounds mighty fine," he whispered in a voice thick with lust. He gave the rim of Aiden's ear a seductive lick and then added in his campiest, sultriest voice, "And when we're done…you can help me move irrigation lines."

Aiden burst out laughing. "Now that's an offer no man can resist."

Seth chuckled and kissed him again.

"You know, I never thought I'd be this happy," Aiden said in a thoughtful voice. "I just didn't think it was in the cards for a man like me."

Seth's heart ached with the overwhelming strength of his love. "You deserve it," he said.

"We both do." The smile on Aiden's lips was faint. "I don't know why you love me, but I'm thankful you do."

They stood together with the sounds of ranch life wrapping around them: the distant low of the cattle, the impatient shifting of Bandit's hooves, and the call of a passing hawk. Seth gazed at the life they were building together and then glanced down at the man who had become his home, his past, and his future.

"There's a million reasons and no reason at all," Seth said quietly. "Some things just…are. I was born to love you. It's as simple as that."

Aiden's eyes turned glassy, but he distracted Seth from their shine when he reached up, clasped Seth's face between his hands, and pulled him down for a slow, tender kiss. It was a kiss filled with love and promise for the future they would build together, side by side. When they finally pulled apart, Seth rested his forehead against Aiden's and breathed him deep.

"I love you," Aiden murmured. "Always have, and always will."

"I know," Seth replied.

Aiden smiled at him, and as they basked in the sunshine pouring down on them, Seth knew they were finally exactly where they were meant to be.

They were home.

“Hey,” Aiden brightened suddenly, “did I ever tell you the joke about the cowboy who walked in the bar…?”