Chapter Twenty-Two

Jaron hadn't had a night alone in so long he didn't know what to do with himself. Even though only fifteen minutes had gone by since his mother left with Bobby, that was all it took for boredom to set in, and the silence to take over everything.

He stroked Brownie's back as they sat on the couch. A paperback romance novel about a dragon shifter and an unsuspecting human lay on the coffee table, unopened. He'd turn the television on, but he'd only flip through the channels once or twice and declare it a wasted effort before shutting it off again.

The peace and quiet should have been welcoming. Ever since his mom made the demand to take Bobby overnight, he had been looking forward to it. He had a list of things he wanted to do, starting with reading every book on Travis' shelf, especially the ones he'd recently added. The anticipation far outweighed the reality.

He picked up his phone and texted Travis. I miss you.

He hadn't seen Travis, except for glimpses around the farm, in nearly a week.

A full ten minutes went by before Travis responded. I miss you too, baby.

Could have fooled Jaron. Can we talk?

I'm in the horse barn. 2nd stall on the right.

Jaron lifted Brownie into his arms and carried him to the front door. He had to set him down to put shoes on, and Brownie took that as a sign that he wanted to play. Brownie growled and jumped around, yipping as he grabbed one of his shoelaces with his teeth. Jaron picked up a squeaky toy, squeezing around the middle, so it made a sound. It grabbed Brownie's attention, diverting him enough that he could finish putting on his shoes.

Grabbing one of Travis' old coats that he hadn't taken back to the main house, he headed out of the door.

Brownie followed him carrying a green frog in his mouth like a prized possession.

Jaron chuckled and turned toward the path through the forest. The patch of forest was only about a quarter of a mile wide, and then the farm took over. He could see the skyline through the trees. The oranges turned to rosy pinks as the sun went down. Artists couldn't have painted a prettier picture.

The light on the barn would illuminate the area around it soon and the night would take over. He should have taken a flashlight for when he made the walk back home. He'd have to borrow one from the main house, maybe.

There were several outbuildings on the property, and the horse barn was the second largest, the first being the cattle barn. One barn had farm equipment in it, and nothing else. Another held grain and most of the farm's hay supply.

Leonard stood on the porch of the farmhand house.

Jaron hadn't had a lot of opportunities to get to know Leonard well since he had never been the type to start a conversation with a stranger. His shyness had always been a liability when it came to making friends. He had a feeling Leonard shared that personality trait. It made getting to know each other difficult. Still, he raised a hand and smiled.

Leonard nodded and ate a piece of the apple he had cut with his pocketknife. He never lost the slight scowl.

Jaron sighed and dug his hands farther into his coat pockets as he made his way to the barn door. Usually, the barn doors were open, but someone had closed them for a couple of days. He assumed Travis had a reason for the change.

When he entered through the side door, nothing stirred. He heard a shuffle of hoofs on sawdust and dirt a couple of times, but none of them made happy snorts or munches. Tension hung in the air. It churned his stomach and made him want to turn back around. Instead, he stood inside the door, getting his bearings. Travis had said the second stall on the right, so he went in that direction. He found Travis sitting in the corner of the stall. A water bucket, hanging from the stall wall, obscured part of his face. Jaron noticed another bucket on the opposite wall. A horse lay on its side, its brown stomach moving up and down as it breathed. Travis lay his hand on one of the horse's back hooves.

"Is he okay?"

"His name is Trick. He's dying." Travis' voice shook when he spoke.

Jaron couldn't see his face what with the bucket and the dim lighting obscuring it. He couldn't see the tears, but the sadness laced every word. Just picturing them made Jaron's chest ache.

"Do you want to be alone?" He wouldn't intrude if that was what Travis needed.

"You can come in."

Jaron hesitated before sliding the lock mechanism back and opening the stall door. When he stepped inside, he got a visual of Travis' grief. He had red-rimmed eyes and a couple of days' beard growth. Jaron shut the door behind him, reaching through the stall bars to slide the lock into place.

Jaron sat down next to Travis. He took one of Travis' hands in his and laced their fingers together. "Is he…Is there anything I can do to help?"

Travis shook his head. "You're here. That's enough."

"I would have been here sooner had I known."

"Thought you needed space."

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to say those exact words. I got the message." Travis ran his free hand up and down Trick's leg.

Whatever talk they should have Jaron saw Travis didn't need the added stress. Jaron decided to shelf the issue for the time being. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's just old. It's his time."

"He's family."

"Yeah. He's the first horse I ever rode. I think I was four or something when my dad brought him home for me. My dad spent a good few months training him so that he was ready for a beginner rider. Even as young as I was, I remember Dad in the ring outside lunging him. Dad was so patient I think some of that spilled over into Trick because he had been great for kids. I would have taught Bobby on him, but he hasn't felt good for a while. The vet says there's nothing she could do for him anymore."

"I'm sorry." Jaron let go of Travis' hand in favor of putting an arm around him. Travis leaned into him. "Do you need anything? Can I get you something to eat or drink?"

Travis shook his head. "Thanks, baby. I'm good."

Jaron sighed. He wanted to help somehow, and Travis had probably been in the stall for longer than his body needed. Jaron doubted Travis had been taking care of himself properly. "Are you sure?"

"Leonard made me eat." Travis patted a hand on something next to him. "I have a bottle of water here."

Jaron looked around him and saw the light reflect off the metal of a refillable bottle. Leonard's presence on the porch made more sense. He didn't seem the type to hover, but he'd still stay close just in case Travis needed him.

"Tomorrow morning, I have to see a guy about some cattle. I'll be gone overnight at least. Trick will probably be gone by the time I get back, so I wanted to spend tonight with him."

Jaron pulled Travis closer, wanting to relieve some of the anguish. "Can you reschedule the meeting?"

"It'll mean losing money if I do."

"I'll stay with him. Bev will give me the day off for that. I'll stay until he…he won't be alone." Tracy had deserved to have Jaron around the day she died. Maybe she wouldn't have died if he had been there. Maybe two against one would have been the magic number.

Travis pulled Jaron closer.

Jaron settled onto Travis' lap. He removed Travis' hat and laced his fingers through Travis' hair. Their gazes met.

"Thank you."

Jaron nodded.

Travis pressed his lips to Jaron's temple, then moved down to his cheek. "She knows you loved her, baby. You know that, right?"

Jaron sucked in a breath and fought against the lump in his throat. His eyes swam with tears, and then one slid down. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out except a sob. Pressing his cheek to Travis', he let the emotion wash through him. "H-how?"

"Because she's family. Just like Trick is. The love is there regardless of species or whatever the hell."

Jaron sucked down his emotions as best as he could. "I'm sorry."

Travis pulled him back enough, so their gazes met again. "For what?"

"For making this about me. It's not. And I'll stop."

Travis smiled and wiped a tear away from Jaron's cheek with his thumb. "Do you want the bad news or the good news first?"

Okay, Jaron would play along. "Bad, I guess."

"The thing we have the most in common is grief. Sucks."

Jaron smiled. "Yeah, it does."

"The good news is we can help each other through it." Travis wiped his thumb across his other cheek.

"I'm all for that." Jaron cupped Travis' face. "I'm sorry if you felt I pushed you away. I didn't mean to, and I…I'd like it if, when you came back from your business trip, if you'd maybe…spend the night more often. Since it's your bed and all anyway."

Travis kissed him. "We signed a lease agreement. It's your bed now. And I'd like that."