Chapter Six

Brian held Molly, running a hand down her back as she slept.

She usually got all tuckered out right after a bottle, but she would wake up in a few minutes wanting to pee. To say she had him on a cycle was an understatement, and yeah, Brian was her bitch, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Molly sighed, making a cute, little contented noise before her body turned boneless and heavy with sleep.

He sat on Jaron's couch and peered out of the giant windows at the forest and trail that cut through it. Greg had taken the path with his boots dangling from his fingers and his hair sticking up at odd ends almost an hour ago.

Brian sighed and stopped petting Molly long enough to pull his cell phone out of his pocket. "What's Greg's cell phone number?"

Jaron sat on a stool in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and a book. They had a comfortable silence going before Brian spoke.

Sometimes Brian spent time at Jaron's house, and neither of them said anything at all. They simply shared the space. Usually, it was because Brian was having a bad day and didn't want to be alone. Jaron's house never seemed empty, which was a comfort on those days that Brian needed someone else around him. Being an only child, Brian had gotten used to being alone, but he had his bad days like anyone else.

He used to sit and play with building blocks for hours, especially when he was around Carter's age. His mom used to say that playing with those types of toys would make him smarter at math, and that would make him like his dad, something that had always appealed to Brian. Maybe she knew what she was talking about, because Brian had certainly inherited whatever gene made his dad good with numbers.

Jaron turned and scowled. "I think you should leave him alone for now."

"I want to help." And he wanted to know Greg better. Or even at all.

Greg hadn't been mister chatterbox until last night, so the fact that he had a crush came as a bit of a surprise.

"Most of that from last night wasn't about you." Yeah, Brian wanted to know more about that part.

He'd always thought of Greg as too young and off-limits. Last night's little half-confession opened doors he'd thought were locked tight. A tiny crack had creaked open, letting light through. Did he shove the thing open with all his might or back away?

Greg was still young. Twenty-two years old.

When Brian was that age, he'd been in his senior year of college, fucking his way through his fraternity and every party. He'd had an apartment that he'd shared with three of his frat brothers, and they'd fucked regularly. It was a free-for-all of fun, and he honestly was surprised he hadn't caught something that made his dick fall off. He'd been tested for everything under the sun every year since college, so he knew he was clean, but still.

Brian put his phone down on the couch cushion beside him.

That comment Greg had made, about not wanting to be alone, was the most vulnerable Brian had ever seen anyone. It wasn't so much the words but the anguish in his tone, and the way he'd turned into Brian after he said it. He'd pressed his cheek against Brian's abdomen and ran a gentle hand down Brian's arm.

That hadn't been a statement made by a boy or even a twenty-two-year-old wet-behind-the-ears college kid. That had been a statement made by a man who wasn't the fuck-buddy type. Something haunted him, and that haunting had tired him. He wanted a soft place to fall.

Not that Brian knew if he wanted to be that soft place. What the hell did he know about parental issues? His parents were two of the greatest people. They'd given him everything and probably spoiled him a bit too much during his childhood. They had given him a good work ethic and trusted him to keep up with the accounting business. He'd been running it for years by himself.

"Whatever affection you think Greg has for you, times it by ten. And then act accordingly." Jaron turned back to his book.

"I want to help." Maybe repeating that would allow him to forget Jaron had spoken at all and how what he'd said made Brian's stomach churn.

"You don't do serious." How Jaron could read and talk at the same time was anyone's guess, but he flipped the page.

"Yeah, I know." But something about Greg pulled at him, and not only his heartstrings. "Do you think the age difference is a big deal?"

Jaron put a marker in the page he was reading and set the book down on the kitchen counter before grabbing his mug and turning to face Brian. "It's not up to me to decide. I can say that if Travis were nine years older or younger, I'd still be here right now."

The blanket Greg had used was rumpled and at the opposite end of the sofa from where Brian sat. Brian stared at it as if it could give him the answers he sought. He grabbed it and put Molly as gently as he could on top of it, making a little puppy nest.

"Nine years. And in most ways, he's more mature than I am." Brian chuckled.

"He's an old man at heart."

"In a sexy body."

Jaron chuckled. "I've never seen Greg so animated before."

"He was so cute. All drunk and chatty." And maybe that was another reason he wanted Greg's cell number. Maybe he needed to see more of the Greg who was willing to open up.

Jaron smiled but narrowed his eyes at the same time. He looked menacing in a very cute, nonthreatening sort of way. "I'll give you his number if you tell me you'll only use it if you're gonna be serious about him."

Brian sighed and shut his eyes. He nodded. "I promise." The last thing Brian wanted to do was hurt Greg when he was already vulnerable.

Jaron rattled off a number and Brian programmed it into his phone. He texted Greg a second later, not even hesitating. Can we talk?

Greg didn't text back.

Brian and Molly went for a walk. Molly had to pee, and Brian wanted to find Greg, so it was a win-win. Walking the worn path through the forest reminded him of Greg taking it that morning. The path without shoes had to hurt, and a part of Brian wanted to find Greg to apologize for that even though he knew it wasn't his fault. The vegetation had worn down until dirt with tiny pointed rocks had left a trail to follow.

The forest opened onto the farmyard, with the main house on the right and the barns on the left. On the far side of the horse barn was a circular arena. He found Greg leaning against the fencing, watching Bobby/Carter and a horse.

Greg had one foot on the bottom rails and his forearms on the second from the top. He had changed clothes at some point and appeared a little fresher. He was less pale, and the cowboy hat made him seem as he always did, bringing things back to normal. Brian could almost forget about the drunken confession and pretend they were back to the acquaintance stage of their relationship. Given how embarrassed Greg had seemed that morning as he pretty much ran out of Jaron's house, even he might prefer the pretense.

The problem was Brian couldn't go back. At least, not in his own mind. And it wasn't only Greg's vulnerability that made it difficult. Greg had opened possibilities Brian hadn't realized were there. There were consequences to those, and Brian focusing on Greg's ass in his very tight jeans was one of them.

Riding horses had worn the denim down the back of his thighs. The saddle leather wasn't kind to denim. Greg turned his head in a way that Brian could see his profile. He was one of those people who looked good from all angles—something else Brian hadn't noticed before, and now he couldn't get it out of his mind.

Brian bent and picked Molly up before crossing the yard.

Molly licked his fingers in that playful way she sometimes did and settled in for the ride.

Carter stood in the middle of the corral. He had a horse on the end of a long, tan rope, lunging it. He held a long black whip-like tool loosely to the ground in his other hand. Brian didn't know anything about horses, but even he could tell this one was very young.

"Hi," Brian slid beside Greg, getting close enough to touch.

Greg nodded once without turning from the corral, although a rosy color climbed from under the collar of his shirt to his neck, not quite making it to his cheeks. "Now walk her."

Carter made a sound low in his throat, and the horse slowed to a walking pace almost immediately.

"Can we talk? Please." Brian knew he held a plea in his voice. He didn't do it on purpose and hated whining, but it was too late to change his tone.

"Okay, now a trot."

Carter made a smooching sound, and the horse picked up speed, trotting. Carter grinned over at Greg in triumph. Greg smiled. "She's coming along." Greg gave a little nod to Carter.

"Did you at least get my text?"

"I got it. Didn't know it was you." Greg wanted to forget about the whole thing. That came through in his dismissive tone.

Well, that was to fucking bad. He couldn't take anything he said back because Brian wouldn't let him.

"Molly has a vet appointment this week." Brian ran his hand down Molly's back.

"Now run her."

Brian sighed. The silent treatment sucked. "You know, I don't think your attitude is fair."

Greg raised an eyebrow even before he turned to Brian. He set his lips in a straight line. "I didn't ask you for anything."

"Yeah, maybe that's the problem, Greg. You never asked. Maybe I would have said yes."

Greg's lips softened, and he turned back to Carter. "Now slow her down."

Molly whined, so he ran a hand down her back, soothing her.

"You wouldn't have." It took Brian a moment to figure out Greg was talking to him. "Anyway, I said it wouldn't happen again."

Well, maybe Brian wanted it to. Instead of saying that, Brian shrugged. "Well, you letting your guard down was sexy. You should do it more often."

Brian turned, heading back toward Jaron's house. He could feel Greg watching him walk away.

"You think drunk-off-my-ass is sexy." Oh, there were accusations in that statement for sure.

Brian turned. "No. I think you having an actual conversation with someone is, though. Using words instead of either ignoring or grunting. I saw a glimpse of you, and honestly, I want to know more. That's why I texted you."

Greg's lips turned up into a slight smile, and he nodded. "What time is her appointment?"

"Two o'clock in the afternoon. Tomorrow." Brian turned back around with a smile on his face.