25. Galen

Chapter 25

Galen

D uring the riding lesson, Galen kept his eye on Bede while doing his best to look like he wasn't turning into a mother hen and failing miserably. He noted that Bede seemed to be holding his left shoulder a little stiffly, but other than that, he seemed fine.

At least the air was a little cooler, with puffy clouds coming over Guipago Ridge, bringing along with them the promise of rain. The slight breeze mixed the scent of moisture with the dust from the paddock and the horses' coats as they curried and brushed.

"We're only walking today," Galen said as he helped his team saddle their horses and mount up. "Then we'll turn and walk the other way."

"But I want to trot," said Toby. The words were on the verge of a whine, but then Toby seemed to think better of it and pulled the whine back.

"We're not trotting yet, Toby," said Galen. "Perhaps tomorrow."

He was getting better at being stern, perhaps, because Toby might have been muttering under his breath, but he did as he was told and kept his horse to a walk. Behind him in line, Owen was laughing at Toby.

Behind Owen, obediently walking, Bede sat straight in his saddle, his legs long along the horse's sides, his wide grin sparkling at Galen beneath the shadow of the brim of his cowboy hat. Of course, he wasn't smiling just at Galen, surely. But Galen gave him smiles in return, and it was absurd, yet felt so perfect and right.

No. Galen couldn't think of that. He was going to focus on the lesson, and after lunch he'd take his team up the dusty path toward Guipago Ridge, where they would attack what seemed to be the last of the knapweed. They'd finish by Friday afternoon, hopefully, then they'd be off to the tavern for the celebration to mark their first two weeks in the valley.

Galen made a mental note to remind Leland about the phones, and to make reservations at the tavern, and felt well pleased with himself as he turned his attention back to his team.

"Rest those hands easy, Owen," he said. "You don't need to keep tugging on the reins unless you're giving a specific direction to Diamond. Walk on."

The horse lesson ended smoothly, which he was glad for, and though he could really have used a mid-day swim, his team insisted on sticking close as they went to lunch, and as he didn't want to invite all of them?—

He wanted to invite Bede and only Bede for a swim, and promised himself the swim would happen the first chance he got.

The afternoon was simmering hot, the air very still. As they walked up the trail to the ridge, they were in a cloud of dust because somehow they were working in the exact spot, edged by sharp granite boulders, where no breeze could find its way.

At least the view over the valley, the shimmering round half circle of the lake, was amazing. And while Galen would rather be swimming, he did his best to keep his team engaged, rather than wilting in the heat.

"I think there's a bat hideout somewhere along here," Galen said as they took a rest break, drinking large gulps of cool water from plastic bottles.

He looked at his team. Even Bede seemed only mildly interested, and Galen didn't know enough about bats to draw them in.

"There are hawks up here, as well." That brought a little more interest, but not very much.

"Are there bears?" asked Bede.

Galen shook his head and wiped the sweat from the back of his neck with his red bandana. "Not this time of year. In the fall, yes, you'd have to keep an eye out, as they're foraging around, looking for food."

The heat didn't let up even as they finished work for the day and toted their tools, hoes and shovels and hand pumps, down the path to the supply shed. They were running behind, so there wasn't time for a shower before dinner, though Galen paused as they lined up for the buffet, tugging on Bede's shirt sleeve.

He'd been watching Bede all day, for stiffness, for any sign of discomfort, and now that they were standing so close, that was when he could see the strain along Bede's neck.

"You should take something," he said, telling himself that his heart's pace didn't pick up at Bede's nearness, at the idea of doing something so bold as to let his body enjoy that closeness. "Stay ahead of the pain."

"I'm all right." Bede rolled his shoulders in a slow and mesmerizing way. "I'll take it at bedtime. It'll help me sleep."

It wasn't until after dinner, when they were all seated around the campfire, listening to Royce read aloud about bats, that Galen felt a restlessness creep up on him.

The night was beautiful, and though the firelight flickered upwards in a graceful arc of white and orange and blue, he couldn't sit still. There was a fingernail moon slicing across the darkness of the lake, and beyond that, some mystery in the trees beckoned. Across from him, Gabe shifted restlessly, and Bede, sitting on the hay bale next to Galen, shifted likewise.

"I'm going for a swim," Galen announced, standing up. He couldn't quite bring himself to invite just Bede, but maybe it would be all right if he made a general invitation because maybe only Bede would say yes. "I'm going to get my swim trunks. Who's with me?"

"But it's dark," said Gabe, even as he went to grab the bucket of sand and dirt to throw over the fire.

"Don't be so pedantic," scolded Royce as he snapped his book shut, flicking his flashlight on and off, like some unknown morse code.

"Do we have swim trunks?" asked Bede. "Was that the red thing in the plastic bag at the bottom of my box?"

"Yes, that's it," said Gabe. "After the first couple of nude swims, Maddy thought it more civilized to order everyone a pair of swim trunks."

As everyone stood up, Galen realized that his swim would not be a solitary one. Certainly not one that he could share with only Bede.

What he should have done was pull Bede aside and offer a private invitation. Or maybe it was better this way. He was an idiot if he thought being alone with Bede in the dark, both of them half naked, was a very good idea.

He went to his tent to change into his swim trunks, grabbed a towel, his flashlight, pulled on a t-shirt, and slipped barefoot into his cowboy boots. He knew he looked ridiculous, but all of this would make it easy to dry off after his swim.

He took so much time that by the time he was going along the path through the thickest part of the trees along the lakeside, he heard the voices and the splashes up ahead, which meant everybody was already at the dock.

Hearing a footstep on the path behind him, he turned, the beam of his flashlight swinging around with him.

Bede was coming up to him along the path with quick strides. The starlight caught the sharpness of his eyes, the shoulders of his white t-shirt, and gleamed off his dark hair.

Bede came up close, not pausing. Then he took Galen by surprise, his hands clasping Galen's head, that breath warm against his mouth. A swift kiss, then a whispered curse, as if Bede had been drawn to this moment against his will.

Bede's fingers caressed him as he pulled back, sweeping Galen's hair behind one ear, and then the other. Then Bede paused and in the low light of the flashlight in Galen's hands, his eyes searched Galen's. Looking for an answer. Yes or no.

Galen took too long to respond, then Bede kissed him again, sweeping an arm around his waist, like he was some captured damsel who needed to be tamed. Another arm around his neck brought him into an embrace that absorbed him.

Though Galen raised his hands, dropping his flashlight, his towel, it wasn't to push back. No, not when this felt like his first kiss, the first kiss, in ever so long. The feel of Bede's mouth, the sweep of tongue, taking away everything else but that connection.

Then with a gasp, Bede pulled back, roughly, as though he pulled back from the heart of temptation itself.

Galen tongued the inside of his lower lip, tasting Bede.

He felt Bede's heartbeat through the thin cloth of his t-shirt. The swirl of Bede's scent all around in the clear, still air. Then he rose on his toes, his bare feet slipping inside his cowboy boots, and brushed his lips gently to Bede's.

He had no idea where or how this might continue, the energy between them wrapping around him like ribbons, but he wanted it to.

"They'll miss us if we don't show up," said Bede, whisper-soft. He ducked his head to search Galen's eyes, his face.

"True?" asked Galen, ready then and there to throw everything out. All he knew. Who he was. What he hoped for. All for another moment, for this moment, to go on and on. Forever.

"We don't care," said Bede, though there was a hopeful question in his voice that Galen knew was his to answer.

There was no one on the path behind them, so they might have slipped off together, but in this moment of quiet, the jagged beating of his heart slowed. It might be nice to let the moment grow again on its own, to build between them as they swam in the dark waters of the lake.

"A swim is nice," said Galen, in response.

"And we really shouldn't," said Bede. He paused to swallow, then said, "Do what we're doing."

He kissed Galen again, and in that second, with all of Bede's mastery of the situation, it was easy for Galen to see how Bede used to be. Polished. Sophisticated. Demanding. At nightclubs in Denver, with cocaine being bought and sold in the back, while hopeful attendees waited out front for the velvet rope to be lifted so they could join the throng of gaiety.

Bede had never had to wait in line. Probably never even stood in one. And here he was in the deep, dark woods with Galen, his hopeful eyes brightening as he stepped back and let Galen go, based on the promise of more, later.

Bending, Bede gathered his and Galen's things, then, with his hand on the small of Galen's back, escorted him to the dock, making Galen feel, once again, like the damsel, and Bede his handsome rescuer.

As they neared the dock, the cacophony of pleasure and activity and laughter filtered through the trees beneath the silver moonlight. Someone had brought out four or five kerosene lanterns and these were turned to their highest, creating a circle of light at the land's end of the dock.

The far end of the dock, though, floated into darkness, bouncing on small silver peaks that broke beneath the stars and the very narrow moon. Toby, perhaps, was going on about acquiring some blow-up floats to mess around on, and Gordy agreed.

Galen dropped all his stuff, stripped off his boots and t-shirt and, with a yell, raced to the end of the dock, then dove into the dark water. The heat of the day was cut off by the cool cloak of water swirl all around him, soothing him.

He burst to the surface with a laugh, and paddled closer to the dock, keeping himself afloat and still as he looked up at Bede. Who stood at the edge, lit from behind by the kerosene lamps, expression obscured.

"How come that doesn't freak you out?" asked Bede, his hands on his hips. The light of the kerosene lamps made shadows around his body, giving Galen glimmers of the stars on Bede's skin as he took off his t-shirt and boots.

"How come what doesn't?" asked Galen, taking one hand to wipe at his eyes, his nose, as he treaded water.

"What if there's something in the lake?" Bede waved an expressive hand over the surface of the dark water. "Some Stephen King thing?"

"This is not a Stephen King lake, I assure you." Galen swallowed some lake water as he laughed. "Those are all back east. This lake only has moss and fish and maybe some frogs?" He really had no idea, only that it was perfectly safe. "Grow some balls and dive in already, would you?"

"Yes, boss," said Bede with a laugh, and then he cannonballed into the water, sending shards of foam and water into the air, spraying Galen's face.

Maybe they were being watched as they dog paddled close to each other, gasping with laughter. Or maybe everyone was too busy to care.

"I keep feeling like something's going to eat my feet," said Bede, making a comical face that made him look like he was only twelve years old, on his first night at sleep-away camp. "Or that I'll feel mud between my toes."

Galen barked out a laugh and tossed his hair from his eyes. It was the best night ever. The most fun he'd had in years, and all because an ex-con had slipped through the woods and kissed him. Was swimming with him now, complaining about mud and dark water and scary things that might lurk in the depths.

He shoved off all doubts for future Galen to deal with. This was his now to enjoy. Where was the harm? There wasn't any. Just a delightful swirl of water and laughter as the two of them swam to the dock, climbed up, and attempted to dive off at the same time.

The end of the dock was quite bouncy, and Galen couldn't be sure that someone, Toby perhaps, hadn't come to jump up and down and make the dock rock quite hard, grunting with effort, just to see Galen and Bede tumble into the water rather than dive.

"It's supposed to be more solid than that," said Gabe as Galen surfaced, laughing and gasping at the same time. But then Galen saw that there were several next to Toby, using all their combined efforts to jostle the diving efforts of anyone who tried it. "Hmmmm."

They swam for an hour, both him and Bede being diligent to stay a little bit apart, at least some of the time. Never mind that Galen didn't ever like an audience, he didn't want anyone making assumptions about them. Not until—after. After the promise of Bede's kiss had turned into something more, and he'd had time to process what it all meant.

He didn't know what to make of that kiss, but he'd enjoyed it with every part of his body and soul.