Chapter 11

TakingPercy to bed was the most amazing experience of Albie’s life. He’d endured hardships and heartbreak and the bleakest grief. And now he’d experienced the purest joy, exquisite pleasure, and dare he say it—dare he think it, even—he felt love.

He was in love with Percy Collins.

The small but feisty, funny, smart man that had walked into his life in the darkest time as if he were a ray of light.

He’d saved him.

Not just from a fight in the saloon, or with his ability to read McAllister’s letter and his wise reply.

But Percy had saved Albie from himself, Albie had no doubt of that.

His pride would have been his downfall, but Percy had given him reason to pause, a reason to focus.

And as he lay there in the early morning with a sleeping Percy still in his arms, with his head on Albie’s chest, with the barest of sunlight touching the room, Albie was sure he knew.

This is what poets and painters dedicated their lives to, and now he understood why.

He wanted to tell everyone he knew, he wanted to sing it for the whole world to hear.

He was in love.

But of course, he couldn’t declare it for anyone else.

He told himself keeping it private made it more special. It was their secret and no one in the world knew but them.

And that would have to do.

Albie gave the sleeping man a squeeze and another kiss to the top of his head. He wished he could stay in bed with him forever, but they couldn’t risk being seen like this.

Not that he expected anyone to barge in, even with the door locked.

He needed to get up.

He pulled on his shirts and realised their underwear might fare better if they removed it next time. He scrubbed at the dried evidence of their night together, pulled on his pants, and unlocked the door.

Elsie and Clara’s door was still closed, so he pulled his door closed behind him and tiptoed out. He fixed the fire first, then made his way into the kitchen.

That’s when Elsie came in, in her full skirts and fixing her hair. “Oh, morning, Albie,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting you. Didn’t I say we’d do the cooking?”

He smiled at her. “I thought you might need a slow start today, given yesterday’s events. Did you sleep well?”

“Better than I have in years,” she said.

“And what about you, Albie? You sleep well?” She gave him a wink.

Albie couldn’t stop the smile or the heat in his cheeks. “I, uh, don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She smirked, as if her suspicions were confirmed, then made no fuss of it. She turned to the stove and opened the door. “Where’s the...?” she said, looking beside the stove, finding the kindling there. She threw some in and blew on it. There were usually some embers in the morning, so it caught without too much effort. “Good,” she said, closing the door. “Now where’s the...?” she said, looking on the shelf and finding the pot she was after. “Good.”

She busied herself, getting familiar with everything in the kitchen as the stove heated. “Clara is better at this than I ever could be,” she said. “But I’d like to give her another day’s rest, if that suits you.”

“Of course,” Albie said. “As long as she needs. I’ll get some chores done if you don’t need me in here.”

She shooed him out, and truth be told, Albie was happy and relieved he was no longer expected to cook. It gave him more time to get work done and more time to daydream about the man still asleep in his bed.

Memories invaded his thoughts, of how Percy looked underneath him, how he’d felt. To kiss him like that, to hold him like that. To feel his erection, to watch him as he succumbed to his pleasure.

The look on his face as he did, how his body reacted and arched, and how Albie had followed him directly after.

Albie never imagined life could be like this.

He also had to imagine other things and busy his mind, lest he wanted tented trousers all day.

Until they were in bed again.

He would dare to touch Percy in sacred places tonight. He would hold him in his hand and stroke his release out of him, both of them naked, lying together, no sliver of skin untouched.

Tented trousers would be the least of his worries at this rate. Maybe he and Percy could take the horses and spend the day together far from home, where no one could see them, because night was far too far away.

“Morning,” a quiet voice said from the doorway to the barn.

Albie turned to find Percy standing there, uncertain, shy.

“Oh,” Albie breathed, the sight of him sending his heart into a rush. “Are you... uh...” He looked around unsure if anyone else was about. He’d been so lost in his thoughts. In fact, he only just realised he was still standing there with a bucket in his hand. Percy walked up and took it from him. “Did you sleep well?”

Percy smiled, his cheeks a pretty pink. “Very. And you?”

“I didn’t want to get out of bed,” he whispered. “But I thought it was best if I did.”

Percy gave a nod, his blush now crawling down his neck. “I don’t think we should talk so openly,” he whispered. “I’ve not seen Des or Robert yet, but I doubt they’ll be far away, and I don’t want us to get complacent.”

Albie understood. “Fair enough.”

Percy held the bucket to his chest. “I’ll milk the cow. You turn the horses out. And the eggs need collecting, and water from the well.”

Albie chuckled. “Yes, boss.”

Percy shot him an amused glare, all fire, no heat. But then he got to work and Albie did the same.

As per usual, Percy was right.

There would be time for personal matters later. Even though Albie could barely think of anything else, he did manage to get the morning chores done, and by the time they all sat at the table for breakfast, Albie had worked up an appetite.

And Elsie’s porridge was a far cry better than Albie’s. He’d expected Robert to make a comment, but he was too busy shovelling it down. Elsie had also made proper bread, not a damper, and they toasted it over the fire with butter and eggs, and even the tea tasted better.

It was the best thing Albie could remember eating.

It made for four happy men, that was for certain.

They set off to get their work done with full bellies and smiles, and the best part was that Albie didn’t have to clean up. Elsie shooed him away when he’d offered, and he didn’t need telling twice.

“Percy and I will go check the rabbit traps,” Albie announced. Given the weather looked clear, Des and Robert were heading to bring the pregnant cows up the paddock closer to the homestead for spring, and they could handle that easily enough.

They set off on foot, not needing their horses, heading to check their traps, walking in silence. Though Albie couldn’t help stealing a few glances at Percy as they made their way from the house.

“I was thinking,” Albie said. “About last night. In fact, I’ve not been able to think of much else. I fear I may never want to do anything other than take you to bed.”

Percy shot him a bewildered look, his face red, then he looked around as if someone might overhear, his hand to his forehead. “Albie! You can’t say such things.”

He laughed, looking back at the homestead. “There’s no one around. Tell me you’ve thought of anything but what we did last night.”

Percy grabbed his arm, trying to put a hand over Albie’s mouth. “I will beg you to not say such things out loud.”

Albie dodged his hand but didn’t miss the opportunity to sling his arm across Percy’s shoulder. Percy quickly shoved him away, then stopped walking. “That’s it. I’m going back to catch up with Des and Robert.”

Albie burst out laughing, but he took Percy’s arm and dragged him forward. “No, please spend the day with me. I promise only my best behaviour from now onward.”

Percy glared at him again. “No more talk of... that.”

“I promise. Until tonight, when we are in bed again. I will be talking of these things and doing so much more.”

Percy stopped walking again, this time letting his head fall back with a groan. “Now I’ll be thinking of that all day long. How am I supposed to get any work done?”

Albie laughed, and this time hooked his arm around Percy’s neck, not letting go as they continued to walk. It felt good to joke and laugh, to be free to act in such a way.

They took their three snared rabbits back to the homestead to a grateful Elsie. Clara was out of her room, sitting by the table and looking a little brighter. She was churning butter, trying to be useful, Elsie had explained with a roll of her eyes and a fond smile.

Percy and Albie turned the hay in the loft and then spent a few hours hunting kangaroo, shooting a decent-sized one that would do for meat, fur, and the remaining carcass for the dogs.

When they came back, carrying the beast between them, they found Elsie tilling soil in the vegetable garden with a long-handled hoe. She stopped, stretched her back, and wiped her brow with the back of her hand. “A good shot, I see,” she said with a smile.

Percy laughed. “He missed the first three. But four bullets isn’t a bad price for a week’s meat.”

They dumped the beast on the back veranda, and Albie nodded to the hoe she was holding. She’d been at it a while by the looks of it. “You don’t need to do this. One of us men?—”

Elsie stomped the hoe into the dirt. “I ain’t useless, Albie. And I ain’t afraid of a bit of hard work. Did all kinds of jobs at the hotel.” She looked skyward. “Plus, it’s a nice day for winter. A bit of sun’ll do me good.”

Albie wasn’t sure he was game to argue.

“Well, if you’re sure,” he said. “If you need anything done, just be sure to say.”

“I’ll have this garden up to scratch in no time,” she said, going back to tilling the soil, tossing weeds to the chickens. “Already got a pile ready for pickling.” And sure enough, there was indeed a pile of carrots and turnips.

Albie hadn’t realised there were any in need of harvesting. He really wasn’t an expert in these things—though he made a note in his mind that he should learn—but he felt so much better now that Elsie was here to right any of his wrongs.

Percy gave Albie a nudge, then he nodded to the kangaroo. “Let’s get it strung up.”

“Good idea.”

They got it strung up in the tree, leaving it for Robert to gut and bleed it, when he got home. He was skilled with a knife, knew how to cut the skin and carve the meat. Albie was never a fan of watching that, truth be told, but it was something he’d now have to learn.

Now that he was the boss.

Something he still had to remind himself of every now and then.

“What’s the frown for?” Percy asked, pointing to his own forehead. “You got a line right here.”

Albie sighed and took his gloves off, stuffing them into his pocket. “Nothing, really. I just...”

“You just what?”

He took a deep breath in and let it out, feeling foolish for admitting this out loud. But if he could share this with anyone, it was Percy. “I’m realising something about myself,” he began.

Percy gave his undivided attention. “Oh?”

“About my position here and my ability to do my father’s job.”

Percy put a hand on Albie’s arm. He didn’t say anything, but he was waiting patiently for Albie to continue. Silent support that was everything Albie needed from him.

“It occurred to me just now,” Albie said quietly, “that I’m both cursed and blessed, in a way.”

“Cursed? How so?”

“My inexperience. My lack of know-how. I’d have let those vegetables rot in the ground, probably. I mean, I’d pulled some for us to eat, but it didn’t occur to me to pickle them for later. And the meat.” He looked at the dead kangaroo. “I had the thought just now that I should have Robert teach me how to butcher it now that I’m the boss. And I should have Elsie show me how she knows what to do with the vegetable garden. And you, helping me with reading.” Albie sighed. “I’m cursed by my lack of years to know such things, yet I’m blessed, in a way, that I have people here to teach me.”

Percy smiled at him, soft and kind. “You are blessed. And everyone here will happily teach you.”

“Do you not think they’ll consider it odd to be teaching their boss? Does it not prove the point that I’m too young for this?”

“Not at all,” Percy said quickly, seriously. “Where is this self-doubt coming from, Albie? Because the man I see knows how to do more than he gives himself credit for. You seeing just now that you can learn from these good people means you’re better than half the men I know. Do you think the likes of McAllister would ever admit that he can learn from a woman?” Percy snorted. “He’d see himself starve before it came to that.”

Albie took Percy’s words as the comfort they were intended to be and the kindness in his eyes, in his tone. “There you go again, speaking reason and wisdom. I cannot imagine doing this without you, Percy,” he whispered. “You’ve been here for no more than a few weeks and now I struggle to recall a time without you.”

Percy blushed a deep red. “There you go, saying things out loud again.”

Albie laughed. “Shall I tell you again when we’re alone later tonight?”

“Argh,” Percy said. “Albie, stop it.”

He turned just as two figures came up from down past the homestead. Albie and Percy walked to the stable to meet them, and Des and Robert rode up and dismounted. Percy took their horses into the stable.

“How did you go?” Albie asked.

Des groaned at his leg, giving it a bit of a rub. “All good. They’re all in, safe and sound.”

“Good, good. Thank you.”

“Been busy, I see?” Robert asked, nodding to the kangaroo.

“Thought I’d leave it for you to butcher, actually,” Albie said to him. “Might get you to teach me how it’s done.”

Robert seemed pleased by this. “Sure thing.”

“But Albie,” Des said. “Gotta tell ya what we saw.” Robert nodded, and Albie was immediately intrigued.

“What was it?”

“Mob of wild horses. Down through the valley toward the creek.”

“The creek?” That was a fair distance... then he realised what that likely meant. “Is there a fence down?”

“Not that we could see,” Des answered. “Lord knows where though. Lotta land to cover, lotta fences, Albie. Maybe a tree fell down and took out a run of fencing, I dunno.”

“And in the far bottom lot, you said?” Percy asked.

Des gave a nod.

“Shoot.” The wind picked up, cold and damp, cutting through them, and Albie shivered with the bite to it. And Des and Robert had been out in it all day. “Come on, this kangaroo can wait. Let’s get you both a cup of tea by the fire.”