28. Briar

Late afternoon sundappled through the oak trees, casting patterns across the porch of the old farmhouse.Briar sat in a rickety lawn chair, watching children squeal with laughter as Sabbath climbed up and down a toddler slide.

The weather was so hot that his shirt stuck to his back whenever he sat still for too long,but the shade of the porch was infinitely better than standing between the Owens siblings and any competitive game.

"James, you rat bastard!" West yelled as a horseshoe clanged against a stake.

"You snooze, you lose!" Bethie let out a triumphant whoop, which devolved into a shriek when Derek hooked her around the waist and playfully swung her up over his shoulder.She beat at his back with her tiny fists and yelled, "Derek!Put me down!"

"Not until you two stop cheating," he said calmly.

"It's called taking advantage of an opportunity—" She yelped when he pretended to drop her."Okay! Okay! I surrender!"

"You were always the weak link," James said, shaking his head at their baby sister once Derek set her on her feet.She scrabbled after him, but he dodged, kicking up a cloud of dust around the homemade horseshoe pit.

Ostensibly, it was just another Sunday dinner with the Owens family, but this one had the air of something extra special.Not only was it the first time Briar had been invited, but Bethie was home from college with her newest boyfriend.

"Dinner and entertainment, eh?" Bethie's boyfriend, Tom, sidled up beside Briar and handed him a cold bottle of beer.Briar pressed the chilled glass against the back of his neck.The condensation was a small relief from the heat.

"It's like watching a wildlife documentary," he said.

"Safe as long as you don't get too close?" Tom dragged a chair beside him and sat, looking amused and slightly trepidatious as he watched the grown siblings roughhousing like children. Briar swore he lost two shades of color from his face every time Derek looked his way.

It wasn't that the family didn't like Tom, but Bethie's brothers seemed to have unanimously decided they would only accept him after an extensive round of hazing.Briar was sympathetic but also secretly relieved; the new guy's presence took all the heat off Briar.He felt like an old pro by comparison, and not only because Susan had burst into tears and hugged him the moment Derek carried him from the forest a week ago.

A few days later, Mrs. Owens had called personally to invite Briar to their next family dinner.Briar was pleased…but bewildered.

"I got a glimpse of what my life would be like without you," Derek had told him solemnly when he asked, "and they saw what it would do to me.Of course, they want to make sure you feel like you belong."

Tom sat in silence for a while, absorbing the scene around him.Briar didn't blame him; there was something intimidating about the intensity of this family.The laughter was there, and the casual displays of affection, but also a shared history of trauma and resentment.The bonds between them were deep and frightening, like fellow soldiers on the other side of a long war.

"They really throw you in the deep end, huh?" Tom remarked, his eyes following Bethie as she dodged a teasing swipe from West.

"Yeah, but they won't let you drown," Briar responded, content in his newfound confidence.He took a sip of his beer, savoring the bitter flavor, and waved to catch Derek's eye.He nodded meaningfully at Tom.Derek frowned. That big brain of his understood perfectly what Briar was asking, but he stubbornly pretended he didn't.Briar made his eyes big and commanding, jerking his chin in Tom's direction.This time, Derek's eyes narrowed.He shook his head. Briar nodded emphatically.Derek sighed.

"Get over here, Tom," he said with all the enthusiasm of a man facing jury duty.

The screen creaked behind Briar, and Mrs. Owens stepped out onto the porch, wiping her hands on a faded dish towel.

"I hope they don't give that boy too hard a time," she said, sounding exasperated."Derek is so overprotective. He still hasn't quite forgiven Ian for marrying Susan."

"I think it'll be okay," Briar said hesitantly.He still wasn't exactly sure where he stood with Derek's mother.She was kind and matronly but strangely demanding of her children.

She looked down at him as if reading his mind, smiled slightly, and said, "I was hoping we'd get a chance to chat if you have a moment."

"Of course, Mrs. Owens." Briar scrambled to his feet and allowed her to draw him away from the festive noise of the yard.

They walked slowly to the edge of the porch.She gripped the rail in her weathered hands and gazed out at the ramshackle farm.The fields were dry and overgrown, and shingles were falling off the barn roof, but she looked at it like it was the most beautiful view in the world.

"Derek…he's always tried to protect us," she began softly, staring into the distance."But he never noticed how hard we all tried to protect him too.Back then…it felt like we were cursed. Life was such a struggle, and we'd just found out that West was gay.It was a different time back then.Sweetwater was a different place.I was so afraid for him, and when I learned that Derek felt the same way about men…I thought we might lose him.None of us could have survived that.We needed him."

Briar nodded, encouraging her to continue, his heart rate ticking up with every word.It wasn't his place to pass judgment.It wouldn't do any good, and Derek wouldn't appreciate his interference.But he resented the hell out of what he was hearing.

"I thought I was protecting him when I asked him to ignore that part of himself.I put such a burden on him, and I didn't realize it until far too late." Her voice wavered, betraying her regret.

"You didn't want a son. You wanted a provider," Briar blurted.He couldn't help himself.

Mrs. Owens looked startled. Her thin brows lifted slightly.Then her expression softened.Saddened.

"You might be right," she said with a sigh."It's a talk I've already had with him.It's clear to me now how much he's always needed someone like you in his life.Someone who reminds him he's young; someone who makes him laugh.Seeing him so happy, so at ease, opened my eyes to so much.I'm just so happy he found you, Briar…the first time and the second time."

Briar cracked a smile at her weak joke.She reached out and grasped his fingers between her two frail hands, pleading, "I know we don't hold a candle to city life.We're just a boring little spot on the map.But stay with him, please. He needs you."

Derek approached from behind his mother, wearing a concerned expression.Briar met his eyes and flashed him a reassuring smile.He raised his voice just loud enough for Derek to overhear and said, "When I moved to Sweetwater, I expected it to be temporary.Everything in my life always had been, you know?But this place…these people…they're home now.This is where I'm meant to be…right by Derek's side."

"Oh." Derek's mother misted up, dabbing at her eyes with her knuckles."That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard."

"Me too," Derek said, coming up behind them and wrapping a gentle arm around his mother's shoulders."Give us a minute, will you, Mom?"

He waited until they were alone before cupping Briar's face in one hand and kissing him.These days, the first thing Derek did whenever he got within arm's reach was kiss him.It didn"t matter where they were.His fascination with Briar's mouth was still going strong, and Briar was beginning to suspect it always would be.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked once they came up for breath.

"I'm perfect," Briar replied, smiling sweetly and lifting onto his toes to wrap his arms around Derek's neck.

"Yeah," Derek replied huskily, dipping his head to kiss his throat."You are."

Goosebumps shivered across Briar's skin despite the heat.Derek's kiss lingered on his throat, and Briar laughed breathlessly.Wobbly voiced, he teased, "Careful, or I'll get used to this kind of treatment."

"I hope so." Those glorious green eyes of his were smiling, and Briar smiled back.He couldn't believe he'd ever found such a handsome face plain.Derek's strength and intelligence and kindness had been there all along, right beneath his sexy, brooding scowl.

Something clattered from inside the house, and Derek's father yelled.The screen door burst open, Sabbath streaking into the yard with her tail between her legs and a piece of brisket dangling from her mouth.The children bellowed with laughter.

Briar leaned back against Derek's chest, content to be wrapped in his arms despite the heat.He'd longed for this kind of normalcy his entire life.Families, he thought, were their own kind of wild—unpredictable, fierce, and beautiful.As they watched Sabbath play keep-away with the kids, Briar felt the simple joy of the moment weaving itself permanently into the fabric of his heart.

"I always thought having a family would feel something like this," he murmured in a choked voice.

Derek gave him an understanding squeeze."You're part of it now."

"Part of you," Briar said without thinking.

Derek smiled, and Briar's heart skipped a beat.He'd never seen Derek smile that way before.Like a little boy on Christmas.Like a man with hope. Like a man who hadn't yet noticed all the gnomes in various naughty positions that Briar was hiding around their cabin.

"Come on," Derek said, taking him by the hand and pulling him off theporch."Bethie wants you on her team for the nextround."

"But I don't know how toplay."

"You'll figure it out as you go," Derek saideasily, "and I'll be here ifyoudon't."

As they joined the others, Briar's heart swelled with the relief of knowing that, for the first time in his life, there was no one he needed toimpress.He was no longer just a visitor in Derek's life or an outsider in thistown.He washome.

With his hand clasped in Derek's warm grip, under the vast Oregon sky, Briar realized that this—this chaotic, beautiful life he was building—was his happily everafter.