Page 17 of Announcing Love (Sporting Pride #5)

It was a beautiful day. The temperature was perfect, and Artem had the best spot outside to set up easels.

With the light of the day, they got to try something fun they had been planning for a while.

With their easels back-to-back, they painted each other’s portraits.

Jathan wasn’t good at it, but that wasn’t the point.

It was supposed to be fun. They were supposed to get a good laugh out of the final project.

He already knew Artem’s painting would be flawless, but that was cool.

Artem never hesitated to humiliate himself on the pottery wheel. So they were even.

They had started taking turns visiting each other shortly after Artem’s move to the ranch.

Jathan didn’t mind making the drive. Artem always showed up for him.

No one else did that. While they had only been friends a little under a year, Artem had easily become his best friend.

Jathan didn’t think anyone he knew—other than Artem—liked him that much.

He was that friend on the outskirts. Jathan got invited, but no one cared if he actually came.

No one sought him out. Artem was different.

They had a lot in common and Artem never went more than two days without checking on him.

He had missed three days of texting Artem once when he had the flu and Artem had shown up at his door, worried something had happened to him or that Jathan was mad at him. It felt great to be with him.

“Oh, damn, baby. That looks fantastic.” Tip appeared from nowhere and wrapped his arms around Artem.

Bitterness immediately washed over Jathan. That was the only downside of these visits. He wished Artem had picked a better guy.

“Are you sure? Something about the area over here just doesn’t feel right.”

Jathan kept his gaze on his canvas and his mouth shut. He couldn’t say Tip didn’t treat Artem like a king.

“He has a small scar under his left eye. That’s what’s missing.”

“Oh damn. You’re right.”

Jathan hummed inside his head, pretending he wasn’t there. A minute passed in silence, making Jathan hopeful Tip would leave soon.

“Why don’t you like me?”

Jathan’s chin shot up at the question. He hadn’t expected Tip to ask. They never spoke, but Tip stared at him directly, openly awaiting an answer. Jathan wasn’t one to back down. “You said I’m a mediocre player who doesn’t deserve to make the kind of money I do.”

Tip stared at him, blinking for a second before responding. “No, I didn’t.”

Jathan nearly growled at the denial. “Yes, you did. I was standing three feet from you. It was at that New Year’s Eve party the year before last.”

Tip blinked again. “That wasn’t me. I know exactly what you’re talking about.

We were talking about how Ramirez got a contract extension from Phoenix, making him nearly the highest paid player.

I said I couldn’t believe they offered that much for him since he really wasn’t that good.

That guy, Sean from UE-TV Sports, is the one who responded that it was just like the Fireballs negotiating to keep you for millions when you were barely a mediocre player.

But I don’t think that and even disagreed with him when he said it. ”

It was Jathan’s turn to blink like an idiot.

To be fair, his back had been turned when he had caught every word of that conversation.

Tip’s version made more sense. “Oh. That doesn’t surprise me.

The weekend before, I ran into Sean at Area 9.

He felt me up and said I should join him in the bathroom so I could get on my knees.

I told him to go fuck himself because I wasn’t the one. ”

Tip nodded, looking thoughtful. “That doesn’t surprise me.

Sean’s always been a disgusting asshole who thinks everyone wants his dick.

I don’t understand why he doesn’t hang out in places where people actually do that shit.

He’s in the wrong crowd. No one I know wants to get on their knees in a public restroom.

I don’t care how clean it is. That’s fucking gross. ”

“Right?” Jathan felt so vindicated. “Plus, the guy is like five foot seven. If I got on my knees, I’d still be eye level with him.”

A gorgeous rumble of laughter nearby caught Jathan off guard. He glanced over to find a guy in a cowboy hat, working close enough to hear their conversation.

Tip used his moment of distraction to steal Artem. “Is it okay if I show you something in the barn real quick?” He looked at Jathan. “I’ll have him right back.”

Jathan shrugged. “That’s fine. It’ll delay him seeing this absolute shit show of a painting.”

Tip linked fingers with Artem.

Artem flashed him a smile. “I’ll be right back.”

Jathan nodded and went back to trying to fix the mess he had made.

“It’s actually not that bad.”

Jathan nearly jumped out of his skin at the softly spoken words. He glanced over. Cowboy hat guy was at his side. He was probably only two inches shorter than Jathan. That was a nice change. It got tiresome always looking down.

“Thanks. I mean, you’re lying, but still thanks.”

“Nah. You’re good. I could never do this.”

Jathan couldn’t look away from him. The dude was hot as fuck. “I’m Jathan.”

Gray eyes that were nearly silver turned his way. “Quince.”

Jathan nodded. “I’d shake your hand, but I’m covered in paint.”

Quince shrugged. “I’ve been brushing down horses all day.” He held out his hand.

Jathan wiped his hand on his apron to try to get it as clean as possible before accepting. They didn’t let go immediately. Quince’s hand was rough, exactly like a working man’s.

“Artem is my best friend. We do this together every other weekend. Usually, we stick to inside, though. Hopefully, we’re not in your way.”

“I know who you are. I mean, I’ve seen you here.” Quince finally dropped his hand.

Jathan nodded. He couldn’t say the same. If he had known Quince was there, Artem might’ve had a hard time getting rid of him. “What do you do around here?”

“I’m the ranch foreman. You know, I keep all the workers in line and make sure everything gets done. That sort of thing. It’s kind of a jack-of-all-trades kind of job.” He looked around, as if suddenly uncomfortable. “Speaking of which, I should probably get back to it.”

Jathan tried to hide his disappointment. “Okay. It was nice meeting you.”

Quince’s gaze moved over his face. “You too.” He took a step back and then finally turned away.

He turned back so fast, Jathan almost got busted checking out the most delicious of cowboy asses.

“By the way, you couldn’t be mediocre if you tried.

” He walked away before Jathan recovered enough to think straight.

A smile exploded across his face. They would definitely speak again.

Tip led Artem into the barn where he had left Artem’s gift.

Ginger kept stepping into their path, refusing to be ignored.

She was incredibly spoiled but she deserved it.

Tip knew she only soaked up the love life had stolen from her before Artem came to her rescue.

No one understood that like Tip. He was the same.

Tip resented every second of the time they weren’t together.

Artem’s attention and love were his. He wanted his focus.

“Just squeeze in here.” He maneuvered Artem between Ginger and the wall of the stall to where he had left Artem’s new saddle.

Artem gasped at the sight of it. “Oh, wow. It’s beautiful.” He traced the letters branded on the side: Hermes. A loud bark of laughter burst from Artem. “Are you even capable of going under board?”

“Under board? Is that a thing?” He wrapped his arms around Artem from behind and opened the ring box he held. “And no, I’m not.”

He felt Artem stop breathing. His entire body froze. “Oh, my fucking God, Tip. That’s beautiful.”

It really was. He had hired a master jeweler out of California to design the ring, especially for Artem. “Is it enough to convince you to marry me?”

Artem turned in his arms. “Are you kidding me? You could propose with a piece of twine, and I’d still say yes.”

Logically, Tip had known he would. They had talked about it in passing several times, but there would always be a tiny part of Tip that expected to be rejected by everyone he loved. He didn’t think he was that lovable.

Tip put the ring on Artem’s finger. It looked exactly how he pictured. “Perfect.” His lips touched Artem’s.

Their kiss turned heated and still Artem tried to talk through it. His hands ran up the inside of Tip’s shirt. “I have a gift for you too.”

A wicked-sounding chuckle vibrated through their kiss. Tip heard it and couldn’t believe it was his. “You have a guest, but I’m down.”

Artem pinched him. “No. It’s a real gift.” He paused. His eyes glazed over as if picturing exactly what Tip offered. He shook his head. “I can do that later too, but I meant an actual gift.”

“You know you never have to get—”

“Knock. Knock.”

They looked toward the barn’s door. An older lady with blond hair in a messy bun, who looked entirely too much like his mother, strolled into the barn like he hadn’t told her they were done.

Tip’s face hardened. He felt it happen. All the softness Artem brought to his life drained from him at the sight of her.

When her gaze landed on them, she held her hands up in surrender. “I come in peace. Promise.”

That didn’t help.

Her gaze moved between them. A kind smile he hadn’t seen in a long time touched her lips. “Hi. I’m Christine, Tip’s mom.”

Artem hesitated before stepping forward and shaking her hand. “Artem.”

“My fiancé,” Tip added with a hint of warning in his voice. She wouldn’t be insulting him in any way.

She smiled. “That’s amazing to hear.” Her smile fell away as she eyed Artem. “Wait. You’re the Artem. The artist. I recently went to an auction with my friend, and she bought one of your pieces. It was a moon and when you shine the light thing on it, it’s being held up by a god.”

“Yep. That’s me.”

“Oh, my goodness. You’re so talented.”