Page 37 of Ropers Can’t Tie Knots (Kissing Ridge Cowboys #3)

Two years later

Gabe

“Hi fellas!” I hop out of the truck and wave at the cowboys here, attending the latest session of Jackson and Hunter’s rodeo skills school.

Most of them are fresh young men in their twenties with the baby face to match.

They wave with a laugh and knowing glances, so I immediately change my path to meet their group.

“How did the school go today?”

Levi, Hunter’s new roping partner, presses his lips together to remain quiet, but it doesn’t last long.

“Hunter lost a bet,” Levi blurts, and the guys all start laughing.

“Okayyy…”

Mike, one of the bull riders Hunter knew from his younger days, steps up next to me.

He’s a nice guy. Quiet for a rodeo cowboy, but he’s polite and steady and helps keep the younger ones in line.

He’s been so much help as Hunter and I transition into running multiple businesses, his rodeo tour and, well, just taking the time we need to enjoy our relationship .

Since we got married, it’s not all been rainbows, but when cloudy moments come, we’ve handled it well.

“Hi, Gabe.” Mike nods and clears his throat. “You know how Hunter always challenges the new ropers to a contest that he never loses?”

I nod. “Yes. Best out of five or fastest time for a tie down?”

Mike hums. “That’s the one. When he lost the first challenge…3-0 I might add, he made a bet that he also lost and right now he’s out paying the debt.”

Sounds right. Hunter is nothing less than competitive. If he lost the first contest, which he never does, he might have let his drive get the best of him.

“Do you have a lot of that anti-itch stuff? Like for mosquito bites?” One of the young lads says, and I nod.

“I think so. Do you need some?”

“No, but I bet Hunter will.”

Now I’m just completely confused, but I turn when I hear the sounds of hooves and Hunter’s voice.

“Lady Godiva ain’t got nothing on me, you fuckers. I hope you’re satis—” Hunter’s gaze meets mine. “Oh, shit. Hey, babe.”

The guys hoot and holler and clap and a few dollar coins get thrown his way because my husband is completely bare-ass naked on top of his horse. Well, naked except for his hat, and now I understand the question about anti-itch meds. It’s still black fly season.

“You dared to ride naked if you lost a bet?”

“Not exactly.” Mike chuckles next to me .

“Damn, Gabe. His balls must be chafing against that saddle. Gonna need more than anti-itch.” Levi cackles, and I do my best not to laugh. I really do.

“What do you say, Hunter? Are your balls chafing up there? Need some Gold Bond?” one of the new guys yells out.

Hunter’s hand goes to his naughty bits, and he attempts to cover himself since the crowd has stopped snickering and grown quiet as they ogle my naked husband. Which is hard not to, but I’m not loving him on display.

“Don’t you guys have work to do or something?” I bark. Some of them excuse themselves, but most of them stay and laugh and grin as Hunter grows increasingly uncomfortable.

Maybe I’m a bit of an ass for making him sweat, but I don’t think he’ll mind later. It’s actually kinda hot with him up there, reinventing the rustic cowboy image.

Since I know his first instinct is to always make sure we communicate when things get wonky, I shake my head and turn towards the house.

“Gabe, it’s not —” A fresh wave of laughs and wolf whistles sounds. “Unless you want me to flash the goods, I can’t get down, Gabe. Please don’t be mad.”

Turning around, I laugh as I walk to the fence. “I’m not mad, but why on earth would you bet to ride naked if you lost?”

“I didn’t think I’d lose! Or that so many of these guys apparently wanted to see me naked!

” He glares at the small crowd of men. We don’t make it a point to ask them about their sexuality when they attend his school.

What we do, though, is make it a point to tell them we’re a married gay couple and if that’s a problem, not to bother attending .

Clearly, we’ve acquired the largest group of non-straight cowboys in Alberta, since most of them can’t seem to look away. We’ve moved beyond the shock factor and into open looks of appreciation.

“Honestly, I just wanted to know if he’d follow through.” One man offers me a hand. “Hi, I’m Caleb. Seems like he’s a man of his word.”

I take his hand while I side glance at Hunter. “He’s definitely a man of his word. Are you the man who beat him?”

“Yes, sir.” Caleb smirks, and the cockiness is earned. Hunter never loses.

“Congratulations. I’m sure he’ll bet more carefully in the future now.” Caleb nods and waves to Hunter before turning back to the barn.

“You should probably get off the horse, Hunter. Where are your clothes, anyway?”

It’s then one of the new guys bursts from the barn, arms full of clothes, as he runs down the driveway towards his vehicle. After he throws them in the back, he peels out of the yard, and I raise an eyebrow.

“Those were probably my clothes, and I’m kicking him out of the course.” Hunter hangs his head with a laugh. “Lord, can this day get worse?”

“Doubt it, but I can definitely make it better.”

“And that’s my cue.” Mike claps his hands and says goodbye while I jump the fence and walk over to Hunter.

“Truthfully, are your balls chafing?” We both laugh, and he adjusts himself on the saddle. “Yes, and my ass is sticking to it and the bugs are starting to get me, but I couldn’t not follow through, Gabe. It was a bet, and they need to respect me, you know?”

“I know.” I smooth a hand up his bare leg. He’s so powerful and strong. Amazingly fit still, even in his forties. Dixie swings her head at me, and I say hello to her, too. “I’m not mad you’re streaking on the back of a horse. It’s actually quite the show.”

Hunter snort-laughs. “I’m too old to let these young guns get the best of me. I can give you a show without the other eyes watching.” He clears his throat and lowers his gaze.

“What do you need from me, doll?”

Hunter looks down at me and moves his hand away from his dick. Despite his situation, it’s perking up. “Just stop touching me and looking all cute so I can dismount without…damaging something.”

Immediately, I step back with my hands in the air. “Don’t damage anything, and I’ll help you recover.” I turn to walk away, and Hunter calls out.

“Do you think you could bring me some pants?”

After hopping over the fence, I pause. “I think you can find something in the barn. This is your mess.” Laughing, I jog back to the house with Hunter’s laughter following me.

Hunter

Somehow, I get Dixie unsaddled and brushed in nothing but my cowboy boots. Thankfully, the little shit who stole my clothes knew better than to take my boots.

Why I made a bet to ride naked around the pasture is beyond me, but I wasn’t about to not follow through. I’m a man of my word…even when they’re stupid words that I regret. Although I’m quite fond of ‘I’ll Lady Godiva the shit out of this.’

Gabe was home early and in that one instant where our eyes met, I panicked that he’d be mad, and I’d fucked up the best thing I ever had. What’s he supposed to think when he finds his husband riding a horse buck fucking naked in front a group of men that doesn’t include him?

My heart was in my throat as I tried to come up with a better explanation than the truth.

Then he smiled.

That fucking smile that makes me feel like I could fly to the moon.

“Sorry for all that, girl. You did not need me on your back like that.” I pat Dixie and close the stall door. “Extra treats tomorrow. Maybe all week.”

Are horses traumatized by human nudity? I sure hope not.

Walking through the barn with the air on my balls is different. Not sure I like it, but what the hell? If I owned the Lady Godiva act, I’d own this too.

With my hat on my head and boots on my feet with nothing in between, I strut from the barn to the house like a rooster on the way to the henhouse…and stop dead when Gabe opens the door with Diamond.

Both men freeze, Gabe with a twisted smile and Diamond with his jaw hanging open.

Grabbing the hat off my head, I cover my cock and balls and turn around.

“Oh, keep spinning sugar. Give me all the angles.”

Gabe’s laughter rings out, and I hang my head before turning around, only now noticing Diamond’s orange Subaru in the lane. How could I miss that?

“Hey, Diamond. I didn’t know you were here. Obviously.”

“I was just dropping off a special something for you and Gabe. Clearly, it’s not a good time to stay and chat, so I’ll let you two get it.”

He turns and whispers to Gabe. “Damn, Gabe. You get that every night?”

“Twice if I want it.”

“I can hear you both!” I shout and walk towards the house with my swagger a little less than it was before.

Diamond waves with a smile and is on his way, and I’m finally in the house’s safety. I hang my hat and pull off my boots, which is hard when you have no socks on. Gabe leans against the wall, watching me the entire time with a fond smile.

“Today is a special day. Diamond delivered so we could celebrate.”

I freeze, running through the calendar in my brain. All birthdays accounted for. It’s not our wedding anniversary or any of our friends that I’m aware of. Drawing a blank, I shake my head.

“Gabe, I’m sorry. I don’t know what day it is. ”

He takes me by the hand and leads me to the living room. My favourite cheesecake sits on the table, and next to it is an envelope with my name. Now I’m really confused as he pulls me down on the sofa next to him.

“Three years ago, I moved in here and pretended to be your husband. A short eight weeks later, you sat where you are now with your feet on the table and a crossword book in your hand.” Gabe reaches for the card.

“I stretched out and rested my feet on your lap. You didn’t push me away.

Instead, your free hand absently rubbed my leg. ”

Gabe speaks softly as he tells the story of literally any night we spend at home, and I feel like an ass for not knowing what’s so special about this day.

“Gabe…I’m sorry, but I’m not getting this.”

He shakes his head, the fond smile never fading.

“We celebrate our wedding, but we never celebrate little moments. It was at that moment, as you asked me another word for purple, that I knew I was in love with you. I’ll remember it forever.

It smashed into me so hard, more than any moment we’ve spent on the porch swing. I loved you. It had to be you.”

Gabe passes me the card, and when I open it, it’s an anniversary card, but he’s scratched off all the words that say anniversary and replaced them with various words for falling in love, stealing his heart or whatnot.

And it chokes me up that he remembers the day so clearly and wants to celebrate it out of the blue. Hell, that he remembers it so clearly, and I didn’t even know what was going through his head.

“And I ruined it by riding naked and showing friends and strangers my good parts. ”

Gabe laughs and takes my face in his hands. “You didn’t ruin it at all. You reminded me why I love you and how lucky I am. I love everything about you, Hunter, and I always will. I didn’t expect it, but that’s kind of what all this is, right? Unexpected good things.”

He kisses me. Deep and sweet, and I reach for him, pulling him onto my lap.

“Even when I walk from the barn naked and give one of our closest friends a full-frontal show.”

“Especially then.” Gabe kisses me all over my face.

My eyelids, nose, and forehead. “Let’s eat cake, and after that, I just want to be happy that I took the chance to tell you I loved you when you pushed me away.

” He kisses me and lingers against my lips.

“I just want to remember that sometimes, when we take a chance, it pays off. And you were the best chance I ever took.”

My throat bobs with a swallow, and I wish I knew what god to thank for this.

“Anything for you, Gabe. Always.”

“I know, doll. Don’t feel like you always have to prove that to me. I know it.” He spreads his hand over my heart. “And this is the best part of you.”

My husband presses his lips to mine and kisses me with the promise of forever.

“Can we eat that cake now?” I whisper against his lips.

“I figured since you were already naked, we could save the cake for later.” He swivels his hips on my lap. “It’s a cock-before-cake situation now.”

My laugh is deep as I stand with him in my arms and turn to place him on the couch.

“I can definitely handle that, counsellor.”

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you loved Hunter and Gabe's story.