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“Ta-da! Easy as pie.” Rory grabbed his chair and took it to the trunk, leaving him feeling vulnerable as fuck. He was hiding in his chair these days, wasn’t he? Weird. It wasn’t like Rory was going to leave him here, deserted.

He just… It was like a shield now. A part of him, and he hated that in a way.

“Okay, you want to let your brother know that I didn’t kidnap you?”

“Oh! Sure.” Luke pulled out his phone to text Matty.

Going to Mcconnells

What? Why??

To make out, of course

You’re not serious. You dog! Do I need to stay in town to fetch u?

Nah I’ll holler.

k

And that was that. Just ‘k’.

Since the whole injury drama, Luke had kinda forgotten what it was like to be trusted to take care of himself. Matty knew him, though. Knew what he could do.

And he could fucking take care of himself.

“So, where is your place then? On your mom and dad’s property?”

“No, I bought fifty acres just west of them. It was going to be industrial, and I wanted it more.”

“I love that.” Luke would never have cared about keeping land agricultural until Matty showed him the way horses could heal a man.

“It’s not bad at all. I have a line of properties between my place and y’all’s.”

“Yeah? Weird. Which way? Miz Owen still has the place to the east. She was telling us Harris tried to buy her out. Even tried to help auction her goats.”

“North from you, south from me.”

“Gotcha.” He thought about the three small spreads between them and the next big expanse of fence. Two small horse operations and a rescue for unwanted animals. Both horse operations were closing down soon. “What are you gonna do with that fifty or so acres closing down?”

“I’m not sure. They’ve got solid barns, good bones, all of them.”

“Yeah. Holler when you want to talk about maybe renting one of them. I think Matty is underestimating what we can do with the horses.” He had ideas. Nothing to have deep conversations about yet, but ideas, anyway.

“Yeah? You going to expand?”

“Maybe. I have a good bit of money to invest. I didn’t do shit with my salary for years.”

“Good for you! I love when people invest in their hometown.”

“I never thought I would at all.” The sides of the road flew by, grass knee tall and gr 5800ewen, the sky overhead blue as could be.

“No. Did you have another plan or were you winging it?”

“Oh, God, I have no idea. I guess I thought I would go down in a blaze of glory and die in battle.” He was an asshole and he knew it.

“That sounds painful.”

“It is.” He snorted. “And less interesting than it should be.”

“Well, I promise to make things interesting for you here, honey.” Rory didn’t sound like he was making fun at all.

“I like that.” Luke would have reached over to touch Rory’s leg but he couldn’t remember which one was all stitched.

They drove down a long, graded road and ended up at a pretty ranch house in the middle of a bunch of mature pecan trees. “This is right nice,” Luke told him. “Private.”

“I swear I’m not an ax murderer.” Rory coasted to a stop by the back stoop. “ Voilà . Ramp.”

“Why’s there a ramp?”

“Lady who lived here had a stroke. I kept it for carrying heavy things into the house.”

“Ah. Well, I’m glad. I can be heavy.” There. A joke. Ha.

“Honey, you’re stacked to the fucking ceiling. I couldn’t pick your fine ass up.”

“No?” His cheeks heated again. This man had an amazing effect on him. “Well, you’re gonna have to dance with me again to get me out of the car.”

“I can’t wait. Let me grab your chair.”

“Thanks.” He leaned his head back and took a few deep breaths, gathering himself for the effort this was fixin’ to take.

Rory opened his door, the chair unpacked and unfolded for him. “How do you want me?”

“In front of me. You right- or left-handed?”

“Left.”

“Okay. So when you get me up, you turn your butt to the car door, and I go the other way into the chair. Make sure the brakes are on.”

“Right on.”

It shocked him how well Rory did, at least until Luke remembered that Rory had dated someone in his position.

He wasn’t sure whether to be tickled or offended by that.

“Come on in. Watch out for the cats. They love laps.”

“Well, I come with one built in.” He laughed. “Cats go in a barn, you know.”

“Not these babies.” Three gorgeous long-haired cats sat in a line, staring at him. “See? I have Persians. Ariel, Esmerelda, and Merida.”

Persians named after Disney princesses, nonetheless. “You are the queerest man I’ve ever met.”

“Thank you! Wait until you meet Maleficent.”

“Maleficent. Wow.” They were glorious. “Good to know you’re tactile. They take a lot of grooming.”

“They’re neat critters, and they like me.”

“Pretty girls.” Cats aren’t like dogs. You let them come to you. Luke nodded at them. “Ladies.”

They came up, nuzzling him, nudging his fingers, biting the tips gently. Look at that. Sweet babies.

A huge sleek, totally not Persian beast came slinking down the stairs. “Jesus Christ, Rory. Is that a fucking jaguar? ”

“My baby girl? No. I’ve had her for twelve years. She’s the first.”

“What the hell is she?” She was fricking glorious.

“She’s a Chartreux. Striking eyes, huh?”

“Amazing.” He wasn’t sure if holding out his hand was okay, but he did it, anyway.

She stared him down with amber eyes that seemed to judge him, then, with one leap, she was in his lap.

“Well, hey!” He kept his voice steady by sheer will. “Chin or ears?”

“Chin. Totally.” Rory shook his head. “You want me to take her?”

“Nah, we’re good.” He stroked her chin, and damned if she didn’t start to purr and lean.

“She’s a sweetheart. I know that it’s weird around here to be a cat person, but I am. I’d have a dog, but I’m not home enough to feel comfortable.”

Luke grinned because, as weird as it might be, that said a lot about Rory McConnell as a man.

“Anytime you need dog time you come on to the ranch. We got ’em.”

“I might take you up on that, assuming your brother doesn’t try to kill me.”

“Hell, I bet you could take riding lessons.” Luke winked, stroking that ridiculously heavy cat.

“Riding lessons.” Rory stared at him half a second, blinking. “You think he’d let me?”

“Sure.” Luke tilted his head. “I’ve screwed up, haven’t I?”

“Rodeo club roping champion for four years of high school, honey.”

“Shit. Sorry.” Luke chuckled. “I assumed you were like me. Never had time to learn all that.”

“Why be sorry? Those assumptions work in my favor a lot.” Rory set to light on a low couch, grunting as Maleficent leapt onto his chest as soon as he sat. “Honestly, my mom says if you assume something about me, you’re probably wrong.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He wheeled over, gauging how hard it would be to get back in the chair if he wasn’t welcome on the couch.

“Do you need help to get on the sofa? I can help.”

“I might, yeah. It’s a little low. Now, sofas are a trick I’ve been working on, so lemme give it a shot.”

“I can do that. Both of them even. Should I just sit here?”

“Just be ready to leap to my rescue. Oh, and the cat?”

“Mali, go bite your sisters or something.”

The cat gave him a glare and a flicked tail, then slithered off the couch.

“Thanks. I don’t want to land on her.” Luke took a deep breath, then maneuvered about so he was parallel to the couch. Then it was a matter of brute strength and balance.

Good thing he had both in spades. He ended up sitting in the couch, breathing hard.

“That was impressive.” There was no irony in Rory’s voice or expression.

“Thanks.” Whew. Go him.

“You want a glass of water? A beer?”

“You got anything with bubbles that’s not alcohol?” He was partial to Dr Pepper but would drink any other kind of Coke.

“Dr Pepper, Sprite, Coke. I have a Coke machine in the game room.”

“You’re shitting me.” God, his whole squad would be over here daily if they knew a guy like Rory.

“I shit you not. I have the game room of joy.”

“Dr Pepper, please.” He grinned, tickled as shit.

“I’ll be right back.” Rory stood up, stretched. “You mind if I take off my tie?”

“Oh, I stand on ceremony…” He snorted. “Not one bit.”

“Good to know. I’m strangling in this thing.” Rory disappeared deeper into the house, and Luke leaned back. The place was high dollar, but simple. Sort of like a frat house with class. There was a huge leather sofa, a big screen hanging on the wall, and a footstool that had to be vintage 1973.

What did the old captain used to call it? Eclectic. Every time he’d said it Luke had thought he was the most sophisticated feller ever.

His people were more early American garage sale with owls. Momma collected owls.

Preacher liked velvet paintings.

Rory came in with two Dr Peppers, shirt unbuttoned at the neck.

“What is your position on velvet paintings?” he asked.

“What? You mean like dogs and matadors and Jesus?” Rory plopped down and offered him a can. “I prefer dogs playing poker.”

“See how you are?” Luke took a long swallow of the fizzy drink, loving how it tasted better in Texas. It just did. “Preacher collects. I stand to inherit the biggest collection west of the funny car races in Paducah, Kentucky.”

“Impressive. I like it. I collect things, but not specific things.”

“Yeah? Do you do flea markets and stuff?”

“Canton. I take First Monday off, man.”

“Aw, man I haven’t done that since I was a kid. Preacher used to go for yard art supplies.”

“Wanna go? We’ll have a blast. I’ll help on the rough parts.”

“I’d totally dig that.” He so would. Luke chuckled. They were making future dates.

“Cool. I also would dig it. Can I kiss you now?”

“As long as I don’t have food in my teeth.” He bared his teeth at Rory. Might as well start out as he intended to go on .

“You’re safe. Is there any place I shouldn’t touch?” Rory turned to face him, full on.

“I’ll let you know,” Luke said wryly. “No one has touched me since I left the hospital but Avery.”

“My stitches are here.” Rory took his hand and placed it on his leg. There was a ridge of bandages, right there under his fingertips. “It’s a little tender.”