Page 106 of Wrangled

My gaze met his, and the warmth in those brown eyes settled my mind. “But I want to.” I cleared my voice, and began to read aloud.

Robert,

If you’re reading this, then I’m gone. The first thing I have to tell you is, I’ve always felt guilty about leaving the ranch without saying a word to you—without saying goodbye. I’m so sorry, but not contacting you was part of the deal, and I had to abide by that. I guess now it’s safe to tell you.

The night I left, your daddy came to see me. He asked me to go into the stable with him, and there was no one else around. He told me he knew about us, that we were fucking. Then he handed me a wad of cash, and told me I was to leave, to stay away, and never to contact you again. And if I did, he’d hear about it, and he’d come looking for me. Then he told me to pack my stuff, and he drove me to West Yellowstone, all the way to the border. He told me to get out, pointed to Wyoming, thanked me for all I’d done on the ranch, and said, Have a good life. Then he got back in the truck, turned around, and headed home.

What was I supposed to do? He was your daddy, doing what he thought was right. Okay so he was firing me, but he was also giving me the means to move away and start a new life. And that’s exactly what I did.

I got a new job, a wife, and eventually kids. I have a son and a daughter. Next to my wife Louisa, they’re the most precious thing in my life. None of them ever knew I’d fooled around with guys, and I wanted it to stay that way.

But…

When I found out I was dying, I knew I had to set the record straight. I know it was a long, long time ago, but I’ve never forgotten you, and I hope I didn’t hurt you too badly when you discovered I’d gone. I know your daddy probably did it out of love, but that wasn’t how it felt at the time.

I hope you’ve been happy. I hope you found someone who was a better fit than me. I tried, but I think you needed more than I could give.

You were one special man, and I was proud to know you.

Be happy.

Clay

My voice cracked on his name.

“Oh my God.” Toby’s arms were around me in a heartbeat, and I was grateful for them. “You okay?”

I leaned on him, breathing in the smell of clean hair, sun-warmed skin, and cotton. “When Clay left, I was lost for a while. Dad involved me more and more with the ranch. Only now, I realize it was his way of keeping me on the straight and narrow. I guess when Kevin came along, he decided he couldn’t keep paying off the hands and decided to let me be.”

Fuck, ithurt.

“What do you need?” Toby’s hand was on my cheek.

“For you to take away the ache, the pain.” I swallowed. “I know you can’t take it all, but—”

“But I can make it hurt a little less.” He released me, went over to Lightning, undid the knots securing the bed roll, and stretched it out under the tree. He sat on it, his arms wide. “Come here.”

I went to him, sank to my knees on the roll, and he held me to him, warm and solid.

He kissed my neck, then murmured, “If I’d known we’d be out all night, I’d have packed lube.”

I stilled. “There’s some in my saddlebag.”

A moment later, his body shook with laughter. “You really did think of everything.” Then he got busy with his hands, taking my clothes off, touching me—making me hard.

“You want to know what Ididn’tbring?” Toby whispered.

And just like that, I remembered.We got tested this morning.“Condoms.”

His lips were on my neck, making me shiver. “You know it. So right now, all I can think about is coming in your tight ass. Filling you up with my cum. Feeling your body grip my cock.”

And once he’d said it, that was all I could think about too.

It was as if someone flicked a switch, and we went fromlukewarmtoinferno. That first slow penetration, the heat of him, the way he filled me, stretched me… I couldn’t get enough. I rode him, my hips bucking, rocking back and forth, impaling myself over and over on his rock-hard dick, loving the way he pistoned into me, his cries mingling with mine, no one to hear us, see us, nothing but the lake, the trees, and the sky above us…

As we lay beside the water, naked and covered with sweat, the sun setting as Toby came inside me for the first time, I realized two truths.

Kevin was right—there was no such thing as a magic dick—but Zeeb had been right too.“A little fuckin’ is good for a lot of what ails ya.”