Avery flew in the following morning to help townsfolk from Garrett prepare for the big July Fourth event, so naturally, that night Mack and Wes invited Avery, Colt, Reyes, and Miles over for a late dinner and poker. Colt already had a clue, but Reyes managed to shock the rest of their friends speechless by planting a big kiss on Miles right before dinner.
Miles blushed, but he didn’t seem to mind.
After last night, something monumental had shifted between the two of them. Reyes had silently raged at Miles’s descriptions of Dallas’s treatment of him. Hearing how the man he’d fallen completely in love with had been betrayed by a so-called friend, and then strung along for years still burned in his memory. He wanted to find Dallas and rip his balls off one at a time, then feed them to him.
But this morning, Miles had seemed brighter. Lighter. As if finally talking about his past had taken away the power of those memories. Reyes trusted that one day, Miles would tell him the rest. Tell him why Miles had been so distant and fragile last year, even though Reyes knew the answers would break his heart.
And maybe make him want to kill someone.
So yeah, Reyes kissed Miles in front of their friends, which got him a knowing smirk from Colt. Wes squealed and hugged Miles. Mack and Avery just looked bemused by the whole thing, and that’s how they revealed they were dating to their friends. Although, dating was relative, since they’d yet to go out on an actual, real date. A minor problem Reyes planned to fix in the very near future.
While Reyes still worried that his worst, darkest secret would drive Miles away from him, he’d treat his boyfriend like a king as long as Miles remained by his side.
Wes had put together a slow cooker lasagna, which was delicious, and they all washed it down with garlic bread, salad, and wine. Reyes usually preferred beer, but something about Italian food cried out for red wine, so he indulged. The food was great, and so was the friendship. Their sextet chatted and joked like they’d done this for years, and Reyes soaked it all up. This was his family, his dearest friends, and he’d do anything to protect them.
Later on, they played poker with chips, but not for real money. Miles and Avery proved to be cardsharps in their own right, claiming most of the chips by the end, and then all-in against each other on the final hand, with Avery only a few chips ahead.
Miles won with a full house, eights over queens.
Mack had bought some outdoor furniture for the deck finally, so the group moved outside with their drinks to stargaze and bullshit awhile longer. Miles reclined against Reyes’s chest on a double-seater, and Reyes kept a claiming arm across his stomach. Looking around, it was odd to see his two best friends with their lovers, while Reyes did the same. He’d never imagined a night like this, the three of them settled down.
Avery was moving to San Francisco by the end of the summer, so he and Colt would have a place to share on weekends. Mack and Wes had their house, and their ghost town attraction. Reyes and Miles were still sorting things out, but Reyes was in it for the long haul, and he knew without asking that Miles was, too.
Perfect.
And so fucking fragile.
No one talked about Arthur, who was grumpy over his dietary restrictions, but otherwise doing well, and Mack didn’t bring up the big July Fourth picnic, because no one wanted to think about work. For a while, it was just the six of them existing together, trying to enjoy the little slice of heaven they’d carved out of life.
At home that night, he and Miles did something new and wonderful: they stripped down, climbed into bed, and rubbed off together, Miles on top of Reyes. Rushing them both to release. It was sweaty and messy and oh, so perfect. Reyes whispered, “I love you,” at least once as he drifted off to sleep, stupidly happy with Miles in his arms.
* * *
Wednesday was a crazy hectic day for Miles, as he and Shawn prepared for what everyone hoped would be a blow-out crowd tomorrow. Everyone involved in Bentley had shared the event on their various social media accounts—except Miles, who was no longer online, thanks to Dallas. But his new account as Chef Art Milo had a few hundred followers he announced it to.
Beans were soaking, sourdough rising, and pies baking, all with the help of two retired schoolteachers who loved to cook. They’d be in the kitchen tomorrow, too, lending a hand and keeping the serving stations full and tidy, while Miles and Shawn did the bulk of the work.
Avery was in Garrett today, set up at the park near the grocery store with other local seamstresses, helping them put together costumes for the locals to wear tomorrow, so they’d blend in as part of Bentley. Mack was all over the place, organizing things with Wes, and trying to keep his head from exploding. He seemed more uptight over this event going off without a hitch than he had been about opening day.
They were investing a hell of a lot of time and money in this, so Miles understood why Mack was worried. If they didn’t get the tourist response they were hoping for, the whole thing could die a swift death and put the town in a financial hole.
Nah. Miles swung back to positive thoughts as he pulled three more Mock Apple pies out of the oven and onto a mobile cooling rack. Next up was corn fritter dough, which could set up overnight and still fry perfectly, and that saved him a step in the morning.
Their quartet worked over the course of the entire afternoon, and by the time Miles collapsed into bed that night, he was ready to sleep for a week. A few moments later, Reyes exited the bathroom. He paused to stare at Miles upside down.
“You look you’ve been run hard and put away wet,” Reyes said.
“Stick a fork in me, I’m done. And tomorrow hasn’t even happened yet.”
“Then how about an early night? All the ranch guests are on board with riding up to the ghost town on the buckboard tomorrow for free barbecue, so I can go and hang out with you. See the festival and take pictures for you.”
“Yeah?” Miles grinned and mentally fist-bumped at how perfectly Reyes had read him. “Awesome. An early night sounds perfect. And I’d love pictures, since I won’t have any real chance to get out of the kitchen if we’re as busy as we hope.”
Reyes sat by his hip so he could kiss his forehead. “You’ll be that busy and more.”
“Hope so.” Miles tangled their fingers together over his chest. “Sorry I’m too tired to do anything tonight.”
“You don’t have to apologize for that. Just because we live together and are dating doesn’t mean we have to have sex every night.”
“I know. I guess I really like the sex we have, so I’m disappointed.”
Reyes’s soft smile relaxed Miles a bit more. “I’m happy enough to kiss you to sleep tonight, Miles.” Then he waggled his eyebrows. “Maybe you’ll have more energy in the morning for friskiness.”
Miles laughed. “Maybe. Ugh, I need to brush my teeth.” He put on his best pout. “Help me up?”
Pretending to be put out, Reyes stood and tugged Miles up. Then he shocked the hell out of Miles by stooping and sweeping him up into a fireman’s carry, right over his shoulder. Miles squawked at the handling, then resigned himself to being carried and stared at Reyes’s ass while he walked. An ass he smacked once, an instant before Reyes put him down in the bathroom.
“I’m a full-service roommate,” Reyes said.
Miles smirked. “Yeah, you are. You going to brush my teeth for me, too?”
“No, but I do have to brush my own.”
The sink was too small for them to really share without bumping hips and elbows constantly, which made the whole thing kind of fun. Miles splashed water at Reyes, and Reyes retaliated by sticking a wet finger in his ear. It was playful and so domestic Miles wanted to cry. Like a couple who’d been together for years, and he loved it. They weren’t quite to the watch each other pee stage, so they took turns, and then climbed into Miles’s bed.
Reyes had once commented that they could push both smaller beds together and create a big one, but Miles liked the way they had to squeeze in close. Reyes made him feel safe like no one ever had before, and he craved that closeness. Maybe one day they could sleep with more space between them, but for now, Miles would take all the cuddling he could get.
* * *
The Bentley July Fourth Celebration was a bigger event than Reyes expected. He’d never actually been up to the ghost town attraction during business hours, other than opening day, and the crowd was at least twice the size. A good number of folks attending were Garrett locals, dressed up simply for fun, or set up at a table selling wares along Main Street, but a lot were out-of-towners in regular clothes.
Miles had to be in super-early for prep, so Reyes rode up with Judson, Patrice, Arthur, Robin, and a few other guys crammed into the bed of a pickup. With all the guests at the ghost town for the day, only a few of the ranch employees had stayed behind. Most of them were heading up for barbecue and fun. Mack had even had the brilliant last-minute idea to bring in a local bluegrass band, who were prepared to perform some seriously old-fashioned music at lunchtime.
It was barely after ten o’clock, but the place was already packed with cars, trucks, and various other vehicles. A tour bus was even parked in the very back of the lot, and that’s where they ended up parking. Reyes didn’t mind walking. He had Miles’s favorite camera around his neck and he stood in the truck bed to snap a shot of the sea of cars. Not only for Miles, but maybe Wes could use it on the website for promotion or something. Reyes wasn’t an experienced photographer, but he had a decent eye.
Patrice and Judson were in costume, but the rest of them were in their ranch polos and cowboy hats to promote their own local attraction to the tourists—and make it easier for current ranch guests to find someone if they had a question or concern. Bunting hung off all the buildings, and several people were handing out tiny American flags on sticks to anyone who wanted one, especially kids.
Judson headed off to get the grill started. Reyes angled away from his group and headed for the saloon. He could have gone in through the back, but he liked the experience of entering through the swinging double doors and being greeted by the two barmaids dressed up in pretty costumes. A dozen people were already seated with coffee, pie, and biscuits.
Reyes headed for the kitchen doors, and no one stopped him because of his ranch shirt. He peeked inside and grinned at the sight of Miles dancing fluidly around his kitchen, cooking food and preparing orders. Miles was in his element here, doing something he loved and did well.
Miles glanced up, as if sensing he was being watched, and he met Reyes’s eyes. Grinned and winked, then beckoned him forward. Reyes pushed through the doors.
“Hey, morning,” Miles said. He delighted Reyes by leaning up and kissing him in front of the three people working with him. Reyes remembered Shawn, and the two women were vaguely familiar faces from Garrett. “Shawn, this is my boyfriend, Reyes Caldero.”
One of the women made a clucking sound.
Shawn shook his hand with a grin. “Nice to meet you, man. You what’s got Miles so relaxed lately?”
“I hope so,” Reyes replied. “I’d hate to think I was stressing him out.”
“The only thing stressing me out right now is our expected lunch crowd,” Miles said. “Even with Judson’s barbecue outside, we’re going to get slammed.”
“There are quite a lot of people out there.” He showed Miles a few of the shots he’d taken of Main Street. “And you just opened.”
“This is going to suck.”
“No, it’s not.” Reyes pulled Miles in for a hug. “You’ll rock this. All of you.”
“Could you boys table the PDA?” one of the ladies asked. “We’ve all got work to do, especially our head chef.”
“Of course.” He stole another quick kiss. “I’ll stop by again later to make sure you aren’t driving yourself crazy.”
“Or driving us crazy,” Shawn quipped.
Miles snapped a towel at his ass. Reyes winked at Miles, then went back into the dining room. He drank a bottled sarsaparilla at the bar while he took a few interior pictures, feeling a bit like the official photographer for the day. Back outside, he wandered for a while, enjoying how happy everyone seemed.
Local vendors and crafters were selling everything from homemade jewelry, to wood carvings, to fresh produce and baked goods. Reyes admired a display of hand-tooled leather belts. He bought one with several beautifully-rendered horses to put away for Mack for his birthday. He really wanted to buy a present for Miles, but couldn’t find anything on his initial journey past the tables.
At the sheriff’s office, Sheriff Kirkman was allowing kids to pose inside the jail cell for pictures, while also warning them jokingly to mind their folks so they didn’t end up in one for real. Reyes allowed himself to be locked up because the picture would make Miles laugh.
At lunch, he joined several of his fellow ranch hands for barbecue. As much as he wanted to try Miles’s food again, he also didn’t want to be another order threatening to overwhelm his boyfriend. It still felt odd to refer to someone else as his boyfriend. Reyes had never had a long-term romantic partner, male or female, and while he’d known he was attracted to men since he was a teenager, he’d also enjoyed fucking around with women.
He also hadn’t allowed himself to seek a long-term partner before now, and while he hadn’t sought Miles out, Miles had gotten under his skin and stayed there, and Reyes had been helpless to stay away. He’d enjoy Miles’s affection and love while he had it, because now that he knew more about Miles’s history, Reyes was certain that once Miles found out his very worst secret, he’d never look at Reyes the same way again.
Those thoughts left Reyes grumpy that afternoon, so he drifted away from his friends and spent solitary time taking photos of all the happy people enjoying their day. Many had gathered at the north end of town when the band started playing, and someone was now showing folks how to line dance. At the other end of town, Avery and Colt were leading kids in various games and awarding prizes, and the sight of Colt wrangling little kids made Reyes smile again.
He overheard a scene with Wes and an actress, him begging her forgiveness for dancing with another girl at the saloon last night. For as flamboyant as Wes could be, he totally sold that he was into the woman and sorry. She had none of it, though, and flounced toward the general store. Wes chased after her, continuing to beg. Some of the tourists watching followed to see how the story ended, but Reyes wandered elsewhere.
He also did his ranch hand duty by chatting with anyone who asked about his polo, selling the dude ranch and all its amenities, and handing out business cards. They were fully booked through September, but some folks liked taking time off in the fall.
On his second pass of the vendor tables, he stopped at the jewelry display, caught by a small plate of carved gemstones. He picked up a piece of something bright, swirly green that matched Miles’s eyes. It had been carved into a small horse.
“It’s malachite,” the young woman behind the table said.
“It’s beautiful,” Reyes replied. “I’ll take it.”
She told him the price as she wrapped it in a piece of tissue and put it in a small paper bag. He tucked it into the larger bag containing the belt. A few tables down, he bought a nice silver belt buckle for Colt’s birthday, too, which was next month. Shopping done, he headed back to the saloon and went in the back door this time. It was after two, but the quartet of cooks was still busy, and Reyes spotted a row of tickets waiting.
Instead of bothering Miles, he tucked his bag into a cubby where the ladies had stored their purses, so he didn’t have to carry it around. Miles came over to drop a kiss on him, then popped a hot corn fritter into his mouth. Reyes ate the gift with a grin. “I hope you’re having fun,” Miles said, “because it’s been nonstop today.”
“I’d be having more fun if you were with me,” Reyes replied. “But I think Mack’s celebration is a success. Judson ran out of meat already.”
Miles snickered. “Yeah, well, even with ordering extra, I’m about ten patties away from eighty-sixing the buffalo burger.”
“Impressive.”
“Hopefully the girls can do a hard sell on the beef stew and Hangtown Fry once that happens.”
“Good luck. I’ll see you at the end of the day.”
Reyes left his chef boyfriend to his job, then set to wandering again. Snapping candid shots of tourists, employees, and the buildings themselves. Crowd shots. It helped pass the time, and as the day waned, the crowd thinned a bit.
At five o’clock, Mack set off some fireworks that made a pretty display, despite it still being daylight, and that signaled the official end of the day. It gave folks a chance to slowly exit the park before the gate closed at six, without causing a huge traffic jam trying to get out.
Ranch guests mingled together near the entrance, waiting for the buckboard to arrive and take them back to Clean Slate, and Reyes took some time getting feedback about their day. Yes, they’d loved the ghost town, and yes, they’d recommend their friends come see it next year on the Fourth. He’d pass the comments along to Mack and Wes later.
Reyes headed to the saloon, where four exhausted people were cleaning up and putting away food. Mack and Wes showed up, too, and they ended up being served the final two slices of a Vinegar pie, the last order of corn fritters, and a couple of biscuits and sausage gravy to split between them. The food helped, but Reyes was hungry for a proper dinner. Patrice had headed back to the ranch a few hours ago to make sure their guests had a hot supper waiting.
He pitched in with the cleanup, so they could all go home. Miles barely made it to the car without falling over, so when they got home, Reyes had mercy and sent Miles to their cabin with a promise to bring dinner to him. Colt made a goofy face at him when he noticed Reyes making two plates, but he pointedly ignored his friend. Weren’t boyfriends supposed to pamper each other when one was exhausted?
Miles had dozed off in one of the sitting chairs, so Reyes gently woke him and urged him to eat his plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. And then, much like last night, he helped Miles get cleaned up and tucked into bed. Reyes wasn’t tired yet, so he read for a while with Miles curled up next to him.
Exactly where Reyes wanted him, for as long as Miles allowed. Because sooner or later, the truth would have to come out, and then this beautiful dream he’d built with Miles would end.