Cherish the Land by Ariel Tachna

wrong, Jeremy would gladly be damned.
    Sam worked his way up Jeremy’s legs to his back and then his shoulders and neck. He stepped in close behind Jeremy, fitting their bodies together perfectly. Jeremy closed his eyes and leaned back against him, enjoying the way they complemented each other. The plop of the washcloth was his only warning before Sam reached around and stroked his cock with soapy hands. Jeremy moaned softly. They didn’t have time for shower sex, but fuck, it felt good to have Sam’s hands on him. Maybe they could just jerk each other off before they met Neil and Molly for breakfast. Surely they had time for that.
    “Stop thinking and relax.” Sam’s breath tickled his ear and sent shivers down his spine. Jeremy tried to do as he was told and block out everything but the sensations evoked by Sam’s hands. Warmth pervaded his body, warmth that had nothing to do with the water still running over them both or with the lust Sam’s hands usually evoked. No, this was different, tender and compassionate and supportive, more about affirming the soul-deep bond between them than about either of them getting off. Jeremy wasn’t even fully hard, but he didn’t need to be. He just needed for Sam to keep touching him and loving him. He could deal with everything else as long as he had Sam to keep him steady.
    He gave Sam his full weight, knowing Sam wouldn’t let him fall.
    “That’s better,” Sam murmured. “Think you can face the day now?”
    Jeremy nodded. “What about you?”
    “My brother is meeting us for breakfast. I’m not the one we need to worry about today.” Sam kissed the side of Jeremy’s neck. “If you’re feeling steady enough to go meet him, then I have what I need.”
    The reminder of Devlin’s death—not that Jeremy really needed reminding—stung, but he wasn’t alone. Neil and Molly were as close to family as the law would allow and closer in their hearts. If he said the word, any of the year-rounders at Lang Downs would do everything in their power to help him. He wasn’t facing this alone, whatever “this” turned out to be.
    “I’m ready.”
    Sam turned him around so they could kiss properly. When he pulled back, he turned off the water and threw a towel at Jeremy’s head. “Dry off. I’m not your personal servant.”
    Jeremy chuckled. “Could have fooled me when you were washing me.”
    “Just keeping you on your toes,” Sam retorted.
    Jeremy smiled all the way through drying off and getting dressed. “Let’s go eat and figure out what happens now.”
    Sam reached for Jeremy’s hand and together they left the hotel room to go in search of Neil and Molly.
    They found them in the hotel restaurant, looking over the menus.
    “About time you got here,” Neil said. From the way he winced, Molly had kicked him under the table. The thought made Jeremy smile.
    “I took a long shower,” Jeremy said. “After two days at the hospital, I felt grimy.”
    “You’re entitled,” Molly said with a pointed look at Neil. “And if you decide what you want to do today is go back upstairs and sleep, no one will blame you.”
    Jeremy shook his head. “There’s too much to be done. I have to arrange for transportation to take Devlin home. I have to find someone to have the funeral. I think he still went to church in Boorowa, so maybe the minister there would be willing to come say a few words in his memory. And then I have to figure out how I’m going to run a station as large as Taylor Peak with no time to learn the ropes. I can sleep later.”
    “I can’t do much about the transportation or the minister,” Neil said, “but if Taylor didn’t have a coffin or anything picked out, Ian could make you one. He made Michael’s when he died. It wouldn’t be anything fancy, but it would be personal in a way a purchased one never could be. And as far as the station is concerned, you know all you have to do is ask. I can be there in a couple of hours. Hell, if you asked,