to his room wearing just a towel. The pattern of scars that covered his muscular body had been almost hypnotic. Derek had caught him staring and muttered, “I’ve been thrown a couple of times,” before ducking out of sight and firmly closing the door.
Something he didn’t want to name twisted within him again, an old feeling he knew was wrong. Derek was his father’s best friend. That alone made him off limits. Add in that he traveled with the rodeo and took a new lover in every town according to Kayla, and he was just the wrong man. Jesse didn’t like cowboys anyway. He didn’t like all the loneliness out here. He was moving to town - any town - as soon as he could figure out how to make it happen.
Derek mounted the porch steps two at a time, his long legs skipping every other step with a confidence born from years of clunking his boots up and down them. Each pound on the door, firm and certain he was welcome in the home of his childhood friend, reminded Jesse who Derek was. Off limits. Too close to his father. Too old. Too worldly. He waited, willing Derek to just go away so he could go back to being bored to death, but instead Derek headed to the barn. Of course he would.
Jesse ran a washcloth over his face and gave a quick swipe to his neck and armpits. It didn’t matter how he looked or smelled anyway. Derek wasn’t an option, and, even if he was, he only saw Jesse as a kid.
Jesse tried to look casual as he strolled across the bare patch of ground between the house and the barn, but it was an effort. Even if the man hadn’t been sexier than was altogether necessary, Jessie had been bored and lonely for months now with just his parents to talk to most of the time. The occasional run to town for groceries just wasn’t meeting his need for stimulation. It had been hard enough to come back home and go back to standing in the closet door when he'd been out at school, but the dirty boots and strong arms waiting in the barn were a recipe for sweet torment.
Jesse tried to look casual as he ambled through the barn door and called out, “So what do you need?” He flinched at the tone in his own voice. He couldn’t have Derek, but he didn’t need to be rude either.
“Need to talk to your dad,” Derek answered. Of course. Derek was Dad's friend, not his. Why else would he be here?
“Well, you’ve got me.” He managed a smile this time.
“Good to see you, but I need to talk to Mike.”
“Nothing I can do for you?”
Derek gave him a look he couldn't read, and Jesse barely stopped himself from egging him on. Something was under Derek's skin. A brief flare of hope made Jesse wonder if it was him. Maybe the rumors were true. Maybe Derek did like guys and had come home to sweep Jesse off his feet and away from the ranch. That would be something wouldn’t it, to have a crush he’d nursed so long fall into his arms?
“You were driving like someone was after you,” Jesse said.
Derek scoffed at that. “I’m just trying to outrun the boredom.”
“Why?”
“Because I make poor decisions when I’m bored.” He flashed a joyless smile. “I’m trying to make better choices. Trying to think about the consequences of my actions before I act. Need to talk to your dad.”
Jesse rolled this information around in his mind. He should leave his father's friend alone. He should walk out of this barn and weed the tomatoes and never look back at the lines of muscles peeking out the
Something he didn’t want to name twisted within him again, an old feeling he knew was wrong. Derek was his father’s best friend. That alone made him off limits. Add in that he traveled with the rodeo and took a new lover in every town according to Kayla, and he was just the wrong man. Jesse didn’t like cowboys anyway. He didn’t like all the loneliness out here. He was moving to town - any town - as soon as he could figure out how to make it happen.
Derek mounted the porch steps two at a time, his long legs skipping every other step with a confidence born from years of clunking his boots up and down them. Each pound on the door, firm and certain he was welcome in the home of his childhood friend, reminded Jesse who Derek was. Off limits. Too close to his father. Too old. Too worldly. He waited, willing Derek to just go away so he could go back to being bored to death, but instead Derek headed to the barn. Of course he would.
Jesse ran a washcloth over his face and gave a quick swipe to his neck and armpits. It didn’t matter how he looked or smelled anyway. Derek wasn’t an option, and, even if he was, he only saw Jesse as a kid.
Jesse tried to look casual as he strolled across the bare patch of ground between the house and the barn, but it was an effort. Even if the man hadn’t been sexier than was altogether necessary, Jessie had been bored and lonely for months now with just his parents to talk to most of the time. The occasional run to town for groceries just wasn’t meeting his need for stimulation. It had been hard enough to come back home and go back to standing in the closet door when he'd been out at school, but the dirty boots and strong arms waiting in the barn were a recipe for sweet torment.
Jesse tried to look casual as he ambled through the barn door and called out, “So what do you need?” He flinched at the tone in his own voice. He couldn’t have Derek, but he didn’t need to be rude either.
“Need to talk to your dad,” Derek answered. Of course. Derek was Dad's friend, not his. Why else would he be here?
“Well, you’ve got me.” He managed a smile this time.
“Good to see you, but I need to talk to Mike.”
“Nothing I can do for you?”
Derek gave him a look he couldn't read, and Jesse barely stopped himself from egging him on. Something was under Derek's skin. A brief flare of hope made Jesse wonder if it was him. Maybe the rumors were true. Maybe Derek did like guys and had come home to sweep Jesse off his feet and away from the ranch. That would be something wouldn’t it, to have a crush he’d nursed so long fall into his arms?
“You were driving like someone was after you,” Jesse said.
Derek scoffed at that. “I’m just trying to outrun the boredom.”
“Why?”
“Because I make poor decisions when I’m bored.” He flashed a joyless smile. “I’m trying to make better choices. Trying to think about the consequences of my actions before I act. Need to talk to your dad.”
Jesse rolled this information around in his mind. He should leave his father's friend alone. He should walk out of this barn and weed the tomatoes and never look back at the lines of muscles peeking out the
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