Clouds and Rain

was fairly dark in the room, Flynn could make out the short nod. He waited for Gable to say something, but no words came.
    “Andrew looks like you,” Flynn said softly, hoping to get Gable to loosen up.
    “How can you tell?”
    Urged on by Gable‟s words, Flynn moved a little closer and automatically Gable moved his arm to wrap around Flynn‟s shoulders.
    “He‟s got the same dimple in his chin that you have,” Flynn said, running his finger over the indentation on Gable‟s chin. “And your blue eyes.”
    “All babies have blue eyes,” Gable replied flatly.
    “He‟s got Calley‟s light hair, though.”
    Gable chuckled. “I was almost white as a child. With tanned skin, like those old Coppertone commercials.”
    “I hope he grows up looking like you,” Flynn continued.
    Gable didn‟t reply to that. They laid together in silence for a long time, neither of them sleeping, but simply savoring the quiet time together. Flynn thought they‟d come a long way since their uncomfortable silences the first weeks after he came to the ranch.
    “It‟s the best I can do, Flynn, and I‟m sorry,” Gable suddenly said, after which he sighed as if it felt good to finally say it. “I know you wanted to be a dad and the horses are a poor substitute, even the little ones. I know that.”
    Flynn looked up at Gable. Something was starting to dawn. “I thought the reason you‟d changed your mind about donating was to help Calley? Because Calley wanted fair-haired children. I know we 231

    Zahra Owens

    went through the whole charade with the four of us at the clinic for Bill‟s benefit, but I didn‟t realize you had different motives.”
    “Don‟t be mad, Flynn,” Gable said softly. “I know you wanted our children and when you got the bad news that it wouldn‟t be possible for you… I know this is a poor substitute.”
    “I would have liked to have been consulted,” Flynn replied softly, attempting very much to keep any recrimination out of his tone of voice. Deep down he was pretty happy about Gable‟s motives, though.
    “Calley really wanted me to do it because it would make more sense to have blond children and all of you had dark hair. I asked her whether she‟d consider having you as a donor, because I knew you wanted children and I didn‟t care that much, but I did sort of want to see what your kids would look like. So you see, I understand.” Flynn snuggled closer to Gable, needing to really feel him. How he loved this man! Flynn moved his head so their lips were touching and placed a chaste kiss on Gable‟s mouth that felt more intimate than the intense, invasive kisses they often shared while they made love.
    “I‟m glad it was you.” Flynn closed his eyes, wanting to savor just the feeling of closeness. Elation started to take over from the earlier melancholy and Flynn smiled. “And if Calley or Bill don‟t want to share them, we‟ll kidnap them and only bring them back when they cry too much.”
    Gable laughed. “That, I suppose, is the benefit. We can always give them back.”
    Flynn nodded, settling in closer to sleep in the arms of the man he loved.

    232

    Clouds and Rain

    Epilogue

    THEY‟D held on to some of the mares that were left after Gable‟s dramatic winter, but it took a few years for Gable to realize there was a reason for them to be there other than that Flynn wanted to breed horses as well as raise them.
    After the first two colts, which had belonged to Hunter even before they were born, Flynn made sure they had about five or six little ones every year, and they slowly got the ranch out of debt. It was still hard work, but neither minded that very much. The horses Gable broke and trained were still eagerly sought, mostly by the neighboring commercial ranchers who needed riding horses for their wranglers, but the leftovers that were sold at auction brought in a nice dollar as well.
    Flynn wasn‟t really surprised that Gable had a reputation for turning out excellent horses, and at the end of the day that always meant extra money.
    “How would you feel about having some more kids running around here?” Gable asked Flynn one balmy evening as they were sitting on their porch watching the sunset.
    “What have you been up to?” Flynn asked, sitting up so he could give Gable the full benefit of a mock stare.
    Gable smiled. “You know Craig scored a doctor, right?” Flynn snorted. “Yeah. I don‟t know who was more surprised that it was a girl, you or