Earth and Sky

and telling him he had doubts too? What if his fears became real and this white, fluffy cloud they’d been living on while they were building the house suddenly grew dark and menacing? What if Grant decided to continue his wandering life?

    “If we’re going to make this work, we’re going to have to learn to talk to each other, Cowboy,” Grant said softly.

    Hunter didn’t dare look at Grant. When had he suddenly become so scared? He hadn’t thought twice about taking on the responsibility of bringing his son home when Miranda had pushed him away, yet now he was scared shitless. And of what?

    Hunter got up out of bed and walked to the window. He pulled the banner aside and sat down on the broad windowsill where he could look over the field toward the trees lining the lower ranges. After a little while, Hunter felt a hesitant hand on his shoulder.

    “Please talk to me, Cowboy. Don’t shut me out.”

    Hunter put his hand over Grant’s. He swallowed and took a deep breath in before answering. “I want… need to know whether you’re here to stay.”

    Grant took a few moments to answer, and Hunter realized he was holding his breath. “Do you honestly think I built a house with my own bare hands just to leave again? Unless you want me….”

    “No!” Hunter said loudly. He turned toward Grant and pulled him into his embrace. Placing his ear against Grant’s chest, he inhaled Grant’s scent and felt chest hair tickle his cheek. After a few moments of squeezing the buff body in his arms, Hunter pulled back just enough to look at Grant. “I was hoping this was happy ever after. I know you’re a wanderer, and you told me you can never stay in the same place for long without becoming antsy, but I was hoping you could make an exception. Grant, I need you.”

    Grant smiled, and Hunter loved how his eyes became mischievous.

    “But I’m an old-fashioned kind of guy, Grant.”

    Grant disentangled himself from Hunter’s embrace and sank to his knees, chuckling when they cracked. He was still smiling when he took Hunter’s hands in his. “So what are you telling me? You want to make an honest man out of me?”

    Hunter shrugged. “I know we can’t legally get married, but I need some sort of commitment.”

    “And here I thought building you a house would be enough to show you I was serious about you, Cowboy.”

    Hunter ran his fingers through Grant’s tight curls and tried to gauge if Grant was joking. Although he was smiling slightly, Hunter felt like Grant meant what he’d said. “You want to settle down here? With me?”

    Grant nodded. “Preferably with you, yes.” The teasing smile playing around Grant’s lips was back. “None of your sisters are my type, really, and your mother’s a little old for me, although she’s a much better cook than you are. I tried the guy that lives next door, but that didn’t really work out, and although he’s got a very nice-looking ranch hand, I don’t want to fight Gable over him.”

    Hunter punched Grant’s shoulder with his fist. “Stop that.”

    Grant’s look turned serious. “I mean it, Cowboy. This is a great ranch, but it’s not the only great ranch around here. I’m here because I like the owner, and I may be wrong, but I believe he likes me too.”

    “Asshole,” Hunter cursed before taking Grant’s face in his hand and kissing him. When they finally pulled apart, they were both flushed.

    Grant put his hands on Hunter’s thighs and pushed himself upright. “This floor is damn hard to sit on.”

    “Hey, you built it!”

    Grant held out his hand and pulled Hunter to his feet. Then he kissed Hunter again. “Now come to bed, because Mattie’s going to be up in a few hours.”

    Hunter watched Grant get into their brand-new bed, but didn’t join him right away. Instead he walked to the bathroom and returned just moments later to get down on his knees in front of the bed. Grant eyed him suspiciously.

    “Give me your hand.”

    Grant held out his right hand, still looking unsure at what Hunter was doing.

    Hunter slipped a worn, shiny gold ring over Grant’s ring finger. It fit perfectly.

    “What is this?”

    “It was my father’s,” Hunter answered. “When I was a child I used to crawl on his lap and play with his ring. I asked him once why he wore a ring, because I’d never seen a man wear one, and he said that, for my mother, it was worth wearing it. Because it showed everyone he belonged to her. He never took it