Clouds and Rain

his cup of coffee and saw it being filled again by Flynn. He didn‟t let him answer. “Sit. You‟re making me dizzy.”
    Flynn smiled and Gable couldn‟t help but think that he was making him uncomfortable, because he seemed to be shying away from the confrontation.
    “I had to fight to be allowed near the horses. At first I thought Dad wanted to wrap me in cotton wool, but after a few fights, I realized 33

    Zahra Owens

    he couldn‟t stand me being around, because I was the reason my mother had died.”
    “Is that why you left?” Gable asked quietly. He could tell the pain was still pretty vivid for Flynn.
    Flynn got up from the table, taking Gable‟s dirty plate and cutlery with him and turned away from Gable to wash it in the sink.
    “Don‟t do that,” Gable said, getting up to stand next to Flynn. He took the plate from him and put it down, then grabbed Flynn‟s hand and pulled it out of the sink. After a few moments of hesitation Gable placed his other hand on Flynn‟s back and continued, keeping his voice gentle and soothing. “You‟re not my housekeeper. I can do my own dishes.”
    “I don‟t mind.”
    “I know you don‟t,” Gable acknowledged. “But you‟re spoiling me and I could easily get used to it.”
    “And we wouldn‟t want that, now would we?” All of a sudden, Flynn‟s voice sounded harsh and unforgiving. He turned away from Gable and walked toward the mudroom, but Gable stopped him.
    “I know I‟m not much of a talker, but maybe it‟s time we talked.” Although what he said was certainly true, Gable felt he needed to clear the air. He couldn‟t prevent Flynn from leaving, but he could ask for some reassurance that he would be told in advance when he was going to have to do without. Right now, Flynn was running away from something, though, and this something had to do with his family. Gable knew all too well that it was easier to walk away from the things in life that hurt too much than it was to face them head-on, but he was afraid Flynn was going to walk away from him too, and he couldn‟t let that happen.
    “The honest truth is that I need you. I can‟t manage this ranch on my own anymore.” It felt strange to hear himself say those words, and even though they were true, they were also difficult to hear.
    “I‟ll stay,” Flynn said quietly, not looking Gable in the eye. “If you need me, I‟ll stay. Now, there‟s work to be done.” With that, Flynn pushed past Gable out of the kitchen.

    34

    Clouds and Rain

    Gable could see Flynn striding toward the stable and knew it was no use chasing after him. Knowing how much Flynn hated it when his kitchen was untidy, Gable first washed his dishes and cutlery before going out himself.

    FLYNN couldn‟t get out of the kitchen fast enough. He didn‟t cry; he hadn‟t cried since the day his father threw him off the family property, but he‟d come very close this morning. Hearing Gable say he needed him had made his heart jump, the elation almost too high to contain, but the feeling had quickly abated when Gable made it clear he just needed him to manage the ranch. He wanted to stay, but this way it was torture. Every time he was near Gable, every time the man touched him the lust boiled up inside him, but somehow, Gable seemed oblivious to what he did to him.
    Flynn grabbed a bridle and saddle and stepped into T.C.‟s stall.
    He needed to clear his head, so going for a ride to check the fences was a good excuse. On his way back he could check out one of the older mares who looked like she was going lame, and then he wouldn‟t be back until after lunch time. The last thing he wanted right now was to sit on that porch with Gable. They‟d done enough fraternizing for one day.
    After riding along the fences for well over an hour, Flynn reached the herd and found that the mare was doing just fine, so he uncoiled his rope and used it as a halter for one of the younger geldings instead.
    This was one that Hunter had wanted to buy, but Gable had told him it wasn‟t ready to be sold yet. The horse looked old enough, but maybe it lacked the proper training. Flynn was curious enough to bring it back to the corral to see for himself.
    Inside the confined space of the round corral, the horse was frisky and easily distracted. Flynn made him run to ease the stress, and that seemed to calm him down. Throwing a rope in the horse‟s path, but far enough away from him that he didn‟t touch him, was enough to make the animal