Clouds and Rain

caught my foot on the bale and I think I ripped something,” Gable replied without looking at Flynn. He was glad Flynn seemed calmer.
    “It looks nasty. Shall I call a doctor?”
    Gable shook his head. “No doctor.”
    “Gabe, you should have this looked at. It can‟t be normal that you‟re in so much pain from something trivial like tripping over some hay.”
    For a moment, Gable looked at Flynn‟s face and saw how worried he was. “I‟m always in pain, Flynn. There isn‟t a doctor who can fix that.”
    Flynn put his hand on Gable‟s knee and crouched down in front of him. “At least let me help you back to the house?” Gable shrugged. “I‟m fine here. Just give me a few hours of peace and quiet and I‟ll be okay.”
    “Gabe?” Flynn stood up and held out his hand.
    Gable shook his head. “You go back to the house.” Gable could tell Flynn was thinking about it, and eventually he trailed off, leaving him alone. This wasn‟t the first time Gable had stayed in the stable. It was his favorite place to think, with just the sounds of the horses and the occasional bird penetrating his oasis. His foot was throbbing, so he elevated it a bit more and rested his back against the barn door. He was out of the draft and had put on a warm coat before venturing out on the porch earlier, so he wasn‟t cold.
    As soon as he felt comfortable, he thought back over what had happened that evening. He‟d clearly misread Flynn‟s signs. With food in the oven, he‟d deduced that Flynn had wanted a quick fuck before dinner. He had to admit to himself that was all he‟d been in the mood for too. The prospect of going to bed together again had frightened him, since he had no idea what Flynn expected. In that respect it had been easier with Grant, who hadn‟t expected anything from him. Flynn was good to him, but the speed with which they had become close was scary to say the least. How long would it take for Flynn to realize he wanted someone younger and more mobile?

    66

    Clouds and Rain

    Gable snuggled deeper into his coat. He was tired and weary.
    Hopefully tomorrow everything would look brighter.

    FLYNN couldn‟t sleep.
    He‟d reluctantly left Gable in the barn, but only because he didn‟t think he could persuade the stubborn man to take better care of himself.
    Now it was way past midnight, and he was still worrying.
    After watching the beat-up alarm clock on his nightstand for the last two hours, Flynn decided to get dressed to try to persuade Gable to come to the house again.
    Outside, the temperature had dropped significantly, and even though Flynn knew that the barn was pretty warm, he was still not sure it was such a good idea for Gable to stay there overnight.
    When he walked inside, he saw that the light was still on. Gable was huddled into his parka, asleep on a bale of hay, his back resting against one side of the barn door. Flynn saw the dried-up blood caked into the bandage around Gable‟s foot and lightly touched his toes, which were stone-cold and an ugly gray-blue color.
    “Gabe, wake up. You need to come inside and get warm.” Flynn gripped Gable‟s arm more firmly and shook him with a bit more force. When Gable‟s head fell to the side, he tried to catch him and realized Gable was burning up.
    “Damn! Gable! You have to wake up!” Panic in his voice, he tried to rouse his lover, but didn‟t succeed.

    67

    Zahra Owens

    Chapter 10

    FLYNN was surprisingly calm. He had run back inside to call Calley and then an ambulance. He knew it would take a while for either to arrive, so he grabbed a blanket before heading back to the stables, where he found Bridget waiting diligently next to Gable‟s huddled form.
    Because Gable‟s breathing had become somewhat labored, Flynn had an easy time checking his vitals, as the ambulance dispatcher had asked on the phone. He‟d done it numerous times with sick horses, but it was far different with the man he loved. Still, it gave him something to do and helped pass the time while he could reassure himself that Gable‟s heart was still beating.
    “Don‟t you die on me now, Gable,” Flynn insisted to his unconscious lover after Gable stopped breathing for a moment, just as Flynn pulled him into his arms. Flynn exhaled the breath he‟d been holding when Gable sighed. “The ambulance is coming and so is Calley. We‟re taking you to the hospital, love.” Flynn sat in the cold stable for what felt like forever, rocking Gable back and forth every