Clouds and Rain

quite well, don‟t you?”
    Gable nodded. “We‟ve always been neighbors. My father and his father forged a pact that he wouldn‟t buy my father out like he‟d bought out all the other small ranchers around here. Hunter‟s a bit younger than me, of course, but I watched him grow up. And then his dad died when he was fourteen and he had to take over.”
    “Couldn‟t have been easy for him,” Flynn mused.
    “No, certainly not. Our fathers died in the same year. Of course I was older and was running this place pretty much on my own anyway, but Hunter was just a kid. He spent more than a few nights in my barn, bawling his eyes out because he couldn‟t take the responsibility.”
    “So you were like a big brother to him?”
    “I suppose,” Gable answered softly.
    “Is that why you still have a hard time believing he‟s gay?” Gable shrugged.
    “Or did you make a move toward him and he turned you down?”
    “No way! He was a friend, and besides, he was way too young!” Flynn chuckled at the way Gable vigorously defended himself.
    “But you did?”
    “What?”
    “Have a weak spot for Hunter?”
    Gable smiled shyly. “You know I do.”
    “Even when he was fourteen?”
    “Sixteen,” Gable admitted. “Still way too young to put the moves on him, and besides, he never showed any interest in me and I wasn‟t that forward then.”
    “So you never…?”
    “Flynn!” Gable cautioned.
    Flynn snuggled back into Gable‟s arms. “I‟ll shut up now.”
    “Go to sleep.”
    “Yes, Daddy.”

    187

    Zahra Owens

    “Stop that,” Gable replied, unable to stop himself chuckling. “I‟m not your daddy and I never will be.”
    “I wouldn‟t have minded if Hunter knew about your hayloft from you instead of from Grant.”
    “I know,” Gable said softly. “That would have made it a lot weirder, though. With Hunter and Grant now being together.”
    “I wonder what his mother and sisters will say,” Flynn said sleepily.
    “I doubt he‟ll tell them any time soon, but then again, they did look pretty serious together, so it‟s only a matter of time before those ladies are going to see it with their own eyes. I don‟t know if it‟s better for him to come out to them before that happens or not.”
    “Did you ever come out to your parents?” Flynn asked, more alert again.
    “No,” Gable answered softly. “Dad was the only one to see me grow up, and he died before I could say anything. Don‟t know if I would have, but I think he knew I wasn‟t really into girls much. It wasn‟t the sort of thing we talked about, though. I know he was a little disappointed that Bill got to Calley before I did, but other than that….
    Let‟s get some sleep, okay?”
    Flynn turned and wrapped Gable‟s arms around him so they were spooning. They both drifted off within minutes.

    188

    Clouds and Rain

    Chapter 25

    IT WAS a crisp, late spring morning when Calley called Gable.
    “Darling, can I drop by around lunch to talk? In private?” Gable shrugged. “Sure, it‟s your day to bring in groceries, right?”
    “Yes,” she answered a little hesitantly. “But I want to talk to you alone. I know this sounds awkward, but I think it‟s better Flynn not hear this.”
    Gable squared his jaw. He had no idea what Calley wanted to talk about, but he trusted her. He just had to find a way to gently break it to Flynn that he was going to have to make himself scarce for an hour or so.
    “I‟ll figure something out,” he assured her. “You staying for lunch?”
    “Sure,” she answered.
    Gable put down the phone and stared at it.
    “Trouble?” Flynn asked, walking into the kitchen and straight to the fridge to get something cool to drink.
    Gable pondered for a moment and then decided to just tell Flynn the truth. “Calley‟s coming around for lunch and she wants to talk to me alone.”
    Flynn raised an eyebrow. “I hope she‟s okay?” Gable shrugged. “I suppose she‟ll tell me. You okay with leaving us to talk alone?”
    Flynn smiled. “Of course. She‟s not likely to tell you she‟s leaving Bill for you, now is she?”
    Gable chuckled. “If she is, she needs a shrink.” 189

    Zahra Owens

    BY THE time both men returned to the house, Calley was inside, making sandwiches.
    “Hey, you‟re our guest, you don‟t need to make lunch!” Flynn scolded her with a broad smile. He bumped her away from the sink with his hip so he could wash his hands. “I can fix us all sandwiches.” Calley kissed him on