Earth and Sky

shorthanded, so I’m not about to throw you out, but just realize that I don’t trust you. I won’t forget what you did to Gable.” With that, Hunter turned around and started brushing down Davenport.

    Grant moved into his field of vision. “You don’t know the full story.”

    Hunter sighed and avoided looking Grant in the eye. “All I know is that the day he got hurt, you disappeared. If there had been anything missing from Gable’s house, the sheriff would have put you on the wanted list, but there wasn’t. The rumors were there, though.” Hunter didn’t elaborate and Grant didn’t offer an explanation.

    After what seemed like a long time, during which both men silently worked on their horses, Grant spoke again. “I wouldn’t trust rumors. Have you ever bothered asking Gable?”

    Hunter didn’t give an answer, and Grant didn’t wait around for one. The tone had been set.

Chapter 2

    Sunday morning Hunter woke up, hungover, at the crack of dawn.

    The night before, after the roundup, they’d gone into town for a few beers, and Hunter was glad Grant hadn’t joined them. He had wanted to relax, and frankly, that was easier with just the usual suspects around. Their regular haunt, a bar called The Barrel Run, had been pretty crowded, and the beer had flowed freely. Jack, Hugh’s middle brother, was playing with his band that night, which usually meant that Hunter’s always even-tempered foreman would let his proverbial hair down and join his brother on stage for a few songs.

    The band had just announced a break when Miranda joined Hunter at his table. Her mass of strawberry blonde hair had hung loosely over her shoulders, and she had been wearing a carefully fitted embroidered blouse over low-cut skinny jeans. “You should come here more often, Hunter,” she’d purred, resting her hand possessively on Hunter’s thigh.

    Hunter didn’t mind the attention. Miranda worked in the local elementary school and had been Danny’s teacher for the last two years. She was probably the closest thing he’d ever had to a girlfriend, although they didn’t really seek out each other’s company that often. In fact, they only seemed to bump into one another at the bar, which was pretty much the only time Hunter came into town. Although the clothes she wore at the bar were a lot sexier than the chaste blouses and skirts she wore to school, Miranda never showed too much skin. It was as if she was always holding back, always aware that the people in town trusted her to educate their young children.

    There was nothing hesitant about the way she flirted with Hunter, though. Luckily, she never pushed him when he said no, which he had done on more than one occasion. Otherwise Hunter would have wondered if she was after his money, but she never seemed to want more than his attention.

    After the band had played their second set and they’d shared a few drinks, Hunter—as usual—had been invited to her house for a nightcap. They always ended up in bed together when he accepted. This was where Miranda showed her true nature. Hunter was happy that she lived in a freestanding house, because she was quite the vixen in bed and was what you would call a screamer. It stoked his ego, but he never stayed for breakfast, preferring to sleep in his own bed.

    Hunter woke up, glad to be alone, a few hours later. Although Miranda’s ministrations had released quite a bit of tension—and despite his flaming headache—he was rock-hard again. The dreams that had brought him to this state, as usual, had very little to do with the red-haired schoolteacher. Hunter pushed his hand between his legs and enveloped his straining erection, experimentally tugging it a few times. The friction felt good, and he buried his face into his pillow. Closing his eyes brought the images from his dreams back in full force, and he resisted giving in to them. He didn’t want to be reminded what had aroused him so, didn’t want to see the image of a naked Grant playing in his head. Although he’d only seen Grant fully clothed the day before, he knew what the strong, handsome man looked like. He’d seen him in his full glory a few years earlier, on Gable’s ranch, showering at the back of Gable’s house. At the time, Grant had caught him looking, but not before he’d given Hunter quite a show. It wasn’t until Grant had made it abundantly clear that he knew Hunter was there, hiding in the bushes, that Hunter had run off. They had never