Long_Way_Home

barn.” It was his turn to chuckle. “I knew someone wrote that shit who knew the land and loved it.”
    “You can take the boy off the farm….”
    “But you shouldn’t.”
    “I shouldn’t?”
    “Are you happy in the city?”
    I looked away so he wouldn’t see the glint of sudden tears. “How could I be? I just did what I thought I had to do.”
    “And do you regret all those other guys?” I wondered if it was jealousy I heard in his voice. “I didn’t love any of them. But I don’t regret them; I found out who I was and that I liked it with men. And this way we’re not groping around in the dark. At least one of us knows what he’s doing.”
    “Hey! I thought you liked it!”
    I laughed and he smiled against his will. “I loved it. I love you.”
    He laid his head down again. “I love you too.” 50

    The Long Way Home / Catt Ford

    There it was, that fluttery feeling again when he declared his feelings.
    “So, what do you do?”
    “I farm, with Dad. One day the farm’ll be mine. I like it.”
    We lay there in silence for a while, snuggled up against each other in front of the fire. I stared into it, feeling really happy for the first time in years. After being miserable for so long, it was so simple, I was happy to be here with him.
    I got everything all wrapped up in one gorgeous package, the intimacy of my old friend and the excitement of a new lover, with so many things yet to explore.
    And then I was asleep.

    JAKE was watching me when I opened my eyes. I stretched and smiled at him a little shyly, remembering the night before.
    “Good morning.”
    “Morning,” he said, and leaned in to kiss me. Just a sweet, chaste kiss, as if he was also shy about what happened between us.
    “This is a first for me,” I said, snuggling closer.

51
    The Long Way Home / Catt Ford

    He encircled me in his arms and held me. “What? I thought you’d … been with other guys.”
    “I’ve never woken up in someone’s arms,” I mumbled into his chest. “And never with someone I loved.”
    “I’m glad I could give you something too.” His arms tightened around me. “Time for your present.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Oh yeah.”
    The huskiness of his voice made my nipples hard and sent a charge of electricity to my groin. I wanted him so bad, but I had to make sure his first time was special.
    “I want to watch your eyes when you take me,” he whispered
    Damn. If I didn’t love him already I would have fallen for him so hard when he said that.
    When I entered him, the connection between us felt as if it was physical, a rope that bound us together. All the time that we’d been apart, we were never apart. We belonged to each other.
    Our faces were so close I could feel his breath waft across my lips. He stared up at me as we moved together.

52
    The Long Way Home / Catt Ford

    I felt him close around me, blazing hot and tight, pulling me deeper. The intensity built so fast I could feel my orgasm gathering to roar through me.
    And then he was coming, spurting liquid fire over my hand and I followed him over the abyss. We were swinging from the rope, falling together, clinging to each other as we went underwater and came up for air, panting and slick with sweat.
    “I love you.”
    “I love you too.”
    “Move in with me.”
    “Here? What about your parents?”
    “What about them?”
    “I’d feel a little weird fucking with them in the house.”
    “Don’t worry, they’re getting hard of hearing.” I lifted my head to stare at him. He was teasing. “You jerk.” I hit him, but not too hard. I was too happy.
    “I’ve got a place of my own, back in the woods by the creek. It’s small, only a cabin, but … I don’t think I could bear to lose you again.”
    His eyes shimmered suspiciously, and he turned his head away.

53
    The Long Way Home / Catt Ford

    I realized that he was afraid of being rejected. By me.
    “It’s not that, Jake. It’s – your family, the town. Are you sure you want to come out like that?”
    “You live out, don’t you?”
    “I do in the city. I’ve never told my folks.” I shrugged.
    “It didn’t seem worthwhile, you know?” He gave me an odd look that I couldn’t read. “I love you. I would be proud to have you as my partner, and I’d want everyone to know you were mine.” He was waiting for me to say the same back to him. “I guess I finally have to have that talk about the birds and the bees with my parents.”
    His face relaxed instantly into