After the Sunset (11 page)

When I retook the stage after our intermission, the applause was deafening. The band launched into an improvised rendition of Queen’s “Somebody To Love,” and the place went nuts. I was laughing hard, Megan was bawling and clapping her hands, and the band was really into it. We got the lighters in the air, and everybody was singing along. When the song finally finished after what felt like a good hour, the applause went on and on and on.

Glenn took the stage after that, and I begged the women in the crowd to please take the man home and love him hard. It was crude and hot and even the man’s scathing look could not stifle me. I was on an adrenaline high.

He pointed at me like he was going to beat the crap out of me. I waved.

The bids came loud and lewd, and the look on Glenn’s face made me double over with laughter. Rand’s cousin went for a thousand dollars, which made him the most expensive bachelor of the night. As I awarded him to Miss Rachel Webber from the Triple Star ranch, he shot me a look, which I couldn’t read. I wasn’t sure if it was surprise, anger, or fear, so I went with thinking he was flattered, put him out of my mind, and sang along with the band as they covered “Life Is A Highway” so the crowd could sing at the top of their lungs again.

All my bachelors were swept up, and when it was done, the band asked me what I wanted to hear. At which point, I caught sight of Glenn’s father and had them sing some vintage ELO for me. “Don’t Bring Me Down” came out as a driving rendition that was so loud, between the band and the crowd, that no one even noticed I was singing along in the microphone.

I hung up my master of ceremonies duties after that, and the appreciation was overwhelming. Megan hugged me so hard, and told me again that she thought I would be worth more than Glenn Holloway. I dragged her down into the crowd, and when I waved up at Blake, he launched into “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” just to round out the set of oldies but goodies. Megan enjoyed dancing with me, and we moved well together. When another man came and cut in, I moved away even though she tried to hold on to me. But he was cute and I wasn’t available, so I gave her a waggle of eyebrow, and she let me go.

I went to the side of the stage and reached a hand up for Blake to shake. I got back a card with their contact information and a number scrawled on the back. When my eyes met his, he mouthed the words
cell number
and
call me
, and I put it in the back pocket of my jeans much to his very apparent delight.

Darting to the edge of the dancing area, I started back toward the trailer.

“Stefan!”

I looked over my shoulder and saw Glenn Holloway. I didn’t stop walking.

“Will you fuckin’ wait!”

But I kept my runway stride going, making him work to catch up. “Why aren’t you dancing with Rachel Webber?”

“What?” He was indignant.

“The very pretty girl who could not keep her hands off of you.”

“I—”

“The one who bought you,” I teased him.

“That date ain’t for tonight. I’ve got bull ridin’ to do tomorrow.”

He sounded so indignant. “I see. Well, you should still be dancing with her anyway.”

“Why ain’t you dancin’ with the singer?”

I stopped suddenly, and he took two steps by before he rounded on me. “I’m sorry?”

“I saw how he was lookin’ at you.”

Why in the world was he trying to interpret any kind of look that he saw pass between me and the lead singer?
“And how was that?”

“Like he was interested.”

Why did he care?

“Rand ain’t here. No one would know.”

“I would know,” I told him, crossing my arms. “And the lead singer isn’t gay.”

“He’s not?”

“No, sir, he’s not.”

“Then what was with the card?”

“I think maybe he wants me to call him if I ever have need for a band.”

He looked very disgruntled, and I had to smile at him.

“I can’t believe you acted like that tonight. Rand would die of embarrassment.”

“Embarrassed of what precisely?”

“Are you kidding? You made a total spectacle of yourself all night, made people think the Red Diamond is a joke, and dragged Rand’s reputation through the dirt.”

“Lemme understand this,” I said, pinning him there with my gaze. “We raised more money for charity this year than they did in the last five and—”

“How the hell do you know that?” he yelled at me.

“Because Hud Lawrence told me,” I cracked sarcastically. “How do you think?”

He looked like he was ready to punch me.

“The Red Diamond swept all the rodeo events, and people had a great time tonight, but somehow, in your mind, in your world, Rand’s reputation got damaged. Why, because I was dancing? Was I dancing too gay? Do you think everyone knows?”

“Yessir, I think everyone of ’em knows you’re gay!”

“And who gives a damn?”

“You could get yourself killed.”

“Because they’re all coming after me.”

“They could be.”

“Well, here I am.”

There was only silence.

I made a big show of listening.

“You’re really a wiseass, you know that?”

“Where’s the angry mob? Are they late?”

He closed the distance between us and shoved me back hard.

“Is that all you got?”

“I should beat the shit outta you.”

“Call Gil Landry; I’m sure he’d love to help you.”

His snarl of outrage let me know how really drunk he was. The man was not all that solid on his own feet.

“Jesus,” I laughed, grabbing his arms, steadying him. “You are wound so fuckin’ tight, man, what the hell?”

His head snapped up and his eyes met mine. I was swallowed in inky blue a minute before he swept his heavy-lidded gaze over me, from head to toe. He missed nothing.

I had to think a second and process.

Did I see what I thought I saw or not? Was Rand Holloway’s homophobic cousin actually checking me out?

“Glenn,” I gasped his name, watching the muscles in his jaw cord.

He yanked away from my hands, and we stood there, staring, silent.

“You,” he said, his voice hoarse, gruff. “How come you’re so….”

“What?” I asked when I was sure he wasn’t going to finish his sentence.

He didn’t answer, just took a step forward.

“Glenn?” I had to tilt my head back to hold his gaze.

“Are you gonna come watch me ride the bull?”

“Sure,” I said softly.

“Do me a favor and wear real clothes tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“Not jeans like this,” he said, eyes trailing down my body, “and this shirt is bullshit.”

“Okay.”

“It’s barely on,” he said, his hand slowly fisting in the crushed silk.

I stood still, feeling the back of his knuckles against my chest, my skin. “Glenn.”

He turned suddenly and strode away. I had no idea what was going on in his mind, but I became aware of the whimpering behind me seconds later. When I looked toward the corral, I saw her there, head between the slats, looking at me, big brown eyes wet with happiness because she was looking at me. She was so well-trained, as was my mare Ruby. The horse was standing in the corral chilling, and the dog had been keeping vigil, neither one of them a bother in any way.

But now the dog wanted to be allowed to see me up close.

“Come here,” I called Bella.

She was through the slats and bounding up to me, wiggling, whining, and dancing around my legs, in ecstasy now that I had returned. I bent to pet her, and she shoved her nose in my eye before she licked my nose and bumped my chin. And then she was suddenly rigid, hair standing up, stepping in front of me, pressed to my side.

“Stefan Joss!”

I rose as Rayland Holloway closed in on me, breathing fire, chewing brimstone. He looked more pissed off than usual.

“Is it true?”

I wanted to be mad at him, but frankly he looked too much like Rand, too much like Glenn, whom I was really warming to, and a lot like his brother, Rand and Charlotte’s late father James, for me to dredge up any hate for him. And Tyler. He looked like Uncle Tyler too.

“Is what true, sir?” I called out to him as he charged toward me.

“Did you just—what the hell is wrong with your dog?”

Bella had put her head down, bared her teeth, and made a noise I had no idea she could make. It was obvious from the snarl of warning that she was ready to unleash teeth and claws.

“Just stop walking like that,” I told him. “That’s seventy, almost seventy-five pounds of angry, threatened dog there.”

He stopped moving, and I saw something flicker across his face. Interest?

“She’s a Rhodesian Ridgeback.”

“A what?” he snapped at me.

I repeated the name. “You wanna see her?”

“No, I don’t wanna see—”

“She’s actually very sweet, but you’re freaking her out with how you’re moving.”

“I ain’t moving in no—”

“And I bet your dogs would protect you if I came at you the same way you just came at me.”

He glared at me.

I pointed to the picnic table close by. He stalked over to it and sat down. After a minute, I followed him and took a seat at the other end of the bench.

We sat there in silence for several minutes, and Bella, having trailed after me, was there like my shadow, her head resting in my lap. As I sat there, my mind drifting, it occurred to me that all the time Glenn and I had been talking, Bella had watched, and not once did she growl or bark to alert me of her presence. As fiercely protective as she was, what was it about Glenn Holloway that didn’t make her think he was going to hurt me?

“Dog’s too big to work cattle.”

The gruff comment brought me from my thoughts.

“No,” I told him. “Even German Shepherds were originally bred to be herding dogs. You’re just not used to seeing it.”

We lapsed into another silence.

He finally lifted his hand, and I told Bella to go. She went to him and instead of sitting there and waiting, she put her head in his lap just as she had me.

His grunt before he petted her, scratched behind her ears, and rubbed under her chin made me understand that the wall was not as hard or as high as I thought.

“This can’t just be about me,” I started what I hoped would be a long conversation. “I just got here, only even been around for two years. There has to be more.”

“I don’t abide sodomites.”

A word I had not heard directed at me, probably ever. Other words, lots of them, had been leveled at me at one time or another, but that one was new. “Yeah, but all this animosity because of that? I don’t buy it.”

“Yeah, well, believe what you want.”

“So when Rand was married to Jenny, you all got along like peas and carrots?”

He turned and scowled at me.

The
Forrest Gump
reference was lost on him. “Well?”

He went back to looking out across the open range. Where our trailers were, and the stable and corral we had been assigned, was at the very edge of the grounds. Beyond us was just brush and grass and dirt and endless sky.

“So you weren’t all singing ‘Kumbayah’ together, were you, sir?”

“I have no idea what you just said.”

“Why the bad blood between you and Rand? I heard you wanted the ranch, and he said no.”

Nothing, not even a nibble, but he had come to see me for some reason.

“Did you, too, come to yell at me about being master of ceremonies tonight?”

“Why? Who else yelled at you?”

“Glenn.”

He grunted his approval. “Did he give you the eye?”

“No, Gil Landry did. And it’s not that bad.”

“Landry? Why?”

“He wants his sister to marry Rand.”

“Or Glenn,” he growled. “He just wants a Holloway, any one will do.”

“I think Carly wants Rand.”

“And maybe when he throws you out on your ass, she can have him.”

“Maybe,” I sighed.

He turned his brilliant eyes on me. “Don’t flaunt yourself in front of people no more.”

“Flaunt myself?”

“You showin’ folks you’re queer is gonna get you in trouble.”

“When did I do that?”

“What?”

“Show people I was queer?”

“Just—wear somethin’ else.”

It was my choice in clothes again.

“You’re dressed like a rock star.”

Like the man had any idea how rock stars dressed. “I thought I looked gay.”

He growled at me. “I don’t want no one to hurt you is all.”

“You don’t give a crap if I get hurt.”

“If you get hurt, then Rand—” He rubbed his forehead, having stopped himself. “There’s enough. There don’t need to be no more.”

“So you want me to be careful because if I get hurt, Rand will blame you?”

“I’m here, ain’t I?” he snapped at me. “If somethin’ were to happen to you and he knows that I—just stay out of sight, all right?”

Be safe. “Why do you care? I thought you hated Rand.”

“He—”

“You wanted to buy the ranch, and he told you to go to hell.”

“He was too young to take on that goddamn ranch alone!” he yelled at me, which, for whatever reason, did not startle my dog. Perhaps it was because she had heard his voice crack just like I did. He sounded like he was in pain.

“You wanted to help?” I said thoughtfully.

He moved like he was going to turn toward me, but stopped at the last moment, forcing himself to remain still. “He was only a boy.”

“He was in his mid-twenties,” I corrected him.

“It was a lot of responsibility to shoulder all alone.”

The man had wanted to help. I saw it clearly. “What did you want?”

“I wanted to put the two ranches, the Red Diamond and the White Ash, together. I never wanted to buy the ranch and put him off it.”

“The Red Diamond was, is, his father’s legacy. How could he not keep it forever?”

He cleared his throat. “Rand….”

I waited, but he just shook his head.

“Sir?”

His head turned to me, and I saw the same electric turquoise-blue eyes that the man I loved had. They were similar to Charlotte’s. I used to think hers and Rand’s were the same, but hers were darker, like Glenn’s, like their father’s had been. Only Rand and Rayland had the same bright, distinctive, blue.