He must have been quiet too long because Gray said, “Can I ask you something?”
Roman nodded.
“Is there something between the two of you?”
Roman smiled. “Just going to go right to it, huh?”
A small smile graced Gray’s lips. “It’s just…he’s so young and you guys are so different. I didn’t even know you were interested in men.”
Roman’s first instinct was to say Gray hadn’t been around enough to know about his preferences but he bit back the automatic response and said, “It’s not something I announce to everyone I meet but I don’t hide it either. I suppose I’ve never been in a relationship long enough with either a man or a woman to even make it necessary to “come out.” And Hunter…he’s so messed up about being attracted to men that it wouldn’t matter either way if there was something there or not.”
“Is there anyone he can turn to?”
“He mentioned a grandmother but I’m not sure if they’re still in touch.”
“I’ve met her. She takes care of our friends’ daughter while they’re working. Dane is a vet and Jax is the town’s other deputy besides Rhys.”
Roman remembered the big cop who’d intervened yesterday. Interesting that both of the small town’s law enforcement officers were gay.
“She ever mention Hunter?” Roman asked.
“Not to me but I’ve only spoken to her briefly in passing. She was the one who spearheaded the rebuilding of Callan Bale’s barn after the two fuckers who were vandalizing his property burned it down so she seems supportive of our cause.”
So Hunter’s grandmother was open to the idea of homosexuals while Hunter’s own father clearly wasn’t. And from what Hunter had said about his grandfather, he hadn’t appeared to have had an issue with his grandson’s sexual preference either.
Roman heard the back door open but when he saw only Luke round the corner, he immediately stood. “Where is he?”
“He’s making a phone call,” Luke said as he leaned down to brush his lips over Gray’s. “Don’t worry, I made him promise he wouldn’t take off again. Ripley’s out there with him so even if he does, he’ll be easy to find. I showed him our spot,” Luke said to Gray and they shared a quick smile between them.
“Straight out the back door about 200 hundred yards. You can’t miss it,” Luke said before Roman could even ask.
Roman nodded and hurried out the back of the cabin. He was relieved to find Hunter sitting on a large fallen log just past where the backyard turned into dense woods. He was tossing a stick into a small stream for Ripley.
“Morning,” Roman said as he sat down next to Hunter.
“Hi,” Hunter said just as Roman’s phone began to ring. “That’s my dad,” Hunter said. “I told him I was planning to head back to school today unless his new client needed me to stick around a little longer to show him around some more.”
Roman felt a prickle of disappointment go through him as he realized he was about to end the only valid reason he had to keep Hunter around for a while. But knowing just how toxic this town and his own family were to Hunter, Roman had no issue with answering the phone and telling Malcom Greene he’d be leaving town this afternoon and wouldn’t need Hunter’s services anymore. He ignored Malcolm’s efforts to try and draw more information out of him regarding his plans to pursue the purchase of the property and hung up the phone without saying goodbye.
“Thank you,” Hunter said softly.
“What will you do now?” Roman asked.
Hunter took the stick that Ripley dropped in his lap and studied it for a moment before tossing it into the water. “Go back to the way things were,” Hunter said. “Minus the gay clubs,” he added with a small smile and while Roman knew he’d meant it as a roundabout way to reassure him that there wouldn’t be a repeat of the episode with the bikers, the comment did nothing to ease the aching in Roman’s gut.
“I need you to promise me something,” Roman whispered.
Hunter shook his head. “Roman, please don’t ask me to make a promise you know I can’t keep.”
Frustration went through Roman because that was exactly what he’d been about to do. Roman turned and swung one leg over the log so that he was straddling it. The move had him facing Hunter and a surge of pleasure went through him when Hunter did the same thing and then went a step further and moved close enough so that their legs were touching. Hunter met him halfway when he leaned down to kiss him and while the kiss was tame compared to the one they’d shared yesterday, it still left him burning inside.