Treston sat back and said, "All the other men I've been with don't bother you? And I've never been able to stick to a routine or pattern in my life."
Cooper reached for Treston's hands and held them tightly. "No. The other men don't bother me. I'm in love with you and that's all that matters. And I'll turn you around. I'll get you into a routine."
Cooper didn't go home that night. For once, he broke his routine. They ordered take-out, drank wine until midnight, and wound up in Treston's bed, where Treston was surprised to learn Cooper Boon made love even rougher and with more intensity than any of the bad boys Treston had dated in the past. That night Cooper threw him down, slapped him in all the right spots, and turned him around in so many different positions Treston actually had trouble keeping up with him. He even grabbed his throat and punched him a few times. In the morning, when Treston climbed out of bed to examine the bruises on the backs of his legs, he noticed Cooper's cowboy hat and boots on the bedroom floor and smiled. He knew, deep in his gut, he'd finally found the right man to fall in love with.
The rest happened so fast Treston barely had time to think. Cooper got him a part-time job at Lake Mead working as a file clerk three mornings a week in the ranger's station. He wanted Treston to quit his job at Chickey's strip club right away, but Treston said he couldn't do it until he either was married or had another full-time job with which he could support himself. So Cooper made a deal with him. He told Treston if he quit his job at Chickey's he would marry him, even though gay marriage was not legally recognized. He said Treston could move into his larger apartment and he would take care of him until he found a full-time job that didn't include stripping. Then he kissed Treston and told him he loved him and he would always take care of him. So Treston agreed to everything and they set a wedding date with enough time for Treston to give his notice at the club, clean up his affairs, and get out of his lease.
One month later, as Treston organized a few files in the ranger's station, he still felt so giddy about his new life he found himself whistling You Are My Sunshine and didn't even realize it. He was doing this when the heavyset ranger, Roger, returned from lunch. Cooper had been gone for about an hour. Roger opened the door and sent him a look, and Treston stopped whistling immediately. Then Treston smiled and asked, "Is there anything special you'd like me to do for you before I leave? I don't mind. I have plenty of time." Because he only worked part time three mornings a week and didn't have a car, he had to spend the entire afternoon on the days he worked walking the trails of Lake Mead until Cooper was finished working so he could take him home. He didn't mind staying in the station and working without getting paid. He would have done anything short of blowing Roger to pass the time.
Roger shrugged and said, "Nothing I can think of." He was one of those hapless souls without much energy. Nothing excited him more than a dozen doughnuts or a full box of Oreos. Nothing ever seemed to upset him either, which made him easy to work with. The first week Treston had started working there, Roger had entered the back room and he'd found Treston in Cooper's arms near the lockers where the rangers changed their clothes. They'd been kissing, thinking they were all alone, and Treston's pants had been down around his ankles. Any of the other rangers would have gasped and kicked them both out. But not Roger. He just sent them a glance, rubbed his large stomach, gaped at Treston's ass for a second, and continued to the bathroom without as much as a second glance. When Treston tried to apologize later and tell Roger nothing like that would ever happen again, Roger just shrugged and said, "It's none of my business what anyone else does. I keep to myself."
"Are you sure you don't need anything done?" Treston said now. It was hot out and he didn't feel like walking the trails all afternoon. "I can clean the place up a little. I don't think the floor has been vacuumed in a while. I don't mind at all."
Roger glanced down at his desktop and said, "Nope. I'm good. I'll see you later."
Treston knew there was nothing he could say or do to change Roger's mind. He didn't want Roger to get annoyed with him. So he went to the back room, changed his clothes, and left the ranger's station about fifteen minutes later. He started walking toward one of his favorite trails, as far away from the trail where Harlan Rocks had left him naked as he could get. He liked this trail in particular because he sometimes ran into Cooper later in the afternoon as Cooper was heading back to the station and Cooper would break his routine. Sometimes they would sneak behind a rock and make love. One afternoon Cooper pulled down Treston's pants and bent him over a flat boulder, and another afternoon Treston blew Cooper while he was still on his horse. Sometimes-and only when Cooper requested it-Treston would remove all his clothes and put on Cooper's cowboy boots and hat while Cooper threw Treston over the horse and spanked him.