Page 69 of Resilience on Canvas

Henry pursed his lips, his brows knitting together as though he was thinking this over, and then, smiling wryly, he said, “Apparently, I couldn’t last too long on my feet, neither.”

Laughing, Henry wiggled his hips to make his point, and Robert snickered.

“Jesus, Hen,” Robert said, shaking his head.

Their light laughter faded. Robert closed his eyes to try to listen for footsteps, but the only thing he could hear was the occasional creak of floorboards whenever either of them shifted their weight.

“I wonder how much longer we’ll have to wait for Joe and Rose,” he said. “Could be hours.”

Henry scrunched up his nose. “What about my pants?”

“We can stay here. Wait together ’til they dry a bit. No one will be lookin’thatclosely.” Robert winked. “Except for me, maybe.”

Henry’s cheeks turned pink. Robert could feel his own face burning too.

“Can I kiss you some more while we wait, then?” Robert asked.

Rather than reply, Henry captured Robert’s mouth in a kiss.

Chapter Nineteen

Henry

Descendingthestairsfromthe bell tower to the main floor, Henry felt like his head was spinning. It was turning like one of them steel cylinders on a wheat thresher, his thoughts whirling so fast he could barely keep up with them. Golly, he had spent the last fifteen or so minutes kissing Robert Davis in a church. Not only that, but he had temporarily ruined one of his nicest pairs of pants. Goodness, how sinful it was! Sinful andwonderful. If Robert hadn’t insisted that they try to return to the competition, Henry probably never would havestoppedkissing him. Even though Henry had been feeling tired before the two of them started kissing, now he was wide awake. And the only part of his body that was still feeling sore was his lips. Every other event in Henry’s life paled in comparison to kissing Robert. Nothing else could ever be so sublime. Except maybe kissing him again.

Once the two men were more than halfway to the main floor, Henry let out a small, pathetic whimper-sigh. Robert turned and looked up at Henry with a playful smile.

“Don’t be makin’ those filthy noises when we’re out there,” he chastised.

“Sorry,” Henry said. “But . . .”

Descending two more steps, Henry took Robert by the shirt collar and kissed him. Once. Twice. Three times. Lord, what a travesty it was that they’d ever have to stop! Four. Five.

Robert started laughing.

“Henry, Henry,” he said, pushing on Henry’s shoulders. “We need to head back.”

“Yeah, I-I know,” Henry stammered. “One more?”

Robert huffed a laugh. “Twomore. But only because I’m crazy ’bout you.”

Twice more Henry pressed a kiss to Robert’s lips. Somehow, each kiss they shared seemed to be even better than the last. Henry couldn’t even imagine what their thousandth kiss would be like. It might be so incredible he wouldn’t be able to stand it.

Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, the two men crept out into the hall. Thank God no one else was out there. It was curious that no one had tried to find out why the bell had rung earlier. Henry couldn’t help but wonder why that was.

Henry and Robert started back toward the competition room only to see Rose, Joe, and Audrey rushing toward them, huge, toothy smiles on each of their faces.

Joe said, “I told you we’d find ’em here. They were in the chapel subjugatin’ the Lord for us to win the contest.”

Robert reeled back. “We werewhatnow?”

Rose laughed. “Joe, what in the world are you trying to say?” Turning toward her husband, Rose tilted her head, her brows furrowing. Joe’s unique choices of words confused even her sometimes. After a moment’s more thought, her eyebrows shot up, her face brightening. “Are you thinking of the word supplicate? You know, the word Auntie uses sometimes?”

“Maybe?” Joe said. “I meant like... like prayin’.”

Smiling fondly, Rose shook her head. “Then, yes, supplicate is the word you want, though I’ve never heard a single other person in Guymon use it.”

“Well, that’s why I like it. It’s a neat word. Makes me sound worldly.”

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