Page 9 of Dust and Desire
“Yeah,” I agreed, my voice softer than I intended. “They are.”
“They been together long?”
“A couple years now. They met just before Logan was trying to save the ranch.”
Alex nodded thoughtfully, his eyes still on the couple. “And what about you? Anyone special back in New York?”
I let out a humorless laugh. “No. And nobody here either.” My eyes darted to Colt for a moment before dipping back to my lap. “I’m not brave enough for that sort of thing.”
Alex’s hand was on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. “Maybe you just need someone to make the first move,” he suggested. He lowered his voice to a whisper, leaning close until his breath tickled my neck. “I hear you’ve got a nice little private spot out on the backside of the ranch. I could?—”
“I need to go,” I said suddenly, standing up so fast that I nearly shouldered Alex right in the jaw.
“What?” Colt cried, turning to face me. “You can’t leave yet! You just got here!”
“I… I forgot something back at the house,” I said, scrambling for some sort of excuse. “The stove… is on. I think I left it on. I don’t want the place to burn down.”
“But Dustin?—”
“Gotta go!” I called, heading for the door before Colt or any of the others could stop me.
I allowed myself one tiny glance back at Alex, a look of surprise affixed to his expression. His eyes were almost apologetic though, like he knew he’d driven me away. But the truth was that I couldn’t handle his flirtations. I didn’t know how to process them, how to accept them, or felt that I was deserving of them. It was just too much to handle all at once.
And as I left the diner, I mentally kicked myself for being such a coward. Up until that moment I thought my lack of dating prospects was something outside of my control. But now I realized, once again, that it was my fault. I wasn’t brave enough to even try.
Chapter 4
Alex
The Texas sun was definitely hotter than the one in Oklahoma. I wasn’t sure how that was possible, but the sweatband on my cowboy hat was doing nothing to stop it from running into my eyes. I’d been riding for nearly two hours around the edge of Baker Ranch, checking fences for damage. Apparently, Sagebrush had a freak snowstorm earlier that spring and a flood following the sudden melt. Everyone had been so focused on repairing the arena that they hadn’t had time to check the fences. So, as the new ranch hand, that was left up to me. The new guy always got the shit jobs.
But I didn’t mind. Honestly, I liked having some time to myself. Working and living on ranches usually meant being around people all the time. There was always conversation, bickering, and very little privacy. But Baker Ranch was different in that way. Here the ranch hands went home at the end of the day, except for me, and I had my own private apartment. I couldn’t have asked for a better position. They’d even given me my own horse to ride, a chestnut gelding who was definitely old, but as gentle as could be. I wouldn’t be winning any races on him, but he was steady and dependable. That was justfine with me.
I patted his neck as we moved along the fence line. “You’re a good one, aren’t you, boy?” I murmured, and he snorted in response. I’d named him Rusty, which wasn’t particularly original given his coloring, but it suited him.
The fence seemed intact for this stretch, but the midday heat was becoming unbearable. Sweat trickled down my spine, and my shirt clung uncomfortably to my back. Up ahead, I could see the glint of water through the trees. It was one of the small creeks that ran through the property.
“What do you say we take a break?” I asked Rusty, guiding him toward the water.
The creek was peaceful, shaded by a stand of cottonwoods that provided blessed relief from the sun. I dismounted, letting Rusty drink his fill while I tied him loosely to a low-hanging branch. The water looked cool and inviting, rippling over smooth stones. Without a second thought, I began stripping off my clothes.
Growing up on ranches, modesty had never been my strong suit. When you share bunkhouses with other hands and shower in communal spaces, you either get comfortable with your body, or you suffer. I’d chosen the former long ago.
I stepped into the creek, sighing with pleasure as the cool water lapped around my ankles. It was deeper than it looked, a little over my head at the center, and I waded in until the water reached my chest. The relief was immediate, washing away hours of sweat and dust. I ducked my head under, running my fingers through my hair before surfacing with a gasp.
For a moment, I just floated there, staring up at the patches of blue sky visible through the leaves overhead. It was quiet except for the gentle gurgle of the creek and the occasional snort from Rusty.
My mind drifted back to the night before at Dolly’s. Karaoke had been more fun than I’d expected, especially going toe-to-toe with Colt. The man could sing, I’d give him that, but I held my own. What I hadn’t counted on was Dustin Corvus.
I’d heard about him, of course. The mysterious New York lawyerwho’d swooped in and saved the Baker Ranch, then decided to stay. Logan had mentioned him a few times during my orientation, and Colt had pointed out his tiny house from a distance. But nothing had prepared me for meeting him in person.
He was gorgeous in that buttoned-up, city-boy way, all clean lines and careful movements. But there was something else there too, a sadness that lingered around his beautiful blue eyes even when he smiled. And when I’d started flirting with him, I’d seen panic flash across his face before he bolted.
I sighed, letting my body sink deeper into the water. Maybe I’d come on too strong. It wouldn’t be the first time. But there was something about Dustin that made me not want to waste time. Then again, it had been several months since I’d been with anyone, so maybe I was just being horny. It wouldn’t be the first time for that either.
I wasn’t sure what it was that drew me to him so strongly. Maybe it was the way he held himself apart from everyone else, like he was afraid to get too close. Or maybe it was just that in a town full of coupled-up gay cowboys, we were the only two single ones. Either way, I’d clearly spooked him, and now I’d have to figure out how to make things right, even if it was just to be friendly. The last thing I wanted to do was drive off the investor of my new employer. That wouldn’t look good on me.
Floating on my back, I closed my eyes against the dappled sunlight. The water cradled me, cool against my naked skin, washing away not just the day’s sweat but some of the heaviness I carried with me from Oklahoma. That was the beauty of water, it could cleanse more than just the body if you let it.
