Page 49 of On the Land, We Shoot Straight
Carson and his brother, Keith, and the other shearer, Paulo—younger guy, about Cole’s age—looked like they were trying to work it out, foreheads creasing. Marcel was already in it, his usually expressionless face clouding over, while Milly’s countenance shifted to shrewd, lips twisting. But JP’s gaze changed, warmly brushing over Cole like he wanted this conversation away from him before settling on Grady and saying, “You reckon we gonna meet in the final this year?”
And that broke the moment, the conversation snapping to how JP’s damn town couldn’t field a decent team on account of everyone leaving, but if they could—if they could!—they’d kick all the asses in the county, and everyone was there, in that place at the final. Except Cole.
Grady caught him watching him, that serious set to his eyes looking at him like he was thinking, like he was thinking real hard and not liking what he was thinking.
“All right, enough jerking off,” JP said. He got up, and everyone followed. They fanned out into position and brought on their next sheep, the clippers starting up again with the familiar long drone before short bursts of silence. And they were off, moving through the flock one by one until day’s end.
JP’s truck could still be heard tearing up the driveway when Grady rounded on Cole and backed him up to the fleecing table.
“What?” Cole said.
“What, what?” Grady smirked at the same time as he lifted Cole by the hips, set him on the edge of the wire and started in on his pants.
Cole got with the program and helped him get them off. Grady pushed him down so he was lying flat. He knelt down and hooked Cole’s calves over his shoulders, spread him open with his thumbs, and got him nice and wet and ready for his dick.
Grady fucked him like that, the pieces of wool flying up around them with each thrust, Cole’s hand flying over his dick as he jerked off in time with Grady’s hips pounding against him, his panting in time with the creaking of the springs.
Grady helped Cole to his feet once they were finished. Cole laughed and stumbled as he dealt with his pants around his ankles and his wobbly legs.
“Easy,” Grady said as he steadied him against his chest.
Cole yanked his pants over his hips, fastened them with clumsy fingers. He looked up, met Grady’s eyes and huffed a laugh that ended in a smile. Grady looked at those eyes, so black and serious, at the laughter still in them, and could do nothing to stop his soft smile.
It happened so fast, Grady wasn’t sure what happened. Cole pressed forward and kissed him. Kissed him hard and quick, his dry lips closed and bruising against Grady’s. Grady didn’t have time to react before Cole leaped back, stumbling, whispering in panic, “Sorry, sorry.”
Before Grady could recover, Cole ran for the door. He darted a look over his shoulder, eyes wide and terrified. The old wooden door slammed, and Cole’s boots pounded the earth, the sound disappearing into the dusk. Grady brought his hand up and touched his forefinger and middle finger to his lips, skin buzzing with the forceful feel of Cole’s lips against his.
He went back to the house and couldn’t find Cole anywhere. It took him a while, probably too long, to realize Cole had taken off.
“Goddammit.” Grady went outside and over to the horses.
He hadn’t even had the good sense to take Chloe. Grady whistled up the dogs, saddled up Red, and reasoned he couldn’t have gotten far.
Grady rode out, heading up the front driveway, trusting the dogs to track the little idiot down.
Sure enough, Lady’s barking stopped him about an hour in. She was in the scrub, and Grady could actually hear Cole telling her to be quiet.
“Don’t go makin’ me come in there,” Grady said as Red adjusted his hooves.
Cole didn’t respond.
“Cole.”
Nothing.
“This damn kid.” Grady dismounted.
He called Lady, and she barked in response. He followed her barking until he found Cole, the last of the light casting him in a shadow against a tree, his face clear enough to show Grady he was frightened.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I—”
Grady came right up to him, grabbed him by the scruff of his collar, pushed him back against the tree and kissed him. Kissed him real hard. Cole froze. Grady was beginning to think maybe it was a mistake when Cole pressed back into it. He was tentative, his mouth barely moving under Grady’s, almost like he hadn’t kissed anyone before. Well, before this afternoon. Grady kept on kissing him, wanting to give him a message. Cole relaxed under him and let him do it, followed his lead with lips moving more confidently, his tongue touching Grady’s around a gasp. His hands came up and tugged Grady closer by his collar.
Grady pulled back after a lot longer than he’d planned, their lips still brushing as he spoke.
“You wanna come in now?”
“Yeah, all right,” Cole breathed out against his lips. Grady kissed him again.
