Glen had prepared himself for this moment. It was too bad nothing could have totally prepared him for this moment.
Some would describe the man before him as Glen’s best friend. But they would be wrong. Since they had met when Glen was a senior in college, Lonnie had been his rock, his lifeline, and the person who had made his soul weep for what it couldn’t have.
That wasn’t really a fair assessment. Glen’s decisions were his to bear, not to blame Lonnie for them.
Glen opened his mouth to say something, but velvety brown eyes captured his gaze. The black glasses Lonnie wore didn’t diminish their richness.
Lonnie blinked, and his gaze grew hard. Glen mentally stiffened his resolve to take whatever Lonnie threw at him. He deserved the man’s anger after the way he’d run like a scared rabbit from their last meeting. There was no excuse good enough for refusing to see Lonnie after that. The one phone call later had ended with Glen’s heart breaking after learning Lonnie was taken.
“Ranch life must agree with you, Glen.” Lonnie’s gaze swept over Glen, leaving prickles in their wake. “You’re looking healthy and strong.”
Glen didn’t know what to say. Strong was never a word anyone would associate with him. Luckily Jack burst through the front door with his arms full of luggage. Glen rushed forward and grabbed the garment bag before it crashed to the floor. Beside him, Lonnie snagged the computer case.
“I couldn’t find it, but I’m sure there’s a kitchen sink in here somewhere,” Jack teased.
Lonnie laughed and shrugged, bringing Glen’s attention to the high-quality blue polo shirt he’d matched with faded designer jeans that sported strategically placed holes. In the dictionary, under the word clotheshorse, there was a picture of Lonnie. But it was the person under the clothes that fascinated Glen. In moments of weakness, Glen wondered how much of Lonnie’s body was covered by the multicolored tattoos he could see peeking out of the edges of the material. He seemed to gain more every year.
“I originally planned for a week, but decided to pack a little extra in case it took longer,” Lonnie replied.
“If you want to follow me, I’ll show you which room is yours.” Jack smiled at Lonnie and then Glen. Turning, Jack headed across the spacious living room, with its beam-lined cathedral ceiling and the wall of windows that brought the outside in. Through a small archway, they went down a short hall that led to the bedrooms.
Carrying the garment bag, Glen followed Lonnie and Jack. Behind him, Brian called out. “When you have things settled, come to the kitchen for a light snack. The girls should be home from school soon.”
Glen glanced over his shoulder and replied, “Will do.”
He hesitated at the looks of sheer glee on Stephanie’s and Brian’s faces. Glen frowned. Nothing good came of smiles that wide and bodies practically vibrating in place. Once all the babies were in bed for the night, he was confronting his children and finding out what they were up to.
In the bedroom, Glen laid the garment bag on the huge king-sized bed. He appreciated that Brian and Jack had put Lonnie in this room with its modern highly polished black furniture and stark lines. This was Lonnie’s taste all the way while Glen’s style ran more with the golden-oak four-poster bed and matching dressers in his room across the hall.
“There you go, Lonnie.” Jack put his hand on Lonnie’s shoulder. “Take a few minutes to decompress. We’ll all be in the kitchen.”
Glen thought about following Jack out of the room, but one look at the raised eyebrow and stink eye Lonnie was sending him nixed that idea.
As an expert in avoiding explosive situations, Glen asked, “How was your flight?”
“Nice try,” Lonnie countered. “Would you like to know what I think of the weather too?”
Glen dropped his gaze to the floor. Maybe it would be better if he just went back to Texas.
“Oh no, you don’t.” Lonnie’s voice was suddenly much nearer. “There’s no need to hide anymore.”
Hands grabbed Glen’s shoulders and gently pushed him backward. Glen looked up, startled by Lonnie’s firm tone and manhandling. In the past, Lonnie had always been calm and gentle, except for the incident when Glen had run away from their kiss. Lonnie’s shouts still rang though Glen’s memory.
Glen was brought up short by the wall against his back. Lonnie continued to move forward until their bodies were pressed together.
“Lonnie, what—”
Firm lips covered Glen’s mouth. A tongue probed between his lips, parting them. Glen had forgotten the connection a kiss could bring. Lifting his hands, Glen laid them on Lonnie’s chest and let the man take over.
The taste was exquisite. The tangle of flesh against flesh was heart pounding. Back in the day, Glen had called this French kissing. No doubt kids had a different name for it now. The last time Glen had experienced this magic was back in college, with Lonnie. The day before Janice announced she was pregnant.
What a fool he had been. Appearances and family approval had been everything back then. Those pressures had made a young college student believe that his feelings weren’t important. He had to live up to society’s expectations. The worst of it was that Glen didn’t know if he would change anything if he could. The horror his life had turned into had also given him the best thing of all. His children.
Lonnie ended the kiss and looked down at him. Glen searched his face, looking for a hint of a smile or a frown, anything to try and gauge his mood. A hand cupped Glen’s cheek, and Lonnie dropped another kiss on his lips. Glen wanted more but was too afraid to ask.
Glen’s limbs started trembling, and the muscles of his shoulders tightened as Lonnie continued to stare down at him. The silence had gone on for too long.
“Don’t be afraid, love.” Lonnie dropped a kiss on Glen’s nose. “Our time has finally come.”
Thank you, Ingrid. I hope you also are having a wonderful holiday.
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