Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“It’ll be hard for me to get back to my usual routine, too.”
“I wish I was there with you.”
“Me, too. I appreciate what you left in my bed, though.” I held up the camisole.
“Like I said, fair is fair.” He was hugging my shirt to his chest, the same way I’d been holding his. “We can trade back next time I see you. But just so you know, I’m going to do the same thing on our next visit and steal something else of yours. This shirt will probably lose your scent by then.”
We spoke for a few more minutes. He told me about his flight, and about spending time with his best friend once he got home. When his eyelids started to get heavy, I said, “I should probably let you go.”
“No, don’t go. Spend the night with me.” He settled in on his pillow and propped up his phone on the nightstand, so the camera was still pointed at him. “Stay with me even after I fall asleep. Please?”
“Sure, baby. Anything you want.” I leaned my phone against the base of the lamp and tucked my hand under my head.
He fought to stay awake, long enough to murmur, “There was a lot I wanted to say at the airport. It’s hard to put it all into words, but I hope you know how much you mean to me, and how much I loved spending time with you.”
He was fading fast, but before he drifted off, he whispered, “You really are the sweetest, most wonderful man I’ve ever known, and I’m so grateful for you, Ry.”
I had an even harder time trying to put my feelings into words, so all I managed was, “Right back at you.”
Hal fell asleep about a minute later, and as promised, I stayed on the line. Even though I desperately wanted him here with me, I told myself I could learn to get used to this long-distance thing again.
What choice did I have?
11
Hal
My first morning back in San Francisco, I awoke way too early to a dead phone. I packed it and my charger into a gym bag with a change of clothes, got dressed in workout wear, and slipped out of the house as quietly as I could, to avoid waking my housemates.
It was about an hour before dawn, and the city was foggy and quiet. I shivered and zipped my jacket, and then I took off down the street at a brisk pace.
Of course, my thoughts immediately turned to Ryder.
Our time together had been magical. There was no other word for it. Okay, yes, things had started a bit rough for me, because ranch life was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. But I’d adapted, and then I’d started to enjoy it. By the end of the week, I was feeding goats, brushing horses, and had learned to tell one nearly identical chicken from another.
I still had progress to make, though. Ryder had to be disappointed that I hadn’t been willing to go horseback riding—not that he ever said that. Instead, he was as kind and patient with me as he was with his animals, including Barbie, the giant, wild creature that looked like he belonged to one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
That horse was something else. He wouldn’t let me or Dwight anywhere near him, but he perked up whenever he saw Ryder. He even leaned into his touch. It was really beautiful, and it told me the horse knew the same thing I did—that Ryder was a genuinely good man. He was someone who cared deeply and would never hurt a soul—except on the rugby pitch, which was apparently where he released his aggression.
He'd shown me a recording of one of his matches, and admittedly, it had been hot. It showed me Ryder was this incredible juxtaposition of softness and strength. When I’d mentioned that, he’d told me it sounded like an ad for toilet paper, which had made me laugh.
I was grinning at that memory as I pushed open the door of my gym and crossed the lobby to the front desk. Everfit was really something. It was beautifully designed, sparkling clean, and completely state of the art. If it hadn’t been owned by a friend and his husband, who’d given my housemates and me free memberships, I never would have been able to afford it.
The woman behind the counter greeted me with a smile. “Hey there, Hal. You’re in awfully early today.”
“I don’t know why I’m awake at this hour, but I figured I should get to it. I was on vacation last week, so this week is all about getting back into my routine.”
“Did you go anywhere fun?”
“A ranch outside Austin, Texas.”
“That’s about the last place I would have guessed for you,” she said.
“I went there for a man,” I admitted. “A big, sexy cowboy, who showed me a very good time.”