Final Encore (16 page)

overanalyzed things, but the way he’d acted the last

couple of days wasn’t like him. He never cared about

having someone with him, never needed anyone to take

care of him. He had given up that dream so long ago.

Why, al of a sudden, was he considering alowing

someone into his life now, someone who could

eventualy hurt him again? Logicaly, he knew he

shouldn’t do it, but he didn’t feel in control of his

emotions anymore. He was smitten with Bily, and no

one was more surprised than him. Within a half hour,

while his head was stil reeling, the pain pil got the best

of him and he drifted off to sleep.

Bily drove Ian’s SUV toward the Lazy H Ranch

in silence, thinking about what had happened over the

past couple of days. Damn if Ian Dilon hadn’t taken his

heart and run with it. Up until now, Bily had been so

career-driven and concerned about keeping his

sexuality quiet that he hadn’t dared date or have a

sexual relationship with anyone. In this business, you

could never realy tel who anyone was or who they

knew. He had heard stories about guys getting their big

break and then being outed by some scorned lover or,

worse than that, a one-night stand. He thought back to

the big scandal when a particular up-and-coming singer

was arrested in a public restroom for propositioning a

police officer for sex and wondered what drove a man

to such measures. But whether it was true or not, it had

brought down his career and he’d never realy

recovered from it. Bily wasn’t the type to have casual

sex anyway, but he’d been very guarded about his

lifestyle, until yesterday. He thought about how Ian had

reacted to being taken care of, cared for. It was clear

that he had been a loner for some time, and there was a

reason behind that. Someone had hurt him very badly

and he had never gotten over it. What did that mean for

them? Could Ian get past it? Did he want to help Ian get

past it? How would Ian affect his career? Would it hurt

his chances of getting a break? Bily knew that

eventualy he would have to decide these things, but for

now, he just wanted Ian. He didn’t know what it was or

why it had happened, but it had and he was going to

enjoy it.

When Bily got to the ranch, he headed right to

the bunkhouse to gather his things. Some of the guys

from the early shift were already off work, enjoying a

beer and discussing what they were going to fix for

dinner. A couple of the guys knew what had happened

because they had met Bily to take care of the horses

when he’d gotten Ian back from Bels Bend. The guys

greeted Bily and immediately asked about Ian. He

explained that there were no broken bones but a pretty

bad sprain and Ian would have to stay off it for about a

week. He walked over to his locker, opened it, and

began to rummage around for what he needed. After he

packed his bag, he told the men he was going to bunk

over at Ian’s house to give him a hand until he was back

on his feet. As the other guides were walking out the

door, they offered to cover for Bily if he needed to be

away or do whatever he needed them to do. He

assured them that it was under control and that he

would see them around six in the morning.

While Bily was putting the last of his things in his

bag, one of the guys stayed behind and walked over to

Bily. He looked like he wanted to say something but

just stood there.

“Is something wrong?” Bily asked.

“I don’t know, maybe,” the ranch hand said.

“Look, I don’t know if this is anything or not, but Buck

was in here earlier laughing and talking about how the

queers were up at Bels Bend having a quaint little lunch

and one got thrown off his horse.”

“Realy,” Bily said. “Now how would he know

that?”

The ranch hand continued, “I just wanted you to

know, watch your back, Bily. That guy has got some

serious issues.”

“Thanks, man. I’l keep an eye on him,” Bily said.

The ranch hand left, and Bily finished packing his

bag and headed back to Ian’s.

IAN was awakened by the sound of the garage door

opening and realized Bily must be home. He sat up,

wiped his eyes, and ran his fingers through his hair.

How bad do I look?
Ian was reaching for his crutches

when Bily walked through the door with a black leather

bag and a great big smile.

He dropped the bag by the staircase, walked

over to Ian, and kissed him on the lips. “Hey,

handsome, you are so cute when you wake up. I

assume you got a little rest?”

Ian licked his lips and sleepily said, “Hey, Bily.

Yeah, I think so. What time is it?”

“About six o’clock. How’s that ankle?”

“Right now it feels pretty damn good; it must be

the pain pils.”

Bily sat down next to Ian and put his arm around

his shoulder. He leaned in and kissed Ian again and

puled him in close.

“I missed you,” Bily said. “The guys at the ranch

asked about you and send their best.”

“That’s sweet. Can you help me up? I need to

pee, and I want to change my clothes. These tight jeans

are kiling me.”

“Yeah, but they look hot,” Bily said as he helped

Ian to his left foot. “If you don’t mind, I’l change as

wel, now that I have some clothes.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ian replied.

Once Ian was up and had his crutches, Bily

picked up his bag and closely folowed Ian up the stairs.

When they reached the bedroom, Ian went directly to

the bathroom and Bily took the clothes out of his bag.

He kicked off his sneakers and quickly changed into a

pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt. Ian

emerged from the bathroom and made his way over to

the armoire. He opened the massive doors and

retrieved a pair of long cotton pajama bottoms, and

Bily helped him into them.

“Thanks,” Ian said. “That feels so much better.”

“I agree. If you’re up to it, let’s head back

downstairs, and I’l light a fire and pour us a glass of

wine.”

“Sounds perfect,” Ian said.

Before Ian could pick up his crutches, Bily, in

another one of his fluid moves, had Ian in his arms. “No

use wearing yourself out on those things while I’m

here,” Bily said. “Besides, you’l need your strength for

later.”

“My hero,” Ian sighed as he buried his head into

Bily’s neck and alowed himself to be carried down the

stairs.

When they reached the main floor, Bily placed

Ian on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. He took a

pilow from the couch, placed it on the stool next to

Ian’s, and lifted his ankle and gently placed it on the

pilow. Then he leaned over and kissed Ian’s toes and,

looking up at Ian with a smile on his face, sucked on his

big toe.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish, cowboy.”

“That’s got to hold you for now,” Bily said as he

kissed Ian’s toe one last time, straightened up, and

made his way around the bar to the kitchen. He opened

a bottle of wine and poured them each a glass.

“Now what?” Ian said.

“I’m going to start a fire, and you’re going to

keep me company while I start dinner.”

“And… what are we having?”

“That depends,” Bily responded. “What do you

like?”

Ian looked up at the ceiling with a quizzical look

on his face.

“Mostly everything: no anchovies on my pizza, no

fishy fish, and no animal parts I can’t identify. Other

than that, I’m good.”

“That’s good, because we’re having shrimp

Creole over white rice.”

Bily took a sip of wine and walked over to the

fireplace. He strategicaly placed the kindling on the iron

grate, placed three smal logs on top, and lit the

kindling. Within minutes he had a great fire going.

“You’re realy good at that,” Ian said. “I’m

impressed.”

“I love wood-burning fireplaces. Something about

the crackling sound and the smel of wood burning

makes me think of home.”

For a moment, Ian thought, maybe one day this

could be your home, too, but stopped himself mid-

thought and shook his head.
Stop it, Ian
, he said to

himself again
. This is crazy
.

Bily was looking through Ian’s CD colection and

saw Ian shaking his head out of the corner of his eye.

“Is something wrong?”

Ian didn’t respond.

“Ian?”

In an apologetic voice, Ian said, “What? Oh,

sorry, did you say something?”

“Are you stil with me, buddy?”

“Yeah, I just got lost there for a minute, I’m back

now.”

“Anything you want to talk about?”

“Nah. Did you find anything you like?”

Understanding Ian was struggling with something

and wasn’t ready to talk about it, Bily said, “How

about Michael Bublé?”

“Sure, he’s great!”

Bily loaded the CD, checked the fire, and joined

Ian at the breakfast bar. He placed both hands on the

back of Ian’s barstool and gently kissed the back of his

neck. Ian relaxed and melted into the kiss. He turned to

face Bily, and they exchanged a long look. Bily said,

“Thanks for that, but time’s a-wasting.”

Ian smiled and said, “What can I do to help?”

“Just sit there and look handsome,” Bily replied.

“I can do that for now, but eventualy I’l need

something hard to do.”

“And eventualy you wil have something hard to

do, if you get my drift.”

“I like the way you think, cowboy, but how long

is eventualy?”

“As long as it takes me to prepare shrimp Creole,

meatloaf, and mashed potatoes, and red beans and rice

with Italian sausage. That should get us through the rest

of the week,” he said with a sly smile on his face.

“Geez, al that. I’d better shut up and let you get

to it or we’re gonna be here al night,” Ian said with a

disappointed look on his face.

BILLY did a mental review of everything he’d

purchased at the supermarket and started by pouring

them each a little more wine. He opened a hunk of

sharp cheddar cheese and some crackers and put them

on a plate to keep Ian occupied while he started to

prepare the meals.

They were both quiet for a few minutes, and Bily

noticed that Ian was fidgeting like he wanted to talk

about something but wasn’t sure if he should. Just then,

Ian sliced a piece of cheese, placed it on a cracker, and

put it in Bily’s mouth. He took a sip of wine and

nervously said, “So… uh, have you had any lasting

relationships?”

Now Bily knew what the fidgeting was about.

“Wel, I’ve only had one, and it lasted about three

years.”

“I’d realy like to hear about it, if it isn’t too hard

to talk about?”

“No, I don’t mind at al, and by the way, my life is

an open book, and you can ask me anything you want

and I’l answer honestly.”

“Thanks,” Ian responded. “So…?”

Bily thought back and started the story.

“I was twenty-one, and it was shortly after my

divorce. I started going to the only gay bar I knew, but

I’d drive around the block over and over again and then

leave, because I was too scared to go in. That routine

lasted a few weeks, and one night I said the hel with it,

and I parked around back and walked it. I stayed al of

two minutes because I was so scared. The next time I

went in, I ordered a beer, took one sip, and left.”

While moving the base of his wine glass in circles

on the surface of the bar, alowing it to breathe, Ian