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“I liked you, too. You’ve always been a good friend.” He smiled because he had truly liked the man. If he hadn’t already been in love with Rowe, JB would have been someone he could see spending more time with. He was fun, responsible and really, really easy on the eyes. They’d had fun together even if it had all been only casual for Noah. “So, what have you been doing since you’ve been out?”
“I went back to my family’s ranch in Texas. It’s a big spread just outside Austin.”
Noah could feel his brow furrow as he frowned at JB. “I remember that was something you didn’t want.”
JB shrugged. “Changed my mind. The Army cured my wanderlust, and it’s been nice getting to know my sister’s kids.” He gave Noah a little smirk as he grabbed his phone so similar to how Noah did when he was talking about his “niece” Daciana. Leaning closer, he showed Noah a picture of an adorable little girl who looked to be about three years old. In the next picture was a woman with blonde hair like JB’s, holding a dirty, laughing little boy who couldn’t be more than one year old.
“Adorable,” Noah murmured as JB sat back again, setting his phone on the arm.
“It’s good to be home. The work is hard, but I like it. Keeps me in shape.” He was silent a moment. “It was lonely after you left the service.”
“I wasn’t in a good place then.”
“I haven’t been either. Feels strange to be out—like I don’t really fit in. I think it shows, too, because my mother keeps trying to set me up with both men and women since I’ve been back. Cracks me up how well they accepted my bisexuality, because there have been more men than women with her.”
“Nobody caught your interest?”
“Nah, but I wish that weren’t true. I want something like you’ve got with Rowe. I know it’s the very thing I said I didn’t want nothing to do with years ago when we met, but the whole marriage and kids thing is sounding pretty damn good now. Build a home and a life with someone.”
He didn’t say it, but Noah knew he’d wanted something like that with him. He shifted on the seat, suddenly uncomfortable. To cover up his discomfort, he took a healthy bite of the apple. He’d known how JB had felt back then, and it had broken his heart to hurt him. He could only hope he still wasn’t nursing those old feelings. Particularly since the “marriage and kids” thing didn’t appeal to him in the least, even with Rowe.
Would he be sitting there if he and Rowe had a little one at home? Adding a kid or two to the mix would change everything. It wasn’t a bad thing. Just that Noah loved the life he already had with Rowe. A kid wouldn’t give him a feeling of completion like it did for his friends.
And marriage? That was an uneasiness he wasn’t sure he could explain to anyone.
He swallowed the apple, gaze going back to JB, who watched him quietly. “So, that’s your plan? Take over the family business?”
JB nodded. “I like it there. Feels good to be home. I’m in the right frame of mind for it now because you’re right, it wasn’t what I wanted when I was younger. But there’s a sort of…I don’t know…beauty in the hard work. And the spread my parents have is gorgeous. At the end of the day, I can ride out and the whole world is spread before you. Big sky and the earth just stretching on forever. No one shooting at you. Just the wind and the prairie dogs. You and Rowe should come out there and visit sometime.”
Noah snorted. “I don’t think Rowe’s comfortable enough with you for something like that.”
“Not yet. When he sees I don’t have designs on you, he’ll thaw. Man is nuts about you, Noah.”
“I’m thankful for that every single day.”
They were both quiet then, and Noah stood. “If you’re going to be awake, I’m going to grab a few hours.”
“Go ahead. I’ll keep watch.”
He nodded and made his way to the master bedroom where Rowe lay exactly as he had before. Noah stripped off his dirty clothes and crawled into the bed. Rowe immediately rolled over and wrapped himself around Noah. “My shift now?” he whispered, voice raspy with sleep.
“Nah, JB took it. Go back to sleep.”
“ ’Kay.” And like that, he was out.
Noah snorted into the pillow and snuggled against Rowe, who tightened his arms. Noah didn’t worry with JB on the watch. He’d watched his back often when they’d been in the service. JB was a good guy. He thought back to when they’d been together. He had had a lot of fun with the man; their relationship had been easy. Almost too easy. But it had never been anything more than a temporary thing for Noah. He ran his hand over Rowe’s arm, loving the rasp of hair under his palm. Unfortunately for JB, nobody could compare to Rowan Ward.
