But Malcolm wasn’t a young, angry fool anymore. He was a mature adult, ready to live a happy and safe life with Iggy and the rest of their combined families. Starting with a long evening trail ride.
He adjusted the gym bag strap so it didn’t impede him, and then Malcolm mounted his horse with more ease than he expected. Iggy grinned at him, looking a touch silly with that floppy hat, but Malcolm had asked him to wear one without explaining why. Not for fashion but to keep the light out of his eyes whenever the trail dipped west, toward the setting sun.
“We’ll be back before dark,” Malcolm promised Jake.
They crossed the creek heading east, past the line of visitor cabins. The Red Mountains were north, and their path took them northeast. Past vast swaths of rolling hills dotted with trees and rocky outcroppings. Redstone Ridge shone briefly in the distance, but they weren’t going that way.
Jake had told him about this spot, that it gave a spectacular sunset view, which was half the point of this adventure. Not only to get them on their first horse ride together, something they’d wanted to do since they’d met, but also the sunset. They’d observed dozens of them on their past camping trips, at all different times of the year. Usually seen from near the creek. Those sunsets were familiar, if slightly clouded by the distance of time.
This would be a brand-new memory to share. A new thing to kick off the start of their new relationship. More daring than sitting on a mechanical bull that wasn’t even moving.
He clocked the large rock shaped like a horse’s head. The spot should be around the next westward bend in the trail.He glanced over to Iggy, who rode slightly behind Malcolm, allowing him to lead the way. Neither of them had spoken much since beginning their journey. There wasn’t a need. They didn’t have to fill the silences with small talk.
Existing together was the point.
The sun was dipping toward the rolling horizon, and when Malcolm followed the bend in the trail, he understood. Iggy came up beside him, and he released a loud gasp. A deep valley spread out below them, green and alive, with the narrowest blue thread of a random tributary cutting through on its journey southeast to join the rest of Snow Creek. The golden sphere of the sun hovered above, and layers of the sky changed from pale blue to darker blue, and those gave way to deeper shades of red.
“Oh, wow,” Iggy said. “I never realized the ranch land was so beautiful. The closest to the wilderness I ever got was our camping spot by the creek.”
“It is beautiful.” Malcolm reached out, happy when Iggy immediately clasped his hand. Their horses stood quietly, waiting. “When I was young, this is the kind of land I used to dream of owning. A nice spread I could enjoy and work on, somehow make a living from. I lost that dream for a long time.”
“That’s the great thing about dreams, Monte. Even when we think we’ve lost them, we haven’t. Maybe they hide for a while, maybe we forgot about them under the burdens of adulthood. But they come back when we want them badly enough.”
Iggy held his gaze, affection blazing in his eyes and smile, both ignited further by the rays of the setting sun. Malcolm could fall into their depths and never rise again, and he’d be all the happier for it. Because those depths held the start of a brand-new dream, one that included Iggy by his side.
They’d both dreamed and lost, and dreamed again, only to lose again. But Malcolm was determined to see this newest dream through to the end. Nothing was perfect between them.They still had a lot of work to do, getting reacquainted, figuring out how their lives fit together now. Their future might not be in Chance long-term.
But it was here for now, with their families, and their small circle of friends. Malcolm wanted to meet Abigail, and he wanted Iggy to get to know Jake and Melissa, for their worlds to co-exist. And on this gorgeous, golden piece of land in the middle of the Colorado plains, the promise of that dream was more than enough.
Epilogue
Three Weeks Later
“….birthday, dear Howie! Happy Birthday to you!”
The raucous singing from the at-capacity crowd at the Saddle Up Saloon rang in Iggy’s ears, along with the thunderous applause that followed. He and Laurel had cooked up the surprise party a few nights ago, when Iggy realized that his uncle’s sixtieth birthday was coming up, and neither one had been willing to let it pass without celebration. Especially not after Howie’s health scare.
Iggy had ordered a special cake for Uncle Howie from a friend of Melissa’s who was trying to get into the cake decorating business, and then bought two huge sheet cakes from the Walmart to feed everyone else. With a little help from Malcolm and Jake, they’d sneaked the cakes inside the saloon about thirty minutes ago. The caller for tonight’s line dancing had begun the singing, and Uncle Howie, seated in his electric scooter near the stage to watch the dancers, had gone red as a maraschino cherry.
The singing was as far as Iggy had planned to embarrass his uncle, who was only back working evenings this week. Iggy had allowed him to work in the office, managing the books during the day but home by five o’clock, period, so he could rest and get good sleep at night. Uncle Howie had grumbled and groaned about being coddled, but he’d stuck to Iggy’s new rules.
Uncle Howie was also extremely fond of the older lady who did his in-home physical therapy, and it was nice to see the man getting his flirt back on. He had a lot of years left to live, and they didn’t have to be lived alone.
One of the servers began slicing the big cakes over at the far end of the bar, while Iggy carved up the small cake for the family. Family which included Melissa and her four kids—line dancing night brought in all ages—plus Jake, and a few other guys from the ranch. Iggy had agonized for something meaningful to put on the cake, and in the end, he’d asked the cake maker to recreate something to do with the saloon.
She had delivered Thor the mechanical bull wearing a re-creation of the grand prize saddle, made from rice crispy treats and fondant. Iggy had adored it. The bull could even be frozen as a souvenir. And she’d made a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, the birthday boy’s favorite.
“You’re a sneaky little bastard, ain’t ya?” Uncle Howie said to Iggy. He tried to look stern but could barely hold back a smile.
“Sure am.” Iggy put the first slice of cake down in front of Howie. “I’m just glad I’m home to celebrate this year. Really, truly glad.”
“So am I, son.”
It warmed Iggy deep inside every time Uncle Howie called him son. He also loved the few occasions where Howie had let son slip out with Malcolm, too. Uncle Howie fully accepted their relationship, always had, even though he occasionally grumped about how often Malcolm spent the night.
At least they were quiet about things when Howie was home.
But Iggy and Malcolm would need to start thinking about getting their own place together soon, so they had more privacy. And Iggy didn’t want to cramp his uncle’s style when (yes when, not if) Uncle Howie started dating again. Iggy had returned to Chance to get his uncle back on his feet, and he was a guest in the trailer, not a permanent resident.
