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“What the fuck, Callan?” Rhys said in a low voice as he tried to tug his hand free. Callan came to a wrenching stop.
“You told me to fight for what I want so that’s what I’m doing. Are you going to join me or are you going to keep pretending like what we have doesn’t mean anything?” Callan felt Rhys’ hand tighten in his and then that spark that was Rhys flared to life in his eyes.
“Lead the way,” was all Rhys said.
ChapterFourteen
Rhys didn’t dare speak a word as Callan sped the truck down the county highway back towards the ranch. He wasn’t sure what had lit a fire under the man’s ass, but watching Callan demolish his way through town had been almost as much fun as getting his brains fucked out this morning. And it had started with the two pricks in uniform at the police station. They’d enjoyed knowing they had complete control over Rhys and there was not a fucking thing he could have done about it.
He hadn’t initially noticed the men slip up in regards to knowing about the cut fence, but he was glad Callan had picked up on it because his chances of walking out of that police station with a drug test that hadn’t been tampered with were zero to none. Those so called officers of the law had been looking for any excuse to put him behind bars and he shuddered to think how close they’d come to succeeding.
After kissing the shit out of him in front of God and everyone, Callan had proceeded to drag him to every establishment that had rejected Finn and tried to decimate Callan’s business. He held Rhys’ hand through the whole thing and had even kissed him on more than one occasion when he thought people might need a visual that Callan really was an out and proud, rainbow flag-carrying homo who’d managed to infiltrate their ranks for years. And thanks to Callan, Rhys had finally managed to get the cowboy hat he’d been wanting since the clerk at the feed store was too overcome with shock at seeing two men kissing in front of him to nix the purchase.
Rhys could tell something was still driving Callan and he guessed what it was. But it wasn’t until Callan veered the truck onto the short, gravel driveway of Dane’s property that he was sure and hope flared in him. Callan slammed on the brakes in front of the half torn down barn and two shirtless men looked up from their work. Rhys only had eyes for Finn as he climbed out of the truck and leaned back against the door to watch the show. Dane seemed to know something was up and stepped away from Finn.
“Cal?” Finn asked as Callan approached him. His eyes shot to Rhys in confusion, but before he could say anything Callan was on him and kissing the shit out of him. Rhys knew that kissing an angry Callan was like kissing a live wire so it was no surprise when Finn dropped the hammer he’d been holding and wrapped his arms around Callan. Lust sparked through Rhys at the sight and he hoped for one more miracle today.
Callan released Finn and stepped back. “I’ve done everything wrong, Finn. From day one. It was the only way I knew how to be with you and still be worthy of you. But I see now that I never really was.”
Rhys stiffened when Callan pointed to him. “But he is. He has fought at your side from the day he came into our lives, Finn. Don’t blame him for something I did. Don’t punish him because I was weak.”
Callan grabbed Finn by the neck. “I’m done standing in front of you instead of beside you and I’m done hiding behind promises I can’t keep. I betrayed your trust, but if you let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you. I love you and I want you to come home where you belong. But I love him too,” Callan said, again looking at Rhys and Rhys felt his whole body go numb at the admission. “I won’t choose between you so if you come home, you come home to both of us.”
Rhys watched Callan kiss Finn again, this time soft and slow and deep and Rhys knew Callan was thinking it could be for the last time. Callan dropped his hands from Finn, spun on his heel and turned back towards the truck. He didn’t go to the driver’s side though. He stopped in front of Rhys and grabbed him the same way he had Finn. “I love you, Rhys, but I need you to decide if you want to go home to Chicago or if you’re already home.” Callan kissed him in the same, reverent way he’d kissed Finn, then let him go.
Rhys grabbed his arm before he could walk away. “Let’s go home, Callan,” he said simply and Callan’s eyes softened and he nodded. “Love you,” Rhys said as he gave Callan a quick kiss. As Callan walked around the truck to the driver’s side, Rhys turned to look at Finn who was standing shell-shocked in the same exact spot Callan had left him in. It was too hard to say any words and Rhys knew if he touched Finn he might not be able to let him go, so he climbed up in the truck next to Callan and forced his eyes forward as Callan turned the truck around and headed home.
* * *
Three fucking days. Three days and not one word from Finn.
“Rhys, do it somewhere else,” Callan said from inside the arena. The white horse that the rescue group had dropped off a couple of days ago was pressed up against the wooden fence, trying to get as far away from Callan as he could. A myriad of scars ran the length of the animal’s coat.
“Do what somewhere else?” Rhys muttered from where he stood leaning against the outside of the round enclosure.
“Have your little freak out moment. He can sense your anxiety,” Callan said quietly as he patiently waited the horse out.
Callan was right of course, but he knew the other man wasn’t as unaffected as he seemed. There was a weariness in Callan that hadn’t been there before and his lovemaking every night was borderline frantic. Rhys knew it was because Callan was expecting him to walk away too - to make that phone call to Frank saying he needed a new job. But the instant Callan had told him he’d loved him, everything had changed for Rhys. He still had a few friends on the force so his plan was to keep pushing for the truth about Tom to come out, but he wasn’t willing to throw away a life with Callan to satisfy his lust for vengeance. There would be a day when Tom double-crossed the wrong person and wouldn’t be able to walk away from it.
“Rhys?”
Rhys realized he’d gotten lost in thought before responding to Callan and now the other man was watching him with concern. His stomach did a little flip-flop, but he waved Callan off and said, “I’m okay. I’ll start bringing the horses in.” Callan watched him a moment longer, then nodded and returned his attention back to the horse.
Twenty minutes later Rhys was helping Callan corral the horse into his stall. Since the animal hated being touched, Callan had set a couple of stock guard gates between the barn and the arena to allow the horse to make his way into the barn on his own. The barriers kept the animal from taking off, but meant that Callan didn’t have to traumatize the horse by roping him or using crueler methods to control the animal.
“Slow going,” Rhys said as Callan slid the stall door closed and watched the animal pace back and forth in agitation.
“Someone really did a number on him,” Callan said sadly. Before Rhys could say anything else or do what he really wanted to do which was kiss the shit out of Callan, a car approached and they both tensed and hurried to the barn door.
“Fuck,” Rhys said softly when he recognized Wendy’s little sedan rolling up and the disappointment flooded through him.
Callan grabbed him by the shoulder. “It was a lot to ask of him, Rhys. Maybe too much,” he sighed. “But you could still try…maybe you guys could-”
“If you finish that sentence I swear I will beat the ever loving shit out of you!” Rhys nearly snarled as he grabbed Callan’s neck. “He’s going to come home,” Rhys whispered, then ghosted a kiss over Callan’s lips. “And we’re going to figure out how to make this work.” Callan grabbed his wrist and nodded, then kissed him back.
“Um, Mr. Bale?” Wendy said with a cough.
Rhys smothered a laugh as he realized he and Callan had completely forgotten about Wendy’s arrival. They both turned to see her shifting nervously behind them, a blush on her cheeks.
