AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Pretty sure Hope has a water kink,” Rory said.
Ivan laughed so hard he had to pull over. Rory volleyed his attention between the rear window and him.
“They could still pursue us,” he said, sounding a little worried. “The big logo on the side of your truck tells them where we’re headed.”
Ivan sobered up. “We don’t have to go back to the ranch. We could head out of town and get a hotel room tonight.”
“And my troubles will still be waiting for me when I get back.”
“Ourtroubles. You only saved a puppy, but I nearly pounded an allegedly pious man into a pulp. It took three men to hold me back.”
“The letter for today isP, boys and girls,” Rory said, his mouth creeping into a wry smile.
Ivan was happy for the display of humor and leaned forward to kiss him. “You called me your guy.”
Rory went to work on his bottom lip. “Did I?”
“You did, and I think you know it.” Ivan cupped his cheek. “The question is, did you mean it?”
Rory swallowed hard and darted his eyes to the rear window again. Ivan realized he was truly concerned about the reporters following them, so he merged onto the road. That didn’t mean he would table the conversation for even a second. They’d been skirting around their feelings for a while, and it felt like a good time to get everything out in the open between them.
“I did.” Rory’s tone made it hard to figure out how he’d punctuated his response. It wasn’t a period or a question mark.
“I hear an ellipsis followed by abut,” Ivan said.
Rory snorted. “No, you didn’t.”
“Yep. I did. Dot, dot, dotbut. That’s exactly what I heard.” Ivan was afraid to hear what followed the unspoken but.
“Ivan, I think I need to leave the ranch.”
A weight settled in Ivan’s chest, making it hard to breathe. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Ivan forced himself to take a deep, steadying breath, but it barely eased the tension in his chest. Silence and stoicism would not get him what he wanted most in the world, and that was the man sitting beside him. “Leave? No! Why would you say that? How did you go from calling me your guy to telling me you’re leaving me?”
“I’m not leavingyou,” Rory said. “I’m leading the reporters away from you and the ranch. They’re about to turn your life upside down because of me.”
Even though things had gone well during the interview with Roberto, the mere thought of another media intrusion by reporters who were looking for the juiciest details made Ivan queasy, but losing Rory would be so much worse. “No,” Ivan pleaded. “There’s got to be another way.”
“We both knew our time together had an expiration date,” Rory said. “It will take those journalists an hour at most to figure out your identity. They will rehash every trauma you’ve experienced without regard for your feelings or your family’s. They will splash the story in every newspaper and highlight it in every broadcast simply because you got tangled up with me. Every good thing you’ve accomplished since your release will disappear, leaving only the ugly things behind. That’s modern journalism for you. They don’t care who they hurt as long as they break the story. Ivan, you could lose your clients. The negative press could destroy everything you’re trying to build. That’s the real Rory Effect.” Rory’s voice broke, and Ivan’s heart fractured with it. But he wouldn’t give up.
“No,” Ivan said emphatically. “What you said could happen, but you’ve also taught me there are positive ways to put your message out into the world. We just have to fight harder and smarter than they do.”
“What if the reporters don’t stop with you? They will start digging to see who else lives on the ranch. Based on the tone of the questions back there, Salvation Anew has already done a good job of casting the ranch in a negative light. We don’t know how much time those reporters have spent around that Samuel guy. The media could shine a spotlight on everything they deem a flaw or even newsworthy, whether factual or not. When I look around the ranch, all I see are amazing people who’ve formed a beautiful family. I couldn’t bear to be the one to bring them pain.”
Ivan reached over the console to take Rory’s hand and was relieved when he rotated his wrist to lace their fingers together instead of pulling away. “You’re part of our family, Rory. You don’t get to decide what’s best for the ranch without giving us a say.”
A soft sob echoed in the cab, and Ivan glanced over to see fat tears spilling down Rory’s face. Several years had passed since someone’s tears cut him as deeply. Ivan had once broken his mother—his entire family—with his selfish acts. He’d never wanted to cause another person that kind of hurt again, so he’d kept people at bay, never letting them get too close. Until Rory. Their insane chemistry drew them together and kept them that way. Rory’s willingness to be vulnerable with him is what broke through the barrier because it invited him to do the same. Rory whittled away at Ivan’s resistance with every confession in the dark. Those revelations, no matter the size, opened Ivan’s mind and heart. It wasn’t enough to acknowledge that to himself, though.
“I see you,” he said. “The real Rory Snyder.”
“Yeah?” Rory asked. “What’s he like?”
“Intelligent, curious, and thoughtful,” Ivan said. “He’s funny and incredibly sexy. He makes me want things I didn’t think were possible. He’s an amazing friend and a fabulous lover. He gives one hundred percent to every task, even when he isn’t confident. He’s fiercely protective of the people he loves and loyal to those who deserve his trust. Bakes a mean cookie too.”
Rory snorted at the last part, but he tightened his grip on Ivan’s hand.
“You make everyone around you better, Rory. My world is a brighter place because you’re in it. I don’t want an expiration date, and if I’m honest, I don’t think I ever wanted one. The concept gave me the freedom to be a version of myself I’d only fantasized about until you arrived. And I want all the time you’re willing to give me to explore the places our relationship could go.”
“God, I want that too,” Rory said. “No ellipsis or buts.”
