Page 30 of The Keeper

“And you have a love bite peeking out of your shirt collar,” Finley said, waggling his brows.

Rueben wasn’t aware of the sensitive spot until Finley said something. He instinctively slapped a hand at the bottom of his neck, recalling the moment Seth marked him. Rueben’s reaction drew the attention of everyone at the table, especially Cash. He pulled his collar up higher and resumed eating without comment.

“We have the same dentist, Rue,” Dylan said. “He’s a little long in the tooth, isn’t he?”

Harry set her fork down and glared at her boyfriend. “You suddenly have something wrong with dating older people?” Bless her heart for taking the heat off him. Everyone turned their attention to see how Dylan dug himself out of trouble.

Except Cash. Those intelligent blue eyes pinned Rueben to his seat, and he had to fight the urge to wiggle like a worm on a fishing hook.

“Honey, there’s only a few years between us.” Dylan’s voice was honey sweet, but Harry didn’t look moved so much as a millimeter. “Doc Johnson is decades older than Rueben. At least three and a half of them. Then you factor in the stud our friend is really pining for, and it makes it that much harder to believe Doc Johnson caused Rueben’s swollen lips and hickey.” All eyes turned in his direction again. “Unless it’s a reaction to a dental treatment,” Dylan hastily added.

Rueben bristled but didn’t react to the curiosity aimed his way. He didn’t owe them an accounting of his time. He didn’t require it of them, and he didn’t want to be treated any differently. When they failed to get a rise or answers out of Rueben, everyone tucked back into their food. It was the most awkward meal they’d ever shared, and that included Kieran’s borderline hostility when he arrived at the ranch from Arrowhead. When he finished his food, Rueben pushed back from the table to take his dishes to the kitchen. One look at Cash’s stern expression stopped him in his tracks.

“I’d like to talk to you in my office.” Cash stood up with his dishes in hand.

“Okay, I have kitchen duty, though.”

“Nick can step in for you,” Cash said. He gestured to the doorway with his head, and Rueben followed him out of the dining room.

They rinsed their dishes and stacked them in the dishwasher. Cash snagged another biscuit from the leftovers and headed toward his office with his border collie, Patsy, on his heels. Rueben took up the rear and followed at a slower pace, trying to figure out what he’d say. He recommitted to not giving bullshit excuses or lying to the man he respected more than any other. Cash was the father figure he’d never had in his life. His tío had tried, but Rueben had been too heartbroken and angry to accept the man’s affection, or at least meet him halfway. Cash deserved Rueben’s respect, and he’d give it.

Cash closed his door and headed over to the seating area next to the stone fireplace. The setting felt less formal than his enormous desk, but the gesture didn’t put Rueben at ease. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Rue.” There wasn’t an ounce of anger or censure in Cash’s voice, only concern.

Of course, he knew where Rueben had been. This was a man with incredible insight and instincts. Maybe if Rueben had played his attraction to Seth a little cooler, his absence and distractedness wouldn’t be so obvious. Rueben noticed Cash hadn’t used Seth’s name either. Plausible deniability?

“I do.” Rueben kept his answer short and honest and never looked away from those piercing blue eyes.

Cash nodded slowly. “Have you considered all the ramifications?”

Rueben’s eyes were wide open, and he wasn’t wearing rose-colored glasses. It wouldn’t matter when their relationship went public; there would always be someone who had a problem with Rueben and Seth dating. They’d never shake questions about how Seth handled the investigation, regardless of the outcome at trial. The press would have a field day with the sheriff dating an ex-con, and Rueben’s good deeds since leaving jail wouldn’t move the needle one iota. Seth was worth it, damn it. “Yes, I have. We both have.” But had they? Neither of them had started a conversation about what would happen next week, next month, or next year. They’d been living for the stolen moment.

“What about the innocent people who might get caught in the crossfires or aftermath?” He meant Keegan because Cash wouldn’t worry about his reputation. “Have you considered that?”

“Not as much as I should.” Honesty sucked.

Cash nodded slowly as he cycled through a long breath. “I strongly encourage you to do so. There’s so much at stake, Rueben. Reputation is the least of it. You need to consider if he’s worth the risk.”

A tremble started in Rueben’s shoulders and worked its way through his body. Was Cash making him choose? Was his job and home at risk? Rueben tried to stiffen his muscles to stop the quaking, but that only seemed to make him shake more.

“Rue.” Cash’s voice was gentle as he kneeled in front of him. He placed his hands on Rueben’s biceps and rubbed his arms up and down. “That wasn’t an ultimatum. I’m going to back you no matter what, okay? You will always have a place on this ranch and in my family. I know you’re in a tough spot.”

Tears filled Rueben’s eyes, and a quiet sob escaped his trembling lips. Cash pulled him into a hug, and Rueben rested against him until the last tears fell and stillness settled over him once more. The excitement of his stolen moments with Seth had overshadowed the personal risks Rueben staked. He had to be smarter, and he needed to consider telling Keegan the truth so he didn’t find out from someone else.

Rueben eased back from Cash’s embrace and wiped at his face with both hands. “I have a lot of thinking to do. Thank you.”

“I’m here anytime.”

Rueben nodded and pushed up to his feet. He said goodbye and headed back to the kitchen to tap in, but the room was spotless, and no one was in sight. Rueben headed back to his cabin to think about his next step but realized it had been decided for him when he found Keegan lying on his bed. His best friend frequently let himself into his cabin to wait for Rueben, and it had never been a problem, but Keegan held Rueben’s burner phone in his hand. He’d casually tossed it on the bed while getting ready for the dentist and forgot to tuck it away or take it with him. The device was inexpensive compared to the smartphones Cash provided them, but it still locked with a passcode, though there wasn’t much to see. There was only one contact, and Rueben hadn’t assigned Seth a cutesy name, or any, for that matter. He was just a ten-digit number on the phone but something so much more significant in Rueben’s heart. They didn’t text because Rueben couldn’t stomach the thought of their exchanges becoming evidence in a trial. Unless a government body tapped their phones, which was unlikely, their conversations would remain private. But none of that mattered because the hurt in Keegan’s eyes meant he knew exactly why Rueben owned a second phone.

“Kee…” Rueben’s voice trailed off and he couldn’t get past the first syllable.

Keegan sat up and set the phone beside him on the bed. Hazel eyes shimmered with hurt and confusion when they met his. “I thought you were working through your sadness with someone like Kerry or Sven. But you wouldn’t need a second phone for that.”

“I would never get involved with Kerry,” Rueben said. “He’s Seth’s cousin, and I know you like him a lot. I don’t date guys who are prettier than me, because I need all the fuss, so Sven is out.”

“But why him?”

Like Cash, Keegan didn’t say Seth’s name. Rueben didn’t think plausible deniability was something that occurred to Keegan. Maybe he was just too hurt to say it. Would Seth’s name get treated like Bloody Mary or Beetlejuice? Rueben wished he only had to say his name three times to get him to appear. He opened his mouth to respond, but Keegan wasn’t done yet.

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