Page 77 of Road to a Cowboy

Austin joined him and kicked his legs out. “Aside from the thing with your mom, how was your first day back at work?”

“Good. It’s nice to be back, but at the same time, I could’ve done with an additional week off.”

Austin side-eyed him. “Reeeeally? I’ll have to remember that when we’re planning our honeymoon.”

Cal’s cheeks pinked, and damn, if that wasn’t the cutest thing Austin had ever seen. “You’re, uh...” Cal cleared his throat. “You’re getting a little bit ahead of yourself, don’t you think?”

“Am I?” Giddiness had Austin grinning into the darkening evening. “Maybe just a little.”

Silence fell between them. Above, stars began to wink to life, and somewhere nearby a dog barked. Possibly Sully, possibly a different dog.

Austin liked this, sitting with his best friend on his front lawn. Liked that they could still do this, even after their relationship had changed. Liked also that they were still them, that things hadn’t changed so drastically that they couldn’t be themselves with each other.

Next to him, Cal’s eyes were closed, and he was a silhouette against the sky. He looked as relaxed as he had while they’d been in Norway, and Austin was glad that a little bit of the vacation vibe had followed him home. Austin wanted to capture this moment forever, dig his camera out of its bag to snap this image into eternity.

But there were some moments that were meant to be lived in the here and now.

This was one of them.

“How was your first day of camp?” Cal asked lazily, as though he were already half asleep.

Considering he’d been up before the sun, Austin couldn’t blame him.

“It was good. A lot,” Austin said with a chuckle. “Twenty kids asking questions at once can get overwhelming.”

“You love it.”

“I do.” He paused for a second, listening to the sounds of the night—dog walkers, the occasional bird, and the wind shifting through the trees. “Hey, Cal?”

“Hm?”

“I think I’m going to take the job.”

He was still worried—that wouldn’t easily go away. But if something happened to someone he loved while he was in Europe, not being here wouldn’t change that. And if someone got sick, well... it wasn’t like this job was a one-way ticket out of Windsor. He could come home anytime.

Cal opened one eye. “Good. You should.”

“Even if it makes you sad?”

Cal’s smile was soft. “I’m also happy for you. You’re going to kick ass at that job.”

“Maybe this week we can talk about logistics? We need to figure out when we’ll actually be able to talk, given the time difference. And I’ll be home for Christmas and Easter, but we need to figure out when you’ll come see me.”

The other eye opened and Cal stared at him balefully. “That trip takes nine thousand hours. If you think I’m making it again, you’re delusional.”

Chuckling, Austin rose. “We both know you will. Now come on. Let’s get you into a bed before you fall asleep out here and I have to carry you inside.”

“Sure.” Cal stood with a grunt. “Walk me home, will you?”

Austin’s heart fell to his feet, disappointment that Cal didn’t want to spend the night with him hitting him hard. They’d crashed in Austin’s bed last night once they’d arrived from the airport—maybe Cal just wanted a night in his own bed?

Austin forced a smile. “Sure. Come on.”

His steps were nearly silent on the sidewalk, and it wasn’t until he was halfway to Cal’s that he realized he was hearing only his steps. Hadn’t Cal followed him?

Turning back the way he’d come, Austin found him on his front porch.

Walk me home, Cal had said.

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