Page 45 of Barn Burner
I snicker at the glare he aims his brother’s way.
“Thanks,” I say, feeling bashful at the praise. I don’t know why I was expecting anything different from the Huxley clan. They welcomed me with open arms when I was a stranger off the street, and we only got closer as time went on. They’re goodpeople, and I feel like a dick for doubting them. “Did you wanna come meet some of my teammates? We usually have a round of darts to unwind.”
“Hell yeah!” Cooper beams, bouncing off the bar stool.
Jesse’s hand stays glued to my hip in a possessive hold as I lead them through the groups of patrons to where my teammates hang by the far wall that houses the dartboard. I told them about Jesse and the ranch when they caught me grinning at my phone like a fool in the gym. They are great guys, quick to support me on and off the ice whenever there’s a remark about my sexuality, and we always have each other’s backs.
“Nielson! We were about to send out an SOS!” my teammate William calls out.
Raising my hand, I give him the middle finger. “You know you would have just burst your ass through the door regardless of what I was doing. Do they not teach you about boundaries in Sweden?” I tease. He’s my closest friend on the team, and taking the piss out of each other is our love language.
“Yes, but why would we have boundaries when we are best friends,” he says dryly before showing off his missing tooth by grinning. I catch the moment his gaze lands on Jesse as one brow arches up in question. “Is this the cowboy?”
“Yeah, this is Jesse,” I answer. “And his brothers, Rhett and Cooper.”
“Hey, or should I say, yeehaw and all that.” Will mimics throwing a lasso in the air. “Woo!”
“You’re such a twat.” I laugh, rolling my eyes, then turn to Jesse. “This is William Cederqvist, but to us, he’s known as Cheese.”
“Cheese?” Jesse asks, brows pinching.
“Yeah, because Cederqvist sounds similar to cheddar, thus we ended up with cheese.”
My boyfriend blinks at me, a look of bewilderment on his face. He’s lost for words, and I can’t help but laugh.
“I don’t make the rules. We have weird nicknames for everyone.” I shrug.
“What’s yours?”
“Neil.”
Cooper and Rhett burst out laughing as Jesse remains as serious as ever and says, “I’m not calling you that.”
I snort and lean in, lowering my voice so only he can hear me. “That’s fine by me because I prefer it when you call me good boy.”
“Brayden,” he growls under his breath.
I flash him a wink, then turn around to face the others and clap my hands. “Let’s play some darts! Who’s ready for an ass kickin’?”
Two hours later, I park my car in front of the double garage beneath my house in Altadore.
Cooper lets out a low whistle, peering out the window at the two-storey home. “Damn, Brayden, this is fancy.”
“It’s kinda big for just me, but it works, and the neighbourhood is good,” I reply, suddenly feeling embarrassed about my million-dollar home. It doesn’t have character like the main ranch house does. There are no exposed beams or picturesque views out the window, but it’s been my safe place since I moved to Calgary.
Well, until I arrived at Huxley Creek Ranch, and that became my safe place.
We head inside, and I give them a brief tour of the house. Jesse’s hand finds the small of my back, and as much as I like his brothers, I can’t wait to finally be alone with him.
“There’s two spare bedrooms upstairs, so you can take your pick. Both of which have ensuite bathrooms.” I open the fridge, then cringe when it’s pretty empty. “Help yourself to whatever food you can find. I have pre-made meals delivered to me whenever I’m not on the road, and if I’m not eating them or at the rink, I’m ordering in.”
Rhett waves off my offer. “Don’t worry about us. And I’m sure Cooper can survive until the morning.”
We laugh, then make our way into the living room. I drop down onto the couch, and when Jesse sits down next to me, I lean into him, resting my head against his shoulder.
“Can I ask you something?” I ask all three of them.
“Of course,” Jesse says, and the other two agree.
