Page 13 of Wistful in Wyoming
The other man settled on the couch with Shannon on his chest. She kept gnawing on her fingers and whimpering. “Over there, by the chair.”
Dale spotted a large pink and purple bag on the floor beside the recliner. Picking it up, he set it on the chair and dug around inside. He was surprised to see there was even more stuff still inside—diapers, clothes, toys, bottles, and a can of formula—then again, that made sense because he remembered Nathan saying Jeremiah had taken the baby for the entire night. Rifling through everything, he searched for ... ah, there, in a side pocket was a brand-new box of infant Tylenol. Reading the directions, he figured out her dose and then opened up the box. Inside was a bottle and a plastic syringe-looking thingy. Twisting off the cap, he saw the end of the syringe would fit into a hole in the top of the bottle, allowing him to draw the liquid directly into it. Measuring the proper dose, he re-capped the bottle and put it back into the bag.
Sitting next to Jeremiah on the couch, he encouraged Shannon to turn her head. As soon as she did, he popped the blunt plastic end of the syringe into her mouth, turning it so it faced her cheek and not down her throat, he slowly depressed the plunger. He watched her throat, noting that she was swallowing. “That’s a good girl. This will make you feel better.” She sucked on the end of the applicator, finishing the liquid without a fuss. “Good job, baby girl.”
Pulling it free of her mouth, he kissed the top of her head, before standing and taking the dropper into the kitchen to the sink where he rinsed it off. After shutting off the water, he leaned against his hands which clutched the edge of the counter. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths. Being around Jeremiah for any reason was nerve-racking. There was a constant battle going on in his mind whenever he was within fifty feet of the man. Part of him wanted to tackle Jeremiah and fuck him senseless, closet be damned. The other part wanted to run as far away as he could. Dale felt that no matter what he did, he was going to get hurt.
“Dale.” Jeremiah’s gruff voice caught his attention as he came back into the living room. He bent, picking up a stuffed bear and handing it to Jeremiah, who tucked it under Shannon’s hand. Her cries had finally stopped, sniffles and hiccups were all that remained. She’d really worn herself out, and she gripped her bear and snuggled her face into Jeremiah’s chest.
“Yeah?” He stared at his boots, not wanting to meet the other man’s eyes. He was still hurt from earlier and how Jeremiah had yelled at him. Maybe he’d deserved some of it, but not all of it. He’d do anything to help Shannon—that’s why he’d come without a second thought—and now that she was calmed down, he wanted to get out of there. Being near Jeremiah was too raw and painful right now.
“Thank you.” Sighing, Jeremiah ran a hand through his hair again. “For everything. It seems like you really know what you’re doing with babies. I have no damn clue, obviously. So, just, thanks.”
“You’re welcome, but I didn’t do it for you. I did it for her.”
Shannon had one fist wrapped in her bear’s fur, the other held tightly to Jeremiah’s shirt. She was out like a light, snoring softly, with tears still wet on her plump cheeks. Her jaw, mouth, and cheeks twitched, as if she was suckling.
“I get that. But still, I appreciate it.” Jeremiah swallowed audibly. “Also, I ... uh ... I wanted to ... um ... ask you something.” Closing his eyes, he rested his head on the back of the couch, taking a deep enough breath Shannon’s little body rose and fell with the force of it. Dale crossed his arms and waited the man out. Finally, Jeremiah looked at him again. “Would ... um ... would you like to, uh ... go out to dinner with me sometime?”
“W-what?” Dale was gobsmacked, his stomach feeling as if it’d just fallen into his boots. “What did you just say?” He couldn’t have heard right—there’s no way.
In the blissful silence of the room, Jeremiah glanced at the sleeping baby. “While I was walking Shannon, talking to her, begging her to stop crying—I have to buy her a pony now too, by the way—I told her all about you and ... about me.” Blushing hotly, Jeremiah raised his eyes, meeting Dale’s gaze head on.
He glared down at the man. “You need to spell this out for me, Jay, because I don’t want a misunderstanding now to come back and bite me in the ass later.”
“I was wrong.” He absentmindedly rubbed Shannon’s back. “I’m sorry. A lot of what I said today is how I feel, but honestly, it comes from fear. I’m so scared, Dale. All the time. I just want to be happy, to be myself, but I don’t know how. Idoknow that I want you. Not just in bed either. I want to get to know you better, and I’d love to go to dinner—if you’ll still have me after my behavior today.”
Reaching out, Dale brushed his forefinger under Jeremiah’s chin. “Just to be ten levels of clear here. This would be a date. Not friends eating out or buddies going for drinks. If this is what you really want, you’ll have to be okay with me picking you up, holding your hand, and paying.”
He swallowed hard but then nodded. “Yes. A date. In public. All I ask is that you try and be patient with me. I’ve never been on an actual date before, even with a woman, with the exception of my prom date, Amy-Jo Hanson, but we were just friends. I have no fucking idea what I’m supposed to do on a date. Navigating that while also beingout,” Jeremiah paused, gathering his thoughts it seemed, “it’s going to be difficult for me. I need you to respect that. And ... and, if it’s at all possible, could we go somewhere else—not in town or in Butterfield.”
Dale’s eyes narrowed, but Jeremiah scrambled to explain. “I mean, I’m already terrified to go on a date with you, I’d rather not have everyone we know staring at us. The date can still be in public, just,” he shrugged, “somewhere I’ll be a little less self-conscious, so I can focus on you and nothing else.”
A few moments passed as he considered the man’s request. He had to admire the honesty in it as he remembered his first date with a man and how nervous he’d been—more so about what other people would think versus the actual date itself. He nodded. “I’ll pick you up Friday night at six. There’s a place in Redworth that serves a great meal.”
The relieved expression that fell across Jeremiah’s face told Dale he’d said the right thing. Thrilled, he stepped closer to the lounging pair and pressed a gentle kiss to Shannon’s forehead, noting that she already felt cooler. Meeting Jeremiah's eyes, he braved the same thing, placing a careful kiss on the man’s temple. Straightening, he gathered himself, trying to contain his excitement. “I’ll see you then.”
“Yeah, I’ll ... um ... I’ll see you ... uh, later,” Jeremiah stuttered, color flushing high along his cheekbones. Hopefully, one day soon, Dale would get to see how far down the man’s chest that blush went.
Grinning wickedly, he winked and left the duo.
Chapter Nine
Friday night arrived fasterthan Jeremiah ever thought possible. He hadn’t been able to eat all day—his stomach was tied in knots, and his hands shook like an addict needing a fix. He’d been useless around the ranch. Anthony had bitched at him and kicked him out of his own damn barn after he’d dropped the tack they’d just de-tangled, not once but twice.
He’d showered and shaved before getting dressed and then changing his clothes four times.What are you supposed to wear on a first date?He wanted to look nice but not like he was trying too hard either.Tie or no tie? Which hat?Dress boots for sure, but other than that, he was at a loss. He currently stood in front of his mirror in just his jeans and boots. Staring at his bare chest, he ran a hand down his stomach, frowning at the definition that wasn’t as noticeable in his abs anymore.I need to add more sit-ups to my morning routine, he thought for the millionth time. Twisting, he tried to check out his ass in the mirror—at least it was still as tight as ever, thanks to the hours he spent in the saddle every week.
Picking up his cell phone, he checked the time and saw he only had about thirty minutes before Dale arrived. Panic welled up. Not allowing himself a second more to think, he scrolled through his contacts and hit the button for a video chat with Willow.
Her smiling face filled the screen seconds later. But then she frowned. “What the hell? Did you call me by accident? Why don’t you have a shirt on?”
“Help! I don’t have a shirt on because I can’t decide which one to wear!”
Scowling, she replied, “Jeremiah, you’re a big boy now—you know how to dress yourself. Why does it matter what shirt you wear? The cows don’t give a shit. Well, they do, just not about your shirt.”
“Dammit!” Running a palm down his face, he remembered she didn’t know he had a date. Should he tell her it was with Dale? No sense in trying to hide it—she’d figure it out soon enough. “I have a date ... with Dale. I’m freaking out.” A shiver ran down his spine, and his knees quaked. God, he was going to throw up!
“What? That’s awesome!” Glancing over her shoulder, she shouted, “Nathan! Jeremiah has a date with Dale and doesn’t know what to wear!”
