Page 10 of Wistful in Wyoming
Dale shrugged. “He’d always said he wasn’t like me—into both men and woman—he only liked men. Well, that was either a lie or confused thinking. He liked women just enough, or convinced himself he did, to actually marry one behind my back. She was some girl he met right before our discharge, who just wanted a meal ticket and a Marine on her arm. He went for it, knowing he’d never be happy but unable to fight for who he really loved—me. He painted on a heterosexual face and refused to say he was anything but absolutely straight as an arrow.” He glanced away for a moment before returning his gaze to Jeremiah’s face. “After that I swore I would never again allow myself to be hidden away. If I was ever with someone again, no matter how new the relationship was, it would be out in the open for everyone to see, or not at all. But you, goddammit, Jeremiah, you, make me want to break my own rule.”
Wiping his sweaty face on his arm, Jeremiah met Dale’s gaze full on. As bad as he felt for what the other man had been through, he was still holding onto his own hurt and anger. His tone was nearly a shout when he retorted, “I never, not once, told you no. I said that I didn’t know how to come out, that I was unsure and afraid, but I never said no. Maybe you could try some patience and compassion. Until then, I’m out of here. I’ll send someone by later for the rest of the hay. I can’t look at you right now.”
Without another word, Jeremiah stomped back to his truck, splashing mud further up his pants and not giving a single shit. Absorbed in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice Nathan’s truck now parked in its normal spot near the house, nor did he see Willow scowling at him as he drove away.
Chapter Seven
Dale staredat the tailgate of Jeremiah’s truck as it flew down the dirt drive to the road, the half-full trailer bouncing over the ruts and splashing in the mud.
Damn it.I picked the wrong fuckin’ day to quit smokin’ didn’t I?
He’d fucked up. All this time, he’d been playing with Jeremiah like a cat with a mouse. But instead of a plaything, the other man was turning into something more ... someone Dale was craving to a greater extent with each interaction. He’d told Jeremiah the truth—he refused to hide who he really was—but somewhere along the line, he’d forgotten what it was like to take those first few baby steps out of the closet. It could be scary as hell. The least he could do was give the guy a chance to take those same steps one at a time.
He got where Jeremiah was coming from—the Rock was much smaller than Redworth which had a population of approximately 15,000 people. The city of Laramie, Wyoming, where Dale had grown up, was a little more than twice that size and less than an hour away from Cheyenne which had over four times the number of residents than Redworth. He’d been able to explore his sexual orientation without sticking out like a sore thumb, but Jeremiah had been born and raised in a town that was barely a blip on a map. If you were driving through the Rock and blinked, you’d be halfway to the next town before you realized it. And if you sneezed, your neighbor two miles away would bless you then get on the rumor mill to tell everyone you were on your deathbed.
Footsteps approached on the dirt and gravel, and he turned around to face Willow. Yeah, he’d seen Nathan’s truck pull up a little while ago and wasn’t surprised she’d witnessed his confrontation with Jeremiah. His boss’s frown increased the guilt he felt. Stopping in front of him, she crossed her arms. “I told you before that I didn’t want any pissing contests between you and my best friend. He’s a good man—one of the best I’ve ever known—he doesn’t deserve to be toyed with. If you want to play tit-for-tat with a guy, then find someone else. Jeremiah’s emotions are raw as hell. Everyone has their secrets, and it’s not up to anyone else to say if and when the time is right to expose themselves.
“This is a small town—everyone knows everyone. There are still some people who disapprove of me simply because I’m not from here, I have a sleeve of tattoos and a nose stud, and I used to have pink hair. They also didn’t like my father, so I have that cross to bear too. But I don’t give a crap. I didn’t know these people all my life, and the ones who won’t accept me, well, that’s their problem. I don’t give two shits about them. But Jeremiah grew up here. He’s seen what happens to people who’re different around here. He knows what’ll happen if and when he comes out. When I tell him no one will care if he’s gay, I know that’s not entirely true. The people who really care about him will stay by his side, defend him even. But he’ll still face ridicule and disgust from others. Would you be willing to risk everything you’ve ever known for someone who’s only been teasing you and demanding you come out? Someone you have no idea if you can trust? Someone you really like but are afraid to take that first step for, worrying if you’ll be tossed aside when the thrill of the chase is gone, and the damage has been done?”
God, the woman really knew how to thrust a knife into someone and twist it when they’d fucked up and she was in mama-bear mode. Sighing, he dropped his gaze to the ground where he toed a pebble before meeting her eyes again. “You’re absolutely right. I screwed up.”
Her eyebrows nearly hit her hairline. After a moment, she nodded. “Okay, then. What are you going to do to fix it?”
And wasn’t that the million-dollar question.
* * *
Jeremiah had just poppedthe top on a fresh beer, his third since finishing up his chores, when Willow came barreling into his kitchen. He looked up in surprise and alarm. She usually knocked before walking right in, so his mind immediately went to something being wrong. However, her blazing eyes and tense frown told him she was furious, and he hoped that rage wasn’t directed at him.
She stood before him, wearing heather-gray leggings, her neon-pink muck boots, and an over-sized, baby-pink hoodie. Her hair was flat on one side and tangled on the other, not to mention what looked suspiciously like a spit-up stain on her shoulder.
She slammed her car keys down on the counter and crossed her arms. “You should be happy I waited until I’d had a nap with Shannon before I came over here. She just had shots, so she’s cranky as hell, and I got my period for the first time since I had her. To say that I’m in amoodis an understatement.”
“Okay.” Totally confused, he stood back, well out of reach, and racked his brain, trying to figure out what he’d done to make her so angry. He may not have a lot of experience with menstruating women, but he knew enough that caution was probably the best way to approach this.Or with chocolate? Is there any chocolate in the house? Ice cream? Shit!He’d finished off his last pint the evening before while binging on Hallmark movies again.
Willow stomped her foot. “What I saw today makes me want to smack you into next week. I’m your best friend, so I’m allowed to say this—what the fuck is your problem?”
“What? Willow! What are you talking about?” He raised his hands to his sides, stepping closer to her. “Sweetheart, I can see you’ve had a hard day, and I want to help, but you’re gonna have to fill in the blanks for me.”
Snarling, she propped her hands on her hips and glared at him. If looks could kill, he’d be a pile of ash. “I saw you! I heard you! The way you talked to him today isnotthe Jeremiah I know!”
Fuck, she’d been home and heard him yelling at Dale. Shame heated his face, and he hung his head.
“Don’t you give me that hang-dog, aw-shucks crap either—I don’t want to hear or see it. I’ve tried to ease you gently into this, but since you’re a stubborn asshole, we’re just going to rip the Band-Aid off. No. One. Cares. You’re. Gay.” She poked him in the chest with each word, and he fought the urge to rub the spot.
Damn, that hurt.
“I love you, Jeremiah. Your family loves you and so do your friends. No one who cares about you gives a single fuck who you love or who you have sex with. All anyone wants is for you to be happy. I’m not saying you need to make an announcement in the paper and paint your house in the colors of the rainbow but going on a date with Dale is a great place to start.”
“W-what?” he sputtered, his eyes round and large as saucers. “How do you know no one cares?”
“Because,dumbass, dollars to donuts, everyone who knows you well enough to love you has always known! My gaydar doesn’t operate too well most days, but even I could tell almost right away! I was more surprised you came out to me than anything else.
“You like to play hide the sausage with dudes. So fucking what? You’re an amazing person and a cornerstone of this community. That’s all that matters!”
“Are you done?” He didn’t know what to think or feel right now. Hope was trying to blossom, and he was too afraid to look at the feeling closely right now.
“No! I’m not fucking done! You have it so good and don’t even know it! Gay guys are the best! You don’t have to worry about periods from hell or ... or ... getting pregnant or any of that crap! It’s not fucking fair!” She buried her face in her hands and burst into tears.
