Page 90 of From the Ashes
“They called to check on my progress,” I tell Phoenix once I hang up the phone. “I guess they’re very aware that I’m getting close to being able to get back on a horse and wanted to make sure I was planning to get back in the ring as soon as possible. They also want me to make an appearance at the rodeo in Cheyenne next week. They’re offering to fly me up there to sign autographs and shit. They feel like we’re losing too much press to Jackson White, and they want people to see my face again.”
“Walker, we need to figure out when to tell them,” Phoenix says.
“I don’t understand why we have to tell them at all. Heterosexual cowboys don’t have to announce every person they’re fucking,” I argue. I honestly don’t care if people know I’m gay, and I’melatedthat they’ll know I’m with Phoenix, butfuckit feels intrusive.
Phoenix places his hand on my hip. “We need to tell them because they pay you. It’s also potentially a conflict of interest since I’m now your coach.Andwe don’t want themto find out about it from some picture of you jumping into my arms and me shoving my tongue down your throat that goes viral after your first win next season,” he says rationally.
I reach for the belt loops on his jeans and pull him closer to me. “Will you come with me?” I murmur against his lips.
He smiles. “You really think after almost knocking Kevin’s teeth out in the front yard that I’m going to be cool with you prancing around Wyoming in these jeans, signing everything from dudes’ boxers to chicks’ tits? Nah, you know I’m coming. Besides, you know at least half those people will want my autograph too,” he adds playfully.
I chuckle. “Always gotta steal my thunder, don’t you, Harding?”
“Says the man withsixrodeo championships under his belt,” Phoenix replies, making me wince.
I don’t think he’s aware of it, but there’s a note of loss in his voice. He could have had more than six. And we both know I’m the reason he doesn’t. I can’t help but wonder if that will haunt us our entire relationship…and if it does, is it survivable?
I choose to make a joke, not yet ready to dive into that conversation. “Motherfucker, did you just say Iprance?” I try to ball-tap him, but he sees it coming and moves out of the way, laughing.
His laugh sets my mind at ease. Maybe I’m reading too much into it.
Before I can get any deeper down this rabbit hole, there’s a knock on the front door.
The second interview is quicker than the first, mostly because I think Phoenix already made his mind up about Kevin, but also, there’s a storm rolling in so we really don’t have time to waste. We need to get the horses in the barn stat and herd the chickens back to their coop.
We’re ushering the last horse in his stall when the bottomfalls out of the sky. It’s closing in on five o’clock and we’re drenched by the time we get back to the house. Phoenix takes his shirt back off and follows suit with his jeans—presumably so he doesn’t track mud through the house. Wanting to be considerate, I do the same thing, letting my wet clothes land with a plop on the rug inside the front door.
“Hand those to me,” Phoenix says, pointing at the pile. “I’ll go start them with mine.” Phoenix doing domestic shit is honestly so fucking hot. Then again, he’s hot while he’s driving, working on the farm,breathing.
I gather the clothes and lay them on top of the clothes he’s already got in his arms. “I’ll get dinner started,” I tell him. The laundry room is right off the kitchen next to the back door, and I smack his ass on our way.
As I’m preparing dinner, Phoenix’s cell phone rings on the counter and shows an incoming call from Cassie. I slide the button on the screen.
“Hey, Cassie!” I announce excitedly.
“Phoenix Nicholas Harding!” she yells.
“Oh, uh, hang on, he’s starting the laundry,” I tell her, walking the phone to Phoe. “Here, baby, I think she wants to um, talk to you.”
“Baby?” Cassie says over the line. “Oh, hell no. I’m calling on FaceTime and you better answer the fucking call, Phoenix!”
Immediately the robotic ring hits our ears. Without stopping to think that we’re just in our underwear, Phoenix slides the button.
“Cass, what’s wro?—”
“Don’t youCassme! I find out from Dylan, aweek later,that you almost died in a fireand,” her eyes flit between me and Phoenix as she takes in our bare chests, “you’re sleeping with Walker? Ihatebeing out of the loop. I cannot wait to move back home…specifically so I can kick your ass.”
She pauses to take a breath and Phoenix apologizes through the grin he’s trying to hide.
“Cass, I’m sorry I haven’t called. Walker showed up at the fire station the night of the fire because I hadn’t come home, and I told him I loved him, and then things got…ahem.” He coughs to clear his throat. “Well, they got a little heated and I’ve been?—”
“Dicking him down ever since?” she offers.
“Pretty much, yeah,” I respond, my smile on full display as I slide a hand up Phoenix’s chest and neck until I get to his chin and turn his face toward me so I can tongue-fuck him.
“Ugh.” She sighs dramatically. “No fair. You know watching hot gay guys kiss is the fastest way to deactivate my anger.” I keep kissing Phoenix mostly because I’m lost in the way his smooth lips slide over mine and how his tongue feels, wrestling my own. Finally, I hear Cassie’s voice again. “Okay, okay, I get it. God, you guys are worse than Jake and Dylan.”
Chuckling, Phoenix pulls away and swatsmyass this time.
