Page 73 of The Texas Sterling Collection
Wyl shook his head. “Me, too. I remember Stella mentioning Mitzi on my first day on campus. You may recall it ticked me off a little bit.”
“A little bit?” I chuckled, the first chuckle in what seemed an eternity. “That’s the first time I saw you scowl. In fact, I don’t remember you with a scowl any other time except when Dusty surprised us at the restaurant in Kerrville. I also remember you declaring you didn’t have any other friends.”
Wyl smiled his first smile since Walt’s accident. “Yeah, but I got you, and that’s better than a whole passel of friends.”
The funeral parlor emptied, and only the two of us remained. The funeral director closed the doors at the rear of the chapel and came forward, nodding to Wyl.
“Remind me to tell you about something.” I squeezed Wyl’s hand as we stood.
“Let’s take a few minutes to say goodbye to Walt before we leave through the family-only door.” Wyl’s voice trembled as he struggled to maintain his composure.
We stood at the casket. The aroma of carnations and roses filled the air. For me, the lifeless body in the coffin differed from the warm, welcoming man I considered family. Seeing him brought emotions to the surface, but I found comfort knowing Walt’s spirit watched over Wyl and me.
“Walt, I love you. You are the best brother any guy could ask for.” Wyl gasped the words between sobs. I kept my arm around Wyl as we stood at Walt’s casket and cried our final goodbye. Wyl leaned over and kissed Walt’s forehead. We left through the family exit.
Thursday, the burial in the family cemetery on the ranch included Wyl and me, the funeral director and two of his staff who saw to our needs, Felipe and his wife Margarita, and the ranch hands. After they lowered the casket into the ground. Wyl and I, and each of the ranch employees, tossed a handful of dirt on the casket as our final goodbye.
I stayed with Wyl after we found Walt following his mishap. I took bereavement leave to be with him as long as needed. Walt’s tragedy further cemented our relationship. I could never leave this man after helping him work through the tragedy.
An unexpected consequence was meeting Mitzi. I only knew of her through word of mouth, mostly Wyl’s caustic explanation of her relationship with the Sterlings, and eavesdropping on Stella’s covert phone calls. She was not to be trusted. Her smug attitude at the funeral said everything. She cared nothing about the Sterlings except their wealth. With Walt gone and her one connection severed, I hoped she would crawl back into the snake hole she came from.
Chapter Thirty-Five
ROD
In the days that followed, Wyl pretty much functioned on autopilot. The house wasn’t the same without Walt, and Wyl felt the void deep in his soul. I held him every night as we slept. I got him up and helped him shower. I cooked meals for him. I helped him care for the horses, including Princess. She seemed to bond with me because Wyl was hesitant to be around her. A reminder of Walt. I learned a lot about daily horse care. To draw his focus away from his loss, I kept Wyl busy. Each evening, I asked him to make martinis for us. And he would grill steaks for supper. The more I occupied his time, the faster he would emerge from the funk enveloping his world.
One thing stands out to me. I am Wyl’s only family now, and I vow to be everything he needs.
* * *
Emerging from a sound sleep with my eyes still closed, I listened to Wyl breathing in and out. It had been a tough week since we buried Walt, a week leaving both Wyl and me drained. The bedcovers shifted, and Wyl’s warm hand stroked my chest. My ignored cock stood up to see what was happening.
“Hmmm…your touch makes my skin tingle.” I opened my eyes and turned to find Wyl gazing at me, head propped on his hand.
“Waking to find a sexy cowboy in my bed is a real turn-on.” Wyl’s palm slid across my chest. His strong fingers tweaked a nipple.
I closed my eyes, wallowing in the intense sensations flowing through my body as Wyl’s gentle hand stroked and tweaked. I opened my eyes to gaze into Wyl’s. The twinkle I loved shone in the morning light. “All I see is a sexy Marine.” I yawned and rolled on my side to face Wyl. My right arm curled under my pillow, and my left hand pressed Wyl’s hand against my chest. “You sure are perky this morning.”
“I slept well.” Wyl pulled his hand away. Moving his gaze to my bed hair, he combed his fingers through it. “I think I’m beginning to adjust. I still can’t believe Walt is gone.” The words caught in his throat.
I palmed Wyl’s face and caressed his cheek with my thumb. “Adapting to a loss takes a long time. I’m glad I’m here to help you deal with things.” I leaned toward him for a brief kiss, but Wyl’s lips curled into a smile. “You being with me helped me survive.”
I inhaled Wyl’s scent and pulled him into a kiss. My already-hard cock throbbed for attention. No sex since Walt’s accident, but I would wait until Wyl made the first move. I pulled back. “Want coffee?”
“I want you more,” Wyl growled before attacking my mouth and deepening the kiss.
I pushed the covers down with my feet and wrapped a leg around Wyl to tug him closer.
Mouths locked together, Wyl nudged me onto my back and rolled on top of me. Our cocks nestled together. Jolts of electricity flowed through me.
“God, you are sexy.” I rolled our bodies until Wyl lay under me. Nuzzling Wyl’s neck, I licked the sensitive spot before sliding my tongue down his chest to suckle a nipple, caressing with my hand as I licked. The smooth skin on his chest felt like silk under my lips. I zigzagged my tongue, dragging across the peach fuzz from Wyl’s navel to his throbbing, granite-hard penis. A moan vibrated deep within his chest when I wrapped my fist around the shaft and twisted, teasing the sensitive nerves.
“You have a beautiful cock.” I kissed the right and left sides of the swollen head before probing the slit with my tongue. I kissed the head again and placed my thumb and forefinger on either side of the shaft, caressing from the head to the base. Wyl moaned as I teased the pubic hair on either side of the tight ball sac before scratching the wrinkled surface with my nails. The skin drew up tighter. I bathed the shaft below the head with my flat tongue, earning short gasps from Wyl as his engorged penis throbbed to the beat of his heart.
“Don’t. Stop.” Wyl gasped.
I hummed, swirling my tongue around Wyl’s rigid shaft.
