Page 103 of See My Words

Scott glanced toward where the cars were parked, and the beat-up red pickup truck Pete had sold him. “The club leased it for me. When I quit, well—”

“Ah. Gotcha.”

“And my condo, too. It was all part of the image.”

“So what, your friend said you could borrow his cabin indefinitely or—” Rylan suddenly grimaced. “Shit, we have so much catching up to do. I don’t feel like I know anything.”

“Minh didn’t fill you in at all?”

Rylan threw him an incredulous look. “If you think for one minute I wasn’t chopped liver the moment he laid eyes on Chris, well, I have some Arizona beachfront property to sell you.”

Scott laughed, and Rylan went on, “He gave me this really distracted hug, but he didn’t say more than two words to me. He couldn’t, since his mouth seemed to be permanently attached to Chris’s.” He paused. “Um, you know Chris took him to Vegas for the weekend, right?”

“He did? That’ll be fun.” A sudden thought struck him, and Scott stopped dead in his tracks. “Oh my God,” he breathed. “They’re gonna—”

“—come back married,” they finished in unison, Rylan pointing at him in a “bingo” gesture.

“Chris told me on the plane he was gonna ask him.”

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. “Wow. I just—wow.”

They resumed walking, and Rylan took Scott’s hand, side-eyeing him.

“Does that…bother you?” His tone was careful. “I know Chris isn’t your favorite person, and Minh is your best friend—”

Scott squeezed his fingers in silent apology. “Oh, Ry, I’m so over all that petty jealousy shit. I’m nothing but happy for them, I promise.” He chuckled. “I do have to say I’m surprised, though. Didn’t think Chris was the marrying kind.”

“He didn’t either,” Rylan said drily, “but he said it just felt right. I guess when you know, you know, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“He thought he was gonna come up here that one weekend, have some fun, get laid—he wasn’t all that particular on who—and go his merry way. Totally didn’t expect what happened.” Rylan hesitated. “Kind of like when my dad said, ‘Hey, Ry, come on. We’re moving to Pace.’ I was so nervous about it, so upset. Little did I know that day I’d also be meeting the love of my life.”

Scott stopped walking again, and he lifted Rylan’s chin, bending down to give him an achingly gentle kiss. The air around them shimmered with awareness, and Rylan’s eyes held a hopeful expectation that tore at Scott’s insides.

“Ry, I—back then I wasn’t capable of loving anyone. Even you.”

Rylan reached up to cup his cheek. “I know,” he whispered. “But now—?”

Turning his face into Rylan’s palm, Scott kissed it. “Come on, let’s hike. We’re almost there.” He heard the shaky, disappointed sigh Rylan gave and hated it, but he just kept moving, leading Rylan down the trail. Snow crunched under their feet, the air crisp and cold as they climbed up to Scott’s favorite lookout.

Scott faced the vista stretching out far below and tilted his face up into the breeze, inhaling deeply. “Do you feel it, Ry?”

Ry mirrored his pose, breathing in and out. “Feel what?”

Scott put his hand on the back of Rylan’s neck and stroked the nape with his thumb. “A low hum of energy, concentrated right here. A feeling of centeredness, well-being.” He gave a subdued snort. “You know, the psychic woo-woo.”

Rylan shook with silent laughter. “No, I don’t feel it,” he admitted. “But if you do, that’s all that matters. Where does it come from?”

Scott shrugged. “Everyone has a theory about the vortex. These are sacred lands, and parts of them are considered the birthplace for Arizona’s Native Americans. It could be nature spirits, or some say it’s even Mother Earth herself.”

“I wish I felt it.”

Scott walked to the edge of the rock promontory and sat. After a moment, Rylan followed, and they sat cross-legged, shoulders touching. It was cold, but the air was bracing, fresh and clean. “This place calls to me, Ry. When I decided to leave Spectrum, I knew this is where I wanted to be.”

Rylan pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them. “So your friend who owns the cabin, I heard you tell Minh once he’s a VIP client?”

“Justin? Yeah. Well, sort of.”