Page 51 of Redemption Ridge Vol II

“Not yet.” He hadn’t asked them because he assumed they wouldn’t want to make the trip. He’d unfairly decided things for them again. “But I will.”

“Good,” Maggie said. “My turn to give presents.”

She bought them concert tickets to see Kenny Chesney in Denver and a weekend stay at a swanky hotel.

“Mom, this is too much,” Owen said.

“Hush. You’ve loved his music forever, and it seemed like the perfect gift when you told me Tyler is a fan too.”

“Thank you so much,” Tyler said.

They had a Hallmark-worthy holiday by watching movies, playing games, and eating too much food. Sunday morning rolled around too soon, and they were sad to leave. Owen had insisted Maggie stay in bed and rest, but she still got up and made them breakfast before they hit the road. She walked them to the door, still wearing her new pajamas and fuzzy robe. Maggie hugged them tightly and stepped into the hallway after them. Tyler smiled to himself when he noticed Stephanie step off the elevator, arriving home after her shift. The brunette looked sleepy until she noticed Maggie decked out in her cozy pajama set.

“Good morning,” Stephanie said. “Are you guys heading out already?”

“Yeah. It’s a long drive, and we need to get ready for our workweek,” Owen said.

“Drive safely. It was lovely to meet you both.”

They expressed their pleasure at meeting her, too, and told Maggie goodbye one last time. Tyler turned after he passed Stephanie in the hallway and gave Maggie a thumbs-up.

She blushed and said, “Stephanie, would you like a bite to eat before you go to bed? I have leftover bacon, eggs, and pancakes.”

“Are you kidding me?” Stephanie asked. “I’m starved to death.”

Maggie gave them a last wave before reentering her apartment with Stephanie.

“Attagirl, Mom,” Owen said when they stepped onto the elevator.

He dropped the duffel bag, pinned Tyler against the wall, and kissed him until they reached the lobby floor. “Best Christmas ever.”

“I can’t believe Christmas is in two days,” Owen said from the passenger seat of their rental car.

The month between meet-the-parents visits flew by in a blur. Activity on the ranch slowed down in the winter months unless they received an emergency rescue call or a new crew member arrived on the ranch. Since neither of those things happened, Owen and Tyler spent their free time naked and wrapped around each other like bark on a tree.

“Mmhmm.” The distracted reply sounded like it came from a million miles away instead of within touching distance.

Tyler had worked hard to overcome his emotional doomsday prepping since they returned from Trinidad. He’d stopped listening to the book on grieving and healing and made a concerted effort not to predict, assume, or preempt how his family would feel when he came out. And until their plane landed in Texas, Tyler had seemed upbeat and positive. But he got quieter with every mile that brought them closer to his family homestead.

“I sure wish it was light out so I could see the landscape,” Owen said, hoping to spark a conversation that would pull Tyler from his thoughts. The sun was setting as they landed, making the surrounding city look like burnished gold, but it was dark out by the time they navigated the huge airport and claimed their rental car. His comment didn’t even receive a distracted hum, and he worried Tyler was more distressed than he realized. Owen reached over and rested his hand on Tyler’s thigh. “Hey,” he said softly. “We can just be friends.”

Tyler snapped his head in Owen’s direction so fast his neck cracked. “What?”

Owen hated the stricken expression he glimpsed in Tyler’s wide eyes before he returned his attention back to the road. He almost squeezed Tyler’s thigh to reassure him but remembered how ticklish he was. The last thing he wanted to do was cause an accident, and as distracted as Ty was, it probably wouldn’t take much. “Easy, baby,” Owen said, patting his thigh instead. “I only meant I could just be your friend for this visit.”

Tyler visibly relaxed. “No way.”

“I would never pressure someone to come out before they were ready, especially not the guy I love most in the world.”

“I will not keep our love a secret,” Tyler said. He glanced over again, and Owen saw the tears shimmering in his eyes. “I can’t. My feelings for you are written all over my face every time I look your way.” He sighed heavily. “And I don’t want to hide, anyway.”

“Okay, but if you change your—”

“I won’t,” Tyler persisted, covering Owen’s hand on his thigh. “I promised you forever, and it starts tonight.”

“I love you,” Owen said.

Tyler smiled. “I love you too.”