“HAVE YOU seen my hat case, baby?” They were just about packed, but Curtis couldn’t find the hard case for his good felt. He would need it for the interviews and autograph session.
“Did you put it in the closet in that room you’re fixin’ to make your office?”
“Oh.” Yeah, maybe he had. He headed that way, and darned if the hat case wasn’t right there.
He was going to have an office, right here. Stetson had surprised him by emptying out Betty’s sewing room, painting it for him. The desk was handmade and finished in a dark walnut color, the perfect place for his laptop and his file folders.
It was fucking weird and wonderful to have a place of his own like this. It left him a little giddy.
In fact, he wasn’t sure he wanted to leave, but the payout at Dallas was too good a chance to pass up.
Anyway, Stetson was excited about having a vacation, an adventure. They’d never had much chance to travel together, and he wanted to show Stetson everything. And show him off.
“You find it?” Stetson looked in, the heavy mane of hair long enough to be tied back.
“I did. I’ll get my boots shined at the hotel.” He knew the Sheraton downtown had a shine stand.
“Ooh, fancy!” Stetson grinned at him, waggled his eyebrows.
“Hey, I intend to take you to a Cavender’s.” Stetson needed new boots. They’d gotten him a pair at the feed store to replace the ones with the holes, but he needed a new dress pair.
He wanted to play “dress the cowboy” so badly. The very idea gave him a happy.
Stetson rolled his eyes. “Save your pennies for the bucking horses.”
“Hush. Let me play. I want to see you in a white button-down, jeans that fit.”
He loved putting that look on Stetson’s face. Loved it. The color in Stetson’s cheeks didn’t hurt either.
“I got plenty of people to feed, and the delivery is coming in Thursday. Tom will be here for it, and he’s taking the dogs.”
“Rock on. I got the oil changed in the truck, so we’re good to go there.” He was looking forward to the trip too. Twelve hours in the truck with his lover.
“What else do we need to do?” Stetson looked a little lost.
“Hang the shirts in the back seat?”
“I can do that. I filled the cooler with Cokes and cheese and grapes.”
“Rock on, baby. I’ll get the bags loaded.”
“You excited?” Stetson hauled him in for another kiss.
“I am! I mean, it’s a day of work for five or six days of fun. It’s easy-peasy.”
“I am too. We’re having a trip.”
“Good.” He took one more kiss. “Okay, I need to pack my hat. Let’s get loading.”
Stetson saluted, chuckling. “I’m on shirt and cooler duty.”
Stetson disappeared into the kitchen, and he grabbed his hat case.
They had a long, leisurely drive down, then a day at the hotel before he had to surrender to the sponsors and such. Braden and Miles would be there, though, and he had three dozen folks he wanted to introduce Stetson to.
It was time for his rodeo world to crash into his new ranch world.
Nerves fluttered in his belly. Miles knew all, and most of his friends, his agent, and some of his sponsor reps knew he was queer. The fans, now, they probably had no idea. Neither did the judges.
Stetson wouldn’t out him. He knew that. He just—he wasn’t fixin’ to start lying either. Not now. Not now that he finally had what he needed in this world.
He loaded the hat box and the bags. The dogs had all disappeared; they hated it when bags got loaded in the truck. Everyone on the ranch was a little PTSD. Poor puppies, they hadn’t completely figured out that leaving didn’t have to mean forever. Every time someone left, they worried.
Curtis reckoned they were all going to have to get used to a periodic trip. He was going to explore the world with Stetson, and he didn’t think his Roper would fuss.
Stetson hung shirts and checked doors and finally stood on the porch, looking around. “I keep feeling like I’m going down to see Momma, and it makes me edgy.”
“You’re not. Let’s just go, babe. Seriously. Come play with me. Please.”
Stetson reached out for him, nodding, hand steady. “I’m ready when you are.”
They headed out to the truck. He would do whatever it took to make Stetson feel better. Once they got down past Santa Fe, that weird feeling would fade, he knew it. Then they’d be cooking with oil.
“Let’s go see if Dallas is all it’s cracked up to be.”
“I think you’re gonna love it.” People-watching alone would tickle Stetson to death, and there was going to be a vendor room.
“I don’t doubt it a bit.” Stetson settled in the passenger side, a pillow already there to tuck in against the door.
“Maybe we’ll run to Fort Worth and see the stockyards.”
“Sounds good. We got time to play a little.”
“Yeah. Have a steak at the Cattlemen’s.” He was doing good. Back in fighting shape with hardly a protein shake in sight.
“Anytime you offer me a steak, cowboy.”
“Old-fashioned man.” It was the baked potato that got Stetson, though. Every time.
“Yessir.” Stetson reached for him as they started out.
He grabbed Stetson’s hand and held on, glad they weren’t forced to drive a stick anymore. Made touching way easier. All they needed was Tim McGraw on the radio and they were gone.
Lord help them.