Chapter 21

 

Rake

 

Nighttime in the desert was both magical and creepy. Thank God Rio and Fox were there, or else he would’ve been in trouble. They built a fire, and Rake had not paid attention to the fact that there were no tents.

“Don’t need them,” was all Fox would say. He’d been quiet on the drive and kept his eyes closed while he murmured to himself in the passenger seat.

Rio smiled.

Rake darted glances around at the shadows beyond the fire, and asked, “What about like coyotes or whatever?”

“They’ll stay away from the fire.”

“Oh.” A yipping howl came from the distance, and Rake crowded closer to Rio on the old log. They hadn’t even brought chairs. Rio had dressed him warmly and given him some old hiking boots that were worn enough to fit.

“Food?”

“We’ll have some in the morning. We need clear heads tonight.”

He chewed on his lower lip. “No s’mores, Duran Duran?”

Rio knocked his shoulder. “Relax. I’ve got you, Def Leppard.”

He smiled as Fox stoked the fire.

Fox and Rio spoke in their native tongue. Rake didn’t care that he couldn’t understand, happy to sit with his eyes closed and let it all wash over him.

The fire grew, and Rake relaxed more as the flames danced in the small breezes. The sky turned indigo on the horizon, and large shapes that were the craggy mountains loomed tall and ominous in the distance. Stars winked into existence, one at a time, until the sky became a blanket of shimmering darkness.

Fox kept up a steady song or chant. Either way, its rhythm hypnotized Rake. He didn’t know how many hours passed before his head emptied of all thoughts. Priorities were clearer out in the desert. Simpler. Survival was more important than power or money.

Truth.

Love.

Rake needed them. Not wanted necessarily, because he wasn’t good at that stuff, but needed. Perhaps more than he knew.

Rio stared into the fire with a serene expression. The flickering flames sharpened his cheekbones and jawline to thin orange and black blades.

Everything Rake’s heart needed was right in front of him. But was it okay to put that much on one person’s shoulders? Shouldn’t he be reliant on himself?

His concentration broke when the flames sputtered and hissed. A voice rose from deep within him.

Love isn’t the same as dependency. Everything you give to those you love will be returned threefold.

 

 

***

 

Rio

 

Fox spoke to Rio about the importance of life and how he chose to live it. “Heal your heart before you give it to another, River. Otherwise, he’ll be holding a million pieces, trying to keep it all in one place for you. But you are the one with the glue to put it back together. Only you know which piece goes where for it to be whole again. But when you do, he’ll keep it safe, so it never shatters. I have a good feeling about him. You two will live a long happy life together. The Crow Spirit told me.”

Rio had listened and nodded.

Later, he sensed the moment Rake gave in to the prayers and the flames. His body remained upright, but his thoughts were gone. Rio let himself go after that and gave in to the warmth from the fire and the cool desert air behind him. The smoke burned his eyes and lungs, but he breathed in deep anyway.

His heavy soul dragged his mind down into a buried hole. A place as familiar as his own bed. The memories of his anger and resentment from childhood lived there.

Makay was also there, but he never thought about his former love. He’d never grieved after his heart was broken. Instead, he’d closed the door and did everything he could to forget, to protect himself.

His grandparents falling out of love was an excuse born of fear. They loved each other, but life was hard, and it got in the way. They’d fought their way through it and found themselves again. Maybe they weren’t the same people they’d been when they met, but that was okay. Everyone changed.

And he couldn’t base his own relationships on what his mother or biological father had done either. He was nothing like them in that regard. He loved being at home and in his studio, near his friends and family, traveling for a vacation every now and then.

You would go somewhere else for Rake. Not because of him.

The realization slapped him in the face, and he blinked out of his meditation.

The Great Spirit.

Why was he willing to give up his life in Riverbend for someone he hadn’t even known a week ago? Could it be true? Had he fallen that fast?

Rake gazed into the flames, shadows marring his bold features. This man, who was so afraid of endangering Rio and his family, was willing to run all alone. Willing to give up his career and put himself in danger in order to not hurt people he’d never even met. Willing to push Rio away.

Well, no more. If he had to go, Rio would follow. Life was too short to sit back, afraid of what could happen. He was more afraid of what would happen if he stayed behind. His father’s words echoed in his mind, but he wasn’t going to ask Rake to stay; Rio was going to tell him he’d do what it took to be with him.

Or he’d tell him when the night was done.

The flames settled, and Rio and Rake crawled into their sleeping bags close to the heat. They didn’t speak. Rio rose a few times to add logs to the fire—Fox left at some point—while Rake slept through the night.