“So this is one for you to ride? Do you ride a snowboard?”

  “One does. I shred on it.” Ryan was teasing again.

  “Shred. Is it fun?” Could he try it?

  “It’s amazing. It’s so different from skiing.”

  “How? What’s different? Do you have one I can touch? A snowboard?”

  “I do. I have a couple in my cabin. And it’s a different motion, a different speed, everything.”

  Finally Bleu asked what he wanted to ask. “Can I try?”

  “Hell, yes.” Ryan reached over to squeeze his hand. “I know a place where we can go for that where we’ll have a great time.”

  He held on, his heart hiccupping a little bit. Oh damn. Damn. Ryan made him all fluttery.

  “Thanks, baby,” he murmured. “I would love to try.”

  “So we will. We can try anything.”

  “That’s a pretty broad palette. Anything.” He could think of a few anythings that involved him and Ryan and beds and lube….

  “I’m willing.” Ryan’s voice lowered a whole octave.

  “Me too.” He drew a circle on Ryan’s palm.

  “Now you’re gonna make me worry about driving, babe.” Ryan’s warm chuckle slid up his spine, but Ryan pulled away. They turned off on the ranch road. He could feel when it happened.

  “Now we go straight up.” He remembered.

  “Yeah, and the SUV tells me it hates me.” The engine began to whine, and Ryan’s arm moved, downshifting, he bet.

  “Is it okay?” He wasn’t worried now, because they were here. Stoney would bring horses down for them, if he had to. He knew how to ride.

  “Yeah, it’s fine, babe. I would put on chains if I needed to. In fact, it’s better than it was the other day coming up.”

  “Good deal.” He knew that heavy snow could be way easier to walk on than a light sprinkling, so driving had to be the same.

  “The sleighs are fun, though. Has Stoney ever given you a ride?”

  “No, this is the first winter I’ve come up. I’ve been in the spring and summer.”

  “Oh man, okay. Well, when he hauls them out for the gala, we’ll go.”

  “Yeah? That would be neat. I can sing ‘Jingle Bells.’”

  “You sing better than I do.”

  All of a sudden they flattened out, and soon after Ryan changed gears again. They coasted to a stop, and Bleu tried not to feel disappointed.

  “That was a great drive. Seriously.”

  “It was.” Ryan leaned close, kissing his cheek gently. “Thank you.”

  That kiss burned like a tiny ember had touched him.

  They climbed out of the car, Bleu waiting for Ryan to come get him. He needed help in snow this deep. Ryan put his hand on one arm, and he held on as they headed out.

  He heard Floyd pattering to him, the snow icy on top. “Floyd is coming!” Quartz yelled.

  “I hear him! Hey, boy! Did you have a great day?” He reached down, and Floyd pushed right into his hand. That nose was cold! He groped a little and found Quartz hadn’t put on Floyd’s harness. Okay, he had Ryan. He rubbed those cold ears with his other hand. “Hey, boy.”

  “Ryan!” That was a voice he didn’t know, but the feet it belonged to moved almost as fast as Floyd’s. He heard the sound of lips smacking on skin. “There you are. I put my stuff in the cabin, huh? Hot tub! God, honey. I never thought I’d get here. Is this your new student? Pleased to meet you. I hope you had fun on the slopes. Isn’t he great? I ordered dinner for us, along with a bottle of champagne.”

  Bleu let go of Ryan’s arm, his fingers searching for Floyd’s harness, which of course wasn’t there. Right.

  “Bleu—” Ryan touched his shoulder, but he stepped back.

  “Quartz? Could you give me a hand?”

  “Do you need help, man? Ry and I can make sure you get somewhere safe before we start our night.”

  “No, thank you. I’m fine. Y’all have a good one.” Please, he prayed. He just wanted to get to the cabin and get in the shower and… yeah. Just move. Just go.

  “Y’all? Oh my God. How cute is that? A blind skiing Texan!”

  “That’s me. Cute as all fucking get-out. Quartz? You ready?”

  “Yessir.” Quartz put Bleu’s hand on his arm. “This way.”

  “Bleu, wait!”

  He ignored Ryan’s shout. No, he wasn’t doing this.

  “Thanks, man,” he told Quartz. “Uh. I don’t suppose you noticed if my friend Dan was here?”

  “No, sir. He called and left a message for you that he was spending a couple days in Aspen.”

  “Excellent. Thank you. What do I owe you for your work today?” He hoped he didn’t look as hurt as he was. As ashamed. God, he was an idiot. Of course Ryan wasn’t single. He hadn’t even bothered to ask.

  “Nothing. Floyd and I had so much fun. Did you have fun?”

  “I did. I skied. I would try it again.” Some day.

  “Do you want me to bring you some supper?”

  “No, thank you. I’m going to take a shower and a long nap.” He was beginning to shiver a little bit.

  The blind Texan. How cute.

  “Okay. Are you all right?” Quartz sounded a little worried.

  “I don’t feel so well.” He didn’t lie, because people knew. “I got too hot in the car.”

  “Oh. I do that and it makes me throw up. You’re here. I’m sorry I forgot to harness Floyd.”

  “No. No, he was off work. You did just right. Are you sure I don’t owe you anything?” He had cash in his wallet, and if Quartz said no again, he’d give it to Stoney to hand over.

  “Yep. I love Floyd! He’s way easier to bathe than a basset hound. Call us if you need us.” Quartz let him and Floyd into the cabin before running off.

  “Will do.” He closed the door and grabbed his cane, which was right by the entry. “Cute blind Texan. Christ. Christ, Ryan, you should’ve said.”

  Someone should have said.

  He stripped down and went to get in the tub and soak. He was sore, down near his bones. Down deep.

  RYAN turned on Phil, pushing his ex’s chest. “What was that about?”

  “Huh? I just haven’t seen you in a while, Ry. I wanted to celebrate, have a little fun. You know?” Phil was wide-eyed, pretty green gaze searching his.

  He sighed. “Sorry. Sorry I snarled. You just—I mean, I didn’t expect this at all.”

  Phil took his arm. “Come on. We’ll bubble and warm up. I’m freezing my nuts off. You look great, by the way. Happy.”

  “Thanks. Thanks.” He let Phil lead him to the cabin, but Ryan pulled away when they got inside. “I can’t do this now, Phil.”

  “Okay… did I do something wrong?”

  “No. Oh, hon, I’m sorry.” He sat on his bed. “I just—the Texan? He and I were a thing in college. He’s even more amazing now.”

  “The blind guy? No shit? Are you two… you know….”

  “Well, I was going to try to seduce him tonight. Until last night I thought he was married.” Ryan shook his head, feeling like a giant asshole.

  “No shit?” Phil chuckled and rolled his eyes. “And then I come up with the whole hot tub thing. Go team me. Shit, man, I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah.” He chuckled. “He’s rooming with his ex too. I guess they wouldn’t let me in.” He would talk to Bleu tomorrow. Alone.

  “Ouch. Well, is his ex hot? When you two hook up, maybe I can get laid too.” Christ, Phil was a shit. Charming as anything, but a bit of a horndog.

  “He’s a burly, and yes, pretty, Native American. He’s very… precise.”

  “Sounds lovely. So… no hot tub? I can put my shorts on.”

  “No hot tub for me. But I’ll have supper and champagne.” He wasn’t going for drunk, but relaxed would be better.

  “Fair enough.” Phil reached out and patted his thigh. “I’m sorry I fucked up your hookup.”

  “Me too, but it’s good to see you.” It was, really. He liked Phil even if he didn’t love the guy.

  “Yeah, you too.” Phil leaned back. “Even if I thought I had a guaranteed friends-with-benefits situation with you.”

  “Shut up.”

  They both laughed.

  “Seriously,” Ryan said. “There will be no shortage of gay skiers for the next couple of days.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, you’ll have to point out the lusty ones.”

  “There’s a cook who works here. He can totally point out the horny dudes.”

  “Fair enough. So, tell me everything about Mr. Cutie Patootie. I want to know who’s worth giving up all this.”

  Lord. He hoped dinner came before he killed Phil. That didn’t stop him from telling the man about everything, though, did it?

  No, sir. He could fucking rhapsodize about Bleu Bridey for days on end.

  Chapter Ten

  BLEU’S phone rang, and he fumbled for it. “Who is it?”

  The phone’s tinned voice answered, “Stoney River.”

  “Answer.” He sat up and stretched. “Hey, man.”

  “Hey, Bleu. I want to bring you supper. Is it okay if I come on?”

  “Sure. Sure, I… what time is it?”

  “A little after nine. I know it’s late. I was worried when you didn’t call or come to the kitchen, but I just got off duty at the great room.”

  “Oh, you’re… that’s damn kind, Stoney. Thank you.” He got up and started throwing clothes on.

  “No problem. I’ll be down in about ten.”

  “Thanks.”

  They hung up, and that gave him time to get dressed and feed Floyd, which he felt total guilt about, and let Floyd out too.

  Lord, it was cold out there, crisp enough that he couldn’t quite breathe. He rubbed his arms, straining to hear… what? Laughter? Raised voices. There was plenty of both, but none of it was Ryan.

  No. Ryan was hot tubbing and champagning and having wild monkey sex. That was an indoor sport in this weather.

  Floyd shook right next to him before trotting inside. “Everyone is an asshole today.”

  “Hopefully not me,” Stoney said, making Bleu jump.

  “No. Not you and not your son, who is an amazing kid, and I appreciate him so much.”

  “He had the best time. He’s great with dogs, and ours are all ranch mutts who don’t want spa days.” Stoney stepped inside past him. “Chilly out there.”

  “It is.”

  “You mind if I turn on the lights, man?”

  He chuckled. “Y’all have lights in here?”

  “We do! Vampires like you and Floyd may not need them, but I do.” Something smelled really good.

  “Lasagna?”

  “Good nose. There’s salad and garlic toast too.”

  “Thanks, Stoney. I know y’all are crazy busy.”

  “Yeah, I’d say it’s the season, but we’re just busy. Not that I’m complaining. It’s a blessing and I know it.”

  “It is.”

  Stoney shifted from foot to foot, the floor creaking. “You okay, Bleu? Quartz said you looked pained.”

  “I—” Shit. “I sorta made a fool of myself, buddy. Over Ryan Shields. Exes, you know.”

  “Oh, ouch.” Stoney went silent a second. “Was he mean? I know y’all had a fight last night.”

  “No. He was my ski instructor, believe it or not, and it was so fucking fun, man.” So damn fun, and Ryan had been…. Oh, what the fuck did it matter? He didn’t cheat, and he didn’t sleep with cheaters.

  “Oh.” Stoney just sighed. “Well, that’s good, right?”

  “It was. It was a killer day, but I—I didn’t know he was involved. Totally my fault, I didn’t ask, but….” But he hadn’t known, and he had been thinking pornalicious thinks about Ryan.

  “Oh. Oh! Phil showed up, didn’t he?”

  “Yeah.” And so everyone knew. God. “Anyway. I’m cool. Just a little embarrassed. I didn’t do anything I’d be ashamed of.”

  “No, of course not.” Stoney paused, then took a breath. “Are you sure they’re still a thing? Phil has always seemed kinda… indifferent.”

  “They were fixin’ to hot tub with champagne.” That hadn’t sounded indifferent at all.

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m sorry if I butted in. Quartz said Dan wasn’t coming back tonight. Did you want to come to the house?”

  “Aren’t y’all busy?” He shook his head. “Let’s share supper, man. I’d like to visit.”

  “Sure.” Stoney chuckled. “It’s quiet down here.”

  “Isn’t it? I could hear some bustle up toward the house, but here the snow hides a lot.”

  “It does. It muffles things.” Stoney sat down across from him, beginning to unwrap supper.

  “So are you having a good ski week? Do you like this?” He couldn’t imagine all the moving parts of running a place like this—keeping all the balls in the air.

  Stoney laughed softly. “You know what? It’s insane, but I love it. I’m home with my husband and my boy and my best friends. I have my horses and my mountains and enough to keep me busy and let me sleep hard at night. That’s all a cowboy can ask for in life.”

  Bleu blinked hard at that. God, Stoney meant it. There was no manufacturing that joy.

  “How about you? You liking it here?”

  “Oh, I am. I like the company. I’m going to have to get back to work soon, though. Be useful as well as ornamental.”

  “Well, I sure appreciate the way you are with Quartz. He’s had the best time. Snow horrors. Dog sitting.”

  “He’s a good kid. I like him.” Stoney had done a great job raising him.

  “Thanks. How do you want me to set up your plate?”

  “Just tell me where it is when you give it to me.”

  “You got it. So what do you do at home?”

  “For food?” He chuckled. “I eat a lot of sandwiches, honestly. And a lot of pizza, but that’s just because it’s easier.”

  “If I get too nosy just say so, hon.” Stoney chuckled. “Quartz gets it from me. Wanting to know everything.”

  “I don’t mind. You know that I’m living alone again. It’s the weirdest thing, the first couple of nights alone in a new place.”

  “I bet.”

  Stoney probably never had lived alone. From home to college to the ranch….

  He hadn’t done it much, but he’d done it and he didn’t suck at it, not entirely. Bleu chuckled. “It’s especially weird when you can hear things but not see them. Floyd is awesome, though.”

  “He is so smart. I’ve never met one that was so clever. He was doing tricks with Quartz.”

  “Was he?” He clapped his hands. “Oh, I wish I could see.”

  “Here, let me see if he remembers. Speak, Floyd. Speak.”

  A low woof made him laugh out loud. “Good boy!”

  “Spin, Floyd.”

  The dog’s claws tapped as he moved, the sound familiar, weirdly musical.

  “Okay, now call him to you.”

  “Floyd. Come here, boy.”

  “Now hold out your hand and say high five.”

  He grinned, feeling a touch silly, but put his hand out. “High five!”

  Floyd’s paw hit his hand, firm and sure.

  “Dude! How cool is that? I didn’t know you knew tricks.” He knew that Floyd was his lifeline and his best friend, but silly dog tricks hadn’t been in their training.

  “Quartz was ecstatic.” Stoney pushed him a plate. “So the lasagna is at the bottom, like closest to you. Is that six?”

  “Yep. Perfect. You said bread and salad too?”

  “Yeah. Bread is at twelve, while salad is in a little bowl to the right of your plate. Your right. Geoff didn’t want it to get hot.”

  “I love the smell of italian dressing.”

  He heard Stoney sniffing. “Huh. It does smell, don’t it? How cool is that?”

  “And red wine vinaigrette smells different from zesty italian.” Scents were amazing.

  “I like ranch best, but Geoff makes this weird salad where he soaks tomatoes in red wine vinaigrette that rocks.”

  “Layer salad? My momma makes that.”

  “Yeah? The one with green olives and bacon?”

  “Yes! I’ll have to ask Geoff where he found it.” That was funny. Oh, he missed that stuff sometimes. He needed to call Momma. He’d been there for Christmas, introducing the family to Floyd, enjoying Austin.

  “Mmm. That’s good.” Stoney was not a noisy chewer. That was nice.

  The lasagna was cheesy and spicy and just wonderful. He did love a casserole. The salad had a nice bite, with romaine and cherry tomatoes and homemade croutons. Bless Geoff’s heart.

  “This is amazing.”

  “Uh-huh. Try the garlic bread. It’s the best.”

  He found the hefty chunk of baguette, the mixture of crisp and buttery like magic. The garlic was just enough to make his tongue tingle. Geoff really was a treasure.

  “Yum.” Bleu laughed. “Thank you so much for coming down. I was feeling low.”

  “You know it. I’m sorry your evening got fucked-up, huh?”

  “Yeah, me too, but it is what it is, right?” Ryan hadn’t made him any promises, after all. His expectations were his issue.

  “It is. Still makes a man crazy.” They ate the rest of their meal, the talk changing to small things—snow and horses, green chile and salsa. The little important things.

  “Well, I need to go tell Quartz good night.” Stoney’s chair scraped back.

  “Thanks for the company, sir. I know it’s taking you from your family.” He couldn’t express how much he appreciated the care.

  “Oh, they made me go. They said I needed a quiet supper with a friend.” Stoney touched his shoulder. “Thank you.”

  “Thanks, man. Seriously. Oh, I need to give you a twenty for your son. He wouldn’t take any money from me.”

  “Neither will I,” Stoney said. “If you’d have seen him, you would know he had the best time, and he got out of chores.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t mind at all.”

  “I know, hon. I really appreciate the thought, but the ranch will pay him too. It will go into his college fund.”

  “All right. If you’re positive.” He didn’t want to offend, that was for sure.

  “I am. You’re a good guy.” Stoney shuffled a little. “Do you need anything else?”