Chapter Ten

'Drip drop. Drip drop. Drip drop.'

The steady sound of a hard falling rain roused Nick from his deep sleep. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter against the pain in his pounding head and moaned when his stomach churned. Swallowing hard against the nausea Nick struggled to remember where he was without opening his eyes.

The scent of soap filled his nostrils as he pulled the warm body he was wrapped around closer to him and hair teased his nose.

Warm body? Hair? Teasing?

Nick's eyes flew open and then he squeezed them shut once again, this time fighting against more than pain and nausea. This time he was fighting against regret.

Wrapped tight in his arms, feeling as if his warm body had been made to be nestled right against Nick's hard chest, was Aiden. What the hell had happened last night?

Quickly Nick cracked one eyelid just long enough to ensure that both of them were dressed and he breathed a quick sigh of relief at the sight of their fully clothed bodies. Lord knew he wanted Aiden but not like that... not when he couldn't remember a damn thing this morning.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and Aiden whimpered, his voice muffled against Nick's chest. Was he afraid of storms? A small smile curled Nick's lips and he held the other man a big tighter.

Nick has spent so long; six lonely years, keeping everyone around him at arms-length and building up the walls around his heart. He had never once believed that anyone would come along to chip away at those defenses and yet slowly but surely Aiden was doing just that.

Nick wondered what had happened last night to end with him here in Aiden's bed but he was glad for it. Holding this man in his arms was the best sensation that Nick had felt in a long time.

Aiden mumbled incoherently in his sleep and snuggled closer to Nick, his hand brushing against Nick's hip. Nick's pulse kicked up to a faster rhythm and began pounding against his ribs so roughly that he worried it would cause Aiden to wake up.

Nick glanced down and saw that a lock of Aiden's shaggy brown hair had fallen across his face. Slowly, tenderly, Nick raised his hand and gently moved the stray hair away from Aiden's cheek. He took the time to caress Aiden's freshly shaved skin with his knuckles. His skin was soft and smooth beneath his touch.

"Nick?" Aiden whispered, never opening his eyes.

Instantly Nick stiffened as unease and nervousness settled into his gut. He was vulnerable just now—too vulnerable. The last time he had laid in a bed like this with a man, a posse had kicked their door down and dragged them both away. Nick couldn't go through that again—he wouldn't.

"Aiden," he ground out tensely as his headache intensified. "What am I doing in your bed?"

"You were drunk," Aiden replied quickly, his eyes still closed. He raised a hand and began to rub it against Nick's chest as if it was the most natural thing in the world to be caressing him. "You passed out."

"And your response to that was to curl up to me like a damned woman?" Nick grumbled as he shoved Aiden off of himself and stood quickly. Too quickly. His head swam, his legs wobbled and his stomach churned. He nearly fell and reached out for the footboard of the bed.

Nick was surprised when Aiden was out of the bed in a flash and helping to hold him up, "You should probably sit back down, Nick," Aiden warned, his voice tight and quiet.

Nick did as he said and then glanced at Aiden from the corner of his eye as the other man slid his feet into his boots. "Where are you going?" Nick asked.

"Get something to eat," Aiden replied quickly, without once glancing his way. "Sorry I made you uncomfortable this morning. I didn't think you'd mind me curling up to you that way."

Nick shifted on the mattress and cleared his throat roughly, "I ain't that kind of man," he lied. The truth was too dangerous and could end with them both killed. Better to close this door right now without taking the time to explore the wonders that may lay beyond it.

"That's not what you said last night when you had your face pressed against the front of my trousers," Aiden mumbled.

Nick was certain his eyes were going to bulge from their sockets as he stared in astonishment at Aiden. "What did you say?" Certainly Nick had heard wrong! He'd had his face in Aiden's crotch? Just the thought of that had Nick's blood heating nicely and his tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip.

Aiden flushed a shade more red than Nick had ever seen another person turn before. "Nothing!" he all but yelled and then he practically ran from the room and slammed the door behind him.

Nick threw himself down on the bed. He grabbed a pillow and pressed it over his head to drown out the sound of pounding rain on the rooftop. He could do little, however, to erase the images of Aiden from his mind.

Aiden laying against his chest this morning; Aiden looking down at him yesterday in the field with confusion and hunger in his brown eyes; Aiden sad and hurting from Nick's reaction moments ago....

What was he going to do?! Was it worth the risk again? Could it work this time? Or would it end the same as it had before with Aiden dead and Nick running for his life with a heart more shattered and torn apart than any man could recover from?

Nick needed to find his boots and get out of this room before Aiden came back but instead he kept that pillow pressed against his head and allowed his heart and mind to go to war.

***

Aiden snorted and kicked at a muddy rock by the side of the deserted street as he made his way to the diner. Nick was an ass—an ass with a nice ass, he thought ruefully.

Aiden swiped his hand over his face to remove some of his rain soaked hair but of course the rain continued to beat down on him... he wished he hadn't forgotten his hat but there had been no way he was going to go back in that room just then to get it.

Aiden felt his heart twist a little and the pain was a deep one. He'd never given too much thought to falling in love or having a man because he'd never thought it would really happen—until Nick. Now he realized he'd just been fooling himself. Clearly Nick wasn't interested in him or anything he had to offer. Last night had been nothing more than the whiskey talking.

Aiden hopped up onto the covered boardwalk outside the diner and shook himself off, sending droplets of water flying. He'd hoped to just use the restaurant in the hotel and save himself from a shower but they'd been closed. He stepped inside and found it nearly empty just the same as the streets. It seemed that Bakerstown was a quiet place on a stormy Sunday morning.

"You want some breakfast, sweetheart?" a plump elderly woman with snow white hair and a warm smile asked from behind the counter.

Aiden nodded and ran his hand through his hair, pushing the wet mess away from his face, "Yes, ma'am. Two breakfasts if you don't care and I'll bring your dishes back to you just as soon as we're done eating."

"That'll be just fine," she replied politely. "Go ahead and have you seat and I'll get those ready for you."

Aiden sat down at one of the small tables and stared at the clean and polished wooden top. Breakfast back home had always been a quiet affair with just his mama, papa and himself. They had always eaten the same thing on Sundays—a grand meal fit for a king which the servants served to them in their formal dining room before the family headed out to church services.

Aiden sighed but it wasn't because he missed that lifestyle—simply that he missed his family. His family that hated him and wanted him dead. Aiden crossed his arms on the table and then buried his head inside them.

He figured he must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew he was being awoken by a tap on the shoulder, "Your food is ready."

Aiden looked up quickly to find the sheriff, Ty, looking down at him with concern, "You alright, kid?"

"My name is Aiden," Aiden mumbled as he swiped at his face. If the sheriff asked he would simply blame the wetness dotting his cheeks on the rain outside.

"Sorry, Aiden. I'm not real good with names but trust me when I say I didn't mean anything by forgetting yours," Ty said as he held up his hands and took a step back. Aiden sighed, he really needed to learn to let the kid thing go....

"Thanks for waking me up, sheriff. I guess I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Ryder told me he saw you at the saloon last night and I reckon I should warn you to stay away from that one. I have trouble there quite a bit and you don't seem to fit the crowd that runs there."

"Yes, sir," Aiden said as he grabbed the covered tray that the sheriff has sat on the table.

"So how are things going out at the ranch, Aiden? Are Brody and Liz making you feel welcome?"

"Yes, sir," Aiden replied, "I like it there."

"You can call me Ty. I'm glad you like it. Brody can be a tough one to get to know I reckon but he's a good and decent man."

Aiden nodded, "I'm sure he's in a raw mood just now."

"Why's that?" Ty questioned with a frown.

"We found a hole in his fences that looked like somebody else had put there. He's figuring he has cattle thieves."

Ty cursed under his breath and rubbed at his thick mustache, "And let me guess. Brody figures he'll just handle it himself?"

"I guess so," Aiden mumbled, hoping he didn't just get his boss in trouble with the law.

"Brody's gonna have to realize he ain't sheriff anymore and let me deal with things. I better head on out there and have a talk with him since the rain will probably keep the family from coming in to church today. I'll see you around, Aiden, and I'm glad you're fitting in."

Aiden watched Ty leave the diner and then he followed suit, dropping a few coins on the counter to cover the meal as he went.

It wasn't until he reached the closed door to his hotel room that his hands began to shake and he wondered if Nick would still be inside. And if he was inside then what did that mean? Did that mean the man really did like him or did that simply mean he didn't want to go out in the rain and get wet?

Aiden propped the tray against his side as he balanced it with one hand and reached the hand toward the door handle. He let out a breath and quickly opened the door and then his heart swelled with happiness when he saw Nick standing by the window still barefoot and not looking to be in any hurry to go anywhere.

Nick turned to face him and Aiden saw the smile that tugged at the man's firm lips and formed the smallest of lines around his gray eyes.

Aiden held up the tray, unsure what to say and so he said the first thing that came to his mind like he always seemed to when he was nervous, "I'm all wet and I brought breakfast."

***

"God I love you, cowgirl," Brody growled as he flicked his tongue against Elizabeth's hip bone and her back arched from the bed. He also loved that twelve year old Nathan was plenty old enough to keep his brother and sister busy on a rainy day downstairs while mama and papa slept in.

"Brody, stop teasing me," Elizabeth snapped as she tried desperately to twist her hips and bring those soft curls between her thighs closer to his mouth. Brody felt lust burst through him like a lightning bolt but he held her firmly by the waist and didn't let her move. It amazed him that after so long together and all they'd been through this woman could still excite him like this and still responded so passionately to his touch.

"Patience, boss, I'm just trying to do the job right."

He looked through his lashes and toward her face to see her green eyes dark with passion and her cheeks flushed as she stared down at him. "I just want the job done now. I'm already sure you'll do it right."

"Is that right?" Brody flashed her a hungry grin and was about to give his cowgirl exactly what she wanted when footsteps pounded up the staircase, down the hall and stopped at the door.

"Pa! You got a visitor!" Nathan exclaimed from the other side of the closed door.

"Tell 'em to go away," Brody shouted back, the heat from Elizabeth radiating against his face.

"Pa.. it's sheriff Ty and it seems to be important. I don't think he'll take you nappin' as a good excuse."

Brody was about to let the boy know where to tell the sheriff to shove it when Elizabeth grabbed him by his long dark hair and pulled his head up enough so she could see his eyes, "You better go on." She winked, "I'll wait on you."

Brody raised a brow as he debated whether or not he should obey. Elizabeth's grip on his hair tightened and became painful, "Brody Atkinson you best go on now. Don't leave the poor man alone with the children."

As if on cue Bryant's voice carried up to them, "Hey, Ty, you wanna see my pet snakes?"

"Aww, shit, cowgirl he's about to show the man his rattlers," Brody grumbled as he slid from the bed and hopped into his pants.

Elizabeth pulled the cover over herself and laughed lightly. "They're not really rattlers, Brody, they're nothing but little rat snakes."

"Yeah, but the kid tied rattler tails to the ends of 'em. Ty'll shit his britches."

And yet again, as if on cue, Ty's voice traveled upstairs, "Holy, hell! You're just as crazy as your damn pa!"

"That's my boy," Brody grinned. He spared one last glance at his wife in the bed and clenched his fists, not wanting to leave her, "Stay right there, cowgirl. This won't take long."

Brody opened the bedroom door and Nathan was standing there with a wide grin splitting his face. He glanced around Brody and waved, "Good morning, mama."

"Get on downstairs, boy." Brody warned, sending Nathan scampering quickly back down the hall and the staircase. With a smile, Brody followed him and found Ty standing in the kitchen with a chair held out in front of him warding Bryant off.

"Bryant, quit scaring the man with that snake," Brody warned and Bryant instantly stopped in his taunting, slid the snake into his pocket and flushed red.

"Yes sir."

"Come on outside, Ty, and quit cursing at my youngins," Brody said as he walked barefoot past Ty and headed for the door, ruffling Lexi's hair as he passed by the sofa she was sitting on with her doll.

Once the two men were alone on the porch, Brody stared out at the torrents of rain and slid his thumbs through his belt loops. "So what brings you out here, Ty?"

"Sorry to disturb your Sunday, Brody. I didn't realize you and Liz would still be in the bed."

"We were sleeping in," Brody replied with a chuckle.

"Uh-uh," Brody saw Ty cross his arms over his chest and knew the man was about to get down to business. "One of your hands in town told me you'd had fence lines cut. They told me you're worried about rustlers."

"Which one told you?" Brody asked, wishing he'd brought some cigarettes and matches out with him. Hell he wished he'd brought a shirt... that rain had a chill in the air.

"Just one of them," Ty replied quickly.

Brody snorted, "Aiden."

"Maybe." Ty shook his head, "Brody, I'm sheriff. If you've got a problem then you need to tell me about it and let me deal with it."

"I deal with my own troubles, Ty. I don't put much stock in lawmen."

"Brody, you can't deal with things on your own. I am the law in this town—"

"You can just stop right there. I don't let no man tell me what I can and can't do—I never have and I never will. Just cuz you got that fancy badge now doesn't mean I'm gonna follow orders."

"Brody, I think you're forgetting that you were a lawman not too long ago! You wore this shiny badge for quite a few years."

Brody raised a brow and shook his head, "No, I didn't wear it very often. Mostly I just kept it in my pocket."

Ty shook his head and headed for the porch steps, "Alright then, Brody. I'll see if I can hear anything around town and all I ask of you is that you at least keep me in the loop and don't kill anybody. They need to go to jail and learn right from wrong...."

"I can't promise that," Brody shook his head. "How 'bout this? If you catch 'em you can take them on to jail and LeRoy can give them a good sermon on right and wrong and if I catch 'em then they'll learn right and wrong from the business end of my .45? Either way the lesson gets learned, I reckon."

Ty laughed though Brody could tell the other man was fighting to attempt to seem stern, "I guess that'll have to do Brody. I'll let you get back to your sleeping now. Sorry to have bothered you."

"Don't do it again," Brody warned. He remained on the porch until Ty rode out of sight and then walked back in and headed for the stairs.

"Where ya goin' pa?" Nathan asked as he looked up from the card game he was playing with Bryant.

Brody winked at his son and smiled, Goin' back to sleep. Y'all be good."