“Good. I
checked out the fence along the road and to the east. Our patch looks good, and
there were no other weak spots that direction.”
Marshall
lifted his gaze from his plate when Dustin paused. For a brief second, their
eyes met, and Marshall’s heart skipped a beat the way it had years ago.
“Don’t
worry, I let Patrick know so no one duplicated my work,” Dustin said and
returned to his dinner.
“Thanks for
taking care of that,” Marshall said with a sigh and ate his own meal.
“I saw the
kids out playing. They waved and were so excited to see the horse.” Dustin
breathed heavily, and the sound drew Marshall’s attention. “I don’t think
they’ve ever seen a horse up close before.”
There it
was—the hurt that Marshall saw in Dustin’s eyes every now and then. It welled
up from deep inside him and seemed to get darker every time Marshall saw it.
“It was so funny how excited they were, just like with Pal.” The hurt flashed
away, and Dustin’s lips drew upward. That smile, almost shy and gentle, was
what had first drawn Marshall to Dustin. There had been something so innocent,
almost boyish, about him then. Of course, Dustin had been a man when they met,
a full-fledged cowboy with all the intensity and enough passion to knock
Marshall off a horse and send him thudding to the arena floor… which is exactly
what had happened.
Marshall
held Dustin’s gaze for a few seconds and then Dustin returned to eating.
Marshall did the same, finishing his perfectly juicy steak before eating the
creamy potatoes. “This is good,” Marshall said.
“Glad you
like it,” Dustin said as Marshall finished up the last. “There is some more if
you want it.” He got up and brought the potatoes to the table. Marshall took a
little more, along with some vegetables. Dustin sat back down. “I have some
running in town to do tomorrow. If there’s something you need, let me know.”
“Do you
need me to go with you?’ Marshall asked.
Dustin
shrugged. “I’m just going to town. I need to pick up a new pair of boots. The
ones I’m I’ve got on now are wearing out. I also need some new clothes, and I
thought I’d do the grocery shopping early to get it done.” He barely looked up
as he spoke. “Pal also needs a flea treatment.”
“Okay. I’ll
let you know if I think of anything I need.” Marshall finished his dinner and
pushed back from the table, and took his dishes to the sink like he always did.
He then returned to his office to continue the paperwork.
The
television sounded in the other room, laughter drifting into the room. Marshall
got up from his desk to close the door and paused, taking a step back.
Sometimes memories could be powerful, and one hit him like a bar-fight punch. A
night with him and Dustin watching a movie, huddled under a blanket after the
heat failed on the coldest night of the year. God, that had been so long ago.
Marshall left the office and slowly made his way to the living room. Dustin sat
on the sofa, his long legs spread out, with Pal curled next to him soaking up
attention.
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