9. Dominic

The bright green shirt was splayed out on the dark blue comforter, standing out as much as Cielo did in the Hilsbury crowd. I eyed the shirt warily, undecided as to what to do with it. I’d only gotten as far as removing the tags and spreading it out on the bed. It seemed to glare up at me in accusation, demanding I either wear the damn thing or throw it out. It was a decision I should have made a long time ago, and it annoyed me that it had taken Cielo’s goading to force the decision.

I fingered the fabric, twining the soft but thick shirt between my fingers. Cielo was outside, busying himself with painting the walls of the tool shed. The paint had been long overdue for another coat, and I wanted him out of the way when the fertilizer truck showed up.

“It’s not like it’s hurting anyone,” I mumbled to the quiet room.

Just like going to have a bit of fun out in Portland didn’t hurt anyone. Just like my attraction to men didn’t hurt anyone. Yet the idea of openly wearing the shirt seemed as abhorrent to me as it would be for me to hold a man’s hand while walking down the street in Hilsbury. To stand out, to be different, invited more attention than I was comfortable with, and more judgment than I wanted.

Then I remembered Cielo’s casual comment about the color looking good on me.

With a huff, I grabbed the shirt I was wearing and ripped it off over my head. Before I could second guess myself, I snatched the bright green shirt from the bed and yanked it on. Feeling like an off-color Christmas light, I turned to the mirror, preparing for the worst. It was definitely a brighter color than I’d ever worn before, but I was relieved to find out it wasn’t as bad as I thought. It didn’t exactly make me glow with newfound confidence and individuality, but I thought it looked alright against my skin, a nice contrast to my darker tones.

With a shrug, I pulled on my jacket and made my way outside. Cielo was humming another song I didn’t immediately recognize. I kept meaning to ask him where the songs came from but was afraid of the answer. I’d heard some of the music that was popular outside the locally owned radio stations, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to consider myself a fan. It was better, in my mind, for me to enjoy the music without ever digging deeper into the source.

Cielo was dressed in another pair of overalls I had been forced to buy. It had either been that or keep dressing him in the same pair. I didn’t feel like doing laundry repeatedly, so I’d simply bought a few extra pairs. The Northern Lights were soon to start, and it didn’t look like his friends were any closer to arriving than before.

I cared less and less about that, having become almost completely comfortable with Cielo’s presence. As if feeling my attention, he looked up, shading his eyes against the afternoon sun and smiling toward me. His warm expression grew brighter in the sunlight, and I felt my heart skip a beat.

It had become both easier and harder to have him around all the time. On one hand, his constant presence was utterly comforting. I would have never thought of myself as someone who enjoyed another’s presence for extended periods, but Cielo had become a warm beacon to sun myself with. On the other hand, it was becoming steadily more difficult to keep my hands to myself. Every time he looked at me with a smile in his eyes, or that teasing turn at the corner of his lips, I had to fight the urge to shove him against the wall and kiss him harder than I’d ever kissed anyone.

That lustful urge rose once again when his eyes roamed over my body with interest. Despite my initial warning against it, Cielo’s interest in me hadn’t gone away in the slightest. The man was far more subtle about paying too much attention to me, but not so subtle that it was impossible to see. I hadn’t missed the lingering stares, and I hadn’t been able to stop myself from lingering longer than necessary in my towel or a pair of shorts when I knew he was looking.

We were tempting fate, and I could feel my self-control slipping with every passing day. If Cielo’s friends didn’t show up soon, I was sure I was going to throw myself at him as soon as the opportunity presented itself. As much as the idea terrified me, it also excited me. Not once had I ever had anyone in my bed since I’d bought the orchard, always careful to keep the two aspects of my life separate.

Cielo laughed. “You don’t have to look that grumpy, you look good.”

I blinked, not realizing my thoughts had been telegraphed on my face, but thankful he hadn’t realized why.

“I look like an idiot,” I grunted.

He snorted. “I think it looks good on you, just like I said it would.”

“You’re only saying that so you don’t have to admit you’re wrong.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know, you can’t take a compliment.”

I was spared having to reply by the sound of a truck approaching down the long drive to the orchard. Steven Hensley’s large tank-bearing truck rumbled merrily around the curve and into sight. I waved at Cielo to keep working and walked over to meet Steven. The two of us had been in a good working relationship for years. We were as much friends as two people from the same town who did business with one another could be.

With a wave, he hopped out of the truck and began walking my way. I didn’t like the way his eyes lingered on my shirt for a moment too long. It was an obvious splash of bright green against the normally somber colors I wore, but I didn’t think it deserved to be hesitated over.

“Afternoon,” he called pleasantly.

“Last I checked, it was,” I replied.

He grinned at the familiar joke. “You’re looking good, Stone. Been eating better?”

“Eating the same as usual.”

“Should get yourself a wife to cook you up some real food. Man can’t depend on his own cooking when he’s out working all day.”

“I’m sure Deborah would be happy to hear you call her nothing more than someone who operates the stove.”

Steven shook his head. “Debby likes what she does, and she’d be the first to tell you she loves making dinner for me and the kids.”

I knew the next subject of conversation was going to move onto kids. If there was one thing Steven firmly believed in, it was that a man should be settled down at a respectable age, namely before he turned twenty-five. That I had left that age behind almost nine years ago was no small source of discussion for people like Steven, and a lot of gossip for the rest of the town. As far as the town was concerned, I was just a financially responsible playboy, who wasn’t ready to stop sewing my wild oats and find myself a nice wife. That I had never been seen in the presence of a woman other than in friendly or business terms hadn’t dissuaded the rumors in the slightest.

“Looking forward to the Lights?” I asked quickly.

Steven groaned. “I honestly couldn’t care, but Debby and the kids are excited, so we’re gonna make a whole thing about it. Wish everyone else wouldn’t make such a big deal about it, then we wouldn’t be having all these strange folk coming into town all the time.”

“It brings in some money, Steven.”

“I know, but that don’t mean I have to like the trouble it brings in, either. That and it just encourages some people.”

I raised a brow. “Some people?”

“I mean, have you seen the bakery? Damn thing’s gayer than that shirt you’re wearing.”

It was said with a laugh, and a teasing wink, but I felt a pick of ice go through my chest. I had to resist the urge to draw my jacket around me tighter, concealing the offending shirt from view. Steven wasn’t a malicious man by nature, but I had learned early on that the man never thought before he spoke. His wife liked to joke that his foot lived in his mouth, and I didn’t think it was a great exaggeration.

Before I could find something to say, a great clatter from behind me brought my attention around. Cielo appeared from around the shed, clutching something in his hand. I didn’t know what he was doing, but I could see the tight anger on his face as he marched over.

Steven snorted. “Lord, my mom liked to talk about fairies that lived in the forest, but I didn’t know ya had one working for you.”

A flash of hot anger ripped through me and I rounded on Steven. It was one thing for him to tease me, but it was something else entirely for him to be outright rude to my guest. It violated every rule I had been taught growing up about manners, and it just plain pissed me off to hear someone make fun of Cielo.

Whatever I meant to say died in a wave of red paint flying through the air to slap against Steven. My mouth hung open, frozen in the motion of telling him off as the red paint dripped down the man’s front. He was looking no better, his laugh frozen on his face as the reality sank in.

“You little…” he began, his lip curling into a snarl.

“Have a little color to go with your black and white views,” Cielo snarled.

I leapt forward, catching Steven before he could barrel toward Cielo. Paint squirted between us as his body slammed into mine. He shoved against me, fighting to get free from my iron grip and continue his path toward Cielo. I couldn’t see him, but I could follow Steven’s burning gaze over my shoulder to know he was still there.

“Cielo, get in the house,” I barked over my shoulder.

I heard the clatter of the paint can hitting the ground. With my neck craned over my shoulder, I could see the shape of Cielo backing away. I couldn’t see his face, but I wouldn’t wonder if he was both scared and surprised. I too was shocked by the sudden action on his part, but I was more concerned about getting him out of harm’s way, and getting Steven calmed down.

The man was still swearing and pushing against me when I heard the sound of the front door of the house close. I let him struggle against me a little longer, not bothered by the effort. Steven was a hardworking man, and strong, but I had him beat in height by almost half a foot and outweighed him considerably.

Finally, he gave another snarl. “Let me go, Stone.”

“You gonna behave yourself or am I going to have to pin you to the ground?”

He pushed away, glaring at me. “Little fruit needs a good ass whoopin’, throwing paint like that. Debby is gonna give me ten kinds of hell when she sees these clothes…”

There was more, but I cut him off. “I think you need to calm yourself, Steven.”

“You didn’t have no right holding me back.”

“And you didn’t have any right coming onto my property, making jokes about me and my guest. I think Debby would have a few words for you too, if she knew what you were getting up to. Last I checked, she was just as big on manners as she is on a good pie.”

Steven glared. “You’re gonna just protect that little––”

“I think you’ve said quite enough,” I growled.

His nostrils flared. “Him? Some… prancing stranger, over someone ya know? That ain’t right, Dominic. I thought your daddy raised you better than that.”

“My daddy also taught me how to behave on someone else’s land, which you seem to have forgot. When you come back, I hope you remember,” I said.

Steven’s gaze was absolutely murderous, but he retreated without another word. I knew he wouldn’t be returning later in the day. In fact, I suspected I wouldn’t be seeing him again for a few weeks. The man’s anger would last until he realized I was continuing on with my business just fine without his services. So long as I didn’t go so far as to seek the services of someone outside the area, everything would calm down.

What bothered me, was knowing that Steven wasn’t a quiet sort of person. He would be quick to tell his friends all about who I had staying on my property, and what had happened. Those friends would pass the tale along, and it wouldn’t be long before everyone in town knew about Cielo, and how I was protecting him.

As I turned to spot him peering out the front window, I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.