Blaecleah Brothers 5: Cowboy Up

Blaecleah Brothers 5

Cowboy Up

Ruben is now a fully fledged Blaecleah, adopted by Ma and Da, and he loves living out at the ranch. But it's not enough to keep him home when he loses his heart to Elijah James, the family's attorney, and a man too afraid to come out of the closet to claim him.

After traveling the world for three years, Ruben is finally ready to return home, but he's not coming back alone. Widowed and the father of a small baby, Ruben hopes that he has grown up enough for Elijah James to take interest in him because this time, he's playing for keeps.

Elijah James wanted Ruben since the moment he met the man, but the anguish of losing someone he loves still has a hold of Elijah and he's not ready to put his heart, or the fact that he loves men, on the line for everyone to see. He learned the hard way to keep his desires to himself.

When the past comes back to tear the Blaecleah family apart, will his love for Ruben be enough to pull Elijah from the closet, or will he be too scared of losing again to cowboy up?

Genre:
Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary, Western/Cowboys

Length:
39,510 words

COWBOY UP

Blaecleah Brothers 5

Stormy Glenn

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

COWBOY UP

Copyright © 2012 by Stormy Glenn

E-book ISBN: 1-61926-379-3

First E-book Publication: March 2012

Cover design by Jinger Heaston

All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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Cowboy Up
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To the real Elijah: Bet you never thought you’d see your name as the main character in a romance novel, huh? Just goes to show ya what a crazy-ass family we have.

“Elijah, I wonder if we could get a moment of your time.” Elijah James glanced up from the legal papers on his desk to see Quaid and Matthew Blaecleah standing in his doorway. He smiled in greeting as he stood up and walked around his desk to shake both men’s hands.

“Of course,” Elijah replied. “I always have time for one of the Blaecleahs. What can I do for you gentlemen today?” Elijah glanced beyond the two men to see the sun setting beyond the mountains.

“This evening, I mean.”

“Burning the midnight oil again?” Quaid chuckled.

Elijah shrugged as he glanced back at the papers on his desk. He didn’t have anything better to do. “There never really seems to be an end to the paperwork.” He smiled ruefully as he looked back at the two men. “Unlike in the movies, lawyers actually spend more time doing paperwork than in court.”

“Then I’m afraid we’re just going to add to your workload.” Quaid held up the large manila envelope in his hand. “We need you to look over some papers and make sure everything is on the up-and-up before Ma and Da sign them.”

“Of course.” Elijah took the envelope and opened it, pulling the papers out as he walked around his desk and sat back down. “Please, have a seat.”

It took Elijah a few minutes to go over the paperwork, but everything seemed relatively straightforward. Donnell and Alani Blaecleah wanted to purchase ten acres of land on the west side of their ranch. The price had been agreed upon by both the seller and buyer. Except for the signatures of everyone involved, everything was aboveboard.

“Hey, Elijah,” Matty said, “I really appreciate you staying late to do this. We needed these papers taken care of as soon as possible.” Elijah smiled as he looked up from the papers he was working on and across his desk at Matty. “It’s no problem, Matty. I’m happy to help.” He quickly looked back down at the papers. It was always hard to look at Matty. The man looked so much like his younger brother, Ruben.

Elijah sighed and tried to get the mental image of Ruben Blaecleah out of his head. Matty had married Quaid, and the Blaecleah family had legally adopted his brother Ruben. Elijah knew it wouldn’t do him much good to think of Rueben. It seemed he had been thinking about the man for as long as he knew him. Still, he needed to concentrate on his job, and then maybe he could go find the nearest bottle. It had worked in the past, and he prayed it continued to numb him now.

“Everything seems to be in order,” Elijah said. “If you’ll have your folks come in tomorrow, we can get these signed and notarized.

Once the papers are filed with the courthouse, the sale should be final within thirty days.”

“Yes!” Matty pumped his fist into the air.

“Well, you certainly seem excited.” Elijah grinned when Matty practically bounced in his seat. The man’s excitement was contagious.

Elijah just didn’t understand it. It was a simple purchase of some land next to the Blaecleah ranch.

“I am.”

Quaid Blaecleah chuckled from beside his partner. He reached over and patted Matty’s leg. “I think we’re all a little excited.” Elijah frowned. He pulled his glasses off and set them on the desk as he stared at the two lovers in confusion. “Over the purchase of ten acres of land?”

“No,” Matty said as he smiled happily. “Ruben is coming home.” Elijah swallowed hard before he could speak. “Ru–Ruben is coming home?” He could barely get the words past his lips. Ruben was coming home. Elijah didn’t know whether to be excited or freaked out. Both were a very real possibility.

Ruben was coming home.

Damn.

“That’s what the ten acres are for,” Quaid said. “Ma and Da wanted to give him some land to build a house on.” Elijah frowned as he glanced down at the paperwork again. “This land is quite a ways from the main ranch,” he said as he looked up at the two men one more time. “Don’t all of you boys usually build your houses right next to each other?”

“Usually, yes,” Quaid replied right before his eyes cut to Matty.

They stared at each other for a moment before Matty nodded. Elijah’s heart began to thunder in his chest when Quaid looked back at him.

“Ruben needs a bit more room than the rest of us. He’s bringing his family home with him.”

* * * *

He’s bringing his family home with him
. Elijah was half of the way through a bottle of whiskey, and he still couldn’t get those words out of his head. Ruben was bringing his family home with him. Ruben had a family.

And it wasn’t Elijah.

Elijah took another large gulp from the bottle of whiskey. He’d given up drinking it out of a cup hours ago. Straight from the bottle was so much quicker. He planned to get rip-roaring, rug-sucking drunk—twice. He wanted to forget he had ever heard the name Ruben.

It wasn’t fair that one man could be so fucking perfect. Ruben was sex on a stick. He’d starred in every one of Elijah’s fantasies from day one. And now he was coming home with a family.

Elijah leaned his head back against the headrest on his chair.

Maybe it was time to think about relocating. Cade Creek had been lonely enough when he first moved here. Ruben’s arrival and Elijah’s inability to be with the man only made it worse. Ruben leaving town had made it a nightmare that Elijah slowly grew used to. But he didn’t think he could handle watching Ruben go about town with a family in tow.

Even he wasn’t that strong.

Elijah sighed and took another gulp of the amber liquid. He coughed when it went down roughly and burned his throat then leaned forward and set the bottle on the coffee table. It wasn’t helping. He still couldn’t get Ruben’s image out of his head. The man haunted him.

It was going to be torture being around Ruben. Elijah had never wanted another man more than he wanted Ruben Blaecleah, not even Thomas, and they had been together almost five years before Thomas was taken from him.

Elijah reached over and grabbed the small framed picture of him and Thomas off the side table. He leaned back into the chair and ran his fingers over Thomas’s face. They had been so happy in that picture. Who knew their lives would be forever changed not more than a month later?

A gay bashing that had gone horribly wrong. That’s what they called it. Most people had given their condolences, outraged that something so atrocious could happen in this day and age. Others said they deserved it for the immoral life that they lived.

Elijah just knew that Thomas had been taken from him because they were gay and in love. The terror of that night had shoved Elijah right back into the closet Thomas had worked so hard to get him out of. Elijah didn’t deny that he was gay when asked. He couldn’t dishonor Thomas’s memory that way. But he didn’t flaunt it either.

And therein lay his issue with Ruben.

After years of hiding who he was from everyone, even his own brother, Ruben had come fully out of the closet. And he wanted Elijah to be out of the closet with him. Hell, Elijah was pretty sure Ruben would have danced down the middle of Main Street in a rainbow-colored flag if he had his way.

Elijah didn’t even own anything in rainbow colors. He owned dark suits and a few pairs of jeans. He knew he was somewhat straitlaced, but he had learned to be that way to keep others from discovering his deepest, darkest secrets. His suits were his armor against the world.

He hadn’t been ready to give up that armor three years ago when Ruben expressed interest in him, and he wasn’t ready to do it now—no matter how much he ached for Ruben Blaecleah.

He still remembered the sweet innocence mingled with eager curiosity that had sparkled in Ruben’s eyes when they met. Ruben had been a breath of fresh air, and he had blown into Elijah’s world like a hurricane, tearing down every last one of Elijah’s defenses.