Riding and Regrets (21 page)

“Come in. Make this stop,” Noel pleaded. “They need to leave.”

Ian came in, looking every inch the cold, hard cop. “Jody, back off.”

Jody stiffened up at the command. “Do I have to?”

“Jody!” Ian snapped.

Jody sighed and quit stalking Clive. “He threw the first punch and missed.”

Ian looked at Clive. “I’ve heard about you.” Then he looked at Noel’s parents. His normally expressionless façade slipped enough for him to sneer at them before he blanked his features again. “And you two. Why aren’t either of you, both of you, defending your son?”

“From what?” Marcy asked. “He’s being ridiculous, claiming to be engaged to that boy.”

“That boy is a man and a father, and he’s got plenty of people who’ll stand up for him if any of y’all decide to give him a hard time,” Ian explained patiently. “Now that that’s covered, why aren’t either of you pounding on the man who—” Ian glanced at Noel. Noel nodded, giving Ian permission to share his secret. “Abused your son, threatened to kill him and threatened to rape him and do that without a condom? Don’t you think that ought to piss y’all off on Noel’s behalf?”

“He wanted it,” Clive rasped. “He needed to be controlled and—”

“Shut up,” Ian said firmly. “You’re a sick fuck, and I don’t want you to speak again.”

“You can’t stop me.” Clive had regained his composure and cocky attitude. “I can buy you just like I’ve bought half the cops where I live.”

Ian cocked his head and studied Clive. “Really. I think you’re full of shit.”

Clive’s smug look was nauseating. “You’re wrong. I’ve got over a dozen cops that will do whatever I want them to, and the mayor is my bitch. The police chief owes me more money than he’ll ever earn. I have power, which, contrary to what that
boy
says, is worth more than any dissolvable emotion.”

“You’re saying you own the mayor, and the chief of police—” Ian stopped, waiting.

“And more. I even have people who work for the FBI that I own.”

Ian shook his head. “I don’t believe that for one minute.”

“Foster and Hillebrand,” Clive informed him. “Both at the LA office.” He took a step towards Ian. “I can get you on at a real police department in California, not one like this dinky, small-town joke of a department, or…” He looked Ian over. “You might even do well in movies. Porn, certainly.”

Ian startled Noel with a sudden laugh. “Aw, no. Come on in and get him.”

Noel was confused, Clive’s eyes went wide and Jody whooped.

Then all hell broke loose.

Noel and Jody were pushed against the wall as people in blue jackets stormed the house. Gertie cussed up a storm. Noel tried to make sense of what was happening.

“Ian must have been wearing a wire,” Jody said with a heavy trace of awe. “Oh! Or maybe the Feds had listening devices so high tech they could hear from a van somewhere!”

“Feds?” Noel asked. Then he noticed the letters on the jackets. “FBI?”

He watched alongside Jody as Clive struggled and ended up taking a fist to the face when he tried to deck someone. He was cuffed, and to Noel’s surprise, so were his parents. “Ian!” he called out.

Ian was mostly staying out of the way, letting the agents do their job. He edged around several of them and stopped by Noel. “Glenn called me this morning and said the FBI was interested in Clive for bribery and other crimes. I didn’t want to mention this deal in case one of y’all gave it away.”

“But…” Noel couldn’t believe his parents were being handcuffed. “My parents…”

Ian glanced over his shoulder at them. “Ah. I don’t know, but I’d guess they have some illegal dealings with Clive. Good people usually don’t hang out with criminals. Or try selling their son off for movie funding. Those are three warped individuals.” He faced Noel again. “Anything else, you’ll have to find out through the FBI or from your parents, unless I hear anything. I’ll tell you if I do.”

“Thanks?” Noel shook his head. “Sorry, I do appreciate it. I’m just… This is— I don’t even have words.”

Jody rubbed his lower back. “It’s gonna be okay. If Clive did bribe those people, he’ll be locked up for a good while. Long enough to lose the fake tan and ’roid bulk and then some.”

Neither Richard nor Marcy even glanced Noel’s way as they were taken out of the house. Clive glared and Noel halfway expected him to swear he’d be back. He didn’t, and Noel slumped against Jody. “Whoa. Not what I was expecting to happen today at all.”

“At least I got to hit him,” Jody replied. “Immature or not, that makes me happy.”

“How’re your knuckles?”

Jody held them up for inspection. “Scratched?”

“Yeah, but not too bad.” Noel proceeded to kiss each one. Ian watched for a moment then left them alone.

* * * *

Hours later, when Noel finally had Jody naked and in bed, Noel’s cock buried deep, going soft in Jody’s ass, Noel was overcome with relief. “It was rough, even though it shouldn’t have been. I guess kids love their parents no matter what.”

“They do,” Jody agreed. “I love mine. Don’t want anything to do with them, but I don’t wish ‘em harm anymore. For a while I did, but anger like that is worse for you than whoever you’re hating on.”

“You’ve got that right. You’re so smart.” Noel kissed the tip of Jody’s nose. “When are we getting rings and doing the deed?”

“As soon as possible if you want, but we ought to make a big enough deal out of it that Prissy gets to wear a fancy dress and all,” Jody said. “She’ll get a kick out of it, and we deserve a celebration, don’t we?”

“We do.” Noel thought about their work schedules. “Saturday? We could go into Bozeman, see if we find rings we like. Or, maybe we could slip over to Washington, make it an overnight trip. We could take Prissy.”

“Works for me.” Jody caressed Noel’s cheek. “I want to do this right and legal. We’ll have to go out of state for the official part, but we’ll have a big wedding here on the ranch. Will’s gonna insist, anyway. He’s going to take over the planning, I bet.”

“I’m okay with that, as long as he doesn’t pick ugly stuff out.” Noel reconsidered. “Or bad food. You know what, he can’t take over, but he can help.”

Jody laughed. He wiggled and Noel’s cock slipped free. “That always tickles when it starts running out. So weird.”

“Yeah, it does. I’ll get a washcloth.” Noel groaned when he stood up. “Hate leaving you even for this.”

Jody patted his bare ass. “Then hurry up.”

Noel did, returning quickly with a damp cloth. “Here you go.” He glanced away, because Jody wasn’t as shy as he used to be, but he still didn’t like for Noel to watch him clean the spunk off his ass.

“Come back to bed,” Jody said a moment later.

And Noel did, stretching out beside Jody. Those beautiful blue eyes calmed Noel every time he looked into them. He saw love and respect in their depths, and passion. He saw Jody’s soul.

“I love you,” he whispered.

Three words that should have been too small to convey the depth and breadth of his emotions for Jody, yet they were perfect words when combined as such.

They were made even more perfect when Jody replied. “I love you too.”

Epilogue

Jody checked his bolo tie again. “It’s straight, right? It doesn’t look stupid?”

“Chill out, man,” Will told him, patting his shoulder. “You look like a stud, doesn’t he, Troy?”

“Yeah, that bolo’s cool. I like the way y’all had them engraved with all three of y’all’s names on them.” Troy looked at Will. “We should do something like that. Like this whole deal, actually. We can’t all three marry each other legally yet, but we could have our own private ceremony.”

Will’s eyes widened then shimmered with tears. “Are you proposing to me? And to Carlos?” Then his eyes widened even more. “You can’t propose to Carlos when he isn’t here! Carlos!”

“Calm down for a sec,” Troy said as he reached for Will. “Today isn’t about us. I should have waited. Let’s give Jody and Noel—and Prissy—their special day, then when we’re at home tonight, I’ll do right by you and Carlos.”

“I’m gonna swoon,” Will whispered, and his complexion was a few shades lighter than usual. “Oh, my God.”

“Will, snap out of it.” Troy kissed Will, hard and quick. He slapped Will on the ass. “Go on and see if Frankie needs help with Prissy.”

“Aye aye, bossy pants.” Will skipped away from another spank and left the small dressing room.

Troy looked at Jody. “Sorry, I should have waited. I didn’t even plan to say it.”

Jody wasn’t bothered. “That’s the best way sometimes, though maybe you want to make sure to ask Carlos, too.”

Troy nodded. “Yeah, no kidding. You ready?”

Jody settled his black felt cowboy hat on his head. “I am.”

“Let’s get this show on the road then.”

Jody was excited and nervous. Not scared, because he wanted this so badly. Sure, he and Noel had the official licence declaring them married in Washington, but this was something else. Their friends and loved ones were there, and they would all be a part of this celebration. Jody wanted it to be perfect.

The decorations were. Will had really gone all out, setting bouquets of flowers on every table where the guests sat. Rather than pews or benches, Will had found a place to rent the round tables and chairs from. White tablecloths and blue napkins, flowers and candles floating in glittery water—it set a beautiful tone for the sunset wedding.

Solar lights lit the path down the carpet spread between the tables. The blue carpet led to the corral where Jody and Noel would be married, joined together in front of their loved ones.

“Ready, son?” Carlos asked. Jody bobbed his head, voice gone as he took in the handsome man in front of him. Carlos smirked. “Yeah, I clean up all right. Come on, we’re going first.”

The music started, and Carlos took him by the elbow. He walked Jody down the blue-carpeted aisle to the corral where the officiant waited. “Congratulations,” Carlos murmured, then surprised Jody by kissing him lightly on the lips. Carlos moved back to his assigned position.

Jody turned to watch as Prissy came down the aisle, tossing her flower petals on the ground and giggling. Beside her was Eric, a boy from her daycare class whose parents were also there as guests. Prissy looked adorable in her blue dress. Layers of ruffles on the skirt made it flare out, and her hair was done up fancy in a way Jody couldn’t even comprehend. White sprigs of baby’s breath had been woven into a headband of sorts for her.

“Hi, Daddy!” she called out, skipping a few steps before she remembered to slow down. “Oops.”

Jody had to wipe his eyes. He couldn’t keep the tears of joy back.

Then he saw Noel, so handsome in his blue suit. Like Jody, he wore a bolo tie with their names on it. Gertie beamed as she walked arm in arm with Noel. Jody couldn’t look away from Noel, couldn’t see anything but the eyes of the man he loved more every day.

When Noel stepped into place beside him and took Jody’s hand, Gertie whispered, “You take good care of my boy.”

“You know I will,” Jody promised her. Gertie kissed his cheek before moving to stand behind Noel.

Jody held out his other hand to Noel. They stood facing each other, hands clasped, love flowing from one to the other.

The officiant began speaking, and while Jody heard her, he also heard a chorus in his heart, a song of love and family, redemption and growth, a song of the future he would share with Noel and Prissy.

And their loved ones, the people who were there for them and cared about them.

It was a joining of more than just him and Noel. It was the epitome of what love meant, unconditional love. He’d never experienced it until coming to the Mossy Glenn and falling in love with Noel.

Now he was surrounded by it. Jody’s heart soared, and he repeated his vows to Noel, promising to love and cherish him for all their days.

Then he kissed him, as people clapped and cheered for them. A sweet kiss, brief but full of all the words and emotions he felt for Noel.

Noel smiled sweetly and nodded. He knew, and understood. Jody turned with him. Prissy ran to them and they picked her up, holding her between them.

“Dear guests, family, friends, I present to you, Mr and Mr Noel and Jody Cuthbert-Bates!”

At the officiant’s announcement, everyone stood and clapped. Jody blushed, happy and excited.

“Daddies,” Prissy said. “I love my daddies.”

“We love you too,” Noel told her. “So much.”

“We do,” Jody agreed. “And we’re all going to live happily ever after.”

“Evwee one?” Prissy asked.

Jody nodded. “Everyone. All of us here.”

Prissy beamed. “Okay!”

And it was.

Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:

Breaking the Devil

Bailey Bradford

Excerpt

Chapter One

Sometimes Mack wondered what the hell he’d been thinking, to spend his life in Texas when he could have moved on once his father passed away. Maybe before then, even, but it’d have been one hell of a fight.

His father had been a controlling man, claiming his family more as property than as loved ones. Even from the grave, he’d probably have found a way to drag Mack home if he’d ever tried to leave.

Lord, he was getting fanciful.
Too many years in the heat, probably cooked something upstairs
.

Summers in Texas were brutal, cooking a man from the inside out, it seemed. August in particular was a real bitch, with temperatures frequently hitting triple digits.

He should have moved somewhere like Montana, although he’d probably have died from shock when the temperature dipped below freezing. Still, he’d have got out of Texas, seen a little more of the US of A than just his part of the Lonestar State.

Oh well, what’s done is done. I got my life here, and if I don’t like it, ain’t no one to blame but myself.

“Hey, boss, I’m gonna go check the fence along the west pasture, make sure Rancy patched it up right.”

Mack grunted at Fred, one of the newer hands he’d hired—newer being relative as Fred had been there for about two years now. He waved Fred off and was left alone again with his thoughts, which was never a good thing. Mack snorted at his melancholy mood and strode from his porch across the dusty yard.