Bear Country 10
Cowboy Trouble
Isaac Newton has been sheltered his entire life. He's been taught
that being gay is wrong, sinful, and knows that if he reveals his
deepest desires, he'll be shunned from his family. Isaac's
managed to keep his secret hidden until he meets a man who
tempts him in ways that threatens his very way of life.
Tanner Rexford finds Isaac fascinating. His friends rib him about
how straight-laced Isaac seems to be. But T-Rex knows what he
wants and goes after Isaac, unknowingly setting into motion a
course that will leave them both with more than one devastating
loss that will test their very beliefs. Fate seems to have it out for
both men as T-Rex and Isaac try to put the pieces of their lives
back together. Anything worth having is worth fighting for. T-Rex
finds this out when the stakes become even higher. With family,
friends, and each other, T-Rex and Isaac just might put the pieces
of their lives back together and find the happiness that seems just
out of reach.
Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary, Paranormal,
Shape-Shifter, Western/Cowboys
Length: 37,082 words
COWBOY TROUBLE
Bear County 10
Lynn Hagen
THE LYNN HAGEN
MANLOVE COLLECTION
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: The Lynn Hagen ManLove Collection
COWBOY TROUBLE
Copyright © 2014 by Lynn Hagen
E-book ISBN: 978-1-63258-449-6
First E-book Publication: November 2014
Cover design by Emma Nicole
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
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www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.
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COWBOY TROUBLE
Bear County 10
LYNN HAGEN
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
“Who is that?” Isaac fanned his face as he watched a tall and lean
cowboy walk from the sheriff’s station. He’d never seen anyone so
gorgeous in his life. He felt as if he were going to melt into the
ground as he stared at the tallest and sexiest man he’d ever seen.
He sighed as he watched Mr. Hunkalicious mount his motorcycle
and slide his dark glasses into place. What a fine specimen of a man.
If Isaac had any bravery in him, he would walk up to the stranger and
introduce himself. But he had a chicken heart beating behind his ribs.
That, and the fact that he’d be shunned by his family if he even
thought of dating the same sex.
His seven brothers would beat the snot out of him, and that was
mild compared to what his father would do.
“If you drool any harder, you’ll melt into a puddle,” his best
friend, Simon, said. “Besides, you know he’s off-limits to you.”
“Stop bursting my little lust bubble.” A guy could fantasize. There
was no harm in Isaac daydreaming about riding on the back of that
motorcycle and having his way with the handsome guy. But Simon
was right. Isaac could dream all he wanted, but at the end of the day,
the man was truly off-limits to him.
“You know how to cock block a fantasy,” Isaac complained as he
and Simon headed to the feed store. He usually hated running errands,
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Lynn Hagen
but now he had a reason to come into town as often as possible. Heck,
he’d come here every day if he was able to see such delectable eye
candy.
“I’m not trying to ruin your death wish. I was just pointing out a
fact,” Simon defended as he held the door open for Isaac. “You know
your family is strict as fuck when it comes to dating and all things
evil.” Isaac waved his hands around as if trying to appear spooky.
“Thank god I wasn’t born into your family.”
“Gee, thanks,” Isaac retorted. He might have had a strict
upbringing, but he knew his parents loved him dearly and only
wanted the best for Isaac and his siblings. He just wished they weren’t
so dead set against homosexuality. It made dating impossible for
Isaac.
He was an adult, twenty years old. But it wasn’t uncommon in his
family for one of them to live at home until they either went off to
college or could make their own way in the world. Isaac needed a job
that his father approved of before he could move out. So far, nada.
His dad would flip his lid if Isaac applied for work at the local tavern.
And as of right now, they were the only place in town hiring.
They walked inside the feed store, but Isaac wasn’t moving very
fast. He was still dreaming of the sex god as he ambled his way to the
counter.
“Hurry up,” Simon said as he placed his hand over his nose and
mouth. “This place smells like horseshit.”
The man behind the counter gave Simon an evil glare but didn’t
say anything. Isaac paid for the order his dad had placed a few days
ago and headed for the door. “You have the manners of a slug.”
Simon batted his long eyelashes at Isaac. “You say the sweetest
things to me.”
“Dork.” Isaac shoved his shoulder into Simon as they left. He set
the parcels into the back of the old pickup truck he’d driven into town
and glanced back at the sheriff’s station. The guy was still there,
talking with some other guys.
Cowboy Trouble
9
Isaac’s pulse began to race when the object of his lusty interest
turned his way. The stranger dipped his head, as if to say hello, and
then turned back to his friends.
“Wow,” Simon said to Isaac. “How did you get him to notice
you? Maybe I should dress in tacky blue dress pants and a pukish
green shirt. Your erection-inducing friend might wink at me then.”
Isaac glanced down at his outfit. “What’s wrong with my
clothes?”
“Nothing if you’re going for a Children of the Corn look.” Simon
yanked Isaac’s shirt from his waistband before he reached up and
ruffled Isaac’s hair.
Isaac smacked Simon’s hand away. “It took me twenty minutes to
comb my hair after I showered.”
“I’m trying to make you look like a rebel instead of a schoolboy.
Who parts their hair down the middle anymore?” Simon tried to reach
for Isaac’s hair again, but Isaac jerked his head away.
“Get lost.”
“You’re never going to get laid looking like you’re one of the
Waltons.”
“I happen to like the way I look.” Isaac tried to finger-comb his
hair back into place. The brown strands flopped back down into his
face. Isaac growled at Simon. “Look what you did.”
Isaac really did like how he dressed. Unfortunately, he’d been the
butt of many jokes his entire life. Growing up in a strict family who
were highly religious hadn’t been easy. It had gotten so bad for Isaac
and a few of his brothers that his parents decided to homeschool them.
That had stopped the bullying, but his social life had become a lot
worse. At least with the teasing, he was still in a social environment
with his peers.
He had meet Simon when he’d first moved here. The guy was
obnoxious, had no brain-to-mouth buffer, and didn’t care what people
thought of him. Isaac was instantly drawn to the man’s rebellious
nature. Simon was living the life Isaac secretly envied. What would it
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Lynn Hagen
be like to live so freely, to ignore society’s dictations and throw up his
middle finger to whoever didn’t like him?
The idea was provocative and made Isaac panic at the same time.
His parents had taken an instant disliking to Simon but, to Isaac’s
shock and relief, hadn’t forbidden Isaac to socialize with the punk—a
word his father used to describe Simon. They hadn’t extended an
invitation for Simon to come to the house, but they didn’t stop Isaac
from going into town to hang out with the guy once in a while.
“You also need to work on your growl,” Simon pointed out. “For
a bear shifter, it’s pretty pathetic.”
“What is this, pick on Isaac day?”
“I’m just trying to help you get laid. At the rate you’re going,
you’ll be a virgin for the rest of your life and own twenty cats. You
gotta show the hot biker that you’re interested, that you’re not afraid
to get wild and twerk on him.”
This coming from a man who wore guyliner and black lipstick.
Isaac didn’t own a pair of brass balls like Simon did. Being different
and standing out made him extremely uncomfortable. That didn’t help
his whole idea of being a rebel, but the dream was still there, even if
he was too afraid to live it.
“You fellas doing okay?” Sherriff Sparrow asked as he strode
down the sidewalk toward them. Isaac knocked Simon’s hand away
when his best friend tried to reach for his hair again.
“Fine,” Isaac answered as he wrestled with the strands of his hair
before finally giving up.
“He was just lusting after that guy.” Simon pointed to the stranger
Isaac had drooled over.
Isaac felt the heat wash over his cheeks, mortified that Simon
would put him on blast. He wanted to jump into his truck and race
from town—after he killed Simon.
The sheriff looped his thumbs into his front pockets and looked to
where Simon was pointing. “Is that so?”
Cowboy Trouble
11
“No.” Isaac spun on his heel, heading toward his truck, but he
could still hear Simon talking to Sparrow.
“He’s got the hots for the guy, but you know how his family is.
Maybe you can tell Mr. Biker that Isaac is interested in him,” Simon
said.
He was going to brutally murder Simon. It was going to be a slow,
painful, merciless, bloody, and a chilling mess.
“I think I’ll let Isaac decide if he wants to talk to Mr. Biker. By the
way, his name is T-Rex,” Sparrow said.
Isaac paused, opening the truck door. He stared at the sheriff
before he said, “Really, why?” Who would name their child T-Rex?
The guy didn’t look like any dinosaur Isaac had ever seen. His arms
weren’t stubby. Nothing on the guy was short. The biker was well
proportioned in all the right places. Isaac was getting hard thinking
about the man’s physique.
The sheriff shrugged, but Isaac could see laughter in the man’s
dark eyes. “You’ll have to ask him.”
Well, it looked like Isaac would never know because he wasn’t
asking T-Rex anything. “Nice day, Sheriff,” he said before climbing
into the driver’s seat. Simon walked over to the passenger’s side,
leaning his arms on the open window as the chains that hung from his
pants clanked against the door.
“You can’t live by your dad’s rules forever, Isaac. You need to
take a stand and live the life that’ll make you happy. You know he’s
not gonna approve of anyone you date.”
Isaac stared at his lap as he played with the keys in his hands.
Simon’s words rang so true that Isaac wasn’t sure what to do. Simon
didn’t have an entire family to lose. He was an only child that had
been raised by a single parent that passed away a few years ago. “I
know. But it’s not that easy, Simon. When you’ve lived this way your
entire life, breaking out of the mold is scary.”
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Lynn Hagen
Simon smacked the doorframe. “You can always come live with
me. My apartment ain’t much, but at least you’ll be from under Jacob
Newton’s thumb.”
That wasn’t the first time Simon had offered his place to Isaac. He
appreciated the man’s kindness, but he knew moving out of the house
was easier said than done. Isaac was the baby of the family, and his
siblings and parents treated him like one. He hated that fact, but no
matter what he tried to do to prove he was an adult, they still treated
him like a kid. His mother still referred to him as her baby boy.
That was embarrassing, especially when she called him that in
public. His father would raise the roof if Isaac went home and said he
was moving in with Simon. In his parents’ eyes, Simon was the
epitome of evil.
But everything was to them. Simon dressed like a Goth, had
piercings, and listened to strange, vampire music—as his parents
called it. Isaac liked that his friend was different, that he didn’t
resemble anyone Isaac had known before. Isaac’s sheltered life
sometimes got on Simon’s nerves, but he was the only friend Isaac
had.
“I’ll think about it.” Isaac started the truck. Simon took a step
back, giving Isaac that same look of pity he always did when Isaac
headed home. He hated that look. It only reminded Isaac that he was
bound by loyalty to his family and would more than likely live a half-
life, pining away for things he could never have.
Like T-Rex.
“Keep my offer in mind, Isaac.” Simon turned and headed down
the street, looking like a misfit among the people out and about in
Bear County. The man didn’t seem to notice as he headed into the
drugstore where he worked.
Isaac sat there for a moment, gazing into his rearview mirror at the
man of his dreams. He needed to stop lusting after… Was his name
really T-Rex?
Cowboy Trouble
13
Isaac smiled to himself as he pulled away. At least now, he had a
name to use in his dreams.
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Lynn Hagen
Chapter Two
Tanner Rexford watched as the beat-up, rusty-red truck pulled
away from the curb and headed out of town. Once the truck was out
of sight, he pulled his sunglasses up and rested them on his head.
“I think he has it bad for you,” Shott said as he stood next to T-
Rex. “I’ve never seen anyone stare so hard in my life.”
T-Rex would have told Shott that he was full of shit, but he had
noticed the same thing. How could he not? The guy’s gaze was too
penetrating to ignore. T-Rex knew when someone was watching him,
and the stranger had made no effort to hide his gaze.
Sparrow looped toward them with a crooked, shit-eating grin on
his face. “Amish boy has the hots for you.”
T-Rex growled low in his throat. He hated the fact that the men
standing around him knew the stranger was attracted to him. He was
going to be razzed about it now. T-Rex wasn’t into being the center of
jokes. If Sparrow and Shott took it too far, he’d shoot them both.
“What’s his name?” T-Rex asked. Was he really interested in such
a straight-laced guy? The stranger was the opposite of what T-Rex
usually chased after. The slim man looked as if he belonged in some
Mormon society instead of in a small town like Bear County.
“His name is Isaac Newton,” Sparrow said.
T-Rex canted his head to the side and gaped at Sparrow. “Are you
fucking serious?”
The man chuckled. “Yep. He lives with his family about five
miles from town. They’re a strange bunch if you ask me. They kind of
remind me of the Amish we met when we were on assignment.”
“I remember that,” Shott said. “Holmes County, Ohio, right?”
Cowboy Trouble
15
Sparrow nodded. “Place gave me the creeps.”
“I thought it was pretty cool,” T-Rex admitted. He liked the
throwback society and their way of life. It was such a simplistic way
to live. The residents still used horse-drawn buggies as their means of
transportation, well water, and outhouses.
Okay, T-Rex could do without the outhouse, but he had really
liked the throwback town. That was one of the reasons he’d agreed to
move to Bear County five years ago. The place was quaint and
appealed to him on so many different levels. T-Rex had grown up in
suburbia and had loved it. But he equally loved Bear County.
“That’s because they cooked all your favorite foods,” Shott
reminded him. “You almost put that Yoder’s buffet out of business.”
T-Rex grinned. “I’m a big boy with a hearty appetite.”
“You’re always hungry,” Sparrow said. “Which reminds me. Aunt
Renee said the next time you fellas come for dinner bring a cow so we
can afford to feed you. Especially Mason. That man can put away an
entire buffet of food and would still be hungry.”
Mentioning Mason only reminded T-Rex how concerned he was
with the ranch hand. Mason had suffered silver poisoning, and
although the bear shifter swore he was fine, there were times when T-
Rex caught the guy shifting his shoulder around and curling and
uncurling his fingers.
But Mason refused to slow down or let Doctor Gallagher exam
him. Mason was tough as nails and huge as hell, but everyone had a
weakness, and pretending he wasn’t injured could make matters
worse.
But T-Rex wasn’t going to force the guy to seek treatment, if there
was treatment for silver poisoning. T-Rex was human, and he didn’t
know all that much about the genetic makeup of shifters.
“You know Renee loves all of us,” T-Rex replied. “Don’t hate.”
Sparrow grunted. “And don’t let Harland hear you say that. You
know how overprotective he is about his mother. He just might shoot
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Lynn Hagen
you. He threatened Jack on many occasions. Thankfully Jack and
Renee are getting married, so Harland can leave the poor guy alone.”
“No shit,” Shott said as he sat on his motorcycle, arms crossed
over his thigh. “How come I haven’t gotten an invitation?”
Sparrow shrugged. “Renee is still working out the guest list. You
know you’re invited. Everyone on the Big Bear Ranch is. Just don’t
mention anything about the honeymoon. Harland still thinks his
mother is a virgin.”
T-Rex smiled. He felt the same way about his own mother, even if
she’d given birth to eight kids. She was still saintly in his eyes, and
he’d beat the crap out of anyone who stated otherwise.
“Speaking of sex,” Sparrow said as he turned to T-Rex. “Gonna
hit that Amish boy’s ass?”
Shott and Sparrow chuckled.
“First, he’s not a boy,” T-Rex corrected Sparrow. “Second, he’s
not—well, maybe he could be Amish from the way he dresses.”
That only made Shott and Sparrow laugh harder. Shott leaned on
Sparrow’s shoulder as he hooted, holding his side.
“You both are idiots,” T-Rex groused.
Sparrow wiped at the tears in his eyes. “By the way, he’s a bear
shifter, T-Rex.”
T-Rex froze, gazing at Sparrow in disbelief. “You’ve got to be
kidding me.”
“I’ll be damned,” Shott said. “Gonna knock the guy up?”
T-Rex narrowed his eyes at Shott. He had seen plenty of births
since his mission to Columbia to rescue Milo, Bryson’s mate. Most of
the men he lived with had children. And although T-Rex longed for a
family, he never thought to have one since he was gay, and human.
He inwardly smiled at the possibility of having a family of his
own. Maybe there was more to Isaac Newton than met the eye. The
guy was straight-laced from the way he dressed, but for all T-Rex
knew, there could be a wildcat under those unflattering pants and
puke-green shirt.
Cowboy Trouble
17
“We need to head back,” Shott said as T-Rex started his
motorcycle and slid his glasses into place, trying his best not to think
about the straight-laced Isaac. “Stripper said he needs you to help him
with some of the equipment.”
“Catch you guys later.” Sparrow walked into the station.
“Seriously though,” Shott said. “You gonna hit that piece of tail?”
“Let it go,” T-Rex warned. “He’s just a guy with an infatuation
for bad boys. It’ll pass.” He didn’t want to let Shott know that he
planned on investigating further into this Isaac Newton situation.
Shott would never let him hear the end of it.
“I don’t know.” Shott rubbed his chin. “Seemed like he was
drooling for a piece of you.”
T-Rex revved his motorcycle, drowning out anything else Shott
might have said.
He headed home and drove up the winding path to the ranch. He
parked next to the multitude of vehicles and cut the motor before
Shott parked next to him. T-Rex had gotten his bike last summer and
loved the feel of the Harley under him. He used to ride years before
but had given the thrill up when he’d stared Executive Bodyguards.
He hadn’t had the time.
But now that he was going on thirty-five, he’d decided life was
too short to pass up the things he loved. Shott had bought one as well,
and the two took many trips up through the mountain. It was days like
this that T-Rex enjoyed the most. He felt revitalized after riding for
most of the day and was ready to tackle whatever came his way.
Walking into the house, he heard Stripper shouting at someone
from the communications room. The guy was more than likely
playing his video games. When T-Rex stuck his head into the room, a
wide smile spread across his face.
Stripper was playing his video games all right. But he was
wearing a pair of boxers and had his son, Abriel, strapped in one of
those baby carriers. Abriel was dangling from Stripper’s chest, his
eyes flickering over the television screen.
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Lynn Hagen
The boy was close to a year now, and he gave T-Rex a smile that
showed off his three teeth. Abriel began to kick his arms and legs.
Stripper paused the game and turned. “Give me a sec to annihilate this
snot-nosed braggart.”
The guy’s cursing seemed to be curbed whenever he was around
his son.
“I’ll be in the kitchen.” T-Rex walked out of the room,
uninterested in watching the man play his game—though he was glad
that Stripper no longer walked around nude. Boxers were his new
fashion statement when at home.
“Hey, I got something I need you to taste,” Sam said as he stuck
his head out the kitchen door.
“That sounds wrong on too many levels.” T-Rex headed toward
the kitchen. He didn’t mind being the guinea pig for a new recipe.
Sam was one hell of a cook.
He took the ladle Sam held out to him, the brown sauce steaming
as T-Rex blew over the delicious smelling concoction. He took a sip
and then handed the ladle back to Sam. “Needs more something.”
Sam frowned and used a clean spoon to dip into the pot before
bringing the sauce to his lips. He tasted it and then nodded. “More
beef stock.”
Fuck if T-Rex knew. The most he could come up with in the
kitchen was burnt toast and runny eggs. “Sounds about right.”
“T-Rex has an admirer,” Shott said as he entered the kitchen,
snatching the spoon from Sam to take a taste. “The Amish boy was
eye-fucking T-Rex like nobody’s business.”
“Amish boy?” Sam asked. One eyebrow rose higher than the other
as he stared strangely at T-Rex. “Tell me he’s at least eighteen.”
“He’s not a boy,” T-Rex reiterated once more as he gave Shott a
withering glare. “And let the fucking subject go.”
Sam and Shott chuckled before Sam grabbed the spoon from Shott
when Shott tried to dip it back into the pot. “Unsanitary, numbnut.”
Cowboy Trouble
19
Stripper walked into the kitchen, Abriel still dangling from his
chest. “I need a drink box. Ab is getting thirsty watching me play.”
“In the fridge,” Sam said. “The boxes are in the vegetable
crisper.”
T-Rex headed to the fridge as well for a snack before dinner. He
tried to stifle the image of what Isaac Newton’s balls looked like, but
to his dismay, his mind wouldn’t shut down. He didn’t want to get
hard while in the kitchen.
After grabbing an apple, T-Rex headed into his office. Stripper
was going to have to wait. He had some recon work to do on Isaac
Newton.
* * * *
Isaac barely managed to get the truck to the side of the road before
it died on him. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with it, but steam was
coming from under the hood. That was never a good sign.
The truck wasn’t new. Not by far. The beat-up Chevy had been in
his family since Isaac was a small kid. He remembered his father
working on it all the time. Back then, Isaac thought his dad just liked
using his hands to tinker with things. Now he could see that this
vehicle was being held together by his father’s expert hands and pure
luck.
Even though Isaac had no clue what he was doing, he got out and
walked to the front. He stared at the hood as if he could magically
make the thing repair itself.
Nope. That didn’t work. There were still ribbons of steam coming
out the side as if the truck had turned into a dragon that was puffing
smoke at him. Town was five miles away and home was seven in the
opposite direction. Isaac wasn’t sure what he should do. This was the
first time this had ever happened to him.
His folks didn’t believe in anything modern—except for this
truck—so Isaac had no cell phone, and even if he did, there wasn’t a
20
Lynn Hagen
phone at home for him to call. He was just stuck here on the side of
the road, staring at the wilderness around him.
He placed his hands on his hips and glanced up and down the
road, willing someone to drive by. He was kicking himself in the
backside for taking a shorter route. Unfortunately, that shorter route
was a road less traveled, and there was no telling if anyone would
come by.
He still had to go in town to pick up groceries. Maybe once he
was there, somebody would give him a ride home. As a last resort, he
could always ask the sheriff. Not that Sheriff Sparrow would mind,
but he knew the man was busy and Isaac really hated to bother
anybody, but he might not have a choice.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, he set out on his five-mile
walk. At least he had the weather in his favor. The heavy rains had
moved out last night, and now the sky was sunny and clear. There was
a slight chill in the air, but nothing Isaac couldn’t handle.
He made it about a mile down the road when a truck came
barreling around the bend. Before Isaac could get his arms up to wave
the person down, the truck blew through a large puddle of water,
soaking him from head to toe.
This was not his day.
He stood there like a drowned rat. The taillights on the truck
beamed a bright red, and then the truck began to back up. Isaac tried
to wipe as much water from his face as he could. It was dripping from
his hair into his eyes. What made things worse was the fact he now
had glops of sooty mud clinging to his hair and clothes.
The truck eased to a stop. Isaac was still trying to work the mud
from the front of his hair when he heard someone approach. He
glanced up, and his heart froze in his chest. His lips parted, and Isaac
found himself staring into the handsomest blue eyes he’d ever seen.
So pretty. So mesmerizing. They reminded Isaac of winter ice.
“I didn’t see you,” T-Rex said. “What are you doing on the side of
the road?”
Cowboy Trouble
21
Isaac opened his mouth to tell the man why he was walking, but
he couldn’t remember. He couldn’t concentrate on anything but the
man’s pretty blue eyes. It was as if he was falling into them, being
sucked under by their spellbinding allure.
“Are you all right?” T-Rex’s dark brows furrowed as he cocked
his head to the side. “I didn’t see you fall and hit your head.”
Isaac shuddered as the water that had soaked through his clothes
began to cool his skin. His bear whimpered as Isaac stood there
staring like an idiot. He ran his hands up and down his arm. The cold
was growing, and the sun didn’t seem to warm him.
Isaac’s eyes widened slightly when a heady dry cedar and leather
scent surrounded him, gripping him in a fierce sensual pleasure as he
shivered and almost moaned. There was so much power emanating
from this man that Isaac felt drawn to him, and to his surprise, he felt
safe being near T-Rex.
“Isaac?”
“I’m fine,” he managed to say, although he was still lost in how
good T-Rex smelled. His bear wanted to curl up next to the tall man
and inhale his fragrance for hours. “Just cold.”
T-Rex glanced from Isaac to the road behind him. “I thought that
was your truck back there. Do you need a ride into town?”
Isaac nodded.
“Let me get you a blanket so you can get a little warmer.” T-Rex
turned, and Isaac watched the human walk back to his truck. His face
heated when his eyes dropped to the man’s backside. Isaac quickly
glanced away. As much as he wanted to stare at the guy’s butt, he
knew it was wrong. His father had said on more than one occasion
that being gay was a sin.
Isaac felt dirty for wanting T-Rex, for desiring another man. He
might have talked trash with Simon, but Isaac knew he would never
be able to live his life on his own terms. All he had was his family,
and they would turn their backs on him if any of them knew he
yearned to be held by this guy.
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Lynn Hagen
But dang if he didn’t smell good.
T-Rex waved for Isaac to come over and then wrapped the small
blanket around Isaac’s shoulder. Of all the people in the world, why
did it have to be T-Rex who had driven down this road? Why did it
feel as if fate were testing him?
With his arms tucked over his chest, Isaac strode to the truck and
climbed in. T-Rex helped after Isaac nearly fell backward. The
blanket had gotten tangled around his feet.
The interior smelled like cinnamon. There was a freshener clipped
to the air vent. But Isaac could scent T-Rex’s leather and cedar
fragrance clinging heavily inside the truck. It was bold, spicy, and the
smell had him inhaling deeply.
Isaac tried to fight what he was feeling. He didn’t want to be
different. That was okay for Simon. The man could be as carefree as
he wanted to because he had no one to answer to.
Isaac did.
T-Rex got in and closed the door before he turned to Isaac.
“Where were you heading?”
Isaac dug the grocery list out of his pocket and then groaned when
he saw that the ink had bled. He remembered a few things that had
been written down, but not all of them.
“To the grocery store.” Isaac curled the list in his hand as he
glanced out the window. “Thank you for giving me a ride.”
“It’s the least I could do after getting you soaking wet.” T-Rex
pulled from the side of the road and headed toward town.
Isaac gritted his teeth as T-Rex’s scent became stronger and made
it impossible not to breathe him in. He dug his nails into the palms of
his hands and concentrated on trying to remember what was on the
list. He had looked it over quickly when his mother had handed it to
him. But for the life of him, Isaac couldn’t recall everything he
needed to purchase.
“What are you going to do about your truck?”
Cowboy Trouble
23
Isaac continued to stare out of the window as he said, “My dad is
gonna have to pick it up.”
“Do you know what’s wrong with it?”
Isaac shook his head and wished the man would stop talking.
Hearing T-Rex’s voice was doing strange things to his body, wicked
things, delightful things—things that Isaac shouldn’t want, let alone
crave. “No.”
T-Rex switched hands, placing the left on the steering wheel as he
rested his right arm on the console between them. This brought the
man closer. Isaac forced himself not to turn and look.
“I tell you what. As a peace offering for drenching you, we’ll grab
the groceries, and then I’ll bring you back to your truck and take a
look at it. I’m a pretty good mechanic.”
That’s the last thing Isaac wanted to happen. He didn’t need to
spend any more time around T-Rex. Now that the man was this close,
Isaac’s attraction to the human had grown stronger. He needed to get
away. But he couldn’t find it in himself to turn down T-Rex’s offer.
The man turned his hand over, showing Isaac his palm. “I’m
Tanner Rexford.”
Isaac glanced at the man’s hand. He didn’t want to be rude and
not shake it, but Isaac feared contact. He was afraid of what would
happen when their skin touched. So he settled for a smile. “I’m Isaac
Newton.”
T-Rex chuckled. “So I heard.”
Isaac bit his lower lip and then turned back to stare out the
window. He wasn’t going to allow himself to be charmed by this man.
His fascination with the human needed to end, and it needed to end
now. The guy was a lot older too. That should persuade Isaac to leave
T-Rex alone, but to his chagrin, it only made the man more appealing.
What the heck is wrong with me?
“My friends call me T-Rex.”
“Nice nickname.” Isaac cursed himself for indulging the man in
conversation.
24
Lynn Hagen
“I’m glad you like it.”
Isaac inwardly groaned. T-Rex was not making this easy. But at
least Isaac had solved the puzzle of why the human had been called T-
Rex. He just wished that he could solve the puzzle of why he had
been born broken.
Cowboy Trouble
25
Chapter Three
T-Rex had never worked on a truck a day in his life. He wasn’t
even sure why he’d told Isaac that lie. The only reason he could think
of was that he wanted to spend more time around the man. But it
wasn’t like T-Rex to be so deceptive.
He started to tell Isaac the truth, but held the words back. He’d
just have to get one of his friends to help him. T-Rex couldn’t think of
leaving Isaac stranded. The man was slight, almost dainty, but that
wasn’t the right word, even though there was no denying that Isaac’s
bone structure was small and the guy was underweight.
It was Isaac’s golden eyes that mesmerized T-Rex. They were
enormous in the man’s otherwise small face. A brilliant shade of
amber and gold, they were startling against his jet-black hair.
T-Rex pulled into the parking lot and put the truck in park, turning
to Isaac. “You go inside and shop. I’ll take care of your car. Call me
when you’re finished.”
Isaac released the blanket and rubbed his palms down his pants. “I
don’t have a cell phone.”
T-Rex grabbed his from inside the console and removed the
security lock on the device before handing it to Isaac. “There’s
someone named Shott in my favorites. Press his number and ask for
me and I’ll know you’re done.”
Isaac stared at the phone as if he’d never seen one before. T-Rex
reached over, his hand brushing over Isaac’s. He noticed right away
just how much larger his hands were compared to Isaac’s. “Let me
show you.”
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Lynn Hagen
He gave Isaac a brief lesson on how to use his phone and then
handed it back. “Got it?”
Isaac nodded and curled the phone in his hand as if T-Rex would
take it back at any second. “I shouldn’t be long.” He opened the truck
door and looked back over his shoulder, his amber-gold eyes bright in
the sunlight. “Thank you for helping me.”
The man’s gaze skated sideways before he slid out and hurried
across the parking lot. All T-Rex could do was watch Isaac until the
man disappeared inside the store. He was half-tempted to follow but
remembered Isaac’s truck.
T-Rex reached for his phone and then sighed. He’d have to drive
home since he couldn’t call. He pulled from the parking lot and drove
to Big Bear Ranch. He hoped Shott was home. The guy was pretty
good with motors, and T-Rex needed the man’s help.
“That was fast,” Sam said as he walked out of the kitchen. “Didn’t
the client show?”
T-Rex cursed, forgetting that he was supposed to meet a
prospective client in Junction City. How had he forgotten his
appointment? He’d met with Chase Willis twice before and wasn’t
even sure if the man was going to hire Executive Bodyguards. But T-
Rex always showed up at meetings.
“You’ll have to call Chase for me and reschedule,” T-Rex said.
“Have you seen Shott?”
After tossing the hand towel over his shoulder, Sam shook his
head. “He headed out earlier and didn’t say where he was going.”
T-Rex used the landline to contact Shott. He didn’t think the man
would answer and was ready to hang up when Shott finally picked up
his phone. “Is this important?”
T-Rex knew that voice. Shott was getting some ass. T-Rex
grunted and said, “Never mind.”
He hung up and then dialed the local garage. Jed answered on the
second ring. “Bear County Service Station.”
Cowboy Trouble
27
“Hey, Jed. It’s T-Rex.” He hoped Jed had time to fix Isaac’s truck
today.
“Hey, T-Rex. What can I do for you?”
“If I had a truck towed to your station, could you fix it today?”
“Depends on what’s wrong with it.”
T-Rex hadn’t a clue. He just knew it was sitting on a back road.
He hadn’t bothered taking a look at it since he wouldn’t know what he
was looking at. “Don’t know.”
“Do you need me to tow it?” Jed asked.
“Can you?”
The man chuckled. “Just tell me where it is and I’ll send someone
to get it.”
T-Rex was awash with relief. He gave Jed the directions where
Isaac’s truck had broken down. “Thanks, and send me the bill.”
“I can do that.”
Now all he had to do was go pick up Isaac and then take him to
Jed’s station. Maybe he should have done that before Isaac bought
groceries. He frowned and then decided he’d store Isaac’s items in the
fridge here before taking the man to check up on his truck.
That plan would allow T-Rex to spend even more time with Isaac.
He stood in the kitchen and shook his head. Never in his life had he
gone this far out of his way to help someone. Not like this. In his line
of work, sure, but that was what he was paid to do. But he was willing
to not only accommodate Isaac, but pay the bill as well.
“Everything okay?” Sam asked as he ambled into the kitchen.
“You look a bit tense, big guy.”
He felt tense. “Everything’s fine. Something just came up at the
last second.”
Sam gave him an I don’t believe you look but then shrugged. “Let
me know if you need any help.”
“Thanks, but I’m good. I’ll be gone for the rest of the morning,
possibly this afternoon as well. Call me if you need—” T-Rex
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Lynn Hagen
remembered that Isaac was supposed to call Shott. He cursed and
headed out of the kitchen, going straight for his truck.
When he pulled up at the Piggly Wiggly, Isaac was standing out
front, three paper bags on the ground at his feet. He looked relieved
when T-Rex parked and got out.
“I don’t think your phone works,” Isaac said as he handed it back.
“I called the number you told me to, but the guy who answered used a
lot of profanity before he hung up.”
T-Rex was going to have a long talk with Shott. But then again,
Shott hadn’t known it was Isaac calling. “Sorry about that. Shott was
dropped on his head as a child.”
He grabbed the bags and stored them in the back. “I have your
truck being worked on. It might take a while, so we can store your
bags in the fridge at my place.”
Isaac hesitated, his eyes growing slightly round. That did sound a
bit creepy, didn’t it? Come to my lair. There was so much wrong with
that statement he didn’t even know where to begin. T-Rex shook his
head. “Just so nothing spoils while we’re at the service station,” he
added.
Isaac laughed, and it was a warm hum that felt so good T-Rex
wanted to hang on to it forever. “I’m not in the habit of going home
with strangers. I thank you for your help, but taking me home will do
just fine.” And then Isaac blushed. “That didn’t come out right.”
A dark lock fell over Isaac’s forehead, and T-Rex imagined
pushing it back without care over whether it messed it up more. He
just wanted to touch the guy.
“It came out perfectly,” T-Rex replied.
Isaac stared at T-Rex as though he’d grown two heads. The man’s
brows drew together, and his gaze became even more piercing, like he
was peeling T-Rex from the inside out. T-Rex wasn’t going to regret
what he’d said, but he also knew in that one moment, when he looked
at Isaac, that he didn’t want the guy to walk away.
Cowboy Trouble
29
Isaac was so close that T-Rex could smell him, could feel the
man’s heat wrapping around him, and it felt so damn good that he
wanted to do something really stupid and lean into Isaac. Just so he
could feel it brush over his skin. But he could tell that Isaac was
nervous, so T-Rex kept his distance.
But it was Isaac who had moved closer, as if some invisible force
was reeling him close to T-Rex. His fingers slid underneath Isaac’s
chin, lifting so that their gazes met. Then his fingers glided over
Isaac’s cheek and up to the man’s temple, where T-Rex toyed with
loose tendrils that had fallen free. “I promise that nothing will happen
to you. Nothing that you don’t want to happen. You have my word.”
“I just—” Isaac licked his lips, and then his eyes settled on T-
Rex’s, as if begging for a kiss. T-Rex slid his hand around Isaac’s
nape, his thumb brushing over the soft skin right at the hairline.
“Let’s go see about your truck.”
Isaac looked at T-Rex, his gaze seeking. He stared at T-Rex a long
moment, his arms crossed over his chest defensively.
T-Rex held the passenger door open. “My word.”
Isaac seemed to relax marginally as he climbed into the truck. He
settled before T-Rex closed the door and took a fortifying breath.
Never had he worked so hard at making someone feel at ease around
him. T-Rex knew he was an intimidating sight. He was six foot five,
and the top of Isaac’s head reached only T-Rex’s chest.
He would have to go slow and be patient with Isaac. The last thing
he wanted was the man to be afraid of him. T-Rex inwardly smirked.
His intimidating aura was something he prided himself on when
dealing with hostile situations. He’d used his height and whatever else
he could to subdue men who looked to start trouble.
Yet, he was trying his hardest to seem nonthreatening to Isaac.
The only other people he’d ever tried his hardest to seem kind to were
the kids at home. Abriel used T-Rex as a jungle gym, climbing and
slobbering all over him. But he’d fallen in love with the little tyke the
moment he laid eyes on the child.
30
Lynn Hagen
The same held true for Sofia, Moirai, and Chris, but none of them
feared him. Which was a good thing in T-Rex’s eyes. Now he had to
use that same tactic with Isaac.
He slipped behind the wheel and drove home. He made sure to
keep his distance from Isaac, to keep his word that he wouldn’t try
anything. It was hard considering how badly he wanted the man.
Instead of taking Isaac through the front door where he knew there
would be the most chaos, he pulled his truck around back and took the
paper bags through the back door, storing them in the fridge.
“Since when do you grocery shop?” Sam asked. The man was
standing at the sink, cutting up some vegetables.
“I don’t. Those are Isaac’s groceries, and could you please make
sure no one touches them?”
Sam smirked. “Gonna hit that—”
“Don’t even go there. His truck broke down, and we’re heading to
the service station. I don’t want his groceries to spoil.”
Sam nodded. “I’ll make sure no one touches them.”
“Thanks,” T-Rex said before he stepped back outside. Isaac was
sitting in the truck, his eyes glued to the corral. T-Rex glanced at
where Isaac was staring to see Mason working with a horse. It was a
new addition, and the horse wasn’t cooperating. T-Rex studied Mason
for a moment and noticed the man favoring his right side.
He was going to have a talk with the doctor. Mason couldn’t keep
on like this. The man was as stubborn as the day was long but damned
proud when it came to health.
T-Rex slid back into the driver’s side. “Ready to go check on your
truck?”
* * * *
T-Rex was such a beautiful man. Anyone would be a fool not to
sense his strength. It was plain for all to see. The man wore authority
as though he’d been born to it. Isaac wasn’t sure why he’d accepted
Cowboy Trouble
31
T-Rex’s offer to store his groceries, but he hadn’t been able to turn
the man down. “Yes.”
If Isaac’s father found out that he was with T-Rex and knew of the
turmoil brewing inside his son, the man would flip. Isaac should insist
on having his groceries and then go home and explain to his father
what had happened to the truck. This was insane!
But he couldn’t form the words that would have T-Rex doing just
that. Isaac found himself wanting to be around the man, spending time
with T-Rex. He knew that yearning was wrong, but he couldn’t stop
it. He didn’t want to stop it.
“How do you like Bear County?” T-Rex asked. “I heard you
moved here not too long ago.”
“Two years,” Isaac said. But in those two years, he’d barely left
the land his father had purchased. It was rare that Isaac went into
town. His parents didn’t want him to get caught up in the modern
world. But Isaac loved the modern world. He wanted to see more of
it. Although he loved his mother and father with all his heart, he had
always been different, always wanted what he was told was bad for
him—a bite of the forbidden fruit.
And T-Rex was the epitome of bad. The man was more like
badass, and Isaac would do well to stay away from the guy.
“The town is nice, from what I’ve seen,” he admitted. He usually
went to the feed store or the grocery store. That was about it. He’d
met Simon at the grocery store, and they’d hit it off instantly.
Although his parents indulged him with his friend, it wasn’t too often
he got to hang out with Simon. Again with the whole modern, evil-
world thing.
T-Rex frowned. “From what you’ve seen?”
“I don’t get out much,” he said.
T-Rex nodded but didn’t push the subject, and Isaac was grateful.
He didn’t want to have to explain his way of living. Most didn’t
understand his family’s life choices. Sometimes Isaac didn’t
32
Lynn Hagen
understand them either, but he’d grown up in that environment and
was used to things at home.
“We’ll have to remedy that,” T-Rex said as he turned down the
road that lead to Bear County Service Station. Isaac might not have
gotten out often, but he remembered the place when they’d passed it
two years ago on their way to their new home.
“Remedy what?” he asked.
T-Rex frowned. “Getting to know the town you live in.”
“I’m good,” Isaac stated quickly, stopping T-Rex in his tracks. He
wasn’t going to spend any more time with the man, no matter how
good he smelled or how handsome he was. Isaac had to think about
the consequences if his father ever found out.
“We’ll see about that.” T-Rex pulled into the station. It wasn’t a
large building but reminded Isaac of the old filling station in the town
he’d grown up in. There were two islands for the pumps and two large
bay doors, both presently open. There was also a large fence toward
the back, and it was currently closed.
“Do you want me to go inside with you?” Isaac wasn’t sure what
to do. He’d never been in this type of situation before. He wasn’t even
sure how he was going to pay for the repairs.
“Of course.” T-Rex opened his door. “It’s your truck.”
“My father’s,” Isaac corrected.
“The same thing,” T-Rex replied as he got out and closed his
door. He waited for Isaac to join him before they stepped into the
shop. It was cooler inside, and Isaac’s vision had to adjust to the
dimmer lighting.
A man with blondish-brown hair and steel grey eyes straightened
from under the hood of Isaac’s truck. “Who’s been working on this
thing?”
“My dad,” Isaac answered.
The stranger’s eyes shot to T-Rex, and something passed between
the two men.
“Why, what’s wrong with it?” Isaac asked.
Cowboy Trouble
33
“Isaac, this is Jed,” T-Rex said for introductions. “He’s the town
mechanic.”
Isaac moved closer. “How bad is it?”
Jed scratched at his jaw, as if holding something back. The guy
glanced at T-Rex once more before he said, “There are a lot of patch
jobs on the engine when there should be new parts. I even found a
coat hanger holding some hoses together.”
Since Isaac knew nothing about motors, he could only stare at Jed.
“Backyard mechanic type stuff.”
“Can you fix it?” T-Rex asked.
“The current problem or the years of patchwork?” Jed asked.
“All of it,” T-Rex said.
“Whoa.” Isaac held up his hand. “I can’t afford that. Besides, I
just need it to run, nothing fancy.” His dad would kill him if Isaac
allowed Jed to fix every single thing that was wrong with the truck.
The bill would be astronomical.
“I can fix the current problem,” Jed said. “But sooner or later, it’s
going to break down again. There are some major problems going on
here.”
“Then fix it enough that I can drive it home,” Isaac said and then
added, “Please and thank you.”
If his father saw all the repairs, he’d flip.
T-Rex’s lips thinned as he nodded to Jed. “As the man says.”
“What?” Isaac asked T-Rex.
“It’s a death trap. I don’t like you driving anything this unsafe.”
The concern touched Isaac on a deep level. He appreciated T-
Rex’s worry, but it was the only transportation his family had. Isaac
had no choice but to drive the beat-up truck.
He didn’t say anything as Jed told them it would be ready in about
three hours. Isaac knew his mother was waiting for him and wasn’t
sure what to do. She always started dinner early, making everything
from scratch. She was more than likely pacing the kitchen, watching
out the window for his return.
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Lynn Hagen
“I have to get home,” he muttered under his breath.
“Not until the truck is ready.” T-Rex led him outside. “We can go
grab something to eat while we wait.”
“That’s awful nice, but I don’t have—”
“It’s on me,” T-Rex said, cutting Isaac off.
Isaac nodded, knowing he was getting himself deeper into debt
with T-Rex. This wasn’t going to end well, but Isaac couldn’t find it
in himself to turn down anything the man offered.
Before he knew what was happening, T-Rex leaned in, framed his
face, and gave him the most toe-curling, sensual kiss Isaac had ever
imagined. He groaned and melted into the man, unable to resist. His
bear was growling in satisfaction that Isaac had finally tasted the man.
Isaac swooned slightly when T-Rex pulled back. He licked his lips
and wanted another taste. T-Rex smiled as he ran his thumb under
Isaac’s lip. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
Isaac stood at the side of T-Rex’s truck, ignoring the traffic going
by, the mechanic, and everything else. “You smell so good, like
leather and cedar.”
T-Rex chuckled. “Glad you like how I smell.” He dipped his head
and gave Isaac a quick kiss. “Now let’s go get something to eat.”
Isaac would willingly follow this man anywhere.
* * * *
Isaac was second-guessing his decision. He hardly knew T-Rex,
but his bear was comfortable with the man. Heck, his bear wanted to
curl up into the man’s lap, and Isaac's face flushed with
embarrassment at the thought.
T-Rex glanced at him and must’ve seen the reddened cheeks
because he smiled and winked at Isaac. “It’s just lunch.”
Thank goodness the man couldn’t read Isaac’s thoughts. He would
die of mortification if the guy could. All Isaac could think about was
Cowboy Trouble
35
that kiss, and he wanted another one. It was Isaac’s first kiss, and he
had a feeling it wouldn’t be his last if he kept hanging around T-Rex.
The thought excited him. He’d had sexual urges before and even a
few fantasies of what it would be like to play with another man, but
Isaac had always felt ashamed of his desires in the past. He knew
what he wanted was sinful, but he couldn’t find it in himself to regret
that kiss.
Once they pulled up to the diner, T-Rex got out and opened the
passenger door for Isaac. The man was such the gentleman. T-Rex
had even opened the diner door and waited for Isaac to pass through.
Never had Isaac experienced such chivalry.
They grabbed a booth in the back of the restaurant, and Isaac
glanced around. He’d never been out to eat before. His mother always
cooked his meals at home. Isaac could hardly contain his excitement
as he sat there, smiling like a loon.
“Order anything you want,” T-Rex said. “Lunch is on me.”
Isaac watched T-Rex pick up a menu, and then he did the same.
He had a hard time choosing what he wanted. Everything sounded so
delicious. As he glanced over his choices, Isaac spotted a few people
watching him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
T-Rex glanced over his shoulder and then looked back at Isaac.
“They’re just jealous that their lunch date isn’t as good-looking as
you.”
Isaac had never smiled so much in one day. He knew that wasn’t
the reason why people were stealing covert glances at him. As Simon
had pointed out on many occasions, Isaac was different. The way he
dressed had always attracted attention, but it had never bothered Isaac
before.
It did now. Did T-Rex think Isaac dressed funny? If the guy did,
he hadn’t said a word about it.
“Smile,” T-Rex said as he held up his phone.
Isaac frowned. “What are you doing?”
36
Lynn Hagen
“Taking a picture of you,” T-Rex said like it should have been
obvious.
Isaac sat there mystified for a moment. “A phone can do that?”
“Smile first and then I’ll answer your question.” T-Rex still had
the phone held up, and Isaac did as requested. T Rex snorted. “I want
a genuine smile. Right now you look constipated. Relax.”
Isaac tried to relax, but he’d never his picture taken before. His
parents didn’t own a camera.
“Come now, you can do better than that,” T-Rex said. The man
crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue, showing Isaac the silliest
face he’d ever seen. Isaac burst out laughing and then heard a series
of clicks.
“Much better,” T-Rex said.
He turned the phone around and showed Isaac the pictures he had
taken. Seeing himself in that picture only reminded Isaac of how thin
he was, lacking the masculine features of his older brothers. He’d
seen himself in the reflection of his mirror plenty of times, but he had
never stopped long enough to study his features.
He looked a heck of a lot like his mother, even more so the older
he got. Isaac was embarrassed at the fact that he looked so feminine.
Not for the first time, he wished he looked more like his father.
“You look simply stunning,” T-Rex said and then smiled before
he set his phone down on the table. “And, yes, a phone can take
pictures. I can also check my emails, text people, check on my
siblings on Facebook. I can even bank on my phone, watch a movie,
or read a book.”
The man might as well have been talking another language. Isaac
understood none of it. He decided to change the subject to talk about
something else. “You don’t look like a rancher,” Isaac pointed out.
“Have you always been one?”
“Not always.” T-Rex turned when the waiter came to take their
drink orders. Isaac settled for a glass of water. Once the waiter walked
away, T-Rex continued. “I used to be in the military.”
Cowboy Trouble
37
Now that fascinated Isaac. He sat there for the next twenty
minutes grilling T-Rex on what it was like to be in the service.
History was one of Isaac’s favorite subjects, more precisely, the wars.
He sat there with his chin cradled in his hands as he listened to T-Rex
talk. He was captivated by everything the man said. He was
captivated by T-Rex, period.
“So when my friends and I got out, we started up our own
business.” The waiter came and served them their drinks.
“Have you gentlemen decided what you want?”
Isaac quickly scanned over the menu again and asked for a burger
and fries. T-Rex ordered the same. When the waiter walked away,
Isaac asked, “So that was when you decided you wanted to be a
cowboy?”
“Not at first,” T-Rex said after he took a drink of his soda. “But a
friend of mine, Sheriff Sparrow, talked me and the men into settling
down here, and then one of the men from the Triple-B Ranch
persuaded me and my friends to consider ranching.”
T-Rex’s life seemed so perfect. He had plenty of friends and a
great career. Isaac found himself envious. If only he had that same
kind of life. “What’s it like living with so many friends?” he asked.
“Good most of the time. Everyone knows their job. But it can be
irritating as well. Too many people under one roof, you know?”
Isaac laughed. “I know. I have four older brothers and a younger
one. I know all about irritating.”
T-Rex grinned. “I’m the middle child of seven.”
Their conversation never lulled, and Isaac found himself charmed
by the man. T-Rex had led a full life and had some very interesting
stories to tell. Isaac never wanted their conversation to end. He was
sitting in a perfect bubble of happiness, all smiles and his heart
beating for every word T-Rex spoke.
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Lynn Hagen
Chapter Four
Isaac pulled into the driveway at home, and he couldn’t stop
himself from smiling. Not after the lunch he’d had with T-Rex.
They’d talked about everything from music to siblings to favorite
hobbies and everything in between.
T-Rex was great company. The conversation had never once
lulled, and Isaac had never smiled so much in his life. T-Rex was
fascinating and had seen a lot in life.
Isaac didn’t have much to offer to the conversation considering
his life had been pretty sheltered, but he did tell T-Rex funny stories
about his brothers and how growing up with them had always kept
things interesting.
And to Isaac’s delight, T-Rex confessed to growing up in a large
family as well. Isaac was smiling from ear to ear when he got out of
the truck. He grabbed the three bags from the back and headed toward
the door. He stopped dead in his tracks when his father walked out,
his face mottled with red as his fists curled and uncurled.
“Where have you been?”
Isaac took a step back at the menacing tone. He’d never seen his
dad this angry before. “The truck broke down,” Isaac said, telling his
father the truth. “Someone was nice enough to have it towed and
repaired.”
His father moved to the edge of the porch, and something
dangerous lurked behind his eyes. “And?”
Isaac’s heart began to pound hard in his chest as his throat went
dry. “And I picked up the groceries Mom needed.”
“She needed them five hours ago.”
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39
“But the truck—” Isaac closed his mouth when his father clomped
down the steps. He was much taller than Isaac, a lot wider as well.
When it came to body structure, Isaac took after his mother—
something his father had never liked. His dad wanted all of his boys
to be strapping, able to pull their weight around the house.
Isaac and Robby, his younger brother, were built like their mother,
and his father had always treated him and Robby differently because
of that. But Isaac had never seen his father this angry.
His father towered over him, making Isaac lean back. The man’s
dark brown eyes simmered with wrath as his jaw clenched tightly.
Isaac’s stomach dropped as his knees grew weak. He couldn’t seem to
breathe as his father said, “And who was that man you were kissing?”
“I wasn’t—” Isaac cried out when his father backhanded him so
hard that he dropped the bags and flung sideways, hitting the ground.
He tasted blood in his mouth, and the bone around his left eye felt as
if it were shattering. Strange patterns swirled through his vision. His
head throbbed in pain. Isaac was afraid to get up, to even look at the
man who had never struck him once in his life.
“You need to choose your words carefully,” his father said as he
panted, rage still evident on his face, “because Henry saw you on his
way into town. It’s a sin to lay with another man. I won’t have a sinful
son. Now tell me who that man was.”
Isaac scrambled to come up with an answer. He had never lied to
his dad before, but he just couldn’t tell the man who T-Rex was. His
bear was growling, wanting to protect someone who had brought a
small amount of joy into Isaac’s life.
Turning, Isaac spit onto the ground and winced when his saliva
was mixed with blood. He wanted to check to see if he had any loose
teeth, but didn’t. He’d wait until he was inside before he inspected his
injuries. His entire life, he would have sworn that his parents loved
him, but at that moment, doubt began to creep into his mind.
Isaac knew that being with T-Rex was dangerous, but he was torn
that Henry had told on him. His oldest brother had always been his
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father’s favorite, and the two were just alike. Their mannerisms,
beliefs, even looks mirrored the other.
When Isaac remained silent, his father grabbed a handful of
Isaac’s hair. He yanked Isaac from the ground until Isaac was
standing, tears gathering in his eyes. “Get inside. I’ll deal with you
after I’ve calmed down.” His father pulled Isaac close until he had no
choice but to stare into the man’s hate-filled eyes. “Because if I don’t
calm down, I’ll be minus a son.”
The words chilled Isaac to the bone. Jacob Newton never issued
an idle threat. The man was powerful, intimidating, and always did as
promised. Isaac could barely walk when his dad released him. His
legs were weak, unsteady as he climbed the steps to the porch and
headed inside.
He wanted to tell his father that he was sorry, that it would never
happen again. But he knew that would be a lie. Isaac didn’t regret the
time spent with T-Rex. He wouldn’t turn T-Rex down if the man
offered to take him to lunch again or if the man tried to kiss him
again. It had been the most wonderful feeling in the world, and Isaac
wouldn’t trade it for anything.
He hurried up the steps and into his bedroom, where Isaac closed
the door before he slumped to the floor. He hugged his midsection as
he allowed himself to cry. Rocking back and forth, Isaac wished his
life was different. He used to love being who he was, but not
anymore. He wanted out of this house, out of this insane life.
“Hey,” Robby said when he walked into the room and spotted
Isaac falling apart. “What’s wrong with—” Robby inhaled sharply
when he saw Isaac’s face. “What happened to you?”
Isaac wiped at his nose as he shook his head. He couldn’t bring
himself to utter the words. He didn’t want to see the look of disgust
on his younger brother’s face. He’d dealt with enough loathing for
one day. His secret was out, and now the hatred would begin.
Pulling himself from the floor, Isaac settled on his bed, curling
onto his side. There would be no more trips into town for him. His
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41
father would put an end to that. Out of seven sons, only he and Robby
remained at home. The others had married and started families, living
on farms and raising a boatload of children.
But they came by often and had Sunday dinner here. Isaac would
watch as his father swelled with pride at his eldest sons.
His father would never look at Isaac with pride. He would never
play with any of Isaac’s children. The man would never engage in
man-to-man talks now that he knew Isaac was gay. His dad would
look at him with scorn, shunning Isaac and pretend that Isaac didn’t
even exist.
He would be the Newton pariah, the son who had been born
broken. The sinner.
“Isaac, talk to me.” There was concern, and even a touch of fear,
in Robby’s voice, but Isaac wouldn’t tell his brother of his shame.
The man would soon learn, and Isaac cringed at the thought of Robby
treating him differently.
“Nothing,” he replied.
“Nothing doesn’t give you a black eye,” Robby said. “Someone
hurt you. Who was it?”
His brother must have been tending to the animals out back and
hadn’t heard the chaos in the front yard. Isaac hugged himself tighter,
wishing that Henry had come to visit on another day, that his eldest
brother hadn’t seen T-Rex kissing him.
But no matter what he wished, he knew his life would never be
the same. Not when his father knew of his dark secret. Not when his
brother had witnessed what had happened at that service station.
No matter what he wished, his days of going into town to see T-
Rex, or even Simon, were over.
* * * *
For two weeks T-Rex had been coming to town to see if he could
catch up with Isaac, but the man had been nowhere to be found. When
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Lynn Hagen
he’d taken the man to lunch, Isaac had confessed to coming into town
at least once a week for supplies. Yet when T-Rex questioned the man
who worked at the feed store, the guy told him that Isaac’s younger
brother, Robby, had been coming in lately.
His gut was telling him that something was wrong, but T-Rex had
no way of contacting Isaac. He knew that Isaac was twenty years old.
T-Rex had asked. He didn’t want to be courting a minor. Although
he’d argued with his friends that Isaac wasn’t a boy, he’d made sure
of it when they’d gone to lunch.
T-Rex was thirty-five, but the age difference didn’t bother him.
Not at all. They were both consenting adults, and there had been a
huge age gap between his parents. He still didn’t fully understand the
strange pull Isaac seemed to have on him, but T-Rex was determined
to find out what had happened to the guy.
He walked into the pharmacy, determined to find Simon. That was
the man who had been with Isaac the first time T-Rex had laid eyes
on the man. He wasn’t sure if Simon could tell him anything about
Isaac, but T-Rex wasn’t going to give up until he had some answers.
Simon was in the back, checking over a clipboard when T-Rex
approached the man. “Simon?”
The guy turned, and then his eyes widened slightly. That was a
typical reaction T-Rex received when approaching a much shorter
person. Simon eyed him from head to toe and then nodded. “Can I
help you?”
“I’m here to talk to you about Isaac.” Although T-Rex had done a
background check on the family, he’d come up empty. He found
records of tax payments, but that was about it. None of them had ever
been in trouble, and none of them had any sort of record. He had
found school registrations on the children of the Newton household,
but the trail had ended about ten years ago.
The only thing he could come up with was that the parents had
homeschooled their children. There was very little information to go
on. There were no employment records, but he did find land titles for
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43
a few Newtons. He just wasn’t sure those records belonged to Isaac’s
family. It was amazing how many Newtons existed.
Simon’s expression became wary. “What about him?”
“Can you tell me if you’ve seen him lately, over the past two
weeks?”
Simon tucked the clipboard under his arm. “I don’t even know
you. Why would I tell you anything about my friend?”
“Because I’m worried,” T-Rex said. “And if you really are his
friend, then you’re just a concerned.”
He could tell Simon was assessing him, and any other time, he
would admire the man’s loyalty.
“His dad,” Simon finally said. “Never did like the guy. I always
got the impression he was a man who was ready to crack at any time.”
“Crack?”
“You know,” Simon said, “a ticking time bomb. The guy rules
over his entire household. He has this look in his eye that says he’s
just waiting for Isaac to fuck up.”
T-Rex’s jaw tightened. “Would he hurt Isaac?”
Simon shrugged, but T-Rex could see the truth in the guy’s eyes.
Simon seemed to think so. “So far, I haven’t seen any proof of abuse,
but the guy’s highly religious and runs a tight ship. He barely allows
me and Isaac to hang out.”
“Then why doesn’t Isaac just move out?” T-Rex asked, although
he had a feeling he already knew the truth from the conversation he’d
had with Isaac.
“Either Isaac has to go to college or have a good-paying job for
his parents to let him move out. The other brothers escaped by getting
married though. That’s one screwed-up-ass family if you ask me.
Anyone who forces their grown son to live at home has issues.”
And with only homeschooling under his belt, the chances of Isaac
landing a good-paying job were slim. They had no computers at
home, which T-Rex had learned from Isaac. So how would the guy
even know how to apply to college? There was no chance that Isaac
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Lynn Hagen
was getting married, not from the way the man had responded to T-
Rex’s kiss. Isaac was gay, and T-Rex had a feeling that was
something the man’s parents wouldn’t put up with.
T-Rex had heard enough. He knew the Newton family had only
one vehicle, that crappy truck. He wasn’t sure why Isaac had stopped
coming to town, but T-Rex was going to get answers. “Thanks.”
Simon grabbed his arm when T-Rex turned away. “Please let me
know what’s going on with him. I like Isaac. He’s a nice guy. He
deserves to have a life.”
He handed Simon his business card. “My cell phone number is on
there. If you hear from Isaac, call me. And if I find him first, I’ll let
you know.” T-Rex headed out of the pharmacy. He didn’t know what
was going on in the Newton household, but if Isaac was in trouble, T-
Rex was going to help—even if he had to offer Isaac a job on the
ranch.
Sliding into his truck, T-Rex headed out of town. The Newton
family lived about seven miles out. It didn’t take him long to reach
the place. The two-story home sat far back from the road. There were
acres of land all around the house, but the house itself sat in dense
foliage. There were clothing lines weaved on the side of the house
with clothes waving slightly in the soft breeze.
T-Rex heard and smelled farm animals. A barn loomed behind the
house but was set back quite a ways. He pulled into the drive, next to
the red pickup.
Seconds later, the front door squeaked opened. A large, lumbering
man stood on the porch with a shotgun in his hand. T-Rex had an M4
rifle hidden under his seat and a 9 mm in his glove box but decided to
leave the weapons in the truck. He didn’t want the situation to get out
of hand.
He was just here to talk.
He parked, but kept the truck running. T-Rex slid out and held his
hands out at his sides to show the man that he was unarmed. “Mr.
Newton?”
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45
“Who wants to know?” the man asked in an unpleasant tone.
“I’m Tanner Rexford. I’m part owner of the Big Bear Ranch. I’ve
come here to offer Isaac a job.” T-Rex knew that he couldn’t come
here demanding to see Isaac. If the father was truly a ticking time
bomb, T-Rex had to tread carefully. Offering Isaac a job seemed like
the perfect solution.
“Isaac doesn’t need a job.” The man’s eyes narrowed as the
shotgun rose slightly. “Not from a man who thinks kissing my son is
perfectly fine.”
Fuck. T-Rex knew for certain that Isaac wouldn’t have said a
word. Isaac had seemed hesitant and uncertain, and there was no way
he would have run home and confessed about the kiss. “I’m just here
to talk to him, sir.”
T-Rex caught movement to his right. He glanced up to see Isaac
staring out of the second-floor window. His heart tightened, and his
jaw clenched when he saw bruises on the left side of Isaac’s face. His
attention went back to Isaac’s father. He ground his teeth as his
muscles quivered. His tone deep grew deep. “Let me talk to Isaac.”
“What I’m going to let you do is leave here before I defend my
home and private property,” Jacob Newton ground out. “You’re not
welcome here, Tanner Rexford. And you’re not welcome to my son. I
would suggest you turn around and leave before I do something you’ll
regret.”
Against his better judgment, Tanner took a step forward. He
narrowed his eyes as his hands clenched into fists. “Isaac is a grown
man. He can leave anytime he wants to.”
Jacob raised the shotgun and fired. It was a warning fire because it
was too far to T-Rex’s left, but T-Rex didn’t flinch. He’d faced off
with worse men than Jacob.
“The next shot won’t miss,” Jacob warned.
T-Rex ground his teeth. He would leave, but he would be back.
He wasn’t even Isaac in this monster’s hands. He glanced up toward
the window, but Isaac was gone.
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Lynn Hagen
Turning on his heel, T-Rex walked back to his truck. He drove
away but pulled over a half-mile from the house. He pulled his cell
phone out and called Sparrow.
He flexed his fingers to relieve some tension, but it didn’t help. T-
Rex was wound up and ready to go back to that farm and kick Jacob’s
ass.
“Sheriff Sparrow.”
“It’s T-Rex.”
“What can I do for you?”
God, he was so fucking angry. T-Rex hadn’t wanted to leave.
He’d wanted to barge into the house and grab Isaac, pulling the man
away. But T-Rex had to be smarter. “I’ve got a problem.”
“I’m listening,” Sparrow said.
T-Rex explained to Sparrow about Isaac and the whole situation.
“I’m going back under the cover of darkness. I’ve got to get Isaac out
of there.”
“You talking about trespassing and breaking and entering,”
Sparrow said and then cursed. “I’m going to pretend we didn’t have
this conversation. If you’ve forgotten, I’m the damn sheriff.”
“Fair enough,” T-Rex said. “But if a call comes in—”
“I’ll warn Harold,” Sparrow said. Harold was the dispatcher and
would do whatever Sparrow asked. The guy was loyal to a fault. “Just
don’t shoot the damn man.”
“No promises,” T-Rex replied. “The man seems hell-bent on
shooting me.”
Sparrow gave a low chuckle. “Maybe because you’re trying to
have sex with his son.”
T-Rex wasn’t going to deny that. He wanted Isaac in the worst
sort of way. But it wasn’t just sex. For the first time in his life, T-Rex
considered settling down. He was married to his career, both of them.
He loved working missions and his ranch. He never thought they
would come when he’d contemplated slowing down. But the love bug
Cowboy Trouble
47
had bitten him. And T-Rex was prepared to do whatever it took to
ensure that Isaac was safe and happy.
“Can I ask you something?” Sparrow asked. He continued before
T-Rex even answered. “Did Isaac mention how you smelled?”
That was an odd question. “Like leather and cedar.”
Sparrow remained quiet for a long moment before he said, “And
do you feel like you’d go crazy if you couldn’t get that man out of the
house, near you?”
T-Rex had been agitated and on edge for the past two weeks. He’d
chalked it up to overworking and lack of sex. But Isaac had never
been too far from his thoughts. He rubbed a hand over his stomach,
and his chest actually hurt at the idea of never seeing Isaac again.
“Yeah,” he admitted.
“Then,” Sparrow said, “I think I know what’s wrong.”
“What?” But as soon as the words left his lips, T-Rex knew the
answer. Over the past five years, he’d watched the bear shifters in the
house go insane over men. Legend had broken protocol when he’d
met Gabe. Sam had gone all weird when he met Taylor. Colton had
pursued Steven relentlessly. Rowdy had become a protective bastard
when it came to Cameron. And Stripper had treated the man he was
interrogating with preferential treatment.
And now T-Rex was acting out of character. He was willing to
recruit his men to take down the Newton household in order to get his
hands on Isaac.
T-Rex rubbed a hand over his forehead as he leaned forward,
resting his elbows on the steering wheel. He clutched the phone to his
ear as he said, “He’s my mate, isn’t he?”
“Sounds like it,” Sparrow said. “Which means I’ll do whatever I
have to in order to help you. But don’t shoot his goddamn father.”
T-Rex hung up. He tossed the phone aside and then ran his hands
over his face. The truth should’ve dawned on him earlier. It should
have dawned on him from the way he’d reacted to Isaac. But T-Rex
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Lynn Hagen
was human and had thought the strong attraction was just that,
attraction.
Now, more than ever, he was determined to save Isaac because the
man held T-Rex’s future in his hands.
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49
Chapter Five
Later that evening, before T-Rex left for the Newtons’, the beat-
up red truck pulled into the ranch. T-Rex’s heart began to beat harder
as he walked outside, expecting to see Isaac behind the wheel. But it
wasn’t. There was a short man who resembled Isaac, but looked
younger. His hair was mahogany, and his eyes were slightly darker
than Isaac’s amber-gold, but there was no mistaking him for a
Newton.
The guy got out and glanced around quickly. When his eyes
landed on T-Rex, he hurried toward the house. “Are you Tanner
Rexford?”
“And you are?” T-Rex asked.
“Robby,” the man answered. “Isaac’s younger brother. I came
here for help.”
T-Rex went on instant alert. He noticed that Robby stood with his
shoulders squared and his chin high. His golden eyes held
determination.
“What’s going on?” T-Rex asked.
“It’s Isaac,” Robby said. “Swear to me you’ll help him.”
“I promise,” T-Rex said.
“After you left today”—Robby seemed a bit hyper and talked
extremely fast, but T-Rex was able to keep up with the
conversation—“my dad was furious. He told my oldest brother,
Henry, to take Isaac out of his sight.”
“Where’d he take him?” T-Rex was ready and willing to go after
Isaac. “Where did Henry take Isaac?” he demanded.
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Lynn Hagen
“I don’t know,” Robby said. He appeared startled by T-Rex’s
demand, but then Robby’s eyes turned hostile. That hostility wasn’t
aimed toward T-Rex though. “He told Henry to drop Isaac off in
Junction City. That he never wanted to lay eyes on Isaac again.”
It was late summer, and the nights were growing cooler. He
remembered when he’d splashed Isaac on the side of the road. It had
been colder than normal that morning, and Isaac hadn’t been wearing
a jacket. Was he wandering the streets of Junction City now, cold,
hungry, and no idea where to go?
It was getting darker out, and T-Rex was terrified of Isaac being
out on the streets. Junction City wasn’t the best of places to be
roaming at night.
“I have to get back. I told my father that I was coming into town
to pick a few things up. If he finds out I came here—”
“He won’t,” T-Rex said. “Get back and I’ll find some way to let
you know if I find Isaac.”
“Just tell the feed store guy,” Robby said. “Jake is cool. He won’t
tell my dad what’s going on.”
T-Rex nodded. “Thank you for coming here and telling me about
Isaac.” He knew that Robby didn’t have to. The guy had taken a huge
risk, and T-Rex would be indebted to the man.
“Peace out,” Robby said as he hurried to the truck. He turned at
the last second and added, “When you find Isaac, tell him I always
knew and we’re cut from the same cloth. Just don’t tell my dad
because I’ll have to break his kneecaps.”
T-Rex frowned.
Robby chuckled. “I told you, Jake is cool. He’s been introducing
me to the Internet and mob movies. I’m hooked. Temple Run, how
awesome is that?”
T-Rex gave the man a warm smile. “I’ll let Isaac know.”
Robby slipped into the truck and then rolled the window down.
“Hey, I don’t have time to stop at the supermarket. You don’t have
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51
any canned tuna on you, do you? It’s my favorite. I need to go home
with something to say I went to the store.”
T-Rex moved inside and went to the kitchen. He grabbed a couple
cans from the pantry, stored them in a paper bag that Sam kept folded
under the sink, and then went back outside and gave the bag to
Robby. “Here. And if you ever need anything, you’re always
welcome here.”
He owed the guy that much.
“Thanks. This is such a cool place. I just might take you up on
your offer.” Robby waved as he backed up, nearly hitting Shott’s
motorcycle, and then drove forward, nearly colliding with T-Rex’s
truck.
The guy couldn’t drive worth shit. All T-Rex could do was wince
until Robby finally pulled away. T-Rex went back inside the house
and asked Gabe for a jacket. Although Gabe was larger than Isaac, he
was the smallest guy in the house. Next T-Rex grabbed some blankets
in case Isaac was cold and then told Shott he’d be back.
“You want me to come with?”
T-Rex shook his head. “But I want you to watch out for Robby.
The guy seems like he has a set of brass balls, but his father is a
tyrant.”
“How do you want me to watch out for him?” Shott asked. “You
want me to sit in his driveway?”
Good point. But T-Rex couldn’t stand the idea of Robby in that
abusive household. The guy had spunk, but he was just as slim and
fragile-looking as Isaac. He’d have to talk with Jake. If Robby was
the one coming into town, Jake would be the go-between.
“Never mind,” he said. “I’ll call you when I find Isaac. Don’t say
anything to the others. I don’t want this to turn into a damn circus. If
Stripper finds out what Isaac’s father did, all hell will break loose.”
Which was the last thing T-Rex wanted. He didn’t need Stripper
going over to the Newtons and trying to blow their damn house up or
interrogating the father. T-Rex could handle this on his own.
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Lynn Hagen
Shott nodded. “I wasn’t really making fun of you when I said—”
“Save it,” T-Rex said as he tucked the blankets under one arm.
“You did mean it, and I don’t hold it against you.”
He walked out, stored the blankets and jacket behind his seat, and
set out to find his mate.
* * * *
Isaac shook violently as he stumbled across an intersection,
holding his hand over his stomach. It took all his concentration to
remain upright. He was hungry, scared, in pain, and moving in a haze
of detached disbelief. His father had actually kicked him out. And that
was after the man had knocked Isaac around and then stomped him
into the floor.
Isaac was angry, hurt, and confused but, most of all, scared.
Junction City wasn’t the best looking place. Most of the houses he’d
passed were boarded up. His brother Henry had driven here, spouting
angrily at Isaac the entire way, and then pulled over—no place in
particular—and had told Isaac to get out.
Isaac had begged his brother not to make him get out of the truck,
had pleaded with him, but Henry had told Isaac if he didn’t get out, he
would forcefully remove Isaac.
Having no other choice, Isaac had gotten out. He’d been
wandering the streets for a good two hours now, unsure of where to
go. It was getting late, and he had no jacket. The coolness was starting
to settle in on his skin, and Isaac shook as he skimmed his hands up
and down his arms.
He turned down the next street, feeling the tears well up in his
eyes as desolation settled in. He’d never spent the night away from
home before. He would give anything to be in his bed right now, but
he still couldn’t find it in himself to regret that kiss. He wouldn’t ever
wish to take it back.
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53
If only there was a way for him to contact T-Rex, but he wasn’t
even sure if the guy would want to be bothered. They had shared a
nice day together, that was all. T-Rex had promised him nothing, and
Isaac wasn’t going to beg the man to take him in.
He spotted a sign over a building that said Rainbow Resources.
Isaac had no clue what that meant, but he noticed a few guys heading
inside. Having no other place to go, he walked in behind the last guy.
The man who had entered walked toward the back of the large center,
but Isaac was stopped at the front desk.
“Can I help you?” The man looked at Isaac, and sympathy filled
his eyes. “Did your boyfriend do that?”
Isaac didn’t understand what the man was talking about until he
remembered that the left side of his face was bruised. It wasn’t from
the initial smack his father had given him. Jacob Newton had knocked
him around for two weeks after that, calling him degenerate names as
he continually told Isaac he was going to burn in hell for lusting after
a man. Life had gotten so bad at home that a small part of him was
relieved to finally be out of there.
Robby had tried to help the best he could, but Isaac had kept
pushing his brother away. He didn’t want Robby to suffer the same
wrath. Isaac had been trying his best to protect the guy.
And now Isaac was all alone in the world. He had no one but
himself. His fingers touched over the bruises and shook his head. “My
father tried to beat the gay out of me.”
The man’s face mottled with anger, and Isaac took a step back,
unsure if he should stay or flee. He didn’t know this man and wasn’t
sure if the guy was dangerous or not.
“Oh, hon,” the man said, “I’m not angry with you. I’m pissed that
people think they can beat up on a gay man and get away with it.” He
came around the desk and offered Isaac a warm smile. “My name is
Rodney. I work here.”
Isaac glanced around at the many cots being pulled into place. He
turned back to Rodney. “Where is here?”
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Lynn Hagen
The man seemed baffled by Isaac’s question. “You’re at a shelter
for gay people who have either been abused or have nowhere else to
go. Sometimes both.”
“People sleep here?” The idea of someplace warm for the night
appealed to Isaac, although he wasn’t sure about sleeping in a room
full of strangers. But it was either that or find someplace outside to
lay his head. He wanted to cry at his predicament. He couldn’t
understand how his father could do something like this to him, but he
held the tears at bay. “Can I stay here?”
“Of course,” Rodney said. “We have room for the night. But as
the weather turns colder, you’ll have to get here earlier in order to
make sure we have available beds.”
Isaac’s stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten
dinner. But that wasn’t anything new lately. His father had made him
skip a lot of meals over the past two weeks. Jacob had made Isaac
kneel on hard kernels of corn and pray for his soul. He would have to
kneel in the kitchen while everyone ate, smelling the delicious food,
but denied even a scrap.
Rodney glanced around and then touched Isaac’s shoulder. “I’m
normally not supposed to feed anyone, but I have some leftovers in
the back office. Would you like some pasta?”
Isaac hesitated.
“I’m not trying to lure you back there. I promise.”
The words I promise rang through his mind. T-Rex had said the
same thing. Isaac’s chest tightened as he thought about the tall and
handsome man. He missed T-Rex something awful and wished he
was back at that service station. That had been the happiest day in his
life, and now all he had was the memory. He still smiled when he
thought of the goofy pictures T-Rex had taken of them in the diner.
If only Isaac had a picture of T-Rex that he could keep tucked
close to him. But he didn’t have a phone, so all he could do was
conjure the man’s image up in his mind.
Cowboy Trouble
55
“Okay,” Isaac said softly, following Rodney. The man opened the
door and turned the light on before grabbing a plastic container off the
desk. “Sit in here and eat it.”
As soon as Rodney popped the lid, the scent had Isaac’s mouth
watering. He stepped cautiously into the office and took a seat on a
folding chair against the wall. Rodney handed him the container and a
fork. “Go ahead and eat it all. I’ve had my fill.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” Isaac asked. His father had
told him how cruel the world was, how people used and killed their
fellow man. That was one of the things that had frightened Isaac the
most when Henry had kicked him out of the truck. He was terrified
that he’d be killed before he could find his bearings.
He was still afraid of everyone around him. Being a bear shifter
meant nothing because Isaac had no clue how to fight. His father
hadn’t let them shift often, only when their bears had insisted on
coming out, tired of being cooped up for too long. Jacob Newton said
their bears were an evil inheritance and they had to atone for their
forefathers’ sins.
Isaac was dying to let his out. His bear was pacing the floors
inside of him, growling at being pent-up for so long. But he was
among humans and couldn’t allow the shift to take over.
After Isaac’s first black eye, Robby had kept a look out while
Isaac shifted and healed. But after his father had seen Isaac heal so
quickly, he threatened Isaac’s life if he ever let his bear out again and
then knocked Isaac around some more, giving him fresh marks that
Isaac had to let heal on their own.
“Because I was in your situation about five years ago,” Rodney
answered. “My dad thought the same thing. He even bought a whore
for me and forced me to have sex with her. He said once I felt pussy,
I’d be cured. When that didn’t happen, he beat me on a regular basis
until I finally ran away. I’ve been on my own since I was sixteen.”
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Lynn Hagen
And here Isaac had thought the past two weeks were a nightmare.
He couldn’t image being forced to have sex with someone he didn’t
want or desire. “How did you survive on the streets?”
The man canted his head to the side. “You’ve never been on the
streets before, have you?”
Isaac shook his head as he tried his hardest not to scarf down the
food Rodney had given him. His stomach was eating its way out, and
he barely tasted the pasta as he shoved it past his lips.
“Well, I can tell you not to trust anyone,” Rodney said and then
smiled. “Except me. Not that I’m a saint, but I don’t believe in
screwing anyone over. Karma and all.”
“Karma?”
“Boy, you really are green.” Rodney sighed. “He just tossed you
out to the wolves. What a bastard.”
Isaac kept quiet as he finished off the food. He wasn’t sure what
to say. Rodney had said Isaac could trust him, but Isaac wasn’t sure
who he could trust. No, that wasn’t right. He knew he could trust T-
Rex, but he wasn’t going to get the man involved. He had briefly
considered Simon, but Isaac was too terrified to step foot back in Bear
County.
He was stuck in Junction City, whether he liked it or not. He was
going to have to learn the ropes in order to survive on the streets. It
wasn’t a situation Isaac ever thought he would find himself in. He
wasn’t prepared, but he was ready to fight for his chance to make it in
this world.
He might have been thrown away, but he would find a way to
survive.
Cowboy Trouble
57
Chapter Six
The following morning, Isaac stayed while the other men who had
slept there took off. They had put their cots away—which was
required—but had headed out at first light. Since Isaac had no idea
where to go, Rodney recruited him to help sweep and mop and tidy
the place up.
“This isn’t what I normally do, but you are kinda growing on me.
I’m afraid to let you leave.” The man smiled. “You’re like a baby
cub.”
“I have to learn to live out there sooner or later,” Isaac stated as he
swept the floor twice. It just didn’t seem to get clean. When was the
last time it had been swept? “I appreciate you trying to protect me, but
I have to face the world.”
“And you don’t have anyone you can call?” Rodney probed. “Not
that I’m trying to get rid of you, but it’s hard to believe a nice guy like
you hasn’t made any friends.”
Isaac shrugged. “I had a friend named Simon, and he tried to get
me to move in with him.”
Rodney hopped up onto the counter and asked, “So what
happened with that?”
“My dad would have flipped if I’d moved out without a good-
paying job or had been accepted to college.” Then Isaac shook his
head. “But I couldn’t get a good-paying job without going to college,
and I couldn’t apply to any colleges without having a computer. I
don’t know the first thing about any of that. I know now that it was
his way of trapping me at home.”
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Lynn Hagen
“Parents can be assholes,” Rodney said. “They don’t always know
what’s best for us.”
“No, they don’t,” Isaac agreed, feeling the bitterness well up
inside of him. He had thought his father all knowing, but as he
reflected back on his childhood and adolescent years, he realized that
the man was fallible.
The man hadn’t always made the right decisions for his family,
and there were times when he couldn’t even provide for them. But
Jacob always said that it was god’s will and that things would work
out. That was his excuse for failing, a crutch he used when he messed
up.
“Don’t you think Simon might be worried about you?” Rodney
asked.
“He might,” Isaac said. “But I don’t want to burden him with my
problems. He just made manager at the local pharmacy not too long
ago and has enough to deal with. I don’t want to screw anything up
for him.” Isaac grabbed the dustpan and emptied the contents before
eyeing the mop bucket. He’d grown up doing chores, and cleaning the
center where he was allowed to sleep was no sweat off of his back.
“I’ll mop,” Rodney said.
“Then I’m going to go for a walk.” Isaac put the broom and
dustpan away. His stomach was still hurting from the beating he’d
taken from his father, but he needed the fresh air.
“Are you sure?”
Isaac had been cooped up at home for long enough, and he was
ready to explore. He had been serious when he’d told Rodney that he
had to get used to living on the streets. If he kept hiding in the shelter,
it would make the transition all the harder when the time came for
him to hit the road.
Isaac wasn’t going to fool himself into thinking this place was
anything permanent. It was a shelter. Temporary. But he was still
scared to face the world.
Cowboy Trouble
59
“I’m going to give you a map,” Rodney said. “I know I have one
in the office somewhere. I’m going to circle all the places you need to
stay away from, bad neighborhoods. Are we clear?”
For the first time since he’d been dumped on the streets, Isaac
smiled. Rodney was fussing over him like— Isaac’s smile
disappeared.
Like a mother. He thought Rodney was acting like a mother hen.
But not even Isaac’s own mother had protected him. She had been just
as outrageous, just as angry when she’d found out that Isaac had been
kissing a man. If anything, she had been worse in her punishments.
Isaac’s hands had been raw from scrubbing so many clothes, from the
endless chores she had piled on him for repentance.
The streets might be a terrifying place, but Isaac would take them
over living at home any day. He felt a pang of guilt over leaving
Robby there, but it was better this way. Robby hadn’t done anything
wrong, and their parents wouldn’t take things out on him.
Rodney came out of the office, map in hand. “Okay, anything I
circled in red is to be avoided at all costs. The blue means it’s safe,
during the day that is. And the green means you’ve entered into snob
territory. Those people will treat you like trash and swear you’re
trying to steal from them. So I’d avoid going there as well.”
“So stay in the blue,” Isaac stated.
“You catch on fast,” Rodney said with a smile. “It’ll be warm
enough for you to explore without a jacket, but I’d make it back here
before the sun sets. The nights are turning a hell of a lot cooler.”
Isaac took the map and read over it. The blue was a very small
area. Rodney had even circled the center in blue a few times, making
it stand out. The guy didn’t want Isaac to get lost.
“Now go and check out Junction City. But damn it, don’t trust
anyone. And that means, if someone offers you food or cash, they
have a motive, and a very bad one. Don’t do it. I’ll bring in some
extra dinner tonight for you.”
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Lynn Hagen
Isaac tucked the map in his pocket and nodded. “Gotcha. Don’t
take anything from strangers. I think every kid learned that when they
were five.”
Rodney laughed. “But you’re so green, and the men on the street
can talk good game. Don’t listen to them, and for fuck’s sake, don’t
go anywhere with them.”
Taking a deep breath, Isaac walked out into the sun-filled day to
explore the world around him.
* * * *
T-Rex had scoured the streets half the night and hadn’t found
Isaac. He was going insane. If he could find Isaac, T-Rex would make
damn certain his mate didn’t spend another night on the streets. The
idea of Isaac being there now made him want to put his fist through
the wall. Or more accurately, he wanted to throat punch Jacob
Newton.
He sat in his office staring broodingly at the pile of documents in
front of him, but T-Rex didn’t feel like working. It had been four days
since Robby had come to him, and T-Rex hadn’t been any closer to
finding where Isaac was. It wasn’t for a lack of trying on his part.
Every evening he set out, scouring Junction City, but came up empty
handed.
Grabbing his keys, T-Rex had started to head out when Shott
came into the office. “I’m going with you.” And then Stripper and
Mason came in as well, saying the same thing.
“It’ll be better to have more than one person looking,” Stripper
stated. “We can cover more ground.”
“Thanks,” T-Rex said.
“You should have told us what was happening in the first place,”
Stripper admonished him. “We’re family. We don’t go it alone.”
Stripper cut a glare at Shott. “Some people shouldn’t have kept what
was going on a secret.”
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61
Shott shrugged but didn’t look repentant. T-Rex had asked the
man not to say anything, and Shott hadn’t.
“You’ve been there for us,” Stripper pointed out. “So stop acting
like a one man army and let us help you.”
“I don’t know about family,” Mason said as he stood in the
doorway, lumbering over Shott and Stripper, “but I’d like to help.”
“Then let’s head out.” T-Rex was wasting time. The longer Isaac
stayed out there, the worse his chances were. Junction City wasn’t a
place for someone like Isaac. The man would be eaten alive by the
streets. That thought had weighed heavy on T-Rex’s mind over the
past four days.
They took two separate vehicles, and T-Rex had forwarded
Stripper and Mason a picture of Isaac from his cell phone. It was the
one he’d taken in the diner of Isaac laughing. T-Rex had looked at
that image at least a thousand times since he’d taken it. The man’s
dark hair and amber eyes called to a part of T-Rex that he never knew
existed. He wanted to protect Isaac from the world. He was going to
find Isaac tonight, or T-Rex would tear this town apart.
Isaac was going to come home with him. There wasn’t going to be
a debate about it. The man was his. Enough said.
They rode over railroad tracks, and then the two vehicles split up,
T-Rex and Shott going south, Stripper and Mason heading west. He
drove slowly, checking every alleyway, every alcove, and glanced at
every person walking down the street.
“He’s my mate,” T-Rex confessed to Shott in the dark interior of
the truck. “I talked it over with Sparrow. Isaac said I smelled like
leather and cedar. I also feel like I’m going to go insane if I don’t find
him.”
“We’ll find him,” Shott said. “We won’t leave until we do.” There
was finality in the man’s voice, and T-Rex appreciated it. He’d
always been the one in control, the one who followed all the rules. He
was the oldest in the unit and the most mature, but at the moment, he
felt as if he were falling apart.
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Lynn Hagen
The thought of raising a family with Isaac settled around T-Rex
like a warm blanket. He looked forward to raising his children on the
ranch. Yes, he wanted more than one child. Both he and Isaac had
grown up in a large family, and T-Rex wanted one of his own. He
couldn’t think of anyone he’d rather start that family with than Isaac.
They combed the streets for hours, and T-Rex felt as if he would
never find Isaac. How could one man just disappear like that?
Junction City was not large. Although Bear County was smaller, it
wasn’t like this place was metropolitan. He should be able to find one
lone man.
He turned down the next street, finding himself under a bridge.
The streetlights were out, making it harder for him to see. He and
Shott checked the faces of the homeless who were scattered about,
some in torn tents, some huddled by a burning trashcan. T-Rex’s heart
went out to the less fortunate. He couldn’t believe the number of
homeless people in this town.
Lost souls. He’d seen faces like this in other countries when he
was in the service and on a few assignments for his business. It
seemed only the scenery changed. The faces still looked desolate,
hopeless. The worst was when he saw children out on the streets, with
no place to go. T-Rex knew he couldn’t save them all, but that didn’t
stop his heart from going out to them.
T-Rex decided to get out and search on foot. There were too many
here to conduct a quick face sweep. He parked his truck and walked
among the vagabonds. Shott was across the street, doing the same. T-
Rex tried to seem less intimidating, especially when he came across
women huddled in makeshift shelters of either cardboard or old, torn
sheets. It was like a Third World country right here under this bridge,
its own community of misplaced people.
He wondered what the town was doing to help these people. The
number was astounding. There had to be at least two dozen men and
woman calling this space home.
Cowboy Trouble
63
T-Rex was going to ask Sparrow about the homeless in Bear
County. This bothered him down to his bones. It was a reality check
of just how good his life truly was.
He stopped when he saw a woman huddled close to a smaller
person. At first T-Rex thought it was a child. The person was curled
in, shaking slightly under a grubby blanket. It was the hair that caught
T-Rex’s attention. He moved closer and gave the woman a
nonthreatening smile.
“I’m looking for a friend,” he said. He would have said lover, but
that wouldn’t have been accurate. Besides, he wanted to seem as
friendly as possible. “His name is Isaac.”
The bundle next to her moved, and then amber-gold eyes peeked
out at him. T-Rex’s heart tightened when he saw the bruises on the
man’s face and the terrified look in his eyes. “Isaac?”
The man began to shake even harder, and tears formed in his eyes,
catching on his thick lashes. “T-Rex?”
Isaac’s voice was barely audible. The man sat up, staring at T-Rex
as if he were looking at a ghost. T-Rex’s jaw flexed when he saw how
filthy Isaac was and the yellowing marks that marred the man’s face.
“I lost the map,” Isaac stated, and then the tears began to fall. “I
tried so hard to find the shelter, but I couldn’t remember where it
was.”
Without thought, T-Rex reached down and pulled Isaac from the
alcove he was nestled in. The woman stood, her fists coming up.
“You leave him alone!”
T-Rex reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty. He handed
it to the woman. “Isaac is my friend, and I’m taking him home. He’s
safe.”
She looked from T-Rex to Isaac, who was still huddled under the
grungy blanket. “Is that true?”
Isaac nodded. “I know him.”
T-Rex shouted over his shoulder. “Shott, get me the blankets from
the truck.”
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Lynn Hagen
When Shott brought them to him, T-Rex took the one from around
Isaac and handed it back to the woman. He also gave her a few more
blankets as well. He saved one to wrap around Isaac before he
thanked the lady for looking out for Isaac and then took his mate to
the truck.
“I lost the map,” Isaac repeated as he curled into T-Rex’s arms. “I
couldn’t find the place.”
T-Rex gave Shott the keys and then slid into the passenger’s side,
keeping Isaac close to him. “You don’t need the map anymore. I’m
taking you home.”
“I can’t.” Isaac tried to sit up, panic spreading through his eyes. “I
can’t go back to Bear County.”
T-Rex soothed his hand down Isaac’s back. “Your father isn’t
going to come anywhere near you. I promise.”
“I can’t get you involved in this,” Isaac said as he continued to
struggle.
“I run a bodyguard business, Isaac. I can handle one bear shifter.”
Isaac’s eyes widened even farther. “You never told me that.”
“It never came up,” T-Rex said. “I protect people for a living and
live with bear shifters. You’ll be safe.”
“You knew I was a bear shifter?” Isaac asked.
T-Rex leaned closer, uncaring that Isaac smelled of the streets. He
finally had the man in his arms, and he planned on never letting Isaac
go. “I also know that you are my mate, and nothing short of the world
ending will stop me from protecting you.”
* * * *
Isaac stood under the hot spray of water, washing away four days’
worth of grime. Never had he enjoyed a shower so much. He washed
his hair twice and his body three times before he felt whole again. He
tilted his head upward, letting the spray wash over his face and down
Cowboy Trouble
65
his neck. Isaac remained in the shower until his body grew heavy and
sluggish from being exposed to the intense heat for so long.
After rinsing his hair one last time, he reluctantly turned off the
water and stepped out. Isaac turned to survey his reflection in the
mirror. He looked like death warmed over. Fatigued. Worried. Scared.
Thinner.
There were a million descriptions that swirled in his mind to
define how he felt and looked.
He closed his eyes and swayed slightly until he gripped the edge
of the counter to steady himself. He was finally safe, even if he had
no idea how T-Rex had known they were mates. Not even Isaac had
known that. His mother had never taught him about mates, and all he
knew was that T-Rex smelled wonderful.
But he was in a place where no one could possibly find him.
Where even Jacob Newton wouldn’t know where Isaac was.
A reprieve. For now. But he knew he couldn’t hide out here
forever. Sooner or later his father would find out that he was back in
Bear County, and Isaac wasn’t sure what the man would do then.
“Are you okay in there?” T-Rex asked through the bathroom door.
Isaac wrapped the fluffy towel around his waist and then opened
the door to see T-Rex standing there, towering over him. There were
clothes clutched in the man’s hands. “I borrowed these from Gabe.
He’s the smallest in the house. Tomorrow we’ll go and get you some
clothes that fit.”
Isaac took the offered clothes and then closed the bathroom door
to dress. Once he had the pajamas on, he entered the bedroom. He
was nervous about the sleeping arrangements. He’d never slept with a
man before. Would T-Rex want to have sex? The thought excited and
terrified him in the same measure.
“You need rest.” T-Rex guided him to the bed. The man wore
only underwear, boxers, and Isaac got his first eyeful of what the man
looked like without clothes.
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Lynn Hagen
T-Rex was powerfully built, well proportioned, and his body
seemed to go one for miles. Isaac felt like a shrimp next to the man.
He gazed over golden skin and wondered what it would feel like to
run his hands over the man’s chiseled form.
After pushing the blankets aside, T-Rex crawled into bed and then
patted the empty space next to him. “Let’s get some sleep, and we’ll
work things out tomorrow.”
Isaac hesitated and then crawled into the bed, curling into T-Rex’s
warm body. At that very moment, Isaac had never felt so safe and
content. T-Rex pulled the blankets over them and then curled his arms
around Isaac, cocooning him in.
“Tell me nobody bothered you on the streets,” T-Rex whispered to
him. “Tell me you were as safe as you could be.”
“I was terrified,” Isaac admitted. “The first night I slept behind a
dumpster. After that, I found a shelter but couldn’t find my way back
after I’d left. And then Mildred befriended me. She was the woman
you spoke to tonight. She took me under the bridge and watched out
for me.”
“But did anyone bother you?” T-Rex asked.
Isaac shook his head. “The people under the bridge were kind.
They’re sort of like a family, watching out for each other. A few
punks had come through on the second night, trying to cause trouble.
But they were chased away.”
Isaac closed his mind to the past four days. He didn’t want to
think about it. He didn’t want to think about his father casting him
away. The betrayal hurt too badly. Isaac didn’t think he would ever
feel safe again, ever feel warm again. But as he lay next to T-Rex, the
cold was finally seeping out of his bones.
“Robby came by the night it happened,” T-Rex said. “He told me
to tell you that he always knew you two were cut from the same
cloth.” T-Rex hugged Isaac tighter. “I’ve been looking for you since
that night. I thought I’d never find you.”
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67
Isaac’s throat tightened. Robby had known? Why hadn’t he said
anything to Isaac? It would have been nice to have someone to talk to
about how he felt inside. Now more than ever he missed his younger
brother. “If my dad ever finds out about Robby—”
“Your brother seems pretty smart,” T-Rex replied. “I’m sure he
knows not to say anything to your father about being gay.”
“I’ve been told my entire life that it’s a sin,” Isaac confessed.
“That it’s wrong to lay with another man.”
T-Rex’s hand slid up Isaac’s arm. The move sent shivers over
Isaac’s body. “Tell me how it’s wrong to love someone? How is it a
sin to give someone your heart? Gender shouldn’t matter, only how
you treat that person.”
“I don’t know,” Isaac admitted.
“My parents adore each other,” T-Rex said. “But I’ve seen
volatile relationships between a man and a woman. I’ve seen the same
between gay couples. I’ve also seen how two men can love each other
so much that they would give their lives for each other. I live with
men who have mated with a male. And to be honest, I’m envious of
how much they love each other.”
“How did you know we were mates?” Isaac asked. “We could just
have a strong attraction toward one another.”
“My scent,” T-Rex replied. “The way I smell to you and how
crazy I was going without you in my arms. A friend of mine clued me
in to what was happening. But I’ve lived with bear shifters for so long
that I would have figured it out.”
“Are you sure?”
T-Rex’s hand slid down Isaac’s arm and then wrapped around his
waist. “There’s only one sure way to find out.”
“How?” Isaac asked. He hated that he was clueless and that this
human knew more about mating than he did. It only went to show him
how truly sheltered he had been. His parents had kept him in the dark
about a lot of things. And for the first time in his life, he resented
them for that.
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Lynn Hagen
T-Rex turned Isaac over until they were staring at each other.
Isaac had never felt so branded at the man’s intense eyes. The blue
sparkled like diamonds and had Isaac’s breath catching in his throat.
How could someone this handsome be interested in him?
“You would become pregnant with my child.” T-Rex replied. “I
don’t understand how you don’t know this.”
Isaac was stunned by what the man had just said. Pregnant? He’d
devoured every book he could get his hands on and listened to Simon
talk about sex. Isaac was book smart, had learned a lot over the course
of his life, but there were some things that weren’t taught in a book.
There were some things that weren’t covered growing up. Bear shifter
mating was one of them. T-Rex was worldly, sophisticated, a man’s
man, while Isaac grappled in the dark to find his way.
Pregnant.
Isaac wasn’t sure what to say or do.
T-Rex placed a kiss on Isaac’s forehead. “It doesn’t matter.
You’re here now. Get some sleep.”
Isaac closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of being wrapped
protectively in T-Rex’s arms. He’d worry about his future tomorrow.
There would be plenty of time to freak out over his situation once he
got some rest.
Cowboy Trouble
69
Chapter Seven
Isaac lay there in bed, looking around the darkened room. T-Rex
had gotten up and gone to the bathroom, and Isaac looked at the clock
to see it was nearly four the morning. He’d gotten some sleep but had
tossed and turned most of the night. Isaac kept waking up, expecting
to find himself curled next to Mildred.
But he wasn’t. He was safe and in T-Rex’s bed. The bathroom
door opened, and even though T-Rex was human, the man moved
with a predatory grace. He watched as the guy moved across the room
toward the bed. Silent.
Isaac closed his eyes and pretended to be sleep when he felt the
bed dip, but T-Rex must have known he was awake. “So small and so
beautiful.” T-Rex’s head lowered, and his lips brushed against Isaac’s
ear. “Do you believe that you belong to me, Isaac?”
One hand gripped Isaac’s hip and jerked him against the steel-
hard wedge of T-Rex’s cock beneath his boxers. His other hand
cradled Isaac’s head and made him turn. “Do you?” The man’s lip
brushed Isaac’s.
Isaac caught his breath. He felt caught in a web of seduction and
impending pleasure that felt right, yet Isaac had no idea what to do.
“Yes,” he answered. “I feel a bond growing between us.”
T-Rex’s lips pressed against Isaac’s, parted them, sipped from
Isaac as though arousal was ambrosia and T-Rex was dying for it. The
man’s tongue stroked over Isaac’s lips and slid inside, caressed
Isaac’s tongue, lips, tasted. A hum of pleasure rushed through Isaac as
he felt T-Rex’s hands moving slowly up his back.
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Lynn Hagen
Isaac wanted to touch. He placed his hands on T-Rex’s chest, over
muscled flesh, tough, invincible, as T-Rex pulled Isaac closer and
lifted him tighter against the man. The hard proof of T-Rex’s erection
nudged against Isaac’s stomach. It pressed into him and reminded
Isaac that he was alone, with a man, and naked.
Sexual need, excitement, and a rush of emotions that made no
sense crowded in on Isaac. His flesh heated, burned. Wherever T-Rex
touched, wherever the warmth of his body caressed Isaac, triggered
such a rush of pleasure racing through Isaac that he felt dizzy.
A moan whispered from Isaac’s lips as he pushed his hands into
T-Rex’s hair, gripping the strands, feeling the softness of it. So little
in his life was familiar anymore. Isaac needed an anchor. He needed
to feel loved and wanted. T-Rex’s kiss was magic. There was just no
other word for it.
“Tanner.” Isaac whispered the man’s name as T-Rex’s lips slid
down Isaac’s cheek, the curve of his jaw, to his neck. Nerve endings
tingled with a rush of pure sensation, white-hot and intense as it
washed through Isaac’s body.
T-Rex groaned. “I love when you say my name.”
Callus fingertips moved over Isaac, caressed him. Isaac fought to
hold on to a sense of balance as T-Rex slid Isaac's pajama pants off
and tossed them aside before the man tugged his boxers off. When he
settled back into place, the pad of T-Rex’s thumb raked over the head
of Isaac’s cock.
The sensation was exquisite.
As Isaac arched against T-Rex, his legs parted for the hard thigh
pressed between his, lifting him, forcing Isaac to ride the contours of
T-Rex’s leg as he ground his balls against the man.
Isaac ached as though sex were more than a want. He ached as
though it were imperative
to his very being. A cascade of heated
sensations flooded his body, making his cock hard as he fought to
breathe.
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T-Rex’s mouth found Isaac’s nipple, and the lash of the man’s
tongue had Isaac’s eyelids fluttering, had sensation shooting straight
to his cock and beyond as a wild, ragged cry left Isaac’s lips.
“Come for me, baby.” T-Rex’s voice was rough and raspy.
Isaac gasped for air as T-Rex took Isaac’s lips in a kiss, the man’s
tongue licking along Isaac’s as T-Rex’s fingers slid down Isaac’s ass,
gripping him closer. Arcs of pleasure tore through Isaac as his legs
tightened and he rode the man’s powerful thigh.
“I’ve dreamt about this,” T-Rex growled against Isaac’s lips as the
man gave Isaac a moment to breathe. “I want to bury my cock deep
inside of you. I want to feel you quivering in my arms, calling my
name.”
Heat flushed Isaac’s face at the explicit words. He wanted T-Rex
to take him, to ease the hard knot of hunger tightening inside of him.
His hips arched closer, the friction nearly shattering him.
T-Rex chuckled, a breath of male hunger in amusement, as his
fingers rubbed over Isaac’s ass. “You want that too, don’t you?”
A shudder tore through Isaac. He wanted to feel T-Rex inside of
him badly. It was all he could think about, all he wanted. “Make love
to me, please.”
He no longer cared if being with T-Rex was a sin. It didn’t matter.
Nothing mattered at the feel of T-Rex’s hands, his kiss, his touch.
Isaac burned for it. He twisted his body closer, feeling his canines
elongating.
T-Rex lifted his head and gazed at Isaac as if Isaac was the most
beautiful creature on earth. “I want you to bite me. I want to feel your
teeth sinking into me as I fuck you.”
T-Rex rolled, placing Isaac beneath his powerful body. The man’s
hands were everywhere, caressing, touching, learning every inch of
Isaac’s body. Isaac cried out breathlessly when T-Rex swallowed his
cock. Spirals of sensation crashed through him, making his body
shake as his fingers clutched into T-Rex’s hair.
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Isaac writhed, riding the waves of pleasure. He spread his legs
farther apart, amazed that a man of T-Rex’s caliber would even
consider sucking another man’s cock. The man devoured him as Isaac
thrashed his head back and forth.
And then a wet finger slid inside Isaac’s ass. A fiery aching
pleasure centered in the very core of Isaac, convulsing through his
body as he teetered close to the edge. The pressure was building
inside of him, making his body jerk as T-Rex inserted another finger.
T-Rex’s tongue was like a lash of pure sensation, licking,
stroking, causing Isaac’s body to arch as Isaac fought to get closer to
the incredible agony of pleasure.
He never knew that sex could be this good. He ached deep inside
and knew that once would never be enough. A hard growl tore from
T-Rex’s lips. His fingers delved deeper into Isaac’s ass, scissoring,
stretching him. The man stroked inside Isaac with tight, forceful
thrusts.
And then Isaac shattered. His body convulsed as T-Rex drank him
down. The man devoured him before he reared back and then drove
his cock deep inside Isaac’s body.
Isaac cried out. His fingers dug into T-Rex’s flesh as his pleasure
turned to pain.
“Breathe, baby,” T-Rex said as he settled his body over Isaac’s.
“You have to relax.”
Isaac felt something slippery at his backside and then turned his
head to see a bottle of lube on the bed. He had been so lost that he
hadn’t even realized what T-Rex had been doing. But he fought to
accommodate the man’s sheer size, panting, gritting his teeth.
“You can take me,” T-Rex whispered as his lips trailed down
Isaac’s neck. The man started to move his hips, and Isaac’s world
began to once again fall apart. Sensations lashed through him. T-Rex
lifted his head, and his expression was tight with hunger, with sensual
pleasure, as the man stared into Isaac’s eyes.
Isaac became lost in the gaze.
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73
“Your body is like pure ecstasy.” T-Rex’s voice was a hoarse rasp
of complete pleasure that tore from his chest. Isaac wrapped his legs
around T-Rex’s waist and lifted his ass higher. T-Rex gave a low
growl as his thrusts became more demanding.
Rapid-fire pulses of sensation raced through Isaac’s body,
tightening through his balls, and tore across his nerve endings as he
fought not to come. He’d already had one orgasm, and he knew
another would wipe him out. He didn’t want this to end.
“Look.” T-Rex’s eyes lowered, and Isaac’s gaze followed. His
breath came out in a gasp as he watched T-Rex’s cock slide in and out
of him. “So beautiful,” T-Rex said. “This could never be wrong.”
Isaac became submerged in sensations that washed over him with
the force of a tidal wave. His hand slid down T-Rex’s shoulder and
around the man’s swollen biceps. He luxuriated in touching T-Rex.
His mate. The man was right. Something this beautiful couldn’t be
wrong.
Heat surged inside of him, built around him. Isaac knew that he
wasn’t going to be able to hold back. T-Rex’s thrusts deepened, and
white-hot, blinding pleasure exploded inside of Isaac a force that had
him arching hard against his mate.
“Son of a bitch,” T-Rex shouted before the man’s teeth clamped
onto Isaac’s shoulder. The bite was forceful, making Isaac scream out.
He scented blood in the air and knew that T-Rex had broken skin. The
man was like a beast unleashed as he pounded into Isaac’s ass.
Isaac forgot about T-Rex’s demand. He forgot about biting his
mate, forgot about everything except the sensations bursting through
him.
T-Rex lifted his head, and Isaac saw the sweat dripping down the
man’s face as he buried his cock inside Isaac to the hilt. Isaac
collapsed against the bed, his legs falling from T-Rex’s sides. He was
exhausted.
“I’ve never done that before,” T-Rex said as he kissed Isaac
shoulder. “I’ve never bitten anyone in my life.”
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Easing his cock free, T-Rex stretched out and then stroked his
hand down Isaac’s side. “Did I hurt you?”
Isaac couldn’t stop the smile from surfacing. He rolled and then
curled into his mate’s side. “You made me feel a lot of things, but
pain wasn’t one of them.”
Okay, not entirely the truth. But Isaac wasn’t going to ruin the
moment.
Dipping his head, T-Rex placed a kiss over each of Isaac’s
eyelids. “Try to get a little more sleep. We have a full day ahead of
us.”
Isaac had no problem following the man’s request. He was bone-
weary and ready to sleep for the rest of the day. He closed his eyes
and smiled to himself as he felt the heat of T-Rex’s body surrounding
him.
* * * *
Isaac quickly realized that shopping was not his thing. He stood in
the middle of the store feeling a mental numbness as he brought a
shaky hand to his forehead and rubbed back and forth. His mother had
always made his clothes. He didn’t even know his size.
“Don’t let this overwhelm you,” Gabe said. T-Rex thought it
would be a good idea to bring Gabe along. T-Rex had stated that he
wasn’t any good at shopping. Neither was Isaac.
“I don’t know where to begin,” Isaac said. He felt like a goober
because he didn’t know how to shop for clothes.
“What you like to wear?” Gabe asked as he searched a rack of
shirts.
Isaac had no clue. He’d never had to make the choice before. He
scratched at his head and then thought about Simon. “What about
Goth?”
Gabe shook his head. “You don’t have the look. Let me see what I
can come up with.”
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75
Isaac followed Gabe around like a lost puppy. T-Rex was over in
the hunting section, looking at guns. Isaac was half tempted to join his
mate, but T-Rex had been adamant about Isaac getting some clothes.
Gabe walked around the store as if he had shopped a thousand
times. He grabbed dress shirts off of racks and jeans out of
cubbyholes. Isaac picked up a shirt with loud colors, and Gabe shook
his head. Isaac was coming to realize that he had no fashion sense.
By the time Gabe was finished, his arms were loaded. He set the
things on the counter and then told the salesman, “We’re still
shopping.”
Still shopping? How much more did Isaac need? It already looked
as if Isaac had a month’s worth of clothes. Gabe led them over to
another section of the store. Isaac just stood there as the man shopped
for underwear, socks, T-shirts, and pajamas. Gabe even pulled a few
robes off the rack. Next they went over to the shoe department, and
Isaac ended up with a pair of sneakers, two pairs of dress shoes, and
some boots.
“I don’t think I need all of this,” Isaac said. “A few outfits, some
underwear, and one pair of shoes will do just fine.”
Gabe looked to where T-Rex was examining some gun scopes
before he said, “When a man offers to buy you clothes, you don’t just
get a few outfits.”
Isaac knew that Gabe came from money. T-Rex had filled Isaac in
on a lot of the men’s backgrounds. Nothing too personal, but enough
that Isaac would feel more comfortable around everyone. Gabe was
used to shopping. The man probably bought five-hundred-dollar
jeans. Isaac was a simple man. He didn’t need anything fancy.
“I’m not trying to break T-Rex’s bank account,” Isaac said. The
man had already given Isaac enough. He was grateful for the roof
over his head. Isaac didn’t want his mate to think he was frivolous.
A bark of laughter left Gabe’s lips. “I don’t think you have to
worry about that.”
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Isaac had no idea what that meant. He was itching to get out of the
store. He was not comfortable spending T-Rex’s money.
Gabe’s sighed. “Fine, we’re done anyway.”
T-Rex finally joined them, and Isaac moved close to the door. He
couldn’t bear to see the total. Gabe had shopped like the store was
going out of business. As Isaac glanced out the large window, he
spotted Simon. He rushed from the store and grabbed his friend’s arm.
Simon turned, and his eyes widened “Isaac!” The man hugged
him. “Damn, it’s good to see you.”
Isaac felt the same way. “I’m staying at the Big Bear Ranch now.
Come by and see me.” He wasn’t sure if T-Rex would have a problem
with Isaac inviting anyone over, but he wanted to catch up with his
friend. Simon could be rough around the edges, but he was pretty sure
T-Rex wouldn’t mind if Simon came around.
Simon winked at him. “I see you lost the Walton look.”
Isaac was wearing one of Gabe’s outfits. It was kind of big on
him, but his old clothes had to be thrown away. He was dressed in a
pair of jeans and a simple T-shirt.
“It looks good on you,” Simon commented. “All you have to do is
let your hair grow out a little and you’ll look like a true rebel.”
Just then T-Rex and Gabe walked out of the store, hands filled
with bags. They stored them in the SUV before T-Rex joined Isaac.
Simon narrowed his eyes at T-Rex. “You were supposed to call me
when you found him.”
“I just found him last night,” T-Rex replied.
“You still could’ve called,” Simon snapped.
Isaac groaned. If these two didn’t get along, then there was no
hope of Simon visiting. He didn’t want his mate and his friend at each
other’s throat. Isaac stepped between the two and steered Simon
away. “Be nice.”
“Are you okay?” Simon whispered. “That’s pretty fucked up with
your dad did. I swear I want to go over there and kick him in the face
with my fist.”
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77
Isaac chuckled. “That doesn’t even make any sense.”
Simon let out a long breath. “Just as long as you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” Isaac said. “Why don’t you come by for dinner?”
“Got plans,” Simon said. “I’ll take you up on your offer some
other time.”
They said their goodbyes, and then Isaac slid into the front of the
SUV. As T-Rex drove into town, Isaac’s nerves were coiled. He was
terrified that he would run into his father. His mate had reassured him
that he was safe, but Isaac didn’t want to face his dad. He wasn’t sure
what the man would do, but he also didn’t want to see the
disappointment in his father’s eyes.
His life had changed so drastically over the past couple weeks. All
because of one toe curling kiss. No, all because of his dad’s narrow-
minded bigotry. Isaac knew that he would never see his older brothers
again. None of them would want anything to do with him.
But would hurt the most was the fact that his parents could forget
about him so easily.
T-Rex reached over and slid his hand into Isaac’s. “No sad faces.”
Isaac chewed on his lower lip as he nodded. He gave his mate a
halfhearted smile before glancing out the window. His heart nearly
beat out of his chest when he spotted his father in front of the feed
store.
The man was still as mean looking as ever. He was storing some
things in the back of the truck, and Isaac felt like sliding down in his
seat.
“You’re safe,” T-Rex said as he squeezed Isaac’s hand. “He won’t
hurt you.”
Isaac wished that he couldn’t believe that. But when your own
father had turned into a monster before your very eyes, the pain of the
abuse surfaced.
As they drove past, Isaac chanced a look. His blood turned to ice
when his father’s eyes locked with his. Isaac had been wrong.
Disappointment didn’t color his father’s eyes.
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Hate did.
* * * *
Okay, he could do this. It was a brand-new life, and he was going
to embrace it. A lot of people started over. Isaac could do the same.
He turned sideways in the full-length mirror, examining himself in the
buff. He’d never looked at himself fully naked before.
God, he really did have a tiny physique. He patted his butt,
wondering if it would get any bigger when he became pregnant. He
hoped so. Sadly, he didn’t have much back there at this moment.
Thank fate that he’d been nicely endowed in the cock department, or
he would’ve been doomed to that spinster life Simon had been talking
about.
Maybe if he ate a little more, he’d gain some weight in all the
right places. Isaac cut his eyes to the bed where all of his new clothes
lay. He bit his lip as he smiled and decided he liked the idea of
forming a new look. Why the heck not?
If he was going to start a new life, he needed to start a new
identity. He was no longer Jacob Newton’s son. He was Isaac
Newton, a free man, a Christopher Columbus ready to explore new
things and—
“Goddamn.” T-Rex growled the word as he strode in and closed
the door. “Now that’s what I like to see when I walk into my
bedroom. A gorgeous naked man waiting for me.”
Isaac instinctively felt the need to cover his nudity. Although he
was a bear shifter, he and his brothers had been very modest at home.
His hands slid in front of him to cover his groin.
“Uh-uh,” T-Rex said. “Turn for me, sweetheart.”
“Turn?”
The man twirled his finger as if stirring something. “I want to see
all of you.” T-Rex’s blue eyes turned molten as he took a seat on the
bed and reclined back.
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79
“I was just going to try on my clothes.” Isaac glanced at the outfits
on the bed as he felt his entire body heat from embarrassment.
“Okay, but you have to dress very slowly and then undress the
same way.” T-Rex’s eyes were on fire. If the man looked any more
turned on, Isaac would melt into the floor. He was just thinking that
this was his new life, so he was going to embrace it—no matter how
nervous he was.
Steeling his spine, Isaac walked over to the bed, forcing himself to
lower his hands. If he was going to be with T-Rex for the rest of his
life, he needed to throw modesty out the window. Besides, the man
had seen every part of him already. The man had made love to him.
This shouldn’t be a big deal.
He reached for his boxers, and T-Rex grabbed his wrist. “Give me
your back when you put them on.”
Isaac gave his mate what he hoped was a seductive smile before
he nodded. T-Rex released him, and Isaac snagged the underwear
before moving away from the bed.
He’d bent at the waist to pull them on when he heard a low groan.
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw his mate slowly lowering his
zipper. Watching Isaac putting on underwear turned the guy on?
Biting his lower lip, Isaac wiggled a little more than usual, rotating
his hips slowly and seductively as he pulled the material up his legs.
“Damn,” T-Rex said with a low moan. Isaac had the boxers
halfway up his legs before he felt hands on his hips. “I want you to
move like that when I’m buried deep inside of you.”
Isaac’s breath caught in his throat when T-Rex lifted him off his
feet and placed him on the bed. His head fell back, and his hips
arched forward when T-Rex took Isaac into his mouth.
So much for trying clothes on. But this alternative was so much
better. He’d have to remember to be naked in their bedroom more
often—especially if T-Rex reacted this way to his nudity. A boldness
he’d never known before surfaced, and Isaac wanted nothing more
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than to please the man, to show T-Rex that he wanted this relationship
just as much as his mate did.
His upbringing tried to stop him from wanting such naughty
things, but Isaac pushed those thoughts aside and writhed under T-
Rex, enjoying everything the man was doing to him. His mate was
right. Love couldn’t be wrong, no matter the gender.
T-Rex pulled back, letting Isaac’s cock slip from his mouth. His
eyes were almost glowing as he stood and began to undress. Isaac
could only lie there and watch. The man was so tall, so lean, and so
damn gorgeous.
“I’m gonna make you purr, kitten,” T-Rex promised as he tossed
his jeans aside. His mate grabbed Isaac’s hand and pulled him from
the bed. He had no clue where the man was taking him.
T-Rex opened the French doors in his bedroom, and the sunlight
spilled in. Isaac took a step back, wondering if the man had lost his
mind. There was no way he was going out there. Not a chance. Isaac
might be
turning the page to begin a new chapter in his life
, but
having sex outside where everyone could see them was out of the
question. From where he was standing, he could see men off in the
distance.
They would have no problem spotting my pale ass.
“What are you doing?” Isaac asked as he tried to tug his hand free.
There was no way he was stepping out there.
“Let me show you.” T-Rex sat on the carpet and then leaned back,
spreading his legs. “I want you to ride me.”
Isaac stared at the man’s protruding cock and swallowed. T-Rex
had taken him already, and Isaac shouldn’t be so worried. But now
that he was getting a damn good look at the thick length, Isaac
wondered how it had ever fit inside of him.
T-Rex chuckled. “Don’t be shy. Come on, climb aboard.”
Before taking a seat on the T-Rex Express, Isaac snagged the lube
from the nightstand. He took a moment to gaze at the man spread out
before him, and his heart caught in his throat. Was it possible to fall in
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81
love with someone so soon after meeting him? It hadn’t been long
since Isaac had first laid eyes on the man outside the sheriff’s station,
yet it felt like a lifetime ago.
“Something wrong?” T-Rex asked. “If you’re not comfortable
having sex this way—”
“No,” Isaac said quickly. “I was just wondering how long I had to
wait before I was allowed to fall in love with you.”
T-Rex’s blue eyes softened before he reached his hand out to
Isaac. Isaac went back to his mate and took the hand, letting T-Rex
guide him until he was straddling the man’s lap. T-Rex sat up straight
and brushed his knuckles over Isaac’s face. “Do you love me?”
Isaac shrugged. “I’m not sure. What does being in love feel like?”
Dipping his head, T-Rex kissed Isaac softly on the lips. “Tell me
how you feel whenever you’re around me, how you feel when I’m
nowhere near you.”
“Twisted up inside,” Isaac said. “Whenever you’re near or
nowhere in sight, my gut is tied into a thousand knots. But when I do
see you, when you’re near, my heart feels as if it’ll burst, and my
throat goes dry. I’d do anything for you, Tanner. Anything.”
And that was the honest truth. He didn’t even want to think about
not having T-Rex in his life. It hurt too badly.
“Then you, my precious mate, are in love.”
“And you?” Isaac asked, terrified that he was the only one who
felt those chaotic emotions.
T-Rex framed Isaac’s face and gave him a warm smile. “I think
I’ve been in love with you from the first moment I laid eyes on you.”
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Chapter Eight
The following day, T-Rex received a call from his eldest brother.
He hadn’t told anyone he was related to the vice president of the Blue
Angels. They both agreed it was better that way. The only reason T-
Rex had been worried when the threat of the Blue Angels was on
them almost a year ago was because not even the president knew T-
Rex and Marcus’s relationship.
But the situation had been defused—aside from Cameron’s father
trying to kill his own damn son.
“I need to meet with you,” Marcus said.
T-Rex moved until he was in his office and then closed the door.
“What’s going on?”
Marcus kept quiet for a long time before he finally said, “Can you
meet me?”
Family was everything to T-Rex. He would do anything for any of
them. “When and where?”
“Meet me at the old creek where we used to play,” Marcus said.
“Tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll be there.” T-Rex hung up, wondering what the secret meeting
was about. He knew Marcus wouldn’t call him unless it was
important. The only time they were together was family gatherings.
Other than that, they pretty much kept their distance from each other.
For obvious reasons, of course.
He thought about the phone call for the rest of the day until it was
time to shut things down and head to bed. T-Rex tossed and turned all
night until the sun finally began to rise. He got up, showered, and then
dressed. He was taking his motorcycle.
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83
“How long will you be gone?” Isaac asked as he stood by the
bathroom door.
“Not long,” T-Rex said. He was trying his hardest not to think of
the worst. Marcus had sounded too damn serious on the phone. T-Rex
had also confided in Isaac, telling him who Marcus was and why he’d
kept the secret. Isaac agreed not to say a word, but he could see the
concern on the man’s face.
Moving away from the bathroom door, Isaac slid his arms around
T-Rex. “I need you to tell me that everything is going to be okay.”
There was a strange sound to Isaac’s voice that worried T-Rex.
“I’ll be fine. I promise. I’m just meeting with my brother.”
“I know.” Isaac pressed his cheek into T-Rex’s chest. “But he’s an
outlaw biker. Not that I’m saying he’s bad. It’s just”— Isaac shook
his head—“I’ve lost so much already, and I don’t want to lose you.
This is all of the sudden. Who knows what it’s about, but—”
“Hey.” T-Rex cupped Isaac’s face. “I’ll be fine. I know how to
watch my back.”
Isaac’s smile was wobbly. “I know you do.”
T-Rex hugged Isaac and nodded. “I shouldn’t be long. Just stay on
the ranch, okay?”
“I will,” Isaac promised.
T-Rex kissed his mate, slowly and with all the passion he felt
inside. He stepped back and ran his knuckles over Isaac’s cheek. “I
love you.”
Isaac smiled up at him. “Love you, too.”
T-Rex grabbed his saddlebag and headed out. It would take a few
hours to get to his meeting place with Marcus. When he stepped
outside, he noticed thick clouds filling the sky, but the weather
forecast hadn’t called for any rain. T-Rex wore his leather just in case.
He headed out of Bear County and rode through Junction City,
and the bike roared down the open highway, throbbing with the
increased power it had been customized with.
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T-Rex finally stopped trying to guess what his brother wanted and
enjoyed his ride. He wore a half-face mask to protect himself from the
wind. It had picked up about two hours into his ride.
Once he reached Ridge Creek, the skies were still threatening, but
the rain held off. He drove to the top of the ridge to find his brother
already there.
Pulling underneath a wide expanse of trees, T-Rex cut the power
to the motorcycle, unclipped his helmet, and swung his leg over the
seat before removing his mask. He set everything on the seat and then
went to meet his brother. He spotted Marcus down by the lake. T-Rex
strode down the hilly incline until he was at the water’s edge.
“You made it,” Marcus said as he skipped a few rocks over the
lake.
T-Rex gave his brother a quick hug before he took a step back.
“What’s going on?”
Marcus continued to stare straight ahead, his expression pensive.
“About a year ago I started to have nose bleeds. Papa Bear finally
convinced me to go to the doctor's.”
T-Rex leaned against a nearby tree, listening as he stared at the
shards of sun glittering off the water. He could still see him and
Marcus using the rope to swing over the water before they let go,
splashing in. A smile formed at the side of T-Rex’s mouth at the
memories.
Those days felt like another lifetime, and T-Rex sometimes
missed them. “And?” he asked. “What did the doctor say?”
Sighing, Marcus plucked a few rocks from the ground and tossed
them into the water. They skipped across the lake until they sank.
“Nothing good.”
T-Rex’s heart began to beat harder, but he gave his brother time to
gather his thoughts. It was killing him not knowing though. He
wanted to yell at Marcus to spit it out, but remained silent.
“You remember the summer we spent down here making plans to
backpack our way across the states?”
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85
T-Rex nodded. He had been ten at the time, Marcus sixteen. They
had spent the entire summer mapping out where they were going to
go and how they were going to make money. Even though there had
been a six-year gap between them, Marcus had never looked at T-Rex
as a pesky younger brother. They’d hung out though and had been the
best of friends.
“You thought we could work oil rigs.”
The side of Marcus’s mouth twitched into a smile. “And you
thought we could make money as hired guns.”
“I was ten,” T-Rex pointed out with a chuckle.
“But I went on to join the Blue Angels, traveling as I always
wanted to, and you joined the service.” Marcus cleared his throat.
“Have I ever told you how damn proud I am of you?”
Marcus hadn’t, but T-Rex had known how his brother felt. It was
in his eyes every time they talked. “Belonging to the baddest biker
club this side of the Mississippi isn’t a small feat,” T-Rex replied.
“Vice president, no less.”
Marcus shook his head. “I’ve done things I’m not proud of, and
some days I didn’t even recognize who I was.”
“Same here,” T-Rex said. “We grew up and took different paths,
but I’m glad our friendship never diminished.”
“Me, too,” Marcus agreed. “That’s the one thing I cherish most in
life, little brother.”
They both grew silent, and T-Rex thought of the past, his
childhood, his days in the service, and his life now as a business
owner. “I found someone.”
Marcus turned and gave him a wide smile. “It’s about time. I
thought you’d never settle down. He’s got to be good-looking to catch
your attention.”
Isaac was the total opposite of what T-Rex usually went after. But
his heart had never been this light, and T-Rex had never smiled so
much in his life than when he was around Isaac. His face actually hurt
at times from it. “I’d like you to meet him.”
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Marcus moved a little farther away, pacing a bit before he turned
to T-Rex, the glitter in his eyes gone. “I have an inoperable brain
tumor.”
T-Rex blinked at the ground, his mind trying to process what
Marcus was telling him. Brain tumor? That couldn’t be. This was
Marcus. The man was tough as nails and a hard man to take down.
“How long?” He could barely force the words past his lips.
“A few weeks,” Marcus answered. The man gave a humorous
laugh. “I guess I’m getting my just rewards after living with the club.”
T-Rex turned, running his hands over his head and twining his
fingers together to rest on top. He stared up at the sky, trying his best
to hold back the tears as his throat grew tight, a burning lump forming
there.
This was Marcus. The man who had taught him how to fight. How
to live, love, and all about girls. And when T-Rex realized he was
gay, Marcus taught him about guys. Marcus didn’t care the gender.
Never had. No one could ask for a better old brother. It didn’t matter
to him that Marcus was in a motorcycle club. He didn’t care what the
guy did. Marcus was his brother. End of story.
He’d always followed all the rules. Gone by the book. But lately,
T-Rex’s life had been falling apart. Nothing made sense. Not Isaac’s
father beating him and then dumping him in another town. Not his
brother dying. He felt as if his life were spinning out of control.
“Do you want me to tell Mom and Dad?” T-Rex asked without
turning around. “They need to know.”
“No,” Marcus said. “Papa Bear is going to handle all that. He’s
gonna come see you when…you know. I finally told him I was related
to you. He took it pretty easy.”
T-Rex closed his eyes. “Then what do you want me to do?”
“Spend a few days with me, as brothers. Remind me of the days
gone by when you and I lived a carefree life before the club, before
you grew into a tall bastard.”
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T-Rex was screaming inside his head. This wasn’t happening. His
anger mounted that Marcus was going to be taken from him. He had
to pull his shit together and give his older brother what he asked for.
But it wasn't easy. God, it wasn't easy. He fought back the stinging
tears in his eyes and swallowed roughly.
“Ride with me,” Marcus said. “Take to the road. I want to feel the
freedom and wind blowing in my hair with my baby brother at my
side.”
T-Rex nodded. “I can do that.”
He turned, yanking his brother into his arms as he pressed his lips
to Marcus’s hair. A few tears managed to fall as T-Rex hugged the
man tightly.
He never wanted to let the guy go. In his mind, as long as he held
on to Marcus, nothing bad could happen to the man. “With you,
always,” he whispered.
* * * *
It had been five days since T-Rex had left to meet up with his
brother. Isaac missed the man terribly, but his mate had called every
day, sometimes twice to check on him.
But that wasn’t the same as having T-Rex here with him. Every
morning since the man had left, Isaac had been getting sick. Gabe told
Isaac that he was more than likely pregnant. T-Rex had told him that
this could happen, but it still shocked Isaac to hear the news.
He hadn’t told T-Rex yet. Isaac wanted to wait until his mate was
home. He wasn’t sure when that would be. T-Rex hadn’t told him
why Marcus wanted to meet, only that it would take longer than
expected.
Tossing the covers back, Isaac got up and planted his feet on the
floor. A wave of nausea swept over him. He sat there on the side of
the bed as he waited for it to ease. He hoped that he wasn’t going to
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feel this way his entire pregnancy. Getting sick every morning
sucked.
Although Isaac hated the morning sickness, he had started
adjusting to the idea of having a child. For the past couple of nights,
he had lain in bed wondering if it was a boy or a girl. How would the
baby look? Would he or she be as tall as T-Rex or have the man’s
beautiful blue eyes? Would the baby look like him, small with amber
eyes?
What about names? His mind had become crowded with so many
possibilities that it made it hard for Isaac to sleep most nights. He
knew that T-Rex wanted a child and that the man would be happy
once he found out.
Isaac stood and had begun to cross the room when a sharp pain
sliced across the stomach. It hurt so badly that he dropped to all fours.
He lay there for a moment, curled into a ball as he waited for the pain
to ease.
But it didn’t. It grew stronger. Isaac began to sweat as he clenched
his teeth, shivering. It felt as if he were being turned inside out.
Tremors were racing through him as Isaac opened his mouth and cried
out.
He tried to turn over and crawl toward the nightstand where the
cordless phone lay. But he couldn’t even get up. Every time he tried,
the pain slammed him back to the floor.
God, what was wrong? Why did he feel as if a thousand knives
were twisting in his gut? The pain radiated out and had Isaac writhing
on the floor.
He flipped until he was staring at the ceiling and then arched his
back as he screamed. The bedroom door flew open, and Shott was
standing there, wide-eyed.
Isaac reached out to the man as his body continued to tremble.
Sweat covered him. “It h-hurts.”
Shott scooped him from the floor and raced downstairs. “I’ll get
you to the doctor.”
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“What’s going on?” Sam asked as they passed him in the living
room.
“Don’t know,” Shott said as he raced to the front door.
Isaac was placed on the backseat of the SUV before Shott climbed
in and tore from the driveway. Isaac curled into a ball, whimpering,
shaking. He clenched his teeth, and his vision blurred when the worst
pain yet seized him.
It seemed to take forever before Shott finally came to a stop. The
back door flew open, and then Isaac was being carried inside the
clinic.
“I need help!” Shott shouted.
Isaac was carried to the back, and a man in a white coat began to
ask him a hundred questions.
“Where’s the pain?”
“In my stomach,” Isaac replied.
“Are you pregnant?”
“I think so.”
And then the questions continued as the man examined him. A
portable machine was brought in, and the doctor began to examine
Isaac’s stomach with a strange wand and cool gel.
Everything was moving fast, yet it felt as if they were moving in
slow motion. Shott paced the room as Isaac waited to find out what
was wrong with him.
The doctor raised the metal railings on both sides of the bed and
then shouted at a woman who had walked into the room. “Prep the
OR.”
“Wait, why?” Shott asked. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Who is he mated to?” the doctor asked.
“T-Rex,” Shott answered.
The doctor’s face was grim as his eyes flickered from Isaac to
Shott. “You better call him and get the man in here.”
* * * *
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T-Rex paced the sterile hospital hallways as he waited for the
doctors to finish examining his brother. Marcus had woken this
morning with massive migraines and a nosebleed. Their trip hadn’t
gone as planned. For the past two days, they had rested in a motel
because Marcus hadn’t been feeling too well. T-Rex had insisted on
taking his brother to the hospital, but Marcus had convinced T-Rex
that all he needed was rest.
His gut was telling him differently. T-Rex didn’t want to face the
truth, but he knew he had to. Marcus didn’t have a couple of weeks.
The man would be lucky to make it out of this hospital.
He leaned against the wall and then slid down until he was
squatting. T-Rex rested his forehead against his fists as he tried not to
think of losing his brother. He knew Marcus’s wishes but had called
his parents and Papa Bear nonetheless. Marcus had been with the
Blue Angels for fifteen years. The president deserved to be here. And
there was no way T-Rex was going to leave his parents out of this.
They had every right to spend Marcus’s final moments with him.
He’d had to use the motel phone because the reception in the
backwater town they’d rested in sucked. T-Rex had started to call
Isaac this morning, but Marcus had woken at that moment, screaming
about his head hurting.
He ran his hand over his hair, feeling the pressure building. So far
he’d kept his shit in check, being the rock Marcus needed. But T-Rex
knew he wasn’t going to be able to hold it together for much longer.
“Tanner?”
He glanced up when he heard his mother’s voice. She was coming
down the hallway, his father close behind her. T-Rex stood and let his
mother envelope him into her arms. She was short, the top of her head
barely reaching his pecs, but fuck if it didn’t feel good to be hugged
by her. It was what he needed.
“Son,” his father said. “I don’t understand what’s going on.
What’s happening to Marcus?”
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T-Rex had been cryptic in his phone call. He hadn’t wanted to
deliver the bad news and then have them drive here. All he’d said was
that it was imperative that they make it here soon.
He started to tell them when the doctors walked out of the room.
Just then, Papa Bear came down the hallway, joining them. The
doctor stood there and explained everything to T-Rex’s parents. His
throat tightened when his mother began to cry. His father’s eyes
gleamed with unshed tears as he held his wife closely.
“The tumor has grown,” the doctor said, sympathy in his eyes.
“We have him sedated. You can go in to see him now.”
“How long?” Papa Bear asked. “How long does he have?”
But T-Rex already knew the answer before the doctor said, “A
few hours, maybe.”
T-Rex’s mother rushed into the room as T-Rex, his father, and
Papa Bear stood there in the hallway for a moment, all somber. None
of them said a word as the doctor gave them his sympathies and
walked away.
His father walked into the room next, leaving T-Rex and the Blue
Angels’ president to stand there.
“He’s a good man,” the guy said. “My best friend.”
T-Rex turned, glancing through the glass in the door. His mother
was leaning over the bed, brushing Marcus’s hair back as she spoke,
tears still falling.
“Don’t ever tell them anything Marcus ever did for you,” T-Rex
said.
“Never planned to,” the guy answered. “His hands might have
gotten dirty from time to time, but Marcus never—”
T-Rex held up his hand. “Save it. I don’t care. He’s my brother,
and that’s all I care about. I called you out of respect for your
friendship, nothing more.”
T-Rex didn’t want to hear about Marcus’s life as a biker club
member. He knew full well that the Blue Angels were the most feared
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club this side of the country and they hadn’t gained that reputation
from selling cookies. He didn’t want his memories of Marcus scarred.
“Understood.” The guy extended his beefy hand, leather bracelets
and tattoos adorning his lower arm. “I’m Travis Wolfe.”
“Wolfe?” T-Rex studied the man. He and Marcus had talked about
a lot over the past several days, and his brother had confessed that the
president was a bear shifter. T-Rex had told Marcus about Isaac being
a bear shifter as well and how he was hoping to start a family.
T-Rex had even shown his brother the pictures he’d taken in the
diner a lifetime ago. Marcus told T-Rex how handsome his mate was
and how he wished he could be there to see his niece or nephew being
born. That statement had torn T-Rex to pieces. He’d had to excuse
himself to the bathroom in the motel to pull his shit together.
“Kinda odd that a bear’s surname is Wolfe.”
Travis grinned. “I see Marcus told you.”
T-Rex nodded.
“I caught a lot of ribbing growing up over that ironic fact,” Travis
said. “But I love who I am and the life that I live. Marcus never told
me much about his family, but after we’d come to Bear County, I
figured things out. He seemed a little too preoccupied, and damn if
you two don’t look alike.”
T-Rex smiled at the compliment. “We should go in.”
Travis glanced at the door. “I’ll wait until your parents come out.
Family is everything, and Marcus deserves to be with his right now.”
Sighing, T-Rex shook his head. “You’re just as much family to
Marcus as any of us. You’ve spent the last fifteen years with him.”
Something passed behind Travis’s dark green eyes. “You know,
you could have left me in the dark. You didn’t have to call me.” The
man cleared his throat. “I appreciate you allowing me to be here.”
“Family isn’t always blood.” T-Rex thought about his friends at
home and how he considered all of them his brothers. “Sometimes it’s
the people you surround yourself with, the men who have your back.”
“Amen,” Travis said before the two stepped into the room.
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Chapter Nine
Shott stood outside the recovery room with Gallagher. He had
texted T-Rex a few minutes after noon, when Isaac had lost the baby.
So far, T-Rex hadn’t responded.
“I’d prefer to talk to Tanner about this,” Gallagher said.
“You know I’m gonna find out anyway,” Shott reminded the man.
“The only reason I’m disguising this with you is because Isaac
said I could,” Gallagher said. The man’s expression was tight, his lips
thinned. “That man suffered severe injuries before he became
pregnant. It’s even a miracle that he conceived.”
Shott had talked to Isaac after the surgery. And Isaac had
confessed that after T-Rex had come to his house, Jacob had lost it
and had stomped Isaac into the floor before kicking him out. Shott
had to convince himself not to go over to the Newtons’ and tear Jacob
about limb from limb.
“He may never be able to carry a child,” Gallagher said. “His bear
should have been able to heal the injuries, but with Isaac having to
stay in his human form for so long afterward, the damage is
permanent.”
Shott thanked Gallagher and then walked into Isaac’s room to find
the man lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Isaac didn’t say a
word, but Shott could see the large wet spots on the pillow.
“He’ll be here,” Shott said as he took a seat. Isaac didn’t move.
“T-Rex will be here for you.”
* * * *
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T-Rex was able to spend a little more time with Marcus before his
brother took his last breath. He glanced up at the clock to see that it
was noon. He couldn’t do this. He didn’t want to be here any longer.
“I’m leaving,” he said softly to his parents.
His mother hugged him, and his father nodded before T-Rex left
the hospital. He needed air. T-Rex made it out of the hospital, walked
to his motorcycle, and took off. What he needed the most was Isaac.
He didn’t stop, and he didn’t slow down. He drove straight from the
hospital to home.
And along the ride, he thought of his brother, of how he had
guided T-Rex as they grew up. How Marcus had always been there
for him. When T-Rex turned eighteen, his brother had gotten him
wasted on a bottle of Thunderbird and a six-pack of Budweiser. They
had built their first go-cart together, and when T-Rex had broken his
leg doing some stupid stunt, Marcus had hung out in his bedroom
with him while T-Rex wore a cast.
He couldn’t think of one childhood memory where Marcus hadn’t
been there. He heard the roar of a motorcycle and looked back to see
Travis gaining on him.
T-Rex had just crossed into Bear County when he pulled over.
Travis pulled in behind him and pulled his helmet off.
Before T-Rex could ask what the man wanted, Travis gave him a
quick man hug. “Sorry for your loss.”
“Yours too,” T-Rex reminded Travis. “But why are you following
me?” He knew he’d taken off without saying a word to the guy, but
that wasn’t a reason to follow him.
Travis reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper.
“You took off so fast that I didn’t have a chance to give you this.”
T-Rex took the paper and stared at an address. “I don’t get it.”
“Her name is Maria. Go see her.”
“Why?” T-Rex asked.
“Just do it…for Marcus. Don’t wait around, go see her soon.”
Travis slapped T-Rex on the shoulder before he walked back to his
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bike. “Don’t be a stranger,” Travis called out before he mounted and
pulled away, driving in the opposite direction.
Shoving the paper into his pocket, T-Rex frowned when he felt his
phone vibrating. He pulled it out to see he had twenty missed calls
and one single text message.
Sliding his fingers over the face of the phone, he read the
message, and his already shattered heart stopped beating.
Isaac in surgery. Get to clinic ASAP.
T-Rex shoved his phone back into his pocket, strapped his helmet
on, and hauled ass. He’d had to turn his phone on vibrate when he
was at the hospital. It wasn’t like he had service in that Podunk town
anyway. He had been so busy taking care of Marcus that he hadn’t
bothered to check his phone.
He pushed his bike past ninety as he drove straight to the clinic.
He nearly laid the motorcycle down when he cut into the parking lot.
T-Rex threw his helmet aside and rushed inside.
“Where’s Isaac?” he asked. “Where’s my mate?”
The receptionist took him to the back, and T-Rex’s pulse was
pounding so hard that it actually hurt. His mind was playing over a
thousand different scenarios of why Isaac needed surgery.
Had Jacob found Isaac and hurt him? Did Isaac have some kind of
accident? The questions went on and on until he spotted Gallagher
heading his way. “Where’s my mate?” T-Rex growled the words.
“We need to talk first,” Gallagher said.
“No, I want—”
“You need to hear this.” Gallagher led him to an office down the
hallway and around a corner. T-Rex didn’t bother to sit. He was too
wound up and wanted to see Isaac.
He stood there and listened to Gallagher tell him that Isaac had
internal scars from what Jacob had done. T-Rex hadn’t known that.
Isaac hadn’t told him that his father had stomped him into the floor.
But he knew that wasn’t the extent of what was going on. He
braced himself as Gallagher continued to speak. “The scar tissue
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wouldn’t allow the fetus to grow. The amniotic sac has to form and—
”
Gallagher’s voice faded as T-Rex started to get a picture of what
had happened. He felt like he was going to be sick. T-Rex grabbed the
back of a chair to steady himself as the room spun slightly.
“He lost the cub,” Gallagher finished. “And I’m not sure he’ll ever
be able to carry one full term. The damage is too great. I’ve tried to
discuss birth control with Isaac so this doesn’t happen again, but he
won’t talk to anyone. He hasn’t said a word since coming out of
surgery.”
T-Rex turned and walked out of the office. “Where is he?” For the
second time today, T-Rex was fighting not to lose it. He curled his
fingers into fists and ground his teeth as he tried to imagine what
Isaac was going through right now. They had just suffered a
devastating loss, and T-Rex hadn’t been there for the man.
The guilt was weighing on him heavily.
“Room eight,” Gallagher said.
T-Rex walked down the hallway in a semi-daze until he reached
Isaac’s room. He placed the palm of his hand on the door and tried his
best to compose himself. Isaac needed him. T-Rex couldn’t fall apart.
After a few more breaths, he opened the door.
Isaac was curled on his side, his back to T-Rex. It felt as if he
were walking through sand as he made his way around the bed.
Isaac’s eyes were closed, but T-Rex could see the tears that still clung
to Isaac’s thick eyelashes.
Dropping to his knees beside the bed, he brushed his hand over
Isaac’s hair. Isaac was already small, but the man looked fragile as he
lay there. T-Rex was at a loss as to what to say. His dream of having a
large family had been snuffed out by a hateful man who couldn’t
accept Isaac for who he was.
Isaac’s eyelids fluttered open, and he stared at T-Rex as if T-Rex
were a dream. His mate pulled in a shuddering breath before Isaac
burst out crying. T-Rex took a seat on the bed and pulled Isaac into
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his arms. He rocked his mate back and forth as he held him tightly.
His throat was too constricted to speak. But even if he could talk, he
had no words to offer.
Isaac clung to him as if T-Rex was the man’s lifeline. But that’s
how T-Rex felt toward his mate. Although he had family and friends,
he found solace in Isaac.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you,” T-Rex finally said. Isaac
didn’t respond. His mate curled farther into his arms as if trying to
burrow his way inside T-Rex.
He held his mate for hours, consoling Isaac before the man finally
fell into an exhausted sleep. T Rex settled Isaac back and then tucked
the sheet around his mate before he strode out of the room. He walked
out of the clinic and headed toward the back.
Leaning against the building, T-Rex slid until his ass touched the
ground. He covered his face with his hands and finally allowed
himself to cry.
* * * *
It had been three weeks since his surgery, and as Isaac sat on the
side of his bed, he thought about the children he would never have. T-
Rex hadn’t left his side since Isaac was brought home from the clinic.
But Isaac felt as if a part of him were now missing.
T-Rex strode from the bathroom and then leaned his arm against
the doorframe. “I have something I have to take care of.”
Isaac only nodded. He couldn’t find it in himself to ask where T-
Rex was going and how long he would be gone. Isaac knew that he
would eventually start to heal and his days would get better. But right
now, he felt lifeless.
“And I want you to come with me,” T-Rex said. “After I take care
of my business, I was thinking about a vacation. Just you and me.
Wherever you want to go.”
Isaac gave T-Rex a smile he didn’t feel. “That sounds nice.”
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Crossing the room, T-Rex pulled Isaac into his arms. “We’ll get
through this. I promise.”
“I know.” Isaac tilted his head back as T-Rex leaned down and
gave him a soft kiss.
“Let’s go for a ride.” T-Rex led him out of the bedroom and then
took him downstairs.
Isaac had spent the better part of the last three weeks hiding in his
bedroom. He’d barely eaten and could hardly sleep. He hoped that
taking a vacation with T-Rex would help. Isaac climbed into the SUV
before T-Rex slid in and started the motor.
They drove away and out of Bear County. After an hour, Isaac
asked. “Where are we going?”
“Nevada,” T-Rex said and then told Isaac about what had taken
place while he had been with Marcus. By the time his mate was done,
Isaac was in tears.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.
“You were going through enough already,” T-Rex replied.
“But so were you.” Isaac reached for his mate’s hand and
squeezed it. “I’m sorry.”
T-Rex nodded, concentrating on the road. Isaac could tell the man
didn’t want to talk about it. He knew how T-Rex felt. Isaac didn’t
want to talk about losing the baby. He was still living in a detached
state half the time. But if he talked about the loss, he’d start crying,
and Isaac had already cried enough to last him two lifetimes.
“But Travis gave me an address and asked me to go there.” T-Rex
reached for Isaac and kissed him on the forehead. “So we’re taking a
little road trip.”
“What about the funeral?” Isaac asked. T-Rex hadn’t strayed far
from him, which meant he’d missed his own brother’s funeral. Guilt
tried to give way, but Isaac pushed it back.
“My parents had him cremated. We’re going to stop by there. My
mom put some of Marcus’s ashes in a necklace for me.” T-Rex
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cleared his throat. “She said that way I’ll always have a part of him
with me.”
Isaac fell silent as he watched the scenery around him. Why
couldn’t his family be that loving and thoughtful? Isaac had never
hated anyone in his life, but at that moment, he hated his father. The
man had robbed him of having children. He had nearly died from
conceiving a child.
They talked on and off through their ride. They’d even stopped
twice to get something to eat. Isaac began to wonder why Travis had
been so cryptic about who they were going to see. Who was Maria,
and why did T-Rex have to go see her?
Isaac roused from sleep when the SUV came to a stop and T-Rex
cut the engine. “Are we here?”
He slid up and glanced around. They were sitting in a driveway
that had a dilapidated chain-link fence surrounding a single-story
house that had seen better days. A dog barked from behind the fence.
Isaac wasn’t sure what breed it was, but it appeared menacing. There
were blue lawn chairs on the concrete porch and plants hanging in a
row across the top of the roof that extended from the house.
Isaac got out and joined T-Rex at his side. There were two cars in
the driveway, and from the looks of them, neither worked. One had its
hood open, but no one was working on it.
An elderly Spanish woman who looked in her sixties called the
dog inside before she asked, “May I help you?”
“Are you Maria?” T-Rex asked.
“Si, señor,” she replied.
T-Rex approached the fence, and Isaac followed. “Travis sent
me.”
The dark skin over her eyes furrowed. “I know no Travis.”
“Papa Bear,” T-Rex supplied. “He told me that I—”
“Are you Marcus’s brother?” she asked, and Isaac saw her eyes
light up under the fading sun.
“Yes,” T-Rex said.
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“Come,” she said as she waved a hand. “Come inside.”
“The dog,” Isaac reminded her. He wasn’t in the mood to get
bitten. That dog had looked lean and fit and ready to tear someone’s
throat out. Although his bear could take the dog on with no problem,
Isaac would prefer to avoid any sort of confrontation.
“Oh, he’s harmless,” she said. “His bark is to scare anyone away
who might think to steal from me. But he is a gentle creature.”
Isaac wasn’t too sure about that. But when T-Rex unlatched the
gate and walked inside, so did Isaac. The grass was half green and
half brown with a sprinkler set in the middle. Isaac moved up the
concrete path and followed T-Rex into the house. He stopped just
inside the door as he gazed at the largest collection of religious items
he’d ever seen.
There had to be at least twenty candles lit around the living room.
Wasn’t Maria afraid of a fire breaking out?
“I cried when I heard about Marcus,” Maria said as she waved for
them to have a seat on her couch. “I cannot believe he is gone.”
“Me either,” T-Rex said, and Isaac could tell that his mate was
ready to go. T-Rex hadn’t taken a seat. He stood there towering over
the small woman.
“I ask Papa Bear what to do with little Marcus, but he say not to
worry, help will come.” She placed her hands over his breasts and
smiled up at T-Rex. “I just his nanny. I would love to keep him, but
am too old to care for such a little one.”
T-Rex frowned. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.”
Her dark-brown eyes widened. “You not know MJ?”
T-Rex shook his head, but Isaac could see understanding dawning
in the man’s eyes. Isaac had caught on to what she was saying but
didn’t fully understand the situation.
“MJ?” T-Rex asked.
She laughed, and the sound was soft and soothing. “Your brother
has a son. MJ is six months old.”
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T-Rex stumbled backward. Isaac jumped up from the couch,
afraid his mate would crash into the cabinet behind him. But T-Rex
caught himself. “Marcus never mentioned a son.”
The woman started speaking in Spanish, and it didn’t sound like
anything Isaac wanted to hear.
“Teresa is coño,” Maria said and then blushed. “Sorry for my foul
language.”
“Teresa?” Isaac asked.
“Sí,” Maria said. “She MJ mother, but her leave when baby born.
She not want to be mother. She say Marcus can have baby. She—”
Maria tapped her chin as if trying to find the right words. “She like to
run streets too much for child.” Her eyes lit up once more. “Would
you like to see your nephew?”
T-Rex nodded, and Isaac saw the anticipation on the man’s face.
When Maria left the room, T-Rex glanced Isaac’s way. “I haven’t a
clue what the hell is going on here.”
Isaac shook his head. “I know your brother has a son, and the
mother doesn’t want to have anything to do with the baby. That’s
about as much as I gathered.”
“Same here.” T-Rex scratched at his chin. “I’m taking MJ to my
parents.”
“No,” Maria said as she came into the room holding a small boy
with olive-colored skin and dark black hair. “Marcus leave papers. He
tell me that if anything happen to him, Tanner is to come and take
MJ.” She looked T-Rex over. “You say you his brother?”
“I am,” T-Rex nodded but hadn’t taken his eyes off of the small
boy yet.
“He say he love his mother and father, but they too old to raise
baby,” she said. “He wanted brother he love most to raise his son.”
Tears gathered in her eyes, and she quickly handed MJ off to T-Rex.
“I’m sorry, but I cry when I think that I will never see Marcus again.
He was very good man and father. He take MJ to park and provide
well for him. He always in the boy’s life.”
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Isaac stood there mesmerized as he watched T-hold his nephew.
The man was a natural, which only reminded Isaac of the one thing he
could never give his mate.
“What papers?” T-Rex asked as he placed his large hand over
MJ’s small back.
“Oh!” Maria hurried from the room and then came back with
folded papers in her hand. “Is from court saying Marcus has custody
of MJ. Also there is paper to say that if something happen to Marcus
that you are baby’s guardian, his keeper.”
Cradling MJ in his arms, T-Rex unfolded the papers and read
them over. Isaac chewed his lower lip, waving at the small boy who
kept glancing his way. “It seems when Marcus found out he was
dying, he set everything in motion,” T-Rex said. “He even included
Marcus Junior’s birth certificate and shot records.” T-Rex glanced at
Maria. “His mother is Hispanic?”
She nodded. “Is that problem?”
“No,” T-Rex said right away. “But I want to know so I can teach
him to be proud of his heritage.”
Maria smiled widely as tears sprang to her eyes. “Marcus say you
good man, and now I can rest because I know MJ will be taken care
of.”
T-Rex’s blue eyes shot to Isaac. “You know what this means,
right?”
“That you’re going to raise your nephew,” Isaac stated. That was a
no-brainer, and Isaac was growing used to the idea already.
“We,” T-Rex corrected Isaac. “We’re mates. We’re a family, no
matter what.”
Maria laughed. “Oh, mates. I know that. Which one is bear?”
Isaac frowned. “Uh, me.”
He threw his arms out when she hugged him tightly. “Now I know
MJ have good life. Papa Bear one too. He very kind and loving man.”
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Isaac looked to his mate for help as Maria continued to hug him,
but all T-Rex did was shrug and smile. She finally released him, and
Isaac felt as if he could breathe again.
“I call Papa Bear,” Maria said. “Tell him you have come for boy.”
T-Rex held the baby up and gazed at his face. “He looks just like
Marcus.”
“Can I hold him?” Isaac asked. T-Rex handed MJ to him, and
Isaac instantly fell in love. A part of him still hurt that he couldn’t
have a child with his mate, but he was going to give MJ all the love
the boy could handle.
“You look good with a baby,” T-Rex said, and Isaac could hear
the strain in his mate’s voice.
Isaac sat and then looked up at his mate. “We can adopt more.”
“We can,” T-Rex agreed. “There’s plenty of kids who need a
home.”
Isaac began to feel himself again. T-Rex was right. There were
plenty of children out there who needed someone to love them. They
didn’t have to be babies. Isaac liked the idea of older children as well.
He bounced MJ on his knee, and the infant giggled.
That one sound sealed it for him. It might not be the family he and
T-Rex had planned, but Isaac knew that family was who you
surrounded yourself with. He’d already considered the people at home
his new kin, and they treated him as such.
He loved T-Rex with all his heart, and now he had MJ to share his
love with.
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Chapter Ten
Maria had loaded them down with all of MJ’s belongings. She
even provided a car seat, saying that Marcus had purchased
everything she had given them.
“Thank you,” T-Rex said to Maria as he hugged her. “Thank you
for caring for little Marcus.”
“No problem,” she said as tears gathered in her eyes. “No mean to
cry. I going to miss both Marcus.”
Digging into his wallet, T-Rex handed her a business card.
“Anytime you want to check on him or come by for a visit, just call.”
That only seemed to make her cry harder. T-Rex was not used to
women in tears. He patted her back and kissed her on the temple
before he said his goodbyes. Isaac was sitting in the backseat, MJ
secured in his car seat.
T-Rex wasn’t sure what to think. His emotions had been on a
roller coaster ride for some time now, ever since he’d spotted Isaac
outside the pharmacy. But the past couple of weeks had taken a toll
on him. He was thankful that his parents were only a few hours away.
He was exhausted.
T-Rex slipped behind the wheel and glanced into the backseat.
“How are you doing?” He reached back and cupped Isaac’s face,
giving his mate a warm smile. Isaac said he was fine with this, but T-
Rex needed to make sure.
Raising MJ was a huge responsibility and an emotional
commitment. They had already suffered a loss, and both of them were
still hurting. Although T-Rex had been devastated about the baby, he
could tell that it had scarred Isaac emotionally.
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“I’m getting there,” Isaac admitted. “It just takes time.”
After brushing his thumb over Isaac’s cheek, T-Rex turned back
around and headed out. Thankfully he had paid attention when Sofia
and the others were born. But he wasn’t alone in this. Not only did he
have Isaac, but he also had his parents and his friends at home to help
him with his nephew.
It really did take a village.
MJ slept for most of the ride. Once T-Rex had to pull over and
showed Isaac how to make a quick bottle. They both sat there on the
side of the road, in the car, feeding MJ and changing his diaper. It
seemed Marcus had been a firm believer in cloth diapers. T-Rex
wasn’t so sure about that. He wrapped the dirty diaper in a freezer bag
and into a plastic handle bag.
“I didn’t know a baby could create such a stinky mess,” Isaac said
as he waved his hand in front of his nose. “I don’t even want to know
what he’s gonna smell like when he starts eating solid foods.”
T-Rex agreed. “He already smells like a grown man now,” he said
as he tried to air out the SUV. “Why don’t I remember any of the
other kids smelling like this?”
MJ squealed with laughter as he drooled down the front of his
shirt. T-Rex couldn’t help but smile. It still hadn’t really hit home that
he had a child to raise. Even though MJ was his nephew, he finally
understood what pride felt like. He used to shake his head at the way
Stripper crawled around on the floor and made a fool of himself. The
other fathers were no different. Although T-Rex loved the children he
lived with, he’d never fully understood.
He did now. He’d crawl over sharp glass to keep that smile on
MJ’s face and make sure his nephew grew up happy and healthy.
“Okay, let’s head out.” He and Isaac cleaned everything up before
they hit the road again. Not twenty minutes later, Isaac was shouting
for T-Rex to pull over.
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“I think he soiled his diaper again,” Isaac said as he shot to the
side window, rolled it down, and stuck his head out. The man inhaled
deeply. “It’s your turn to change him.”
That’s it. T-Rex was about to find some Huggies. He was not
going to drive with dirty diapers in the SUV. He drove until he found
a gas station and then prayed they carried diapers.
Isaac was out of the SUV before T-Rex had a chance to park. “I’ll
go get them.”
“Sure,” T Rex said. “Leave me with the nuclear bomb.”
Isaac chuckled, and T-Rex hadn’t noticed how much he missed
that sound until he heard it. His heart clenched, and he wanted to pull
his mate into his arms. But fuck, that smell. He handed Isaac his
credit card and then waved for his mate to hurry up.
After pulling MJ from the car, T-Rex rushed the infant to the
bathroom. Baby wipes were not going to cut it. He shoved the door
open and then laid MJ on the baby-changing table.
Isaac came in and set the diapers next to him.
“You’re gonna help me.”
Isaac pinched his nose with his fingers. “Not on your life.”
“At least turn the faucet on so I can wash his bottom.” T-Rex
peeled the onesie off and gagged. He tossed it the trash. “Oh my god,
it’s everywhere.”
“Put him in the sink,” Isaac directed. “We’ll pull the rest off from
there.”
T-Rex dunked MJ into the small sink. “It’s not big enough.”
Isaac’s eyes slid sideways. T-Rex’s eyes widened. “We are not
washing him in the urinal.”
Isaac shrugged. “It’s big enough.”
T-Rex groaned. “Just help me get this diaper off.”
He pulled MJ from the sink and held the infant over the trashcan
as Isaac released the safety pins. They both gagged when the soggy
diaper dropped. T-Rex would rather face hostile enemies the change
another diaper like this one.
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“Get him to the sink!” Isaac jumped up and down as he dry
heaved. “I can’t take that smell.”
Holding MJ tightly, T-Rex washed the infant off. He scrubbed
every crease and crevice, ensuring that MJ was clean. “Give me your
shirt.”
“I’m not giving you my shirt,” Isaac said before he slapped the
metal button on the hand dryer. “Just tuck his bottom under here.”
“Isn’t it hot?” T-Rex asked.
Isaac reached low and patted his hand up and down as if patting a
dog’s head. “Just keep him down here where the air is warm.”
Never in his life had T-Rex even come close to imagining that he
would be in a gas station bathroom, on his knees, drying a naked
baby’s bottom under a hand dryer.
Isaac ripped the bag of diapers open and pulled one out. He turned
it over in his hand and then scratched his head. “You’ll have to show
me how to put this thing on.”
T-Rex couldn’t resist. “I don’t think I’m ready for that kind of
kink.”
Isaac gave him a low growl. “I’m going to go get his diaper bag.”
T-Rex held MJ in his arms and prayed like hell that the infant
didn’t soil him. He’d seen the other men change diapers, and he knew
that MJ needed talcum powder. He was gonna have to wait until Isaac
brought him the bag.
MJ began to pull at his nose and poke him in the eye. The infant
started babbling and then tried to dig inside T-Rex’s mouth. T-Rex let
him.
The door to the bathroom opened. “Does that mean he wants to be
a dentist?” Isaac asked as he set the diaper bag on the changing table
and rummaged through it. He pulled out the talcum powder and set it
aside.
T-Rex moved his head until MJ’s fingers slipped from his mouth.
“Kids are curious at this age. We’ll have to watch what he puts in his
mouth…or in mine.”
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After laying MJ down, T-Rex grabbed the bottle and turned it
over. He gave a hard squeeze and then coughed when white powder
blew up toward him.
“Too much.” Isaac waved his hand in front of his face and then
began to cough. “Here, let me do it.”
T-Rex showed his mate how to put on a diaper. When Isaac lifted
MJ, the diaper slipped free. Isaac cocked an eyebrow. “I’ll need more
practice.”
“You just have to make sure the tabs are on tight.”
Isaac tried again. This time when he lifted MJ, the diaper stayed.
“Well, look at that,” Isaac said to MJ. “I’m becoming a master at
diaper changing.”
T-Rex stood there and watched Isaac with MJ. He brushed his
hand over his mate’s hair before he said, “Do you know how much I
love you?”
“Never thought you would declare your love to me in a public
bathroom.” Isaac chuckled. “Yes, I know. And I love you too.” Isaac
slipped a pair of pajamas on MJ. “Now let’s get out of here before I
get sick. It stinks in here.”
T-Rex grabbed the diapers and the diaper bag as Isaac carried MJ
out of the bathroom. A man walked past them and hurried into the
bathroom before T-Rex heard the guy shout, “Holy fucking shit!”
Isaac walked faster. “I think we need to get out of here before the
clerk realizes that MJ left a bomb in there.”
T-Rex chuckled as he helped Isaac fastened MJ back into his car
seat. “It’s an outside bathroom. I’m pretty sure worse things than that
have gone on in there.”
Isaac paused as his brows furrowed. “What kind of things?”
Leaning in closer, T-Rex whispered into Isaac’s ear. “Sex.”
Isaac crinkled his nose. “People use the public bathroom for sex?”
T-Rex gave his mate a quick kiss. “Sweetheart, you have so much
to learn.”
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“I’d rather not learn about bathroom sex,” he said before climbing
into the backseat. “At least not a gas station bathroom.”
T-Rex got in and they took off, this time without MJ stinking the
SUV up again. It took two hours before he finally turned down his
parents’ street. So many memories came flooding back, and T-Rex
felt that familiar tightening in his chest. He could see him and his
brothers racing up and down the street on their bikes as kids. They’d
played baseball in the field behind his parents’ home, and when T-
Rex was older, he had helped his dad work on the car in the garage.
“You’re smiling,” Isaac said as he leaned forward. “Does it feel
good to be back here?”
“It’s bittersweet,” T-Rex replied as he pulled into the driveway.
“So many memories of another life.”
Isaac’s expression grew sad as he sat back, and T-Rex felt for the
man. His mate didn’t have the fond memories T-Rex cherished. Isaac
hadn’t grown up in suburbia. The man could never go home.
T-Rex got out and opened the back door. He pulled Isaac out and
then enveloped the man in his arms. “Mom’s gonna love you. You’ll
see. My family is yours, Isaac. Always remember that.”
Isaac nodded as he took a deep breath and reached into the
backseat for MJ. T-Rex’s mother came, and her entire face lit up.
“Tanner!”
T-Rex went to her and gave her a hug.
“I’m glad to see you, but what are you doing here? You didn’t
even call to say you were coming.”
Releasing his mom, T-Rex waved toward his mate. “I wanted you
to meet the love of my life, Isaac Newton.”
She hurried away from T-Rex and introduced herself to Isaac. She
hugged Isaac tightly, something he knew she would do. His mom had
been like that since forever. He’d never seen her riled up or angry.
She’d raised seven sons, and she had a spine of steel. But when it
came to the girls his brothers had dated, or the women they’d married,
she was a softy.
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Isaac was no exception, and T-Rex knew his mate wouldn’t be.
His mother hadn’t cared when she’d found out the T-Rex was gay.
Neither she nor his father had batted an eyelash.
“You have a baby?” she turned, wide-eyed. “I should skin you
alive for not telling me!”
T-Rex walked to the SUV as he cleared his throat. He handed his
mom the papers Marcus had left with his son. She frowned and took
them, reading them over. Tears gathered in her eyes before she turned
toward MJ. “Marcus’s son,” she whispered as she took the infant from
Isaac’s hands. “He never said…I can’t believe…” She swallowed and
held the baby close to her bosom. “He’s still here with us.”
T-Rex’s father walked outside and gave him a hearty hug before
his mom said, “Ronald, this is Marcus’s son.”
His father took the boy and gazed into MJ’s eyes, and T-Rex
could see the pride swelling inside his father. “What a handsome
young man.”
“Come,” his mom said. “Let’s get inside where I can get Isaac
something to eat. He’s so darn thin.”
T-Rex leaned close to his mate. “Watch it. She loves to feed
everyone.”
His father turned and looked at Isaac and then at T-Rex. “Aren’t
you going to introduce us?”
T-Rex smiled. “Dad, this is my partner, Isaac.”
“Welcome,” his dad said as he curled MJ in one arm and used the
other to shake Isaac’s hand. “Welcome to the family.”
T-Rex slid his arm around Isaac’s waist when his mate’s eyes
misted. Isaac cleared his throat and released the man’s hand. “Thank
you, Mr. Rexford.”
T-Rex’s father scoffed. “You’re my son-in-law. Call me Ronald.”
Isaac’s smile was bright enough to rival the sun. “Okay, Ronald.”
T-Rex slid his hand into Isaac’s, and they walked inside.
* * * *
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Isaac had never been with such an open, loving, laughing family
in his life. They’d ended up staying for a week so T-Rex’s parents
could spend time with MJ. He hated to see the week end. T-Rex
ended up shopping for clothes since both Isaac and his mate hadn’t
been prepared to spend so much time away from home.
His mate’s mother had doted over Isaac the entire time. Ronald
had treated him like one of the family, asking Isaac if he liked sports,
did he drink, and if he liked fishing.
Isaac felt awkward when he’d answered no to all three. The man
hadn’t seemed disappointed though. He swore he’d fine something
they had in common. And he had. They both liked eating.
Isaac had to have gained ten pounds over the week. T-Rex had
been right. Gloria loved to cook. He’d also met a few of his mate’s
brothers who had stopped by to get a look at Isaac and MJ. His mate’s
brothers had been the typical all-American men. They were tall,
broad, and most were married with kids. They barbequed and watched
football on the television as Isaac helped Gloria in the kitchen.
“I’m going to miss you,” she confessed on the last night. “I love
having you here.”
“You have a beautiful family,” Isaac replied. “Thank you for
being so accepting.”
She waved her hand at him. “Tanner is my son. Why on earth
would I turn my back on him just because he loves men instead of
women? I’ve taught my boys that love is love, no matter who the
person is.” She smiled at him. “Besides, if I didn’t approve, I would
have missed out on your wonderful company.”
“I wish my parents were like you,” Isaac said and then curled his
lips in. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. It was bad enough that
the men at Big Bear Ranch knew his shame. He didn’t want Gloria
looking at him in a less favorable light. She was the sweetest woman,
and he would hate it if she thought him not good enough for her son.
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Gloria continued to mix the macaroni salad as if she hadn’t heard
him, but Isaac could see her blue eyes growing soft. He was thankful
they weren’t growing cold. “Not everyone is parent material, and we
all make mistakes.”
Isaac fisted the hand towel and nodded.
“But you’re welcome to call me anytime, and I would love to visit
Bear County.”
“You’d love it there,” Isaac said. “You should see the ranch. It’s
beautiful.” He sat there and told her everything he loved about it,
including the mountains and the quaint feel the town had.
“Sounds like a place I’d love to visit,” she said. “And I’m glad MJ
will be growing up there.”
“Aren’t you upset that Marcus asked T-Rex to raise your
grandson?”
“T-Rex.” She laughed. “I haven’t heard that nickname in forever.
But no, I’m not upset. I’ve done my raising, and if I had to, I would
raise MJ. But you and Tanner are young and can keep up with the
boy. Besides, you deserve to have a family together and experience
the joys I did raising a son…or seven.” She laughed again.
Isaac grew quiet. For the first time since they’d arrived, he
thought about what the doctor had said to him. He would never be
able to raise seven sons. He couldn’t give T-Rex that.
“What is it?” Gloria asked. “You look so sad.”
“It’s just that…” Isaac wasn’t sure how to tell her or if he even
should.
She came around the table and gave Isaac a hug before she
whispered, “I know, hon. Tanner told me about what you are and the
tragedy you’ve gone through. Please don’t be mad at him. I forced the
information out of my son.”
Isaac wasn’t mad. How could he be? T-Rex’s family was the polar
opposite from the family Isaac had grown up with. “Thank you, for
being so kind.”
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“I must say, it is strange to know I’m hugging a bear,” she said.
“But when one door closes, another opens. You were given MJ for a
reason. Don’t mourn over what you’ve lost but smile at what you’ve
gained.”
She kissed him on the cheek. “I know it must be devastating, but
Tanner loves you. I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you.
You’re that man’s entire world.”
“I’m going to miss you as well,” Isaac said.
“FaceTime me.”
Isaac frowned. “Do what to you?” He wasn’t sure if that was
something T-Rex’s mother should be saying to him.
She picked her phone up from the table. “Have Tanner show you
how and then we can talk, face-to-face.”
“Really?” Isaac said. He never knew people could do that. T-Rex
had said his phone could do everything, but Isaac never imaged it
could do that. “I’ll have him show me.”
“Great!” She set the bowl in the fridge. “Now let’s go pester our
men.”
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Chapter Eleven
He loved visiting his parents, but there was nothing like getting
home. T-Rex rolled the window down and inhaled the fresh country
air as he drove through Bear County. Life had thrown him some hard
curve balls, but it seemed as if everything were finally settling down.
For the most part. His fingers gripped the wheel just a bit tighter
as he thought about bringing MJ to his home. He knew his friends
would accept the little guy, but it felt strange being responsible for
another life.
“This has been one long trip,” Isaac said from the backseat as he
yawned.
“We’ll be home soon.” T-Rex glanced in his rearview to see
Isaac’s eyes drooping. He couldn’t believe how much he loved Isaac.
He never thought he’d find the perfect man to spend the rest of his life
with. He certainly didn’t think he’d be a parent either. But as he gazed
at the two in the backseat, T-Rex knew his life was complete.
He let go of a long breath when he finally pulled into the Big Bear
Ranch. The day was in full swing as he spotted the row of vehicles
parked to the side. He could see past the house to the corrals where
Rowdy and the ranch hands were hard at work.
It was good to be home.
As soon as he parked, T-Rex got MJ out of his car seat. When
Isaac tried to grab their bags, T-Rex shook his head. “Leave it. We’ll
get the stuff later.”
Isaac grabbed the diaper bag, and they both headed into a noisy
house. It was midmorning, and the kids were all awake and letting
everyone know that fact. The noise level was loud. But it was a noise
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115
that T-Rex was used to and had grown to love. He wasn’t sure how he
and his men survived all those years without little feet under them.
Legend was sitting in the middle of the chaos, allowing Sofia to
brush his shoulder-length hair as he read a book to Chris, who was
trying to get away. Legend grabbed the small boy and pulled him
back every time Chris took off, which only made Chris squeal in
laughter. Abriel and Moirai were in their bear forms, wrestling
around, grunting and growling.
“Good to see nothing has changed,” T-Rex said as he closed the
front door.
Legend looked over his shoulder and then frowned when his eyes
landed on the infant in T-Rex’s arms. Before Legend could say
anything, Stripper walked out into the room. He stopped, gazed at MJ,
and then said, “Please don’t tell me you kidnapped a cub for Isaac.”
T-Rex shook his head. “You’re an idiot.”
MJ began to wiggle in his arms, so T-Rex set his nephew down in
the middle of the chaos. MJ half crawled, half swam toward the
others. Sofia was up on her feet and racing toward him, stopping the
others from going anywhere near MJ.
She sat and started to brush the black hair on MJ’s head.
“I think she’s found her an infant to mother.” Legend chuckled.
“So who is he?”
“My nephew,” T-Rex said as Isaac collapsed on the couch and
curled up, closing his eyes. He stood there and told Legend and
Stripper what had taken place when he went to Maria’s.
“Damn,” Stripper said softly. “A baby.”
“I was pretty shocked as well,” T-Rex admitted. “Marcus hadn’t
mentioned having a son.”
He still couldn’t figure out why, but he would never have an
answer. T-Rex was just glad that he’d gone and hadn’t ignored Travis.
But he had a feeling that if he had, Travis would have brought MJ to
him.
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“Handsome little devil,” Legend said as he stopped Sofia from
trying to put clips in MJ’s hair.
T-Rex smiled. MJ fit right in.
Glancing at the couch, T-Rex found his mate was fast asleep.
Isaac had taken care of the infant almost the entire ride home. MJ was
filled with a lot of energy. T-Rex and his mate were going to have
their hands full.
“I’m going to take Isaac upstairs,” he said to Legend. “Mind
watching MJ?”
“Nah, I got this.” Legend waved a hand at T-Rex. “Take care of
your mate.”
T-Rex pulled Isaac into his arms and carried the man upstairs.
Isaac hardly stirred. He moved into his bedroom and closed the door
with his foot before placing Isaac in the bed. T-Rex slipped Isaac’s
shoes off and then undressed his mate.
Before he could tuck the covers around Isaac, his mate pulled at
T-Rex’s arm. Isaac opened his eyes and stared at T-Rex, and T-Rex
wasn’t sure what to make of that stare. It was dark, almost hungry. He
tried not to react, tried not to take his mate. They hadn’t slept together
since before T-Rex left to go meet his brother. He missed his mate but
wasn’t going to push Isaac until the man was ready.
“I miss you,” Isaac said. He pulled a little harder on T-Rex’s arm.
T-Rex slid into the bed and pulled Isaac into his arms. “I miss
you, too.”
He knew his mate was talking about the intimacy between them,
or lack of, for weeks now. But he wasn’t entirely sure what his mate
wanted. T-Rex would place the world at Isaac’s feet if the man asked.
He loved Isaac more than he’d ever loved anyone in his life, and the
intimate distance between them was killing him.
And not just sex. They weren’t as close as T-Rex thought they
should be. Although Isaac was coming out of his depression, the man
still had a wall he kept in place. T-Rex wanted to tear that wall down.
He wanted his little Amish guy back.
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He held his mate for the longest time, and then Isaac pulled his
head back and began to kiss T-Rex with so much passion, so much
need. Isaac gripped T-Rex’s hair, holding tightly as he threw one leg
over T-Rex’s thigh.
“Make love to me,” Isaac whispered into T-Rex’s mouth.
Pulling out of the man’s grip, T-Rex yanked his shirt over his
head and let it fall to the floor. He shoved his shoes off before he
finally moved from the bed and yanked the rest of his clothes free. He
was erect, aching, and ready to give the man whatever he needed.
When he crawled back into bed, Isaac surprised T-Rex by
scooting down until he was settled between T-Rex’s legs.
“Isaac, you don’t have to do—”
He hissed
and held Isaac’s head firmly as he restrained that fire,
controlled it, and watched it burn brighter inside Isaac as his mate’s
lips opened over the thick crest of T-Rex’s erection and took it into
the burning heat of his mouth.
Clenching his teeth, T-Rex only barely held back the groan of
complete ecstasy as the rapture on Isaac’s face held him entranced.
Isaac’s tongue stroked around the too-sensitive head as the man
sucked at T-Rex’s cock hungrily. The heated licks were a hot
counterpoint to the firm sucks, to the warm moisture T-Rex was
delving into as the man took as much of T-Rex’s dick as he could into
the wet, velvet interior of his mouth.
He couldn’t hold back the growl, the hoarse rasp of complete
pleasure that tore from his chest. “Damn, Isaac. Your mouth is like
pure pleasure.”
It was more than pleasure. There were no words that T-Rex could
find for the exquisite sensations racing from his cock to his balls and
up his spine. It was like being immersed in pure sensation, pure
ecstasy.
His hands were gentle as he palmed Isaac’s face, but his thrusts
were not. It was an arresting contradiction, his touch versus the force
with which he fucked his mate’s mouth. He thrust hard and then
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slowed, sliding more gently over the man’s tongue, rubbing the tip
over Isaac’s lips before plunging back inside the wetness of Isaac’s
mouth.
“So beautiful,” he murmured.
With his tongue, Isaac lashed at T-Rex’s cock before his lips
tightened around the hardened flesh. Isaac’s wicked fingers cupped T-
Rex’s balls in one hand as the other hand stroked the heavy length. It
was nearly more than T-Rex could bear.
Holding Isaac’s head in place, he thrust one more time, deeper,
pushing to the back of the man’s throat until T-Rex convulsed. He let
out a long groan and then released Isaac, pulling his cock from the
man’s mouth.
Isaac began to stretch out, but T-Rex was far from done. He had
been denied the sensual man for too long, and he had a lot to make up
for. T-Rex dragged himself to his knees before bending to the side of
the bed and snagging the lube from the drawer.
“Lie on your stomach, baby.”
Isaac turned over and spread his legs wide, canting his ass slightly
for T-Rex. He ran his hands over the creamy flesh, squeezing,
kneading, and enjoying the simple touches. His cock twitched when
Isaac began to moan.
T-Rex wouldn’t need much recovery time, not when his mate was
splayed out like this. He wet the fingers on his right hand and then
began to work two inside Isaac’s body. He worked at stretching the
man’s ass as he used his other hand to stroke his half-hard cock.
As soon as he was fully erect again, T-Rex lubed his erection and
then pushed the head of his cock into the fiery heat of his mate’s tight
ass. He had to clench his teeth to fight back the release already
building in his balls.
Gripping Isaac’s hips firmly, T-Rex pulled his cock back then, in
one fierce thrust, buried his erection halfway inside the gripping, tight
entrance. His mate was going to steal his sanity.
Cowboy Trouble
119
He was lost in a world of such sensual pleasure that nothing
mattered but the moment and his mate. T-Rex was bound to the man,
more than just physically, more than just his cock buried inside the
tightest, sweetest ass he had ever known. He was bound to Isaac’s
soul.
Throwing his head back, T-Rex gritted his teeth and let go of the
last measure of control he had held on to. Fucking Isaac with
desperate driving strokes, he felt his release building, heating,
threatening…
Isaac exploded beneath him. A long, low wail of completion filled
the room as he powered into Isaac again, again. His mate’s ass
gripped his cock tightly, throwing T-Rex over the edge. He shouted
his release before wiping the sweat from his face.
T-Rex eased from Isaac before he kissed his mate on his shoulder.
“Sleep, baby.”
He got up and went to the bathroom where he wet a cloth. When
he came back to the bed, Isaac was out cold. T-Rex cleaned his mate
before he tucked the blankets around Isaac.
He stood there for a long moment, staring down at the man and
somehow knew that they were going to make it, that they were going
to be all right.
* * * *
“He’s a good-looking kid,” Simon said as he squatted in front of
MJ’s stroller and made a few funny faces. Isaac smiled when MJ
laughed. “But I should kick your butt, Isaac. You’ve been a father for
two months and I’m just now checking the kid out?”
“I told you that you’re welcome to come to the ranch anytime you
want,” Isaac pointed out. “You’re the one who claims to be so busy
all the time.”
T-Rex came out of the pharmacy and slid his bag under the
stroller. They’d come into town to meet up with Bryson, Milo, and
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their daughter, Willow, for lunch at the diner. Isaac hadn’t wanted to
come, but T-Rex insisted, saying that Isaac couldn’t hide out on the
ranch for the rest of his life.
Yes he could.
His eyes kept flickering around for his father, but so far he hadn’t
seen the man. Hopefully he wouldn’t see him at all. That would be
fine by him.
“Okay, I promise I’ll come,” Simon said as he straightened.
“Eventually,” he added with a laugh. “But at least you got rid of that
Walton look. Those clothes look good on you.”
Isaac was wearing a pair of jeans, some sneakers, and a simple T-
shirt. He’d grown used to wearing the things Gabe had picked out for
him. He liked his new look, as well. Isaac had even grown his hair out
some, and T-Rex seemed to love pulling on it when they made love.
“Ready?” T-Rex asked as he grabbed the handle to the stroller.
“Nice seeing you, Simon.”
“Same here,” Simon said.
But before any of them could walk away, Isaac’s father pulled
into the parking spot in front of them. Isaac’s mouth grew dry as his
heart began to thump a thousand beats per second. The man got out
and grabbed something from the backseat. The guy hadn’t noticed
him yet. Maybe it was his new look or maybe it was because he had a
stroller with him.
But when Jacob Newton straightened and stepped onto the curb,
his eyes landed on Isaac and widened slightly.
Isaac felt himself shaking as his father’s eyes went from Isaac to
T-Rex, Simon, and then landed on MJ.
No one said a word. T-Rex slid his arm around Isaac’s waist and
pulled him slightly closer.
“Like your grandson?” Simon said, his words dripping with
sarcasm.
Jacob’s eyes shot to Isaac, and those eyes were filled with
loathing. “I have no grandson because I have no son named Isaac.”
Cowboy Trouble
121
Although Isaac hadn’t seen his father in months, those words cut
him so deeply that he almost crumbled. He wasn’t sure what he was
expecting his father to say or do. Had he been foolish enough to think
Jacob would change his mind and accept Isaac’s way of life? Maybe.
“I’d call you some really choice words, but I don’t curse in front
of babies. So I’m mentally sending them to you,” Simon said as he
stepped close to Jacob. Isaac feared that his friend had finally lost his
mind. No one stood up to Jacob Newton.
Jacob growled as he stepped closer to Simon. Isaac’s heart was in
his throat when he moved to stand between the two. There was no
way he was going to allow his father to hurt Simon. He knew what his
father was capable of and the lasting effects his punishments had on a
person.
His anger shot through him at the destruction Jacob had caused
him and the life he had robbed Isaac of. He had finally come to terms
with what had happened to him in the clinic, of the child he had lost.
Isaac had even grown used to being a father and loved MJ with all his
heart.
But it was the betrayal of what Jacob had done to him that had
Isaac baring his canines. At first Jacob seemed too stunned to react to
Isaac’s threatening manner. But then he raised his hand, as if to strike
Isaac.
“I’m no longer afraid of you,” Isaac said, although that was only a
half-truth. “You can knock me around all you want, but that won’t
change the fact that you’ll always be a lonely, bitter, close-minded
man who will miss out on my son’s life.”
“Do you think because you live in their world that you can stand
up to me?” Jacob asked. “Have your balls grown that big?”
“No talking about testicles in front of the baby,” Simon snapped.
His balls hadn’t grown that big, but Isaac refused to back down, to
cower before the man. He was through whimpering at Jacob
Newton’s feet. He had a lovely family and great friends now. Isaac
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Lynn Hagen
was no longer alone, isolated in the Newton household. He had tasted
freedom, and he loved it. “Yes, I can.”
Isaac saw his father’s hand descending and braced himself for the
blow. But it never came. T-Rex had grabbed Jacob’s arm and jerked it
to the side. “Touch my mate and I’ll turn you into a fucking fur rug,”
the man said, his voice tight with the threat.
Isaac blinked a few times as he glanced up at his mate. T-Rex’s
face had contorted into rage as he stared levelly with Jacob. “I may be
human, but I’ll wipe the floor with your ass.”
“So much cursing,” Simon said. He grabbed the stroller and
walked toward the pharmacy door. “Come on, MJ. We can’t have you
around those potty-mouthed men.”
If the situation hadn’t been so serious, Isaac would have laughed
at the scowl on Simon’s face and the disapproval in his tone.
Jacob jerked his arm free of T-Rex’s grip and then let his claws
free. Isaac began to panic. He couldn’t allow his mate to be hurt. He’d
started to jump between them when T-Rex cocked his arm back and
slammed his fist into Jacob’s face.
Isaac’s father stumbled backward, his footing slipping on the curb,
and then he landed on his ass right there in the street. He gazed up at
T-Rex in shock.
“I grew up with nothing but brothers and was in the service. Try
me,” T-Rex said. “And if you shift, I have a fucking rifle in my truck
that will take care of you.”
Isaac’s heart swelled and hurt at the same time. After all his father
had put him through, he still loved the man. But he didn’t say a word,
and he didn’t try to help the guy to his feet.
“Come on.” T-Rex grabbed his hand.
“You’re dead to me!” Jacob shouted.
Isaac pulled his hand free and walked to where his father was still
on his ass. “I finally have a family who loves me for who I am, even
if I am gay. Hell, they love me because I am. I have a new mother and
a great father-in-law who treated me better in the one week I was
Cowboy Trouble
123
there than you or mom had my entire life. I might be dead to you, but
I am living, loved, and cherished by my mate and son. I have a
wonderful family and great friends. I don’t need you in my life, and
my son doesn’t deserve an asshole for a grandfather.”
Jacob’s jaw clenched as he lowered his head. Isaac walked back to
his mate, feeling as if he’d finally taken control of his life. He was no
longer going to hide from Jacob. He was proud of who he was and the
mate that he had.
“You okay?” T-Rex asked.
“Better than I’ve ever been,” Isaac admitted. He slipped his arm
around T-Rex’s waist as his mate grabbed the stroller from Simon and
they both headed toward their lunch date with Bryson and Milo.
Isaac was glad fate had intervened and he had broken down on
the side of the road. He had met his mate, the love of his life, and now
had the perfect family.
He remembered what T-Rex’s mother had said to him. When one
door closes, another opens.
And the door to the rest of his life had unlocked, allowing Isaac to
step through and leave his past behind. He grinned as they entered the
diner and spotted their friends. Isaac smiled up at T-Rex. “I knew you
were trouble from the start.”
T-Rex chuckled. “But you got into my truck anyway. Now I can
have my way with you for the rest of our lives.”
They joined Bryson and Milo, and Isaac glanced out of the big
window, remembering the first time he’d come here with T-Rex. He
breathed a sigh of contentment before having a seat and enjoyed the
afternoon with his family and friends, closing the door on the first of
his life.
124
Lynn Hagen
THE END
WWW.LYNNHAGEN.COM
HTTP://FACEBOOK.COM/LYNNHAGEN.AUTHOR
LYNNHAGEN@YAHOO.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but
lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to
find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.
You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a
cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.
For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/lynn-hagen
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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