Early was out on the land, running some tests on the water, and the kids were in school. The Labs were in the dog run, and it was just gorgeous out here in the sun. It was the first real quiet he’d had in a while, and he was enjoying it.
His quiet was interrupted though, by a truck coming up the drive. A visitor ought to drive right up to the house, but the truck stopped about halfway, close enough that he could see it well but not the driver.
Were they lost? Did they make a wrong turn? He stood up and waved, figuring he’d let whoever it was know he was there.
Whoever it was coming seemed to be waving a piece of paper and a something else. Weird. They needed a camera out there, so he could just see on his phone.
He moved to the edge of the porch and slowly, made sure Sophie was secure, then made his way down the steps. There was something strange going on and he wasn’t going to move too far from the house. He pulled out his phone and texted Early.
He did, and just before the man got close enough, Connor got the text.
Ian? What the actual fuck was he doing here? Connor stood his ground, eyes narrowing as he got a good look at the driver. He had nothing to say, so he said nothing, waiting to see what the asshole was up to.
“Where the fuck is that bastard? I will not be disrespected like this! We were lovers!”
He raised an eyebrow and started to laugh. “Get off my property.”
“Don’t you laugh at me!”
What? Was this guy going to announce he was pregnant with Early’s baby?
Now that he was getting a look at the guy that rage he’d felt the other day was replaced with something else. Ian was ridiculous. “Get back in your piece of shit truck and get off my property. You’re trespassing.”
“I’m going to make you sorry you ever came here!” Ian stood at the fence near the house with a pair of wire cutters, and he started cutting the wires of their fence.
Oh, that was perfect. He snapped a picture, then called the sheriff.
Ian was making this way too easy.
Connor gave Early a wave as he rode up, flying up the pasture on a sleek black beast. He pointed to where Ian was slowly destroying their fence, and then to his phone. Early flung himself off the horse like a bulldogger, heading straight for Ian.
That was the hottest fucking thing he’d ever seen his husband do.
He talked calmly with the sheriff’s office who said they’d send someone up right away. “I would hurry. Early’s not looking too forgiving.”
Ian was talking hard, but Early was having none of it, and the low snarl as Early swatted the wire cutters away from the fence.
Damn. This was going to be jerk-off material for the next ten years.
He took a few steps closer, ostensibly so he could hear what they were saying, but really it was to get a whiff of those pheromones. “Hey, honey. We’ll have some company in a minute.”
“Good deal. You touch me with those wire cutters, you little fuck, and I will bury you in the ground.”
“You should have let me stay. You liked me. The kids liked me. This is all his fault!” Ian thrust the cutters in his direction, but he was nowhere near close enough that Ian could hurt him.
He wanted to snarl at Ian about the kids, but he didn’t, he kept his cool and let Early do the snarling.
“You’re a stupid shit, and you’re threatening my happy ass with a weapon.” Early wasn’t yelling. In fact, there was a solid, deep calm in his lover’s voice.
“Shut up,” Ian shouted.
“I think he’s pouting.” Connor snorted. “Don’t you have any friends, Ian? Someone should have talked you out of this.” There were two cars coming up the drive, one of them had flashing lights.