“Cheese curl?” He held one close to Jack’s lips, arm bouncing as Jack hit a bump.
Jack opened up and snapped it out of his fingers. “If you want to stop anywhere, holler. I love this drive up into the mountains. We could eat in Vail, if you want.”
“Let’s do it. I’m on your time now, cowboy.” It was a gorgeous drive, and he hadn’t been to this area more than a couple of times. As a passenger, he got to really look around.
“Cool. Mackey and Sid aren’t expecting us until this evening, so we got time to enjoy.” Jack shot him a toothy grin, and it buzzed between them, that little hum of energy.
“Good. I’m looking forward to seeing their place, and your horses and everything, but I’m loving this trip. Is that silly?” It was just so… normal.
“Why? We haven’t road-tripped before. It’s better with company. It can get monotonous alone. Road hypnosis.”
“Yeah. I’ve done a little driving for business, and it can get boring as hell. Do you ever have guys travel with you? Wouldn’t that be better?”
“Sometimes I do, sure, but the guys tend to fly. I have the horses, so…” Jack shrugged.
“So it’s the highway for you.” He slid his hand over Jack’s thigh. “Sounds lonely.”
“It can be. It’s not today, though.” Jack’s fingers twisted with his.
“Nope. Not today.” Oh, Hudson liked that touch. He felt like words were tough for Jack sometimes, but gestures like that spoke for Jack just fine. Hudson leaned forward. “Look at that sky.”
“Yeah. You like skiing and stuff? I been to Steamboat for cowboy days.”
“I do ski. I like mountain biking, hiking, and I’ve even ridden a horse a few times. I just like being outdoors.”
“I’ve never done biking stuff, but I’ve been known to ride a horse a time or two…”
Hudson laughed. “Yeah? Maybe you can teach me a few things. I hear you have a bunch of horses.” How much fun would that be? Riding with Jack? He’d probably kill himself, but it would be a great way to go.
“I have four now that need attention and riding.” Jack smiled, and the expression hit Hudson in the pit of his stomach. That was Jack’s world—the horses. Those guys were Jack’s constant. His job. His responsibility. His passion. His secret-keepers.
“I can’t wait.” He lifted their hands, still tangled by the fingers and kissed Jack’s. “See? We got this.”
“We do.” Jack stretched up tall, his back popping. “I can’t wait for you to meet Mercy and Grace. They’re pretty babies. And you’ll love Mackey’s house. Him and Sid, they’ve been working hard on it. It’s like a playground now. He struck oil. Did I ever tell you that?”
“I think so. Something about a fishing trip?”
Jack grinned wide. “Son of a bitch. Actually struck oil. We damn near pissed ourselves laughing. But he spent the money well, got himself a sweet house, pretty land. I don’t need something as big. I need land to ride, good barns, a place to have snowmobiles and fishing gear. I’m in better shape than Mackey, so I intend to enjoy it.”
“Sounds like heaven.” He wasn’t being kind; he meant it. A little land and a comfortable place to live… that was the dream, right? He liked Denver just fine, but only because he worked there. It used to be his nine-to-five. Now it was a couple of days a month and Zoom calls. “I’ve never been fishing.”
“You’re shitting me.” Jack actually took his eyes off the road, staring for a long second. “Not ever?”
That look made him grin. “Nope. Not for any reason. I’ve just never had the chance. I never knew anyone that wanted to go. I like fish though.”
“Okay, then. That’s on the list. You, me, the horses, and fishing poles.” Jack chuckled. “And sammiches.”
“Mhm. And a nice comfy picnic blanket.” He made sure his tone was clear. “You know, just because.”
“Mmm… I ain’t done that since I was a kid.”
“Well, we missed the horny kid stage. So we can just be stupid horny adults.” The drive was just getting prettier as they neared Vail, and he couldn’t remember the last time he felt this… free.
“We can be whatever we want, I think.” Jack sounded as stunned as he felt.
“I think so too.” Hudson stretched over the console and kissed Jack’s cheek. “Right now, I want to be eating a big sandwich. Are we there yet?”
“Nope, but we’ll stop in a few, have lunch, and you can explore Vail. Fair?” Jack goosed him and made him squeak.