“A long while.” George’s stubbornness and drive for success had taken him all the way to the World Championship once. Those traits would also serve to get George out of this apartment and into the real world. Living in it. Not hiding anymore.
And for the first time in a long time, he couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow brought.
Chapter Eighteen
Levi didn’t sleep well on Saturday night, his body keenly aware of how alone he was. Even though he and George had only shared a bed once, the younger man had still been nearby. A living, breathing presence. Maybe Levi had three cats all over the bed who occasionally purred if he petted them, but it simply wasn’t the same.
He finally forced himself to get up, put his running gear on, and head out for his morning exercise. The sun was barely up and he enjoyed watching it paint the sky in brilliant hues of purple, red and orange. Very few clouds yet. Christmas Day was Friday. Would George want to spend part of the holiday together? For sure he always spent it with Orry, but Levi would love to see him for a few hours.
Maybe after he and Robin paid tribute to Xander. They’d already talked about it becoming a yearly tradition, and Levi had agreed without thinking it through. Yes, he’d be here this year, and he was definitely sticking around for another season at the ghost town. But his wanderlust still returned when he thought about Lucky’s Rodeo. They were at their winter home in Santa Fe right now. If he hadn’t met George, he probably would have hitched up his house and driven out there for a few weeks.
Now he had a reason to stick around the area.
As long as he and George were still together in a year. And seeing as Levi was the guy’s first boyfriend...that future was difficult to predict. He could kind of imagine it, though. George had traveled a lot in his youth to various competitions and seen all parts of the country. Then he’d spent the last seven holed up in an apartment with his brother. Maybe he’d want to travel in the tiny home with Levi. See the United States together with the cats.
Maybe.
He usually ran for about half an hour, and despite the cold morning, had a decent sweat by the time he got home. Right into the shower to wash it off and refresh himself, the warm water helping soothe equally warmed-up muscles. Before rehab he hadn’t been a runner, preferring the hard work of the rodeo—including swinging bales of hay into a truck—as his exercise. But he’d found a way to center himself when he ran, with peaceful music playing over his ear buds.
Part of him wanted to invite George to run with him, but he remembered the odd look on George’s face when they’d first talked about Levi’s running habit. Almost spooked. It probably had to do with skating and his bouts with anorexia and bulimia. Bad memories of overexercising, probably. Maybe one day Levi could help him find new, better memories to overshadow the bad ones.
After a bowl of granola for breakfast, he went into the yard and played with the cats for a while. Sporty was stalking something in the grass, and a few minutes later, very proudly trotted over with a struggling field mouse in her mouth. Levi gently extracted the poor thing, then took it into the woods and set it free under a bush where Sporty couldn’t get at it again.
She liked to hunt but never killed what she brought him, as if sensing he would disapprove of hunting for sport when she was fed plenty of quality cat food.
He wanted to call George just to hear his voice. They’d spent an entire week together, and it was odd not having him around. But since he didn’t want to come across as stalkerish he would wait for George to call him. Robin, predictably, showed up at Levi’s house around eleven with an expectant smile.
“How’d the honeymoon go?” he asked.
Levi nearly dropped his mug of tea. “What?”
“The family with the little girl. They were on a second honeymoon or something, right?” Robin winked.
The big jerk had been trying for a spit take and failed, assuming correctly that Levi would think Robin was asking after his and George’s vacation together. “Yes, and they told us they had a great time. Even invited us over for dinner if we’re ever in their area.”
“Us, huh? Are you and George officially a thing?”
“Yes.” Levi sat on one end of the narrow sofa, and Robin joined him. “We are officially dating.”
“Good for you, dude. I know how gun-shy you were about dating after what Grant did to you.” Robin’s smiling face when serious. “Did you tell George about that?”
“Last night. We spent some time together here before I drove him home. Talked. Decided we wanted to try long distance. I mean, an hour isn’t too bad considering the distance other people have had to overcome, but the Thompsons only have one car, and I get the feeling George doesn’t drive much.”
“That’ll be a lot of driving for you.”
“Yeah, but after spending most of my life on the road that doesn’t really bother me.”
Robin studied his face a beat. “What does bother you then?”
“I’m George’s first relationship. I really like him and feel good when I’m around him. He has a genuinely kind soul that’s a little bruised, but finally trying to heal. I suppose I’m a little scared I’m...is there an opposite of a rebound relationship?”
“So you’re his first and you’re worried you’re just practice?”
“A little bit. I don’t see George doing that consciously or on purpose, but it is a worry. I took a huge chance on trusting Grant so soon in my recovery, and it blew up in my face in a spectacularly painful way.”
“I know it did but you have to give yourself permission to take a second chance. I did that with Shawn, and now look at us. About to close on a house in a few weeks.”
“True.” Levi had fewer years between his heartbreak with Grant than Robin had with losing Xander, but Xander’s death had been a much different sort of heartbreak. And Robin had nearly lost his life from the force of his grief. But he was happy now, moving in with his boyfriend, and probably making plans to propose. Xander had resisted marrying Robin for years before Robin wore him down.
Levi had a feeling he wouldn’t need to work as hard with Shawn.
Will George want to get married one day?
That was too far into the future to even ponder today. “So did you wander all the way from the ranch just to pick my brain about George?”
“Nah, Shawn and I were invited to lunch at Mack’s place. I figured I’d pester you while Shawn visits with Wes and Miles.”
“No Reyes? The ranch is closed to guests so he doesn’t have that excuse.”
“I’m sure Reyes will be there to pester Mack. You should come up with me.”