“Really? That’s a shame. Do you like rafting?”
“I love rafting. I’m not very experienced, I’ve only been a few times, but I have always come off the water intending to do it again. I do a lot of camping though.” Saul recalled that Troy had said he didn’t enjoy camping alone, but maybe they could go together now.
“I’d like to go. I’ve done it quite a few times in Idaho Springs. Maybe… I’m owed a day or two off…”
“We’d have to go midweek. Emma needs me on the weekends. Maybe head up on a Sunday afternoon and stay through Wednesday or even Thursday. Think about it, I’m game. I have camping gear.” They went into the building and he had to blink to get his eyes to adjust to the light. “Whoa.”
One hand rested on his shoulder. “You got it?”
He leaned into it, even though he didn’t need to, and smiled. “I’m good.”
“Good deal. You want to try the maze and golf both?” Troy’s voice was soft, breath tickling his ear.
“Why not?” Oh, he liked that. The touch, the care, Troy’s subtle seduction.
“Excellent. Let me grab our tickets, hmm? You’ll need to pick out a club.”
“Thank you. I’ll go do that.” He fought the urge to offer to pitch in. He’d treated the last time and he knew about that pride thing, he felt it himself. He headed over to the rack of clubs, grinning as he picked out one with a neon green head, a zebra-striped pole and a matching green handle.
A couple of guys came over to pick out clubs, jostling and teasing, making fun of each other.
“Hey.” He nodded to them and got out of their way to wait for Troy.
“Hey, man. You want to join us?”
“A foursome? Sure. Sounds like fun.” He offered a hand. “I’m Saul.”
The blond shook with him. “I’m Kenny, this butthead here is Devon. Who’s four?”
“Oh. My boyfriend, Troy.” He looked toward the ticket counter. “Bald guy.”
“He’s your boyfriend?” Devon glanced at Kenny. “Wow.”
He grinned. Wow was right.
“Lucky, man. You guys local?”
“Oh yeah. I run the Cycle Rack in town and Troy cooks at the Spiked Butterfly. You guys too?”
“Yeah. We’re up at CU, man.”
“I graduated three years ago. I never came here in college. I can’t believe it. The guys I hung out with would have loved this shit.”
“Rock on. You doing the maze after?” Kenny winked at Devon. “It’s pretty cool. There are some places in there you can slip off course.”
“We are. With my luck I’ll won’t make it far enough to take advantage of that. Troy does yoga though. I bet he makes it.” He waved at Troy. “Over here!”
Troy caught sight of them, heading over with a smile. “Hey y’all.”
The guys exchanged a knowing glance before Kenny grinned. “Hey, Tex.”
“These two jokers want to have a foursome.” He blinked. “Uh. Play as a foursome. Golf. Just golf.”
Devon laughed good and loud. “Golf. Is that what they’re calling it now?”
Kenny snorted. “Going for a hole in one?”
Troy chuckled softly and grabbed a club. “You kids can’t keep up with me.”
He laughed. “Oh, but I can.” He herded Troy toward the first hole, pinching his lover’s ass once they were more out of sight of the ticket desk.
Troy leaned into the touch, then waved them all ahead. “Go ahead, y’all.”
Devon shook his head. “Age before beauty, man.”
“Well now what do we do? Troy is older and prettier than all of us.” He put an arm around Troy’s waist and grinned. “Go on, Devon.”
“You better go, Dev. In case he’s smarter too.”
“Shut up, asshole.” Dev stuck his tongue out at Kenny and lined up a shot.
“Don’t stick that out unless you intend to use it, Dev.” Kenny poked Dev in the ass with the club as he swung.
“Hey!” Dev’s ball went wild, bouncing off a neon dinosaur egg and rolling almost all the way back to where it started.
“Oops.” Kenny laughed. “I guess it’s my turn?” Dev stuck his club out in front of Kenny’s ball, sending it right off the course.
“This might be a long game.” He looked at Troy. “You next, or me?”
“Go for it.” Troy grinned, watching him like a man with a secret.
“Okay.” He stepped up and placed his ball, glancing at Troy before lining up his shot. “Okay. Here goes nothing.” He pulled his club back gently and swung at the ball.
“Oh, nice one, dude!”
The ball went up and over the hill, bouncing off a dinosaur tail, almost getting him a hole-in-one.
“Huh. Right on. Your turn, baby.” He went and stood at the far end where his ball was and watched. “Impress me.”
Troy grinned, and Saul watched as he swung, knocking his ball clear out of the way. “Oops.”
“Ah! You didn’t tell me you were good at this game.” He laughed, staying out of Devon and Kenny’s way as they joked around their next shots. Neither of them touched Troy’s ball, but Devon managed to knock his even farther, and Kenny rolled past the hole. Eventually the two of them sank their balls and moved onto the next hole.
He eyeballed Troy and lined up his shot, his ball rolling pretty much right on target.
“You almost got it in the hole…” Troy was asking for it.
He leaned on his club. “I can pretty much guarantee you won’t.”
“You think?” That soft laughter bubbled out of Troy, the sound warm and so happy.
It just got happier as Troy banked a shot and sank both their balls.
“Why, thank you. Show off.” He hugged his arms around Troy. “Nice shot.”
“I figure we both needed in the hole.” Troy kissed his cheek.
“We better catch up with the boys.” He winked at Troy. The boys, who weren’t more than a few years younger than he was. Was it weird that he felt like he’d grown up some since meeting Troy?
“They were hoping I was your father and you were available.”
“What?” He blinked over at Kenny and Devon. “They were?”
“They most definitely were.” Troy waggled his eyebrow. “And you’re not.”
“I told them you were my boyfriend, so I’m pretty sure they got the message. Devon said I was lucky.” He kissed Troy behind the ear. “And I am. Go show them how a real man plays mini golf.”
Troy’s laugh filled the air, drawing stares from the other players.
What a wonderful sound that was. He grinned and headed to the next green. “Ooh. Spaceships.”
“If you stay on the green, I’ll give you a blow job.” Troy was in a lovely mood.
He laughed. “Oh. Incentive. Or is that more self-serving than it sounds?”
“Totally incentive. If I was being self-serving, I’d say the winner got the blow job.”
His first shot went a little off course but stayed on the green. “I like how you think you make the rules.” He gave his boy a look, and then a grin. “It’s cute.”