Wild Trail (Clean Slate Ranch #1)(72)

The secret also tarnished Mack’s memory of Geoff a little bit more, taking the shine off what he’d thought was a great, stable, trusting relationship.

He cheated on me again two days before he died.

Knowing that didn’t make Geoff’s death any less tragic, but it hurt. A lot.

“I’m sorry, brother,” Reyes said softly. “I didn’t know Colt’s secret, and he didn’t know mine, but we both lied to you.”

“I get you not telling me Geoff cheated.” Mack ran a hand down his beard, then tugged at the end. “But fuck if I know how I feel about Colt right now, other than bald rage. Your two secrets are nothing like the other.”

“I know. But considering... I felt like I owed you the truth.”

“Thanks.”

As much as Mack wasn’t angry at Reyes, he also didn’t want to be around the man. His pulse was still racing, his thoughts tumbling all akimbo, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to sort himself out.

Wes. I need Wes.

He needed Wes more than he ever imagined possible, so he grabbed his truck keys and left, desperate to talk to his guy.





Chapter Eighteen

“You’re doing me a huge favor, man, I mean it,” Gary said, and not for the first time in the last twenty minutes.

“It’s really not a problem,” Wes said, again. “I haven’t played it in months, so I can give it up for a week.” He handed the game cartridge over to Gary. “I hope your nephews enjoy it.”

“They will, they’ve wanted to play it for ages, but Bethany’s been struggling ever since the divorce and money’s tight for those little extras.”

Wes’s heart went out to the guy and his family’s struggles. Gary was another actor at the dinner theater where Wes worked. He was older, in his early forties, and he had an amazing singing voice. Wes was one of those people who tried to get to know his coworkers, so he’d listened to Gary vent about his little sister Bethany’s awful divorce and difficulties getting back into the work force after being a stay-at-home mom for the last fourteen years. And while Wes’s family wasn’t rolling in cash, he’d never wanted for anything.

Gary was due to babysit his nephews for the rest of the week, after their mom had an emergency appendectomy yesterday. He’d come to Wes looking for entertainment ideas, and Wes had suggested video games. He had several of the newest to spare.

“You know what,” Wes said, “tell them it’s a gift from one of Uncle Gary’s friends. Keep it.”

“What? You’re serious?”

“Sure. Think of it as my contribution to keeping you sane this week.”

“I appreciate it more than you know.”

Wes reached for the apartment door and twisted the knob. Pulled. “I don’t mind. Let me know if you need any other favors.” He swung the door open and nearly took a fist to his nose.

Mack filled his doorway, in some sort of distress that shifted into confusion and hurt. Wes’s shock over finding Mack at his apartment at ten o’clock on a Tuesday died quickly as he saw the misunderstanding forming in Mack’s head.

“Hey, you,” Wes said with a bright smile. “I hadn’t expected to introduce you to my coworkers this soon, but nothing about our relationship has been exactly traditional.”

“Coworker,” Mack echoed.

“Gary O’Hallin,” Gary said. “Fellow actor. Wes is helping me out of a jam.” He held up the game.

“Oh. Uh, Mack Garrett. Nice to meet you.”

Mack still wasn’t himself, though, so Wes needed to wrap this up. “Like I said, Gary, if you need anything else this week, let me know.”

“I appreciate it,” Gary said. “Nice to meet you, Mack. Guess you’re the reason Wes’s been smiling so much recently.”

“I guess so,” Mack replied with little enthusiasm.

Okay, this is bad.

Wes let Gary out, then invited Mack in, stomach souring at the tentative way Mack crossed the threshold. His shoulders were slumped, his entire big body seeming ready to tilt over. After Wes shut the door, he pulled Mack into a tight hug. “What’s wrong?” Wes whispered.

Mack shuddered. “Needed you. Needed this.”

“You’ve got me. Whatever you need.” Wes tried to hold him tighter, wishing he could do more, and after a while, Mack relaxed in his arms. He pressed his face into the crook of Wes’s shoulder, his beard tickling bare skin.

Wes wasn’t used to being the person his boyfriend ran to when something was painful or overwhelming. Drake had always compartmentalized his personal problems, dealt with them himself, instead of sharing them. It should have been a red flag that their relationship was doomed from the start, but Wes had been too infatuated with his TV star boyfriend to care.

Eventually his legs got tired and one thigh started to cramp, so Wes moved them to the couch. Wes had gotten tied up talking to Gary backstage, so Miles had left before him and was probably holed up in his room, since the only sign Wes had seen of him was his keys. Whatever. Even if Miles came out in the middle of some big emotional reveal, the guy knew how to be discreet.

“Do you want some water? Wine?” Wes asked.

Mack let out a rusty sound. “I could use a belt of something stronger.”