Synopsis and Info

A/N: Hey y’all! I’m getting started on the first chapter of ‘An Outlaws Weakness’! This will be the 5th and final installment of the Crane Gang series. I hope y’all will enjoy this! First chapter should be up soon!

After hearing news that dropped his world on its head, Preston knows he has to get away and experience more of the world than his parents ranch. Against their wishes, he packed up some books, grabbed a change of clothes, and set off to find as much adventure as his sickness would allow.

Then one night he finds himself in more trouble than he can handle only to be rescued by a tall dark stranger. That stranger shows Preston a side of life he’d never experienced before. Preston wants to be happy. He wants to embrace this new life but how do you tell someone so strong the truth? How do you tell them that you’re a dying man?

Chapter One

Outlaws Weakness

Chapter One

Numb. That’s how Preston felt sitting upon the table in the doctor’s office. Numb. He was faintly aware of Jeb yelling threats at the doctor who had delivered the news. He was faintly aware of Gill urging Jeb to calm down.

   But still he felt numb. He was only nineteen. Nineteen-year olds were not supposed to hear what he'd just been told. 

   The doctor was suddenly in front of him. "Preston, I know this isn't the news you were wanting. I wish I had a better diagnosis for you. You were born with weak lungs. The medicine that once helped you no longer does."

   "We already know that." Gill stated. 

“So give him something else,” Jeb snarled. “You’re a doctor. Do something.”

   The doctor rubbed at his tired face. He was a young doctor. Younger than thirty. Still with plenty of life left to live—unlike Preston. 

   "There is nothing I can do to help him. All I can offer is, limit stress, limit excitement, limit exertion. Your lungs could last for twenty years if you're easy on them. Or they could give out in a few short years if you're not. Eventually you will have a breathing attack that will be fatal." 

   As Jeb and the doctor began arguing once again, Preston stared across the room, looking at his reflection in the mirror that sat there. He was thinner than most men. Pale. Had never grown taller than five and a half feet. His blond hair was messy on his head and his wire rimmed glasses sat on his nose. 

   An unimpressive reflection for an unimpressive boy who had lived an unimpressive life. Sure, he was a decent trick rider and he had a family that he loved, but he'd never 

done anything outside of the ranch.

   And now he was being told he never would. Dying. Preston was dying. It could happen with the next breathing attack he experienced, or it could be years of slowly wasting—either way he was a dead man. 

   "Doctor is there anything that can be done to help with his attacks now that the medicine isn't helping?" Gill asked, his voice much more calm and controlled than Jeb's. But that was normal for his pa. Gill had always been the calmer of the two when it came to threats against the family. His papa, Jeb, tended to lose his mind a bit. 

   "Not to my knowledge. Again, I apologize. It's impossible for me to tell when the attack will happen that will push his weak lungs too far. But, I don't see Preston living a full life. As I said, if he takes it easy, he will more likely live longer but it won't save him." 

   Preston slid down from the table and buttoned up his shirt. After adjusting his glasses, he offered a hollow thank you to the doctor and walked back outside onto the busy city street. 

   Jeb and Gill had brought him all the way to a big city to see a doctor who specialized in breathing issues. The whole family had hoped the new doctor would offer some cure for Preston's sickness but they were going to be let down. 

   Preston had been let down. Dying. He was dying. That thought ran over and over again through his mind. He'd always been weaker than other kids. Paler than other kids. He'd always been held back by the sickness in his lungs. But he'd never truly thought it would kill him. His medicine had always helped. 

   Until the last few years. 

   Now, when a breathing episode struck, all he could do was struggle to make his way through it and hope that it would end before he was smothered to death. 

   "Preston?" Gill's voice came from behind him. 

   Preston turned to look at his pa. The man was one of the strongest Preston knew. Always confident and sure of himself. "I want to go home." 

   Jeb joined them on the streetside and Preston studied his papa a moment. Jeb was strong too but he was also weaker than Gill in a lot of ways. Jeb was often ruled by emotion alone. Sure, he was tough, but Preston could see the tears in his angry eyes, the hard set of his jaw, and the way his fists were clenched. His papa was not okay. 

   Preston was not okay. 

   "Okay son," Jeb said, his voice tired. "Let's go home." 

   The train ride home seemed to take much longer than the train ride to the city. There was tension thick in the around the trio. Gill spent most of the time doing everything he could to offer comfort to both Jeb and Preston. 

   Preston didn't want comfort. He didn't want anything. He wanted to live. 

   As they rode back onto the ranch, Eleanor and Willa were there. Preston didn't speak to anyone. He went straight into the house and up the ladder to his loft bedroom, burying his face in his pillow. Hot tears stung behind his eyes and, finally, Preston let them fall.

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

“I’m going.”

   Preston thought his papa's head was going to explode as Jeb paced the room and clenched his jaw. "Why? Why are you so goddamn determined to leave?"

   Preston hated knowing he was hurting his parents so badly. Gill was standing quietly with his arms crossed and his eyes full of sadness as he watched his son. 

   Preston adjusted the sack on his shoulder. "Because I need to live, papa. I need to go out there and 

do something.“

   They didn't understand. How could they? They had lived exciting lives full of adventure and now had the rest of their lives to simply settle down and enjoy each other. 

   Preston didn't have that. He had now. He didn't want to just waste away and die on his parent's ranch without ever experiencing any real adventures of his own. 

   Jeb threw his hands up. "Do what? Read books in a new place? Get your fool head blown off? What exactly is it that you want to go do so bad?"

   Preston winced. He'd never fought with his parents. He didn't want to do it now. But he was determined to go. "I want to be able to have adventures just like you and pa." 

   With a shake of his head, Jeb stood behind a kitchen chair and gripped it tightly. "Those adventures led to people we loved dying. They led to us nearly dying. Is that what you want?

   Preston's thin shoulder rose and fell. "I'm dying either way."

   He knew he'd said the wrong thing when every ounce of color drained from Jeb's face. Anger flashed in his green eyes and he opened his mouth only to be silenced when Gill stepped forward. 

   "Enough Jebidiah." 

   "Gilliam, don't act so damn calm about this. We've given that boy everything. A family, a home, a good goddamn life, and now he's just gonna throw it all away for what? For adventure? He's gonna end up hurt!" 

   Preston nearly snapped back. He was angry that his papa was treating him like an ungrateful child. But Gill came between them. "I'm not calm about it, Jeb. That's my son too and I sure as hell don't want to see him going out and getting hurt." 

   "Then have my back..." Jeb began. 

   "I always have your back, Jebidiah, you know that."

“What happens when he has another attack and we’re not there to help him?” Jeb demanded.

“Nobody can help me,” Preston stated bluntly. “When I have an attack, I’ll either die or I won’t. That’s my life now.”

“Don’t say that!” Jeb snapped. “Is that what you want? To go out there and die alone?”

“Of course I don’t want to die!” Preston exclaimed. “But I’m going to. And I want to live before I do!”

“Both of you stop.” Gill’s authoritative voice warned. “Preston needs to do this. If we stand in his way, it’s not gonna change a thing and it’ll only lead to hard feelings.”

   Jeb stood still as a stone for several long moments as he stared hard at Gill.  Then, suddenly, it was like every ounce of air and fight left the man at once as his arms fell and his shoulders dropped. He swallowed hard. "I don't wanna lose that boy, Gilliam." 

   Preston turned his back to give his parent's a bit of privacy as Gill went to Jeb and took his hands in his. "I don't either. But no matter how much we're hurting, he's hurting more. This is his life. He's a nineteen year old man. You remember being nineteen. We've got to let him go so he can find whatever the hell it is he's looking for."

   "I hate when you're right." 

   "You oughta be used to it by now." 

   There was silence behind him for a moment and then Jeb cleared his throat. "Preston?"

   When Preston turned around, Jeb and Gill were standing hand in hand and Preston was happy to see that Jeb's expression was quite a bit softer. 

   "I love both of you," Preston said, emotion rising in his own throat. "You know that. This family is everything to me and I don't want to leave forever. I just want to get out there and see 

something … Even I’m not sure what exactly.“

   "We love you too, Preston," Jeb replied, softly. "I don't like this and I don't want you to go but I won't stand in your way." 

   Preston nodded. "Thank you." 

   Gill sighed. "We will at least come into town with you. You need a gun belt that fits proper and you can have my extra revolver. We'll get you some money to take with you and any other supplies you might need." 

   Preston wanted to insist that he was a grown man and would take care of things himself, but he had a feeling he needed to let his pas do this.  

   "Are you determined to leave today? Can't we have one last dinner with the family together so you can tell them you're leaving?" Jeb asked. 

   Preston picked at a tear in his shirt sleeve. "No, I think I just want to go." He didn't want to go through this argument with every person in the family. They would all try to convince him to stay and Preston didn't know if he was strong enough to stand up to all of them. 

   Hell, he couldn't believe he'd had the strength to stand his ground with his parents. 

   It appeared that Jeb wanted to say something else but Gill leaned into him and gave him a bit of a nudge. Jeb sighed. "Alright then. Let's saddle some horses and we'll see you off."

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Preston had never been so happy to see something in all his life as he was to see a town in the distance. Night was falling and he hadn’t been looking forward to another night on the ground. He’d been wandering for over a week and had begun to think he was going to run out of food and die of starvation before he ever found a town.

   Life on horseback wasn't 

quite the adventure he’d thought it would be. Sure, it had been exciting the first several nights when he’d been unable to start a fire and had been stuck eating nothing but jerky and hardtack before sleeping in the dark. And he had jumped for joy the fourth night when he’d finally succeeded in starting that fire and enjoyed a supper of beans.

   But his back ached, his backside was killing him, and all he wanted was to have a real meal in his gut and a few nights in a real bed. And Preston was real lonely.  Maybe he should have listened to his papa and stayed home... maybe he wasn't cut out for this kind of life. 

   Preston rode into the town and swallowed hard. Maybe he 

really wasn’t cut out for this kind of life. This town wasn’t like the one next to his family’s ranch. This town was run down. The few buildings that were standing were barely managing to do that.

   Music and the din of voices was coming from a saloon. Kerosene lamps lit up the front of a building claiming to be a hotel. The building labeled Mercantile was currently closed as was the building labeled diner. Looked like that hot meal was going to have to wait. 

There was a rickety corral and barn beside the hotel and Preston led his horse there.

Slipping from the saddle, he took the horses’ reins and walked to the door on the barn. “Hello?”

   An old grizzled man suddenly appeared out of the darkness causing Preston to let out a yelp and jump back. "What do you want, boy?"

   Taking a moment to steady his breathing, Preston pointed to his horse. "Can I put my horse up here tonight?"

   The old man looked him up and down before scowling. "You need to just ride on. This ain't a town for the likes of you." 

   Preston agreed. He really didn't want to stay here. But adventure and new experiences was what he'd left home for. So, he squared his shoulders. "How much to put my horse up for the night?"

   The old man grunted and scratched at the dirty beard on his cheek. "Seventy-five cents for the night. That includes me feeding him and giving him a good rub down." 

   Preston nodded. He got into the saddlebags and fished out a money pouch. After grabbing the coins, he put the money pouch back and turned to the old man. "Boy, you gotta be more careful than that! Don't show folks where ya keep your money! There's men in this town that would gladly bash your brains in to have what's in that pouch." 

   Preston's cheeks heated as he laid the money in the old man's hand. "I'll be just fine," he muttered. 

   Preston removed his saddlebags from his mare and put them over his shoulder, staggering a bit under the weight. He could still hear the old man chuckling as he headed for the hotel. 

   Once he was tucked away in his hotel room, Preston sighed. The room wasn't much and the bed was rather small but it would work and it would probably feel better than a blanket on the ground. 

   He was about to pull a book from his saddlebags and settle down for the night when he stopped himself. If all he was going to do was read books, he might as well go back home. 

   There was a saloon here. Preston had never gone to a saloon. He'd never really been interested and his parents hadn't been saloon going men so he hadn't gone. 

   He was going in one tonight. 

   Preston paused in the mirror. He looked at his new gun belt around his hips and frowned. If he wore a gun that might end up putting him into a gun fight... Surely not wearing a gun was the safer option while going to the saloon. If he was unarmed the chance of anyone trying to shoot him would be less, wouldn't it?

   It made sense in his mind at least. 

   Then again, his family never went anywhere without their guns. But then they were all better shots than he was. Preston knew how to use one, of course, but he'd never taken the time to truly get good with one. 

   He sighed with annoyance at himself. He was leaving the gun in the room. He didn't know how to use it well enough to risk getting in a gun fight with the thing.

   Preston unhooked the gun belt and tossed it to the bed before adjusting his brown vest over his blue shirt and heading for the door. Nerves were eating his stomach as he approached the saloon. 

   He was nearly knocked off his feet by two drunken men who came stumbling through the swinging doors. "What where you're going, boy!" One of them bellowed. 

   Preston swallowed hard and adjusted his glasses. "Sorry sir." 

   Both men had been laughing as they walked away. Feeling a bit more unsure, Preston took a deep breath and walked through those swinging doors. 

---

   Xavier Black sipped at his beer and settled deeper into the shadows. His eyes scanned the saloon watching for the man he was after. This bounty would earn him five-hundred dollars giving him plenty of money to wander on for a while. 

   He'd always been a wandering man, a rootless man. Born to a whore, with no idea who his father might be, Xavier had left home at the age of twelve and learned to fend for himself. It hadn't been easy and he'd had to learn to be hard and self-reliant. Weakness was a death sentence, caring was for fools, and all a man needed was himself. 

   He took another drink of his beer and frowned when a man entered the saloon. He was small both in height and build, almost scrawny. With all that pale skin on his smooth face and those wide blue eyes he stuck out like a sore thumb against the rough crowd that filled the saloon. 

   Xavier tore his eyes away from the man and retuned his attention to the door. He was on the lookout for a stagecoach robber who had been unlucky enough to earn a wanted poster. 

   A short time later his eyes were once again drawn to the barn when the pale man took a swig of whiskey and began to cough uncontrollably. What was that man doing here? Hell, he didn't even have a gun! This lawless town was not a place that man should be. 

   Deciding that wasn't his problem and realizing the man he was after probably wasn't going to show up tonight, Xavier downed the rest of his beer and stood. He was making his way to the door when he saw the pale man making his way toward a poker table, only to be shoved aside by a large bellied man heading toward the bar. 

   The pale man stumbled several steps and would have fallen if Xavier hadn't grabbed his arm to steady him. 

   Those big blue eyes looked up at him from above a shaky smile. "Thanks." 

   Xavier merely grunted, released his hold and made his way out the door. He found another shadow to settle down in, lit a cigarette, and continued his watch. 

   After some time had passed, Xavier was on his way back to the hotel when noise from the alley beside the saloon drew his attention. He glanced that way and saw the pale man being shoved back and forth between a group of sneering men. 

   Xavier tried to tell himself it wasn't any of his damn business and that the pale man was just going to have to learn the hard way what happened to a man who went where he didn't belong...      

   Then he heard one of the men say, "Yeah, he's a nice tiny thing. I'm gonna enjoy shoving my cock in this one." 

   Xavier bristled, remembering the look of those big blue eyes as they'd gazed up at him so unsure and innocent. Letting out a growl, he realized he was going to have to intervene. The pale man needed his help and that only served to piss him off.

   Adjusting his gun belt, Xavier tossed down his cigarette and headed their way.

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Preston wasn’t sure how he’d ended up in this situation. He’d simply wanted to try his hand at the poker table. That had led to a group of men making rude comments and threats… then those men had grabbed him by the arms and dragged him out the back door of the saloon. Not a single person had offered any help or resistance.

   Preston was terrified. Five dirty, big-bodied men were shoving him back and forth between them threatening to beat him, kill him, rape him.... Why? 

   He tried to slip between them but the biggest of them grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him backward. Preston could feel his lungs beginning to struggle. If he didn't get away from these men and calm down, he was going to be thrown into an attack. Either way, he might die tonight. 

   They began shoving him again. Preston's world spun and he couldn't seem to make sense of it. All he saw were sweat stained shirts as he was banged off them. He smelled their sweat, the beer and whiskey they'd indulged in. 

   Tears were forming in his eyes and Preston struggled to hold them back. "Let me go!" he yelled, struggling against one of the men who had suddenly grabbed him and pulled him close to his body. 

   Preston gagged at the smell and then again when he felt something hard in the man's pants pressing against him. "Yeah, he's a nice tiny thing. I'm gonna enjoy shoving my cock in this one." 

   Preston's struggles increased then. He became a wild animal, crazed and desperate for escape. He slapped, he clawed, he yelled and still that man held him. 

   The more he fought, the harder it became to breathe. Preston didn't care. He'd rather die of a breathing attack than let this man do what he was wanting to do. 

   "I suggest you gentleman do as that man says and let him go." 

   Preston stilled as his head whipped around toward this new voice. Instantly he recognized the man as the one who had kept him from falling on his face as he'd been on his way to the poker table. He remembered the man because the sight of his face had stolen Preston's breath. 

   The man's eyes met his for no more than a second before he was looking away. He scratched at the black stubble that covered his cheek and laid his hand over the revolver on his hip. "Are you bastards hard of hearing?"

   Preston felt himself fall away from the big man who'd had hold of him. He was quick to escape the ring of bodies as they turned their attention to the newcomer. Leaning against the saloon wall, Preston fought to catch his breath as he worried about his rescuer's safety. It was five men against one—Preston couldn't see how that would end well. 

   "Who the hell do you think you are?" the big man who had wanted to 

have Preston demanded.

   "Not someone you'll want to talk to that way. Now, get out of here."

   Without warning the big man strode toward Preston's dark-haired rescuer. Preston's cry of warning stuck in his throat when, quicker than Preston could blink, his rescuer pulled his gun and brought the butt of it down hard on the big man's head. 

   The big man stumbled a bit before going to his knees. He gripped his head, moaning in agony as blood ran between his fingers.

   Everything else happened in a blur. The other four men rushed at the dark-haired man. With a crunching of bone and the sickening thud of fists hitting flesh, one by one the four men fell. 

   Preston stood there on trembling legs. In the glow of the lantern light the five men who had been torturing him moments before now laid clutching at various parts of themselves, moaning and writhing in pain. 

   His gaze went to his rescuer who spit out some blood and rubbed at his welted jaw. Preston swallowed hard, his breathing becoming a little less strained. "Thank you." 

   With a grumble, the man grabbed Preston's wrist and all but dragged him from the alley. Preston struggled to keep up with the taller man's strides. He realized they were heading for the hotel. Was this man going to hurt him? Damn, he hoped not. Preston wanted to believe this town had at least one good person in it. 

   "What room are you in?" the man snapped. 

   "What?" 

   "What goddamn room are you in?"

   "2B."

   Up the stairs Preston found himself dragged. They came to an abrupt stop outside the door. "Get your ass in there and don't come out until daylight. Then get out of this town. It ain't the right place for a man like you." 

   Preston nodded. "Yeah, I think I got that." 

   The man studied him hard a moment, his light green eyes sharp behind the unreadable mask of his face. He sure was something to look at. Sharp lines,  full lips, long nose and a tanned complexion. 

   "Thank you again," Preston muttered when it become clear the man wasn't going to speak. "Those men...." 

   "Don't thank me. I don't know why I helped you but it ain't in my nature to go helping folks. Learn to take care of your damn self." With that the man strode away, leaving Preston to stare at his broad shoulders, tapered waist and rather nice backside as he did so. 

   Once he had disappeared down the stairs, Preston pulled his key and let himself into the room, locking the door behind him. 

   He realized he was shaking and he sat down on the edge of the bed and buried his face in hands. He'd nearly been killed tonight—or at least hurt real bad. He didn't know what he was doing out here. Sure, he'd been raised by a bunch of outlaws and able-bodied folks, but they had sheltered him. 

   He had known that bad things existed, but he hadn't realized just how dangerous life out in the world alone could be. If it hadn't been for that stranger.... Preston shivered. 

   He pulled off his boots and settled down in the bed with a book. He could lose himself in the words and maybe grow calm enough to sleep. He was happy that at least his breathing had managed to right itself before he was thrown into an attack—at least he wasn't going to die tonight. 

---

Xavier laid in his bed which just happened to be directly below the pale man’s and stared up at the ceiling. What the hell had gotten into him? Why had he interfered in something that hadn’t involved him?

   Now he had an aching jaw, the taste of blood in his mouth and some busted knuckles—all to save a man who had no business being in this town from a situation that he'd put his own damn self in. 

   All Xavier kept thinking about were those big blue eyes so full of uncertainty and fear. And he kept hearing that soft voice thanking him. Damn. 

   With a growl he threw a spare pillow across the room. He'd worked hard in his life to hide who he was, what he wanted... With a single glance of those blue eyes and a whispered thank you, that pale man had brought that part of Xavier roaring to life. 

   He'd wanted to take the smaller man into his arms, comfort him, protect him, kiss those trembling lips.... 

   "Holy hell...." 

   What Xavier needed to do was just leave the hotel, saddle up his horse and leave town. He wouldn't. He couldn't. Not until he saw the pale man and watched him ride out. Those men could come looking for the pale man tonight—Xavier needed to stay near him so he'd be ready if they did. 

   Caring was for fools. Xavier was no fool. He didn't 

care ; he simply felt responsible for the idiot of a man sleeping above him.

   Yeah, that's all it was.

A/N: What do y’all think so far? Thoughts on Xavier?

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

He knew he needed to leave town, but Preston also needed supplies and his stomach was aching for a real meal. Maybe this town was a bit friendlier during the day than it had been at night.

   Putting his saddlebags over his shoulder, Preston left his room, made his way downstairs, and checked himself out of the hotel. Stepping out into the early morning sunlight, Preston glanced nervously up and down the road, hoping he wouldn't see any of the men who had attacked him last night. 

   Thinking of that, led to him thinking about the dark-haired stranger who had saved him. Was he still in town? 

   Preston let out a breath, realized no one was coming to attack him right this moment, and headed for the diner. Very few patrons were in the place this time of morning and for that Preston was thankful. He sat down at a back table so he could see the door—his parents had at least taught him not to sit with his back to a door in a place that could be hostile. 

   After stomaching a disappointing breakfast of burnt bacon and watery eggs, Preston made his way back outside. Stepping into the dusty mercantile, it took Preston's eyes a moment to adjust and he walked up to a scar-faced man behind the counter. 

   "What are you doing here, boy?" the man demanded. 

   Preston sighed. "I'm not a boy. And I need supplies." 

   The man snorted. "Well excuse me. Tell me what you need." 

   Preston did and then he waited as the clerk gathered the things up.

   "Well, well, we meet again." 

   Preston's back stiffened. He recognized that voice. Turning slowly, he saw the big man who had wanted him last night. Someone had stitched up the man's head and the skin was red and looked like it hurt like hell. 

   "Just leave me alone," Preston warned with false bravado. 

   The man chuckled but nothing about his expression was good natured. "I don't think I will." 

   He came toward Preston and Preston panicked. He saw a jar of canned apples on the counter and without thinking he grabbed up the jar and brought it down hard on the man's head as he neared him. 

   The man roared in pain and dropped down, holding his head which was once again bleeding. Preston swallowed hard. What now? The man looked up at him through pain-hazed eyes and reached out. Preston side-stepped, escaping his grasp. 

   "You damn bastard. I'm gonna have you," the man growled, slowly getting to his wobbling legs as blood dripped down his face. "Your big hero ain't here to rescue you this time." 

   "Doesn't look much like he needs me to rescue him." 

   Preston's gaze went to the door to find that the light coming through had been blocked by the dark-haired stranger from the night before. 

   "Goddamnit, why are you here?" the big man demanded. "You sweet on the boy or something?"

   The stranger pulled a bandana from his pocket. "Clean yourself up. You're bleeding. Might want to get somebody to sew you back up." 

   Preston stood by the counter as the clerk returned with his sack of goods. The big man stood toe to toe with the dark-haired stranger, his hand inching toward his gun. "I reckon I'm thinking about killing you." 

   The dark-haired stranger shrugged one strong shoulder. "I reckon you can try." 

   After several tense moments the big man pressed the bandana against his bleeding head and stormed from the mercantile. Once again, Preston found himself looking up into the dark-haired stranger's light green eyes. 

   "Thank you," Preston said, before biting his tongue. Hadn't the man told him not to thank him?

   Those light green eyes stared down at him for several long moments. Then he turned away and went to the counter. "The man wants a knife and holster to go with the rest of that." 

   Preston frowned. "I do." 

   "If you're not gonna use that goddamn gun on your hip to defend yourself than maybe you'll use a knife." 

   "I already have a knife. It's in my saddlebags." 

   The man turned and fixed Preston with a hard stare. "And what good is it doing you there?"

   Preston wanted to snap at the man but couldn't muster up the energy. Instead he sighed. "Not a bit." 

   He was sure he saw something in those green eyes soften but it was gone before he could tell for sure. 

   "Do you want the knife or not?" the store keep demanded. 

   "No," Preston spoke up. "I don't want a knife." 

   Preston was aware of the stranger hovering behind him as he paid for his goods, grabbed the sack and left the mercantile with the man's footsteps right behind him. 

   "I thought I told you to get out of town?" he demanded once they were in the sun. 

   "I'm trying," Preston snapped. 

   "You need to get your ass home before you get yourself killed." 

   Preston grumbled under his breath and glared up at the man. "Just because you've saved me twice doesn't mean you can talk to me like that!"

   One of the man's brows rose. "Actually, it means I can." 

   Preston rolled his eyes. He laid his saddlebags on a bench and began transferring the items from the sack into the saddlebags. The man hooked his thumbs through his belt loops and leaned his hip against the banister beside them. "How old are you?" the stranger asked. 

   "Nineteen." 

   "You must have a family that cares about you. One that probably wants you to come back home." 

   Preston felt his heart hurt a bit. "Maybe." 

   The man snorted. "No, you do. Only a person with a family that cares about them could have made it as long as you have being so soft." 

   Preston had had enough. He whirled around. "Okay, so I'm not some big bad scary man like you are. I'm not cut out for towns like this one! I didn't realize this was a bad town when I rode into it. Lesson learned. Now back off." 

   The man didn't move a muscle, didn't even appeared flustered by Preston's outburst as he continued leaning against the banister. Why'd he have to look so damn good while he leaned there? "And just where are you going from here?"

   Preston remained quiet. 

   "You have no idea, do you? No idea where you are. No idea where you're going. You're gonna die, you know that?"

   Preston winced. Oh, the stranger was more right than he knew. "Yeah, I reckon I know that." 

   Slowly the man pushed himself from the banister. "You're about four days ride from a nicer town than this. One with lawmen. It's a lot safer than here." 

   Preston finished with his belongings and tossed his saddlebags over his shoulder, cursing under his breath when he stumbled a bit. "Okay." 

   "It's to the southwest." 

   "Okay." 

   The man studied him a moment. Preston squirmed under his intense gaze. Finally, the man sighed. "Let's go get our goddamn horses and I'll make sure you get to the town safe." 

   "I don't need a nursemaid," Preston countered quickly. 

   "And I'm not gonna be one, dammit, but I was heading for that town anyway and I feel responsible for you now." 

   "You're not." 

   The man seemed angry as his nostrils flared. "Stop arguing. Let's go." 

   The man was striding away, leaving Preston nearly running to catch up. "Well, if you insist on riding with me, what's your name?" 

   "Xavier." 

   Preston nearly ran into Xavier's back when he stopped suddenly. He turned and looked down at Preston. "What's your name?" 

   Preston pushed his glasses up on his nose and forced a shaky smile. "Preston." 

   "Well get your damn horse, Preston," Xavier growled turning his back to him once again. "I trust you can ride better than you can fight." 

---

What the hell had Xavier been thinking? He hadn’t had any intention of going to the town he’d told Preston about. Hell, he was supposed to be hunting down a bounty so he’d have some money to live on a while.

   As he watched Preston grunt and struggle to toss the saddle over his horse, Xavier sighed. He was brain addled, that had to be the answer. Xavier had gone brain addled. 

   Xavier had made it a point in his life to never travel with anyone. He was a loner and he liked it that way. But here he was about to travel four days with a man who had him all tangled up inside and acting out of character. 

   "Well, you coming or not?"

   Preston's voice drew Xavier from his thoughts and he realized the man was sitting atop his horse and looking down at him expectantly. It seemed the man did know how to ride better than fight. 

   Xavier got on his own horse and led Preston to the edge of town. "I don't like a lot of chit chat and we're not friends so there'll be no need for conversation," he warned. 

   Preston nodded and those blue eyes of his seemed annoyed. "Sure, whatever you say." 

   Xavier shook his head. The man had a lot of nerve to be annoyed with him. If anyone had a right to be annoyed it was Xavier. He was the one who'd been more than a little inconvenienced by Preston's presence in this town. 

    He thought about just abandoning the man and leaving him to find his way alone, but Xavier was a man of his word. He'd said he'd take Preston to the town, so he'd take him. And then he'd ride off and forget he ever met the pale stranger with big blue eyes.

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

That evening, Xavier found a large tree beside an outcropping of rocks and a slow moving creek for them to camp near. Preston had taken his warning to heart and the men had ridden in silence all day—which had given Xavier plenty of time to study the man.

   Preston was good on a horse and he seemed to pay close attention to his surroundings. He also seemed to be sad. Those slender shoulders had been drooped and his blue eyes downcast as they'd ridden side by side. 

   Xavier told himself he didn't care if Preston was sad—why the hell would he? Whatever caused the other man's melancholy wasn't any of his business. Shaking his head, Xavier slid from his horse and began setting up camp. 

   Once he had a small fire going and some coffee brewing, he glanced around and realized that Preston was nowhere to be seen. Worry crept up in his mind and then he growled, angry with himself. He didn't worry about people. 

   Walking around the rocks, Xavier found Preston. The man was sitting on the creek bank. His boots and socks were off, his pant legs were rolled up and he was dangling his feet in the water. The sunset was casting a glow on his face and Xavier clenched his fists tightly as he strode over. 

   "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

   Preston's head whipped around, those big blue eyes widening as his glasses slid down his nose a bit. With a sigh, he fixed his glasses and returned his gaze to the horizon. "I'm watching the sunset. It's pretty ain't it? People ought to take the time to do it more."

   Pretty? Xavier frowned. He found himself looking at the horizon and his frown deepened. When was the last time Xavier had taken the time to recognize if something was pretty? Hell, the answer to that was never. His gaze returned to Preston and the sight of that red orange glow lighting up his face. 

   Pretty. 

   Xavier crossed his arms over his chest.  "You thought it was okay to come kick back and relax while someone else makes camp for you?"

   Preston's eyes rolled, increasing Xavier's temper. How dare the man roll his big blue eyes at him! Preston didn't spare him a glance. "I didn't ask you to make camp for me. I would have helped."    

   "When? After the 

pretty sunset? By then it’s dark and what good would your help have been?“

   Preston sighed, pulling his feet from the water and standing up slowly. "Why are you such an ass?" The man's cheeks flushed as soon as the words left his mouth and he swallowed hard. 

   Xavier found himself offended. "I'm not an ass."

   Preston shrugged. "You sure aren't friendly." 

   "You're right. I'm not. Next time we make camp you can pull your weight before you take time to enjoy 

pretty sunsets.“

   Xavier turned on his heel and strode back to camp, aware of Preston following behind him. Both men unsaddled their horses, laid out their bedrolls and settled down beside the fire. Xavier found himself studying Preston's profile in the glowing firelight. 

   There went that damn word bouncing around in his head again. Pretty. Xavier picked up a stick and poked at the fire. "What the hell are you doing wandering around alone anyway?" 

   "I'm not alone," Preston countered with a wry grin. "I'm with you." 

   

‘I’m with you’. Damnation, why did that sound so good? Xavier poked harder at the fire. What the hell was wrong with him? He should never have volunteered to take Preston anywhere.

   "Yeah, I've had to save your ass twice. Answer the question." 

   "You only saved me once," Preston countered. "I was taking care of things just fine the second time." 

   Xavier grumbled under his breath. Preston was testing his patience. "I'll remember that next time someone wants to kick your ass." 

   "He wasn't wanting to kick it," Preston mumbled before his face flushed bright red again and he looked down at his bare feet, digging his toes into the dirt. 

   A growl left Xavier's lips. He was well aware what that big bastard had wanted to do to Preston. He'd be damned before 

any man took that tiny ass. What the hell was wrong with him? He shouldn’t care who bedded Preston. He didn’t care. He didn’t care at all.

   Xavier busied himself pulling a can of beans from his saddlebags. He used his knife to open it before pouring them into the tiny cooking pan and placing it over the fire. 

   "You still haven't answered my question," he stated as they waited on their supper to finish cooking. 

   "Because I don't have to," Preston replied. 

   Damn that man and his desire to be difficult. 

   "I say you do. What the hell is a man like you doing wandering around all alone out here?" 

   Preston still hadn't looked up from his toes. "I wanted to have an adventure." 

   "And have you enjoyed it so far?" 

   "Sure have." Came Preston's mumbled response. 

    Xavier decided to give up on conversation. Preston was determined to be difficult and Xavier wasn't much for talking anyhow. 

   As they drank their coffee and ate in silence, Xavier worked hard to keep from letting his gaze go to Preston. He was still pretty damn sure he was going brain addled. What other answer could there be for the feelings that the other man was awakening in him. 

   Feelings of protectiveness. Of caring. Of goddamn frustration due to the man's determination to be difficult. Xavier was a man who didn't care much for disobedience or disrespect from anyone. Normally, he would have punched another man in the face for showing either—but where Preston was concerned, he didn't want to hurt him. 

   No, 

hurting Preston wasn’t something Xavier wanted to do. There were other ways to teach the man a lesson.

   He shook his head roughly drawing Preston's attention. "You okay?"

   "Just fine." Xavier shoved himself to his feet. "I'm taking a walk. Try not to die while I'm gone." 

   He was faintly aware of Preston mocking him as he walked off into the darkness. Damn that man. Xavier was more angry at himself than anything. He had put his own damn self into a situation he should have known better than to get involved in. 

   He'd spent thirteen years alone. Thirteen years surviving. Thirteen years doing his best to avoid giving in to the urges that lived inside him. Now, he was going to be spending the next few days with a man who had those urges fighting hard to come to life. 

   Temptation wasn't something Xavier had ever been real good at resisting.

   After walking off much of his bad mood, Xavier made his way back to the campfire with hopes that Preston would be asleep. He wasn't disappointed. 

   Preston was indeed sleeping. He had fallen asleep on his side with his glasses still on his face and a book laying against his chest. He looked so goddamn innocent—so breakable. What the hell was he doing wandering around alone?

   Without putting much thought into what he was doing, Xavier walked quietly to Preston and pulled his glasses gently from his face. He grabbed the book as well, laid it on the ground beside Preston and placed the glasses on top of it. Then he grabbed the blanket from Preston's feet and laid it over the man, covering him up to his chin. 

   With a grumble, Xavier went to his own bedroll and settled down upon it, though he doubted he'd find much sleep tonight.  

A/N:  What do y’all think? I think Xavier is going to have his hands full with Preston!

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Preston was the first one awake the next morning and he wasn’t surprised. Xavier snored like a buffalo. He was surprised to find his glasses and book both neatly lying next to him. Hadn’t he fallen asleep reading?

   Preston put his glasses on and glanced at Xavier. The man didn't look nearly as hostile while he was sleeping. He seemed softer, less on guard, but just as handsome. Shaking his head, Preston turned his attention to the embers still glowing from their fire. He didn't need to worry about what Xavier looked like—it was clear the man hated him. 

   But Preston was stuck with him until they reached the town they were heading toward—and he needed his help. Preston really was out of his element out here. He'd never had a real good sense of direction. 

   Adding more wood to the fire and stoking it up until flames were once again rolling, Preston put some coffee on to boil and began reheating the beans left from their supper. He'd show Xavier that he was good for something, at least. 

Preston rose to his feet and headed for the creek. He needed to relieve himself and he was eager to watch the sunrise. Finding out you could die at any moment had a way of making a person want to enjoy the little things a bit more. Sunrises and sunsets took on a whole new meaning.

   After seeing to nature's call, Preston stood beside the slow moving creek and watched the sky changing colors. He was lost in his thoughts when he suddenly felt the presence of another body close to his. 

   "I suppose you find sunrises 

pretty too?“

   Preston swallowed hard. Damn Xavier was close. The man was standing behind him and Preston could feel the heat off his body. Why was he so close?

   Preston didn't respond. How could he when he was struggling not to swallow his own tongue? Xavier's nearness caused an awareness to shoot through his body that caused his legs to tremble. 

   Silence reigned as the sun continued its slow rise in the sky. Slowly, Preston felt Xavier move away. "I reckon it was nice enough. Now let's get back to camp and eat so we can be heading out." 

   Preston turned slowly and realized that Xavier was already walking away. Taking a moment to steady his shaking legs, Preston followed after him. They sat down and Xavier filled a plate with beans and held it out for Preston. 

   Preston frowned and took it. Then Xavier filled a cup with coffee and held it out for Preston as well. As Preston took the offered cup, he wondered what the hell was going on. Had he fallen asleep and woken up on the moon? Why was Xavier being nice? Why had he stood so close?

   Xavier's green eyes studied him as the man took a sip of steaming coffee. "How'd you sleep?"

   Preston choked on the beans he'd just shoved in his mouth. After ensuring he wasn't going die of bean inhalation, he shoved his glasses up his nose and shrugged. "Good. But you snore." 

   Those green eyes widened a bit. "I do not." 

   "You do. Like a buffalo." 

   Preston barely held back laughter at the snort of indignation that left Xavier's mouth. "Well, you're welcome to make your own damn camp away from me and my buffalo snores." 

   Preston shook his head, grinning over his own cup of coffee. "I'll just stuff some cotton in my ears tonight." 

   Then Preston watched on as the most miraculous thing happened. Xavier's firm mouth curved into a smile, placing dimples in his stubble-covered cheeks and completely stealing Preston's breath. 

   Almost as quickly as the smile appeared, Xavier shook his head and that usual scowl took its place. "Eat your food. We need to get a move on. We wasted enough time watching a sunrise."

   Preston busied himself with his meal but his mind was on Xavier. Maybe he wasn't as much of an ass as Preston had first thought. The man 

had saved him twice and was now helping him reach a safer town. And the man had stood real close and watched the sunrise with him. And he had just proven he knew how to smile.

   Preston grinned. He had grown up around men who hid behind anger and a tough exterior. He would bet that Xavier was just as soft under it all as Zachariah and Ezekial had turned out to be. Now, Preston just had to decide what he wanted to do with that newfound knowledge. 

---

   Preston frowned that evening when Xavier announced they were making camp much earlier than they had the day before. It was the first words that Xavier had spoken since that morning. 

   "Don't you want to cover more ground?" Preston asked, sliding off his horse. 

   Xavier shook his head, though he avoided looking at Preston. "I figure we'll get camp set up before your damn sunset. That way you'll be a bit more help." 

   Preston bit his lip. Xavier was making camp early just to give Preston time to watch the sunset? Yeah, Xavier wasn't nearly as mean as he liked to act. 

   Without a word, Preston began to help set up camp. There were clouds beginning to move in and the wind smelled of rain. He watched as Xavier set up a tent and laid his bedroll out inside it. 

   Preston frowned. He didn't have a tent. If it rained he'd be getting wet. 

   Preston went about gathering what they'd need for a cooking fire and was happy when it was Xavier who stepped in to light it. Sure, Preston had gotten lucky with fire lighting a few times but it wasn't his strongest talent. He didn't want to make himself seem even more useless in Xavier's eyes. 

   After the horses had been unsaddled and camp was set up, Xavier pointed at the horizon. "Well, watch your sunset." 

   Preston felt a bit awkward as he walked over to several large rocks and sat down on one. He could feel Xavier's eyes on him and it caused him to tremble. Preston certainly hadn't thought traveling with such sinfully attractive man would be part of his adventures. He wondered if Xavier was like him? Did Xavier find men attractive? Did he find Preston attractive?

   Trying to focus his attention on the sunset, Preston nearly yelped and nearly leapt off the rock when Xavier suddenly came and sat beside him. "What's so great about watching the sun?" he asked quietly.

   Preston swallowed hard. Words. He was supposed to be using words. He knew quite a few words. He should say some. Easier said than done when Xavier's strong body was so near to his. Preston felt even smaller and more vulnerable with Xavier so close. "I like it," Preston replied, his mouth dry. 

   A glance from the corner of his eyes showed him Xavier studying the horizon. "It looked better last night. The clouds are too heavy today." 

   Preston didn't know what to say. What should he say? Why was Xavier suddenly so friendly? The man seemed content to simply sit in silence so Preston chose to do that. 

   After the light had faded, Xavier stood, leaving Preston alone on the rock. "Let's go get some supper in our guts. Maybe you'll get some sleep tonight even with my snoring." 

---

   A clap of thunder jerked Xavier from his sleep. In the same instant, the clouds opened up with a ground soaking torrential rain. Xavier settled deeper into his small tent. It wouldn't keep him completely dry if this rain continued so hard but it was better than nothing.

   Nothing. Preston didn't have a tent. 

   Sitting up quickly, Xavier's eyes went to the other side of the smoldering fire to find Preston sitting up on his bedroll with his blanket pulled over his head. 

   Xavier ought to just let him suffer. It was his fault he hadn't thought to bring a tent. A flash of lightning lit up the night followed by another clap of thunder that seemed to shake the ground. Preston let out a yelp and pulled the blanket tighter.

   Xavier struggled with his own thoughts. He needed to invite the poor man into his tent. But why? It wasn't his fault Preston was wet. But what if he took ill? Xavier didn't want him sick. It seemed he'd been fighting with himself all damn day. 

   He'd lost the fight this morning when he'd gone to stand with Preston to watch the sunrise. He'd been so close to the man he'd been able to breathe him in. Hell, it had taken everything in him not to wrap his arms around Preston's small frame and pull him close. 

   Then the man had actually made Xavier smile... 

smile.. a short time later when he teased him over his snoring—which Xavier still didn’t believe he did. He did not snore.

   And just a few short hours ago, Xavier had lost yet another battle with himself when he'd gone and sat side by side with Preston to watch the sunset. 

   Why? Why was he finding himself so damn weak where Preston was concerned?

   Letting out a long sigh Xavier realized he was going to lose the battle again. "Hey Preston?"

   The man's head snapped up. "Yeah?" his voice called through the rain. 

   "Get your ass in the tent before you catch your damn death out there." 

   "In the tent with you?" Preston's shaky voice asked after several moments of silence. 

   "Well I sure as hell ain't gonna go sit in the rain." 

   "I uh.. I don't know..." 

   Xavier shrugged. "Do what you want," he grumbled. If Preston wanted to be difficult, Xavier wasn't gonna beg him. 

   He laid back down and tried to forget about the man out in the rain. A shuffling of feet drew his attention to the front of the tent. Preston stood there with his blond hair plastered to his head and face. He sniffed and wrapped his arms around himself. 

   "Can I still come in?"

   Xavier grunted. He moved as far to the side as he could but when Preston laid down they were still touching. 

   Damnation, this wasn't going to help Xavier sleep. Preston's tiny body was so close... so very touchable. And he probably needed help warming up...

   With a growl, Xavier tossed the blanket over the other man and rolled to his side away from him. He was not going to lose this battle. He was not going to let himself cuddle up to another man. Xavier did not cuddle. 

   "Thank you," Preston's quiet voice said, barely audible over the rain. 

   Xavier put his hat over his head and growled. "I've told you not to thank me." 

A/N: Poor Xavier. Such a confused, lost, little baby. Learning to take time to appreciate the sun!

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Xavier stretched out his back and pulled the warm body in his arms closer against him. He buried his face in damp hair and breathed in an earthy scent. When the body let out a moan, Xavier’s eyes flew open.

   Damn. 

   Preston's small body was lying on top of him. Their legs were tangled together beneath the blanket and Preston's head was resting on Xavier's chest. 

   Xavier's heart began to thunder as his pants tightened. He assumed this made him a liar. He told himself last night that he didn't cuddle. He was sure as hell cuddling right now.... And damn, if it didn't feel good. 

   Preston fit against him perfectly and Xavier felt no urge to shove the man away or wake him up. He reached up a hand and smoothed some damp hair from Preston's brow. 

   Sleeping peacefully, there wasn't an ounce of that sadness that sometimes creeped onto his face. He looked damn angelic. Soft and, just like those sunsets and sunrises the man liked, pretty. 

   Damn. What did this mean? Xavier had always been a loner. Had liked being alone. Why was he still holding Preston? He had no good excuse. No lies he could tell himself. The man was waking something up inside him. Something that had been lying dormant for as long as Xavier could remember. 

   Now he just had to figure out what the hell to do about it. 

   Preston stirred in his arms and those big blue eyes rose to meet his. "Xavier?"

   "Yeah?"

   Without warning, Preston disentangled himself from Xavier, snatched his glasses from the corner and crawled out the of the tent. His eyes were wide as he once again found Xavier's gaze. Xavier was suddenly cold and he fought the urge to grab Preston by the shirt collar and drag the man back on top of him. 

   Preston's jaw trembled. "I'm sorry... I.. uh..." 

   Xavier saw the fear in those blue eyes. Preston was afraid? Afraid of him? Xavier didn't want that. "Sorry for what?"

   Preston's face reddened. He stammered several times as Xavier sat up. "For ending up on top of you. I didn't mean to." His mouth snapped shut and he was on his feet and rushing out of sight before Xavier could respond. 

   Xavier sat there a moment attempting to wrap his head around what had happened and his own feelings. Never in his life had he held another man tenderly against him while they'd slept. Xavier hadn't ever figured he would. But now? Now he was thinking it felt pretty damn good waking up that way. 

   Preston, however, didn't seem to feel the same. 

   Xavier grumbled. It was just as well. As soon as they got to that town, they were going to be going their separate ways and whatever damn spell the man had cast over Xavier would be gone. 

   Leaving his tent, Xavier glanced around and sighed. The rain had stopped and the sky was clear above them but everything was soaked. They would have to stay camped here today and give their blankets and gear time to dry out. If they folded them up now, they'd smell of mildew and still be damp when they made camp tonight. 

   That meant one more full day with Preston before they'd be in that town they were heading toward.

   Xavier glanced toward the rocks they'd sat on the night before and saw Preston there. The man looked pitiful with his damp hair and his downcast eyes. His arms were wrapped tight around him as if he were protecting himself. 

   Xavier didn't care. Why would he care? He told himself he didn't care. He cursed his feet when they headed that way anyhow. "We missed the sunrise today," he said, settling down on the rock beside Preston. 

   Their bodies were pressed together and Xavier swallowed hard, secretly loving this nearness and hating it all at the same time. It made him want to pull Preston closer and learn more about what the man's body would feel like pressed against him as he kissed those full, soft lips....

   Grinding his teeth, Xavier knew he had to stop those damn thoughts. His pants were growing tighter and he shifted awkwardly on the rock. 

   "Yeah, we slept too late.. I don't usually sleep that good." 

   Xavier tried hard not to sound as flattered as he felt. "My 

snoring didn’t keep you awake?“

   A blush covered Preston's cheeks. "No." 

   Xavier squinted as he looked out over the plains. "I slept pretty damn good too." 

   When Preston's big blue eyes turned to look at him, Xavier decided he'd had enough with this vulnerable heart to heart nonsense. He shoved himself to his feet. "We'll have to camp here until tomorrow. And we'll have to lay our things over the rocks to dry." 

   "Okay," Preston muttered. 

   Xavier turned to walk away but stopped and felt his lips curving into yet another smile. "Unless you want to sleep cuddled up to me again tonight." 

   Preston's face turned so red, Xavier figured he could probably fry an egg on it. The man's mouth moved up and down like a fish gasping for air and Xavier was chuckling as he walked away. 

---

   Preston was confused. When he'd woken up in Xavier's arms, he'd felt so warm, safe, protected... Then he'd realized where he was, whose chest he was on, and panic had filled him. 

   Preston had scrambled away, sure that Xavier was going to be angry. He'd waited for the yelling, the blame, the accusations... but they hadn't come. 

   Instead, Xavier had been kind and he'd even been teasing... Did that mean Xavier was like him? A man who liked men. And did that mean that Xavier liked Preston.... Because Preston was finding himself liking Xavier. 

   As he was prone to do when given spare time, Preston found himself burying his nose in a book to distract his thoughts. 

   It was midday when his reading was interrupted by Xavier speaking for the first time since that morning. "I take it you like to read?"

   Preston looked at Xavier over his book. Xavier was sitting on the ground, sharpening his knife. "I always have. Ever since I was a boy." 

   "I never was much for reading." 

   Preston shrugged. "There wasn't much else I could do. I was sick a lot and couldn't play with the other kids at the orphanage." He bit his tongue, realizing he'd just revealed two pretty personal bits of information with Xavier. 

   Xavier paused in his sharpening and those sharp green eyes met his. "Sick? What was wrong with you?"

   Preston swallowed hard. "I was born with bad lungs. I couldn't run and play so I read books." 

   His black brow rose. "Are you still sick?"

   Preston shook his head. "No.. no, I'm better now." He wasn't sure why he lied... Xavier was just so strong and tough. Preston didn't want to be even more weak in his eyes. That, and he didn't want to dwell on his sickness. He didn't want it hanging over the time he and Xavier were spending together. 

   "Good." Xavier turned his attention back to his knife as he began sharpening it once again. "You grew up in an orphanage?" 

   Preston nodded, happy to be in safer territory. "Yeah. I ended up there as a baby and lived there until I was eight. That's when my pas adopted me." 

   "Pas?" Xavier stopped again and this time his brow was furrowed as he looked at him. "More than one?"

   Preston sat up straight and squared his shoulders. "Yeah, more than one. My pa and my papa gave me a family and a home and I'm proud to talk about them." 

   Xavier nodded slowly and shrugged his shoulder. "I don't give two hoots in hell about two men being together. I ain't got nothing against it." Then he pointed at Preston. "But I was right before. I knew you had a family missing you." 

   Preston felt his chest tighten as he thought about his family. "They understood why I left." 

   Xavier grunted, returning his knife to the holster on his leg. "For adventure, right?"

   "Yeah, that's right." 

   "Well, put the damn book away and let's do something." 

A/N: Aww Xavier cuddled!

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Xavier nearly laughed out loud at the comical, wide-eyed expression on Preston’s face. The urge to laugh surprised him. The urge was fairly unfamiliar. “Do what exactly?” Came Preston’s whispered response.

   All kinds of options flashed through Xavier's mind. Options that involved taking Preston's body into his arms. Removing those clothes. Tasting that pale skin. Hearing Preston whisper his name as he took his cock in his mouth....

   Xavier shook his head roughly and shoved himself to his feet, adjusting his pants to hide the evidence of the direction his thoughts had taken. What the hell was wrong with him? Xavier had never been the type of man to get lost in lustful thoughts. 

   Preston, it seemed, was bringing out all kinds of new things in Xavier. Cuddling. Smiling. Laughing. Lust. Xavier had yet to determine if that was a good or bad thing. Preston would eventually be gone and Xavier would be going back to his solitary life. A life where those things were not welcome. 

   "I don't know," Xavier glanced into the distance. "There has to be something you enjoy doing other than read." 

   Preston closed his book and sat it aside before getting to his feet. Xavier eyes followed Preston's hands as he swiped dirt from his tempting backside. "I like to ride horses. I've learned some trick riding." 

   "Trick riding?" Xavier asked skeptically. 

   "You don't believe me?" 

   Xavier shrugged. "I reckon you wouldn't have any reason to lie about it. It's just a bit unexpected." 

   Preston's chest puffed out proudly. "I've been riding in our local fair for years. Willa's been a really good teacher to have." 

   "Who's Willa?"

   Preston smiled, a sight that Xavier would have said was breathtaking, if Xavier said foolish things like breathtaking. "She's... well... I don't know what to call her exactly but she's family. She's a good trick rider and trick shooter." 

   Xavier frowned. "Her name wouldn't happen to be Willamena, would it?"

   Preston nodded. "Yeah, it is. Do you know her?"

   "I don't know. Flashy, loud, opinionated?"

   A laugh left Preston's mouth. "Yeah, that sounds like her." 

   "I met her once," Xavier admitted, remembering the way the woman had demanded attention inside the saloon while playing poker, drinking too much, and threatening to fist fight every man, woman, and inanimate object in the place. 

   Xavier pointed to Preston's horse. "Show me what you can do." 

   Preston seems a little unsure. "You want to watch me?" 

   "Sure do. I ain't no trick rider. Put on a show for me, Preston." Xavier thought of all the things he'd like to watch Preston do and he clenched his fists tightly. 

   Preston walked to his horse and grunted as he hoisted the saddle onto the beasts back. Xavier was tempted to help him but suppressed the urge. The man could handle his own saddle.... But something inside Xavier was eager to help him—take care of him. 

   Goddammit, these feelings were a pain in the ass. 

   After several long minutes, Preston was sliding onto his horse's back. The man seemed a bit unsure at first as he began riding around under Xavier's watchful eye. 

   Xavier settled back on a rock and waited for Preston to overcome his nerves. It didn't take long. As Xavier watched that slender body move with such fluid grace atop his horse, his hunger for him grew—as did his pride. Preston was talented. Standing in the saddle, hanging off the side, riding backward.. it seemed that he was completely in his element. 

   Preston was laughing as he leapt of his horse some time later. His face was flushed and he was breathing hard. Xavier chuckled. "Well, you ain't much good at setting up camps, don't do real good in a fight, and yelp when you hear thunder, but you're damn good on a horse."

---

   Preston had buried his nose in a book the rest of the day. He knew that Xavier was upset by Preston's sudden distance. It wasn't anything Xavier had done, it was Preston's damn sickness. He'd been so proud when he was showing off his talents to Xavier—so happy to show Xavier that he was good at something. And he'd seen the pride in Xavier's eyes. It had made Preston feel so good....

   But, after getting off the horse, his breathing hadn't wanted to return to normal. He'd done his best to hide it from Xavier. He'd grabbed a book and walked a short distance from camp before settling down. 

   Preston had done everything he knew to do in order to steady his breathing and avoid a full blown attack. The last thing he'd wanted was to have that happen around Xavier. Or to die out here in the middle of nowhere.

   His heart was heavy and his pride destroyed. Trick riding had been one of his favorite pastimes and now he couldn't even do it. His papa had been right. All that was going to happen out here was that he was going to die—he didn't want to die. 

   He had to distance himself from Xavier. Whatever it was beginning to stir between them had to stop. It wasn't fair to Xavier. Preston was a dying man. 

   He would get to the town Xavier was taking him to and then he would send word to his family and have Wyatt and Zachariah come get him and bring him home. He wasn't cut out for this life—not with the lungs he'd been cursed with. 

   "Pull your nose out of you book. You're missing your sunset." 

   Preston nearly leapt from his skin at Xavier's sudden voice behind him. He didn't glance up from the pages. "They all look the same," he muttered. He had to convince Xavier to leave him alone.    

   Xavier grunted. "What's crawled up your ass?" 

   "Nothing." 

   He felt Xavier's eyes burning holes in him and then the man turned and walked away. 

   Supper was eaten in a tense silence. Preston wasn't able to stomach much. Too much was running through his mind. He liked Xavier and he knew he was hurting the other man's feelings even if Xavier would never admit it.... Preston didn't like hurting people. But his breathing today had reminded him of the truth, so distance was best. 

   When Preston spread his bedroll out across the fire from Xavier's, Xavier finally spoke again. "Guess I don't have to worry about waking up with you on top of me in the morning." 

   Preston swallowed hard. "Nope." 

   Then he had turned his back on Xavier and curled up around himself beneath his blanket feeling more like a little boy than a man. Life truly was unfair. 

A/N: Poor Preston… and poor Xavier…. Why am I doing this to the poor babies?

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Xavier saw the glow of the town in the distance and tensed in the saddle. He was in no hurry to say goodbye to Preston—even if the man had become distant and withdrawn over the last couple of days.

   It seemed that since Preston had awakened those feelings of caring within him, Xavier could not force them back into hibernation. Xavier cared about Preston. Seeing him so damn melancholy caused Xavier to hurt down deep. 

   But what was he supposed to do about it? He'd attempted conversation several times only to be shut down. He wasn't going to beg the man to open up to him. He wasn't going to pry. If Preston didn't want him around, Xavier would make himself scarce. 

   From the corner of his eye, Xavier glanced at Preston. Damn, but he wanted to pull the other man into his lap and kiss away the sadness he saw on his face. 

   Xavier forced his gaze away. Preston wasn't his to worry about. Xavier had spent his life alone and he'd be just fine without Preston's presence. 

   "I guess this is where we part ways," Xavier mumbled, as they rode onto the main street. The buildings were lit by kerosene lanterns. Music came from several saloons and a lawman lounged against the banister of the jail. Men and women made their way up and down the street and conversation could be heard from the diner. Yeah, Preston should be much safer here. 

   "Do you want me to get you settled at the hotel?" Xavier asked. 

   Preston shook his head. "No." 

   Xavier winced. "Okay then. Good luck with your adventure, Preston." 

   When Preston offered no response, Xavier clicked his tongue and led his horse away. He was going to get some food in his gut, drink a beer, play a round or two of poker, and then bid this town, and Preston, goodbye. 

   After getting his fill of food at the diner, Xavier tossed down some money and headed back onto the boardwalk. He lit a cigarette and smoked it slowly before tossing it into the dirt and heading for one of the saloons. 

   The moment he stepped inside, his eyes found Preston. The other man was at the bar and seemed to be well on his way to a good drunk. Xavier wasn't pleased. Preston was too damn innocent to be getting drunk in a saloon. 

   But it wasn't any of Xavier's business. If the man wanted to get drunk and make a fool of himself, Xavier had no right to stop him. He thought about going to a different saloon, but his boots just wouldn't carry him. He tried to tell himself it was just because he still felt responsible for Preston that he wanted to stay and ensure the man made it back to the hotel safely. 

   Going into the back corner of the saloon, Xavier settled down in the shadows and watched. A bar maid attempted to steal his attention but Xavier was quick to wave her away. The only thing he was interested in was currently beginning to weave upon his barstool. 

   He tensed a while later when Preston got to his feet and stumbled out the door. He tensed even more when a man slipped out the door behind him. 

   Xavier stood and followed after them. He rounded the side of the saloon when he heard a thud and found Preston pressed tight to the saloon wall with the man firmly holding him in place. 

   Preston was whimpering and attempting to get away as the man shoved his crotch against him. "I'm gonna have you, boy. You're a tiny one." 

   Rage filled Xavier. As did disbelief. Just how many men out there were going to attempt to take Preston in an alley? 

   Stepping forward, Xavier saw Preston's big blue eyes land on him. Xavier crossed his arms over his chest and cleared his throat. The sound had Preston's newest attacker taking a quick leap backward. 

   "Who the hell are you?" he demanded. 

   Xavier snapped his fingers and motioned for Preston. He was happy when the man came to him without question. His wobbly legs nearly gave out, but Xavier wrapped a strong arm around his waist, pulling him into his side and holding him steady. 

    "Who the hell do you think you are?" the man bellowed again. 

   Xavier let out a slow breath, meeting the man's gaze full force and fully prepared to pull his gun if the need arose. "I'm no one and he's mine." 

   The stranger seemed to debate a moment before letting out a snort, waving his hand, and walking away. 

   "Xavier?" Preston's small voice whispered. 

   Turning his attention to the smaller man, Xavier noticed his skin was green and he was wincing as if in pain. Preston swayed on his feet. "I don't.. I don't feel so good...." 

   Xavier grumbled under his breath when Preston suddenly crumpled and he was forced to catch the man and scoop him into his arms. What had the man been thinking drinking so much?

   Ignoring the stares and whispers, Xavier carried Preston to the hotel and walked up to the clerk with the small man curled up in his chest. "I need a room." 

   The clerk frowned. "Two rooms, sir?" 

   Xavier growled. "You heard me." He wasn't about to let Preston out of his sight again tonight. 

   Xavier signed his name to the book and took the key from the clerk before heading up the stairs. Opening the door and locking it behind him, Xavier carried Preston to the bed. After pulling back the covers, Xavier laid him down and removed his boots and glasses. 

   He pulled the blanket up to cover Preston and turned down the kerosene lamp that had been lit in the corner. 

   He left the room, locking the door behind him, so he could go see to his horse, and Preston's if he could find it. Xavier's horse was still hitched at the diner and he found Preston's at the saloon. After setting both horses up at the livery, Xavier shouldered two sets of saddlebags and headed back to the hotel. 

   He found Preston all curled up around himself in the bed, whimpering as he slept.  Xavier sighed. Whatever the hell was wrong with the man had led him to drinking and damn near being violated once again tonight. 

   If Xavier hadn't been there....

   He clenched his fists and slid his gun belt from his hips, laying it over the chair. Xavier was wrestling with some pretty serious thoughts. Never in his life had he let himself grow attached to anyone—until Preston. Somehow that skinny, pale, bookworm of a man had weaseled his way past Xavier's defenses. And now Xavier wasn't at all ready to let the man go. 

   Tomorrow. Tomorrow, Preston was going to get a hell of a lecture about drinking. Tomorrow, Preston was going to find it harder to put distance between them. Tomorrow, he was going to start teaching Preston how to defend his damn self so Xavier didn't have to do it for him so often. 

A/N: This was an Xavier coming to terms with certain feelings chapter! I wonder how Preston will feel when he wakes up in the morning with a throbbing head, a rolling stomach, and a pissed off sexy man tired of being pushed away?

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Throbbing in his head, brought Preston awake. The buffalo snore that suddenly sounded beside his ear only increased that throbbing.

Buffalo snoring?

His eyes flew open and a quick glance to the side revealed Xavier’s sleeping face next to his, his mouth close to Preston’s ear and his warm breath washing over his skin.

   Preston then noticed that Xavier's arm was wrapped tight around his torso and his leg had wrapped around Preston's securing his body against him. 

   Another snore sounded in his ear and Preston winced. How had he ended up here? Hadn't he decided distance was the answer to his relationship with Xavier? This wasn't distance! Hell, he could feel every inch of Xavier pressed against him and Preston's body was most definitely reacting.

   Squeezing his eyes shut tight, Preston tried to remember how he'd gotten here. He remembered being heart broken as Xavier had ridden away from him the night before. He hadn't wanted to part ways with the man, hadn't wanted to say goodbye... 

   So, to drown his own self pity over the unfairness of his life, Preston had gone to the saloon and begun drinking. Isn't that what men did when they needed to forget something? He wanted to forget his sickness, forget Xavier, forget everything. 

   And for a moment he had. Then he'd gotten confronted once again in an alley. The memory was fuzzy but he knew a man had thrown him against the wall and whispered threats while shoving himself against him... Preston's stomach rolled at the memory. 

   Then Xavier had come. Like some kind of guardian angel, the man had entered that alley and beckoned Preston to him. And Preston had gone. Then the man had called him.... Preston felt heat rise in his cheeks. Xavier had called him his. 

   And then everything went black until waking up here in Xavier's arms.

   Preston realized the snores had ceased. He cracked on eye open and realized Xavier was awake and watching him with those light green eyes. "Morning," Xavier said, his voice thick with sleep. 

   Preston could feel the heat flaring in his cheeks. His voice was barely more than a squeak. "Morning." 

   "Does your head hurt?" 

   "Yes," Preston whimpered, closing his eye tight again. 

   Xavier grunted. "Good. Think about that the next time you're tempted to drink yourself stupid." 

   Preston tensed. It seemed Xavier was back to being an ass. "Maybe I liked drinking that much," he mumbled. 

   Xavier grip on him tightened. "You won't be doing that again." 

   Preston frowned. "You can't boss me." 

   A growl rumbled in Preston's ear. "Stop being difficult. You're too goddamn smart to be drinking yourself so goddamn stupid." 

   What the hell was Preston supposed to say to that? He knew that Xavier was right. Drinking that much had been a mistake and Preston had nearly paid for it...

   "Okay. I won't do it again. Xavier?" The man merely grunted. Preston opened his eyes and managed to look over at Xavier, meeting his sharp green gaze. "Why are you in bed with me?"

   Instead of pulling away, Xavier pulled Preston in closer. "I damn sure wasn't gonna sleep on the floor." 

   "You could have gotten your own room." 

   "Nope." 

   "Why?"

   "Every time I take my eyes off you for longer than ten minutes, you wind up in trouble." 

   Preston knew he had to get away from Xavier. Laying like this felt too good—too right. Preston needed to go home. Hadn't that been the plan? He attempted to untangle himself from Xavier and, after a moment's hesitation, Xavier released him. 

   Preston stood up quickly—too quickly. His head swam and he fell back on the bed hard.  

   Xavier chuckled. "Yeah, drink some more." 

   Preston glared at him. "You could help me, you know." 

   Xavier's firm lips pulled down in a frown. "Why would I do that? I didn't make you drink." 

   Grumbling under his breath, Preston got to his feet more slowly this time and grabbed his glasses from the nightstand. After placing them on his nose, he looked around for his boots. 

   "Where are you going?" Xavier asked as Preston slid his feet into them. 

   "To relieve myself if you must know." 

   Xavier nodded, still laying tangled up in the blanket upon the bed. Preston swallowed hard. He looked really good laying there. "Come back here when you're done. We need to talk." 

   Without a word, Preston slipped from the room and down the hall to a water closet. Once he was done, he thought about making a run for it. But he'd seen his saddlebags in the room—he couldn't go without those. 

   Shoulders slumped, Preston went back in the room to find that Xavier was standing by the window, looking out at the street below. "You missed your sunrise again," he said, never looking Preston's way. 

   Preston tried not to be touched by Xavier's words. It seemed the man was always trying to make sure Preston saw the sunrise and sunset since learning that Preston liked to watch them. 

   "I'm gonna go to the stage office and send a message home. I'm going back..." 

   "No, you're not." Xavier's voice cut him off. 

   Preston glared. "Yes, I am."

   Xavier turned to face him, that jaw firm and his eyes narrowed. "No, you're not." 

   Preston trembled. Why did Xavier think he could boss him around? And why did Preston's heart thunder in his chest when he did so?

   Preston licked his lip and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Why aren't I?"

   Xavier's steps were slow and deliberate as he stalked toward Preston. Preston's legs trembled beneath him as his heart thundered and he forgot how to breathe. He looked up at Xavier's face as the man stood so close their bodies were nearly brushing. 

   The air crackled and Preston watched as Xavier's eyes darkened. "Because, you're coming with me." 

   Preston felt his legs get weak beneath him and, without thinking, his hand went to Xavier's chest to steady himself. He could feel the heat of Xavier's skin through the black fabric stretched over his broad frame. 

   Xavier didn't move but Preston saw his jaw tic. "You said you wanted adventure, didn't you?"

   Preston could do little more than nod. He did want adventure.. but he was sick. 

   "Then you'll come with me. You'll get your adventure and I'll teach you how to defend yourself so I don't have to save your ass every time I turn around." 

   Preston pulled his hands away quickly and took a step back. "I need to go home." 

   Xavier shook his head, closing what little distance Preston had put between them. "No, you don't. You need to stop being scared and stop walking around looking like a moping hound. I don't know what the hell happened to cause the change in you but I don't like it." 

   "Sorry. But I don't live to please you," Preston muttered. 

   Xavier tilted his head and studied him a moment. "You're right. You don't. But it doesn't seem like you're even living to please yourself." 

   Preston had no response to that. Xavier stepped away from Preston and grabbed his gun belt off the chair, cinching it tight around his hips. "So, what'll it be, Preston? You gonna ride with me a while and have that adventure or are you gonna give up on it and go crawling back home?"

   Preston swallowed hard. What was he going to do? He went to the window and gazed out at the bustling street below. He should go home. He was sick. He was dying. He didn't need to grow any closer to Xavier or let the man grow any closer to him.... But, damn, he wanted to stay. Sure, Xavier was a bossy asshole but Preston didn't mind—he kind of liked it in a strange way. 

   He wanted to see what could happen between them. He wanted to see different places. Experience more of roaming from town and town and sleeping under the stars. He wanted to live a while. 

   Preston turned and met Xavier's expectant gaze. "I guess I'm not ready to go home just yet." 

A/N: Preston likes it when he’s bossy… good thing because I don’t think Xavier knows any other way to be!

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Xavier was happy to leave town, and even happier to do so with Preston at his side. He still wasn’t sure what had caused the sadness and sudden distance the man had shown but he assumed it was homesickness—hell, Xavier had never had a home to get sick for but he knew that Preston did.

   "We could have spent a bit longer in town," Preston said, adjusting himself in his saddle. "Real meals and a nice bed..." 

   Xavier grunted and pointed at the pack mule he'd purchased. "I got ya some damn potatoes to eat and some canned fruit. Ya oughta be happy." 

   Preston blushed a little as he smiled. "Thank you." 

   Xavier's response was a grunt but inside he was feeling pretty damn proud as he sat up a little straighter in the saddle. He'd spent what money he'd had left on that pack mule and supplies to ensure that Preston would be comfortable. Preston hadn't asked him to do that and that's why Xavier had done it. 

   Problem was, now Xavier was broke and he'd have to find some way to make a bit of money before they ran out of supplies. He thought about the bounty he'd been chasing. That would have been a nice payday but Xavier wouldn't go chasing bounties with Preston—not until he knew the other man could defend himself. 

   He glanced over at Preston and felt his heart beat a little harder in his chest. That blond hair caught the sunlight, those pale cheeks were flushed, and his body moved so fluidly with the horse below him. Xavier was reminded of Preston's trick riding antics from a few days ago and he shifted in his saddle.       

   He wanted Preston. He wanted to touch the man, taste him, feel that tiny body against him as he thrust himself into that tight ass. That thought had a growl leaving Xavier's throat as he shifted once again in the saddle.

   Preston glanced his way. "Are you okay?"

   "Yep." 

   Yeah, Xavier was just fine and he'd be even better once he got Preston beneath him—there wasn't any reason for it not to happen. They were both grown men and Xavier could tell that Preston wanted him too. There wasn't a thing wrong with two grown men giving in to urges—Xavier had never been a man who made a habit of doing so but he figured now was as good a time as any. 

   "So where are we going?" Preston asked after they'd been riding in silence a while and had left town well behind them. 

   Xavier shrugged. "Don't have a particular destination in mind. Wandering is part of the adventure." 

   "My pas did a lot of wandering before they settled down," Preston admitted with a smile tugging at his lips. 

   "You don't talk about your family much but you seem happy any time you do." 

   "You don't talk about your family at all," Preston countered. 

   Xavier pulled his hat lower and dug a cigarette and matches from his pocket. After lighting his cigarette, he took a long draw and slowly blew out the smoke. "Never had a real family to speak of." 

   "I didn't either—not until I was eight. You must have had somebody if you didn't grow up in an orphanage." 

   Xavier thought about his abusive, drunk, whore of a mother. He didn't tell people about his past, hell, he didn't generally talk to people much at all. But this wasn't just any person—this was Preston. And Xavier had already come to terms with the fact that Preston brought out something new in him. 

   "My mama was a whore in some backwater brothel where the rats will eat you in your sleep if you ain't careful. I grew up in that place. Wasn't a day that went by when I wasn't hungry or beaten or lonely. So, at twelve I took off and I've been on my own since." 

   Preston was quiet a moment and when Xavier stole a glance at the man, he realized he looked real sad. Sad for him? "I'm really sorry that happened to you, Xavier." 

   Xavier felt something in his heart cracking. It hurt. Emotion rose up in his chest and he desperately stomped it back down. He hadn't wasted a moment feeling sorry for himself or dwelling on his past since leaving it behind and he wasn't going to do his mother the favor of crying over her now. 

   "Made me stronger," he stated once he'd ensured he had control of himself. 

   "It's still sad."

   Xavier didn't reply. Preston sighed. "I have a big family. There's my pas Gill and Jeb. Then there's my uncles Craig and Wyatt with their men Zachariah and Ezekial. My cousin Jane and her husband Pete, they have a son named Willie, he's nine now. Craig and Ezekial have a daughter named Delilah and she's seven. Then there's Eleanor and Willa." 

   Xavier took a moment to let the new information sink in and then Preston was speaking again. "Most of us live on Jeb and Gill's ranch but there's lots of land so we're spread out a bit." 

   "And people just leave them alone and let them live how they want?" 

   Preston's laughter rang out causing Xavier's heart to once again beat oddly in his chest. "If you met my family, you'd understand. They aren't people you want to go against. They're all pretty damn deadly in a fight." 

   "So why are you so damn helpless?"

   Preston grumbled under his breath. "I'm not completely helpless." 

   "You aren't entirely helpful either," Xavier stated honestly. "With a family like that, Id expect you to be a bit better at protecting yourself." 

   Silence reigned. Xavier knew he'd hurt the other man but it had never been in his nature to sugarcoat what he wanted to say. Still, he didn't like seeing Preston hurt. Maybe he shouldn't be so harsh. 

   Finally, Preston spoke. "I told you I was a sick child. I'm small and pale and weak and I guess that made everyone want to protect me. I know how to shoot a gun but not as good as most people and I'm too small to fight." 

   "Nobody is too small to fight," Xavier countered. "And you being small just makes it even more important to know how to defend yourself. Cowards pick on folks that are smaller than them and that means you. You gotta know how to prove they made a mistake." 

   "So, you were serious? Earlier when you said you were going to teach me how to fight, you meant that?"

   "Of course I did. I won't always be around to save your ass."

   Preston rolled his eyes. "I never asked you to save my ass. You could have just walked away." 

   Xavier sighed and took another draw off his cigarette. He squinted into the sunlight and shook his head. "No. I couldn't." 

A/N:  Some serious Preston/Xavier ‘action’ next chapter.. wink wink!

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

As they made camp that evening, Preston felt as if something different was in the air. Several times he’d caught Xavier staring at him with an intensity in those light green eyes that took Preston’s breath.

   Preston might be innocent but he'd spent his life around intense men with intense passions and so he knew exactly what was on Xavier's mind. That knowledge had Preston nearly tripping over himself as he attempted to act as if this were simply an ordinary evening. 

   "Gonna watch your sunset?" Xavier asked once he had a small fire burning. 

   Preston swallowed hard and nodded as he pushed himself to his feet and walked on shaking legs to the edge of the small hill they were camped beside. 

   As he stood there and looked at the glowing orange sky, his thoughts were most definitely 

not on the sun. They were on the man back at camp. Xavier. They were on a pair of sharp green eyes and firm lips. A strong body, big rough hands and long legs. Would Preston give Xavier what it was clear the man was wanting?

   His racing thoughts were sputtering to a stop in a rush when two strong arms suddenly circled around his waist and pulled him tight against a broad chest. "Enjoying your sunset?" 

   Once again, Preston had a hard time coming up with words. He had a fairly decent vocabulary thanks to his love of books, but it seemed that Xavier's closeness rendered that vocabulary useless. 

   Xavier didn't seem bothered by the fact that Preston didn't answer. Instead, his warm breath blew across Preston's neck causing his legs to nearly buckle beneath him. 

   Teeth grazed Preston's ear and those big hands gripped his small hips, pulling him closer. Preston's legs were rendered useless as Xavier feasted on his neck. He tightened painfully in his pants as sensations he'd never felt before washed over him. Preston raised his arms and reached behind him to bury his fingers in Xavier's hair. A throaty moan escaped Preston causing a low growl to leave Xavier's chest and those teeth nipped at Preston's skin. Preston knew that he would give Xavier anything the man wanted from him without hesitation. 

   "I see why you like sunsets now," Xavier whispered against his ear and Preston was suddenly brought back to earth and once again aware of his surroundings.  The sun had indeed set and Preston was standing there on trembling legs with his blood thundering through his veins and his heart racing while Xavier's hands remained on his hips and held him close. 

   "Come on, Preston. I'll tend to your stomach." 

   Xavier took Preston by the hand and led him back toward the fire. Preston's mind was racing. His stomach? Xavier was going to tend to his stomach? What about the rest of him? He'd thought for sure that Xavier was going to take him right there on the hill—and Preston, while nervous and unsure due to lack of experience, he'd been more than willing to let Xavier do what he wanted. 

   Preston's eyes were drawn to their joined hands. His were small and pale while Xavier's were big and tanned. They were so very different but seemed to fit together perfectly. Could Preston and Xavier be the same way? Two very different people who might just fit together perfectly? Like Wyatt and Zachariah. Like Craig and Ezekial. Like Jeb and Gill. Like Eleanor and Willa. 

   Preston smiled. Maybe he'd found his person the way so many in his family had. The person who could be by his side for the rest of his life. 

   His short life. 

   That was like a bucket of cold water over his nice warm thoughts. Silence reigned as Xavier released his hold on Preston's hand and went about cutting potatoes for supper. 

   As the food was frying over the fire, Xavier caught Preston's gaze. "You're sad again." 

   Preston shook his head and attempted to force a smile. "No, I'm not." 

   "I won't tolerate being lied to," Xavier warned, his green eyes flashing. "I'm honest with you and I demand the same in return."

   Preston trembled. There was something damned attractive about a bossy Xavier. Preston picked up a stick and began to draw in the dirt at his feet. "I was thinking about the future," he finally admitted. 

   Xavier frowned. "And that makes you sad?"

   Swallowing hard, Preston avoided his gaze. "Sometimes." 

   Xavier took a moment to stir the cooking potatoes. "Why?"

   Preston remained silent. He didn't want to tell Xavier the truth. He didn't want to see the pity in those green eyes. He didn't want to suddenly be treated differently. He didn't want someone so strong and able to suddenly change his mind about his new riding companion. 

   "You won't tell me?"

   Silence filled the darkening evening. Preston kept his eyes on the dirt at his feet and became lost in his thoughts. He wasn't aware how much time had passed before a plate of potatoes was suddenly shoved into his line of vision. "Eat." 

   Preston took the plate in his hands and spared a quick glance at Xavier to see that the man was watching him closely. Preston tried hard to ignore that intense gaze as he began to eat his supper. 

   "We'll stay camped here for a few days," Xavier finally spoke. "There's a nice stream for water and some shade with these trees." 

   "Why are we staying here?"

   "Gonna start your lessons. Guns, knives, and fists. You gotta learn to defend yourself." 

   Preston nodded. Truthfully, he was excited to learn how to defend himself for once. His family had always been too busy worrying over him and his sickness to take the time to teach him to defend himself. 

   "I won't have a clue what I'm doing," Preston admitted. "I hope you have patience." 

   Xavier flashed a smile that had Preston nearly dropping his dinner plate. "Not a bit." 

---

   Xavier was angry. He was angry that Preston was hiding something from him—something that caused the other man sadness. Xavier had never much cared if someone else was happy or sad but he cared about Preston. If there was something he could do to ease Preston's sadness, Xavier wanted to do it—but how could he if the man wouldn't even be honest about what caused it?

   His thoughts went back to the sunset and the way he'd felt holding Preston in his arms, tasting that tender skin of his neck, drawing moans from Preston and feeling his hands gripping into his hair. 

   He wanted more. He wanted more of what he knew Preston could offer him. He knew Preston wanted it too. Maybe Xavier could make him forget his sadness for a while. 

   After supper was finished, Preston sat reading his book in the firelight and Xavier simply sat staring into the dancing flames. After a long while, Preston yawned and sat his book aside. "I'm gonna get some sleep." 

   Xavier watched him stand up and then frown as he looked around. "Where's my bedroll?"

   Xavier pointed toward the tent he had set up. "In there with mine." 

   He watched Preston's blue eyes widen behind his glasses and his throat bob. "With yours?"

   "Did you think you were sleeping alone?"

   "I...uh..." 

   Xavier held out his hand and hooked his finger. "Get your ass over here." 

   Seeing the want in Preston's eyes as he took slow, shaking steps toward him, had Xavier instantly hardening with desire. He'd always prided himself on self-control, Preston was quickly doing away with every ounce of it he possessed. 

   As the distance between them lessened, Xavier growled, gripped Preston's hips and pulled the man flush against him. "Xavier....?" Preston's quiet voice filled the night. 

   Xavier looked down into those big blue eyes. He raised a hand and ran his calloused knuckles down Preston's cheek. "Tell me you want me, Preston." 

   Xavier watched his tongue dart across his full bottom lip. "I want you." 

   Xavier needed no more urging. He used his hand to cup Preston's face before swooping down and covering Preston's lips with his own. 

   Instantly Preston's legs weakened and Xavier wrapped a tight arm around him to hold him up. Damn the man tasted good. Xavier deepened the kiss, nipping at Preston's lip to gain entrance. 

   For a moment, Preston's tongue warred with his own but a growl from Xavier had him submitting. Xavier propelled him backward, using his hand to shield Preston's head from the tree as he pushed him back against it. 

   Xavier's hands went to the buttons on Preston's shirt and quickly undid them, eager to feel that tender pale skin beneath his palms. He wasn't disappointed. 

   Dragging his mouth from Preston's, Xavier nibbled his way down his neck and tasted the sweet skin over his collarbones. Preston whimpered and buried his hands in Xavier's dark hair when Xavier ran his tongue across his tight nipple. 

   Xavier slid Preston's shirt off his shoulders and let it fall to the ground. He let his fingers dance across Preston's body, enjoying the moans and trembles that left the smaller man. 

   Xavier dropped his gaze to the front of Preston's trousers and licked his lips at the sight of the man's arousal pressing tight against them. 

   Without wasting another moment, Xavier unhooked Preston's gun belt, tossed it aside and unbuttoned Preston's pants. As he slid them down Preston's creamy thighs, the other man stiffened. 

   "What are you doing?" 

   Xavier got to his knees taking in the sight of Preston's hard cock practically begging for his attention. He blew a warm breath across the tip of it before raising his gaze to meet Preston's. "Taking care of my man."

   Without giving Preston a chance to respond, Xavier let his tongue brush along the length of his cock before taking the entire thing into his mouth. Preston's moans grew in intensity as he buried his hands in Xavier's hair and tightened painfully. 

   Xavier didn't complain. Every moan, every tremble, every whispered passionate word that left Preston's mouth sent a shockwave of pleasure through Xavier's body. Nothing in his entire life had ever made him as hot, as hungry, as Preston's reactions to his touch. 

   It didn't take long before Preston was tensing and his hips began pumping in time with Xavier's movements. Xavier gripped those hips in his hands and growled low in his throat. 

   "Xavier...." Preston's voice was desperate and Xavier glanced up at him as Preston threw his head back and found his release. Xavier eagerly drank it down, enjoying the full body tremors that washed over Preston's body. 

   Xavier stood and felt Preston's hungry gaze on him as he slid from his own clothes. Crouching once again, he pulled off Preston's boots and slid his pants completely from his legs. 

   Preston let out a yelp of surprise when Xavier suddenly picked him up, cradling him against his chest. "What are you doing?"

   Xavier carried him to the tent and laid him down on the bedrolls spread out there. Preston sat up on his elbows. He ran his tongue along his bottom lip and Xavier growled as his eyes followed the motion. "Should I take care of my man now?" Preston whispered in the shadows of the glowing campfire. 

   Xavier swallowed hard and got on his knees, his cock hard and aching for attention. He nodded and motioned for Preston to come to him. 

   Preston's movements were unsure but determined as he got to his hands and knees and crawled toward Xavier. "Oh fucking hell..." Preston's naked body crawling on his hands and knees toward him was the most erotic thing that Xavier had ever seen. 

   When Preston's tongue ran along the tip of his aching cock, Xavier's fists clenched and when Preston's mouth closed around him, Xavier completely lost himself to the pleasure. 

   Preston's mouth felt the closest to heaven that Xavier's cock had ever been and he suddenly wanted to know just how hot and tight that ass would feel. 

   Reaching behind him, Xavier tugged on his saddlebags and reached inside. It took a moment of digging but his hands finally closed around the jar of massage oil he'd brought along from town. 

   Xavier coated his fingers with the oil and reached across Preston's back. As he pressed a finger into Preston, the other man froze. His mouth slid from Xavier's cock and he looked up at him with wide eyes. "What....?"

   Xavier bent down and kissed Preston on the brow. "Let me take care of you. Turn around." 

   Slowly, shakily, Preston turned on his hands and knees, until his pale, round ass was right there in front of Xavier for the taking. Xavier swallowed hard and slid his finger inside Preston. 

   As he pumped that finger in and out of Preston, Preston whimpered and looked back at him over his shoulder. Xavier added a second finger to the first and bent down, nipping at Preston's ass. 

   Satisfied that Preston was ready, Xavier coated his arousal in oil and grabbed Preston's hips, holding the man steady. With a growl, he pressed his cock to Preston's hole and slowly slid inside. Goddamn he'd been right about Preston's ass being tight. It held onto Xavier's cock as if desperately wanting to keep him inside. 

   Preston stiffened. He tried to pull away but Xavier held him tight. "Hold still," he ordered. "Just trust me." 

   Preston's eyes remained locked on him as Xavier began to move in and out of Preston. He angled himself and on his next thrust, Preston let out a gasp as his eyes rolled back. Xavier knew he'd found the sweet spot. 

   Xavier wanted to take Preston hard and rough but Preston was so small—so delicate. He thrust in and out of Preston as gently as his hunger would allow. 

   Preston cried out his name as he moved in time with Xavier's movements. Xavier reached around and took Preston's cock in his hand, pumping in time with his thrusts. 

   "Xavier..." Preston called out. 

   Xavier felt Preston's cock tighten in his hand and he let go of the careful hold he'd been keeping on his own release. He let out a roar and sunk himself deep into Preston's tight ass as he poured himself into the man. 

   Slowly, Xavier's mind came back from its pleasure-induced vacation. He leaned forward and pressed kisses along Preston's bare back. Pulling Preston's body up, Xavier nipped at his shoulders and Preston trembled. 

   "Are you okay?" Xavier whispered against his ear. 

   Preston turned his head and caught Xavier's mouth with his own. The kiss was passionate but tender. "Better than okay." 

   Xavier found himself smiling. He backed out of the tent and held out his arm for Preston to come to him. Once they were both standing, Xavier lifted Preston into his arms, cradling him against his chest once again. 

   "What are you doing?" Preston asked, his voice sleepy and his eye lids heavy. 

   "Just let me take care of my man," Xavier assured him. 

   Preston snuggled up against his chest and Xavier's heart ached. He carried him to the stream and cleaned them both up before taking him back to the tent and curling his body around Preston's covering them with a blanket. 

   Silence reigned for a long while. Xavier felt himself drifting off to sleep with Preston's tiny body held tight against him. 

   Preston's whispered words drew him back to alertness. "Am I really your man?"

   Xavier took Preston's hand in his, entwining their fingers. He brought Preston's knuckles to his lips and kissed them tenderly. "Damn straight. Now sleep. You need rest." 

   He saw Preston's happy smile in the darkness before the man buried his face in his chest. Xavier held him tighter. All those years spent happily alone and now Xavier never wanted to go back to that. Preston was his and he wasn't ever going to let the other man go. 

A/N: Preston and Xavier action as promised!

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Muffled snores greeted Preston when he woke the next morning. He was being held tight to Xavier’s broad chest with those strong arms wrapped around him and Xavier’s face buried in his blond hair.

   Preston felt their bare skin pressed together and smiled. Last night had been a good night. His backside was sore and his hips tender from Xavier's tight grip, but both were sensations that Preston was more than happy to grow accustomed to. 

   He'd been terrified at first. Eager but terrified. And then Xavier had showed him exactly what kind of pleasure could exist between two men and Preston had become lost in it....

   And now he was Xavier's man. His smile grew as he raised his hand and laid his palm flat on Xavier's chest, just above his heart. Did that mean Xavier loved him? Preston didn't know. He bit his lip. Did he love Xavier? He didn't know that for sure either. What he did know was that he wanted to stay with Xavier. He wanted to hear the bossy man's gruff voice giving him hell. He wanted to feel those strong arms around him as they watched sunrises and sunsets. He wanted to fall asleep naked in Xavier's arms every night after loving each other's' bodies...

   Preston chewed a little harder on his lip. He needed to tell Xavier about his sickness. He needed to be honest about what caused him the sadness that Xavier had noticed. But Preston didn't want to be honest. His whole life he'd been treated differently because of his sickness. He didn't want Xavier to treat him differently. He knew that eventually he would have to be honest but not now... not yet. 

   His rumbling stomach caused him to wince. Apparently, a night of loving caused a man to work up an appetite. Preston was about to slide from Xavier's arms to see about breakfast when Xavier's arms tightened around him. "You ain't going anywhere." 

   Preston felt suddenly shy. He raised his head and was surprised when Xavier rose up and captured his lips with his own. The kiss was long, slow, and lazy. Slowly, Xavier pulled away. "Good morning." 

   Preston smiled and buried his face against Xavier's bare chest. "Good morning."

   Xavier's fingertips danced across Preston's skin as the man slid along his back. "Are you in pain this morning?"

   Preston trembled beneath Xavier's touch. "A little." 

   Xavier sighed and kissed his hair. "I went as easy as I could." 

   Preston felt heat flame in his face. He couldn't believe they were having this conversation. "I'm not complaining," he assured the other man. 

   "Nice to know," Xavier replied, sounding amused.

   Preston could lay like this all day. Safe and warm all wrapped up against Xavier with Xavier's calloused fingers drawing little designs as they danced across the skin of his back. He put his hand on the dusting of dark hair on Xavier's chest and tilted his head to kiss the man's jaw. 

   Xavier's hand stilled a moment before continuing those strokes. "Did I get one of those real affectionate men?" 

   Preston simply relaxed against him again. "You're the one that seems to like to cuddle."

   A chuckle rumbled from Xavier's chest. "Only since I met you." 

   Preston's heart swelled. Maybe he was sure about how he felt about Xavier. Maybe he did love him. Preston's stomach chose that moment to let out a rather loud growl. 

   "Reckon that means I need to get up and tend to your stomach."

   Preston shook his head. "You don't have to... I can do it." 

   Xavier shook his head as he sat up, pulling Preston up with him. "I don't mind taking care of you." 

   Preston frowned. "I'm not completely helpless. I can feed myself." 

   "Well I sure as hell hope so. I just plan on cookin' it. You gotta get it into your mouth on your own." 

   Preston laughed but that laughter died as Xavier moved out of the tent and stood straight in the early morning sunrise. Damn the man was an impressive sight. He bare body moved with the grace of a cat as he walked to their clothes and scooped Preston's off the ground. 

   He tossed them to the tent and grinned. "Better get your clothes on, Preston. I'd hate to have someone ride in and catch us with our pants down." 

   "More like off..." Preston countered, sliding into his shirt. 

   Xavier's eyes raked across him causing Preston to tremble. "That too." 

---

   "So, what is it with you and sunsets?" Xavier asked as he and Preston sat on the hill watching the sun set that night. Xavier was sitting behind Preston and Preston was siting between his knees with his back resting against Xavier's chest. 

   Preston looked down at Xavier's hands so tanned against the pale skin of Preston's arm. "I just like them. You never know how many you have left to watch." 

   "Reckon I never thought of it like that." 

   Preston snuggled himself deeper into Xavier's arms. He was tired. Xavier hadn't been lying about giving Preston lessons. They had done shooting practice, knife practice, and even hand to hand combat—Preston liked the latter because it had been very up close and personal and with Xavier that was a positive. 

   Preston had worried, however, during the more difficult hand to hand lessons that the exertion would send him into a breathing spell. It hadn't happened. A small piece of Preston's heart still holding onto hope had wondered if perhaps the doctor had been wrong—maybe he wasn't dying. Maybe the sickness wouldn't continue to get worse. Maybe it would simply go away. 

   Hope was all he had. 

   "You did pretty damn good today. Better than I expected," Xavier admitted. 

   Preston rolled his eyes. "I told you I wasn't helpless." 

   "Yeah, I reckon you did. Makes me wonder why you've done so bad in all them fights I've bailed you out of." 

   Preston grumbled under his breath. Xavier sure could be an ass when he tried real hard at it. He attempted to move out of Xavier's arms but the man held him tight. "You aren't going anywhere, dammit." 

   "Stop being so mean." 

   Xavier let out a sigh and pressed a kiss to Preston's hair. "I don't mean to be so harsh." 

   "Just comes natural, huh?" Preston cursed his mouth. It had always tended to say things without him thinking real hard about them. 

   He wondered if Xavier would get angry but instead the man threw his head back and laughed. "Yes, actually, it does." He rested his chin on Preston's shoulder. "But I'll try to be gentler with you." 

   Preston simply smiled and relaxed against the man. Xavier ran his hand down Preston's arm. "You did real good with knife throwing today. I think you're gonna be a natural with a blade. We'll focus on that tomorrow." 

   "Tomorrow?" Preston groaned. "Can't we have a day of just laying around and reading?"

   "Never have been much of a reader." 

   "Well surely there's 

something you like to do that doesn’t involve working me like a dog. What do you like to do?“

   Xavier chuckled before nipping at Preston's neck. "You." 

   Preston trembled as a moan slipped past his lips. He shook his head as he tried to pull his neck away. "I'm serious, Xavier. What do you do for fun?"

   "Nothing." 

   Preston frowned. "Nothing?"

   "Nope. I spent my time hunting bounties, playing poker to make money, and just wandering around." 

   "You hunt bounties? I figured you'd be the type to 

have a bounty.“

   Xavier grunted. "No, I don't reckon. I don't take things that don't belong to me and I don't kill unless I absolutely have to. You thought I had a bounty and you still chose to ride with me?"

   Preston shrugged. "You wouldn't be the first person I've known that had a bounty. I could tell you weren't a bad man." 

   "How could I have a bounty and not be a bad man?"

   Preston wondered if he should tell Xavier the truth about his family. It had been eleven years since the Crane Gang had 

died. They were long forgotten in the eyes of any lawman.

   "Did you ever hear about The Crane Gang?"

   He felt Xavier's fingertips dance over his arms. "Nope." 

   "I wanna tell you something but I need to know I can trust you...." 

   "Well damn, Preston. If you don't know you can trust me by now then I don't know what the hell we're doing here...." 

   Preston turned his head and kissed Xavier's cheek, silencing him. "I didn't mean to make you angry." 

   "Well then don't say foolish things like that. Now who the hell is The Crane Gang?"

   "They were a gang that stole from rich ranchers and sold the cattle and belongings they took. The money they made doing that they gave to orphanages. They were wanted folks with bounties but they weren't bad." 

   Xavier chuckled. "Sounds plumb generous of them. Where'd you learn about them? Are they in one of your storybooks?"

   "No." Preston stared at the horizon which was turning from purple to black. "I was in one of those orphanages they helped. That's where my papa Jebidiah Crane adopted me from. Him and my pa Gilliam Tomlinson." 

   "Your family is a gang?" Xavier asked, his voice quiet. 

   "Not anymore. The Crane Gang, by all accounts, was killed eleven years ago. So were Texas Rangers Gilliam Tomlinson and Pete Bardlow who were supposed to bring the gang down but instead fell in love with two of the members." 

   "So, you were raised by some dead outlaws and Texas Rangers?" 

   "Yep. Jeb, Craig, Wyatt and Jane are the only two original gang members left. Gill and Pete joined before the gang was killed. It wasn't until after that, once the family had settled down, that Wyatt met Zachariah, a bounty hunter, then his sister Eleanor joined our family. Shortly after, Craig met Ezekial, a pardoned member of a pretty nasty gang. And then about five years ago Willa joined us when she came looking for her brother who happened to be a Crane Gang member that really was killed."

   Xavier was quiet and Preston wondered if he had made a mistake. Should he have been so honest? Would Xavier, who admitted to being a bounty hunter, decide to let everyone know the Crane Gang wasn't really dead and collect what he could because of it? Preston didn't think so... at least he hoped not. 

   When Xavier did speak, it nearly startled Preston who had gotten lost in the silence. "I can see why folks choose to let them live how they want. Still, surrounded by all those able men and women, it shocks me that you weren't taught how to defend yourself a bit better than you can." 

   Preston tried to pull away again, and again Xavier held him close, preventing him from leaving. "You said you were gonna be nicer," Preston reminded him. 

   Xavier was chuckling. "And I was! I didn't call you helpless." 

   Preston couldn't help but smile. Xavier kissed his head once again and Preston's heart melted. For someone so tough and rough around the edges, Xavier sure did like to cuddle and be tender. 

   "Tomorrow, we'll work on the knives but I promise to give you plenty of time to read." 

   "Thank you." 

   "I reckon we oughta go get some food in our guts. Then we can get started on our next round of lessons." 

   "Lessons? I thought we were done for the day?" 

   Xavier's teeth grazed his ear. "Not those damn lessons. I'm talking about some lessons on pleasing your man." 

   "Did I not do good enough last night?" Preston asked, feeling a little hurt. 

   Xavier growled. "You did just fine. These lessons are for me. I wanna figure out all the ways to make you moan my name. I wanna hear that more often." 

A/N: A bit of bonding! Xavier really is a big softie when it comes to his man… but then again aren’t all the big tough guys softies deep down? Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Two days later, Xavier and Preston broke down their camp and went back to wandering. Xavier could have stayed in that quiet spot forever but he knew that Preston had left home to see the country and have adventure. Wandering around on horseback was part of that.

   They'd been traveling for hours when Xavier looked out across the distance and saw some pronghorns in the distance. He pulled his horse to a stop, aware of Preston coming to a stop beside him. 

   "What is it?" Preston asked. 

   Xavier put his finger to his lips and pointed toward the grazing animals. Preston's eyes widened and Xavier could see the excitement that filled them. "Are those pronghorns?" he whispered. "I've never actually seen any except in books."     

   "I haven't seen them often. They usually spook before you get close." 

   Xavier reached in his saddlebags and pulled out his binoculars. "Here, get a closer look." 

   Xavier's attention wasn't on the animals in the distance. It was focused entirely on Preston. In the last few days he'd memorized everything about the man. He knew every inch of his body by heart. He could see and recognize Preston's expressions and know how the man was feeling. The nuances of his voice, the subtleties in his movements—Xavier knew them all. 

   Preston was the best damn thing to come into his life in a long time—hell, who was he kidding. He'd never had anything as good as Preston in his life. He was beginning to see Preston in a forever kind of light—he wondered if Preston might see him in that same light. 

   "Too bad they aren't closer," Xavier noted, shoving his thoughts aside. "We could have some fresh meat tonight if they were." 

   Preston shook his head. "I wouldn't want to kill one. But, Pete could hit one if he was here." 

   Xavier didn't have to ask for a reminder on who Pete was. Preston spoke about his family often. Xavier shook his head. "No one could hit one of those from here." 

   Preston handed Xavier back his binoculars. "Pete could. I swear it. You've never met anyone that can shoot a Sharps rifle the way he can. Maybe one day you'll meet my family and he can show you." 

   Xavier raised his brow and Preston swallowed hard. He stuttered several times, flushed bright red, and turned his gaze back to the pronghorns. 

   Taking a moment to put his binoculars away, Xavier could hardly suppress his smile. "Preston..."

   "Should we get a move on?" Preston asked, not looking his way. 

   The battle with his smile got harder. Preston sure was cute when he was flustered. "Preston, are you inviting me to meet your family?"

   Preston shook his head forcefully. "No, of course not." Then he cast a nervous glance at Xavier and licked his full bottom lip. "Unless you want to...." 

   "I reckon I wouldn't mind," Xavier replied after several moments. 

   The smile that lit up Preston's face had Xavier sitting up a bit straighter in the saddle. Damn, but it felt good to make that man happy. "Are you sure?"

   Xavier nodded. "I don't agree to things I'm not sure about." Then he rubbed at his stubble covered jaw. "Of course, I am a bit worried." 

   "Worried about what?"

   "Well, you've told me just how intimidating your family is. I'm wondering just how many bullets them parents of yours will put in me when they see me riding in with their son." 

   Preston laughed lightly. "Don't worry, tough guy. I'll keep you safe." Xavier chuckled. "And they won't shoot you, they aren't quite that trigger happy." 

   "Well that's good I guess."

   Preston urged his horse forward. "But don't be surprised if you find yourself knocked unconscious and tied to a chair." 

   It was Xavier's turn to drop his jaw. "What?" he demanded, falling in step beside Preston. "Why the hell would I be knocked unconscious and tied to a chair?"

   Preston's laughter filled the air. "Family tradition." 

---

   Xavier held Preston tight in his arms that night as they lay upon their shared bedrolls and listened to the crickets around them. He let his hands dance over Preston's bare skin, loving the soft feel of it beneath his fingers. 

   Preston yawned and nestled himself closer. "We should get some sleep, Xavier." 

   "I know." 

   Silence fell again as Preston brought his hand up to Xavier's chest and laid his palm over his heart. "Hey Preston?"

   "Hmm?" 

   "I uh... I meant what I said earlier about meeting your family." 

   "That your scared of them?"

   "No." Xavier wasn't afraid of anyone. "That I want to. I uh.. I don't want this to end when you've had your fill of adventure." 

   Preston laid very still and silent in his arms. "What do you mean by this?" he finally whispered. 

   Xavier swallowed hard. He didn't do vulnerable well. "Us, Preston. I don't want us to end." 

   Preston's hand closed into a fist on Xavier's chest. "Why do you gotta be so damn perfect?"

   Xavier frowned as he stared up at the stars above them. "I'm not perfect. Hell, you're always letting me know what an ass I am." 

   "I don't want us to end either, Xavier." 

   Silence fell again. Xavier was smiling, content with Preston in his arms and the promise of a future ahead of them. Then he felt something hot and damp upon his bare skin. Preston's face was buried in his chest and the man was crying... Crying? Shit. Xavier had never cried in his life. He didn't have any experience with tears or comforting someone shedding them...

   "Preston? Why are you crying?" he asked, feeling something very close to panic clawing at his gut. 

   Preston sniffed but didn't raise his head. "I'm not..." 

   Xavier was about to call him a liar when those quiet tears suddenly turned into sobs. Preston's entire body shook with them. 

   Horrified, Xavier sat up, pulling Preston into his lap and kissing his blond hair. "Please stop. Dammit, I don't know how to deal with that..." Xavier pleaded. 

   "I need to tell you something," Preston managed to whisper between shuddering breaths. 

   Xavier wasn't at all sure he wanted to hear whatever it was Preston was going to tell him. But he'd never been called a coward in his life and he wasn't going to start being one now. "What is it, love? What's got you so upset?"

   "Did you call me love?" 

   Xavier grunted. "Tell me what's wrong." 

   Preston's sobs increased. 

   What the hell had Xavier done to the man? 

   Preston took one last shuddering breath and looked up at Xavier. "I have a secret and I think you need to know that...." 

   Hoof beats sounded in the distance. Xavier cursed under his breath. They were at a camp with a glowing fire and they were naked on a shared bed. That was not something he wanted someone to ride up on. 

   Jumping to his feet and pulling Preston up with him, Xavier scooped up his clothes and began to pull them on. "Get dressed, Preston. Hurry!" 

   Both men were just cinching their gun belts on their hips when a lone rider rode into the glow of their camp. "Hello there fellas," he greeted. 

   Xavier glanced at Preston and saw the swollen blue eyes and the tear stained cheeks. His heart broke in his chest. 

   He was angry at the intruder when he turned his gaze back to him. "What the hell do you want?"

   The man seemed taken aback by the hostility. "I was just passing through and saw your fire. I was hoping maybe you'd have a bit of food I could eat. I ain't had much in days." 

   Xavier was about to tell the man to go to hell when Preston stepped forward. "Sure, we got food to spare." 

   The stranger hopped off his horse and shook out his legs. He was dirty, his clothes were trail worn and he looked dead on his feet with exhaustion. "I thank you so much! Name's Heston." 

   "I'm Preston and this is Xavier," Preston replied. Xavier wanted to scold him for being so friendly but this Heston didn't seem like a threat. Xavier was pretty good at detecting things like that.

   Xavier still wanted him gone. He wanted to know what had caused his man to have a breakdown in his arms. Xavier strode to the mule and pulled out a can of beans. He tossed it to Heston. "There." 

   Heston rubbed the back of his neck. "Can I heat them at your fire? Beans taste better warm." 

   Before Xavier could tell the man to shove the cold beans up his ass, Preston was speaking again. "Sure." 

   Xavier was grumbling as the three of them sat around the fire and Heston warmed up his meal. "I thank you both kindly for allowing me to rest up here a bit and have some food for my gut. I've been wandering for days and had just about given up hope." 

   "A person shouldn't wander out here if they don't know what they're doing," Xavier grumbled. 

   Heston shook his head. "I reckon you're right...." 

   Preston shoved his glasses up his nose a bit and glared at Xavier. Xavier grumbled under his breath. "We all need help sometimes," he finally ground out. 

   As Heston went about eating, he turned his gaze to Preston. "I know you've done shown me a great deal of hospitality but is there any way I could sleep at your fire tonight? I ain't much good at starting one and it'd be nice to have some warmth while I'm sleeping." 

   "It ain't cold out," Xavier informed him. 

   He felt another glare from Preston. Heston sighed. "I'm sorry if I overstepped. I'll just eat and be moving on." 

   That sounded damn good to Xavier. Preston, however, shook his head. "You can camp here tonight, Heston." 

   Xavier shot Preston a look. "We don't even know him," he reminded the clearly brain addled man. 

   Heston held up both hands. "I promise I'm not threat to either one of ya. My horse is tired, I'm tired, and I just want a safe night by a campfire."  

   "Never hurts to show kindness to folks, Xavier," Preston insisted. "Never know when you'll need some kindness shown back." 

   Xavier was very tempted to mock Preston but he figured that level of immaturity was beneath him. He settled for cursing under his breath. "Fine. But you cause one bit of trouble and I'll kill you myself," he warned Heston. 

   Heston swallowed hard. "I don't doubt that." 

   As the three men settled down on their bedrolls, alone much to Xavier's displeasure, Xavier knew that he wasn't going to find out whatever had upset Preston so thoroughly. And he wondered if maybe Preston had been so friendly with Heston in an effort to avoid any further talk about those tears. 

   Tomorrow,after Heston had left them for wherever it was the man was heading, Preston wasgoing to be doing some talking—whether he wanted to or not.

A/N: Xavier is determined for answers…. reckon he’ll regret that once he knows the truth?

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Xavier’s eyes flew open in the night. He wasn’t sure what had brought him to alertness so suddenly. A quick glance across the dwindling fire showed that Heston was still sound asleep upon his bedroll.

   Xavier was about to close his eyes once again when he heard a wheezing ragged breath break the silence followed by a whimper. 

   His head whipped around and Xavier saw Preston, curled upon his bedroll. Another wheezing breath filled the night, this one even more ragged than the one before. 

   Xavier crawled across the dirt and pulled a wide-eyed Preston into his lap. Preston's breaths were coming faster now. They were shallow and ragged and wheezing and it terrified Xavier. 

   He looked into those blue eyes he always found himself getting lost in and realized they were rolling back in Preston's head. Preston's chest heaved with an effort to draw in air that his lungs seemed unable to hold. 

   "What's wrong with him?" Heston demanded, rushing over. 

   Xavier shoved his hand through his thick dark hair and shook his head. "I don't know." 

   Heston busied himself stoking up the fire and in the increased glow, Xavier saw that Preston's pale skin was turning ashen and his lips seemed blue. 

   "Preston!" Xavier yelled, shaking the man. "Goddammit, stop!" 

   Preston's tiny body began to shake as he struggled to draw a breath. Xavier had never felt a panic like the one surging through his blood. What the hell was going on! Preston was all but dying in his arms and there was nothing Xavier could do. 

   He held Preston tight, buried his face in his blond hair and willed strength into the man. "Please.. please, come back to me, Preston. We agreed we didn't want us to end..." 

   Xavier had no way of knowing how much time passed as he simply held Preston's struggling body in his arms. He couldn't lose the one good thing that had come into his lonely life.   

   "I think he's sounding better..." Heston's voice broke through Xavier's fear and his desperate thoughts. He looked down at Preston and realized that Heston was right. His breaths were evening out, sounding deeper and less forced. 

   Preston's eyes were closed but his lips no longer seemed blue. Xavier felt emotion twist his chest, it clogged his throat, it came so strong and so forcefully that he was unable to control it. 

   He buried his face in Preston's hair once more and felt tears burning his eyes. "Dammit, Preston... you scared the hell out of me. I love you, you damned difficult ass." 

   Preston simply laid limp in his arms, sweat slicked his skin and his eyes remained closed. Xavier laid down, keeping Preston held tight against him, whispering words of devotion as his tears fell into Preston's hair.

   It wasn't until Xavier felt a blanket being laid over them that he remembered he and Preston weren't alone... Heston was there and he had heard everything Xavier had said—seen Xavier's weakness as he'd held Preston close. 

   Slowly, Xavier looked up at the man, fully aware of the dampness still covering his burning cheeks. He wondered if he'd have to kill him to keep Preston safe, knowing some men hated men like them enough to want them dead. Heston simply offered a small smile. "Your man's gonna be okay for now. Try to rest."  

   Xavier realized just how tired he was. Preston's breathing attack had lasted at least an hour. The fear was wearing off and the surge of his emotions had left him feeling drained. Pressing one last kiss to Preston's head, Xavier closed his eyes and let sleep claim him. 

---

   Preston's chest ached and he was exhausted. Even as consciousness returned to him, his entire body remained limp and useless. He recognized the fatigue, the lethargy, and the ache in his lungs. He'd had an attack. 

   The night came flooding back. He had cried in Xavier's arms, knowing that with their talks of a future he needed to let the other man know the truth about his sickness—but then Heston had come. 

   When Preston had settled down to sleep, he'd known his lungs felt tight but he hadn't realized just how serious the situation was until the attack was fully on him. 

   He was awake. He was alive. He'd survived a full attack. But that meant his lungs were that much weaker. 

   Cracking his eyes open, Preston found himself looking at Xavier's chest. The man's strong arms were wrapped around him and his breath was teasing Preston's hair. 

   Guilt tugged at Preston's heart. He was sure that Xavier had been terrified. He faintly remembered Xavier's voice yelling at him before Preston had lost consciousness. 

   Preston needed to relieve himself but he didn't want to wake Xavier. Slipping as easily as he could from the bigger man's arms, Preston was surprised when Xavier didn't waken—instead he simply moaned a bit and rolled over. 

   Stretching his arms over his head, Preston wondered how he'd find the strength to get to his feet. He was always so tired and weak after a breathing attack. The side effects could last a day or two before Preston would feel back to his normal strength. 

   "Nice to see you awake this morning." 

   Preston's head whipped around toward the whispered words to see Heston sitting beside the fire with a warm smile on his face. "Sorry I worried you," Preston replied, his voice weak. 

   "Preston?" Xavier's voice came from behind him. "Dammit, you're awake!" 

He heard a scurry behind him and Xavier’s arms were suddenly pulling him into his lap and holding him tight while Xavier pressed a hard kiss to his head. “You scared the hell out of me.”

   Preston spared a glance at Heston who waved his hand. "He's telling the truth. Your man was pretty worried." 

   "I'm sorry, Xavier." Preston buried his face in Xavier's chest. "I should have told you." 

   "Told me what?" Xavier asked. "What the hell happened to you last night?"

   Preston swallowed hard. He didn't want to do this but he knew he had to. What would Xavier do? Would he decide that Preston wasn't what he wanted once he realized they wouldn't have forever?

   He picked at the button on Xavier's vest. "Remember I told you that I had a sickness as a child?"

   "Yeah. You told me you weren't sick anymore." 

   Preston chewed his lip. "I lied. I'm still sick, Xavier. Real sick." 

   Xavier stiffened. His entire body became still. "How sick?"

   Tears filled Preston's eyes and he blinked them back desperately. "I'm dying, Xavier." 

   Silence followed his admission. A bird sang in the distance. The fire crackled. A breeze blew in the early morning air. But no one spoke. No one even moved. 

   Preston trembled in Xavier's arms waiting. Seconds ticked by. Preston somehow gathered the courage to glance up at Xavier's face. 

   Light green eyes were staring back at him from a face that was tense. His jaw was tight and a muscle in his cheek ticked. "No, you're not." 

   "Yes, I am. My parents took me to a lung specialist and he said there was nothing anyone could do. I have bad lungs and one of these attacks will kill me." 

   Xavier's arms tightened almost painfully around him. "No. You're not dying." 

   A tear slipped down Preston's cheek. "Yes, I am." 

   "No, you're not! I won't allow it." 

   Preston sighed. "I'm not any happier about it than you are. But I won't live a long life, Xavier. This sickness is going to kill me." 

   Xavier shook his head and buried his face in Preston's hair. "You aren't dying, goddammit." 

   Preston simply shook his head and chose not to respond. His heart was breaking. He should never have come with Xavier. He never should put Xavier through this. 

   Preston pulled from his arms and, surprisingly, Xavier didn't fight him. Slowly pushing himself onto his weak legs, Preston glanced at Heston, who was gathering up his belongings, and then walked to the privacy of several nearby trees. 

   After relieving himself, Preston leaned against one of the trees, wrapped his arms tight around himself, and cried.

A/N: And now Xavier knows. My poor babies.

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Xavier sat there staring at the grass and dirt beneath him. Preston’s admission replayed itself in his mind. I’m dying, Xavier .

   Those three simple words seemed to have stopped his world from turning. The terror of the night before, the panic, the desperation of watching his man nearly die in his arms came roaring back. Xavier's fists clenched as he swallowed hard and fought back the tears that were once again threatening to fill his eyes. 

   Preston was dying. 

   Xavier didn't want to believe it. Preston was young and full of life. The man loved to laugh and his smile stole Xavier's breath. He had an innocence and a goodness inside of him that drew Xavier in. It wasn't  right that someone like him should be so sick.. why?  With so many evil, vile men running around, why was it Preston that was dying? Why not someone else less deserving of a full and happy life?

   And what the hell was Xavier supposed to do without him? All his life, Xavier had been alone. He had been independent. He had prided himself on needing no one.  That man was gone. Preston had blasted that man to pieces. Xavier had grown to live for caring for Preston. He had come to depend on the man's company, his laughter, his touch....  

I’m dying, Xavier.

   Dammit. It wasn't fair. 

   The rustling of a sack reminded Xavier that he wasn't alone. He glanced at Heston who was pouring oats into some boiling water over the fire. "I'm just making some breakfast for y'all before I leave." 

   "You don't have to do that," Xavier grumbled, shoving himself to his feet. His throat was raw and his head ached from the tears he had cried both in the night and this morning. Those were the first tears he could ever remember crying—he didn't want to do it again. 

   "I know. But you and Preston showed me kindness last night so I'm attempting to return the favor." 

   Xavier simply grunted and rubbed at his tired face. He wanted Heston gone. Just because he liked Preston's company didn't mean he appreciated anyone else's. 

   He turned his gaze toward the trees Preston had disappeared behind. What was taking him so long? Worry filled him—what if Preston was having another attack and Xavier wasn't there to hold him?

   Just as he was preparing to chase after his man, Preston came back into view. His legs were shaking and the man seemed dead on his feet. "Xavier?" Preston's quiet voice called just before his legs gave out and he fell sideways. 

   "Preston!" Xavier raced to the fallen man as Preston struggled to get back to his feet. 

   Without a word, Xavier lifted him into his arms, cradling him against his chest. He kissed his cool brow, and took note of the dark circles surrounding those tired blue eyes. 

   Preston fixed his glasses and laid his head on Xavier's chest. Xavier tensed. "Are you okay, Preston?" 

   The hint of a smile curved Preston's lips. "Just tired. I'm always tired and weak for a day or two after..." 

   Xavier nodded. He carried Preston back down to camp and settled the man down on his bedroll just as Heston was removing the oats from the fire and scooping them onto two tin plates. 

   Xavier took both plates and laid one in Preston's hands. Preston frowned at Heston. "Aren't you going to eat?"

   "No, I need to be moving on. You two seem to be in the need of some privacy." 

   Xavier settled down beside Preston, keeping a watchful eye on the tired man. "Thank you for not judging us...." Preston whispered. 

   Heston shook his head. "It's not in my nature to judge folks." Then he sighed. "I know it's none of my business but I'd like to do what I can to help given your situation. There's a lady I know. She calls herself a healer. She uses a variety of beliefs and methods to call on spirits and nature to help people...Maybe y'all should go see her." 

   Xavier, who had never been a man who believed in such things, found himself hanging on to Heston's every word. "Where is she?" 

   "It doesn't matter..." Preston whispered. 

   Xavier growled. "Yes, it does. Don't be difficult." 

   Heston's gaze was gentle. "Do you know where High Rock Falls is?" Xavier nodded. "She's about two days ride south east of that if you follow the river until it forks and take the eastern tine." 

   Xavier scratched at his jaw as he committed those directions to memory. "What's her name?" 

   Heston shrugged as he walked to his saddled horse and grabbed the reins. "Most folks just call her Granny. I really think y'all should go. What do you have to lose?" 

   "We're going," Xavier assured him, silencing Preston who had opened his mouth to speak. 

   "I'll see you both around." Heston swung himself up into the saddle and began to ride away. 

   Once he was out of sigh, Preston tossed down his barely touched breakfast and fixed Xavier with a stern gaze. "Stop." 

   "Stop what?" 

   "Trying to fix it, Xavier! It can't be fixed." 

   Xavier threw his own food down. "Well what the hell do you want me to do?" he demanded, his voice breaking. "Just accept the fact that you're... that you're...." 

   "Dying," Preston offered sadly. "And yes. I've had to accept it. My family had to accept it. Now you do too." 

   Xavier pulled a cigarette and matches from his pocket and lit it. Taking a long draw off the cigarette he shook his head. "I don't have to accept a damn thing. Not until I'm good and damn ready to admit defeat." 

   Preston's blue eyes seemed resigned and Xavier hated that. Why didn't Preston want to find this woman and grab on to any chance at life? "I'm sorry, Xavier. I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you. I'm sorry I let you think we had a future. Just take me to a town and I'll send word to my family. They'll come get me and you can be free." 

   Xavier's heart, the pieces that weren't already broken, shattered apart in his chest. The emotional pain was so deep, it was physical as well. He narrowed his gaze and looked out at the rolling hills and plains. "That's it? Just like that you're throwing me away?"

   Preston let out a frustrated growl and laid down on the bedroll. "We don't have a future, Xavier. I'm not going to live to be an old man—hell I won't even make to middle-aged." 

   Xavier put his cigarette out on his boot and tossed it aside. "I thought we said we didn't want us to end?"

   Preston curled up around himself and his voice was barely more than a whisper. "It's not fair to you...." 

   Xavier growled. He stretched himself out on the ground beside Preston and pulled the man close. Preston only resisted a moment before sinking into his chest. "You don't get to decide what's fair for me, goddammit. It's not fair to you. You're too good a damn person to have to deal with something like this. But you're wrong, Preston. There is a future, for us. Whether it's until tomorrow or fifty years from now, that's a future." 

   Preston was crying again. Damn, how many tears could one person hold. Xavier held him tight and kissed his hair, fighting back his own tears desperately. "I'm here, Preston. And I'm not going anywhere. We're gonna go see this woman and we're gonna see what she can do for you." 

   "And when she says she can't do anything?"

   He held Preston a little tighter. "

If she says she can’t do anything then we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.“

   "You don't have to do this, Xavier. You can send me home and go back to your life. I would understand." 

   Xavier's temper flared. "Stop talking out of your damned ass." He snapped. "My life changed the moment you entered that damn saloon so alone and lost. You've given me something. Damn, don't you realize that? I grew up with nothing. I lived my life with nothing. Now... now, I have you and I don't want to go back to the way it was before." 

   Silence followed his statement. A long, painful silence with Preston gripping his shirt and sobbing into his chest. Finally, Preston sniffed and pulled away a bit so he could look up at Xavier. Xavier sighed as he pulled Preston's foggy glasses from his face and looked into those blue eyes so red from tears. 

   "I never meant to hurt you, Xavier." 

   "And you haven't... until you start talking about going home without me." 

   "I'm sorry about this sickness." 

   "It's hardly your fault." 

   "I don't want you to watch me die..." 

   Pain tore through Xavier like a knife blade. He swallowed down his anger and rage knowing that it wasn't directed at Preston—it was directed at the sickness occupying his lungs. "I'm not going anywhere, Preston. I'm yours for whatever time we have." 

   "Xavier?" 

   "Hmm?" 

   "I love you." 

   Just like that, several shattered pieces of Xavier's heart, stitched back together. He put his finger under Preston's chin and tilted his head up to press a tender kiss to his soft lips. "Preston?" he whispered as he pulled away. 

   Preston's eyes remined closed as his tongue darted across his bottom lip. "Hmm?"

   "I love you too."  

A/N: These last two chapters hurt… I don’t like putting my babies through this. But at least they finally told each other how they feel!

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Three days had passed since Preston had admitted to Xavier the truth about his sickness. Three long days. And in that time, one of Preston’s worst fears had become realized. Xavier was treating him differently.

   First there was the walking on eggshells around him. Then there was babying him—hell they hadn't done any more self-defense lessons and Preston hadn't been cursed at in days. Xavier insisted on waiting on him hand and food which made Preston bristle—he didn't like being treated as if he were helpless. But the biggest, and most annoying difference, was that there was no more nibbling at Preston's neck, no more attacking him with hunger, no more calloused hands lighting his body on fire. 

   Preston was miserable. 

   Today they had closed up their camp and Xavier was starting their journey to High Rock Falls. He said it would take a good five or six days to reach. Preston wasn't real excited about going to see this healer lady. He didn't want to get his hopes up that he could be cured—hope was painful. He supposed Xavier would have to learn that the hard way. 

   Preston rode along beside Xavier, hating the tense silence between them. It was nearing the evening and he wondered when Xavier would call a stop for the day. He didn't have to wonder for long. 

   "We'll stop here for the night." 

   Preston looked around their soon to be camp. No trees, no stream, but there was a small hill that seemed a nice place to sit and look at the sky. Preston slid from his horse and laid the reins over a bush beside them. He was about to remove the saddle when Xavier was suddenly there. 

   "You go on and have a seat up there on the hill. I'll tend to the horses and make camp." 

   Preston bristled. He'd had enough. He nudged Xavier out of the way. "What happened to me needing to pull my own damn weight?"

   Xavier seemed stunned a moment. Preston saw the flash of temper enter the man's light green eyes. Finally! Finally, Xavier was going to do something other than baby him! 

   But Xavier's voice was gentle when he spoke. "Just go relax, Preston. I'll take care of everything. You need to take it easy." 

   Preston threw his hands up. "If I take it any easier, I'll be a big lump of nothin'," he mumbled as he stormed away for the hill. 

   He sat down, pulled his knees into his chest and wrapped his arms around them as he stared at the horizon and the sun that was sinking lower. So much for living life until he died—at this rate he was just going to be coddled and babied until the end of his days. 

   That wasn't what he wanted! He wanted to keep learning to fight. He wanted Xavier to be gruff and bossy. He wanted passion. He wanted things to go back to how they were before. 

   Preston became lost in thought as he stared over the horizon. Only when Xavier came to sit beside him was Preston brought out of his thoughts. "You're mad at me." 

   "No, I'm not," Preston countered honestly. 

   Xavier sighed. "The sunset's pretty." 

   Preston laid his chin on his knees. "Yeah, it is." 

   Silence fell over them again. Preston hated this silence. There was nothing comfortable about it. Finally, Xavier spoke. "Are you alright to travel again tomorrow or do you need rest?" 

   Preston grit his teeth. "I'm fine." 

   Xavier tensed beside him and Preston hoped it meant the man's control was going to snap. No such luck. "Just let me know when you need rest. Don't push yourself too far."

   "No fear of that with you mother henning me to death." 

   A familiar growl left Xavier's throat. "Don't be difficult." 

   "Then you stop." 

   "Stop what?" 

   "Treating me different!" 

   Xavier shoved himself to his feet and rammed his hand through his hair. "How the hell am I supposed to treat you?"

   Preston shoved himself to his feet as well and stood toe to toe with Xavier. "The same way you did before!"

   "Preston..." 

   "No! Don't 

Preston me. Everybody has always treated me different because of my sickness. They’ve babied me, coddled me, made me take it easy. You were different.“

   Xavier crossed his arms over his broad chest. "That was before..." 

   "That's why I didn't want you to know!" Preston gave Xavier a shove, surprising the man and causing him to take a step back. "I'm still the same person I was before you knew. I can still help set up camp and pull my weight. I can still race horses with you across the plains. I can still handle you being gruff and bossy. I don't need you to treat me like I'm a helpless babe. I want you to treat me like I'm your man!" 

   Xavier was silent. Preston stepped closer. His heart thundered in his ribs. He was tired of the distance between their bodies. He wanted Xavier's touch and he wasn't going to take no for an answer. 

   He saw Xavier's light green eyes narrow and darken as his arms dropped to his sides. His strong body seemed to be vibrating with barely contained restraint. Preston wanted him to let go. 

   With shaking hands, Preston undid the buttons of Xavier's vest and shirt before sliding both from his shoulders so they lay in a pile at Xavier's feet. Laying his palms against Xavier's hard chest. He nibbled at his lip as he slid his thumbs over Xavier's nipples, feeling the man trembling beneath his touch.

   Emboldened by the response, Preston replaced his hands with his mouth. He kissed and nipped at Xavier's warm skin as a low growl emanated from Xavier's chest. 

   Rising on his toes, Preston nibbled at Xavier's neck. He felt his heart thunder when Xavier's big hands suddenly grabbed his hips, pulling their bodies flush together. 

   "Damn, Preston, I want you..." 

   Preston nibbled at Xavier's jaw. "Then take me." 

   Xavier needed no more encouragement. His grip on Preston's hips tightened and he lifted him into the air. Preston's legs went around Xavier's waist as Xavier moved one hand to the back of Preston's head. 

   Their eyes met for a moment, long enough for Preston to see the overwhelming passion in his man's eyes. Then Xavier pulled Preston's face closer and began to devour him. 

   Xavier wasted no time in deepening the kiss, plunging his tongue into Preston's mouth and quickly asserting his dominance. Preston trembled. He loved a dominate Xavier. 

   Never breaking the kiss, Xavier carried Preston down to camp. He stood Preston back on his feet beside the glowing fire and pulled away, those light green eyes washing over him. 

   "Take off your clothes, Preston." 

   Preston's hands were shaking as they quickly went to the buttons of his shirt, eager to please Xavier. Xavier's predatory gaze raked over every inch of Preston as it was exposed to them. 

   Any awkwardness Preston might have felt standing nude before Xavier, quickly faded at the sound of Xavier's pained moan. "Damn, you're perfect." 

   Before Preston could speak. Xavier was on him again. That hungry mouth found his and Preston quickly submitted as Xavier's big hand closed over the back of his head and pulled him closer. 

   Preston's blood became fire in his veins as Xavier laid him down on a bedroll and that hungry mouth began to nip and taste every inch of his body. 

   Preston's fists clutched the blanket beneath him as Xavier's tongue circled Preston's hip bones and that warm breath teased his cock. "I fucking love you, Preston."

   Preston buried his hand in Xavier's dark hair. "I love you too." He pushed Xavier's head down and the big man chuckled before dragging his tongue along Preston's hard cock. Preston moaned as his hips shot forward. 

   Xavier's hands held his hips in place as he took Preston's entire length into his mouth. 

   Preston lost all control of his thoughts and his body. He moaned and writhed and gripped the blankets as Xavier's mouth worked him expertly. 

   When Xavier's oiled fingers suddenly entered his ass, Preston's moans grew louder. His hips pumped against Xavier's grasp. As that band of pleasure snapped within him and his vision went white, Preston cried out Xavier's name and shook with the force of his release. 

   As he came back to his senses, he realized Xavier was braced over him. Preston frowned. Always before, Xavier had taken him from behind. Preston attempted to flip over so he could get on his knees but Xavier shook his head. 

   "Don't you dare move." 

   

“But don’t you want me to get on my knees?”

   "No. I want you below me like this. I want to look in your eyes as I take your ass," Xavier leaned in and nipped at Preston's neck. "I want to see your face as you moan my name." 

   Preston laid there, trembling with anticipation as Xavier stood up and removed the remainder of his clothes. He coated his fingers in oil and rubbed it over his hardened cock. 

   Preston nibbled his lip and raised his hips, wanting what he knew only Xavier would ever give him. Xavier growled, dropped to his knees and braced himself above Preston once more before guiding his cock to Preston's ass and sliding inside him. 

   Preston cried out as he was filled to the max. Xavier stooped low, kissed him hard and began to move. Preston clung to Xavier, his legs wrapping around his hips as Xavier drove into him again and again. 

   When Xavier's hand closed around Preston's cock and pumped in time with his thrusts, Preston lost himself. He moaned, he whimpered, he called out Xavier's name. Every movement and sound he made seemed to drive Xavier to madness as the man's movements became more wild. 

   Preston cried out Xavier's name as he found his second release and he was aware of Xavier voice roaring in the growing darkness as he too reached his peak. 

   "Damn, you're perfect," Xavier growled as he collapsed against the bedroll and pulled Preston into his arms. 

   Preston's heart was still pounding in his chest. His body ached and it was a feeling he had missed. He kissed Xavier's jaw. "I need you like this, Xavier. I need my man." 

   Xavier nodded. He pressed his brow to Preston's. "You've got him, Preston. I'll try harder to be the gruff ass you fell in love with." 

   Preston smiled as he buried himself deeper in Xavier's warm embrace. "That's all I want."

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

“That road leads to a town, doesn’t it? I saw the sign,” Preston said, pointing toward the road they were riding passed.

   Xavier nodded. "Yeah, but the falls are this way." 

   Two days had passed since Preston had insisted that Xavier had been treating him differently. And it had been true. Xavier had. But, damn, it was hard! To learn that the man you loved was so damn sick was hard enough and to watch him have a breathing attack like he'd seen, it had knocked Xavier down hard. And Xavier was not a man who had ever been knocked down. 

   Xavier had hated treating him differently just as much as Preston had hated being treated differently. He'd missed the back and forth with Preston, he'd missed the laughter, the bickering, the passion... Xavier knew that his worry over Preston wasn't' going to be disappearing anytime soon, but at least the tension over his sickness was fading.

   "I want to go to town," Preston insisted. 

   Xavier shook his head. "We don't need to. We have plenty of supplies. Let's just head on." 

   "I'm not asking permission," Preston insisted, pulling his horse to a stop. "I'm going to town. I'm good enough with directions to follow a road." 

   "Why? Why do you want to go to town?" 

   Preston glanced down the road. "Is it a decent sized town? Do they have a telegraph office?" 

   Xavier thought about lying but decided against it. "Yeah, they have a damn telegraph office." 

   A smile lit up Preston's face. "Good. I'm going to go into town and send a wire to my family. I haven't checked in with them since I left home. I gotta let them know I haven't died yet." 

   Xavier bristled as that pain in his heart reared its head. "Not funny, Preston." 

   He sighed. "Sorry. But I do need to send them word and let them know I'm okay." 

   "Fine. We can ride into town, send your wire, and be on our way." 

   Preston headed down the road, leaving Xavier grumbling as he caught up to him. "No," Preston insisted. "I'm staying in town a couple of days. I want to go to the saloon, play cards, have a few real meals in the café, sleep in a real bed..." 

   "Your record ain't real good in damn saloons." 

   Preston winked leaving Xavier stuttering a moment. "Maybe I'll have better luck if my big strong man is with me. Besides, I'm not quite as helpless as I used to be in a fight. You've taught me a thing or two." 

   Xavier knew that was true. Preston had been doing damn good with his lessons—especially knife lessons. The man could throw one with damn good accuracy and he was quick with wielding it as well. Preston had the talent to gut the next man who thought about taking advantage. 

   "So, you're determined to waste a couple of days in town?" 

   Preston heaved out a sigh. "I don't see it as a waste." 

   "We only have a few more days 'til we reach the falls and then a couple days after that we'll be at the healers.  We should keep moving on," Xavier insisted. 

   Preston picked at his mare's mane. "We'll get there eventually."  

   "Why are you doing this?"

   "Doing what?"

   "Don't play ignorant with me. You're stalling for time and putting off going to the healer. Why?"

   Preston's shoulders suddenly seemed heavy. Xavier longed to pull him onto his horse, cradle the man in his lap, and kiss that sadness away—but they were on a road that was fairly well traveled and he didn't think very many people would appreciate riding up on two men all curled up. 

   "I just don't see the point in going to see her, Xavier." 

   'We've been through this, Preston. If there's a chance that she can help we have to go. Damn, man, don't you want to have a little hope?"

   Preston shook his head. "No. Hope hurts." 

   Xavier's jaw tensed. "Not always." 

   Preston threw his hand in the air. "Yes, it does!" he exclaimed, startling the horse beneath him. "I had plenty of hope! As a boy I had hope that someday I'd outgrow my sickness. Then a few years ago we all had plenty of hope that I had. The attacks became fewer and further between and they weren't as intense when they did come. Then they came back and they were worse than ever and my medicine no longer helped. Then we heard about the specialist and I had hope again. Hope that he'd be able to help... you see where that got me. I'm dying, Xavier, and nobody can change that." 

   They rode in silence for a long while as Xavier swallowed back his temper born of pain. Finally, he figured out what he wanted to say. "Hey Preston?"

   Preston's voice was tight. "Yeah?"

   "I know you've had hope before and it has let you down, I understand that. But, see, I've never had it. This is my first go around with hope. Do ya reckon you could let me hang onto it until life gives me a reason not to?"

   Preston was quiet for a several long moments as he picked at his mare's mane. When he swallowed hard and turned to meet Xavier's gaze, the sadness in those blue eyes made Xavier's heart ache to its core. "Sure, Xavier. I'll let you have your hope." 

   Xavier rode a little closer to Preston and reached out, taking the man's hand in his. "Thank you." 

   Preston gave his hand a squeeze before pulling away. "But we're going to town for a couple of days. I want to play poker, get a real bath, sleep in a real bed..." 

   "I've never had you in a bed," Xavier cut in, imagining the tempting image Preston would paint all tangled up in the sheets. 

   Just like that the sadness weighing Preston down seemed to lesson and his blue eyes were sparkling again. "Sounds like I might have talked you into enjoying town." 

   A smile tugged at Xavier's lips. "Yeah, I reckon you did. I just hope you got some money cuz your man is flat broke from keeping you surrounded by the fineries you've become accustomed to lately." 

   Preston's laughter filled the midday air. "And such lavish fineries they are!" 

   "I haven't heard any complaints." 

   "I'm pretty easy to please." Preston patted his saddlebags. "I still have a bit of the money I left home with. I haven't had to spend much since I found a wealthy man to tend to me." 

   Xavier snorted. "Wealthy? I ain't got a dime to my damn name. I'm gonna have to sell this old mule pretty soon."

   "You can't sell Earl. I've gotten attached." 

   "Well if Earl is staying, I have to find some way to make some money soon." 

   "We could always hunt a bounty," Preston offered.

   Xavier feared for the man's sanity. "That can be dangerous." 

   Preston shrugged. "Maybe it's something I want to try my hand at least one time." 

   Xavier's first instinct was to say hell no but he bit his tongue. He wanted Preston to be happy. He wanted Preston to have every bit of adventure that he wanted to have. If that meant chasing a bounty, Xavier could always pick an easy one. He'd keep Preston safe. 

   "I'll make a deal with you. We'll check the wanted posters in town and I'll pick one out for us. We'll hunt that bounty down together 

after you see the healer.“

   Preston sighed. "Fine." 

   "Don't pout." 

   Xavier chuckled when Preston simply grumbled under his breath. 

A/N: Preston is learning how to get what he wants from Xavier , Xavier is hanging onto hope, and I wonder what Jeb and Gill will think about Preston the bounty hunter…..

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Preston stepped out of the stagecoach office which held the postal and telegram services as well. He’d sent word to his family, letting them know that he was just fine, telling them about his traveling companion, the ways he was learning to defend himself, and the fun he was having. He left out any mention of his most recent breathing attack and the healer they were going to go see. That would only cause his parents to worry and hope and neither were things he wanted to cause them. He didn’t mention the possibility of bounty hunting either… He could only imagine the reaction his overprotective papa would have to hearing that.

   Preston glanced up and down the crowded town streets but didn't see Xavier. Where could the man be? They'd already put the horses and mule up at the livery so he knew he wasn't busy doing that.  Preston adjusted his saddlebags over his shoulder and swatted at a fly buzzing around his head.

   He needed a bath. 

   Preston headed down the road toward the bathhouse, pausing when he saw the tailor shop. He picked at the hole in his sleeve and rubbed at a stain in his trousers. A new set of clothes wouldn't hurt anything. 

   As he stepped out of the bathhouse a short time later in a set of fresh stain free clothes, Preston still didn't see Xavier. 

   Where the hell was his man at?

   Preston's stomach rumbled angrily. He was starved. He didn't want to eat without Xavier but if the man didn't show himself soon, Preston wouldn't have a choice. 

   He saw a bench nearby and decided to have a seat and let Xavier find him. Laying his saddlebags beside him on the rough wooden seat, Preston stretched out his legs, laid his hat over his face and cross his arms over his chest. Might as well rest a bit while he waited. 

   Preston hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until Xavier's voice jerked him awake. "You really shouldn't fall asleep in the middle of town. I don't reckon a sleeping man can defend his damn self." 

   Preston shoved his hat up on his head as he looked sheepishly up at the dark silhouette above him. "I wasn't sleeping." 

   Xavier crossed his arms over his chest as those dimples deepened in his cheeks. "You weren't, huh?"

   "Nope." 

   "Yes, you were. I'm not the only one who snores." 

   Preston felt his face redden as he got to his feet and hefted up his saddlebags. "Yeah, well, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving." 

   Preston started walking, nearly becoming tangled up in his own feet when Xavier's breath blew across his neck. "Damn you smell good." 

   Preston took a big step to the side, placing distance between them so he could focus on those words he knew so many of. "I took a bath. You could stand to have one yourself." 

   Xavier chuckled. "I'll get one after we eat. I wouldn't want to stink up our first night in a real bed." 

   The two men ate their lunch in the crowded diner before making their way to the hotel. Preston wished he could walk closer to Xavier. He wished he could hold his hand. But this wasn't home and home was the only place Preston knew of where folks didn't get uptight about two men being together. 

   Preston felt a pang of homesickness. He really did want to get back there soon. He missed his family. And he wanted to show Xavier how life could be when you didn't have to hide who you were—who you loved. 

   "Hello gentleman, could I interest you in a couple of rooms?"

   Preston shook his head as he pulled his money pouch from his saddlebags. "Just one room, sir." 

   The middle-aged man pulled off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt before placing them back on his face. "Only one room?"

   "Yes sir," Preston replied, feeling his face heat. 

   The clerk frowned. "Are you quite sure?" 

   Xavier growled and laid his hand on the counter in a method very similar to slamming. "I reckon you heard the goddamn man the first time." 

   The man stuttered several times and nodded. "Yes.. Yes, of course." He pointed at the registry and handed Preston a pen. "Just sign here, sir." 

   Preston quickly scribbled his name. "How much will it be for two nights?"

   The man appeared ready to say something less than polite about two men getting a room for two nights but Preston saw him glance at Xavier and it had him swallowing hard. "A dollar fifty." After Preston paid him, the man laid a key in his hand. "Room 10A." 

   Preston took the key and led a tense Xavier from the front desk. Once they were safely inside their second story room, Xavier threw his saddlebags down. "You're too nice, Preston." 

   Preston simply rolled his eyes and chose a book from his saddlebags. "There's no reason for me to be an ass. You seem to have that roll covered." 

   Xavier stalked toward him as Preston stood there on trembling legs, holding his book to his chest. "I'm your ass," Xavier assured him. His voice became a low growl. "And I can't wait to have yours in that bed." 

   Somehow Preston put his hands on Xavier's chest and held the man at bay. "Bath. You said you'd take a bath." 

   It was clear Xavier wasn't pleased with Preston's rejection but the man backed down. "Fine. But then you're mine." 

   Trembling at the promise in Xavier's voice, Preston handed him some money. "A bath and clean clothes. Drop your dirty ones off at the laundry in town. Then you can come back and do whatever it is you have in your mind to do." 

   "I thought I was the bossy one?" Xavier grumbled, shoving the money in his vest pocket. 

   Preston pointed to the door. "Go." 

   With one last hungry scan of Preston's body, Xavier left the room, slamming the door behind him. 

   Preston took several deep breaths to steady his racing heart. He laid his book on the bed before slipping off his gun belt and boots. Never had he felt anything as comfortable as the bed and soft blankets he climbed into after so many nights of sleeping on the ground. 

   He opened his book and buried his nose inside of it, losing himself in the pages.

---

   Xavier's nerves were getting the better of him as he headed back toward the hotel smelling like soap in a fresh set of clothes. He laid his hand over his chest feeling the necklace dangling there, hidden beneath his shirt. Then tapped the matching one in his pocket. 

   He'd sold an old silver pocket watch to buy these two pieces of jewelry and he felt more than a little awkward. Hell, Xavier had never in his life purchased jewelry. 

   His feet were heading for the hotel and his mind was filled with Preston when footsteps came awfully close behind him. "Well, hell, it 

is you, Xavier.“

   Xavier stiffened as he turned slowly. He knew that voice. "Yeah, I reckon it is, Clarence." 

   Clarence rubbed at his thick neck and rocked back on his heels. "Been a long time since we've run into each other." 

   "Not long enough." 

   Amusement lit the other man's dark brown eyes. "Still just as ornery as ever, aren't ya?"

   With a shrug, Xavier shifted his weight. "I'd hate to change now. If that's all you wanted to say, I'll be on my way now..." 

   "Not so fast," Clarence insisted, causing Xavier to pause. "Where you rushing off to? It ain't got nothing to do with that boy, does it?"

   Xavier bristled. "What boy?"

   Clarence pointed the hotel. "The one you rode into town with. It ain't like you to be riding with someone." 

   "I'm not riding with anyone," Xavier lied. Clarence was an untrustworthy bastard and Xavier didn't much care for the man getting into his business. "I found that man out in the wilderness lost and half-starved. Just didn't seem right to leave him there so I brought him to town." 

   Clarence ran his hand over his thick black mustache. "You eat lunch and walk real close with every man you rescue from the wilderness?"

   Xavier's brow rose. "Why you wanna be rescued?"

   Clarence simply shook his head. Xavier pulled a cigarette from his pocket and struck a match to light it. "You spying on me now, Clarence?"

   "Not spying. Observing." 

   Xavier nodded and took a slow draw off his cigarette as he watched a woman leading her three young children down the road. He blew the smoke out into Clarence's face. "Well go do your goddamn 

observing somewhere else. I ain’t the kind of man who appreciates being observed.“

   Clarence raised his hand in mock surrender. "Okay. Okay. But I need to let you know that Franks is aware you've been chasing him." 

    There it was. The real reason that Clarence was sniffing around. "I ain't worried about Franks." Xavier thought about Franks whose likeness adorned the five-hundred dollar dead or alive bounty that Xavier had been hoping to collect on when he'd met Preston. "So, tell me Clarence, does Franks have you doing his threatening for him now?"

   Clarence chuckled, the sound cold and humorless. "I ain't much for threatening, Xavier. Men like you and I, we don't waste time with threats." 

   Xavier tossed his cigarette down and snuffed it out beneath his boot. "Am I supposed to believe you're telling me about Franks out of the goodness of your heart?"

   Clarence shook his head. "I'm telling you because he's damn mad and I'd hate to see you take a bullet in the back. You know Franks ain't above putting one there. He ain't the type of fight fair." 

   Xavier scratched at his shoulder. "Like I said before I ain't worried about Franks. Why don't you just go on back to him and let him know I ain't chasing him no more so he gets to breathe a bit longer. He can forget about me and I'll forget about him—and the threat he had you deliver to me." 

   "Now dammit, I told you I wasn't delivering any threats for that man—I'm just warning you. I'd hate to see anything happen to that boy you're riding with." 

   Xavier tensed. His eyes narrowed as he stared Clarence down and fought the urge to wrap his hand around the man's neck and keep it there until he stopped kicking. "That 

man I rode into town with ain’t nothing for anyone to be concerned with. He’s just someone I found on the plains and nothing more. Now if you’re doing with your warnings and your observing , I’ve been traveling a long time and would like a bit of rest.“

   "Sure, Xavier. Sure, you go get that rest." 

   Xavier watched Clarence walk away, in no hurry to turn his back on the man until there was a good distance and plenty of bodies between them. Xavier hadn't been completely honest with Clarence. He 

was worried about Franks. Not because of anything Franks might do to him, but because of Preston.

   If Franks or Clarence harmed a single blond hair on that man's head... Xavier clenched his fists. He'd kill anyone who dared attempt to lay a hand on the man he loved. Xavier hadn't ever had a single good thing in his life. He wasn't about to let cold-blooded murdering bastards like Clarence and Franks take the good he'd finally found away from him.  

   Letting out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding watching Clarence walk away, Xavier turned his feet back toward the hotel. He'd keep Preston safe. He wasn't going to let outlaws or a sickness take his man away—Xavier simply wouldn't allow it. 

A/N:  I am so in love with Preston and Xavier and it’s making this story so much easier (and harder) to write. I hate putting them through any kind of struggle! But, alas, a story isn’t truly a story without it’s share of threats and danger!  How about some warm fluffiness next chapter, yes? No sickness, no bad guys, no sadness… just pure fluff and smut? Sound good?

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Xavier glared down at Preston when the man opened it wide to let him in without asking who was knocking on the door. “Don’t you know better than to just throw a door open before you know who’s there? I could have been anybody,” Xavier growled.

   Preston's eyes rolled behind his glasses before turning his back on Xavier and walking to the bed. "Who else would have been knocking on the door?" 

   Xavier took several deep breaths to calm his temper as he closed the door and locked it behind him. It wasn't Preston's fault he was on edge, it was Clarence's. Xavier didn't want to fight or argue with his man—he wanted to hold him close. 

   Preston flopped onto his back on the bed with his book in his hand. He quickly buried his nose inside the pages. "What made you so happy while you were gone?" 

   Xavier didn't want to talk about that. He didn't want Preston worrying about those bastards. "Nothing," he replied, stepping to the side of the bed. "There ain't a thing out there that can make me happy. The only thing that can get that done currently has his nose buried in a book." 

   Preston's cheeks reddened as he dropped the book to his chest and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Oh." 

   Xavier dropped onto the bed, bracing himself over Preston. A moan slipped from Preston's lips as Xavier nibbled at his neck. Xavier smiled. "I got that bath." 

   "I smell that." 

   A chuckle rumbled from Xavier's chest. He nipped at Preston's jaw and the man's hips surged upward, pressing tight against Xavier's. Their cocks brushed together through the barrier of their clothes drawing a hiss from Xavier. 

   Preston's hands came to his chest, gripping his vest. Then he paused. One of his palms spread out across the necklace that was around Xavier's neck. Hidden beneath his shirt. 

   "What's that?"

   Those nerves came roaring back to life in Xavier's stomach. He'd never given a person a gift before—and this was more than just a gift. How would Preston react?

   "Xavier, what's wrong?" Preston asked cautiously, sitting up as Xavier stood straight. 

   "I uh.." he tugged at his collar. "I bought something." 

   Preston's brow quirked up. "Okay. What did you buy? I thought you didn't have any money?"

   "I sold an old pocket watch I had." 

   A frown tugged down Preston's lips. "You're worrying me... I've never seen you nervous. What the hell did you buy?"

   Xavier let out a shaky breath and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. He undid the top few buttons of his shirt and pulled the leather necklace from under it. Dangling from the leather chain was a gray pewter sun surrounded by rays. 

   Preston's frown deepened. "Well that's real nice, Xavier. I never took you for the jewelry wearing type. Why would you be nervous to show me that?"

   "Because..." He reached in his vest pocket and pulled out the matching necklace he'd gotten Preston, hidden by the cloth it was wrapped in. "I got you one too." 

   Those blue eyes lit up as Preston smiled. "You did?"

   Xavier's voice shook a bit. "I did." He went to the side of the bed and dropped to one knee in front of Preston. Opening up and being vulnerable were hard for Xavier. Those things did not come natural to him. But he loved Preston and wanted to do this right. 

   Xavier took a shaky breath and took one of Preston's hands. "You know I love you. If we were a man and a woman, I'd give you a ring and we'd have a wedding. Since that's not possible, I reckon these necklaces will have to do, if you choose to wear yours. I want something to show that I'm in this forever, Preston. I want to keep watching the sun rise and set with you." 

   Those wide blue eyes filled with sadness. "But, what if..." 

   Xavier held up a hand, silencing Preston. He knew what the man was going to say and Xavier didn't want to think about sickness or the way their future could be a really short one. "Remember what you told me? When I asked about watching the sunrises and sunsets you said you wished more people appreciated them because no one ever knows how many more they will get." A tear slipped down Preston's cheek and Xavier caught it with his thumb and gently swiped it away. "All I know, in my heart, is that I am mean to be yours, Preston. I want to watch the sunrise and sunset with you—every single one of them we get to spend together."     

   Xavier cleared his throat to remove the emotion from it and held out the necklace. "You got me down here nervous as hell, which is something I'm not real familiar with... Can I put the necklace on you?"

   Xavier wondered what Preston was thinking as the man looked down at him. Xavier knew that Preston loved him but would the other man's worries about his sickness keep him from saying yes? Damn... Xavier hoped not. These necklaces meant something to Xavier. He wanted something to show their commitment to one another. Even if no one else in the world ever saw them or knew their purpose—Xavier would know. Preston would know. 

   Slowly, a smile tugged up the corners of Preston's mouth. "You better put it on me. I wouldn't want you to put it on anyone else." 

   Xavier shook his head as he slid the necklace over Preston's head. He took both Preston's hands in his and wondered if it was possible to die from loving someone too much. He figured that wouldn't be a bad way to go.  "There won't ever be anyone but you, Preston. I never had a single good thing in my life until you came along." 

   Xavier simply stared into Preston's blue eyes for several long moments. He could see Preston's love for him shining out at him and it made him even more determined to keep him safe, to hold him, and to make sure he spent the rest of his life happy. 

   "Why don't you get up here and kiss me?" Preston urged. "You've got a few hours before I want to go to the saloon." 

   Xavierchuckled and surged forward. The man didn't have to tell him twice.

A/N: I know it’s a little short…. It’s hard to write happiness and fluff when you’re struggling with depression but I hope y’all still enjoy the chapter!  I will do my very best to make sure that there isn’t a week in between updates again!  Love y’all!

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

Preston smiled as he walked down the road with Xavier by his side. He laid his hand over his necklace which was hidden beneath his shirt. When he had left home, he hadn’t been certain what he’d been looking for—now he knew. No one wanted to live out their lives without ever knowing how it felt to love someone and have that someone love you back.

   Now Preston knew exactly how that felt and if he hadn't left home, if he hadn't taken that chance, he'd have missed it. Xavier would never have rescued him from that back alley and Preston would have never known how it felt to be so wrapped up in another person, you nearly became one heartbeat. Knowing that he'd at least gotten to have these last few weeks with Xavier—the moments they'd shared—it made knowing he was dying a bit easier to cope with. 

   He longed to reach over and take Xavier's hand. He longed to be able to let everyone know that the man beside him was his.... But that couldn't happen here. There was only place in the world that Preston knew it was safe to do that—home.

   He wanted to go home. He wanted to go somewhere where he and Xavier could truly be in love and open and not afraid of others seeing it. He didn't want to waste what time they had together worried about someone seeing, worried someone would ride up on their camp, worried that they'd be attacked for simply loving each other. 

   After they saw the healer and Xavier had his hope dashed, Preston wanted to go home. 

   They had already eaten supper in the café, and now were heading toward one of the saloons. "You sure you want to take your chances in another saloon?" Xavier asked with a chuckle. 

   "Sure do. I want to play poker." 

   "Do you know how to play poker?"

   "Of course I do," Preston scoffed. "I've just never played it in a saloon before."      

   Xavier nodded. "And are you good at poker?"     

   Preston shoved his glasses up his nose. "Nope. I'm a horrible liar and my poker face is no good." He laughed at Xavier's confused expression. 

   "Then why do you want to play?"

   Preston shrugged as they stepped onto the boardwalk in front of the saloon. "Adventure, remember?"

   Xavier was still shaking his head as they entered the saloon. Honestly, Preston did feel a bit nervous given the last two times he'd gone into a saloon hadn't ended all that well. But this time would be different. He was more confident, knew better how to defend himself, and had Xavier with him. 

   "Are you good at poker?" Preston asked, looking around the dusty, crowded interior of the saloon. 

   "Yeah, I'm good."  

   Preston trembled at the quiet confidence in Xavier's words. He loved that voice. 

---

Two mornings later, Xavier insisted it was time to leave town and continue on their journey to the healer. Preston hadn’t argued—the sooner they got to the healer and wasted their time there, the sooner that Preston could go home and see his family. Thanks to Xavier’s gambling skills, they had plenty of money to last them a while.

   After they'd made camp that night, Xavier and Preston sat wrapped up together, watching the sunset. Xavier sat behind Preston and Preston sat between his legs with his back to his chest. He always felt warm and protected when they sat this way. Xavier's body formed a safe cocoon around him and all worries faded from Preston's mind. 

   "You were right about these sunsets," Xavier whispered as his fingertips danced across Preston's arms and his lips brushed his neck. "They're real pretty." 

   Trembling, Preston smiled. "You only like them because they give you an excuse to hold me." 

   A deep chuckle rumbled form Xavier's chest. "I don't need an excuse to hold you," he insisted, pulling Preston tighter against him as if to prove his point. 

   "How do you do that?" Preston asked. 

   "Do what?" 

   "You're two different people. You are so open, loving, and affectionate with me at times and then you can turn into a cold, distant man whenever anyone else is around." 

   "I don't think most folks would appreciate seeing me loving on you," Xavier reminded him. 

   Preston sighed. "I know that. But you turn off completely. How do you do that? I can't." 

   "I don't know what you want me to say, Preston," Xavier replied, resting his chin on top of Preston's head. "I'm the man I've always been. I don't form attachments. I'm closed off. I don't let people close and I don't have friends. Men are intimidated by me and frightened of me and that's the way I like it." 

   Preston eyes rolled as he pulled away from Xavier, turned and straddled the man's waist. Xavier seemed surprised for a moment but quickly recovered as he pulled Preston tighter against him and kissed his lips gently. Preston smiled. "I'm not afraid of or intimidated by you at all." He nipped at Xavier's neck causing him to growl. "And I like to think you've formed an attachment to me." 

   "You're the exception to my rules," Xavier admitted, laying his brow against Preston's. "Somehow, your scrawny ass broke through every wall and defense I had and now here we are." 

   "You like my scrawny ass," Preston quipped. 

   "Damn right I do." 

   Preston pulled away a bit so he could rest his head on Xavier's chest. "Enough to take me home after we're done seeing the healer?"

   "Of course. I'm sure your family misses you." 

   Preston drew a deep breath, knowing that Xavier wasn't going to like what he said next. "I want to spend what little time I have left there, Xavier. I want to spend it there with you." 

   Xavier's jaw popped and his grip on Preston tightened until it was nearly painful. "Once we see that healer, you'll have all the time in the world left." 

   Preston chewed his lip, knowing Xavier was wrong, and yet unable to tell him that because he had promised he'd let Xavier have his hope. "You know we won't have to hide what we are to each other there. We can share a home and a life. We can walk down the street hand in hand. We can sit in the diner, eat supper, and not have to sit as far apart as the table will allow while pretending we are friends." 

    "That sounds an awful lot like a fantasy," Xavier admitted. "It would take getting used to. I'm not accustomed to being affectionate or open about my feelings around anyone but you." 

   Preston nibbled at his stubble covered jaw. "You'll learn. If Ezekial and Zachariah can do it, so can you." 

   Xavier chuckled. "If you say so." 

   "I do." 

   "Alright then. After we see the healer, I'll take you home. Have you given up on bounty hunting?"

   "I don't reckon I've got what it takes to be a bounty hunter," Preston stated, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I just want a home, my books, and my man." 

   Xavier's gaze went out over the horizon. "Settling down... I've never given much thought to it." 

   Preston dropped his gaze to Xavier's chest. "Will you do it? For me?" 

   Xavier's finger was instantly beneath his chin, raising Preston's gaze back to meet his own. "You're too goddamn smart to ask such stupid questions." 

   Preston opened his mouth to scold Xavier for his meanness, only to be silenced when Xavier swooped forward and silenced him with a kiss. 

   It took only seconds for the kiss to turn hungrier and for Preston to completely lose himself in it. Xavier's hands pulled him closer. "You don't know what you do to me, Preston..."  Xavier growled, his lips leaving Preston's and devouring his neck. 

   Preston threw his head back, grinding their groins together and drawing a hiss from Xavier. The air grew hotter around them. Preston undid the buttons of Xavier's shirt and slid his hands against the heated skin beneath.

   The snorting of a horse behind them had them flying apart and Preston saw three men lounging on horses staring down at them. 

   "What in the name of abominations have we rode up on, boys?"

A/N: Uh-oh… looks like trouble found our boys. Also, I want to thank everyone for your support as I’ve been struggling with my bipolar depression. I’m finally beginning to feel like my head is above water. I love y’all.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

   Xavier rose slowly to his feet as he took in the sight of Clarence, Franks, and an unfamiliar third man sitting on horseback looking down at him and Preston. 

   Xavier was angry at himself for allowing these men to sneak up on him. He'd been so lost in Preston that he'd lost all awareness of their surroundings—now Preston was in danger. Real danger. These weren't men who would be threatened by anything Xavier said or men he could simply punch around a bit and make them leave. These were men who dealt in death and drawing blood was all they knew. 

   "Damn, Xavier," Clarence spit a stream of tobacco onto the grass. "I figured that boy was someone special to you but I sure as hell didn't expect to ride up on this." 

   Xavier was aware of Preston getting to his feet behind him. "Well, hell, Clarence, I wasn't expecting company."

   "You should be happy to see me," Franks stated with a chuckle. "After all, you've been lookin' for me a while." 

   Xavier crossed his arms over his chest, hoping Preston would have the good sense to remain behind him. "Your errand boy must not be real good at delivering messages. I told him I ain't got a bit of interest in collecting that bounty anymore." 

   "I ain't a goddamn errand boy," Clarence growled. "And I told you I don't give threats. I let you know Franks was looking for you." 

   "Yeah." Xavier nodded. "You did." 

   "I've always been a bit intimidated by you, Xavier." Franks admitted. "Had I known you take to lovin' on men in your spare time, I wouldn't have been."

   A chuckle rumbled from Xavier's chest. "Are you jealous, Franks? I always figured you got your lovin' from Clarence." 

   Clarence let out an angry curse and his hand edged toward his gun. Franks sent him a sharp gaze. "Don't go pulling that gun yet, Clarence." 

   Clarence was still bristling as he moved his hand away and glared down at Xavier. Xavier turned his attention to Franks. "No one needs to pull any guns. Why don't you men just be on your way now?"

   "You know that's not gonna happen," Franks insisted. "Anytime I can get rid of a bounty hunter, I'm gonna seize that opportunity."

   Xavier knew he had to get Preston away from these men. He didn't want Preston being anywhere near when bullets started flying. "I understand," Xavier acknowledged. "But he ain't no bounty hunter." Xavier tipped his head toward Preston who was standing there looking pale and terrified. 

   Franks shrugged. "He can go. We'll follow you two to the campfire, he can hop on his horse, and he can ride away. Then we'll deal with you." 

   Xavier nodded. He grabbed Preston's arm and began to drag him back toward camp. "I'm not leaving you," Preston insisted. "They're gonna kill you!" 

   Xavier turned off his own emotions and remained silent until they reached the horses. He shoved Preston toward his mare. "Get your ass on that horse and out of here." 

   Preston's blue eyes were wide behind his glasses. "Xavier...no..." 

   Xavier's jaw tightened. He did 

not want to watch Preston get shot. “Preston, goddammit, just do what I say. I stand a better chance against them if I ain’t worried about you.”

   Preston's jaw trembled as a tear slid down his cheek. "But..." 

   Xavier shoved him again. "Get the hell out of here before they change their minds." 

   He saw Preston's jaw harden as anger entered those blue eyes. "Fine." Xavier gazed down at Preston, taking in every bit of that pretty face in the glowing firelight. Xavier didn't plan on dying tonight but death was a very real possibility—he wanted to take the memory of Preston's face with him. 

   Xavier was aware of the three men on horseback behind him as Preston saddled his mare and hopped on her back. Without another glance at Xavier, Preston urged his horse into a gallop and started across the plains. 

   Xavier was watching him disappear into the growing darkness when a gunshot filled the night. Xavier screamed out Preston's name as the man tumbled over the side of his saddle and the horse continued running. 

   Pulling his gun as he spun around, Xavier didn't have time to fire a shot before the butt of a rifle slammed down on his head and the world went dark. 

---

   Pain brought Xavier to consciousness. He raised his hand to his aching head and felt the blood there. That wasn't important. Preston. Preston had been shot. 

   Xavier's eyes flew open as he called Preston's name and sat up in the dirt. He went for his gun only to realize it was gone. "Your friend is dead." Dead? Xavier's heart shattered. Rage filled him.  "Keep your ass down there," the unfamiliar third man with Clarence and Franks warned as he raised his foot to kick Xavier. This man had been the one to fire that shot at Preston, it was because of him that Preston was gone. 

   Xavier grabbed the man's foot before it met its mark and shoved him backward, pulling the knife from his own boot and throwing himself after the man, Xavier drove the knife into the man's chest. Dark brown eyes widened a moment, staring into Xavier's before the light drained from them. 

   Xavier stood slowly, grabbing the dead man's gun and keeping his knife gripped tightly in his other hand. 

   Clarence and Franks were standing there dumbfounded, having paused in their exploration of Xavier's saddlebags. Franks cleared his throat. "Why the hell did you do that? Petey was my friend. I really liked him."

   Xavier's heart ached deep in his chest. "And I really 

liked Preston, you no good son of a bitch.“

   Xavier wasn't afraid. He didn't care if he died, he knew he'd have time to take both these bastards with him. Preston was the first and only good thing to ever come into Xavier's worthless life—Preston had been too good a man to die because of these cold-blooded jackasses who had never meant a thing to anyone in the world. Preston had meant everything in the world to a lot of people. He'd meant it to Xavier and to the family that was waiting on him to come home. 

   Slowly, Clarence and Franks walked toward the dwindling firelight, coming to stand on either side of Xavier. "Should have known you wouldn't go down easy," Franks admitted. 

   "You should have killed me while I was unconscious," Xavier growled, taking a slow step back so he could keep his eye on both men. "It would have saved your life."

   "There two of us and only one of you. We're going to take your life, Xavier." 

   Xavier's eyes darted into the darkness and the long grass that kept Preston's body hidden from him. "You already did." 

   "How pathetic." Franks went for his gun and Xavier pulled the trigger first. Franks' head snapped back as the bullet slammed through it. Xavier didn't waste time watching the other man fall before turning to Clarence. 

   The two men were at a standoff. Xavier was staring down the barrel of Clarence's revolver as Clarence stared down his. 

   Xavier's jaw tightened. "You picked the wrong side, Clarence." 

   "Everybody has to die someday," Clarence replied with a shrug. "At least men like you and I got to live a bit before it happened." 

   Xavier shook his head. "We aren't anything. Not a damn person in the world is gonna care that we die. Not a single soul alive is gonna miss us." Unlike that man lying dead in the grass in the distance. 

   "I'll just have to content myself with knowing I'm the one that killed Xavier Black before I took my last breath. Say goodbye, Xavier." 

   "Goodbye." 

   The sound of that familiar voice was still ringing in Xavier's ears as Clarence stiffened. His blue eyes held shock as the gun tumbled from his hand. His mouth worked up and down before blood began dripping from between his lips.

   Then he fell. 

   Xavier barely noticed the knife hand sticking out of Clarence's back. His eyes were too busy taking in the sight of Preston standing there in the dwindling firelight. Preston alive. Preston looking a bit pale as he stared down at the dead body lying at his feet. 

   Xavier couldn't breathe. Couldn't speak. Could barely think. Instead of doing any of those things, he leapt across the dead body between them and pulled Preston into his chest. He held him for a long time, simply assuring himself that Preston was real, he wasn't dead, and he wasn't going to simply disappear. 

   Slowly, Xavier pulled away just enough to look down into Preston's wide blue eyes. "Damnation, I thought you were dead... I love you. I didn't think I'd be able to say that again. I love you." 

   A shaky smile curved Preston's lips. "I love you too." 

   "How are you not dead. I saw him shoot you... I saw you fall." 

   Preston's hands were still gripping Xavier's shirt. "He missed." 

   "But you fell..." 

   "I'm a trick rider, remember? I just pretended to fall over the side of the horse and I held on until I was out of sight. Then I rode back around, hopped off the horse and snuck in on foot. Wyatt taught me how to move quietly." 

   Xavier was closer to tears than he cared to admit. He buried his face in Preston's hair. "I really thought you were dead." 

   "I'm not." 

   Xavier realized Preston was shaking. He pulled away a bit and smoothed the hair from Preston's brow. "Are you okay?"

   Preston's lip trembled a bit as he swallowed hard. "I've never killed anyone before...." 

   Xavier was sure it was hard for Preston to realize he'd taken a life. Hell, Xavier had been killing from a young age—it had been necessary to survive. But it wasn't something he liked doing and he avoided it whenever he could. 

   "I'm sorry you had to do that, Preston, but I'm damn glad you did. I would have been eating lead if you hadn't." 

   Preston nodded. Xavier swooped down and kissed him gently. Their brows rested together after Xavier had pulled away. Slowly, they pulled completely apart and Xavier looked at the dead bodies now littering their camp. 

   "Franks has a bounty on him, right?" Preston asked. 

   "Yeah. Five-hundred dollars. Clarence has a hundred dollar one himself and I don't know about that guy," Xavier replied, pointing toward the man Franks had called Petey. 

   "Why don't we take them into town then and collect that bounty? No point letting it go to waste. Then I can say I tried bounty hunting, I succeeded, and I retired from it all on the same day." 

   Xavier chuckled. "Sounds good." 

A/N: Preston–retired bounty hunter.  Did y’all really think i’d let Preston get shot dead by some idiot named Petey? ;) You know me better than that!

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

“This place is pretty.” Preston’s voice was awestruck as the duo rode up on High Rock Falls. Xavier had been here once before but he hadn’t appreciated the beauty of the place until just now—until seeing it with Preston.

   "It's a nice spot," Xavier agreed. The hills around them were covered in long flowing grasses. The river ran off one of these hills, falling over the large rocks that littered it and causing the waterfall that fell into the pool of water beneath it before it continued on it's winding path across the plains. 

   The falls weren't huge, about fifteen feet tall, but the sun caught them, glistening off the spray. Xavier rode close to Preston who was simply sitting on his horse and taking in the sights around them. 

   Preston turned to him. "Can we camp here tonight?"

   Xavier frowned as he looked up at the cloudless sky. It was only midday and they were only a couple days ride from the healer. He could see the split in the river up ahead and was eager to follow the eastern tine to find her home. "We should move on, Preston. We're getting close to the healer." 

   Preston sighed. "Please? It's pretty here and I'd like to enjoy it awhile." 

   Xavier watched him push his glasses up on his nose and it caused him to grumble under his breath. His resolve was weak when it came to Preston. "Alright, but we're leaving right after dawn and we're riding hard until we get there." 

   Preston offered a mock salute. "Yes sir." 

   With a chuckle, Xavier dismounted and motioned for Preston to do the same. "Let's make camp then. That way you can enjoy your damn view while you read your book all day." 

   As the duo set up camp, Xavier noticed that Preston seemed quiet—and a bit out of breath. Fear blossomed. "Preston, are you okay?"

   Preston offered a smile as he swiped his sleeve across his face. "Yeah. Why?"

   With a raise of his brow, Xavier stepped closer. "Are you having a hard time breathing?"

   Preston averted his gaze and rubbed at a speck of mud on his pants. "I'm fine." 

   Xavier frowned. Preston wasn't fine. Preston was still breathing heavier than he should be. "Don't lie to me, goddammit. Let's load back up and head on. The sooner we get there the better." 

   With a shake of his head, Preston went to the river and sat down beside it. "I just need some rest, Xavier. We've been going nonstop for days."

   "Are you going to have an attack?" Xavier demanded, his voice tight. 

   "No. Not if I can just rest a bit." Preston's gaze was pointed as his breathing continued to be labored. "Just bring me a book and let me sit a while." 

   Xavier grumbled under his breath as he strode to Preston's saddlebags and pulled a book from within them. He wasn't truly angry, just damn worried, and that worry riled his temper. He didn't like seeing Preston sick. If Preston had another one of those attacks.... Hell, what if it hit and wouldn't stop? What if...

   Xavier shook his head, tossed his hat onto the saddlebags and shoved his hand through his hair. That wasn't going to happen. He was 

not going to lose Preston.

   He walked back to Preston and handed him the book. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

   Preston's eyes were sad as he ran his hands over his book. "No. There's not anything anyone can do." 

   Xavier knew that anything he said would come out angry so instead of replying, Xavier left Preston alone and sat down beside their saddles and saddlebags to clean his gun and sharpen his knife. He kept a close eye on Preston while he worked. He had to have something to do to busy his hands and his mind. 

   Hours passed with Xavier desperately finding things to do. Gathering up kindling to start a fire, organizing the items in his saddlebags and on the pack mule, polishing his gun until his reflection could be seen in the barrel and sharpening his knife until it would no doubt be able to slice through bone like warm butter. 

   Finally, Preston pushed himself to his feet and Xavier rushed his way, barely keeping himself from pulling the man against his chest. "Are you feeling better?" he asked, his hands shaking a bit. 

   Preston nodded. "Yeah, I'm feeling better." 

   Xavier searched for any sign the man was lying but his breathing did sound better and his color was good. Preston smiled up at him and laid a hand on his cheek. "Quit worrying so much." 

   Xavier growled, pulling Preston into his arms and kissing his blond hair. "Nope." 

   With a sigh, Preston pulled away and took Xavier's hand. "Let's take a walk. It's a real pretty day." 

---

   Preston soaked in Xavier's touch as the two sat together late that evening in the sunset light. He'd soaked up every bit of Xavier he could in the last few hours. 

   Something was wrong. Preston could feel it deep in his soul. His lungs felt weak, his breath not filling them the way it should. He knew Xavier had noticed several times but Preston waved it off each time and ensured the other man he was fine. 

   But he wasn't. 

   He felt tired. His head hurt. His body seemed heavy and weak. 

   Preston had a feeling his time was nearing an end. Swallowing hard to hold back tears, Preston thought of his family. He didn't regret leaving—if he'd stayed home he never would have found Xavier—but he sure did wish he'd been able to make it back to see them again. 

   "I love you, Xavier," Preston whispered, sinking deeper into the man's embrace as Preston sat in his usual place between Xavier's legs with his back to his chest. 

   Xavier kissed his ear. "I love you too." 

   Preston glanced toward the waterfall and the pool of water beneath it. He had never stood under a waterfall before and knew that if he wanted to do it, he better do it now. 

   "I want to go stand under the waterfall." 

   He could practically hear Xavier frowning. "What?" 

   "I want to stand under the waterfall. I've never seen a waterfall before and I've definitely never stood under one." Preston knew it wouldn't be dangerous. The river wasn't raging and the waterfall was gentle as it fell over the edge of the rock. 

   "Well okay then." Xavier pushed himself to his feet and held out his hand, helping Preston to his. "Are you sure you're okay, Preston? You look pale and tired." 

   "Thanks Xavier. You're handsome too." Preston was attempting to tease the man and ease the worry lines he could see on his face. Xavier clearly wasn't falling for it. 

   "You're sick, aren't you?"

   Preston sighed. "I've been sick, Xavier. My whole life." He rose on his toes and pressed a tender kiss to Xavier's firm lips. "Now let's get naked and go play in the water." 

   Sadness was still visible in those green eyes but Xavier managed a small smile. "I'll gladly take any excuse to see you naked." 

   The men walked hand in hand to the river. Without a word, they slid from their clothes and Preston was the first one to step into the water. It was cool against his skin and he shivered as he stepped deeper into the river and the water reached his waist. 

   Aware of Xavier behind him, Preston approached the waterfall. He stuck out his hand, feeling that falling water against his palm. With a smile he stepped beneath it, letting that water beat down on him. He turned and smiled at Xavier as the man watched him with amusement. 

   "Come under it with me," Preston urged. 

   Xavier nodded and stepped beneath the falling water. Preston laughed, as Xavier pulled him closer. Preston trembled at the feel of Xavier's lean muscles and warm skin against him. Xavier's hand slid beneath the water to rest against Preston's backside. "I don't believe anyone who knows me would recognize me right now." 

   "That's a good thing," Preston assured him. "You're too serious most of the time. You've gotta stop and enjoy things." 

   Preston worried about Xavier. He wanted Xavier to be happy. Xavier was a good man and his life had been too hard. Preston worried what would happen to the man when he was gone—because he had a feeling he was going to be gone soon. 

   Already his body was nearing exhaustion and his breathing was becoming harder to regulate. "Come on, Preston, you look tired. Let's get you to bed." 

   Preston nodded. He made his way toward the riverbank. Without warning, his chest seized up. Preston clutched at his throat as he tried desperately to draw in a breath. He was gasping, attempting to gulp in air that his lungs simply wouldn't allow. 

   "Preston!" Xavier's yell was full of panic as the man scooped him up into his arms and charged up the riverbank. 

   Still, Preston couldn't seem to draw a breath. He was dying. This was the worst attack he'd ever had. His head pounded, his lungs burned. His vision was beginning to blur. 

   "Goddammit, Preston, snap out of it," Xavier all but begged as he sat down in the grass, keeping Preston in his lap. Preston looked up into the green eyes. He raised his hand and touched Xavier's face knowing it would be the last time. This was going to destroy the man he loved.

   He could hear Xavier's panicked voice, calling his name as Preston's air starved body finally shut down and consciousness left him. 

A/N: Poor Preston. Not worried about himself simply worried about Xavier. This is hard to write.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

Panic in its truest and rawest form filled Xavier when Preston’s hand slid from his cheek and those blue eyes slipped close. Dammit, he had known that something was wrong with Preston. He’d felt it all day—it had been as if Preston were telling him goodbye without actually saying the words.

   No. No, Xavier wasn't going to allow that. Preston was not going to die. 

   Preston's body was still trying fruitlessly to draw in a breath. Xavier didn't know what to do. This was different from the first attack he'd seen. At least then Preston 

had been able to breathe, even if it had been labored.

   Xavier sat Preston up in his lap and raised his hand, bringing it down roughly on his back—the sound of it echoing in the night. Instantly, breath rushed into Preston's lungs. Damn, Xavier had been acting out of desperation but was damn glad he'd accomplished something. 

   Preston was still gasping, his breaths were shallow and labored and it was clear breathing was a struggle—but at least he 

was breathing.

   Xavier knew there wasn't any time to sit quietly with Preston and wait on this attack to pass. The man was deathly pale and shaking. He wasn't breathing well and his lips were blue. Something in Xavier knew this attack was different and if Xavier didn't get Preston to that healer....

   He cut off those thoughts and turned off his emotions the best he could. Xavier had spent most of his life being cold and indifferent and he needed to call on that part of himself or he'd lose himself to the panic. 

   Laying Preston on the grass, Xavier grabbed his clothes and slid himself back into them. He quickly dressed Preston as well. Xavier didn't bother closing up camp. He had no time. The pack mule would slow him down which meant he was going to have to abandon the animal and all the supplies it carried. 

   Saddling his horse and tossing both Preston and his own saddlebags across it, Xavier glanced at Preston's horse. It would also have to be abandoned. Xavier knew his own horse well. He knew he could push it and travel hard. He wouldn't take anything along that would slow him down. 

   Xavier tossed Preston over his shoulder and climbed onto his horse before settling Preston on his lap, keeping his head cradled on his chest. He could hear those shallow gasping breaths. He could feel Preston trembling. Xavier forced those things from his mind. 

   With a yell, he dug his heels into his horse's sides and raced off into the moonlit darkness. 

---

   Xavier was exhausted and his horse was near collapse. The beast would probably die from the strain that Xavier had put on it the last couple of days. He had no time to feel guilty about the animal. 

   They hadn't stopped. Xavier hadn't slept. Preston hadn't woken up. It had been two days. Two days of Preston fighting for breath. Several times he'd seemed to be coming out of it only to be struck with another attack. 

   Xavier had no idea how Preston's tiny body hadn't already given out—but he was damn glad it hadn't.

   It was nearing dark when Xavier saw a house in the distance. There were goats wandering around it and several pigs in a sty. The house was little more than a shack with a thatched roof but it might as well have been an oasis. 

   Xavier felt his horse stumble and barely managed to leap out of the way as the horse pitched sideways and fell to the dirt. Xavier hit the dirt as well but he managed to save Preston from that by holding him tight to his chest. 

   Xavier pulled himself to his feet, weaving as he did so. How long could a person survive without sleep? He stared down at his dying horse, panting and frothing on the ground. Damn. He pulled his knife as he knelt down.

   "I'm sorry." Xavier ended the horse's life quickly. His stomach rolled as he put his knife away. He wouldn't let his horse's sacrifice be in vain. They were at the healers and Preston was going to be saved and that would be the silver lining in an otherwise horrible situation. 

   Somehow, Xavier convinced his legs to run. "Hello?" he called out as he neared the house and saw lamp light emanating from inside. "Help!" 

   The door was thrown open and a woman stepped out with a rifle. She was tall but bent in the back and her gray-streaked black hair was hanging loose and nearly dragging the ground around her frail body. Sharp brown eyes narrowed in a wrinkled face as Xavier stopped feet from her. 

   "Are you the healer they call Granny?"

   She lowered the gun. "I am." Her voice was stronger than Xavier had expected to come out of a woman so old and worn.

   Xavier swallowed hard and held out Preston's shaking, wheezing, limp body. "Please..." he croaked, barely holding back the tears in his eyes. "Please, save him." 

   Without a word the woman nodded and motioned for Xavier to follow her inside. Xavier stepped into the tiny shack and took in the interior. Shelves lined every wall and those shelves were covered in jars that were full—though Xavier had no idea what was filling them. Plants were growing in every corner. He saw dried herbs hanging from the ceiling and he dodged them as he walked. Something that looked a hell of a lot like a cauldron was hanging in the fireplace over a small fire. 

   "Lay him there," she ordered, pointing a crooked finger toward a small, lumpy bed against the far wall. Xavier did as she demanded. He pulled off his hat, clutching it tightly in his hands. Preston looked gray and his lungs rattled with every breath he took. 

   Xavier couldn't stop the sob that left his throat as he looked down at the man he loved and knew he was dying. 

   "What happened to him?" Granny demanded as she laid a hand to Preston's brow. 

   Xavier had no idea how he spoke through the emotion in his throat and he had even less of an idea how the woman understood him.  "He has some kind of lung sickness. He was born with it. He's been like this for two days.... Please...." Xavier's voice broke and his grip on his hat tightened. 

   The woman pointed toward the door. "You leave. Wait outside. I will do what I can for your man." 

   Xavier didn't ask how she knew. He didn't even beg to stay at Preston's side. He needed air. Xavier stumbled out the door and around the side of the house. He vomited hard in the dirt before collapsing against the wall. As his backside hit the ground, all Xavier could think of was Preston's smile, those blue eyes, and those damn glasses he was always pushing up his nose. 

   Pulling his knees to his chest, Xavier gripped the necklace around his neck, buried his face in his free hand, and wept.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Hours passed as Xavier sat against the wall. His eyes were swollen, his throat was raw, and he felt bone deep exhaustion. He had no idea what was going on in that shack. He could smell smoke and burning herbs as a low chanting drifted outside.

   Dawn was beginning to glow on the horizon. Xavier closed his burning eyes and laid his head against the wall behind him. He wasn't even aware of falling asleep until a clearing throat brought him awake. 

   Instantly, Xavier leapt to his feet. "Is he okay?" he demanded of Granny who stood in front of him. 

   The woman looked tired as she folded her hands in front of her. "I have done what I can. You can see him now."

   Xavier frowned. That wasn't an answer. She'd done what she could? Was Preston alive? Was he dead? Was he breathing better? He wanted to ask for answers to those questions but he was afraid of what those answers would be. 

   On trembling legs, Xavier headed back around the house and toward that crooked front door. He couldn't swallow around the lump in his throat as his shaking hand pushed that slab of wood open. 

   The lamp in the corner caused shadows to stretch across the tiny shack. The first thing Xavier was aware of was silence. Preston wasn't struggling for breath any longer—but was he breathing at all? Xavier's footsteps seemed to echo as he dodged the hanging herbs and approached that tiny bed.

   Taking several deep breaths to steady himself, Xavier let his gaze drop to Preston's bare chest—and the steady rise and fall of it. Preston was alive. Relief flooded through Xavier like the blood in his veins. He wasn't going to lose his man just yet.

   His eyes slid up Preston's body to his take in his face and Xavier swallowed hard. The man was still unnaturally pale, his lips colorless, and dark circles surrounded his eyes. He lay on that bed completely motionless other than his breaths. 

   Xavier dropped down to one knee and took Preston's smaller hand in his larger, calloused one. He leaned in and laid a gentle kiss to Preston's dry lips. "You just rest a while." 

   Shoving himself to his feet, Xavier made his way back out the door and away from the overwhelming scent of herbs. He found Granny out spreading feed for her chickens. She glanced at him as he approached and Xavier cleared his throat, though his voice was still hoarse when he spoke. "Thank you for saving him." 

   Granny merely went back to her current task, her long dark hair falling around her. "That's what I do. I am a healer." 

   Xavier's boots shifted in the dirt as his gut twisted with a breath stealing combination of hope and dread. He squared her shoulders. "Is he going to be okay? He was told before that his lungs would keep getting weaker and he was.. 

dying. Is he still…..“ Xavier shoved his hands into his pockets. “Is he still dying?”

   Again, Granny paused. She glanced up at the fading stars in the brightening sky. "We are 

all dying. From the day we are born we are heading toward that inevitable end.“

   Xavier tensed and his arm twitched with the urge to reach out and shake the woman. "Is the damn man still dying from his sickness?"

   Granny sighed as she propped her feed bucket on her narrow hip. "Tell me more about his sickness." 

   Xavier guessed that meant the woman hadn't healed it. He cracked his neck. "I don't know much. I know that he was born with it. It makes his lungs close up and he can't draw decent breath. He mentioned that at one point a few years ago they thought the sickness was getting better but then it came back worse than it had been before. A lung doctor told him he was dying and nothing could be done about it." Xavier took a deep breath after saying those words. "And his medicine wouldn't help him anymore." 

   This seemed to grab her attention. "Medicine? What kind of medicine?"

   His shoulders rose in a shrug. "I don't know. An injection or some kind. They said it helped keep attacks from happening." 

   Granny shook her head. "No. It didn't. No medicine injected into someone is going to help a lung sickness. Only something they breathe could do that." 

   Xavier frowned. "But it helped him..." 

   "Only because he thought it helped him. Our minds are more powerful than we believe. His body has always been able to fight his sickness on its own—until now." 

   Yanking off his hat, Xavier found it hard to meet her gaze. Preston had told him hope was a lie and it only ever hurt a person. Damn, Xavier hoped he was wrong. "And can you fix it... can you fix his lungs?" 

   Granny's thin lips tugged down in the corners. "No." Her dark brow quirked up. "But...." 

---

   Tired. Bone-deep, clear to the soul tired. That's how Preston felt. Every inch of his body felt heavy and impossible to move. His body ached. His chest felt as if a horse had kicked him right in the center of it. Each and every one of these realizations filled him with overwhelming happiness. 

   He wasn't dead. 

   Preston tried to open his eyes but the lids were so heavy. He decided to use his other senses to attempt to take in his surroundings. The bed beneath him was lumpy but soft enough—which meant he wasn't still at the camp where his attack had started. 

   So, where the hell was he?

   Scents overwhelmed his nose—so many of them he had no idea how to tell them apart. He was sure he smelled some herbs and smoke. Which meant he wasn't in any hotel or doctors office. 

   Then a familiar sound reached his ears. Buffalo snores. A smile curved his lips. He tried again to open his eyes and this time they obeyed. Instantly he took in the sight of his man—even if it was a bit blurry without his glasses. Xavier was leaned back in a rickety chair beside the bed. His long legs were stretched out in front of him and his arms were dragging the floor while his chin rested on his chest. 

   Those snores rumbled out of him as his dark hair fell across his brow. Preston raised a weak arm and used his hand to smooth that hair away. Instantly, Xavier's green eyes flew open. "Damnation, you're finally awake!" 

   Xavier was out of the chair and on his knees beside the tiny bed in an instant. He slid his hand across Preston's cheek. "I'm so damn glad to see those eyes again." 

   Preston tried to speak but his mouth was too dry. Xavier grabbed a cup of water off a rickety table near the bed and helped Preston sit up enough to take a sip. 

   "Wh.. where are we?" Preston whispered, his battered lungs 

   "The healer. We've been here about a day and a half." 

   Preston took another sip before Xavier sat the cup on the table once more and helped him lay back down comfortably. Xavier grabbed his glasses then and put them on his nose. Preston took in the shack he was laying in. 

   Full jars covered the shelves that littered the wall. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling and a cauldron sat beside the fireplace. Every inch of the tiny shack was full cluttered up with jars, bottles, plants, and herbs. 

   Preston frowned. "But we were two days away from the healers." 

   Xavier nodded, taking Preston's hand in his. "Yeah, we were. You were real sick, Preston. You just kept having attack after attack and I was damn sure you were gonna die on me." 

   Preston took a moment to let that sink in. Two full days? Why wasn't he dead? Preston raised his hand and laid it against Xavier's cheek which was beginning to grow a beard. "You must have been scared." 

   Xavier turned his head and kissed Preston's palm. "Damn right I was. You would have died if not for the healer. She pulled you out of your attack." 

   Preston chewed on his lip as he turned his gaze up to the thatched roof ceiling above him. He tried hard to shove down the emotion he could feel blossoming in his chest. Hope. Hope that this healer would truly be able to heal his sickness. Hadn't life taught him not to have that damn hope. 

   "Xavier?"

   "Yeah?"

   "Am I... Are my lungs... better?"

   After several moments of silence, Preston spared a glance at Xavier, knowing that whatever expression he saw on his handsome face would give him the answer to his question. 

A/N: I’m sorry.. I had to do it. I had to leave you on edge… don’t hate me!  I promise the next chapter will allow us to see  Preston’s fate.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Gill stepped out of the barn and into the midday sun. Pulling his hat from his head, he swiped his blue shirt sleeve across his brow. The day was certainly a hot one.

   Footsteps sounded behind him, but Gill didn't need to turn around to know who it was. He would recognize those footsteps anywhere. "Hey there, Pete." 

   "Hello best friend." 

   The two men came to stand side by side as they looked at the horses in the corral. "Where's your other man?" Pete asked. 

   "He's out in the field checking on some of the cattle. Shouldn't you be home with that moody wife of yours?"

   Pete winced. "I love that sombrero wearing hurricane but I forgot just how dangerous she becomes when you put a babe in her belly." 

   Gill was chuckling as he patted Pete on the back. "Makes me glad I love a man." 

   "Aww, I love you too, Gill," Pete cooed, batting his red lashes. 

   Gill rolled his eyes. His best friend might be well into his thirties but he'd never grow up. "Where's Willie? Did you leave the poor boy with his moody mama?" 

   "Naw, he went to Craig and Ezekial's for the day. He wanted to spend time with Delilah." 

   "Young love." 

   Pete grinned. "Isn't it sweet?" 

   The two men fell silent a moment before Pete spoke again. "Have you and Jeb heard anything else from Preston?"

   Gill felt his chest tighten. "No. Nothing since that first letter a couple months ago. It's taking its toll on Jebidiah." 

   "It's taking its toll on you too." 

   Gill rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, it is. My damn son is sick and out there running around the country with some man named Xavier Black and we have no way of knowing if he's safe." 

   Pete shrugged. "At least he's got a friend and he's not alone." 

   "I'd feel better if I knew who this Xavier was." Nobody in the family had recognized the man by name. 

   "Probably a murderer." 

   Gill glared at his best friend. "Shut the hell up." 

   Pete laughed. "I'm sure Xavier's a good man, Gill. Probably helps old ladies crossing the street and donates all his free time to rescuing puppies." 

   "Why the hell am I your friend?" Gill demanded, unable to stop his own laughter. 

   "Because I stop you from worrying so damn much," Pete replied with his gap-toothed grin. "You always have gotten stuck in your own head." 

   Gill just sighed because he knew it was true. Before he could say anything else, Pete slapped his arm. "Hey, who's that riding in?"

   Following, Pete's gaze, Gill stared hard for several moments before his eyes widened. "Pete, ride out and get Jeb. I believe that's our son." 

---

   Xavier shifted in the saddle feeling more than a little awkward as he rode beside Preston toward the homestead in the distance. There were three decent sized barns, some nice looking horses in one corral, and some ponies in another. The home looked small but sturdy. Chickens ran wild and there was even a pig resting comfortably in the shade of the barn. An old hound sat on the porch, watching them ride in. None of that was what had Xavier so damn nervous. 

   No, what had Xavier feeling that unfamiliar emotion was the colored man standing beside the barn, watching them ride in. Another man had been with him but he'd ridden off into the field the moment they noticed Preston and Xavier riding in. 

   The man watching them had a gun belt on his hip as he stood there with a wide legged stance and his arms crossed over his chest. His hat was pulled low but Xavier knew who it was. Gilliam Tomlinson. Preston's pa. 

   Once they entered the fence line surrounding the property, Preston leapt of his horse and took off running. Xavier was surprised when Gill did as well and Preston leapt into his arms. Gill hugged him tight and Xavier simply sat there a bit awkwardly in his saddle and thought about all those weeks ago when Granny had scared the life out of him. When she had said she couldn't fix Preston's lungs, Xavier had nearly collapsed right there in the dirt—then the evil angel of a woman had spoken the single greatest sentence that Xavier had ever heard. 

   "Xavier?"

   Snapping from his thoughts at the sound of Preston's voice, Xavier slid from his horse and approached Gill and Preston. Preston came to stand beside Xavier and smiled up at Gill. "Pa, this is Xavier. Xavier, this is my pa Gill." 

   Xavier stood there, feigning confidence as Xavier's pa sized him up. Gilliam Tomlinson was a few inches shorter than six feet and had a stocky, strong build. He had sharp brown eyes that didn't look like they missed much and he carried himself like a man accustomed to a position of authority—and Xavier knew he was. Gill had been a Texas Ranger, and a rather successful one according to Preston, for a long time. 

   Gill held out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Xavier." 

   Xavier, who had never been the type to show much respect to anyone, shook Gill's hand firmly. "Nice to meet you too, sir." Preston loved his family and it was important that Xavier make a good impression on them. Xavier had never had a family. That inexperience caused him to feel out of place and unsure—neither were things he was comfortable with. 

   Gill studied him a moment then turned his gaze to Preston who, Xavier realized was looking up at him with a smile. Xavier smiled back, no longer worried about hiding his affection for the man in an attempt to appear strong or intimidating. He'd damn near lost the love of his life and he was just happy to still have him standing beside him. 

   The sound of Gill chuckling drew Xavier's attention back to the man. "I take it you're more than just Preston's friend?"

   Xavier nodded as he reached out and wrapped Preston's name around his, entwining their fingers. "Yes sir." 

   "Your papa's head is gonna explode, Preston." Gill seemed amused as he said this. "I won't ask you any questions just now, Xavier. I'll wait until Jeb's around before we start an interrogation. Jeb is definitely gonna have some questions for you." 

   Xavier frowned and felt his stomach flip. Preston had warned him that Gill was the easier parent to win over. Jebidiah Crane was where his trouble would come from. Xavier cast a glance down at Preston who appeared annoyed. "You don't have to interrogate him, pa. Xavier's a good man." 

   "Oh, he's gonna get interrogated," Gill assured them, shifting his weight to his right leg and resting his hand on his revolver. "At least we haven't knocked him unconscious and tied him to a chair yet." 

A/N: Big family reuinion coming soon! And did y’all miss Gill and Pete? They’re still the dynamic duo and best of friends!

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Preston stood against the wall and pinched his nose between his fingers as he watched his family minus Eleanor, Willa, Delilah, and Willie, and prayed they wouldn’t scare Xavier right out of his life. The man was currently sitting in the same rickety chair that three other family members had once found themselves tied to. At the moment, Xavier was not tied up, but with the family forming a tight circle around him, he was just as stuck.

   Preston wished he could put a stop to the current interrogation but, there was nothing he could say or do that would accomplish that. 

Every member of his family was protective of Preston—overly protective.

   "So, your name is Xavier Black?" Jeb asked, crossing his arms over his chest and raising his brow. 

   Xavier nodded. "Yes sir." Preston could tell that Xavier was trying hard to appear confident and unfazed but Preston knew the man well enough to see the nervousness in his eyes and catch the slight shaking of his hands. Preston didn't blame him with so many bodies looming over him. 

   "And you've been sharing a bedroll with my son?"

   Preston groaned as Pete, Craig and Wyatt laughed. Color rose in Xavier's cheeks. "Yes sir." 

   Jeb growled. "How did you meet Preston?" 

   Preston cleared his throat. "I'm right here. You could ask me." 

   Jeb glanced over at him before shaking his head and turning his gaze back to Xavier. "I'd rather ask him." 

   Preston loved his papa. He really did. When the man had first seen him today, he'd hugged Preston for a full two minutes before letting him go. But just now, Preston was mad enough at the man to smack him. 

   Xavier met and held Jeb's gaze. "Some men were giving Preston a hard time and I stepped in."

   Jeb turned to Preston. "Didn't I tell you you'd end up in trouble?"

   Before Preston could speak, Gill put his hand on Jeb's arm. "Is that really important just now?" With a sigh, Jeb shook his head. 

   "You got any family, Xavier?" Gill questioned.

   Xavier shook his head. "None that I know of. I was born to a whore who isn't worth remembering, never knew my father, and have been on my own since I was twelve."    

   "So, what do you do for a living, Xavier?" Jane asked, pushing her sombrero back. 

   "Gambling and bounty hunting." 

   Zachariah cast an expectant glance at Gill and Jeb but neither man moved and this had the giant scarred up man throwing his hands in the air with a growl. "Really? You knocked me on the damn head when you found out that 

I was a bounty hunter!“

   "I got knocked out just for showing up in town," Ezekial agreed. 

   "And I 

did knock out Willa just for saying Craig’s name and because she looked like bigger Willie.“

   When Jeb and Gill shared a thoughtful look, Preston had had enough. He stormed forward, shoving his way through the circle of bodies to stand beside Xavier.  A quick tug of the man's shirt had him rising to his feet.  

   "That's enough," Preston warned his family. "Xavier is a good man. He saved my life more than once and I saved his. I trust him so that ought to be enough. He has no bounty, no wanted poster, and no criminal record. He treats me good. I love him and he loves me so back off." 

   Relative silence fell among the chattering family. Preston stared down his papa, hoping the man would leave Xavier alone before Xavier decided Preston wasn't worth the stress. 

   "He left a boy and returned a man." Pete dabbed at his eye. "And 

with a man. I’m such a proud uncle.“

   "Not now, Pete," Gill warned. Pete pouted a bit as Jane comforted him gently.

   Jeb stepped forward and stood toe to toe with Xavier. "Let me tell you something, Xavier Black. If you hurt our son, Gill and I will kill you and it'll be slow and painful. We've already been hanged for our crimes once, so we aren't afraid of much." 

   Xavier nodded. "Understood. I can promise you I won't do anything to hurt your son."

   Jeb stepped back and took Gill's hand. "Alright then." He turned his attention to Preston. "You 

do look happy.“

   Preston smiled. "I am happy. And I've got something else to tell you." 

   "You don't think you've sprung enough on us?" Gill asked with a chuckle. 

   Preston looked up at Xavier and Xavier's arm slid around his shoulders. Preston turned back to his parents. "I had an attack and nearly died—would have if Xavier hadn't gotten me to a healer. She saved me from that attack and...." Xavier's arm gave him a gentle squeeze when he paused. "She took it away. I'm not sick anymore." 

   Complete silence fell. A pin could have been heard dropping in the small cabin. Gill seemed to recover first. "What do you mean, she took it away?" 

   Preston knew it was a hard story to believe but he also knew it was the truth. "There was a man named Heston that camped with me and Xavier one night and saw me have an attack. He told us about a healer named Granny and sent us to see her." 

   "Granny?" Ezekial spoke up. "Rather odd, tall, bent woman with long black hair that drags the ground? Lives in a shack with goats and seems to have a fondness for jars?"

   "Yeah." Preston nodded.

   "I know her." Ezekial's expression was guarded. "She treated me once for a gunshot wound." 

   Preston was glad that someone in the family knew Granny. It might make them all believe what Preston said next. "We went to her, or Xavier took us to her because I ended up going into an attack that lasted two days. I was closer to dead than alive when he got me there. Granny has powers. I know that sounds crazy but it's true. She took the sickness out of me." 

   Preston could hear the disbelieving murmurs coming from around him. Until Ezekial spoke again. "I know that sounds like a tall tale but, that woman can do things that no one else can." 

   Craig frowned up at him. "Like what?"                 

   "Like heal people," Ezekial insisted. He held up his hands when Craig opened his mouth to no doubt argue with him. "Now I know it sounds crazy, but I was gut shot, Craig. I should have died." Ezekial pulled his shirt from his pants, lifting it to reveal his torso. "I don't even have a goddamn scar." 

   "Why didn't you ever tell me about that?" Craig asked, his gaze lingering on Ezekial's dark skin. 

   Ezekial shrugged, letting his shirt fall. "Because I know how unbelievable it sounds." 

   Jeb cleared his throat. "She claimed she took your sickness?" 

   Preston could hear the doubt in his father's voice. "She 

did take it. I can tell. I feel good for the first time in my life. I never realized that I always felt sick until I felt myself not sick.“

   A frown tugged at Gill's mouth. "Are you sure?" 

   Preston nodded. "I'm sure, pa. For the first time in my life I'm not dying." 

   Jeb's fist clenched. His jaw tightened and his throat bobbed. Finally, he stepped forward and wrapped Preston in a bone-crushing hug. "That's damn good to hear, son." 

   Preston hugged him back and felt tears fill his eyes that he quickly blinked away. Gill reached out and ruffled Preston's hair. "I'm glad you feel better." 

   Suddenly the entire family was on him, patting his back, offering congratulations, and letting him know just how happy they were that he was gonna be around for a good long time. 

   Eventually, they all found themselves outside as Preston told them tales about all he'd seen and done over the last few months. He wasn't surprised by how quickly Xavier had been accepted. His family could see his happiness and they knew that Xavier was a big part of that. Preston was happier than he'd ever been before. He had his man beside him, he was back home with his family, and he a long and healthy future to look forward to with all of them. 

   As evening fell, Preston glanced at Xavier and realized the man seemed a bit on edge. It reminded Preston that Xavier was not a man who was accustomed to being part of a large group of people. He was a loner—a loner who just so happened to like having Preston by his side. 

   Deciding he'd put his man through enough today, Preston took his hand. "We're gonna head back into town." 

   "You're welcome to stay here. We still have that room in the barn," Gill offered. 

   Preston opened his mouth to respond but Pete beat him to it. "They got the love glow, Gill. They ain't gonna be able to keep it burnin' if they're out in daddy's barn." 

   Preston's face heated and he was sure his ears turned red. Jeb looked at Pete as if he was seriously contemplating punching the other man in the throat. 

   Instead, Jane's hand fell on the back of her husband's head. "Would you act like you have some sense for once in your life?"

   Pete grinned. "Nope." 

   Preston saw the way Jane smiled at her crazy husband and the love shining in her eyes as she gazed at him. He hoped that after him and Xavier had been together for eleven years, Xavier would still look at him that way.

   Preston glanced up and saw that Xavier was looking down at him with love and want all warring together. It was enough to have Preston's blood heating nicely. 

   He was quick to tug Xavier toward their waiting horses. "We gotta go. I'm tired." Pete's laughter rang out, causing Preston's face to redden even more. 

   "You better go see your Nana Maria. And Eleanor and Willa. Eleanor was good and mad that you left town and never told her goodbye," Gill warned. 

   Preston winced. "I will." 

‘First thing tomorrow ,’ he added silently.

   As Xavier and Preston slid into their saddles, Xavier leaned close. "I can't wait to have your ass at that hotel." 

   Preston trembled. "Well, let's get going then." 

---

   Gill killed the lamp beside the bed before sliding under the covers and curling up against Jeb, laying his head on his chest. When Gill's fingertips danced across the muscles of his lean stomach, Jeb found his body responding. Even after over a decade together, his Texas ranger-turned outlaw-turned rancher lit his blood like nothing else in the world ever had. 

   "Do you really think that healer took away Preston's sickness?" Gill asked. 

   Jeb ran his hands down Gill's smooth back. "I hope so. I don't know. It's hard for me to believe in something like that." 

   "Me too." 

   "Ezekial seemed pretty sure," Jeb added. 

   Gill pressed a kiss to Jeb's chest and Jeb's fingers dug into his back. "I guess as long as Preston believes it that's all that matters. I'm hoping he's not sick anymore but, if he is, at least he won't be so damn scared and worried about it for a while." 

   Jeb sighed. "I can see why you were always the brains of the operation." 

   Gill's quiet chuckle filled the air. "That wasn't hard when I was running with Pete Bardlow." 

   "Hey Gilliam?" Jeb turned on his side and pulled Gill's bare body flush against him. 

   Gill's response was breathless. "Yeah?" 

   Jeb swooped in and nipped at his full bottom lip. "Can we talk about all that later?"

   Gill's hands ran down his bare back before gripping his backside and pulling him in tighter. "Sure can." 

A/N: Poor Zachariah is not amused that Xavier didn’t get a thump to the head. Ezekial had his own experience with granny. And Pete still knows the love glow when he sees it. Hope y’all enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think because I love readng y’alls comments!

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

As Preston and Xavier stepped out of the livery with their saddlebags over their shoulders, Preston took Xavier’s hand in his. Instantly, Xaiver’s head whipped around, looking in all directions for a threat.

   Preston laughed lightly. "I told you we can hold hands here, Xavier. No one cares." 

   Xavier was still tense, still ready to defend Preston against anyone who would have something to say about the public display of affection. But that threat never came. As a matter of fact, no one seemed to pay any attention to them at all, except for a few that greeted Preston as they walked past. 

   "Preston?" a voice called out with disbelief. Preston turned toward the voice and Xavier saw his face light up. 

   "Nana Maria!" Preston dropped his saddlebags and ran to the small woman, hugging her tight. 

   "What were you thinking taking off and worrying me that way?" she demanded as she pulled away and laid her hand on his cheek. 

   "I'm sorry.. it was just something I had to do." 

   Maria sighed and pulled away with a knowing smile. "I guess I can understand that." Her gaze moved to Xavier. "And who are you?"

   "Xavier Black, ma'am," Xavier replied politely. Damn, but he was feeling a bit overwhelmed and raw from being surrounded by people all day. He wanted nothing more than to be alone with his man.

   Her brow quirked up on her lightly wrinkled face. "Why are you with Preston?"

   Xavier sighed and wondered if he was going to be interrogated again. "Because I'm his."

   Maria's face lit up. "Well that's wonderful, Preston! You deserve a bit of happiness." 

   Preston pushed his glasses up on his nose. "I got more good news. I'm not sick anymore. I met a healer and she took the sickness away." 

   Xavier saw the disbelief on Maria's face and he understood it. Hell, he hadn't believed the woman either when she had stated she could remove the sickness from Preston's body. He'd thought it was a bunch of horseshit, honestly. 

   And when the woman had stood over Preston, chanting and covering his body in smoke from the burning herbs in her hands, Xavier had damn near grabbed his man and ran. 

   Preston had fallen asleep after the intense ritual and Xavier had sat by his bed for hours simply waiting on him to wake up. Then Preston had and there had been something different about him. Preston had begun to cry and vowed that he knew the sickness was gone—said he could feel that for the first time in his life his lungs were better. 

    Xavier had no choice but to believe him. He 

wanted to believe him. And in the month since then, Preston hadn’t had a single attack. Hell, the man didn’t ever seem to get out of breath even when trick riding. Even Preston’s color was getting better and he wasn’t nearly as pale as he’d once been.

   But the biggest, and most noticeable difference in Preston were his eyes. Those blue eyes which had always held a trace of sadness, now shone with the purest happiness Xavier had ever seen. 

   "How did she take it away?" Maria questioned. 

   Preston shrugged as he stepped back and put his back against Xavier's chest. Acting purely on instinct, Xavier dropped a kiss to his blond hair. "I don't know how," Preston admitted. "But it's gone." 

   Xavier saw the doubt and he understood it. Soon Preston's family would see for themselves that Preston was right—his sickness was gone. 

   Maria smiled. "Have you been to the ranch?"

   "Yeah, we were actually on our way to the hotel for the night." 

   "Well then I won't keep you all any longer," Maria winked. "Xavier, I'll be expecting you to be good to my grandson. If you aren't, there won't be a healer alive who can save you." 

   Preston groaned and covered his face with his hand, peeking up at him through his fingers. Xavier took the threat in stride—it wasn't the first one he'd heard today. "Yes ma'am." 

   "Now, I'll be wanting to hear more details about this healer and what she did but for now I'll let you two lovebirds get to the hotel and have a bit of privacy." 

   Xavier was shocked into laughter when Preston grabbed up his saddlebags, took his hand and all but dragged him toward the hotel. Preston stopped abruptly when two women came walking arm in arm out of the hotel. 

   Xavier instantly recognized Willa with those ridiculous gaucho pants, studded red blouse and twin pearl-gripped revolvers. The woman on her arm must have been Eleanor. She was a pretty woman with Indian features and kind eyes. 

   He grumbled under his breath. Yet more people they'd have to talk to, yet more people he'd have to introduce himself to, and yet more people who would no doubt threaten his life. 

   "Preston!" Eleanor rushed forward and hugged Preston tight. "I should be really mad at you for leaving without talking to me but I'm too happy to see you back." 

   Willa patted Preston on the back when Eleanor pulled away and adjusted the shawl around her shoulders. "Good to see ya again." Then Willa turned her gaze up to Xavier. "And who the hell are you?"

   Xavier adjusted the saddlebags on his shoulder. "Xavier Black. We've met before." 

   Willa frowned. "No, we haven't." 

   "You probably don't remember. It was quite a few years ago and you were pretty damn drunk." 

   Willa nodded and rocked back on her heels with a smile. "Yeah, I used to have a lot of fun." 

   Eleanor shot her a look that had Willa back peddling and pressing a quick kiss to her temple. "I have more fun now, of course."

   When Eleanor looked at Preston and opened her mouth, no doubt to ask more questions, Preston held up his hand. "His name is Xavier, he's my man, he's good to me and won't hurt me but knows that there are plenty of people willing to kill him if he does. Also, I'm not sick anymore, a healer took it away, I feel a lot better, and it's true even though it sounds crazy."

   Preston paused for a breath. "And now we are going to go get a room in the hotel because we've been traveling a while and we're tired and we want to go to bed." 

   Xavier chuckled as Willa and Eleanor stood there wide-eyed, taking in all the information Preston had thrown at them.

   Preston bit his lip as he looked at the women. "And I promise tomorrow we can spend time together and talk."  

   Willa recovered first and laughed. "Well, alright then. Get on in there with your man and 

rest .“

   Preston gave Eleanor one last hug and then he was once again dragging Xavier along. Once they were alone in the room, Preston tossed down his saddlebags and began to undo his shirt. 

   Xavier chuckled. "What are you doing?"

   Preston flashed a smile as he slid himself out of his shirt and tossed it away. "Getting naked. Want to join me?"

   Xavier instantly felt his blood grow hotter in his veins as he took in the sight of Preston's small, lean body. After all the questioning today, all the threats, all the overwhelming hours of being surrounded by so many people—Xavier finally had his man alone and he was in desperate need of a release. Still, he couldn't stop himself from teasing Preston. "I don't know. It's been a long day and I'm pretty tired." 

   Preston seemed undeterred. "I'll see what I can do to wake you up." 

   Xavier's fists clenched when Preston stepped his way. He rose on his toes and put his lips to Xavier's neck, kissing his quickening pulse. Reaching out, Xavier grabbed his narrow hips and pulled him closer. 

   Preston's hands went to the buttons of Xavier's vest and undid them quickly, tossing it aside and doing the same with his shirt moments later. When those small hands pressed against the hot skin of Xavier's chest, he damn near came undone. 

   "You're gonna start something," Xavier promised. 

   "Then I'm doing it right." Preston circled around Xavier, laying kissing across his bare back. Damn, the man had changed in the last few months. Gone was every bit of his uncertainty. He was a man confident in what he wanted—and damn if that wasn't arousing.

   When Preston's hands came around him and slid across Xavier's hard cock, he decided he'd had enough of being teased. Letting out a growl, he grabbed Preston's arm and pulled the man back around him, holding their bodies flush. "Damn, do you know what you do to me?" 

   Preston's cheeks were flushed as he bit his lip and gazed up at him. "I think I have an idea." 

   "I'm never gonna get enough of you," Xavier admitted, his lips hovering above Preston's. 

   "You weren't scared off by the threats on your life?"

   Xavier nipped at Preston's lip before laying his brow against his. "I don't scare real easy." 

   "I know you were overwhelmed today. I know you like to be alone." 

   Xavier sighed. "I like to be wherever you are." 

   Their brows still pressed together, Preston put his hands on Xavier's chest. "My parents own a lot of land. We can make us a place on it away from everyone else. And we can roam when you get tired of being in one place." 

   "Whatever makes you happy, Preston," Xavier assured him, slipping his hands into the waistband of Preston's trousers and pulling him closer. 

   "I want you to be happy too." 

   Xavier raised one hand tracing the sun dangling from Preston's necklace. He pressed a long, slow kiss to Preston's lips drawing a whimper from the other man as he pulled away. "When are you going to understand? You're my one weakness, Preston, and every damn bit of my happiness. The only thing in this world I need is you." 

   Redness rose to Preston's cheek as he blinked back a tear. "Well okay then." 

   Xavier lifted Preston into the air and his legs wrapped around Xavier's waist. "Okay then." As he carried Preston toward the bed, he knew that he'd finally figured out what he was meant to do with his life. His days of roaming aimlessly with no purpose were over. 

   He had been made for one thing—loving the man in his arms for the rest of his days. 

A/N:  And we’ve reached the end of Preston’s journey and the end of ‘The Crane Gang Series’. I hope y’all have enjoyed the ride! I love y’all and thank you for all the support you’ve given me!