A/N: Didn’t mean to make you folks wait so long, but I really wasn’t keeping track of the time and before I knew it, a few weeks had flown by.

The Secret Trip

Part II

The next morning Brandon rolled over in Eli’s bed and wanted to feel the body of his lover there, but instead be fell off the side and onto the carpeted floor.

He cried out in pain, then sat up –quite alert now- and scanned the room for his cowboy, but he was nowhere in sight.

He groaned as he realized where the man was. “Chores.” He grunted. “With the money I pay him, he should be able to hire some help so he doesn’t have to get up at crack of dawn and leave me alone every time.”

He got up and took a long leisurely shower. Eli always went out for a long ride in the mornings. For one reason, to give his horse exercise when it wasn’t too hot out, and for another so he wasn’t there when Brandon left.

Brandon wanted to talk to him though –something they had decided they would avoid on mornings like this, but it had to be done.

He dressed in a comfortable pair of pants he always kept in his briefcase on these weekends and pulled on Eli’s slippers –that he never wore- and walked outside. He sat on the wooden fence, his hair still moist as he waited for his cowboy to come back. He had to wait another two hours before he heard the distinct sound of a galloping horse approaching. The dogs he’d been talking to out of boredom rushed over to Eli as he dismounted from his favorite black stallion Brecker.

He pulled Brecker in his wake as he walked over to Brandon scowling.

“You couldn’t possibly have just woken up. You never sleep late.”

“How would you know?” Brandon asked curiously.

“I’ve watched you sleep before.” Eli admitted easily. “Now answer me.”

“I want to talk.”

“I thought we decided not to do this.” He snapped, aggravated.

“We are doing it. Besides, it was never a formal agreement, just like this isn’t.” He gestured to Eli and himself. Brecker nipped affectionately at Eli’s shoulder and he pet the horse as he glared at Brandon.

“What’s the matter? Didn’t enjoy yourself?” He demanded cynically.

“Oh, I did. You’re payment’s on the kitchen table.” He reminded offhandedly.

“What’s the problem, then?”

“You weren’t there when I awoke.” He told him seriously, almost whining as he spoke.

“I never am.” The cowboy responded levelly. “You never complained before.”

“I know.” Brandon retorted sadly.

“Fine, then leave.” He ordered angrily.

“Why are you so hostile?” Brandon as coolly.

“You bastard!” Eli yelled, furiously. “I can’t take it anymore! I won’t do this! You have a bloody wife and kid! Go home to them and don’t ever contemplate the thought of coming back here for any damn comfort! I hate what you’re doing! I hate that I’m a little secret whore of yours! I hate the bloody money you leave behind every morning you leave! I need it, yes, but I by no means want it at all. There just aren’t many positions for ranch owners with mechanical skills. You don’t seem to realize how it eats me up inside every time you leave. Well, guess what, I don’t care anymore, you bastard! I’ll have to foreclose on the ranch if that’s what happens, but I refuse to take any more of this crap from you! Get off my ranch!”

“Eli…!”

“Leave.” He demanded with a deadly calm voice. His eyes blazed with fury as he stared at Brandon with malice.

“Eli, please, I want you…”

“Don’t hand me another line of shit. Find another whore you can fuck or have fuck you whenever you want, and pay a whole lot less for it.” He swung back up onto Brecker, riding bareback and through it all Brandon only saw the beauty in Eli as he moved and spoke. His lover kicked Brecker into a gallop and they were off into the forests again.

Had he even participated in the conversation? Was this just a tantrum, or was Eli really lost to him forever?

He thought of their past together as he reentered the house and dressed fully –leaving the slippers behind as he made his way to his car and left silently.

He had had a fling with Eli when they were both younger. Eli was two years younger than him. They had met at a high-class costume party. Eli hadn’t even changed for it. He had worn his usual clothes with a leather armlet around his muscle and a dusty cowboy hat atop his mop of dirty-blonde hair.

They had hit it off and fucked, then never spoke again.

Brandon couldn’t get his mind off of the mysterious lover he had shared his bed with for a night and, now, couldn’t forget. He couldn’t forget his smell, his body, his hair, his dick in his ass…

Through some of the conversation they had had together, Brandon understood that Eli lived in New Mexico and was only visiting a friend up there in Louisiana and he had been roped into the party without knowing it was a costume party. He tracked down Eli’s address through his friend and visited him. When he arrived he realized that Eli had actually been a cowboy and he found it all alluring. He enticed Eli again and joined him in his bed for a repeat of the night they’d met.

Their relationship had continued like that until it changed drastically. Brandon was forced into a marriage with a woman his father had picked for him so he could have an heir and pass on their fortune and family business to someone, so Eli became more of a mistress; and once Eli began struggling with his ranch Brandon started to leave behind money so he could have anything he wanted for himself.

Since they couldn’t be happy together, Eli could at least have everything else he wanted. He’d thought.

Now he wasn’t so sure his good intentions were very good for their relationship. What should he call it? He visited Eli every few months and spent an unbelievably spectacular night with him, then left the next morning, not to return for another few months. During which time he tortured himself with the images of their most recent night together until he could take it no more and he set up the time to fly down to Eli. The times were becoming more and more random as he became older and older. They were both nearly thirty now, how much longer could this continue?

He wasn’t even sure if Eli had had other flings. He had just assumed Eli was always going to be there, what if he wasn’t now?

These thoughts frightened him. He needed Eli. He loved him, though he had never spoken those words. Eli had told him the hundredth night they were together that he had deeper feelings for him, but Brandon had run away from those thoughts. He supposed that Eli had said that to make him stay, but he knew he couldn’t stay. It would mean catastrophe.

---

Eli cried as he leaned against the tree crouched on the ground with Brecker worrying over him and whining at him as he cried.

“I’m trying to be strong. I can’t be though! I can’t keep this up anymore. Just when I think I’ve gotten over him he shows up again and tortures me some more with his elegance and beauty, and he tantalizes me. I want him to stay, Brecker. Don’t you?” His horse whinnied in response. “Let’s go back. I should feed everyone.” He had to compose himself before he could mount Brecker, but he finally did and rode back to his ranch. He checked that the car was gone before he made himself known to his animals though.

---

A year later…

“I’ve got you.” Eli whispered to the tiny puppy in his arms. “You look just like your mommy.” He told the little pup lovingly. He kissed the head of the babe as he wrapped it in a blanket and carried it outside to show it the light for the first time since its birth in Brecker’s stall that morning. Brecker had been in the paddock the entire birthing, to give the bitch space for her task.

The puppy’s eyes remained mostly closed, but Eli knew he enjoyed the warmth of the sun even if he couldn’t enjoy the light.

“We’ll find you a good home.” He promised softly as he nuzzled the puppy’s soft fur with his nose and kissed its head.

“Why can’t he stay right here?” A voice asked and Eli froze in his place. He didn’t want that voice to be who he thought it was. He looked over to his right and saw Brandon leaning there against another rental car. He scowled at him.

“I can’t afford puppies, and I don’t have the time to train ten puppies to be good dogs.” He answered sourly. “What are you doing here? You can’t possibly think I forgot what I said to you last time?”

“No.” Brandon shook his head lightly. He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Eli, not moving from the car.

Eli groaned as he walked over to his visitor and handed him the puppy unexpectedly as he snatched the paper. Brandon wished he could have an arm full of Eli instead of an arm full of puppy, but the little one was quite adorable nonetheless.

“Is Daisy the mother?” He asked with a smile at the young one.

“Yeah.”

“Where is she?”

“The barn.”

“Who’s the father?”

“Orlando.”

“Where is he?”

“Dead. Got into a fight with coyote.”

Brandon frowned sadly. “Oh.”

“What is this?” Eli demanded frowning as he read over the document. “Who bought my ranch?”

“I did.” Brandon answered seriously as their eyes locked again.

“Is this revenge or something?” Eli asked him exasperatedly. He had been up all night with Daisy helping her birth and wasn’t in the mood for any games from his ex.

“No. It’s yours if you want it. I paid it off for you.” He answered as he pet the pup.

“The deed to my land? Of course I want it, but… what is this? To make up for what happened nearly a year ago?”

“No.” Brandon told him strongly. “Eli. You were right; and that’s all I could think about as I left. I went home and told my wife the truth. We divorced.”

Eli was surprised. “And what about your heir?” He asked more gently now.

“His name is Damien. I was quite shocked to find out that my wife didn’t even want him. She gave him up in the divorce. He’s all mine.” Brandon smiled happily and Eli’s brow raised curiously.

“That’s wonderful.” He stated with some emotion for his companion –he knew how much Brandon had wanted a son, not just as an heir, but because he had wanted a child to rear in his image- but more curiosity as to where this was going.

“Yeah.” He paused. “Eli. I want you to help me raise him.” He stated plainly in a whisper. “I want you to forgive me.”

Eli’s mouth hung open. “I… you want…”

“I set it up with my work so that I can work over the internet and cell phone calls. I won’t have to leave here at all. We can live here… if you’ll have me.” He described as he looking longingly into Eli’s eyes; still, with the puppy in his arms, that was now snuggling into his shoulder.

“You…” Eli couldn’t find the words. “Oh, gods!” He threw himself into Brandon’s arms and the puppy yipped from between them.

Eli pulled back slightly, but kept his arms around Brandon.

“Are you serious?” He asked with tears cornering his eyes.

Brandon’s tears had already fallen as he laughed and nodded several times. “You’ll have me then?” He wondered.

“Of course.” Eli answered as he kissed his lover deeply. “Oh, how dare you stay away for so long!”

“I had to wait until the divorce was final.” He apologized and kissed Eli all over. He wanted to ravage his old lover, but there was something else. He handed the puppy back to Eli and opened his backseat.

Eli kissed the head of the puppy as he waited for Brandon to turn back around.

When his lover turned back around, he wasn’t alone. In his arms was a very sleepy little boy.

“Can Damien stay too?” He queried innocently.

Eli immediately laughed and became attached to the little one.

Little Damien awoke and stared wide-eyed, first at his daddy, then at the new man.

“Pumpkin, this is Eli. Remember what I said about Eli?” Brandon asked gently.

Damien smiled and nodded. “Daddy Eli!” Damien reached out his arms to Eli who broke out into fresh tears.

“Oh, gods.” He murmured happily, then he remembered the puppy in his arms. “Oh, Damien, I have something for you.”

“What?” Damien asked, instantly interested.

Eli showed him the puppy. “This puppy is for you. You can name him if you want.”

Damien reached out for the puppy and pet him with a broad smile. “Pop said I couldn’t have pets.” He announced to Eli. Eli laughed out loud as he glanced at Brandon.

“Well, I’m your daddy now too and I say you can have as many pets as you want. This is just your first.” He promised honestly and Brandon made no move to object to it.

Damien leaned closer to Eli, reaching out to hug him.

After glancing at Brandon to see if it was alright, he pulled Damien into his right arm and on his hip as he let Little Damien hold the puppy. “Thank you, Daddy!”

“I think he likes you.” Brandon whispered into Eli’s ear as he kissed him briefly again. Suddenly Brandon produced a box from his pocket and opened it in front of Eli. “Will you become my husband and Little Damien’s father?”

Eli’s eyes widened.

“You’re serious?” He murmured, barely audible. “Yes.” He answered and kissed Brandon more deeply as Damien laughed at them from beside them.

“Can I be the flower boy?!” Damien asked loudly and they all laughed.

END –unless the reviewers want more

A/N: Was it cute? Did you like it? Was it worth the wait?