Gone Away by Elizabeth Noble Read Free Book Online Page B

jumping into bed with Riece so fast, but that had taken Mason completely by surprise. He wondered what his therapist would think of the last few days or, more to the point, the nights.
    The simple fact was, no matter what his feelings for Riece were, Mason wasn’t ready to be that trusting again. He loved Riece. He’d never stopped loving him, and Mason had been deeply wounded when Riece ended their relationship. He wanted to take this second chance he’d been offered, but he didn’t want to feel that hurt again. Mason wasn’t about to rush into anything.
    Another simple fact was, he’d missed Riece. Mason shut off the shower and grabbed a towel, then wandered back to his bed. Picking up his phone, he swiped his finger across the screen, coming to Riece’s number. He sat there staring at it until the screen shut itself off. Tossing the phone onto the table, Mason dropped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
    Eventually he rolled himself up in the blanket and turned the light off. The next time Mason woke, it was to the blare of his alarm clock. At least he’d gotten some quality sleep the last few hours. Having already had a shower, Mason turned on the television while he made breakfast, then went through the mail that had piled up. Each time he glanced at his watch, he was disappointed that so few minutes had gone by.
    Finally it was time to meet Riece at his hotel. When he pulled into the parking lot, Riece was waiting under the overhang at the main entrance.
    “Wow,” Riece said as he climbed into the Jeep.
    “What?”
    “I’ve never seen the uniform before.” Riece put his seat belt on. “I like a man in uniform.”
    Mason laughed. Riece had a talent for keeping him from taking himself too seriously. “Ready?”
    Riece nodded. “I think so, yes.”
    There wasn’t much they’d be doing until the afternoon. While Riece spent the morning at the exciting task of filling out paperwork, Mason took the list of sites to be photographed and plotted them out on a map.
    It was late in the afternoon before they were on their way to the closest of the locations. Mason spread the map out on the hood of his Jeep while Riece set up for the day’s project.
    “Some of these locations are pretty remote and are walk-in only areas. We’ll have to take a few days’ supplies and hike,” Mason said.
    Riece made an adjustment to his camera and glanced up at the sky. He picked up the tripod, moved it over a few feet, and asked, “Walk-in only?”
    “Pretty much what it sounds like. No vehicles. Do you have any backpacking gear?” He stopped talking and watched Riece, who was totally engrossed in whatever he saw through the lens.
    “Uh, I have an extra-large camera bag that’s a backpack. I wear it on my back and there’s room for lunch.” Riece turned and looked at him.
    Mason arched an eyebrow and pulled a notepad from his shirt pocket. “We’ll need to get you some equipment.”
    Riece glanced over and grinned. “I thought that’s what I had you for.”
    Snorting, Mason shook his head and jotted a few things onto the pad. “Bedroll, canteen, thermal blanket, lantern, utility belt.”
    “Really? A utility belt.”
    “I was checking to see if you were listening. There’s a place in Custer we can hit, and I’ll help you pick out what you’ll need. Carry it around on the day trips, and it’ll be easier when we pack up and go for real,” Mason said.
     
     
    BY THE end of the week, Riece wasn’t being knocked off balance and nearly toppling over backward as much when carrying the large pack loaded with supplies. He had trouble getting it into place, so Mason’s assistance was required each time. Riece was fit enough, but he lacked the coordination for some of the more physical activities Mason enjoyed that they would be participating in now. The extra weight of a pack laden with supplies for a few days was a challenge for him. Riece persevered, and it was impossible for Mason not to be impressed by