You're Always in the Last Place You Look by T.N. Gates Read Free Book Online Page A

awfully calm, considering. Then the idea I had jumped the gun began creeping over me, and I suddenly felt remorseful about discussing it all with Lily. I wasn’t gay. I was just stupid, maybe a little disconnected, possibly lonely, but not gay. Zane was just... crazy beautiful . Or was that beautiful because he was crazy?
    *
    I wiped the sweat off my face before jumping down from AJ.
    “Jesu—gosh it’s hot.” Tye smiled apologetically at my father who was letting the calves out the run-in. Dad nodded back, but not before a small smirk twisted his lips. He wasn’t quite as anal as people always thought. He swore at times too. It was amusing to watch folks back peddle though.
    I finished undoing AJ’s cinch and threw everything over the saddle, then hefted it off, and onto the arena fence. Gator’s gear ended up dumped on the grass.
    “Ya know if this heat continues, I don’t think I want to buck hay this year. A nice crappy air-conditioned job busing tables sounds good to me.”
    I swallowed as I snapped my water bottle closed. “Sounds like heaven, but I’ll be buckin’ hay while I can. Pay’s better.”
    “You got college to think about. Me...I’ll be at the mill.” Tye pulled his sweat-soaked shirt off, turning the hose on himself before rinsing Gator.
    The second Tye finished his online business classes he was going to work for the Evenson Tanning Mill. The mill had been in his family since the early 1900’s. He was an only child, and that meant when he took over he was pretty much set for life. That is, as long as he kept the mill in good standing. I had some doubt about his ability to do that, since he never seemed to know how much money he had in his wallet.
    He shook his soaked head, then stood up. “Dang that feels good.”
    Every muscle my body possessed tightened as I watched the water traveling down his chest in little rivulets. I followed the beads of moisture as they traveled over his muscled stomach, and joined with the dark hair near his belly button, before disappearing beneath the waistband of his faded Wranglers.
    I felt the drool slip out and quickly turned away, wiping my mouth off with the back of my hand. I almost laughed when I discovered I was breathing heavily, and getting hard at an alarming rate. As he rinsed Gator I looked at him timidly, my eyes taking in every smooth plain, every curve, every cut, and feeling what could only be described as a flood of hormones. That rush everyone talked about, experienced, couldn’t deny, but had always eluded me; lust, pure and simple, and really...kind of fantastic. I was undeniably gay, and surprisingly, I was pretty sure I was okay with that.

 
    Chapter Six
     
    “Have you figured it out yet?” Lily asked.
    I gave her a warning glare a little too late.
    “Figured what out?” Mom asked as she walked in, plopping a roll of TP and a clean towel in the box on the counter.
    “Who I’m taking to prom,” I covered, regretting my decision to let Lily stay and help me pack the trailer for the weekend. She had stopped by unannounced, using the guise of wanting to watch us practice on calves even though she knew we never practiced Friday before a rodeo. The horses performed better with a day of rest before the big event.
    “That’s what...three weeks away isn’t it?”
    I nodded. “Yeah. I haven’t even decided if I want to go.” The second the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. Mom’s green eyes widened as her mouth formed a surprised “O”.
    “It’s your senior prom. You’ll be sorry the rest of your life if you don’t go.”
    I pulled my eyebrows up. “You would know...” I taunted.
    She waved a hand coyly as she played with the cross around her neck.
    I explained to Lily. “She went to every single dance in high school. She has all these pictures, and each one is with a different guy.”
    Lily gaped mockingly at my mom. “Mrs. Simmons!”
    Mom grinned wistfully, pushing away from the counter. “Then I met