Marcus was just passing through Texas when he met Kent. In his cowboy hat, low-riding jeans, and black boots, Kent looks like the type of guy Marcus desperately wants to love.<br><br>But two years later, he's discovered Kent is cold and distant, the quintessential American cowboy, and spends more time drunk than sober. Marcus can never predict his mood and blames himself for the flailing relationship.<br><br>Then, one day when Kent rides into town, Marcus finds a young runaway hiding in their barn. Luke is warm, loving, and quick to please ... everything Kent is not. Though the answer seems obvious, Marcus finds himself torn between the boy who demands his love and the man whose love he craves.

Cowboy

Despite the fact that I’m barefoot, I trot


down the porch steps and hurry to him, careful to step mostly on


the grass so I don’t cut my feet on the stones. As I try to take


the bags from him, he holds the handles tight. “Who the hell is


A million answers flit through my head and


disappear, leaving only the truth behind. “Luke,” I tell him, like


“Luke,” he echoes. Suddenly he lets go


of the bags and I stumble away from him. Behind me the screen door


slams. I don’t have to look to know that Luke is on the porch


watching us. “Who the fuckis Luke?”


“Kent,” I start. I see the anger in his


eyes and set the groceries on the ground. When I reach for him, he


shrugs me off, he alwaysdoes that. “Look, it’s not what you


“What is it then?” he asks. He looks


from me to the porch and back again, his face hard lines, his mouth


drawn down in a bitter scowl. I try to touch his arm but he slaps


Chapter 24