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

From the way he can’t meet my gaze, I know


I’m right. “I didn’t robanyone,” he assures me. “Like hold


up a store or something, I’m not that bad. It’s my dad’s, okay? I


took it before I left. He has this cookie jar full of dollars in


the kitchen behind the stove, I know he didn’t think I knew about


it, but I’d seen it once after school and I counted it when he


wasn’t home, just to see how much he had.” He looks at me, fear


written in his eyes, he’s scared I’m going to hate him now, he


thinks I’ll turn him away. Don’t,I can read the plea in his


purple gaze, please don’t.“Believe me, Marcus, I only took


a little bit. Just a few big bills from the bottom of the jar,


that’s it. If he even knew how much he’s saved up in there, he’d


I don’t know what to say. I find myself


thinking to the deposit bags in Kent’s closet, I wonder if Luke


knows about them.Tentatively, he touches the bulge of bills


Chapter 48