Two Tickets to Paradise [Hell's Delight: Unbridled 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) by Karen Mercury

Author:Karen Mercury
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance
Published: 2017-03-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Arlo

“I don’t see that carrot-topped clown yet,” I said. I pulled Hammer toward a doghouse so we were out of the way of the front door. “But he could be anywhere.”

“Yeah, I’ve got no visual either,” said Con.

The benefit for the Humane Society was apparently the event of the year in Hell’s Delight. Already jam-packed only an hour after the doors opened, it looked like we wouldn’t even find a place to sit. Do-gooders such as myself and Dr. Hamerelli were crawling over the cavernous venue that normally was a new car salesroom.

Hammer said, “I’m going to see what they’ve got on the silent auction.”

“Me, too,” said Con. “I heard they’ve got a drone with a fisheye camera that can go through a two-foot gap.”

“I’ve heard they’ve got a weather station that can tell you if lightning struck three states over,” said Hammer, the eternal science nerd.

“Arlo Fleming!”

Some guy whose face was partially shaded by a ten-gallon hat approached me as Con and Hammer made tracks for the bidding tables. I shook the guy’s hand although I was clueless as to who he was. That had been happening a lot. I was twenty-two when I left Hell’s Delight, so I didn’t remember a lot of these people. I’d had a spiritual experience that told me my calling was the seminary, and I didn’t hesitate to dump the town that would be down on an assertively gay man, much less an assertively gay priest. However, since returning, I’d met several gay men. What a difference a couple of decades made.

“Or I should say Father Fleming,” said the guy, pumping my hand. I was wearing my collar, so that wasn’t a stretch.

“I’m sorry?” I finally said, unable to place the guy. Rancher. He was a rancher.

The second he whipped off his hat, recognition struck me. “Devin Jonas!” we both said at the same time. Shane’s older brother had only been a year behind me in school, and on some of the same sports teams. I’d definitely wrestled with this guy. I’d definitely had this guy’s balls in my face. Knowing that Devin must know his younger brother was bisexual made me more comfortable right off the bat.

We drifted off toward his table—he told me he could squeeze the three of us in there—while reminiscing about football plays and basketball fails. I claimed some chairs by slapping programs and freebie fridge magnets onto a few place settings, and Devin wanted to refresh his drink. As we meandered to the bar the talk switched to his ranch and his brother, and he said Shane had told him we’d stopped by.

“Yeah,” said Devin, looking sideways at me, “he said you were looking for a potential bootlegger. Don’t worry, he told me in confidence, and only because he thought I might be able to help.”

I said, “Well, we found the guy. An LA transplant by the name of Levi Steinbeck.”

Apparently, Devin was so shocked he allowed a couple people to cut in front of us in the booze line.

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