Read Online Final Encore by Scotty Cade - Free Book Online Page B

dry clothes, a pair of
    sneakers, and a bag of ice. When he got back, he took
    the blanket they’d used for lunch from the horse trailer
    along with his saddle bag. He opened the front door
    and tossed the saddle bag to the passenger side
    floorboard. “Stil okay?” he asked Ian.
    “Stil okay,” Ian responded.
    Bily ran around and opened the back passenger
    door, gently lifted Ian’s right leg, and placed the roled
    up blanket under his ankle. He unlaced the top few
    rows of Ian’s boot and then puled as tight as he could
    and retied the knot, hoping to keep the sweling to a
    minimum. He laid the bag of ice over the boot and said,
    “I don’t want to take your boot off until we get you
    home, but this should help until we get there.”
    Hopping into the driver’s seat, Bily said, “Let’s
    get you home, handsome.”
    Ian smiled and said, “Okay, cowboy.” And with
    that one statement, Bily’s heart melted.
    Bily drove down the dirt road toward the ranch
    gates. It was a pretty bumpy ride, but he did his best to
    avoid any potholes and unnecessary bouncing.
    “How’s my patient doing?”
    “Good,” Ian replied. “But I can feel it sweling.”
    “Are you sure you won’t let me take you to the
    hospital?”
    “Positive,” Ian replied. “But do you know where
    you’re going?”
    “Come to think of it, no,” Bily said. “Where do
    you live?”
    “In Westhaven, about an hour south of Nashvile.
    Take I-40 east to I-65 south and I’l direct you from
    there.”
    They drove in silence for a few minutes. “Bily?”
    Ian said.
    “Yes, sir,” Bily replied.
    “I’m sorry about this. Some first date, huh?”
    “Nonsense,” Bily said. “I’m feeling very galant,
    almost knight-like, and I like it.”
    “Yeah, but you’re stil soaked through to your
    boots and you’re being such a gentleman.”
    “I’m not being a gentleman, I am a gentleman.
    I’m realy enjoying taking care of you.”
    “As strange as it sounds, I’m enjoying being taken
    care of. Is that crazy?” Ian asked.
    “No way, pilgrim,” Bily said in his best John
    Wayne voice.

    IAN continued to give Bily directions to his home, and
    in just under an hour they puled into Ian’s garage. Ian
    lived in a beautiful three-story Colonial rowhouse at the
    end of a cul-de-sac. Bily got out of the SUV and
    opened the door behind him to get Ian out. Because the
    garage was under the rowhouse on the lower level, Bily
    again scooped Ian into his arms and carried him up the
    flight of stairs to the main floor of the house. While stil
    in Bily’s arms, Ian opened the door, and they pushed
    their way inside. Bily’s eyes widened as he entered
    Ian’s house. The door leading up from the garage
    opened directly into a great room the size of Bily’s
    bunkhouse at the ranch. To the right was the living area
    with a large stone fireplace on the far wal. Built-in
    bookcases framed both sides of the fireplace, and a
    large flat panel television hung above the stone mantel.
    The room was painted a light golden tan and furnished
    with a large brown leather U-shaped sectional in the
    center surrounding a beveled glass cocktail table with a
    mahogany pedestal base. Everything sat on top of a
    large cowhide rug that made the space seem cozy and
    intimate. To the left was a very spacious kitchen with
    wraparound granite countertops and stainless steel
    industrial appliances. The breakfast bar faced the great
    room with four leather upholstered barstools with
    copper-studded nailheads.
    Bily immediately headed for the couch and gently
    lowered Ian onto it. As he began to stand, he was
    stopped by a pair of hands tugging on his shirt. He
    stopped long enough to get his balance and felt Ian’s
    lips against his. In a flash, Bily was kissing him back,
    and when they finaly broke apart, Bily grabbed one
    last kiss and stood.
    “Where’s your bedroom?”
    “Bedroom? Now you hold on one minute,
    cowboy,” Ian said.
    Bily laughed and said, “Don’t flatter