In The Mountains (Tennessee and Paxton)

Paxton and Tennessee

* Paxton and Tennessee. *

Exactly like Tennessee said, Paxton and his boyfriend were standing in the lobby at 7:45. The same limo from last night pulled up outside and parked under the huge hotel's awning. Without waiting for the chauffeur to open the door, Tennessee and Paxton climbed into the soft leather seat next to Uncle Cletus.

"Mornin'." Cletus said. The old man sat on the far side of the vehicle with three coffees in a drink carrier and an easy grin on his lips.

"Good mornin', Cletus." Tennessee took his coffee and smiled as he loosened his necktie. Once again, his boyfriend's grin looked like the Cheshire cat and the satisfied expression made Paxton smile to himself. He loved that he could put that particular look on Tennessee's face.

"I take it ya boys had a good night?" Cletus said as soon as Paxton's hand was wrapped around the warm cup of joe. "Ya must of, because of the message I got from Keyon."

"I know I did." Paxton sipped and licked his lips. He was a little sore, but he wouldn't have traded last night for the world. In fact, he hoped he could have a repeat of everything they just did when they got back home. He hoped Rusty and Gunner and Mary-Jo were not at the house. He wanted Tennessee naked and calling out his name loud enough to disturb the birds.

"What did Keyon say?" Tennessee asked. "What was the message?"

"He called me real early like and said the two of ya were, and I quote, ridiculous and that cholate cake shouldn't be used that way." Cletus lifted one eyebrow. "And he said to get the hell out of town." Cletus shrugged. "It was what I was hopin' fer."

"I take it he got his valuable stuff back." Paxton shot a quick look at Tennessee and then fingered the cowboy hat pin still hooked to Paxton's lapel. "And he saw that we weren't lying about loving each other."

"Yes, to both of that." Cletus agreed. "And Keyon found the pretend Mr. Bentley. He actually thanked me fer the help with that particular snake. From what my brother-in-law told me, Mr. Bentley did some serious damage to Keyon's network. He's been hunting for the man for the last six months."

"Good." Tennessee stopped Paxton from his nervously stroking of the little gold pin.

"Let's get a move on." Cletus gave a sharp nod to the chauffeur before he closed off the partition between them and the driver. The car started to head toward the main road that led away from the hotel and then city.

As the tall skyscrapers began to pass, Paxton leaned into Tennessee's side.

"I can't believe I'm getting out of here." Paxton murmured in both awe and pleasure. "I thought I would die there."

"Welp, I'm happy to get the hell outta the city. I'm sick of all these bright lights. Can't see the stars 'round here," Cletus grumbled.

"Amen to that. Plus, I need to be gettin' back to my dogs." Tennessee kissed Paxton's cheek. "Smith is downright mournful without ya."

"Ain't that the truth." Cletus laughed. "Everyone in town was lookin' fer ya after ya left. I think Mary-Jo just 'bout lost her shit when ya went missin'."

Paxton nodded as he watched more of the city pass. He stared out the window all the way until they reached a small building at the edge of town. Every mile, every building, each place that they drove by gave him hope that Keyon was truly going to let him go.

"He's not followin' us," Tennessee whispered in Paxton's ear and then kissed his cheek. "And I'm gonna keep ya safe."

"I know you will." Paxton turned and gazed into Tennessee's gray eyes. Tennessee he could trust. He hadn't been able to trust anyone before, but he felt this man's love deep in his bones. "I'm never leaving again. I would fight to stay with you."

"Welp, now." A slow smile spread across Tennessee's lips. "Ya still got some sass in ya."

Paxton laughed.

Near an abandoned building on a gravel road, they pulled over and parked. Right away, Paxton spotted Tennessee's old pickup parked behind a metal shed. The truck looked the same as when they first met. He was pretty sure oil was leaking out the bottom exactly like when he first saw it in the Dollar Store parking lot. Paxton had never been so excited to see a beat-up vehicle in his life.

"I think yer right, Tennessee. I think that hose is leakin'." Cletus gestured to the truck.

"And thank God fer that damn hose or I would've never met Pax."

"And thank God for you." Paxton turned and kissed Tennessee's check before Paxton jumped out of the limo. He moved before the chauffeur could even open the door.

"I can't wait to get into my jeans." Tennessee said behind him.

"Me too." Paxton hurried to the front of the truck and as he waited for Tennessee and Cletus, he loosened his tie and unbuttoned his vest. As Paxton stared up into the warm sunlight, he realized he would miss none of this. He wanted nothing from his old life. He wouldn't miss the fancy cars or his suits, or the city lights. All he wanted was a simple life with Tennessee in it.

"I missed your old truck." Paxton trotted around to the side and then threw the driver side door open.

"Welp now." Tennessee reached his side. "She looks a little beat up, but she'll get us where we wanna go." Tennessee chuckled as the man yanked him into his arms and kiss him soundly.

"Knock it off both of ya." Cletus cut into Paxton's kiss. "I wanna get goin' and I ain't gonna stand around here with ya all mushy like."

"Yeah." Paxton grinned and pulled out of his boyfriend's hold. "I want to go home."

"I like hearing you call my place home," Tennessee said as he tried to tug Paxton into another hug. "And when ya marry me, I'll even let ya redecorate."

"Let's get goin', ya two," Cletus called as he climbed into the passenger side of the truck and waited for them. "Ya could make a preacher cuss. Get movin'."

"Whadda say, cowboy?" Tennessee held the driver's side door for Paxton to get inside. Cletus rolled his eyes as Paxton got into the seat in the middle of the cab. "Ya ready to head into the mountains?"

"Ya bet I am. I wanna go into them-there mountains with ya." Paxton did his best imitation of Tennessee's thick Southern accent.

"Welp now," Tennessee chuckled. "I can work with that."

*** Thanks for reading. The second book in this set is a story with Gunner North!  ~authorcmmoore.com~