Free Sweet Topping CV3 by Carol Lynne Page A

was hesitant at first, his spine stiff, his hands barely resting on Kyle’s back. “I love you, baby brother.”
    At his words, Kevin buried his face in Kyle’s neck and hugged him back. “I’m so sorry.
    God I wish I could relive that night. You have no idea how many times I’ve prayed for that.”
    “Shhh,” Kyle soothed. “The truth doesn’t affect the way I feel about you. We can’t go back, and undoing the past just isn’t possible. I guess I came to grips with that about a year after the accident.”
    “But you could walk,” Kevin gasped, still crying.
    “Yeah, probably.” Kyle took Kevin by the shoulder and pushed him back enough to look into his eyes.
    “There’s a man sleeping upstairs who I love more than walking. I know everyone thinks I’m crazy, but Gill, along with this bakery, has shown me I can do anything. I’ve weighed the pros and cons of going back to Irvine, believe me. But what would walking cost me?” Kyle held out his arms and looked around. “It could take months or years. I’d have to sell my home and business, and I’d probably lose the most important thing in my life. Gill’s life is here. He has his own business. He can’t drop everything and follow me to California.
    Walking isn’t worth losing those things, at least for me.” Kyle placed his hands on either side of Kevin’s face. “Gill’s the only one who doesn’t seem to care that I can’t walk. That’s not a deal-breaker for him. Do you have any idea what that feels like? To know that kind of unconditional love? I won’t ever take a chance at losing that, not ever, not even to walk.”

    SWEET TOPPING
    Carol Lynne
    59

    Pulling Kevin back in for another hug, Kyle smiled. Even though what Kevin had done was wrong, Kyle understood. “I think you need to go back to Irvine before Gill comes down.
    I’m not sure he’d be as forgiving as me. The police don’t know you’re the one and it’s best it remains that way.”
    Kevin nodded. “Maybe I could move here, to Cattle Valley. Mom and Dad wouldn’t know the difference.”
    “There’s one problem with that, Kev. You’re not gay, and most of the women in Cattle Valley are lesbians. You deserve to move on. To build a life for yourself without carrying the guilt from the accident.”
    “Maybe Sheridan. Then I’d be close enough to see you.”
    “They have a college in Sheridan. Maybe you could go back to school?” Kevin shrugged. “Maybe.”
    Hopefully it would help Kevin heal his own wounds if he could see how happy Kyle was with Gill.
    “Go back to Irvine and make the arrangements. You can stay here until you find a place in Sheridan.”
    Kevin hugged him tighter. “Thank you, big brother.” By the time Gill came downstairs, the cookie bouquets were made and the morning inventory was in the display case and on cooling racks. “Wow, you’ve been busy,” Gill said when Kyle finished with a customer.
    “You don’t know the half of it,” Kyle sighed, running his hand down the back of Gill’s thigh. The impromptu meeting with Kevin had put him behind schedule. He’d had to work double-time to get everything finished on schedule.
    Gill bent and gave him a tongue thrusting kiss. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
    “It’s the first one I’ve spent with someone I love.” He looked around at the cellophaned wrapped baskets of cookies. “You ready to make the deliveries?”
    “Yeah, I called the station to make sure my part-time help was there. I’m all yours for as long as it takes.” Gill gave Kyle another kiss. “I’m closing up early so I can take you out to dinner before the rush. Eric promised to save us the best table in the house.” SWEET TOPPING
    Carol Lynne
    60

    “Early dinner? Sounds good. That’ll give us the rest of the evening to ourselves.”
    “That’s the plan,” Gill agreed. He walked over to the baskets lined up on the table.
    “People really like these more than flowers?” Kyle shrugged. “Depends on the person. I