Ebony River 1: His Cowboy Temptation [ManxMan]

Epilogue

His Cowboy Temptation [ManxMan]

|Epilogue|

One year later...

Kingsley Ranch was rightfully returned to its proper owner the day after Max returned to Sterling Ranch. Not surprisingly Luca and him found something else to do the rest of Max's homecoming day. To say Max enjoyed the look of utter shock and anger on Charles Stanley's face when Luca presented him with the check for Kingsley Ranch would be an understatement. He told Luca that the look on Charles face would forever remain in his memory as one of the best moments in his life. The bastard deserved to have the ranch he stole taken from his grasp, he didn't deserve to own one piece of land of the Ebony River ranches. Unfortunately, he was still the owner of Stanley Ranch so they would have to put up with him.

Max decided to not think about Charles Stanely and his unscrupulous ways any longer than necessary. Once the deed to Kingley Ranch was given back to Luca and Stanley was off the property both he and Luca put Charles out of their minds for good. Max told Luca that as he so kindly reminded him: the past was in the past, you couldn't change it, you couldn't relive it, you just had to move forward.

And they did move forward.

Together.

Luca hired a staff to clean Kingsley ranch after its many months without inhabitants and then promptly moved his mom and her new husband, Jake, in. Jake Matthews took over the the managing of Kingsley Ranch and the horses Luca bought for the stables. After much discussion with Max and his mother, Luca decided to turn Kingley Ranch into a summer camp for boys and girls. During the summer months kids from neighboring towns could come to the ranch and spend a few weeks with the horses as well as getting to know how the ranch life worked. Luca wanted the kids to find that love for the country he had when he vacationed at the ranch as a kid.

Max thought the camp was a great idea. It brought revenue to the ranch while keeping it active and in good use. During the months the camp wasn't in session they used the ranch as a horse training facility, Luca hired horse trainers that took on four or five horses each. The camp proved to be a huge success, as well as the training facility, and in no time at all Kingsley Ranch was flourishing, bigger and better than it had ever been. Luca said he had fulfilled his dreams and then some, he had his ranch back better than before and he had Max.

His City Boy, as Max had come to be called, had been a huge reason for Luca's success according to the man. Whenever he felt over-stressed or didn't have the energy to keep going Max was there, he was the rock Luca needed. Max's love and support let Luca feel like he could accomplish anything. There was nothing they couldn't do together. Finding each other was a miracle and Max would never stop thanking God for sending him his small piece of heaven.

Sterling Ranch continued to excel. The horses Max's granddad raced made great money in the sport and Max found he really enjoyed training them. A few more ranch hands were hired to help maintain the other animals as well as some new horses Max bought. Soon the stables were full of activity and Max's heart was full of joy. He found what he had been missing all those years ago when he had begun to hate the country. When all he wanted to do was leave and never look back.

Someone to share all his moments with.

"What are you thinking?" Luca asked as they lay in their king sized bed at Sterling Ranch. Upon talking it over they had decided that they would live on Sterling Ranch. Luca wanted to give his mom and Jake privacy and Max didn't want to leave his grandfather alone. It worked out for both of them.

"How lucky we are." Max answered as he looked over at Luca. The man had a serious case of bed hair, it was sticking up in odd places. His black eyes shone brightly with love and happiness and those thin lips were so inviting that Max leaned over and kissed him.

"Mmm," Luca moaned, "Yes, we are very lucky." He traced his hand across Max's stomach to his quickly hardening groin and squeezed.

Max laughed, "That's not what I meant but you are right." He kissed Luca again. "So tell me,Cowboy," Max said against Luca's mouth as he broke their kiss, "Did you get everything you wanted? You have your ranch back, with all its former glory and then some."

Nodding, Luca rubbed his nose against Max's, "Its more than I wanted, more than I ever thought I needed or could have." Max smiled, knowing Luca wasn't talking about the ranch anymore, "You're everything I ever wanted but never had the courage to hope for, City Boy. I love you."

Max grinned, "I love you, too, Cowboy."

He moved to straddle Luca's hips and ran his hand up his torso. Max  leaned over his cowboy and kissed him, slowly, leisurely, as if they had all the time in the world. And they did, they had a lifetime together. Luca moaned into the kiss and rubbed his aching groin against Max's hard length. Wrapping his arms around Max's waist Luca turned them on the bed so Max was lying down and ground his hips harder against his lover's. Bucking beneath his Cowboy as he set about making love to him, Max gave himself up to the pleasure and the joy overtaking his body. 

He gave himself up to his cowboy temptation.

The End