In The Mountains (Tennessee and Paxton)

Meeting Uncle Cletus

* Meeting Uncle Cletus. *

Paxton's brain was fuzzy with sleep. He cuddled into the warmth of someone's hard pecs and rib cage. The feeling of sleeping with a warm, comforting touch was new, and he cracked his eyes open to come up with where he was currently located. To his surprise, he was curled next to Tennessee with his head under the man's arm as the stranger drove. The musk of the other man's sweat was mixed with soap and skin and an unknown heat. The scent had Paxton's eyes widening and his head jerking. Everything that happened came screaming back to him. What was he doing?

The snapping of his head away was a bad idea. Dizziness swamped him and he swayed. He put a hand on Tennessee's bicep trying to stop his stomach from lurching.

"It's alright now." Tennessee voice washed over him with that honey accent of his. "Yer more skittish than a new kitten."

Right as Paxton was about to move before the man pushed him off, Tennessee set his palm on his shoulder. Using the hand that wasn't holding the wheel, Tennessee began to rub back and forth. The man's big hands grazed across his biceps. If Tennessee wanted Paxton off him, he wasn't acting like it. For a second, Paxton wasn't sure if his brain was imagining this soft touch or not.

"Go back to sleep, cowboy," Tennessee murmured as he turned the steering wheel with one hand. The dizziness agreed with Tennessee and Paxton slumped back next to the man. Sleep claimed Paxton at the soft, soothing petting, and Paxton decided he would figure it all out later.

The rocking motion that had him passed out stopped, and he cracked one eye open for the second time. How much time had passed? The world outside the window was pitch black. Tennessee took his keys out of the ignition and tucked them into his pocket. They had finally stopped at a gas station—that was Paxton's guess. Outside the window of the truck, he caught two lights, but the area didn't seem bright enough for any gas station he'd ever visited.

Tennessee didn't say anything as he wrapped an arm tighter around Paxton's shoulder before he finally tugged him away from his side. The man got out of the truck, and the door closed with a thud. Paxton figured that was his cue to rouse himself and get up and out of this stranger's life. Slowly he sat straighter and reached for the door handle.

The door to the truck opened before Paxton could do it, and Tennessee wrapped a big arm around him and helped him to the ground. As soon as his shoes contacted the dirt, Paxton's legs wobbled.

"I reckon ya got a concussion, cowboy. Just hold on to me."

Paxton nodded and let Tennessee guide him toward a building. The place up ahead looked like a log cabin, but he didn't have much light to go by for that assessment.

"I'll be fine."

"Yep. I'm sure ya will," Tennessee agreed but kept a firm hold on his waist as he led him into what he was now positive was someone's home.

"Where are we?"

"This here is my slice of heaven in the mountains." Tennessee opened the front door and led him into a large room. Two ugly hairy wild-looking dogs jumped from the couch to greet them, and Paxton would have moved away from the scary animals, but Tennessee still gripped him around the waist.

"This is Smith, and that's Wesson." Tennessee made a waving hand and motion at the waist high fluffy creatures. The animals moved back to the couch, but still kind of looked like they wanted to eat Paxton. "They wouldn't hurt a fly. They're harmless unless yer a squirrel."

"I thought we said you would leave me at a gas station." Paxton eyed the dogs warily and then inched toward the door.

"Ya said that, but ya ain't in any condition to be left alone." Tennessee drew Paxton away from the dogs and walked beyond the lazy boy chair toward a large square kitchen. Above the kitchen, he noted a loft, but as Tennessee turned him, they went down a short hallway. He opened the door to a bathroom and then paused.