Building Bridges (Sater's Creek Book 4) Read online

  Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Come and join me!

  Building Bridges

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Epilogue

  Further Reading

  Take a Chance

  What He Needs

  Thank You

  About Megs

  Books by Megs

  Contact Information

  Building Bridges

  By

  Megs Pritchard

  Sater’s Creek Book 4

  Building Bridges

  Sater’s Creek Book 4

  Copyright © 2020 Megs Pritchard

  www.megspritchardauthor.com

  Edited by Sue Soures

  Cover design by Colette Davison

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods. It is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot legally be loaned or given to others. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblances to the actual person, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  WARNING

  This book contains explicit M/M sexual scenes and strong language.

  Dedication

  To all of you

  Come and join me!

  Thanks for your support and if you want more information or sneak peeks, join my Facebook group and sign up for my newsletter.

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  Building Bridges

  Lachlan Doyle loved his life. After ending a disastrous relationship where his ex ran up debt and left him to pay for it, the last thing he wanted was a man in his life. Until he met, Elias, the school bully who had made Lachlan’s life hell.

  When Elias apologizes and admits he’s gay, Lachlan responds with a punch to the face. No way was he letting the man who bullied him every day get away with a simple apology.

  Elias was gay. Had always been gay but his parents hated gays with a passion. Forced to hide his true nature, he’d resorted to bullying the out and proud gay at high school, Lachlan Doyle, who he’d secretly wanted.

  Now he was older and maybe wiser, he was done hiding who he was and who he loved. He wanted Lachlan and he was going to get him. Only one person stood in his way. Lachlan Doyle.

  Could Elias right the wrongs of his past? Did he have a chance at prove to Lachlan that he meant what he said? And could Elias convince Lachlan that he wanted a life with him in it?

  CHAPTER ONE

  LACHLAN DOYLE SAT astride Dusty, watching the sun rise over the hills to the east, the faint breeze blowing his wavy blond hair over his eyes. This time of the morning, before the day began, was his favorite time of the day. He loved the farm despite all the hard work and the routine. The best and worst part of it all, though, was working with his family. He loved them, but they were nosy as hell.

  He was the youngest of six, the baby of the family. Thank god that had changed when his brother Rory’s son had been born. Keegan was so funny, and having him around definitely took some of the pressure off Lachlan. Now that Rory and Keegan lived with Tucker, Rory’s partner, Lachlan missed them, but he could honestly say he’d never seen Rory so happy in all his life.

  Rory was close in age to him, only one year separating them, and they’d grown up as thick as thieves. He missed having someone to talk to, someone to argue with, but he could never begrudge his brother the happiness he had with Tucker.

  Keegan loved Tucker too, and the feeling was mutual. Good thing too, or the entire Doyle clan would have given Tucker his marching orders. But now, Rory and Keegan had left, and Flynn had moved into the apartment above the barn.

  Lachlan had wanted it, but Flynn was the oldest out of the three still at home. At least he let Lach spend quite a bit of time over there too. In fact, Flynn often commented that the two of them lived together, since he was there that much. Flynn seemed to understand that Lachlan needed space, away from the main house.

  Kian was more than happy to have the larger bedroom now, and there was talk about knocking two of the rooms together to make it into a suite for him. Kian was a true homebody, and how he managed to stay away at college was beyond Lachlan. He’d spent so many of his weekends at the farm.

  Lachlan had stayed at the farm after he’d finished high school. It was in his blood, and with two brothers at college and his other brother with a baby, he’d stayed to help his parents. He didn’t regret his decision, not for one second. One day, if he wanted, he’d go college.

  Lachlan had two older sisters, Siobhan and Aoife, but they had married and had moved out too, starting families of their own. He saw them all the time and loved playing with his nieces and nephews.

  This spring, they planned to look into expanding the farm, taking on some sheep and lambs if the finances permitted. They did well, and with Flynn handling the paperwork side of the farm, Lach knew they could at least have enough to purchase a ram and maybe nine ewes. Maybe another bull for their Black Angus herd. Start small and work your way up, that was their motto.

  Even though he loved the solitude and his family, he was lonely. His last relationship had ended with him in debt and having to be tested. His ex had cheated, and they hadn’t used protection. Shaking his head, Lach muttered, “Idiot.” He couldn’t change the past, so there was no point dwelling on it.

  Sighing, he took his hat off and ran his fingers through his hair, scratching the back of his head. Fifteen grand of debt, thanks to the ex, but with Rory’s help and eventually Tucker’s, they’d managed to sort it out and consolidate it into one, making life so much easier.

  He hadn’t heard from his ex, and he never wanted to. It had been a year, and he needed more than his hand for company. The thought of going over to Pine Creek held potential. As far as he knew, the few gay men in Sater’s Creek were all in relationships, and he knew them all anyway.

  Now that Rory lived with Tucker, Lach had met most, if not all Tucker’s friends. Wes, who had finally forgiven Reece and was busy planning their wedding, was the first friend of Tucker’s Lachlan met. Then there was Brad, who was ecstatic that Nick was finally living with him after waiting years for the man to move from England.

  All happy pe
ople, in loving relationships, and Lachlan only had his hand. He scoffed, and Dusty moved under him. Rubbing her neck, he murmured, “Easy there, girl.”

  She settled easily enough, and Lachlan went back to pondering his lack of sex life. He wasn’t interested in love, but a good hard fuck would see him right. No, he was done with relationships for the time being, but sex, yeah, he needed some of that.

  Even Flynn was involved, and hadn’t that raised a few eyebrows when he told the family. A man and a woman. Flynn was bisexual, and as he put it, he had the best of both worlds. The couple in question appeared enthralled with Flynn, and he was equally smitten too.

  It was just him and Kian left single now, but Kian was more than happy with that. He wanted to get on with his work and had no interest in any of it. Kian loved living at home and working on the farm.

  Not him. Lachlan loved being in a relationship; well, he had until the ex did the dirty. But still, if he could find a man who made him feel what Tucker made Rory feel, he would grab him with both hands and never let him go. He just needed to find him first.

  He heard the thuds of another horse approaching and glanced over his shoulder, arching a brow when he saw Kian more than half-asleep on top of Rory’s horse, a flask of coffee in his hand.

  “Morning,” Kian muttered when he finally reached him.

  Lach grinned. “What did you get up to tonight?”

  Kian grumbled and muttered, “Nothing.”

  Lach chuckled. “Really? Nothing kept you out late.”

  “Fuck off, Lach.”

  Lach burst out laughing, and Kian tried to kick him, but Dusty moved out of the way. “Now, now.”

  “Lach, if you must know, I was number crunching with Flynn.”

  Lach hissed. “The farm okay?”

  “Better than okay, given how farming is at the moment. We might be able to purchase more sheep than we had expected, but you know Flynn. He had to make sure his numbers were right. If I never see a spreadsheet again…” Kian trailed off and squinted at the sun, now rising above the hills. “He’s good. He’s cut out all the shit we didn’t know we were wasting money on, and invested it wisely.”

  “Good head for numbers. That’s why he did accounting.”

  Kian grunted, sipping his drink. “He sure has, but he worries.” Kian side-eyed Lach. “You’ve noticed Da.”

  Lachlan grimaced and nodded slowly. “He needs to take it easy.”

  “He has another appointment with the specialist next week. I overheard Ma and Da talking about it. They didn’t know I was there.”

  “Checkup?”

  Kian shook his head and pursed his lips. “I don’t think so; otherwise, they wouldn’t have kept it from us.”

  “Shit.” Lachlan briefly closed his eyes and asked, “Who else knows?”

  “Just us for now. I think they’ll tell us after the appointment.”

  “He’s recovered well from the stroke. Better than anyone expected. He has almost full mobility back.” That had been a scary time after the stroke. Lachlan had been there when it happened, and the doctors had told him it was because of his prompt action that his da was as well as he was.

  “Yeah, but it’s still a worry. What if it’s something else?”

  Lachlan twisted on his seat to stare at Kian. He swallowed hard, his heart racing in his chest. “Kian…” Lach swallowed, then said, “He’ll be fine. He’s probably been overdoing things. You know what he’s like.”

  Kian shook his head. “I’m worried.” He bit his lip and stared out in front of him. “What if he needs surgery?”

  Lachlan hissed sharply. Surgery. “Shit, Kian. We have to at least tell Flynn and Rory.”

  “I’m gonna speak to Flynn later. You want to speak to Rory? What about Siobhan and Aoife? Should we tell them?”

  Lachlan nodded. “We should, but I don’t think we should speak to Ma and Da just yet. Let them tell us when they’re ready. If it turns out there are complications from the stroke, we need to prepare for it. He won’t be able to do any work on the farm.”

  “I’ll get Flynn to take over some of Da’s jobs, and we’ll have to split the rest between us. Maybe Ro could come over and help too when he isn’t working.”

  “I’m sure Tuck would be here as well.”

  “He still not talking to his parents?”

  Lachlan shook his head. “No. They want nothing to do with him, and he doesn’t give a shit either.”

  “Must hurt, though.” Kian sighed. “We’re lucky, Lach.”

  Lachlan nodded, his eyes tracking the herd. “We are.”

  Kian nudged his horse forward. “Let’s get to it. Then we can head in for breakfast.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  ELIAS DAVENPORT SCANNED the lines of data on his computer. The latest game he was designing had hit a snag, and he struggled to find the code causing the problem. He blinked his tired, dry eyes and sighed as he rubbed a hand over his head, ruffling his short, dark hair.

  Right now, he’d rather be back on his ship and sailing the waves than trying to figure out what was wrong. He smiled slightly and shook his head. Those days were over long ago, but he held the memories fondly.

  Four years in the Navy, then college to get his computer engineering degree, followed by a course in game design, and now, he ran his own business with his older brother, Baxter. They’d recently moved back to Sater’s Creek, where they had grown up, and it was a place Elias had come to realize was his home.

  He’d loved growing up here—the people, the fresh air, rolling hills, and Sater’s Creek Pass so close. He had so many good days there, spending time with his friends, laughing and joking, but then life had changed, and he had to get away from it all. He’d joined the Navy, experienced the big, wide world, and learned who he really was.

  Realizing he was gay and the knowledge of what that would mean for his parents if they found out had made Elias keep his mouth shut. His parents. Even now, they struggled with the truth, and as long as he didn’t discuss relationships with them, as long as they could turn a blind eye, they could talk and kind of be a family.

  If he told them about a man he was involved with, he was asked to leave or told to find a woman and sort himself out. They weren’t too bad, but he knew their limits and stayed within them. One day soon, they would have to cross that bridge because he wanted to settle down. He wanted a man and a family.

  Now, he was back where he belonged, older but maybe not so much wiser. At least he could be true to who he was and what he wanted. The business was doing well; he and his brother earned good money, and the bonus was he loved his job.

  He stood and walked over to the window of the house he’d recently purchased. The garage had been converted to a workspace, and he’d had large windows installed in the back so he could watch the world outside.

  His brother had also bought a place but was living with Elias while he modernized it. Why Bax had bought a house that needed rebuilding was beyond him, but watching Bax and seeing how happy he was helped him put up with him being a messy sod.

  Just that morning, Elias had walked into the bathroom to find Bax’s boxers left on the floor.

  Smiling ruefully, he stared at the grass as it moved gently in the breeze, and glanced back over at his computer and the line of code screwing everything up.

  Sighing, he returned to his desk and glared at the screen, running a hand over his face.

  “Glaring at it won’t help,” Bax said as he sat at the desk next to him.

  Elias grunted. “Can’t figure it out. It’s like the eye of Sauron has come to destroy me.”

  Bax laughed and shook his head. “Go out and walk it off. You’ll figure it out when you come back.”

  That was an idea Elias could get behind. “Maybe I should go out later,” he mused, rubbing his tired eyes again.

  Bax waggled his eyebrows, and Elias snorted. “You need to get laid.”

  Glancing over his shoulder and staring into hazel eyes so like his own, Elias mumbled,
“Thanks, Bax. Not gonna discuss my sex life with you.”

  “That’s what brothers are for.” Elias dodged the ball Bax threw at him and glared at him.

  “No, they aren’t, and anyway, there are not that many gay men in Sater’s Creek. I think they’re all in relationships.”

  “Plenty of ladies, though.” Bax grinned and licked his lips, causing Elias to grimace.

  “Stop that, you lucky fucker.” Elias sighed and stretched back, groaning. “Damn back,” he muttered.

  “Not getting any younger.”

  “Still younger than you,” Elias retorted.

  “But I’m getting laid, and you’re not.” Bax grabbed his crotch. “I have more than just my hand.”

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Elias admitted miserably.

  Sighing, Bax stood and walked over to him. Leaning over, he said, “Go. Get out and clear your head. Pop into Wes’s place and bring back something really unhealthy.”

  Elias snorted but nodded. Bax was a few years older than him and knew Wes from school, where the two of them had been friends. They hadn’t had the same mix of friends, but Bax knew them all to say hello to, and because of that, Elias had come to know Wes a little too.

  Standing, he arched his back and groaned again when he felt the muscles pull. “I will. I’m not getting anywhere with this, and we have a deadline to hit.”

  “We’ll do it. We always do. Go, get some fresh air.”

  “And cake.”

  Bax waggled his eyebrows. “Yep. Wes makes great cakes.”

  Chuckling, Elias grabbed his wallet and waved to Bax as he left. Stepping outside, he inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of recently mowed grass. Damn, he loved that smell. Always made him think of home. He was finally back in Sater’s Creek, where he belonged.

  Walking, he lived about fifteen minutes away from the main street and slowly walked toward it. Hands in his pockets, he rotated his shoulders, trying to ease the stiff muscles. That’s what he got for sitting hunched over a keyboard for several hours. Bax was right. He needed to get out for an hour or so and just relax.