He found the only spare seat between Joe and Fin, and reached for a chili cheese dog. A beer was placed in front of him by Mr. Goldhirsh. Dylan sat and listened to the smack talk between the Trainers, Fin, and the Pissants.

“We had you from tip off. It’s a mindset thing, Jed. Top two inches is what counts,” Joe said to the captain of the Pissants.

“Your mind is a blank canvas, bud, don’t try tell me different.”

He possibly would have enjoyed it more had he not just had sex with the cousin of three of the men, but for all that the chili cheese dog was damn fine, his body felt good after the game and the sex, and the hell of it was he wanted more.

The sex and the basketball, plus there was this friendship thing he could get used to. He’d never been the kind to hang with a pack of men in New York, but he could get used to it with these guys... except Jack, who was still glaring at him.

Dylan was experiencing all kinds of things since returning to Ryker, and male bonding was a big part of it. Going back to New York would change all that, and life would resume its normal course. Why he found that thought depressing he had no idea. Dylan had a great and fulfilling life... didn’t he?

“There better be a chili cheese dog for me.”

Piper strolled into the kitchen and suddenly he was wired, his body humming, memories running through his head like an erotic PowerPoint presentation, reliving every second of what they’d just shared in that shower.

“Hope I didn’t use all the water,” Dylan said.

“Nope, I had plenty.” She placed a smacking kiss on her mom’s cheek, then Mr. Goldhirsh’s before going to the fridge and pulling out a beer.

“How’s the horses?” Jack asked.

Dylan knew he suspected there was something going on between him and Piper, just not what. Chemistry, definitely, a whole shit ton of it to be exact.

“They’re good. I spent some time with them and looked at Rae’s fetlock. That’s why he got the jump on me, took my place in the shower.”

“Hey!” Dylan feigned surprise. “Not my fault you were dallying.”

“Dallying? Really, dude. Who the hell says dallying these days?” Luke looked at him.

“Me.”

Piper sat across from him in a seat that had magically appeared as two of the Pissants had separated to fit her in. Buzz moved in and took the small space between her and the next chair. An amazing feat really for a dog his size.

“Don’t feed him.”

“Just a little bit. Jeez, Joe, look at those eyes,” Piper said.

“He’s fat, and getting fatter because this entire town thinks it’s okay to give him his favorite biscuits every day.”