Anyone meeting Ezra Standish at the office, for the first time, would immediately notice he had an affinity for the finer things of life. The man drove an outrageously expensive car. He wore three thousand dollar suits, silk ties, and shoes made of the finest Italian leather money could buy. His hair was always styled to perfection and nails were manicured. He wore jewelry that was understated, elegant and obviously valuable.

There was nothing flashy or gaudy about Ezra. The man fairly reeked of good taste. After their first meeting Chris Larabee wouldn't have been surprised to learn that his undercover agent slept on satin sheets. It seemed in keeping with the casual air of wealth and decadence Ezra wore as easily as he did his ruby ring and Rolex watch.

That aura made it so easy to believe him when he went undercover as a successful arms dealer or established business man with interests in less than legal activities. But it didn't explain how he could just as easily present a faade of a low level middle man, an unassuming accountant, an aging punk worried about securing his next fix, or someone simply looking to make a buck without having to conform with government regulations or state laws. Explaining how he managed to do all that took seeing Ezra somewhere other than the office.

It took more than a first glance, or an initial meeting to realize that Ezra had an eminently practical, pragmatic side. The man was a consummate actor, and treated his appearance, mannerisms, speech pattern and behavior as so much set dressing. They were all things to be altered on a whim to suit whatever role he was playing, to meet whatever expectations those around him possessed.

It took Chris the better part of six months to realize the man he hired, the man he considered one of his 'boys', a man he harbored a secret attraction for was not the real Ezra Standish. The real Ezra Standish was someone he met entirely by accident. Someone he almost failed to recognize. Chris quickly realized what a damn shame missing out on that would have been.

The real Ezra Standish made his heart beat faster without even trying. He was so beautiful, inside and out, Chris honestly wondered how he'd managed to overlook that fact for so long. Oh, he'd always been aware that Ezra was a good looking man. No way he could have overlooked that detail. That rich drawl that sent shivers down his spine, those amazing green eyes, chestnut curls, fit and trim muscular body...oh yes, he'd seen all that.

What he hadn't seen was the engaging sense of humor, the self-confidence often misconstrued as arrogance, the never say die attitude that made him so very good at his job. Ezra Standish had a truly facsinating mind, one that made conversing with him a delight rather than a chore. And contrary to popular opinion, the man really did know how to be silent when the situation called for it. Not since Sarah had there been anyone who attracted Chris to such a degree.

Chris sipped his cup of coffee with a profound sense of gratitude as he contemplated the calendar, realizing today marked the one year anniversary of that introduction to the other half of his soul. Sometimes a man just had to be appreciative of the dumb luck that more often than not controlled the events of his life. Chris smiled softly, eyes lit with an inner peace and contentment that hadn't been there a year ago.

He chuckled quietly, amazed anew at what a difference Ezra had made in his life. Loving Ezra and being loved by him had brought so much joy to his life it made Chris wonder just how the hell he'd ever managed without him. He regretted the time lost, thinking if he'd just gotten his head out of his ass sooner they could have gotten to this point so much earlier. Those six months of working together, snapping and snarling at Ezra because he didn't know how to deal with his attraction to the man...those could have been so much different.

Chris sighed softly. He had doubts that they could have gotten together any sooner. The meeting that got them together had seemed fated, almost preordained. He wondered if there was any truth to Josiah's theory on destiny.

Two weeks earlier a neighboring rancher, Harry Johnston, had broken his leg. Laid up with his right leg in a cast, unable to move his herd from its summer pasture to the wintering grounds before the weather turned, he'd asked Chris to help. Chris had agreed and volunteered his team to assist as well.

He should have checked with them first, but had assumed they wouldn't mind. They'd always been willing to assist in the past. Unbeknownst to him, Vin had already agreed to help out at the youth center that weekend. Buck and JD had made plans for some sort of romantic getaway with Buck's lady du jour and JD's steady girl friend, Casey Wells. Nathan had similar plans for his wife, Rain. And Josiah was off to visit his sister, Hannah.

That left only Ezra, and Chris didn't honestly expect him to show up. Up to that point, Ezra had never been one to participate in team activities. Although, to be fair, they rarely considered what Ezra might have preferred doing before planning the team get togethers. The team was already more or less established by the time Ezra had been asked to join and no one actually considered altering the group dynamic to make it more inclusive. They all just expected him to like doing what they liked doing.

Looking back on it, Chris shuddered. So much aggravation and annoyance, so much misunderstanding and hurt could have been avoided if any of them had bothered to think. As team leader it was his responsibility and therefore his fault. He'd apologized several times only to have Ezra shrug it off as not being something he needed to be sorry for. Chris still wasn't sure he agreed with his lover on that issue.

Honest with himself, Chris really wasn't sorry for his faulty assumption on that day a year ago, especially not in light of how it all worked out. He'd been certain he'd be keeping his promise with no more help than himself and Harry's dogs, Biscuit and Bailey. Biscuit and Bailey were good dogs, well trained and worth their weight in gold when it came to rounding up cattle. But they weren't much for conversation, and it would still make for a real long day in the saddle trying to round up several hundred head of cattle.

Chris knew he must have looked like a complete idiot, mouth hanging open in utter astonishment when Ezra showed up. Ezra had stepped out of his Jag and Chris had half expected the Southerner to be wearing a suit, although for the life of him he wasn't sure why he thought that.

The few times the undercover agent had been to the ranch since he'd been hired he'd come in casual dress. Never jeans, but still not a suit either. Chris and the others didn't think the man owned a pair of jeans.

Ezra not only owned a pair, they were well-worn Levis that fit like a second skin. Chris had to swallow hard at the sudden realization of just what a nice ass Ezra had. He'd noticed before, but the faded denim did something for it that his expensive suits couldn't hope to match.

The man obviously owned more than obscenely expensive loafers. He possessed at least one pair of Tony Lamas cowboy boots that bore evidence of obvious use, looking as comfortable, broken in as the jeans Ezra wore with them. Chris shook his head, realizing he was staring.

Instead of one of Ezra's normal button downed dress shirts, he was wearing a plain t-shirt with a long sleeved flannel over it. Even from several feet away, Chris knew the flannel shirt would have a soft feel to it that only repeated wash and wear could cause. It made his fingers itch to touch. Small, wayward curls peeking out from under the Atlanta Braves baseball cap Ezra wore were the only evidence that he'd forgone his usual styling.

Chris would have bet good money that there was no way he'd ever see Ezra looking like a ranch hand. He'd snidely reminded himself that just looking the part didn't mean the younger man could play the part. Still, he'd showed up to help, and Chris wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The surprises that day had simply continued. Ezra rode like he'd been born to it. Chris realized that was the first time he'd ever seen Ezra ride, and it dawned on him that it was also the first time he'd bothered to invite the undercover agent to do so, offering him a blood bay gelding to use for the day. Unlike the rest of the team, Ezra hadn't boarded a horse at Chris' place. Moving from Atlanta, spending the bulk of his time since his arrival working, it was rather shortsighted of Chris not to have realized the man didn't have a mount of his own. Small wonder Ezra hadn't gone riding with them before.

Chris wondered where and when Ezra learned to ride but hadn't managed to screw up his courage to ask the question until months later. He was astonished to learn Ezra had spent summers on an uncle's ranch in West Texas. The Southerner knew almost as much about horses, cattle and ranch work as Chris, Buck and Vin did.

Between the two of them and the dogs they'd managed to move Harry's herd without too much trouble. A success that Chris considered a landmark event simply because it opened his eyes to the many faulty assumptions he'd made about Ezra. If he was wrong about one, then odds were good he was wrong about a lot of things. From that point on he started to honestly see the man, actually took an interest in him as person, and found him to be more than just an object of lust but someone he wanted more from than just a quick role in the hay.

Chris found himself courting Ezra in much the same way he had Sarah. He started making the effort to actually talk TO the man, not just AT him. Began listening to the replies, taking time to genuinely hear what the man had to say. Chris made note of his preferences, and worked to meet them. Ezra responded to his attention, opening up in ways Chris had never dreamed possible.

The 'official' anniversary of what could be considered their first date wasn't for another two weeks. Chris sipped his coffee contemplating the arrangements he made to celebrate. Reservations for dinner at the Brown Derby and tickets to see the Denver Symphony Orchestra were already in hand.

He didn't mind dressing up once in awhile, honestly finding it a refreshing change from his usual attire. And knowing how good his lover would look in a tux more than made up for any discomfort he might feel. Chris had yet to see anyone outside of an actor portraying James Bond look as debonair in a tux as Ezra did.

He smiled when he felt arms encircle him from behind. Ezra pressed the smooth skin of his cheek against Chris' back, rubbing lightly. "What are you thinking about that has you smiling at such an ungodly hour?"

The question was blurred by Ezra's heavy accent letting Chris know that even though his lover was up and moving he wasn't really awake yet. He left his cup on the counter and turned within the circle of Ezra's arms. He hugged his lover to him, enjoying just how well the younger man fit.

"Was thinking about you." He answered the question, as he rubbed his cheek against baby soft curls. He never tired of touching Ezra's hair. His lover let no one else take such liberties.

Ezra chuckled. "You could have done that in bed." Green eyes slanted up to meet his. "Of course, in bed we could always engage in more than just thinking." It was a clear invitation. One Chris was hardly likely to refuse.

Like last year, the rest of their teammates had other things to do. And unlike last year, there was nothing they needed to accomplish today. Chris grinned and let his hands drift south to cup those beautifully tempting hemispheres. "I'm thinking that is a fine idea. A damn fine idea."