Journey to Hope

by J. P. Bowie

  He pulled on the borrowed sweats, both comforted by the feel of the soft cotton, and aroused by the trace of Brett’s scent that lingered in the fabric. Picking up his backpack he hurried down the hall and followed the sound of water to a small room behind the kitchen.

  “Dad had this put in for my mom,” Brett told him. “Saved her using the old boiler that was here originally.” He held out his hand for Josh’s backpack.

  “Uh, let me do that. Some of this is pretty rank. More than a week’s worth, and stuck in a hot truck.”

  Brett chuckled. “I own and work a ranch, Josh. Smells don’t scare me.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t want it to start with mine. Let me do it, please.” Josh nudged him with his hip.

  Brett took the forcible hint and moved out of the way with a chuckle. “I’ll get dinner started. Baked chicken breasts okay with you?”

  “Very okay. And I appreciate you doing the cooking.”

  “You’ll get your turn.” Brett left the door to the kitchen open so they could still talk. Jaz took the opportunity to walk in and out and spend time with both men in turn.

  “Your master shouldn’t wish that on himself, Jaz,” Josh said, laughing lightly. Jaz gave him a quizzical look then, obviously bored with the conversation, exited through the doggie door.

  “I haven’t cooked a meal in years, don’t forget.”

  “So, you’ll get some practice here. I don’t mind being your guinea pig.”

  “Careful what you sign up for.” Josh closed the lid on the washing machine, waited for it to chug into action then joined Brett in the kitchen. He stood for a moment taking in the sight of Brett’s trim but solid frame, his round butt still visible under the baggy sweats, especially when he bent over to get something from the bottom of the fridge. The arousal he’d felt earlier returned, his cock stiffening against his thigh.

  Brett turned to Josh, smiling, holding up a bag, and Josh felt a tug at his heart. He was falling for this guy, hard—too hard, too soon.

  “Mashed potatoes?” Brett was staring at him, his smile still in place. “They’re not home-grown, but they are organic.”

  “Swell…” His voice sounded a little hoarse to his own ears. He cleared his throat. “Yeah, that’s great.”

  “Help yourself to a beer.”

  “Can I do somethin’ to help?” Josh asked as he pulled a can of beer from the fridge and popped the top.

  “Just stand there so I can see you looking so damned fine in those sweats. Dark blue is your colour all right. Matches your eyes.” He gave Josh a flirty wink.

  “You say the darnedest things,” Josh remarked.

  “What? I can’t compliment you when it’s totally deserved?”

  “I’m just not used to it, I guess.”

  “Well, get used to it. You’re a great-looking guy and I can’t believe I’m the only one to tell you that.”

  “The only one in a long time.” Josh took a long swig of his beer. “The guys in prison weren’t ones to hand out compliments.”

  Brett put aside the potato peeler he was wielding and wrapped his arms around Josh. “You need to try and forget all that.” He pushed his crotch against Josh’s. “Mmm. You’re hard already.”

  “Get that way just from looking at you.”

  “Hmm…” Brett kissed Josh’s mouth. “If I suck you off now can you still fuck me later?”

  “Wow, you just come right out and say it, don’t you?”

  Brett chuckled, his lips tickling Josh’s. He slipped his hands inside the sweatpants Josh was wearing and squeezed his butt cheeks. “And the answer is?”

  Josh groaned then kissed Brett back, hard. “You know what the answer is,” he said when he broke off the kiss. “But not here in the kitchen. With my luck Jaz is gonna come bounding in here any minute and think my boner’s some kinda doggie treat.”

  “He’d be so lucky,” Brett said, laughing, but just then the doggie door burst open and Jaz did come bounding in, tail wagging furiously, looking at the men expectantly.

  “See?” Josh stepped back. He couldn’t help joining in Brett’s laughter while he pretended to guard his crotch with both hands. “I swear that dog of yours knows just how to kill the moment.”

  “Okay, your room or mine?” Brett asked with that wicked smile of his.

  “Yours.”

  “You got it.” He grabbed Josh’s hand and led him down the hallway to his room. “Jaz, go lie down,” he said firmly just before he closed the door. “Now, where were we?” His sexy grin had Josh’s hard-on returning in full force. “Oh, yeah…I remember now.” Brett backed him up to the side of the bed then sank to his knees, pulling Josh’s sweatpants down at the same time, letting his cock spring free. “That’s what I want.” He ran the tip of his tongue over the head of Josh’s erection, murmuring his satisfaction as he scooped up the pre-cum already leaking freely.

  Josh groaned out his pleasure and sat down on the bed, holding Brett between his legs, thrusting up into the wet heat of his mouth. He stroked Brett’s light brown hair gently with one hand, watching as the young rancher’s soft lips enveloped the length of his throbbing shaft. Spreading his legs as far as the sweats bundled around his ankles would let him, he cupped his testicles with his other hand, rolling the sensitive balls between his fingers, feeling them pull up tight as Brett’s mouth drew him in, sucking him with long intense strokes. He shuddered and closed his eyes, letting his head drop back as ecstasy overtook him and he gave himself up completely to the sensations rolling through him.

  He bucked his hips forward, driving himself hard into Brett’s mouth, gasping for control when Brett’s throat muscles clenched around the head of his cock. “Oh, Brett…oh fuck…wait.” He leant forward and lifted Brett into his arms, falling backwards onto the bed as he did so. After a hard, almost desperate kiss he whispered, “Wanna taste your cock too.”

  They took a few seconds to rid themselves of their sweatshirts and pants then went down on each other, their naked bodies writhing together as they devoured one another. Josh sucked at the hard flesh in his mouth, dragging the flat of his tongue down the underside of Brett’s shaft. He slid his lips all the way to the base, taking him as far into his throat as he could. Brett swirled his tongue up and down the length of Josh’s cock, and it was sweet murder trying to hold back his orgasm. Jeez, but the guy knows just how to get me so close, so quick…

  He slid his hands over Brett’s smooth butt cheeks, parting them, briefly circling the tight pucker before he pushed one finger deep inside. Brett moaned and pressed his slim, leanly muscled body harder against Josh. A welcome spurt of pre-cum coated Josh’s tongue and he swallowed it down, relishing the salty tang.

  “Okay…” Brett’s voice was a bit muffled as it came from Josh’s crotch. “You have to fuck me again. Can’t wait, sorry.”

  Josh pushed himself up alongside Brett. “Aren’t you still…uh, tender?”

  Brett reached for a condom and the lube. “We’ll use lots o’ this, and you’ll go slow until I say different.”

  Josh chuckled. “If you’re sure.” It was beginning to dawn on him that Brett was a bit of a control freak. But he wouldn’t voice that opinion, at least not at that moment.

  “Oh, I’m sure,” Brett said, smiling into Josh’s eyes.

  Ah, yeah. Control freak or not, he’s gonna get royally fucked. But first… He took the lube from Brett and laid it to one side. Ignoring Brett’s questioning look, he hoisted the young rancher’s legs over his shoulders, exposing his smooth butt cheeks and the puckered opening that right then claimed all of Josh’s attention. Brett moaned and squirmed as Josh’s tongue swept over and around the tight hole before pushing in.

  “Oh, my God.” Brett thrust his hips higher towards Josh’s invading tongue, his groans and whimpers of need encouraging Josh to feverishly lave the musky cleft and the sensitive nerves surrounding the pulsing sphincter. Brett’s body thrashed and writhed under him. Josh gripped Brett’s cock and pumped it slowly, wi
th slow and sensuous strokes. Brett was gasping now, his breath rasping in his throat as he cried out his ecstasy.

  Josh grabbed the condom and sheathed himself quickly. He squeezed out some of the gel, then circled Brett’s hole before slipping his slick finger in. He nailed Brett’s prostate, and was rewarded by the look of sheer bliss on Brett’s face and the pre-cum that pooled in his navel. He bent down so he could lick at the tangy translucence, at the same time adding another finger, sliding them in and out, fucking Brett with them.

  “Sweet,” he murmured before withdrawing his fingers. He guided the head of his cock between Brett’s butt cheeks and pushed forward with one long hard thrust. Brett clasped his hands tightly around Josh’s neck and pulled him down until their lips almost touched.

  “You are so damned hot,” Brett whispered, his breath sweet in Josh’s mouth. He arched his body upwards, impaling himself on Josh’s dick, driving it inside himself all the way to the base. His eyes reflected a mixture of pleasure and pain as he smiled up at Josh. “Hurts so good…”

  Josh pulled Brett up into his arms and onto his lap, crushing their bodies and their mouths together, thrusting deep into Brett’s velvet heat. He was almost there, could feel his orgasm tugging at his balls, the tingling of imminent release in the base of his spine. He shuddered and held Brett tighter, almost shouting with joy when he felt the hot surge of Brett’s climax on his skin. The sensation of Brett’s ass muscles contracting around the base of his cock took Josh over the edge with a mind-blowing plunge into a star-studded blackness.

  They collapsed back onto the bed cover, arms and legs tangled, sharing kiss after kiss, Josh’s mind out of focus as he revelled in the afterglow of his orgasm. Somewhere in the house a low mournful howl echoed. They both chuckled at the sound.

  “I feel like howling too,” Brett said, kissing Josh’s neck. “But mine wouldn’t be ’cause I was lonesome. It would be for telling anyone that could hear that I’d just had the best fuck of my life!”

  “Really?” Josh squinted at Brett to see if he was joking.

  “Really, my man. It wasn’t good for you?” For a moment Brett looked a little unsure of himself.

  “It was…uh, amazing. Yeah, the best.”

  He was secretly pleased that Brett had said it. He was pretty sure the rancher had more experience in that area than himself, being ‘out of commission’ for eight years. It was kinda hard to remember sex when it had been good—and this had been, well, as he’d said, amazing.

  Brett planted a kiss on Josh’s lips then leapt out of bed. “After I clean up, I’m going to cook you the best chicken dinner you ever had,” he said laughing. “The perfect follow-up to a perfect fuck.”

  Josh shook his head. That boy’s dirty mouth.

  Chapter Six

  Brett picked up his phone on the third ring. Josh had left for his first appointment with his parole officer after he’d helped with most of the morning’s chores, and Brett was spending a few minutes looking over bills yet to be paid.

  “Hello, Brett Langley.”

  “Why so formal this morning?”

  “Oh hey, Royce. Don’t have caller ID on the land line. How are you?”

  “Just fine. Parker and I are having a cookout this weekend, wondered if you’d like to join us. Bring a friend if you’d like.”

  Brett chuckled. “Joel going to be there?”

  “Uh, yeah. Is that okay?”

  “Of course it is, Royce, but I know why you’re doing this. Joel’s told you about Josh, right?”

  “Josh? I believe he did mention that name.”

  Brett roared. “Royce, you are usually much more subtle than this. You just want to check out my new hired hand, make sure he hasn’t murdered me in my bed.”

  “That’s not something you should joke about, Brett.”

  “I know, I know.” Brett sighed. “It’s real nice of you to be concerned, Royce, but honestly, everything is fine. You’re a lawyer—don’t you get gut feelings about some of your clients? Whether they’re telling you the truth or not?”

  “Well, yeah…”

  “Then that’s what I’m going with—my gut. Josh is a nice guy. He’s paid more than his dues, and for something he didn’t do. He told me the whole story, and I believe him.”

  “Good, so you’ll come out to the ranch for the cookout?”

  “Yes, but I wish you weren’t inviting me just so’s you can give Josh the third degree.”

  “I’m not. Parker was saying we hadn’t seen you recently, so we were planning on doing this anyway. We just moved it up a notch.”

  Brett chuckled. “Of course, I can’t guarantee Josh will come. He’s kinda shy…a tad wary even, maybe. He’s not used to being around people he doesn’t know.”

  “Well, ask him.”

  “Uh, he’s not here right now. He had to go to Sacramento to meet with his parole officer.”

  “Oh, okay, so we’ll see you Sunday, right?”

  “I’ll be there, and thanks, Royce.”

  “Look forward to seeing ya!”

  Royce put his phone down and stared at his brand new partner, Jason Sherwood. “He said he’ll be there. He’s not sure about Josh Kenyon though. Says he’s the shy type.”

  Jason shrugged. “Well, Joel will be happy if Brett shows up looking hale and hearty. He’d be over at Brett’s ranch everyday if it wouldn’t come across as harassment on his part.”

  “The guy’s entitled to live his life, long as he doesn’t break parole,” Royce said. He leant back in his padded leather chair. “Isn’t it amazing though, that of all the places he could’ve gone, all the people he could’ve have worked for, he has to end up on Brett’s ranch? Just dumb luck, I guess. But right now, I don’t know it’s good or bad luck.”

  “Okay, let’s not make more of this than there really is.” Jason leaned an elbow on Royce’s desk. “You and Joel have known Brett for years. I only met him after I came to work for you two years ago, but he strikes me as a really sensible guy, and let’s face it, he’s been managing almost on his own since his father died. Hope Ranch isn’t a big property, but it’s still a lot of work. And as much as he could use the help, if this guy, Josh, had arrived all sinister and aggressive, I think Brett would have told him to take a hike.”

  “Did you say all this to Joel when he told you he was worried?” Royce asked.

  “Yes, and he even admitted that Josh came across as sincere. It’s just that law enforcement thing. He’s heard so much bullshit from people he’s arrested, even people he’s trusted in the past, cynicism is just second nature to him.”

  Royce grinned. “I thought after he met you he’d mellowed. Are you failing in your duty, Jason?”

  “No, not failing.” Jason chuckled. “And that’s all you get to hear. I know you love to get the lowdown on other people’s sex lives, but Joel’s and mine is sacrosanct!”

  “Excuse me?” Royce widened his eyes in mock displeasure. “It so happens that I have the best sex life on this planet! I don’t need to hear about anyone else’s.”

  Jason laughed. “And all this time I thought it was Charles and Jed, at least that’s what Charles tells me. Well, I’ll be sure to mention it to Parker when I see him at the weekend. He’ll be very happy to hear that I know you guys have the best sex on the planet, I’m sure.”

  “You’re fired!”

  “You can’t fire me—you and Charles just made me partner.”

  The two men laughed together, then Royce’s phone rang and it was back to business as usual.

  * * * *

  Brett had just brought Missy back to her clean stall and was giving her a quick brush down when he heard Josh’s truck pull up outside the house. He gave Missy a kiss on her velvety muzzle. “See you later, girl.” He closed the stall behind him and headed for where Josh stood by his truck waiting for him.

  “Hi, how’d it go?”

  “Kind of how I expected.” Josh leaned in to accept Brett’s hug. “He’s a by-the-book kinda gu
y, but he seemed friendly enough. He wants to see me again a week from today, so the appointment will be every Friday. Hope that’s okay.”

  “Of course it is. Wish I could go with you. We could have lunch in town after. Did you eat?”

  “Yeah, at the mall.” He held up a bag as they walked to the house. “Got myself some new T-shirts and jeans, and,” he gave Brett a shy smile, “I got you somethin’…”

  “You shouldn’t be wasting your money on me, Josh.”

  “Not wasting. You’ve been so nice to me—giving me the job, trusting me, when no one else seemed inclined to. It’s the least I could do.”

  “Fucking me is the least you can do,” Brett said, leering at Josh, in an attempt to lighten the mood a little.

  “Brett…” Josh shook his head sadly. “You and that potty-mouth of yours.”

  “You love my potty-mouth, ’specially when it’s wrapped round your dick.”

  “Brett! ” The look on Josh’s face made Brett hoot with laughter.

  “For a big, tough guy, you sure are a prude,” he said, when his laughter subsided.

  “I’m not so tough, I just can’t believe some of the stuff you say.” He sat on the porch steps and handed Brett something wrapped in tissue paper. “Don’t know if you deserve this after what you just said.”

  Brett sat down next to him and tore at the tissue. “Oh, wow—neat!” He held up the T-shirt Josh had bought for him—black with the painted image of a horse’s head emblazoned on the front. “It’s Missy.”

  “Close, huh,” Josh said in agreement. “I had the guy who designed the shirts add the white streak on her forehead so it really does look like her.”

  “Thanks, Josh. I’ll try it on later. Don’t want to get it all sweaty first time on.” Brett leaned in and kissed Josh’s cheek. “You are so thoughtful.”

  Josh cupped the back of Brett’s neck and held him there while he brought Brett’s mouth to line up with his own. He took Brett’s parted lips in a long, tender kiss that quickly grew heated as the pressure of flesh on flesh increased.

  They were both gasping when Josh finally pulled back.