by Diane Leyne
Then Tanner leaned back and wiped his mouth on his napkin, smiling as Noah struggled to process his words.
“I’ll be spending most of tomorrow out at my farmhouse working on rebuilding a pretty sweet ’65 Corvette. I’ve asked Candy to arrange a picnic lunch for two. I’d like you to deliver it.”
“But tomorrow is my late day. I don’t start until six. I’ll send LuLu.”
“Yes, I know and no, you won’t. I want you. Try to arrive by eleven.”
And then he was gone and Noah was left sitting alone.
* * * *
The next day dawned bright and clear. Noah had tossed and turned all night, getting very little sleep. He was excited and scared and very, very horny.
He was also sure that this was all a very bad idea. He was supposed to be hiding out in Satisfaction, not finding some for himself. But he was up and showered and over at the diner by nine. He wasn’t sure what food Tanner ordered, but as good as Candy was, Tanner knew he was better. He was going to make Tanner a nice lunch and then send LuLu out to deliver it, he told himself, even as he shaved with extra care, took two showers, and changed four times.
It had been a long time since he’d been this excited and scared, in a good way, and looking forward to something. The last time had been the opening of his restaurant, and it would be an understatement to say that that had not gone at all the way he’d planned.
Nonetheless, he’d headed over to Candy’s. She didn’t say a word. Was he that transparent? She simply handed him a folded piece of paper that held Tanner’s order.
He held on to it for a moment before reading it. He was tempted to just toss it out. Tanner’s palate really needed to be educated. He’d responded well to the varying types of potatoes that Noah had been serving. Noah considered what he should make for their picnic.
He knew he should at least glance at Tanner’s order before tossing it out. He unfolded the paper and started laughing. Tanner had ordered, Picnic for two.
He checked the clock. He had just under two hours to prepare a picnic and give it to LuLu to deliver to Tanner’s place. He chuckled to himself and he checked the freezer. He might as well stop lying to himself. He wasn’t sending LuLu over with the food any more than he’d let her cook it. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and Noah was going to test that out. He looked up at the clock. Time to start cooking.
Chapter Three
Tanner tried not to pace. Would Noah come or would he chicken out? Tanner knew he was pushing things, but he was tired of waiting and wondering. Hell, he’d been an idiot to wait so long. He should have given into his first impulse and kissed him long and hard the first time he saw him. But he’d thought Noah was in his early twenties and far too young.
Either Noah was interested in him or not. They were grownups. They didn’t need to pussyfoot around, not that any actual pussies would be involved. Candy was right and he had been an idiot to take so long to make a move.
Maybe he’d been alone too long? He was used to being alone. He’d loved and lost the love of his life and he’d grieved Gary. Thank goodness, Candy had knocked some sense into him. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that. Maybe lightning could strike twice.
Tanner also wondered if Noah was ashamed of being gay. He’d accused Tanner of trying to pass for being hetero, which was ridiculous, since Tanner had been out since he was eighteen. It was Noah who was the one who tried to blend in. Tanner had known since he was young that he was gay. His family accepted it, which made it easy for him to accept it, and so had the people of Satisfaction.
His parents had been wonderful, especially considering he was born almost four decades ago. Not only had they been accepting, but they’d sought out gay men who could be role models for him, mentors on a subject that they couldn’t help their son deal with.
As he’d told Noah, his friends knew he was gay. He’d had boyfriends before and had never hidden the relationships from his friends or the people in the town. Hell, most of them were kinkier than he was. He only ever had one other person in his bed at any one time. Most of them liked doing it three at a time, sometimes even four.
With all the support, he was secure with who he was and his place in life. He’d always been mechanically inclined and his folks had supported that interest, too, and had never pressured him to take over the family farm. They’d insisted on a college education so he’d understand how to run the business side of the garage he’d wanted to open since he was old enough to help his father work on his own classic Caddy.
They were in Arizona now, retired, but he still lived in the old farmhouse where he and his sister Desdemona had grown up. Mom had been on a Shakespeare kick when poor Des was born. Des was a carpenter, an artist with wood, and was currently living in Seattle.
The farmhouse was big and rambling, far too big when it was just the four of them and now ludicrous for a single man, but it was his home. He didn’t know if he’d ever have a family of his own to fill it, but maybe Des would. She’d shown no sign of wanting to settle down, but maybe one day she’d come home to Satisfaction, maybe a husband or two in tow.
He sighed and looked down at the engine of the car he was working on. Usually it was very soothing, working on engines, but today he was too restless. Would Noah come? Would he, Tanner, come, preferably inside Noah, and hopefully multiple times?
He washed his hands and left the garage. Checking his watch, he saw that he still had another hour before he found out whether or not he was going to be stood up. He went into the stable.
“Hello, Princess Buttercup. How are you feeling? Interested in going out for a ride later?”
He patted the neck of the big horse. She was a Jutland draft horse, like the kind the Carlsberg Beer Company used in their advertisements. She had the sweetest temperament, but it was her flowing blonde mane and tail that had let to her name. He smiled as she nuzzled his shoulder, looking for the treat she knew he had.
He smiled and pulled a handful of sugar cubes from his pocket and held them up to her and watched as she gently removed them from his open palm. She was a financial drain, as she was basically just a really big pet now that his parents had moved and he didn’t do much with the land. Sometimes he thought his mom missed the horse more than her own children.
He gave her a pat. “I’ll never sell you, girl. You have a home for life. But right now, I’m going to get you saddled up. You are going to take me and someone I hope I will become very close to for a ride. You’ll like going for a ride, won’t you?”
Humming to himself, he took his time grooming her before he tacked her up. The saddle alone had cost his father a pretty penny, but his mother had wanted one big enough for the two of them to take her out together and Dad always gave Mom what she wanted. Always. He’d always wanted someone of his own to love and indulge the way his father did. Was Noah the one?
The saddle would come in handy as he planned to give Noah the ride of his life, first on horseback and then down by the swimming hole where they would have their picnic. Once Buttercup was ready, he took a shower and waited impatiently. It was only 10:45. Time to relax and wait. He’d either come or he wouldn’t.
Tanner took a seat on the porch swing, leaned back, closed his eyes and waited.
* * * *
Noah pulled over to check the directions for the third time. He didn’t really need to check. He was just dillydallying, as his mother used to say. This was a quiet road through farm country. There was one farmhouse with several large outer buildings in the distance that clearly belonged to Tanner.
He took a deep breath. He would deliver Tanner’s food and then he would leave. He wouldn’t stay and eat with him and he certainly wouldn’t have sex with him. Nope, not happening, not in a million years, no matter that his cock seemed to be trying to break through his jeans at the thought of sex with Tanner. He wasn’t going to get involved, either physically or emotionally. He was just going to wait things out. Surely, they had to be close to finding
the killer. Once he was in jail, Noah could relax a bit and then when the trial was over, he could move on.
He stepped on the gas and a few minutes later turned off down the driveway, and then he was in front of Tanner’s house. Tanner was on the porch watching him, waiting patiently. Once he stopped the car, Tanner made his way down the steps and walked over to Noah, who sat paralyzed in his seat.
“I’ll be in the stables. Bring the food.” And then he was gone without waiting for a reply. Of all the high-handed, domineering, bossy…Noah would give him a piece of his mind when he got there. He really would. And then he would turn around and leave. He wasn’t getting involved with anyone. He was going to drop off the food, have his say and leave.
He didn’t have time for a relationship. He was due to testify soon and then he’d be leaving town, looking for a suitable place to start his new restaurant. Sure, he’d toyed with the idea of Kinsdale, but he was a city boy from the Midwest. If Milwaukee or St. Louis weren’t far enough away from Chicago, maybe he’d try the east coast. After all, he had attended Cordon Bleu training. He could work anywhere.
He opened the car home and slammed the door. Then he popped the trunk and pulled out the bags with the salads and sandwiches, cold chicken, veggies and dip, and assorted sweets. He laughed. He’d kind of gotten carried away. There was enough food for four, maybe five.
Taking a deep breath, he walked over to the stables. He walked through slowly. There were stalls for eight or ten horses, but only one seemed to be occupied by a horse. One was filled with…other…things, things he didn’t want to think about right now, things that looked like they belonged at Whips and Spurs. The club, not the saloon.
There was a second door at the other end of the stable and he could hear Tanner’s voice. He frowned at the sudden stab of jealousy. He’d assumed that Tanner had planned the picnic in order to seduce Noah. Maybe he was completely wrong and Tanner had just been playing with him, flirting, laughing at him.
It was probably a woman. Yes, he could hear Tanner use the endearment princess. He had a woman out there. Noah felt an urge to cry and that made him mad, so he stomped out of the stable, prepared to hurl the food at Tanner’s feet when he saw who Tanner was talking to.
It was a horse. Or more precisely, it looked like a horse on steroids. The thing was huge. It was tall, with thick shoulders. Its coat was a kind of reddish blonde and is had a long blonde mane and tail. It was beautiful.
So was Tanner’s smile when he caught sight of Noah.
“Got any veggies in there?”
“Carrots and celery.”
“Great. Bring them over hear and meet Princess Buttercup. She was my mom’s. Some people like dogs. My mother loved horses. The only time I ever heard my parents fight was one winter when it was colder than normal and she wanted to bring the horse inside where it was heated. My dad put his foot down, but he did go out and buy some space heaters and added insulation to the stable.”
Just then, two large golden retrievers came into the yard at a run, barking furiously. He expected the big horse to whinny or buck or whatever it was that horses did when they were scared or startled. Instead, the two dogs ran up to Princess Buttercup, who leaned down to nuzzle them.
“Meet the Dread Pirate Roberts and Inigo Montoya, also known as Bob and Monty.”
“Mom was a Princess Bride fan I take it?”
“No, that was my sister Desdemona. She started the naming tradition. I’ve carried it on out of habit.”
“I wouldn’t have taken you for a dog lover.”
Tanner raised an eyebrow at Noah, who found himself bushing. He hated people who could do that.
“I liked dogs just fine. However, Buttercup loves them. She hates being alone, so I always have a couple of dogs around to keep her company. I’ve bought one of Murphy Smith’s dog Ren’s pups. I’m picking him up next week. Should be an interesting dog. Half German shepherd and half border collie. Do you like dogs, Noah? Want to help me pick one out?”
“I guess. I mean, sure.” Noah tried to keep the longing out of his eyes as he had a sudden flashback to his best friend Johnny’s little grey mutt, Smokey. He’d loved that dog. He’d maybe liked him better than he had Johnny, but they’d come as a package deal. He’d spent every spare minute over at the Johnson residence right up until Johnny’s dad got transferred. He’d stood in their driveway watching them load up their station wagon, and it wasn’t until they were gone that he’d cried. He’d made sure the tears were gone before he went to ask his father if he could have a dog of his own. He shouldn’t have bothered.
Tanner frowned. “You guess?”
“I’ve never had one of my own. My father didn’t like dogs, so we never had one.”
“I imagine it’s been quite a while since you’ve lived with him. Why haven’t you gotten one since?”
“Ten years. But I live alone and I pretty much spent all that time either working or studying. It wouldn’t have been fair to a dog.”
“Was it worth it?”
“It was. And then it all fell apart. I lost my restaurant, but I’ll have one again. Soon,” he declared fiercely. “I haven’t decided where yet. Big city probably. Working at Candy’s is just a temporary measure.” Noah felt the resolve steal over him. He had done it once. He could do it again. He would have the insurance money and SSP would help him get settled. He couldn’t grow attached to anyone here in Satisfaction. It was just a temporary stop on the highway of his life.
He looked over to Tanner who seemed to be waiting for something, his face shuttered. Noah thought he could see something in his eyes, something that sent a shiver of arousal through his body. He wasn’t looking for love or a relationship, but maybe neither was Tanner.
He stepped forward and held up the bags. “Where do you want these?”
“You feed Buttercup the veggies while I finish getting her ready.”
Noah nearly dropped the bags. Feed that big, hairy monster?
* * * *
Tanner had felt his stomach drop when Noah had declared that his time at Candy’s was temporary and declared his desire to move to a big city. Maybe this whole thing was a big mistake. He looked over at Noah. Or maybe it wasn’t. He’d take things one day at a time. After all, love could move mountains, or so he’d always been told.
Tanner transferred the food to Buttercup’s saddlebags while keeping a surreptitious eye on Noah. He’d been hesitant at first, but pretty soon, he was petting her and laughing as she rubbed her big head against his shoulder and the dogs danced around at his feet. It was a wonderful sight. Noah looked more lighthearted and carefree than Tanner could ever remember seeing him. That boy, actually, that man, had some pretty serious worries weighing on him. Tanner hoped that someday Noah would trust him to let him help with the burden.
Suddenly, Noah looked up at him and smiled.
“Got anything for the pups?”
“Just inside the stable door on the right. There’s a box marked ‘treats.’”
Noah hurried off, trailed by both dogs and Buttercup. When he didn’t come back right away, Tanner finished loading up Buttercup’s saddlebags and then went in search of Noah. He was easy to find. Tanner just had to follow the sound of masculine laughter.
He just stood and watched for a few moments, wishing he had a camera to capture the moment. Hell, he was getting old. He had his phone. He had just snapped a photo of a laughing, carefree Noah laying on the ground laughing as he was getting his face washed by the dogs.
It was a priceless moment, one he hoped that the photo captured as he shoved the phone quickly back in his pants as Noah looked up.
“You done playing with my menagerie and ready to go?” Tanner grinned as he grabbed Buttercup’s bridle and led her back out to the yard.
“Go?”
“Yeah. I thought we’d take a little swim before lunch.”
“I didn’t bring my trunks.” He couldn’t see his face, but he could practically hear the frown in Noah’s voice.
“Me neither.”
Chapter Four
Noah hurried after Tanner. Swimming. Naked. Swimming naked. Swimming naked! All of a sudden, he couldn’t breathe.
He rushed over to Tanner to tell him no when he realized that Tanner was now sitting atop Buttercup. He called up to him, “I’ve got to get back to…” He stopped. Buttercup was shaking her head and making horse noises and stamping her gigantic feet, seemingly impatient to get going. Tanner looked down at him and cupped his ear as if he couldn’t hear.
Noah tried to shout, but Buttercup didn’t seem to like that at all, moving skittishly and making Noah nervous. Tanner pointed to a small ladder leaning against the fence. Noah climbed up, balancing carefully. This would put him closer to Tanner’s level. Hopefully he could be heard now.
Buttercup moved again and Noah flinched back. He almost lost his balance but Tanner leaned over and grabbed his wrist. Noah clutched onto Tanner as he fought to regain his balance, but then Tanner tugged and Buttercup moved and suddenly Noah found himself straddling the horse, sitting behind Tanner, who immediately made a clicking sound with his teeth, and Buttercup started walking.
Noah clutched at Tanner, his body tense with fear. They were so far up, and Buttercup was so broad in the beam. He felt like he was almost doing the splits. And with the shape of the saddle, his crotch was pressed against Tanner’s ass.
He tried to pull back but kept sliding down into Tanner, who just laughed.
“Put your hands around my waist and hang on.” After a moment, Tanner spoke again. “Have you never been on a horse before?”
“There wasn’t much opportunity in Chicago. Besides,” he added defensively, “this horse is damned big. I’ve never seen anyone ride a horse like this before. I’ve see racing on television and the horses are a lost thinner and more…skittish?”