Sarasota Steam

by Sarasota Steam (lit)

  She stared at him as comprehension dawned. “Oh.”

  Jasper’s face took on a hard edge. “Will this be a problem? Because if it is, I’ll wait for you to change your clothes, and I’ll hitch the team and take you back to Sarasota right now so you can catch the next stage out.”

  She shook her head, still a little shocked. “No, it’s not a problem.” In fact, it explained the way they’d acted while working together.

  Both men seemed to relax. Jasper nodded. “Good. We’ll keep you safe, and you keep your mouth shut, and we’ll all get along just fine.”

  She blushed as her eyes darted down and saw their cocks again. Such a waste. Two beautiful men and neither wanted her. “It’s a deal,” she softly said.

  * * * *

  After dinner they sat on the front porch and talked. With their secrets out on the table, Goyo sensed her relax around them, no longer afraid to laugh for fear of exposing her true identity. Callie. It fit her better than Charlie, that’s for sure.

  She retired to bed before them. Once they heard her bedroom door shut, Goyo looked at Jasper and tipped his head toward the barn before he stood and walked down the steps and across the yard. Inside the barn he grabbed Jasper and pulled him close for a long, hard kiss neither wanted to break.

  “You brought me out here to kiss me? We could have done that in bed,” Jasper gasped.

  Goyo pushed him down onto a clean pile of hay in an empty stall. “I couldn’t do this, though,” he said as he unfastened his trousers and withdrew his cock. He knelt over Jasper, who greedily sucked it down. He stroked Goyo’s sac with one hand, his shaft with the other.

  Goyo braced himself with his arms as he fucked his cock into Jasper’s willing and eager mouth. “Ai, I wanted to feel my cock in your ass this afternoon at the spring, and I couldn’t with her there. Maybe we can get her to let us bathe alone from now on. Then I can fuck you whenever I want.”

  Jasper grunted his assent but couldn’t reply with Goyo’s cock filling his mouth.

  “Suck me good, papi, and I’ll repay the favor.”

  When Jasper’s finger pressed against Goyo’s rim, it triggered his climax. His balls drew up against his body, tightening as his eruption squeezed out of him. He didn’t bother suppressing his happy cry as Jasper continued sucking him dry until he finally had to roll off him and collapse onto the hay next to him.

  Jasper sat up. “You had to bring me out here for this?” he teased.

  Goyo laughed. “I didn’t want to scare her off. You know I can’t keep quiet when you do such good things to me.”

  * * * *

  Callie stared at the ceiling as a breeze blew in over her through the screened window. She thought she heard something, then realized the men hadn’t come in yet.

  She threw the sheet off and padded into the front room. No men.

  She thought she heard muffled voices coming from the barn. She grabbed her boots and yanked them on without socks, then quietly let herself out the front door and walked across the yard.

  Definitely the men. But it wasn’t a conversation she heard. In the light of the waning moon, she saw their shadows cast out of one of the stalls and went to investigate. Carefully peering over the edge, she slapped her hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp at the sight.

  Jasper lay back in the pile of hay, his hands tucked behind his head. Between his legs knelt Goyo, and she could only imagine what he was doing there as his head bobbed up and down.

  Frozen in stunned disbelief, she watched the men together.

  “That’s it,” Jasper grunted. “Take me deep.”

  A sudden flurry of heat pooled inside her, settling between her legs. She knew she should be shocked or horrified, but as she stood there, her fingers tightly curled around the top of the stall, she wished she was down there in the hay with them.

  She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath at the wicked thought. Before her Momma died, she’d talked to her about husbands and wives.

  “Marry for love, like I did with your father,” she’d said. “Don’t marry to settle or because you think it’s safe, like I did with Bart. Don’t marry because you think you have to, or because people say it’s right and proper. Find someone who will love you just as good in bed as out of it. Live your life the way you want to be happy, not settling for whatever comes along because you think you can’t do better.”

  It finally struck her as she heard Jasper let out a long, loud moan that she’d better get herself back into the house so they didn’t know she’d spied on them. She turned to leave, but one of her boots caught on the hem of the oversized nightshirt and down she went in a tangle with a pained grunt.

  “What was that?” Jasper said.

  Before she could scramble to her feet she heard the two men tumble out of the stall. As she rolled over to face them, ready to stammer apologies, she didn’t miss the fact that Jasper was tucking his member back into his trousers and buttoning the fly.

  Goyo stood behind him, his playful smile unmistakable even in the dim light.

  “What are you doing out here?” Jasper demanded.

  “I’m sorry,” she said even as he grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. “I heard a noise. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.”

  She noticed Jasper didn’t let go of her wrist. “So much for not scaring her off,” Jasper said to Goyo before turning back to her. His voice and expression gentled. “If you want to leave, we’ll understand.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want to leave.”

  Both men looked puzzled. Jasper found his voice first. “Really? We don’t...disgust you?”

  She snorted in irritation and finally pulled her wrist free. “No, what disgusted me was my step-father getting drunk and trying to rape me before my mother’s body was even cold in her grave.” She tried to straighten her nightshirt and realized it was a futile job. “I’m not some innocent little thing, you know. I had to grow up quick to keep our farm going. Now that son of a gun has it, and I can’t do a blasted thing about it.”

  Now she did cry. “I worked so hard. I worked as hard as any man did after Daddy died. Momma was always sickly, and then when she married that worthless, no-good coward, he took everything away. It should’ve been mine!”

  She turned from them, wishing she could have held it back, but she couldn’t. She sobbed, angry, and punched at a post, which only made her hand hurt. “I worked blasted hard. And it’s all gone!” She sucked at her sore knuckle and tried to choke back her sobs. She hated feeling weak and helpless, hated that everything her daddy and she had worked for was now gone.

  Callie flinched when she felt a gentle hand on her back. She looked up into Goyo’s blue eyes. “I can’t tell you it’ll be okay because that’s a lie,” he softly said. “But you can start over with us.” He glanced at Jasper, who nodded. “We’d be honored to have you here as long as you want.” He brushed a piece of straw off her shoulder as a sad smile curled his lips. “Until some lucky guy steals you away from us.”

  She vigorously shook her head. “Oh, no. I don’t want no man in my life if they’re gonna be like Bart Packer. I’d rather spend my life alone than end up with some worthless skunk like that. That’d be like hell on earth.”

  Jasper stepped forward. “Then spend it here with us,” he quietly said. “Maybe the three of us can scratch out a little corner of Heaven for ourselves, instead of ending up in Hell.”

  She laughed. “Heaven in this hot, mosquito-infested place?”

  He smiled. “It’s not so bad.” He looked at Goyo. “Right?”

  Goyo smiled and slipped his arm around Jasper’s waist. “Right.” He looked at her and extended his other arm to her for a hug. “Someone offering you a better option? Better than two guys who will keep you safe and treat you fairly?”

  She had to admit, it was a better than fair offer. She stepped into their hug and rested her forehead against Jasper’s firm chest. “I feel like I’ve been through Hell. This is starting to feel a l
ot like Heaven already.”

  Chapter Five

  Hell truly arrived two weeks later in the guise of Leda Palmer and her friend, Bessie Wyatt. The girls stopped by unexpectedly, bearing a fruit cake and cookies respectively. Bessie’s younger brother, Tommy, drove the carriage they arrived in.

  Callie looked up from where she sat on the front porch while mending the team’s harness. The women walked over to her.

  The girls had apparently put on their best dresses and rouge. “Hello there,” one of them said. “Are Jasper and Gregorio home?”

  Callie frowned at them and remembered to tone down her twangy drawl. “No. They’re out with the herd.”

  When Callie didn’t say anything else, the girl forged ahead. “I’m Leda Palmer, and this is my friend, Bessie Wyatt, and her brother, Tommy. And you are?”

  “Busy.”

  Leda forced a smile. “We wanted to drop by and make sure they made it through the storm all right.”

  Callie gritted her teeth and kept her voice low and deep. “That was two weeks ago. We made it through just fine.”

  “You know, I don’t remember seeing you around Sarasota before.”

  “I got into town the day of the storm. Jasper hired me on as a hand.”

  “Oh.” Callie saw the girls exchange a curious glance. “Well, would you mind if we waited for them?”

  “Yes.” She finished pounding in the last rivet and tested the mend. “I’ve got to hook the team up and get them out to the back pasture. We had another deadfall from the storm break through the fence. We won’t be done with repairs until close to dark. I’ll tell them you dropped by.” She remembered to tip her hat to the two girls, who couldn’t be more than sixteen or seventeen.

  “But what do we do with what we brought?” Bessie asked with more than a note of dashed hopes.

  Callie tried to contain her irritation. “I’ll take them inside.” She laid the harness over the porch rail and grabbed the plates from the girls. She made sure to stomp loudly to show her displeasure at the interruption as she walked through the house to the kitchen in back, then outside again.

  The girls apparently didn’t know what to do after having been so rudely dismissed. They stared at each other, then back at Callie.

  “I’m, sorry, what was your name again?” Bessie asked.

  “Charles,” she growled, hopefully sounding as snarly as she felt. The thought of either of these girls wanting Jasper and Goyo irked her to no end. Not that they were her men, or that they would even want these girls, but it was the principle of the matter. She’d felt more at home in her short time with the men than she had since her daddy died. As far as she was concerned, they were her men, and she’d be damned if she’d stand by and let some kids try to seduce them.

  “I need to get back to work or I’ll get my hide chewed. Jasper told me he wanted me back with the team pronto. Thank you for the grub. Good day, ladies.” She said the last word through clenched teeth and remembered to grab the harness on her way past.

  Callie thought the girls would get back in their carriage and leave, but they didn’t. Instead, they trailed behind her across the yard to the hitching rail where the team patiently waited.

  “We wouldn’t mind following you out to them, so we could say hello ourselves,” Leda suggested.

  Callie rolled her eyes without turning to face Leda. “Ma’am,” she said, “that carriage of yours wouldn’t make it through the woods. I’ll be sure to pass your message on to Jasper and Goyo.”

  Realizing they’d truly been dismissed, the girls turned and walked away. Leda made no attempt to lower her voice. “Well! I’ll make sure next time I see Jasper to tell him how rude his new ranch hand is!”

  Bessie wholeheartedly agreed. “I’d be willing to bet Gregorio and Jasper send him on his way when they hear!”

  Callie fought the urge to snicker. If that was an attempt on their part to scare her into ingratiating them to the men, they were sadly mistaken. By the time Callie had the repaired harness hooked up, the girls and Tommy had left.

  Callie finally laughed, the sound rolling out of her. She shook her head and made a quick trip to the privy before mounting one of the team and riding back to where the men worked on the fence. She’d never admit it, but she hoped the men wouldn’t make her leave one day. She didn’t want to be anywhere but there with them. Sweet men, handsome men, both haunted in their own way, Jasper more so than Goyo. She liked how Jasper seemed to laugh more now over the past few days, more than when she first arrived. She enjoyed Goyo’s teasing, playful familiarity, bordering on overly forward, but she didn’t mind.

  Considering all the Bart Packers in the world, she was more than happy to stay with Jasper and Goyo. It was plain to see how much the men loved each other, too. Reminded her of Momma and Daddy in happier times, before he died. They couldn’t be open in front of anyone but her, of course, and that saddened her. She’d never thought about it too much one way or the other before, but why shouldn’t they have a right to be happy together?

  When she told the story about their visitors to the men, Goyo laughed, but Jasper’s face darkened. “Blasted girls. I should’ve counted on Mike Thomas running his mouth.”

  * * * *

  Three days later, on Friday, Callie rode in the wagon to Sarasota with Goyo for supplies. Jasper had to meet with their neighbor and the banker at the neighbor’s ranch to finalize the paperwork for the sale. The men no longer bothered keeping up pretenses in front of her, and at night she smiled as she listened to their passionate noises drifting over the top of the wall.

  She wouldn’t have told them about that even if they asked if she could hear. She enjoyed closing her eyes and wishing she lay in bed with them. After having seen them naked, she could easily fantasize about the actions generating such sweet sounds in their bed.

  The men didn’t treat her with kid gloves, but with her secret out, they happily let her take over the cooking while they relieved her of the most strenuous chores. She still rode with them and pulled her weight. It was a relief to relax, even while working side-by-side with them, having them appreciate and thank her for her efforts.

  Jasper paid out her first wages even though she tried to refuse them. “No,” he said, “I insist. You work as hard as any man, harder than a lot of them. You’ve earned it.” He grinned. “Buy yourself something pretty.” Then he delivered a playful wink.

  She’d laughed, but at the same time she thought about it. She could buy fabric and make herself a house dress to wear in the evenings, something basic and comfortable. Although “Charles” would have to explain the purchase was for his sister.

  They had several stops to make. In the dry goods store, a display of sunbonnets caught her eye. Not fancy but pretty nonetheless.

  Goyo, ever watchful, walked up behind her. “You know,” he said loud enough so Mrs. Collings, the elderly sales clerk, could hear, “your sister would like that.” He winked at her.

  The clerk, the wife of the store owner, trundled up. “Oh, yes, we’ve sold lots of those.” She picked one up. “How old is your sister?”

  Callie glared at Goyo, whose eyes twinkled with merry mischief. “Oh, they’re twins,” Goyo said. “She wasn’t feeling up to a trip to town today. Would that size fit her, do you think, Charlie?”

  Callie nodded and remembered to lower her voice. “Prob’ly.”

  “Then why don’t you buy it for her?”

  She stepped on his foot. “Mebbe she doesn’t want me buying a bonnet for her.”

  “Oh, every girl loves a bonnet,” Mrs. Collings insisted even as she carried it over to the counter to wrap it.

  Goyo grinned, wide and playful. “I’m sure she’ll love it, Mrs. Collings.”

  Callie stuck her tongue out at him.

  They were outside loading their supplies in the wagon when they heard a girl calling.

  “Yoo hoo! Greg-oooorio!”

  Callie noticed Goyo’s body tensed almost as much as her own. They both slowly tur
ned to see Bessie Wyatt scurrying across the street toward them. They had already left the empty plates with the pastor on their way into town, and he’d assured Goyo he’d return them when he saw the girls on Sunday.

  Bessie hustled up, the color high in her cheeks. Callie knew it wasn’t from the hot Florida sun, either. Bessie glared at Callie before putting on a syrupy smile for Goyo. When Goyo tipped his hat to her, Callie remembered to do the same.

  “Did you enjoy the sweets?” Bessie asked, trying to step between them and take Goyo’s arm.

  Goyo resisted by leaning back against the wagon. “We did, thank you. And please thank Leda for us. It was very generous.”

  She cast a glance at Callie. “You know, Jasper really should give Charles here a talking to. He was very rude to us the other day. We even offered to wait or follow him so we could say hi to y’all personally.”

  Callie could tell Goyo barely kept his laughter in check. “We only care if a ranch hand can do his job, Bessie. I’m sorry, but ever since the storm we’ve been pretty busy. No time for socializing. Jasper would have tanned Charlie’s hide if he hadn’t got the team back to us right quick. And I reckon Charlie would rather deal with an upset girl than an upset boss.” Callie didn’t miss his particular use of the word “girl” in lieu of “woman.”

  Bessie huffed. “Well, that may very well be true, but it’s still no reason to be rude.” She turned her back on Callie and stepped in front of Goyo. “There’s a social Sunday night at the church, you know. Leda and I wouldn’t mind it if you and Jasper wanted to take us. Leda’s daddy said he’s looking forward to talking to Jasper again.”

  Callie didn’t miss how the color rose in Goyo’s face. “I doubt I’ll go, but I know Jasper was planning on taking Callie.”

  Both women responded in shock. “What?”