He went back to the barn to give Jake a hand with the rest of the horses, loving Jake’s habit of greeting each one by name. The morning chores of food and water were done quickly, and they decided to go to town first, getting what they needed, and then head back to get started on some repairs.
They checked the gates, hopped into Jake’s truck, and headed for town. They turned up the radio, and pretty soon Jake was looking at Ryan, sitting by the door. He reached over and grabbed Ryan’s handed and kissed it.
“What are you doin’ all the way over there?” He arched his eyebrow and pretended to frown. Ryan ducked his head shyly.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d want me to sit closer. I mean, we are heading to town.”
Jake undid Ryan’s seat belt with one hand and grabbed the side of Ryan’s waistband, sliding his butt across the bench seat so that he was beside him. He motioned for Ryan to do up the middle belt, and when he was done, he grabbed Ryan’s hand and put it on his thigh, putting his on top of it. He looked at Ryan and arched that eyebrow again. “Are you understanding me, Andrews? This conversation is over!”
Ryan reached up to kiss him on the cheek before grinning. “I think a conversation usually involves words, but yes, I get your point.” He snuggled a little closer to Jake’s side and quietly sang along with the radio, ironically, the song being, “Any Man of Mine,” by Shania Twain. Jake just kissed him on the temple and kept driving.
He was amazed he could be so comfortable, just sitting with someone and not feeling the need to talk all the time. It took about half an hour to get to town, and Jake could feel Ryan tense up when it swung into view.
“Relax, it’s gonna be fine.” Ryan was pretty sure he would believe anything Jake told him in that drawl. He might even believe the sky was pink, if Jake told him so. He smiled at the silliness of the thought, and Jake saw it.
“What’s so funny?”
Ryan just shook his head. “Nothing, just happy.”
And Jake knew from the way Ryan was looking at him that he was the reason for Ryan’s happiness, and it made something in his heart swell. Jake squeezed his hand, bringing it up to kiss it again before letting go to park in front of the vet’s office. “Come on in, I’ll introduce you to the doc.”
They climbed out of the truck and walked into the office. A tiny blonde woman of about sixty sat at the desk, just inside the door. “Jake Evans, it’s so good to see you. I see you brought a friend with you. I’m Cora, Cora Lance.”
Ryan could tell that she was one of those delightfully old-fashioned women, and he extended his hand to her. “Ryan Andrews, ma’am. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
She took his hand, smiling approvingly at Ryan. “Oooh, manners. I always knew you had good taste in friends, Jake. What can I do for you, young man?”
“I’m here to pay my bill and get those vitamins for those pregnant mares. And I wanted to introduce Ryan to the doc. He has some ideas for the sores on Bella’s legs. He’s my new hand, and my new friend.” They both blushed when he said it, and the sharp-eyed woman caught it. It made her wonder just how good of friends they were. Not that she cared. On the contrary, there was something lovely about the two of them standing side by side. But if it was true, they were not going to have an easy time of it. She shook herself out of her musing and smiled.
“He’s back there checking on supplies, so you came at the perfect time. I’ll have your bill ready when you come back out. Although, Mr. Evans, with all you do for the horses around here, I am thinking we should be paying you. Go on back.” Jake blushed again and nodded before leading Ryan further back into the office.
They found Dr. Lance in the supply room, cursing under his breath. Jake knocked on the door to get his attention. “Good afternoon, Doc. Uhm, got a problem?” The older man looked up and smiled when he saw Jake standing there.
“Jake, good to see you, boy. No, no, no problem. Just my own foolishness for trusting that Deacon boy to organize my supplies. He’s a good kid, but apparently the alphabet is beyond him. So, what can I do for you?”
“Well, I just wanted to get those vitamins for those mares, and I wanted to introduce you to Ryan Andrews. He is my new hand, and he’s got some ideas about how to help Bella’s sores.”
The vet looked at Ryan and stuck out his hand. “Good to meet you, Ryan. And if you’ve got any ideas, let’s hear them. I am about at my wits’ end with that.” It was Ryan’s turn to blush again.
“Well, sir, it’s just a poultice that my Gramma Ida used to make. We had a horse that got all tangled in some rusty barbed wire that someone dumped on our property one day. We were worried about tetanus, and the wounds didn’t seem to want to heal up. Gramma made up her poultice, and they were better in about two weeks. I’ll have to call her to get the exact measurements, but it’s all natural, and I can promise it won’t hurt her.”
The vet nodded. “Sometimes those old recipes are the best. Things haven’t always changed for the better when it comes to medicine. Give it a try, and if it works, I might just ask you for that recipe.” The vet looked around the stock room, finally found the vitamins he was looking for, and handed them to Jake.
“Now, just shove one of these into an apple and give it to those horses, once a day. Those are the two pregnant mares from the old Mercer place?”
Jake nodded. “Yes, sir. They were starved for a while. The fact that neither one lost their foal is amazing.” Ryan looked up at the tone in Jake’s voice. He could see that Jake was both angry and sad that anyone could be so cruel. Without thinking, he put his hand on Jake’s arm. Jake looked at him and smiled and patted his hand.
“Well, Doc, I guess we best be on our way. Thanks for the vitamins. I’ll settle up with Cora on the way out.”
The vet stuck out his hand, shook Jake’s and then Ryan’s. “Well, good luck, and let me know how it goes. I’ll be out next Monday to check on things, oh and, Jake? Add a little extra oats to those mares’ feed. They could do with the extra nutrients.”
“I will, Doc. And good luck with your organizing.” The vet was already immersed back in his task, and the two men left, stopping by the front desk to pay Jake’s bill. Cora hugged them both, patted their cheeks, and they left.
“Wow, Jake, they both sure like you.”
Jake just grinned. “They love animals, both of them. We make a good team when an animal is in trouble. And let me tell you, Cora is fierce when it comes to protecting those in need, animals or people.”
“Yeah, I could see that. She reminds me of my Gramma Ida, all protective and caring. So, where to next?”
“Well, I need to stop at the grocery store and the tack shop. Anywhere else you need to go?” They were walking side by side, hands brushing but not holding. They were both well aware of the fact that there was not hiding, and then there was being prudent. They knew that not everyone would be happy with their relationship and thought that discretion was the better part of valor.
Ryan thought for a second. “I need a drugstore, and that’s about it.”
Jake nodded. “Okay, well let’s hit the grocery store first, then the drug store, ’cause they are right beside each other. The tack shop is at the other end of town.”
They got the groceries they needed, and then Ryan called his Gramma Ida from his cell to get the exact ingredients he needed for the poultice. Fortunately, they were all available in the drugstore. Jake kept smiling, well aware of the fact that things never felt so easy with Mikayla. Everything had to be a production with her. They climbed back into the truck and headed for the tack shop.
There they found new bridles and halters for the horses, and they stopped to admire some hand-tooled saddles that were on display. “That reminds me, Ryan, I guess we had better find a saddle for you when we get home.” Ryan’s breath caught on the easy way Jake used the word “home.”
“It’s okay, Jake, I have one. It’s in the back of my truck, under the cover. My dad had it made for me years ago.” He smiled at the memory, but there was a touch
of sadness in it too. Jake quickly reached to squeeze his hand in empathy. Ryan looked at him, and the sadness faded.
“So, Andrews, you hungry? Wanna stop at the diner for lunch before we head home?” Jake said it deliberately this time, liking the effect it had on Ryan.
“Sure, I could use a burger. Got somewhere good around here? Somewhere not McDonald’s, but, like, real burgers?”
“Just so happens, Ryan, that we have the greatest diner in the state. Meg’s has the best burgers, and the fries are to die for. What do you say?”
“I say, let’s go. All of a sudden, I’m starving!”
They went back to the truck and dropped their stuff off before walking to the diner down the street. When they walked in, Ryan was delighted to find an old-fashioned soda shop, complete with red leather booths and mini jukeboxes at every table. “Wow, Jake, this is awesome.” They slid in on opposite sides of a booth and grabbed the menus from the stand on the table. “Oh my God, they have floats. That’s it. I am officially in heaven. Burgers, fries, floats”—Ryan leaned in to whisper—“and a hot date!”
Jake just grinned. He didn’t think he had smiled so much in years. “I know, right? And the food is awesome!” Just then a redheaded woman in an old-fashioned waitress uniform came to the table. “Jake, what a pleasure to see you. You haven’t been here in ages!”
“Sorry, Meg, just been busy lately. Meg, this is Ryan Andrews. Ryan, this is Meg Callahan. Owner of this fine establishment and queen of the diners, as far as I am concerned!” Meg blushed, but Ryan could see she was tickled by the compliment.
“Pleased to meet you, Meg!” It amazed Ryan that everywhere they went today, Jake was loved by everyone. The next thought hit him hard. Would they still love Jake so much if they knew about him? Ryan didn’t want to be the cause of any pain for this special man. He was beginning to wonder if he hadn’t made a mistake.
Jake saw the frown and was concerned. But Ryan looked at him and smiled.
“So, what are you boys having today?”
“I’ll have my usual, Meg. Ryan?”
Ryan looked at the menu. He wasn’t sure he was hungry anymore but didn’t want to worry Jake. “I’ll just have a cheeseburger with bacon and some fries.”
Jake looked at Meg. “And he’ll have a float.” He saw Ryan start to argue. “Shut up, Andrews, we can share if you are too wussy to drink it all. What flavor?”
Ryan couldn’t help but smile, for real this time. “Root beer, of course! And I ain’t no wuss!”
Meg finished writing it down and went off to order it. The two men just sat and chatted about nothing in particular, and Ryan could feel Jake’s leg pressing against his under the table. He liked it because it made him feel connected. The food came, and it was delicious, like Jake promised.
Watching Ryan take so much pleasure in the ice cream float turned out to be a big turn-on for Jake. All of a sudden, he couldn’t wait to get home. “You done, Ryan?”
Something in Jake’s voice made Ryan sit up and take notice. Jake’s eyes had gotten darker and his voice deeper, and he realized that something had really aroused him. Ryan licked his lips, getting the ice cream off of them, and he watched Jake’s breath quicken. His eyes widened when he realized that what was turning Jake on was him.
“Let’s get out of here, Jake. We’ve got, uhm, stuff to do back at the ranch.”
Jake nodded and went to grab the bill. The bell over the door rang, and he looked up to see a large man coming in, glowering at Jake. “Shit!”
It came out a whisper, and Ryan looked at him questioningly. “Ben Johnson, Jen’s husband.” He was still whispering, but when the man reached the table, Jake looked up at him. “Hello, Ben, what can I do for you?”
The big man reached out, grabbed Jake by the front of the shirt, and pulled him to his feet. “What did you do to my wife, Evans?”
Chapter 14
Jake looked down at the hand on the front of his shirt before looking calmly at the man it belonged to. “Ben, I’m gonna ask you nicely to let go of my shirt, please.” Ryan was terrified and wondered how much help he would be if he jumped on the huge man’s back. But Jake didn’t seem concerned at all. He just stood there, staring at Ben, not saying anything, and waited.
“She said you grabbed her and pushed her. She was crying and said it was your fault.” Ryan could see that the big man was really upset, but he thought maybe there was something else going on.
“Ben, please let go, and then we can talk.” Ryan was awed by the fact that Jake wasn’t afraid at all. Ben looked at Jake for a second longer and then let go of Jake’s shirt, almost looking defeated.
“I’m sorry, Jake. You know how I get with her.”
Jake nodded and gently encouraged him to sit down across from Ryan, giving him the opportunity to slide in beside him. He reached down where Ryan’s hand was resting on the seat and grabbed it. He knew Ryan was upset, and he really just wanted to take him out of there, but he needed to work this out with Ben first.
“Jake, what the fuck happened? She was in hysterics, crying, cursing you, saying you hurt her. I knew it couldn’t be right, but dammit, she gets to me every fucking time.” He rubbed his face with his hands, and Ryan thought he looked very tired.
“Ben, she just showed up at my place, being rude, demanding to know where I’d been. I told her to go home, and she got ruder. So I grabbed her arm, hauled her to the truck, and pushed her in. That was it, I swear.” Ben nodded, like he knew it was the truth. Then he seemed to notice Ryan for the first time. Ryan wasn’t sure he wanted to be noticed.
Jake could feel the tension radiating from Ryan and squeezed his hand to reassure him. “Ben, this is my friend Ryan. He’s my new hand. He’s gonna help me get that barn in shape, and he’s real good with the horses.”
Ben stuck his big hand out and Ryan shook it, trying to not think about the fact that this man could crush him like a bug. “Nice to meet you, Ryan. Sorry about the drama.”
“No problem, Ben. Good to meet you too.” He thought he sounded convincing. He just wanted to get the hell out of there and go home.
“God, Jake, I am such an idiot. It’s just, all the guys flirt with her, and she lets them, and it drives me crazy. I know you’re not like that, probably the only one who’s not.” He looked old, all of a sudden.
“Don’t worry about it, Ben. No harm done. But, Ben, don’t let her get to you like that. You don’t deserve it.” Ben just nodded.
“Thanks, Jake. I gotta get going. Think I’m gonna go to the bar and have a few.” He stood up and shook Jake’s hand, looked curiously at Ryan, and left.
Jake and Ryan both sighed and looked at each other. Ryan grinned a little. “That was scary… and awesome. If he would have done that to me, I would have just dangled there from his fist.” He twisted his hand so that they were palm to palm and sat there for a minute.
Jake stroked his thumb across Ryan’s palm before letting go and standing up. “Come on, let’s pay the bill and get out of here.” Ryan stood up. Jake paid the bill, and they left.
When they climbed into the truck, Ryan was back to sitting on the other side of the seat. Jake didn’t say anything, just started the truck and headed back out of town. Ryan sat quietly, looking out the window, and Jake just let him, until they were out of town.
“Ryan, look at me, please?” Ryan turned his face toward Jake, and Jake could see that his eyes were red and that he was really sad. “That’s it!”
He pulled over on a side road, threw off his seat belt, and got out of the truck. He walked around to the other side, pulling a very confused Ryan out of the truck. He wrapped both arms around him and pulled him as close as he could. Ryan stood stiffly for a second before melting into the embrace. He slid his arms up around Jake’s neck and tucked his head under Jake’s chin.
They stood there for a minute before Jake pulled back slightly to look into Ryan’s eyes. “Are you gonna tell me what’s going on? I mean, Ben acted like an ass, but it wasn’
t entirely his fault.” Ryan nodded, looking miserable.
“It wasn’t that, really. It’s just that… everyone likes you, Jake. You have a place here. A part in the community. People who genuinely care for you. And how much is it gonna change if they find out about me, us, whatever? Are you really willing to lose all that?” Ryan blinked back tears, the thought of leaving tearing him apart. But he would, to help Jake.
He was shocked when Jake grinned at him. “I’m not losing anything yet, Ryan. And the people who like me? They’ll like me when they find out I’m gay too. If they don’t? Well, I’m not losing much, then, am I? And look what I’m gaining. Someone who’s smart and funny and beautiful.” Ryan blushed, but he was smiling now. Jake slid his hands down Ryan’s back and grabbed his ass cheeks, pulling them closer together. When he spoke, his voice was deeper. “And I get this gorgeous ass, all to myself.” He pulled back and gave Ryan a mock frown. “I do get it all to myself, don’t I? I don’t share well with others!”
Ryan chuckled before nuzzling into Jake’s neck. He lowered one hand to rub against the front of Jake’s jeans, where a suspicious bulge was beginning to form. “As long as this is all mine!” he growled into Jake’s neck and started tracing the long line of Jake’s cock through his jeans with his fingers, causing both of them to breathe faster.
Jake put his hand on the back of Ryan’s neck and pulled him up into a tender, loving kiss that soon changed to one of want and desperation. When they pulled back to breathe, Jake licked a trail from Ryan’s lips to his ear. “We need to get home now, before I throw you on the front seat of this truck and fuck you until we both can’t see straight!” His voice was raspy from heavy breathing and desire.
Ryan just pushed him toward the truck, and he scrambled in himself, this time settling himself beside Jake. Jake pulled back onto the highway and started for home. Ryan’s hand was back on Jake’s thigh, only this time it wasn’t staying there. Ryan turned in his seat a bit, once his seat belt was done up. He undid the button of Jake’s jeans and traced along the top of the jeans with one finger, dipping into the vee the unbuttoning created. When he ran his finger down the zipper, the brunet groaned, and the truck swerved.
Cowboy Way Page 7