Jesse

by Jan Irving

  “Youre shy.”

  “What?” Kyle swung around to glare at Jesse. “Youre crazy.”

  Jesse chuckled. “I love that you dont see yourself as the sexy man you are. The way your eyes widen when I say something suggestive or call you beautiful.”

  “Ive never had a”—Kyle cleared his throat—“a young admirer before. It does something to a man.”

  Jesse quirked an eyebrow in a saucy way, and Kyle found himself laughing. Damn, hed forgotten how much fun Jesse always had been. Hed missed him so much. He fought the goofy need to reach out and touch him, just brush his fingers over the back of Jesses hand. Maybe he was still short on sleep or something?

  “It certainly did something to you not so long ago.”

  “Oh yeah.” He was sated, and even if he was cold and sopping wet, he felt happier than hed been in a long time—since Mac was alive and the boys lived with them. Only this was different. He and Mac had been the same age, had possessed much of the same experience. They had enjoyed a comfortable relationship, but nothing like this. Mac would never talk about putting Kyle in brown chaps and parading him around.

  “But you’d be so sexy wearing them.”

  Kyle gasped as Jesse inserted an image of Kyle dressed that way, his junk just…hanging out while Jesse gave him a possessive tap on his ass, showing him off to an admiring audience of men.

  He covered his eyes, laughing, cringing, and not a little turned on.

  “Water has let up,” Jesse said, as if he hadnt zinged that image into Kyles brain.

  “Thank Christ.”

  “You got off easy.” Jesses tone was a double entendre.

  “Its never easy with you, Jess,” Kyle contradicted. He shoved open the door of the truck, wanting to avoid saying anything further. Why couldnt he resist Jesse? But more and more he was laughing, he was wanting, he was not seeing Jess as too young or Macs brother, someone forbidden to him.

  He was seeing him as a lover.

  * * *

  “Jeez, its so pretty here. I forgot…” Jesse looked around at the meadow, at the foothills beyond that were the branches of mountains in the distance. After a dry summer, the grass was tall and yellow and made whispering sounds as it rubbed in the wind. Late purple and gold flowers were bent from the rainfall, and Kyle even made out wild strawberries under some of the pine and aspen trees.

  “Falls my favorite season,” Kyle said.

  “I remember,” Jesse told him, flashing a grin. “Cant believe school starts in ten days. Im really going to have to speed up my paperwork to get David into all his classes.”

  “Have you heard from him today?” Kyle had had a whisper of something uneasy rubbing up and down his spine about David all day.

  “Nope, not since that text this morning,” Jesse said. “I want to give him space, but Ive found myself thinking about him on and off. I hope hes having a good time at the beach.”

  Kyle rubbed his eyebrow. “I guess thats how kids communicate with us now, huh? Texting.”

  “We had to do a lot of it.” Jesses face hardened. “I sure hated leaving him with Morrison, but if I hadnt been working, Im not sure we would have had anything to eat sometimes.”

  “I get it. Mac had a similar story about what it was like growing up with Morrison, and I think your pa got even worse when you boys came around.”

  “It was enough to make the old lady up and leave us; thats for sure. Not that I blame her.”

  “Well, Ill be glad to see Davy at dinner,” Kyle said, shoving his hat back on his forehead. It had just rained, but now it was getting warm again. “Its going to be tough for him to start out so soon in a new school. Maybe if he gets used to the ranch again, itll help.”

  “Hes had to stop and start at a lot of schools,” Jesse agreed. “Which is why Im fucking grateful you gave us a place to stay.”

  “Well, uh, obviously this stretch of fencing needs work.” Kyle gestured to the fallen section, uncomfortable being the source of the light shining in Jesses eyes. He was an average man, nothing special. “Ive had the hands keep the cattle out of here until it can be repaired.”

  Jesses forehead wrinkled as he stalked over to the fallen logs. He knelt and examined the surrounding grass. “Kyle, I think you should take a look at this!”

  Kyle joined him, looking at the loose wood chips in Jesses palm. “What the hell…?”

  “Yeah, looks like someone took a mallet to it or something. The fencing was deliberately brought down.”

  “Well, hell!” Kyle sprang up, temper prodded. “I dont have enough hands right now as it is. If you hadnt come to the ranch, it might have been another week before I could get anyone out here to repair it.”

  Jesse gave him a sober look. “Could be kids playing some kind of prank.”

  Kyle felt the weight of the problems with ranch pushing on him and rubbed the back of his tense neck. He missed having someone to confide in, share it with, as he had with Mac. He looked at Jesse, wondering. But even after what theyd done, it didnt make them partners. “I sure as hell hope a prank is all it is.”

  * * *

  Jesse watched Kyle as he drove them back to the ranch. He was finding it hard, wanting to touch Kyle and revel in his claim, fighting an insecure part of himself that remembered what it was like to be sixteen and crushing—completely crushing—on his older brothers boyfriend.

  It was strange because Kyle had always been so low-key. He wasnt the kind of man who was flashy or had time to visit clubs or keep up with the latest movies. But he was there for you, absolutely there, when you needed him. Jesse admired him, and he wanted him.

  “Is that David?” Kyle asked as they pulled up near the barn. Jesse frowned, catching a glimpse of his brother looking over his shoulder before he ducked behind one of the outbuildings. “He said hed be at the beach all day.”

  Kyle cut off the engine and sat back, looking over at Jesse. Jesse sighed. “I think something happened to him a few months back.” Kyle tensed, and Jesse reached out, touched his arm. “What do you think happened?” Jesse rubbed his eyes. He hadnt been sleeping well down the hall from Kyle. “I

  dont know, and he wont say. I want to demand he tell me, but he just goes off on his own whenever I bring up the topic.” “I guess you have to leave it, then.” Kyle didnt look any happier than Jesse. “Yeah, but how do I know hell come to me?”

  “Faith, Jess. You take it on faith. He loves you. Give him time.”

  * * *

  “Mr. Jacobs, we got a problem!”

  Jesse looked to Kyle for explanation.

  “Thats Miles. He looks after the draft horses, among other things.” Kyle and Jesse exited the truck.

  “Whats up?” Kyle asked.

  “Its Hall! He went lame after he was assigned as Lindsays horse, but the

  mayors wife wants a tour, and her sister-in-law is in town. You know hes a favorite.” “Hall?” The Percheron was the best of his herd. “Fuck the tour. Where is he?” “They radioed theyd like to truck him back now.”

  “Do it, then call the vet for Hall and let Sally take the rest of the day doing

  circuits in Pigeon. If the mayors wife is unhappy, tell her she can have a carriage ride on the house with her sister-in-law. And get Mike groomed and ready to go out with the trailer on the return trip.” Kyle looked at Jesse. “Hes still young, but hes a smart horse, needs the stimulation of a five-day workweek.”

  Jesse nodded, brushing his brown hair out of his eyes, hair that was mussed from Kyles hands. “Let me know what I can do to help, boss.” Kyle felt something in his chest warm up. Jesse had told him he didnt have any trouble with Kyle as the foreman here on the Double M. He was a man of his word, no matter what they wound up doing when they were off alone somewhere.

  “Find David,” Kyle said, thinking of two birds, one stone. “Tell him I need him.”

  * * *

  “What are we looking for here?” David asked. He wouldnt meet Kyles eyes, and Kyle had noticed right off the boy had a
swollen lip. Had he had a fight with one of his buddies on the beach, and thats why hed been at the ranch?

  “I want to see where Halls injury is.” After a moment David seemed to take interest, so they both watched Jesse lead Hall through a walk and then a trot in the ring.

  “Kyle, you see his head is dropping when he puts weight on his hind leg?” Jesse called.

  “Yeah.” Kyle climbed over the fence and joined Jesse, before gently smoothing

  a hand over Hall. “Theres a lump just above his left hock.”

  “Bruising?” David asked, having been lured into the ring by Halls distress.

  The animal stood with his head down, not at all his bright, alert self. “Hope thats all it is,” Kyle said. “Marjorie will tell us.” He looked at David.

  “Shes our vet. Good woman.”

  “I hate to see him in pain,” David said, his gray eyes full of empathy. “I can feel

  it.” His hand was on Halls nose, stroking gently. He had the same easy touch as

  Jesse had with horses, Kyle noted with approval.

  “Yeah, it sucks, but well help him out. Just dont understand how he got

  bruised. My guys are really careful loading the horses in the trailers.” Kyle

  squeezed the teens shoulder. “Id like to assign you to watch over Hall. Im

  understaffed right now.”

  Davids eyes widened. “Really?”

  “Hes the barn boss,” Jesse pointed out. “And you could use the cash, with

  school coming up.”

  David grimaced. “School, yeah. So looking forward to that.”

  “Never mind, Davy. Hall really needs you right now,” Kyle said. “And heres

  Marjorie.” Kyle could guess what she might recommend as he watched a car pull up.

  A short woman with salt-and-pepper hair got out and waved in his direction before

  pulling a leather bag from the backseat. Kyle decided to stay for the examination.

  Hall was the pride of his herd, blue ribbon all the way.

  And the gelding might also be the way to reaching wary David.

  * * *

  “Its bruising, just like you figured, Kyle,” Marjorie said.

  “Will he be okay?” David asked.

  “Hell need rest and good nutrition, but he should recover in a few days.” She

  gave Kyle an approving look. “Fortunately good nutrition is never a problem with your animals.” “I sure hope hes feeling better for the Fall Festival coming up,” Kyle said. “Hes always a hit.”

  Marjorie nodded. “I know. Top honors all the years youve entered him. Well, just keep an eye on him, and call me if theres any change.”

  “I just wish I knew how hed gotten such a bad bruise,” Kyle grumbled, walking Marjorie back to her car. She opened the passenger side and sat down, pulling off the heavy boots she wore and replacing them with sandals.

  “No way to know. Youre just a big protective daddy over your herd,” she teased. Then her green eyes focused on Jesse, standing with David. “Now he is something. Macs younger brother? I heard a rumor in the diner in town the Coulter boys were back and youd taken them in, same as before.”

  Kyle flushed. “Um.”

  Marjorie chuckled. “Uh-huh. Dont worry. Your crush is safe with me, cowboy.” Kyle raised his brows. “You dont think Im too mature for a—”

  “Ive got five years on you, and that young man is definitely crush material! Is it true he rides a Harley? Very fine.”

  Kyle sighed, looking over at Jesse, at his brown hair and tall, muscular frame. “He is that,” he agreed. He looked at his old friend. “And thanks for giving David that photocopy on caring for a lame horse.”

  “That kid has a nice way about him. Sad eyes,” Marjorie noted. “Theres nothing like a horse when you feel sad.”

  Chapter Eight

  You should enhance your feminine side at this time. Kyle dived for his fortune when David snatched it and read it, cracking up. He crumpled it into a ball and threw it at Kyle, who found himself laughing too. “Dont you know you shouldnt read someone elses fortune?” Kyle demanded over the wrecked bounty of takeout Chinese. “Its bad luck.” Jesse leaned over Kyle to pour more lemonade into his beer glass and smirked when he read a fragment of Kyles fortune. “I can help you with that,” he drawled in a voice too low for David to pick up.

  Kyle blushed. “Uh.” Jesses husky laughter made Kyle smile reluctantly. He sat back at the table, thinking maybe it wasnt too bad none of them had time to cook a proper meal on Friday nights. What did matter was the three of them were together again. It made him ache a little for Mac. Not the powerful grief hed once felt, but a gentle ache, a noticing of one empty place at the table.

  “I miss him too,” Jesse sent him. Kyle cleared his throat and turned his attention to David. “Going to sleep in the cot in the barn again?” he asked. For some reason David had insisted that as part of looking out for Hall, he should sleep nearby. Kyle had been taken aback by the teens insistence, but hed slept a few times in the barn himself when one of his herd was having a rough time.

  Davids face sobered. “Yeah. I guess you think its weird.”

  “Nope. Being horse crazy is pretty much why Im here,” Kyle noted mildly. “But youve been hanging out on the ranch a lot, not spending much time with your pals at the beach.”

  David played with his fortune, which he hadnt shared with Jesse or Kyle. “Its okay.”

  “School on Monday,” Jesse reminded him. “But I think we got you all ready.”

  Jesse had taken David shopping and invested in a whole new set of clothes. Kyle had finally persuaded David the pink in his hair was maybe something he should play around with in the summertime only, so the blond brown was close cropped, setting off a rangy bone structure all the Coulter men possessed and Davids large gray eyes.

  “Ready to be the new weird kid, yeah. Yay,” David groused.

  “Remember youll be working for me at the kiosk in Pigeon every weekend,” Kyle pointed out, hoping to alleviate Davids moodiness.

  “Id really like to learn how to be Halls driver,” David said. “Anyway, Im off.” He snatched a handful of leftover fortune cookies and headed for the back door.

  “Ill look in on him,” Kyle promised Jesse, watching as the younger man gathered the nights feast and began tossing out what they were finished with. There was a cube under the sink that Kyle used for scraps to recycle into the kitchen garden, so Jesse paused to sort things carefully. Kyle appreciated Jesses consideration. He and David had only been living here a short time, and yet they had both made an effort to fit in with how Kyle ran his household.

  “So will I,” Jesse said, smiling over his shoulder at Kyle.

  “Uh, yeah.” Last night theyd run into each other checking up on a sleeping David, and Jesse had taken his kiss under a tree in the shadows. They hadnt had a repeat of the near-fucking incident, but this was probably more due to both of them being up to their asses in work. The ranch was still understaffed, and another man had quit recently. Jesse had been busy the past weeks patching up all the broken fencing theyd discovered. Kyle wasnt inclined to think that prank was very funny now, if he ever had. If it was the work of kids, it was pretty fucking obsessive.

  He sighed, shifting his tense shoulders. At least Hall was recovering nicely, mostly due to Davids TLC. The boy said even less to Jesse and Kyle than he had previously, but he seemed more relaxed. He led the Percheron around the ring in the mornings, letting Hall walk so Kyle and Jesse could check his gait. Kyle was going to give the gelding some extra time to rest up for the looming Fall Festival. He could fill in the gap with other horses from his herd. The problem was finding good drivers. Unfortunately the right person didnt fall off trees. It had been tough when hed lost two of his most experienced employees earlier in the summer. Both men had quit without comment around the same time Kyle had lost his barn boss.

  “Tired, honey?” Jesse teased. He put his hands on Kyles shoulders and dug in.


  “Oh! Oh fuck, Jess.”

  “Fuck is right. You sound like Im bringing you to climax.”

  Kyle didnt even have the energy to blush over that drawled comment. Jesses hands felt entirely too good on his sore muscles. “Harder.”

  “Oh, baby.”

  “Smart-ass.”

  Jesses lips brushed against the side of Kyles neck, and he shivered, feeling the rasp of Jesses whiskers and the silk of his lips. Jesse nipped at his skin, one palm moving forward and going under Kyles T-shirt collar to the smooth chest underneath.

  Kyles cock had already shown some interest, just from Jesses touch, but now he was so hard he was stiffly confined in his jeans.

  “Jess…”

  Jesses eyes were sober as he looked straight into Kyles. “I want to give you your kiss tonight in your bedroom, Kyle.”

  Kyle sucked in a breath, feeling like Jesse was pushing at more than a threshold into a room. If he gave way, Jesse would be welcome as a lover.

  “David…”

  “Does your door have a lock?” Jesses open mouth was against his neck, making it hard for Kyle to remember his own name, never mind the setup for his bedroom. When Jesses hand slid down and palmed him through his jeans, squeezing appreciatively over his size, Kyle groaned.

  “Earth to Kyle.”

  “Yeah, it has a lock.” It was a habit hed gotten into when he and Mac lived with Jesse and David. Now, oddly, it was Jesse he was considering inviting into his bedroom. He rubbed his whiskered jaw.

  “Dont start on the age crap again.”

  “Its not crap. You cant wish away all those years, Jess. Even if things worked out the way you like to imagine, one day Id leave you alone. Thats serious, so you shouldnt trivialize it.”

  “I dont.” Jesse sat down on the chair next to him, leaning forward and cupping Kyles face. “I love you for who you are, and I happen to believe that loving the right man is worth it.”