by J. P. Bowie
They walked to the exit, Talia hanging on to Tim’s arm as if she were afraid he’d bolt. “It’s funny,” she said. “Just last week Mom was talking about the insurance they had in case anything happened to her or Dad. I told her to stop talking about it…and now… You think she had a premonition?”
“No, she was just being her usual efficient self.” Tim squeezed her arm to his side. “You know how Dad always left things like that to her, and she probably wanted you to know about it, you know…in case.”
They were quiet on the ride to his parents’ house in Mira Loma. It was going to feel strange to come home and them not be there.
“I put clean sheets on your bed,” Talia said suddenly.
“Thanks. Are you going to stay on at the house?”
Talia sighed. “I don’t know. It’s too soon to make any decisions like that. The house will be yours and mine, so if you want to sell it…”
“Like you said, it’s too soon.” They fell silent again and Tim stared out of the side window at the tree-lined roads they were traveling along. This area of Mira Loma was quite beautifully landscaped, the small houses set among lush greenery. It was sometimes hard to remember they were still surrounded by desert. It gave him something else to concentrate on. Lloyd had a bit of heavy foot, but Tim tried not to obviously flinch when the truck got too close to the car in front. He hoped Lloyd hadn’t heard his sigh of relief when they pulled up onto the driveway.
He waited until Talia had gone to the bathroom to freshen up before he asked Lloyd, “Did she see them?”
Lloyd nodded. “Had to identify them. Shook her up, as you can imagine, but she said, considering the state of the car, they didn’t look bad. Some cuts…bruises on their faces. The mortician will take care of that.” He paused before adding, “Of course, she didn’t see what the sheets were covering.”
Tim shuddered. “Right. I—I’m still a bit in the dark about how it happened.”
“Accident, pure and simple. Your dad must’ve strayed too near the divider. He clipped it and the car went over. No other vehicles were involved and the report said your dad hadn’t been drinking, so the cops released the bodies to the mortuary the next day. They’re to be cremated. Did you know that?”
“No, but if that’s what they wanted…”
Talia walked back into the kitchen. “Are you boys hungry?” She looked better. Her hair appeared freshly combed and she had applied a little makeup.
“You look nice,” Tim told her, thinking Lloyd should have said something similar.
“Thanks.” She smiled wanly. “So, hungry?”
“I could eat,” Tim said. “Let me take you to lunch.”
“I’ll leave you both to it.” Lloyd swallowed the last of his beer and threw the can into the trash. “I told them at work I’d be in soon as we got you back from the airport.”
“Oh, okay. Talia, you have a place you like?”
Talia nodded. “There’s a new Arby’s on Hall Street. I’ll make dinner for us later. You coming back, Lloyd?”
“I’ll let you guys talk.” He kissed Talia’s cheek. “See you tomorrow. Catch you later, Tim.”
“How’re you two getting along?” he asked when Talia came back from walking Lloyd to the door..
She shrugged. “He’s not the most ambitious of guys, happy to work at Moe’s Auto Repairs forever, by the looks of things, but he’s good to me. Let me get my car keys and we can talk more on the way.” She swiped at her eyes while she continued, “Do you want to see Mom and Dad? We can stop by the funeral home later if you like.”
“Yes, that’d be good.” It wouldn’t, but it was something he had to do. Their passing still seemed unreal in a way. Seeing them would be a harsh reality, but… He sighed and Talia put her arms around him, and they hugged for a long time.
Chapter Two
Ryan Horton put his Chevy Silverado in gear then pulled out of the gas station where he’d filled up and asked the attendant if he knew how much farther it was to the Seven Plus Ranch.
“Not much more than twenty miles, I’d say. Watch out for the Double R. It’s a bigger spread just before the Seven Plus.”
Ryan was more than glad to be on the final stretch. The two-day drive from Billings, Montana, had been rough on his old truck, and the funky suspension had been rough on his back and butt. He’d stopped overnight in a motel in Elko, more for the sake of his truck than for himself. He could most likely have driven the entire way without stopping except for gas and a bite to eat, but Silver most definitely wouldn’t have appreciated the trauma of seventeen hours nonstop hauling ass.
Now that he was almost there, he had mixed feelings about the decision he’d made to give up the rodeo circuit and opt for an easier and, he had to admit, more lucrative way to make a living. Things had been rough the last six months, especially in July, which should have been the month when he made the most money. Trouble was, although he competed nearly every day, he just couldn’t seem to hit that winning streak he’d enjoyed in previous years. No wins meant no prize money. No prize money meant not having enough to enter the events. Yep, it had been rough all right, and that had been the reason for this trip to the Seven Plus Ranch, courtesy of Duke Menzies.
Seemed Duke knew a certain Parker Jones. They’d competed together some years back and Parker had offered Duke a place at his new ‘dude ranch’.
‘I’d have jumped at it if I was on the right side of forty, but dealin’ with greenhorns out to ride a horse for fun just didn’t appeal at my age.’ He’d given Ryan Parker Jones’ card. ‘He told me to send seasoned riders his way if I thought they were good enough, so give him a call if you’re serious about leavin’ the circuit. Pretty sure he’d hire a rider with your experience.’
So Ryan had called Parker and liked the deep and sincere-sounding voice. They’d chin-wagged about life on the circuit and it was obvious Parker had a lot of fond memories of the times he’d been an active competitor.
‘Now, before we go any further,’ Parker had said suddenly, ‘the Seven Plus caters mainly to gay men, some ladies too, and we’ve had the occasional straight couple, but tell me up front if you have a problem with any of that. Bein’ gay isn’t a requirement for working here. We have several straight employees, but I just want to give you a heads-up.’
‘I don’t have any problem with that, sir. I’m gay. I used to tell myself I was bisexual but that didn’t last long.’
Parker had chuckled. ‘Yeah, I used to fool myself that way too, then I met my husband, and that was that. Royce is also co-owner with me. He handles all the legalities and the payroll etc. He is an attorney in the daytime so he knows what he’s doin’—at least, that’s what he tells me.’
Ryan decided he’d like Parker even without meeting him, and the conversation he’d had with Royce the following day was just as satisfactory, even if it was at a more businesslike level. He’d given Royce all the information he’d needed and was asked if he had any objection to Royce running a background check.
‘That way,’ Royce had told him, ‘We’ll have everything out of the way, and if it all pans out, we can offer you the job before you have to make the trip from Montana. Parker says Duke is a good judge of character and an admirer of your skill in the rodeo circuit, so if everything comes back clean, you’ll have a job here.’
Ryan had sighed with relief when, a few days later, Parker had called and told him to get to California quick as he could. ‘You passed with flyin’ colors, my man, so Royce and me are looking forward to meeting with you. Just call and give us an idea of when to expect you.’
It was dusk by the time he spotted the sign for the Seven Plus Ranch. He had to admit to a sense of apprehension mixed with excitement. It’d been a while since he’d worked with other people. On the circuit he’d been very much his own boss, no one to answer to, or make excuses to. If he screwed up, it was on him. He parked his truck just inside the gate, unsure if there were spaces for employee vehicles. When he turned off the engine,
he could swear he heard a sigh of relief coming from it. He chuckled to himself. You and your imagination…
A tall blond guy in well-worn jeans and a brown checkered shirt was the first person he saw, and who saw him. “Can I help you?”
“Yeah, I’m lookin’ for Parker Jones.”
“Oh, you must be the new guy.” He held out his hand. “I’m Seth Archer.”
Ryan took the proffered hand in a firm grip. “Ryan Horton.”
“Good to meet you. Parker’s over in the stable. I’ll take you there.”
They walked side by side, Seth talking up a storm as they went. If all the guys are friendly like this one, Ryan thought, this could be an okay place to work.
They entered the stable, Ryan pleased with the look of the barn. Clean, well-lit and airy. The several horses in the stalls, from what he could see, appeared to be well-fed and groomed. Nice.
“Hey, Parker,” Seth called out. “Found your new hire for ya.”
“Thanks, Seth.” A leanly muscled, broad-shouldered man headed his way, and Ryan instinctively knew this guy had been a bronco rider. Can’t mistake that gait for anything else. His smile and firm handshake put Ryan completely at ease. So too did the surprised yell from farther into the stable.
“Ryan Horton, I’ll be damned.”
“Jordan! Hey, man, good to see you.” They shook hands then hugged briefly before Jordan turned to Parker. “Sorry, Boss, didn’t mean to get in the way. Just surprised to see Ryan here. We worked a rodeo in Reno together a couple of years back.”
“Glad you two know each other,” Parker said. “Makes settlin’ in easier, right? Okay…” He clapped Ryan on the shoulder. “Let’s go on over to the house. Royce has some paperwork for you to look at and sign.”
“See you tomorrow, then,” Jordan said.
“Good seein’ you.” Ryan shook hands with Jordan again then followed Parker out of the stable. “Nice surprise seeing Jordan here.”
Parker nodded. “He’s been with us over a year now. Got himself hitched to a high school teacher. Blake…real nice guy. They live off ranch, so if you need somewhere to bunk, we have a spare goin’ right now.”
“That would be great. As you can probably tell, I’m travelin’ light.”
They’d reached a fine-looking ranch house and Ryan was greeted outside by a tall, handsome blond man, elegant in a business suit, even with his shirt collar open at the neck.
“Ryan, this is my husband, Royce. He just got back from his office, hence the fancy duds.”
Once again, Ryan was made to feel at ease in the company of his new employers as the two men smiled at each other. After a handshake, Royce said, “Come on in. Like a drink? Beer, Scotch…”
“A beer would go down well right about now.” Ryan looked around the well- furnished room, at the overstuffed leather couches, the large stone fireplace and the prints on the walls depicting rodeo riders in action.
“You hungry?” Parker asked.
“I stopped for a bite about twenty miles back, so I’m good, thanks.”
“We have a diner for our employees,” Royce told him. “Separate from the guests, so you can get something to eat all day.”
He took the beer Parker handed him then followed Royce through the house to a wood-paneled room with a large desk and walls of bookshelves all filled to capacity.
“Take a seat,” Royce said, removing his jacket and slinging it over the back of his chair. “We’ll get this over with so Parker can show you your cabin and get you settled for the night. We’re between bookings right now, but we have a flood of guests coming in over the weekend, so you’ll have time to get acclimatized, meet the other guys, and Parker will show you how we initiate the guests into caring for the horses as well as how to ride them.”
“Sounds good. I’m looking forward to gettin’ to work again. The last month or so has been kinda flat, so when Duke mentioned you might be lookin’ to hire, I was really interested.”
“We like it when we get referrals from men who know and work with good horsemen. Parker spoke with Duke and he was very sure you’d do well here, so that’s all the reference we need. I’ve done some checking from the information you sent me and it all looks good.” He grinned at Ryan. “I have to say that your driver’s license photo doesn’t do you much justice.”
Ryan chuckled. “Know what you mean. A friend of mine said it looked more like a wanted poster.”
Royce pushed a document across the desk toward Ryan. “Take a moment to read this before signing. It’s a contract between you and the owners of the Seven Plus Ranch—that’s Parker and me, as you know. Couple of clauses that I’ve underlined so you don’t miss them.”
Ryan scanned the contract and blinked at one clause Royce had underlined. “No sexual fraternization between guests and employees,” he muttered. “I’d have thought that was pretty obvious.”
“Yeah, we thought so too,” Royce said, “but we had a couple of incidents in the past that necessitated we add that to the contract. Our trainers are, for the most part, a fairly attractive bunch, and at times, we get some good-looking male guests, so it’s not too much of a stretch to figure there might be the chance of a ‘strangers in the night’ scenario. All the staff here know the rules and are quick to defuse any kind of innuendo or inappropriate touching. The guests also sign that they agree to the rules, so a polite reminder is usually all it takes to set things straight.”
Ryan nodded and signed the contract.
“Any questions?” Royce asked.
“I’ll most likely think of some later, but right now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get some shut-eye. The trip was longer than need be because of the state of my truck. Oh, by the way, I left it just inside the gates. Wasn’t sure where to park it.”
“There’s spaces round the back for parking,” Parker told him, “but you can leave it till the morning. Come with me and I’ll show you to your cabin and point some stuff out on the way.”
“Good having you on board, Ryan.” Royce stretched across his desk to shake Ryan’s hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow sometime.”
“Thanks, Royce. A pleasure meeting you.” He followed Parker again as he led him outside and past a line of well-built cabins all facing a swimming pool and Jacuzzi.
“These are the guest cabins,” Parker told him. “The bunkhouse is next.” Parker used a key to unlock the door and they stepped inside a large room with wood plank flooring and some comfortable-looking couches and chairs.
“Royce calls this the common room. You can relax here on your breaks or when you’re through for the day. There’s fresh coffee here in the morning and a vending machine around the corner in the diner there if you need a snack at any time. The rooms are down here. This one’s Tim’s. Tim Barrett. Unfortunately, he was called home. His mom and dad were killed in an auto accident so he’s there to comfort his sister and attend the funeral, of course.”
“Sorry to hear that,” Ryan murmured, feeling a quick surge of sympathy for the Tim he didn’t yet know. “Must’ve been a terrible shock.”
“Yep, it was. He’ll be back in a few days. This is your room.” He indicated the one next door to Tim’s and unlocked the door.
Ryan whistled softly when Parker switched on the light and he stared at the comfortable space which was so unlike any other bunkhouse room he’d ever seen before. Not at all pokey, and furnished with a good-size bed, chest of drawers, a recliner, fridge and TV.
“Bathroom’s behind the closet there, so you’re all self-contained.”
“This is real nice.”
“Royce wanted you guys to feel like this could be your home, so he saw to all the decoratin’ and furnishin’. Okay, so, that’s it. Here’s the key to your room and one for the bunkhouse door. I’ll let you get settled and see you in the morning. Meet me in the stable at eight.”
After another handshake, Parker left him and Ryan gazed appreciatively around what was now his room. He checked out the bathroom and looked with long
ing at the shower.
So, his background check had been clean. No reason it should have been anything else. That trouble in Billings hadn’t resulted in him having any kind of a record. For that he was truly thankful. Luck, and the fact the cops had wanted a quick resolution to the incident, had swung it all in his favor.
Okay, quit wool-gatherin’ and get your ass in gear. Get what little you have out of the truck, take a shower then climb into that good-lookin’ bed. Tomorrow is another day!
Chapter Three
For the next few days Tim did his best to keep Talia from falling into fits of depression. He knew this was harder for her, in a way. She’d lived with their parents since her divorce five years ago. Since then, there had been quite a few men in her life, as if she were desperately seeking someone better than her ex—a man who she refused to refer to by name.
For Tim, there had always been a divide between him and his parents. They loved one another well enough, but the disapproval of him being a rodeo rider, especially the bareback riding, made conversations awkward at times, because that topic could never be brought up. Then there was the secret he had to keep about his sexuality. He’d taken Talia’s warning to heart, but it seemed to him that, right there, was yet another part of his life, of his very being, they would never have approved of. So often when he’d still lived at home, he’d wanted to broach the subject of his being gay, but Talia’s words about his parents never understanding had stopped him every time.
“You think Abe will come to the funeral?”
Talia’s question took Tim by surprise. He and Abe had split three years ago—another pretty contentious breakup, though fortunately it didn’t have to be argued in front of lawyers. Abe was part of the reason Tim had left Reno and taken the job as a trainer at the Seven Plus.
“Why would he? He didn’t particularly like Mom and Dad.”
“True, but he just might come on the chance of seeing you.”
“I don’t think Abe would be interested in seeing me, or talking to me after how we ended it. He was pretty furious is the way I remember it. My refusing to tell Mom and Dad I was gay made him madder than a hornet every time he brought the subject up. That last time he used some pretty choice words to describe me that I haven’t forgotten. Actually, I don’t think he’d have the nerve to face me again.”