For the Love of the Broken Man (Love & Cowboys #3)

4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

When they walked into the large barn, Jase was definitely caught off guard at seeing two men—two extremely handsome men—kissing so passionately in the hallway. It was the first time he’d seen men kissing, in person anyway. The stuff he found on the internet at Savannah’s house when he had an opportunity to browse didn’t count because the most he could get was men kissing, and they were still photographs. The Stanfords had a smut filter on their internet access because of Robby, but what Jase got to see there was better than what he got to see at home, which was nothing.

After Dan interrupted them, Jase was pleased to see the handsome blond with the bright smile. He’d seen pictures of the couple on Savannah’s phone when they’d visited at Christmas one year, but seeing Tim Moran in person was so much better. The man had beautiful hazel eyes and a bright smile that could make Jase hard if he wasn’t careful.

“Hi, I’m Jason Langston, but please call me Jase. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Moran.” He was in awe of both men because they looked like they should be out of some sort of a gay fairy tale, which made him chuckle.

“Hey, Jase. It’s nice to meet you in person.” Tim extended his hand to shake, and Jase took it, feeling how soft it was and gasping in surprise.

He heard laughter and turned to see it wasn’t coming from Matt Collins; the handsome bull rider had a cocked eyebrow in his direction, so he let go of Tim’s hand and extended his to Matt. “Pleasure to see you again, Mr. Collins.”

Jase heard raucous laughter behind him, and he turned to see Dan leaning against a stall where a huge black horse was standing. The man was red in the face, and Jase wasn’t sure what was so funny, so he stepped back a little, putting space between him and his future bosses.

Tim glanced at Dan and Matt before a short laugh escaped him. “Let’s go to the office, Jason.”

As they started down the barn hallway, Jase heard Danny call out. “ He prefers Jase!”

Tim turned and flipped him off, which completely confused Jase, but he followed without question. Once they were inside the nice barn office, Tim handed him some paperwork and a pen.

“If you could fill this out, I’ll run a background check, if that’s okay. We run one on everybody who works here. Until next week, you, Danny, and Shiloh are going to be running things. Matt will help, and Ryan and Rocky have chores after school. Oh, you’ll meet them this afternoon.”

Jase nodded. Savannah had already alerted him of the background check.

“You’re going to live at the Katydid with my aunt and uncle because we, um, we don’t have any room, right now.” Tim’s cheeks were pink, though Jase didn’t know why.

Jase hadn’t considered the sleeping arrangements, but he wasn’t picky about it. He was grateful to have somewhere to sleep, and he didn’t even care if it was inside. All he wanted was to be on his own.

“Not a problem, Mr. Moran.” Jase put pen to paper to fill out the form.

When he got to the part about previous experience, Jase’s mouth got dry. “I, uh, I don’t have any experience, but Savannah told you that, right?” Jase’s palms grew sweaty to the point his hand slid down the pen.

Tim laughed. “Don’t worry about that part. Just fill out sections one, three, four, and sign section five. We know you don’t have any experience, but that’s okay. You want coffee or something?”

Jase was concentrating on the questions, happily checking the no boxes regarding if he’d been convicted of a felony, if he’d ever failed a drug test, or if he’d ever used any other name than Jason Langston.

He remembered his social security number, and he listed Savannah Stanford as his emergency contact. She’d get to his mother if necessary, so he felt he’d covered his bases.

Reading the last box, Jase noted that he would be immediately dismissed if any of his claims were found to be false. He went back to look it over again to ensure he hadn’t missed anything before he signed and dated the paper at the bottom.

“Do you want some coffee or water?” Jase glanced up to see a smirk on Tim’s handsome face.

“Sorry. I get a little anal about things, sometimes. I wanted to make certain I filled out everything honestly. Um, water would be nice, if you don’t mind.” Jase couldn’t take his eyes off Tim’s graceful, slender body moving through the room toward the exit. Matt Collins was a lucky man.

After meeting with Tim in the office, Jase was directed to meet Matt outside the barn where the bull rider was waiting in an ATV. “Hop in, kid. I’ll give ya the lay of the land. Hang on.” Matt hit the gas and nearly threw Jase out of the vehicle.

As they took off through a pasture, Jase looked around, seeing a lot more cattle than he expected. They seemed to be divided into certain sections of land, and Jase undoubtedly got his exercise, opening and closing many, many gates along the way. Matt pointed out a large pen where a huge bull was butting its head against a hanging truck tire. “That’s a rodeo bull. You come down here, feed and water him, and don’t interact with him in any other way. Only Dan or I do anything more than feed and water him.” Jase nodded; not sure what else he’d signed up for outside of the computer work he thought he was going to learn.

“Do, um, do I get to use this, or do I walk down here?” Jase was a little worried about the prospect of walking through fields with wild beasts’ ready to attack. He didn’t know a rodeo bull from a kangaroo, but based on what he’d seen on the internet, neither animal was anything he wanted to encounter when he was alone and helpless.

Matt’s laugh was a surprise. “You can use this unless you know how to ride a horse. You gotta go slow so you don’t scare the animals. One guy used to drive flat out through the fields and run the cattle for no reason. It takes the weight of ‘em and costs me money. I fired him.”

Jase swallowed. The man clearly meant business.

“Ryan and Rocky ride their horses, Mabel and Sam, to check the fences. This time of the year, the cattle are out on good pasture so mostly, you’ll check to be sure none are down or sick. It ain’t calvin’ time, so you don’t gotta worry about anything like that, and you’ll only be workin’ here three days a week.

“The other three, you’ll be at Katydid, and then you’ll get Sunday’s off. Part of your pay is room and board at the Katydid. Dan can take ya over to meet Katie and Josh before he goes home. They’re good people, and they’re lookin’ forward to havin’ ya stay with ‘em.” The bull rider sounded sincere.

Savannah said Matt had mentioned that Jase would be splitting his time between two sister operations, but it was finally hitting him he’d be living with strangers. He felt concerned, but when he thought about the Colonel and how fondly he’d spoken of the Collins and Moran families from the Stanford’s visit to the Circle C. It made Jase wonder how many of the hands lived there because Tim had said they had no room for him.

“Okay, Mr. Collins. Anything else?” The bull snorted in the pen, confirming for Jase that he would stay as far away from that thing as possible.

“You’ll learn how to fix fence, along with the computer stuff Tim needs ya to help with, so you’ll need to make sure ya use plenty of sunscreen when you’re outside. We’ve got caps and leather work gloves in the barn office, so we’ll make sure you get what you need to do your job.”

Jase nodded again, not sure what to say to the bull rider. He didn’t want to piss off the man, but Jase wasn’t getting friendly vibes.

“On another note, I’ll caution you on one thing. My husband is off limits. I saw ya givin’ him the eye, and if I catch wind of ya tryin’ anything, you’ll regret ever comin’ here.” Yes, Matt was threatening him. It was more than a little shocking to Jase.

Jase glanced at the older man and felt the blood chill in his veins. “Oh! No, sir, Mr. Collins. I’d never, ever do anything that would… I know you and Mr. Moran are happily married, sir. Maybe it’s best if I just move on.”

It was a knee-jerk reaction to the man’s accusation, trying to hold in the tears welling in his soul. Jase had such high hopes for his time in Southern Virginia. He didn’t have any idea where he’d go next, but he damn well wouldn’t cause trouble in Holloway, Virginia.

Matt didn’t follow-up as he turned the Gator around and headed back to the barn. By the time they’d reached the pasture nearest the large building where a few horses were grazing, Jase was unable to stop the flow of embarrassing tears.

What could he have possibly done in the short time he’d been there? How had he given Matt Collins the impression he was interested in his husband? Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat… He knows. The man knows I’m gay, and he thinks I’ll try something with his husband!

Jase didn’t look at Matt as he wiped his eyes. “Look, Mr. Collins, I’m sorry if I gave you any reason at all to think I’m interested in your husband. He’s a handsome man, to be sure, but I know he’s taken. I’m not stupid, sir. Maybe it’s better if you get somebody to take me back to the bus station. I’ve got friends in South Carolina, so I can go there for a while.” Jase knew exactly no one in South Carolina.

“Well, if you think that’s best.” Matt gunned the motor toward the large barn. When they skidded to a stop, Jase watched as Matt hopped out and went inside, leaving him alone in the four-wheeler.

Get yourself together. You knew it was a risk coming here to strangers, so you shouldn’t be surprised it didn’t work out. Hell, things rarely work out on the first try, so learn from the mistakes—well, figure out the mistakes and learn from them. You’ll be fine. Jase hoped that if he kept repeating it, he’d come to believe it.

Climbing out of the vehicle, Jase looked behind him, taking in the beautiful fields. There were cows and horses lazily grazing, and Jase was sure the sunsets were stunning at top of the hill.

It was a pity he’d never see them in person. When a small tan horse with a blond mane and tail walked up to where Jase stood next to the four-wheeler, the horse nuzzled into Jase’s arm as it made a soft sound.

He opened his hand, as he would with a stray dog, and let the horse smell him before he reached up and stroked its nose. “How you doing? Clearly better than me. I wish I had time to get to know you, but it seems this isn’t the right fit for me. You’ve got a nice home. You’re… sniff… lucky.”

A side door opened, and Dan Johnson came out of it, laughing hysterically. He walked over to where Jase was standing with the small horse, petting it.

“Geez, Pinky, go away. Damn, I guess you’ll be able to mesmerize all the animals here at the Circle C. Well, let’s get you outta the line of fire because World War III is about to commence.” Jase was completely confused.

“What about this?” Jase pointed to the ATV.

“They’ll move it. Come on, kid. Miss Katie puts out a helluva spread for lunch,” Dan told him.

Jase followed him, stepping into the mud on the way around the barn, and hoping it wasn’t cow or horseshit. His Adidas would never be the same, and he had the feeling he wouldn’t either.

When the truck turned into the driveway of another ranch, Jase looked around, seeing it was only horses. There were no cattle to be seen, and there had been a sign at the edge of the property that read Katydid Farm. Jase wasn’t sure if the situation was going to be any better, but he held out hope.

“This is a horse farm. Josh and Katie Simmons are good people, and they’re excited to meet you. They know the Colonel, and he vouched for ya personally, so you’ve got a good in. Hell, you’re probably like Ethan when it comes to horses. That stupid Shetland seemed to love ya, and he don’t like nobody but Kayley and Megan, when they come to visit.”

Jase had no idea who any of those people were. He prayed he’d be able to make a better impression with the Simmons family than he had with Matthew Collins.

Danny continued. “Kid, these people will take good care of ya, and don’t worry ‘bout that mess over at Circle C. I’m pretty sure Tim will line out Matt in short order. Let’s go in so I can introduce ya all proper and everything.”

Jase nodded and picked up his duffel from the back of the truck where it had remained while he got his quick tour of the Circle C. He wasn’t sure what to expect from the second part of the job, but he hoped to hell things could be normal at the Katydid. It was a nice place, and all the flowers were pretty. He could tell a lot of pride went into its care.

He followed Dan to a back porch where they toed off shoes and boots before they knocked on the door. “Come in.” Dan Johnson turned to him and flashed a beautiful smile.

“Katie’s a sweetheart. Just relax.” Jase nodded at the assurances and followed Dan inside. A gorgeous kitchen had all the appliances his mother used to pick out in a catalog for when they dreamed of better days .

His mother’s dream was a fantastic kitchen like this one. His dream had never been said out loud, but it didn’t stop him from wanting it—having someone who loved him and accepted him the way he was, not trying to make him into someone else .

The white granite countertops and the center island with the small, vegetable sink was something he knew his mom wanted. Double ovens and a Viking range were other wishes.

Jase saw what appeared to be a double drawer dishwasher, a trash compactor, and a huge, Subzero refrigerator, all of which were also Ginny’s dreams. Jase as certain that somewhere in the kitchen was a hidden freezer.

Dan introduced him. “Miss Katie, this is Jason Langston. He’s gonna be workin’ here part-time and stayin’ with y’all.”

The bright smile and twinkling eyes of Dan Johnson made Jase’s blood race before it started to move down south in a hurry. Dan was fucking hot!

“This is Miss Katie. I reckon Josh’s at the barn, right?” Dan turned toward the woman taking fried chicken out of a large iron skillet.

Miss Katie placed the tongs on the spoon rest and wiped her hands on an apron. “It’s such a pleasure to meet ya, Jason.” She pulled him into her shorter frame and hugged him. It almost felt as good as his mother’s hugs.

Jase gently wrapped his arms around her middle and hugged her in return. “Thank you, ma’am. It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for letting me stay here.”

Dan laughed for a second before he stepped forward to hug the nice lady. “This one,” he tilted his head toward Jase, “caused a stir over at the ranch. Who does he look like?”

The woman took him in, finally settling on Jase’s eyes. When she gasped, he got worried. “Oh, my God. What did Tim say? I’m… This is uncanny.” She smiled at him, and a little giggle slipped out.

“All I’m gonna say is there’s a tornado brewin’ over there, and I heard words bein’ yelled I’m not at liberty to repeat to a lady, Miss Katie. So, what can the kid and I do to help ya get lunch on the table?” Dan laughed again.

Miss Katie eyed the duffel still in his hands. He felt so ill at ease, he was ready to walk back to the bus station. “Danny, show him up to Tim’s old room. Let him unpack his things while you help me set the table.”

With a nod, Dan put his hand on Jase’s shoulder, who got a shiver all the way to his balls. Feeling a man touch him would always set him off, or so he was learning. How to hide it from the nice lady in the kitchen was the great unknown.

Jase had experienced erections when he lived at home, of course, but they were dealt with in the shower after he was old enough to stop having wet dreams. He’d quickly learned to sleep on a towel so his sheets wouldn’t be soiled because he feared his mother washing them and asking what caused the stains.

After Ginny started working at the Post Office, Jase figured out the washing machine and began doing his own laundry, much to his mother’s delighted surprise. He told her he’d learned in home ec, but he’d never taken the class. The lies he told to keep his sexuality undercover were as tall as Jack’s beanstalk.

“This is where Tim used to sleep. Don’t let your imagination get too far ahead of ya at night, kid. You gotta work a day job.” Dan’s joke left Jase confused and embarrassed.

“Okay, first Mr. Collins accuses me of having intentions of breaking up his marriage, which I don’t. Now you’re accusing me of something I have no idea about. Tim Moran is a handsome man, I’ll give you that, but he’s not my type. Hell, you’re more my type than Tim.” Jase placed the duffel on the bed and opened it.

When he didn’t hear anything, he turned to see Dan Johnson had left the room. It wasn’t that much of a surprise another of the cowboys had decided he wasn’t worth getting to know. He vowed to figure out where to go later that night. Surely there was somewhere he could start over… again ?