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

12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

“Thank ya for bein’ here for Kayley and me. I don’t know what we’da done without ya.”

Danny and Jase sat on the back porch of Danny’s home after the funeral on Friday. There’d been a reception that afternoon as a thank you for attending, and after most of the guests had left, Jon and Mickey helped them clean up the mess before they returned to the Katydid where they were staying.

Kayley had seemed to find comfort in having Meggie around. When the girls fell asleep on the couch in the living room, Jon and Mickey took Megan with them and left Jase and Dan to put Kayley to bed. The night before Jase had slept on the couch out of respect for the situation, but he prayed Danny wouldn’t make him stay there another night.

Jase opened two beers from the little bucket Mickey had prepared for them before he and the family left to go back to the farm. They’d been a lot of help since they’d all arrived in Holloway, and Jase knew once Danny got over his state of shock, he’d want to thank people for their kind acts.

Jase and Miss Katie had kept a list of the dishes dropped off, while Miss Jeri had made certain to label dishes to be returned to their rightful owners. She’d cooked enough food for Danny and Kayley to fill the freezer, so they’d be fine for a while.

“How about we talk a little bit?” Jase asked.

Dan looked at him and smiled. “Sure. About what?”

Okay, you should have thought this through a little more. Come up with something. Jase scolded himself before finally hitting on an idea.

“I, uh, I’ve been learning a lot about taking care of horses. Mickey and Jon are patient, and I’m set to meet Miss Ally next weekend. Mick told me she’ll be happy with the way I’ve set things up. He let me change a few things, and Pete and Todd haven’t objected yet. I want her to like me because she could be a good reference for me to come back to Holloway.” Jase hoped that saying it out loud might make it happen.

Dan turned to him as he took a swig of beer. “You like it there?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, they’ve been good to me. Terry and I, we play basketball and run together when he’s around the farm, and Meggie, well, she’s incredible.”

Danny seemed to think for a minute before he scooted closer to Jase. “So, what if I moved to Dillwyn and put Kayley in school there? Would you… I find myself falling in love with you, Jason. If we moved to you, would you be willing to give us a try?”

Jase swallowed the big lump in his throat, unable to speak at hearing Dan’s confession.

“I know you’ve asked for time, and I’ll give it to you, but I want you to know I’m willing to go where you are.”

Jase was immediately overwhelmed by the idea another person would want to be with him enough to give up their home and move to where Jase was happy, but Danny took his hand and held it, kissing the top of it.

“No decisions now. I want Kayley to finish her first year here because she has friends she likes, but maybe next year?”

Jase nodded. “You ready for bed?” He took the beer from Danny’s hand and dumped it on the grass by the back porch.

“I, uh, I guess.” Dan stood and picked up the bucket with a few beers inside. Jase took it from him and went to the kitchen, placing the beer into the refrigerator before he dumped the ice in the sink.

He turned to Dan and took his hand. “Come on, babe. Let’s go to bed.”

Jase led the sandy blond up the stairs and closed the door so as not to disturb Kayley. He moved the two of them further into the room where he began undressing Danny because he wanted to see the man naked, and he had the feeling Dan needed to be loved on more than a little. “Are you okay?” Jase whispered.

Danny pulled him closer, kissing him gently on his lips. “I want you, Jason. Any way you want. I just want to know you’re next to me.”

After they were both naked, Jase walked over to the bed, collapsing and pulling the smaller man on top of him to hold him close. “I love you, Dan. It’s not a crush or a puppy love thing, okay? It’s as real as anything I’ve ever felt. I don’t know how we do it, but I want us to be together, okay?” Jase kept his voice low, trying not to disturb the peace and quiet of the house.

“Can we talk about that tomorrow? Tonight, I just wanna feel,” Dan said, his voice impassioned nearly as though he was begging.

“Tell me what you need, Danny.” Jase wrapped his arms around Danny Johnson and pulled him up his body a little until their hard cocks were brushing against each other, sending a shock wave of sensations through Jase’s body.

It was the first time he’d ever been naked with another guy, and he couldn’t control the emotions coursing through him as fast as the blood traveled down his body to harden his prick. He hadn’t seen Danny’s naked body, but he could feel hard muscles as his hands roamed freely while their tongues slowly swirled together, first in his mouth then in Dan’s.

When Dan began moving against him, Jase nearly lost his mind. The friction was so damn perfect his head began to spin. They continued kissing and rubbing, and before Jase knew what was happening, he felt his balls tighten as he shot between them.

“Oh, fuck!” Danny continued to press flesh to flesh. “Baby boy, I’m gonna cum.”

“All over me.” Jase’s tongue worked its way to Danny’s neck. He took a deep breath, feeling like his life had just begun. As the two men lay together, Jason knew he wanted Danny to be his first everything.

Jase sat against the headboard with Danny’s back leaning against his chest. “You okay?” He was worried Danny might regret what had happened and give him a sweet goodbye, but Jase was prepared to fight it.

“I’m not sure, uh, how to uh… How much experience do you have?” Danny seemed to hem and haw a little. Jase could tell the older man seemed to have a few concerns of his own regarding a potential sexual relationship between them. Jase was a little nervous about it himself, and he wanted to lie and say he had all kinds of experience but in the end, his pure nature won out.

“Dan, the first time we kissed in my apartment at the farm was the first time I ever kissed a boy. I’ve kissed a few girls, but nothing serious. What we just did was a first for me,” Jase confessed with a little smile.

Dan flipped over and kissed his neck, pulling the taller man closer to him. “How much more time you need alone at Wonderland before we make a decision about where we want to live?”

Jase sighed and counted on his fingers. “Christmas, maybe?”

He had a lot of emotions tied up in being in Holloway, based on the way they’d all treated him at his first attempt at ranch life. He watched as Dan smiled, gently kissing his lips. “Okay, but that doesn’t have to be set in stone, right? Can I bring Kayley to the farm for Halloween? I know Mick and Jon take Meg out for trick or treating, and Rocky and Ryan are too old to have the party at Circle C like we used to do. That be okay?”

Jase laughed. “We have a whole summer, Danny. Do you think you and Kayley could come for the Fourth of July?”

Dan laughed as he pulled Jase down so he could stretch out over Jase’s body. “Ryan and Rocky’s birthdays are around the Fourth, and Matt and Tim have a big party. Can you come back for it? Can you stay right here with me?” Dan offered with a smile.

Jase thought about it for a minute before he nodded. “Yeah, I’ll… If I can get off for the party, I’ll be here.”

“I’m pretty sure your bosses will come for the party. Just know, Jase, I want you here with me and Kayley as much as I can have you.”

Jase contemplated his comment for several minutes but before he could answer, he heard Dan beginning to snore softly, so he moved from beneath the man to settle him on the bed. He went to the bathroom to clean himself and returned to clean up Danny, which was a new thing, because Jase had never felt the need to care for anyone as he did Danny. Love brought all kinds of new feelings, and Jase was looking forward to experiencing every one of them.

Waking at six in the morning wasn’t fun, but Jase had adjusted to life on a farm and his internal clock went off at the same time every day. He turned to see his handsome companion was still asleep, so he slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom, looking at himself in the bathroom mirror in all his naked glory before he closed the door so as not to disturb Danny.

“Well, you sorta had sex. Now what? You need to do some studying up before the next time you get into bed with that man because you don’t want to disappoint him… or yourself. He’s probably a top and you know he had a lover recently. You don’t know how many came before but does it matter?” Jase was whispering to himself, trying to decide if he needed to shave. Before he’d come up with a response, there was a knock on the door.

“Can I come in? I really need to pee.” Jase laughed as he opened it, seeing Danny dancing a little bit on the other side.

“Go.” Jase stepped to the side.

Dan rushed into the room, so Jase left him to his privacy as he went back to the bedroom. He pulled out clean boxers, jeans, and a T-shirt.

Jase needed to speak with Mickey and Jon to see when they wanted to return to Dillwyn. It was Saturday morning, and he knew Danny was going to want to go to the ranch to check on things since he hadn’t gone the day before because of the funeral.

What would Jase do while Danny was gone? He was determined to go through Dan’s burgeoning fridge and put expiration dates on some of the food, so Dan and Kayley didn’t get food poisoning. He was also looking forward to spending some time with Kayley before he had to go home. Jase would miss the little firecracker when he went back to Wonderland.

After he was dressed, Jase walked downstairs, hearing the television was already on. When he arrived in the living room, he was surprised to see Kayley sitting with a man who looked like a younger version of Dan.

Jase had seen the man at the funeral home the previous day, though they hadn’t been introduced properly. “Um, hi?” Jase hated that his voice sounded nervous.

Kayley hopped up to scramble over to Jase, taking his hand. She was wearing pink and white pajamas with some kind of bear on the front, and her hair was pulled into a ponytail at the back of her head. She had a bright smile on her face. “This is Uncle Zach. This is my Jase.”

“Yeah, uh, I saw you yesterday. Well, he’s got himself a young one which explains why he’s been acting like a damn child. It wasn’t cool of him to try to throw me outta the funeral home. Hell, if Mrs. Simmons hadn’t tracked me down, I’d have missed the whole damn thing because Dan’s a fucking asshole. Where is Bitchy McCrabby?” Zach asked.

Aside from the crack about Jase’s age, Zach was funny. The man made a point, as Jase had witnessed the confrontation in real time.

“Look, I’m sure not going to get between you and your brother, but I’m glad to finally meet you, and I’m sorry I didn’t know how to get in touch to give you details. In Danny’s defense, he’s been a little overwhelmed with everything that’s happened.

“That doesn’t make up for him not calling you about your mother’s arrangements, but I’d appreciate it if you’d give him a little slack.” Jase was willing to fight for his man, but he wasn’t going to be the cause of a family war.

Zach stomped a little, making Kayley laugh. “Dammit, why’d you have to be nice? This would be so much easier if you were an asshole.” Zach smiled at him and extended his hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jase, is it?”

Jase heard the shower upstairs, so he determined it was his place to play host. “Why don’t we go into the kitchen. I smell the coffee already, but I know one of Mrs. Johnson’s church friends brought over something called a breakfast casserole with instructions, so I’ll put it in the oven.” Jase took Kayley’s hand and led her into the kitchen, happy that the brother, Zach, had followed.

“Plates?” Jase asked as the little girl pulled over a small ladder.

“I set the table, Jase.” Kayley gave him a stern look, planting her flag on the task she’d been given.

“Yes ma’am,” he responded as he kissed the top of her head before he went to the fridge and moved things around, having to pull out a lot of food containers.

Zach walked over and began perusing the offerings, laughing a little. “I’ll take back to DC what won’t fit in Dan’s freezer.”

“Oh, do you live in DC? What’s that like?” Jase and Danny hadn’t really talked about Dan’s family much, which was another thing they needed to get out of the way.

It was funny how Jase fell in love with a man who he knew almost nothing about, but he figured he could rectify it over email during the months apart. It would also give him a chance to do some research regarding man sex so the next time he had Danny naked, he’d be able to do more than hump the guy.

“It’s okay. My girlfriend and I live in a row house on Capitol Hill. We both work for Senator Spencer Brady from Virginia who’s up for reelection this year. I graduated with a degree in political science, thanks to Dan, mostly. He helped pay for my school when he could, and if it wasn’t for him, I’d likely be stuck here in this half-assed town.” Zach didn’t seem happy to be there.

Jase found the casserole he was looking for in the fridge. There was a piece of paper taped to the foil, and as Jase read it, he saw it was the baking instructions.

After reading them, Jase turned on the oven to the dictated temperature. He then pulled out some juice and milk, placing them on the table. There were four place settings, thanks to Kayley’s diligence, but a thought occurred to Jase. “Is your girlfriend with you? Where are you staying?”

“Amy couldn’t come because her parents were in from New York. I stayed with a friend from high school last night because Dan wouldn’t even talk to me at the cemetery after that shit at the chapel.” Zach seemed angry, and having witnessed it, Jase could understand why.

“And I’da thought you got the hint.” Jase turned to see Dan standing at the doorway looking pissed off. Zach turned to face his brother, marching forward to embrace the man in a tight hug—or so Jase assumed.

Both men began sobbing, so Jase picked up Kayley and left them to their privacy. They had some things to work out, and he hoped they would. Danny didn’t have a mother, but he had a brother and a daughter, and they all needed each other.

“How about we go get you dressed and fix your hair before breakfast?” Jase offered the little girl.

“You can fix my hair?” she gasped with big eyes as he followed her upstairs.

Jase laughed. “I learned from Mickey and Jon. What do you want? Pigtails? Ponytail? French braid?”

After watching Mickey and Jon with Meggie, Jase was confident he could master something simple. Audrey Langley had taught them all when she’d visited the farm a few times, and Jase liked the woman and her teacher girlfriend, Gina. They were both very nice to him.

He could see a triumphant smile on Kayley’s face as she stated, “ Finally!”

Jase left her alone to get dressed after they picked out her outfit for the day, which was a pair of denim shorts and a green T-shirt that she said matched the cowgirl boots Uncle Dan had bought her.

Kayley requested a high ponytail and showed him where the hair bands were kept in her bathroom, so he happily obliged, grateful she’d chosen the easiest style. After she was ready for the day, they made her bed and went downstairs, because Jase believed the breakfast casserole was almost done.

He was happy to see the Johnson brothers at the table, drinking coffee and smiling. It seemed the crisis was averted. It had been a tense weekend, but Jase felt he’d been able to help, and it made his heart feel better for the family he hoped to call his own, someday.