10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

"Aunt Katie, do I look okay?" Tim felt like an idiot asking her for wardrobe advice, but he'd tried on everything—literally—in his closet. Nothing seemed right, and he was a nervous wreck for more reasons than his mind could process.

Earlier at breakfast, Tim had sat down with Aunt Katie and Uncle Josh to explain to them that he and Matt were going on a date. Neither of them had been surprised, and it seemed like Aunt Katie had planned it herself, telling him she knew he and Matthew "would have a wonderful, special friendship and be great co-parents to Ryan." Tim had insisted she shouldn't get ahead of herself, though the beauty of the idea made him a little wishful.

"Give me that shirt, Timothy. I need to teach you how to iron if you're gonna be takin' care of Ryan and Matt. There will come times when all y'all will need to be pressed and polished. I might not be around forever, you know."

Tim wanted to laugh at the comment because Aunt Katie always reminded her family of her impending demise. They all knew she was too stubborn to go anywhere before she had everyone on the straight and narrow.

After his cranberry-colored shirt was ironed, Aunt Katie proceeded to give Tim a lecture regarding saving a little "something for the honeymoon," or so it sounded. Again, he wanted to laugh at her, but he loved her so much and as he listened to her, the advice was sound. If he gave everything away on the first date, why would the man make a repeat trip to Tim Town?

When they finished dinner, the two men went back to the Circle C. Tim was a little uneasy regarding how far to go with the blue-eyed god, but he wanted more than just a kiss goodnight on the front porch steps. Especially since they weren't Tim's steps!

Apparently, Matt picked up on it. "I know I told you this relationship would go at your pace, but please, can I at least see ya nekkid? It's been drivin' me crazy."

Matt whispered those words in Tim's ear as he pulled Tim onto his lap while the two of them sat on Matt's couch with a couple of beers. The two had been kissing, neglecting whatever the hell was on television, and Tim was so worked up, he was afraid he'd come in his jeans.

They stumbled to Matt's bedroom, stripping each other the whole way up the stairs and down the hallway. By the time they were on the bed they were naked, but Matt didn't pressure Tim into anything more than taking both of their cocks in his hand and jacking them together. He reached into the bedside table and grabbed lotion, slicking up his hand before he grasped the pair of them again.

"Oh, fuck." It felt so good to have Matt's hands on him.

The act was familiar, so Tim didn't freak out. Kenny and he had gotten that far before the shit with the soccer team messed up their friendship.

Tim, however, wanted a hell of a lot more with Matt. Maybe not that night, but in the very, very near future.

"You have a great cock, Tim. I'm so fuckin' close to losin' my shit. You?" Matt continued to work them both while they kissed, licked, and sucked each other's upper torsos.

" Too close, too fast! " Tim erupted between them, embarrassed for a second until Matt's cock went off, making him sigh in relief. He didn't want to be a Johnny-come-too-soon, but with Matt coming right after him, he was more confident in his sexual endurance.

"I think we both got worked up too quick. I've been half-hard this whole night. I usually have a lot more staying… Well, I don't come that fast. Maybe it's just because I'm with you? I wanna be with you so much, I think I've lost the ability to hold back." Matt kissed the tip of Tim's nose. Tim giggled, not caring how it sounded.

"Maybe it's something to work toward for the both of us?" Matt asked as he climbed out of bed and walked toward the bathroom.

He returned a moment later with a washcloth and a towel, gently cleaning Tim's chest and abs before returning to the bathroom. When he slipped into bed with Tim, Matt wrapped his arms around the blond and held him tightly as Tim fell into a deep sleep. It was wonderful.

" Mmm. You smell good." Tim opened his eyes to see the handsome face of Matthew Collins in front of him. The cowboy had his hand on Tim's bare ass, pulling him closer where a hard cock poked his stomach.

"I seriously doubt I smell good." Tim was a little groggy, and he was sure his breath was horrible. He'd worked up a sweat when the two were grinding against each other the previous night, and he thought they both probably needed a shower.

Matt laughed quietly in the early morning calm. "I can have my own opinion, Timmy. To me, you smell incredible, but I've been enjoyin' that scent for a while now. So, what do you like for breakfast? I have coffee, of course, and I can offer toast, bagels, or cereal. As I'm sure Ryan told ya, I'm not much good with anything more complicated."

Tim pulled away so he could see the handsome face and bedroom eyes of the bull rider he'd grown to love more than anything… except for the man's son. "How do you like your eggs, Mr. Collins? I mean, you have eggs, right?"

"I'm pretty sure Momma put eggs in the fridge. You ain't gotta cook me breakfast, Timmy. I'm tryin' to be a good host."

Tim chuckled as he hopped up and took his naked ass to the bathroom, grabbing his boxers on the way.

After modifying his morning routine—washing his face with hot water instead of the face wash he usually used; swirling mouthwash instead of brushing his teeth because he'd forgotten to bring the overnight bag he'd packed; and spraying on a little of Matt's Axe to help mellow out the musk he'd smelled from under his pits instead of taking a shower—Tim returned to the bedroom to find Matt with his eyes closed. "You asleep?"

"Nope. Just tryin' not to make a mess in the bed by concentratin' on anything but your hot ass headin' toward the bathroom." Matt hopped up and took his very attractive, naked ass to the bathroom.

Tim pulled on jeans and an undershirt, contemplating what had happened the night before as a few revelations occurred to him. They were at the beginning of a physical relationship, and Tim was very excited about it.

He was grateful to Matt for not rushing things between them. It was Tim's first official relationship, and he wanted it to be more than just booty calls like he'd heard about from other guys.

From what Tim had observed since he started spending more time with Matt, the bull rider had the potential to step up and be a decent guy who was capable of commitment. Matt had been making hefty strides regarding the responsibilities resting on his broad shoulders, especially those involving Ryan.

Tim had seen a huge change in Matt since they'd begun spending time together, and subsequently, Ryan seemed more confident in his father as well. Tim had high hopes for all of them.

He could hear Matt in the bathroom brushing his teeth, so he plodded to the kitchen to make breakfast. In short order, he had sausages frying in a skillet with eggs on the counter to come to room temperature.

Tim found the toaster and some whole wheat bread in the cabinet, which surprised him. French toast was one possibility, but he didn't know if Matt liked it.

As he stood in the kitchen considering his options, muscular arms surrounded his waist as a kiss landed on the side of his neck. "What's got ya thinkin' so hard, babe?" Matt's lips against his ear were soft and enticing.

Tim didn't hesitate to sink into the large, tight body behind him, melting in the process. It felt incredible to be in Matt's muscular arms.

A kiss to Tim's neck and a little bite brought him back from fantasy land. "I was trying to decide if you'd like French toast or just maybe eggs and toast." Forming the words wasn't exactly easy.

"Can you do that thing they do at the diner where they cut out the center of the bread and crack an egg in it? It's one of my favorites." Matt continued to hold Tim and suck on his neck.

Tim pulled away for a second to turn in the cowboy's arms. "Over easy or over hard?"

Matt pushed his crotch forward and smiled. "Depends on what you're askin', baby. Always hard, but I like my eggs runny, unless they're scrambled. I like cheese in those."

Tim couldn't hold the laugh, and when he pinched Matt's nipple, the cowboy pulled away and grabbed Tim's hand. "Why'd ya do that?"

"Just checking out your tits. I wouldn't hate to give them a tongue bath, but now I've got to fix these eggs." Tim added a teasing whine to his voice.

Matt laughed. "Make anything ya want, Timmy. I wanna hear more about this tongue bath, and I have a suggestion for other places besides my tits, though I happen to have very sensitive nipples." Matt seemed to be proud of his nipples, which made Tim laugh.

At Matt's request, Tim made the man hens-in-a-nest, and when they finished eating, the couple went back to Matt's bathroom to shower. Tim licked, nibbled, and bit Matt's nipples under the gentle spray of the rain-style showerhead before he dropped to his knees to suck Matt's impressive cock into his mouth… another place he wanted to give a tongue bath.

After choking for a second, Tim remembered to breathe through his nose as he attempted to deep throat Matt's generous length. He took a second to remember how he'd done it with Kenny back in college, which had brought forth positive results.

Tim felt like a pro at it, and Matt didn't hesitate to agree… " fuck, yes ," " oh, god… baby, yes, " and Tim's favorite " yesssssss! "

The bull rider emptied a substantial load into Tim's mouth. After swallowing it, Tim was pulled up and Matt kissed him silly, swirling his tongue around Tim's mouth enough to clean up any little swimmers he hadn't swallowed. Tim was pretty sure there weren't many left.

Much to Tim's surprise, Matt acquainted himself with Tim's cock, in the shower, on his knees with a soapy finger circling the blond's entrance. Tim nearly lost his mind.

After Matt achieved his goal of draining the life out of Tim, the pair exited the shower, drying off and dressing to go to the Collins' place to pick up Ryan. Tim, however, was worried. "You did tell your parents you're gay, right?"

Matt turned and grinned, taking Tim's hand and kissing it. "I told Momma. Dad… Well, she's gotta get him used to changes. Eventually, he gets there. I have no doubt there'll be no difference with this. I'm not worried, Timmy."

No worries? Was he fucking crazy?

Martin Collins was a great guy, according to Uncle Josh. Josh had told Tim he respected Marty and based on what Tim had witnessed in the time he'd been back at the Katydid, he had every reason to believe Mr. Collins was, indeed, a great guy. However, Tim had no idea how the man might react to having a gay son.

Would Martin think Tim corrupted Matthew and hate him for it? That would never make for a good relationship between Tim and Matt's family, he was certain.

"Sweetheart, stop it. Dad's gonna be fine, I promise. It might take a little time, but he'll get there, or my momma will beat him to death with a rolling pin." Matt offered a tender smile. Tim wasn't as confident.

When they pulled up the driveway of Matt's parents' place, Tim was suddenly conscious of the fact he was doing a walk-of-shame in his date clothes. The shirt was wrinkled from where it had been tossed onto the floor the previous night when Matt undressed him.

Tim wasn't coherent enough to pick it up and hang it up at that point, and he was pretty sure Matt's parents would figure it out and be upset by his disheveled appearance. "Maybe I should wait in the truck?"

Matt hopped out and walked around the front of the truck to the passenger door. He pulled it open and unbuckled Tim's seatbelt, swinging the man's legs around to address him, face-to-face.

" Now , you know my momma loves ya, and Ryan would be pissed at me if he knew you were waitin' in the truck. Come inside, Timmy. The sooner we get this out in the open, the sooner they get used to it."

Matt pulled Tim out of the truck and took his hand, leading him to the front of the house. They walked up to the porch, and as Matt reached for the doorknob, he stopped and turned to Tim, leaning down to gently brush their lips together in a reassuring kiss.

Matt pulled back and winked, which made Tim smile. "You're as cute as a speckled pup." The bull rider was trying to put Tim at ease, and it made him laugh.

"And you're full of…"

Tim was ready to tease as the front door opened to reveal Ryan with a look of annoyance on his face. "It's ‘bout time. I got things to do, ya know."

Matt swept Ryan into his arm and carried him like a football as he walked in through the door, his cowboy boots clunking on the hardwood floor. He turned to see if Tim was following him, motioning for the man to come inside.

Tim followed the two of them into the kitchen where Marty and Jerilyn Collins were having coffee. "Hey, boys. You want some coffee and a sweet roll? I made ‘em this mornin'," Miss Jeri offered.

Tim heard Ryan groan, but he was following Matt's lead. "Well, Tim made breakfast, but I could have a roll."

He turned to Tim and smiled. "You want a sweet roll?" Tim wanted to fall through the floor at that very moment.

He saw Marty look at him with a curious expression. "How's that computer thingy goin'?" Marty asked.

Tim breathed a sigh of relief. On that subject, he could speak until he was blue in the face.

"It's good. I've got a program written to track the semen imported to the ranch and cows bred with it so we can trace the bloodlines. It's set to track sales of various breeds and the cost of feed to get the feeders Matt sells ready to go to market so he has an idea of how much he needs to get in order to claim a profit, plus it lets him know how much he needs on hand to feed the herd on any given day. When I finish it, it'll automatically notify the feed store when to come refill the grain silo. It also tracks the expenses for tax purposes, and then…" Ryan climbed into his lap and clamped his lips closed.

"We need to get home so I can do my homework. This stuff is borin'. Just eat, please." Tim laughed because as he glanced up, he could see the glazed look on the faces of Marty, Jeri, and even Matt.

"Sorry. Let's just say things are going well." Without further comment, he cut into a tasty-looking caramel roll.

"What was so important for Ryan to stay last night? He was up in arms about somebody named Mickey at the Katydid," Marty said.

Matt laughed. "He's a new hand Josh and Katie hired. He seems to know his way around horses, and I believe Josh knows a good hand when he sees one. I think he'll be a good addition to the farm."

"He likes Timmy," Ryan chimed in with a furrowed brow. Jeri laughed as she walked over to the table and refreshed the coffee.

"He does not . He was just asking questions, young man," Tim scolded. Ryan laughed as he leaned forward and kissed Tim's cheek. Hugging the boy's shoulders, Tim smiled because the kiss was appreciated.

Marty cleared his throat. "So, Matthew, your mother says you have something to talk to me about, but she won't say what it is. You care to enlighten me, son?"

Tim looked at Ryan, hoping the boy could offer cover to get away from the kitchen before all hell broke loose. "You have your stuff together? Should I help you?" Ryan hopped down with a big nod.

As Tim was about to rise from his chair and excuse himself, Matt grabbed his hand and pulled him back into the seat, turning to him with that damn smile. "You ain't goin' anywhere, Timmy."

Oh, Tim begged to differ with him, but suddenly Jeri was out of her chair, taking Ryan by the hand to lead him down the hallway. Tim looked at Matt, hoping he could see the pleading look on his face to not make him sit there when the bull rider came out to his very macho, very hetero father.

"Dad, let me start by sayin' I love ya, and I respect ya. You and Momma have been my support system all my life, and I can't tell ya how much I appreciate it. I know you love me, and you've accepted the decisions I've made in the past for my life without question because I know y'all only want me to be happy." He turned to Tim and smiled, which made the younger man want to slide under the table and seep into the kitchen tile.

Tim was praying his name wouldn't come up, but… "Dad, I'm in love with Timmy, and we're gonna try to make a life together, I hope," Matt blurted out quickly and nervously.

Tim prayed a UFO would show up in Virginia and start firing at the front yard to distract Matt's father because as he looked at Marty Collins, he was sure the man thought Tim had corrupted his only son. He was certain the older man hated him.

Matt continued, "If I thought it was possible to have someone snap their fingers to turn me straight, I'd have welcomed it because it would have been so much easier to live that life, Dad. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case. I've accepted the fact I'm a gay man in a business where my sexuality isn't understood, but I can't change myself. I'm the same guy I was when I walked in here and sat down, and I'm not gonna hide how much I love Tim, either. If people stop buyin' my stock, then it's a price I have to pay, but I ain't gonna live a lie anymore."

After hearing Matt's speech, Tim decided to man up and be supportive because the man he loved sounded so determined, and he was proud of the statement the cowboy had made.

Tim cleared his throat and looked at Marty Collins, hoping he was hiding the fear which engulfed him from head to toe. "Mr. Collins, sir, I love Matt and Ryan, and I only want the best for them. I know it's not anything you're used to, but I pray you'll remain open-minded and give us a chance to show you we're no different than any other couple."

When Matt turned the chair to gaze into his eyes, Tim felt like he'd once again gone to heaven. "I do, Matt. I love you so much, but I didn't want to scare you by telling you too soon. I've loved you for a while but I thought you were straight, so I didn't say anything. You and Ryan? You two are everything to me," Tim told Matt quietly, feeling like they were the only people on the whole planet.

Unfortunately, as Matt was leaning in to kiss him, they heard a throat clear and both pulled away. Surprisingly, Marty Collins had a big smile on his face. "I'm glad that shit's all sorted out. It'll make Christmas easier, and Matt, son, don't give up your day job and take up actin' anytime soon. You ain't good at it. When are you gonna explain things to Ryan?"

Tim was speechless, and when he looked at Matt, he could tell for a minute he was as well. Suddenly, the cowboy laughed, and when his father joined him, Tim was a little lost. They weren't beating on each other, though, so he couldn't help but be happy.

Jeri walked down the hallway with Ryan and a backpack. She smiled when she saw there was no bloodshed and the two of them were laughing. She walked over to Tim and kissed his cheek before she whispered, "Welcome to the family, Tim. I'm so happy I have you to look out for my boys. They need you more than Matthew knows."

Tim could only nod because it felt really good to be a member of the family… another family. Hell, he was giddy at the prospect of being a member of two families. He barely had one for so many years, it was such a great thing to hear he had another. He smiled throughout the rest of the visit. The acceptance of Matt's parents left Tim riding a high, for lack of a better word. It was amazing.