8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

"You can sit here and feel sorry for yourself, or you can come with us to the Circle C. Matt's having a party there because there aren't many places for Ryan to trick-or-treat out near the ranch." Aunt Katie seemed on a mission that early afternoon as Tim sat at the kitchen table with his laptop working on the books for the Katydid.

He hadn't seen Ryan since he'd picked him up from school when he was sick, which was also the last time he'd seen the boy's father. As a result, Tim had been sulking, and Aunt Katie seemed to know it after he begged her to keep tabs on Ryan through Jeri. Now that Matt had apologized to his mother, she was helping out with Ryan again. For Tim, it was a huge relief.

Of course, Aunt Katie could sometimes have a heart of stone with no sympathy for people she thought were behaving like fools, but Tim pushed his agenda yet again. "You know I'm in love with Matt Collins, and he doesn't even know I'm alive. Why would you want me to go to this party to torture myself by being around him when it will be hard for me?" Tim couldn't help but whine at her. It wasn't his finest hour, to be sure.

Instead of snapping back at him, Katie moved forward to hug him. "Timothy, I love you so very much. You were a gift from God for me and Joshua just when we needed you, so don't make me mad. Matthew Collins needs to figure out some very important things in his life, but he needs help doin' it. Seems to me, you're good at remindin' him of his responsibilities, so you should be there to support him when he's tryin' to do the right thing for his son. It'll give him some positive reinforcement." Tim knew his eyes grew wide as she spoke.

"Aunt Katie, he only wanted me to help him out because he didn't know how to take care of a sick kid. Matt Collins has a lot of issues, and I'm not going to become another one of them." He was trying to make a point, and he felt as if, for once, she was listening.

There was a knock on the front door and since Aunt Katie's hands were covered in pie dough, Tim walked down the hall to answer. When he opened the door to see Ryan Collins standing there with his hat in his hands—literally—he grinned. "Hey, bud. How are you feeling? What can I do for you?" Tim asked as he sunk to his knees, so he was at the same level as his little friend.

Ryan smiled at him nervously for a second, then he walked closer and touched Tim's shoulder as he began to speak. "I'm doin' a lot better, Tim. I was kinda hopin' maybe you'd come help me pick out a Halloween costume for the party. Daddy said it could be my pick, but I want you to come tell me what you like.

"You and my dad should be friends, Tim. I like both of you, and I think you'll like each other. Can ya not be mad at him right now and come with us?" The boy's eyes showed sincerity, which touched Tim's heart.

Before Tim could answer, Aunt Katie walked over to where they were assembled and bent over to hug Ryan. "Of course, he will. Maybe you wanna come over and help me bake some cookies as we get closer to the holidays?"

Why couldn't the floor open and swallow him whole after what Ryan said? Matt and he had nothing in common to make them friends, save that exceptional little boy talking to his aunt. Was there any way Tim could keep his crush under control if he spent time with Matt and Ryan? Was he that strong?

Ryan blushed a little, which was cute. "I'd like that a lot, but maybe you and Gramma Jeri could do it together ‘cause she asked me if I'd help her, too. I guess I could figure out time to help both of ya, but I gotta help my dad pick out Christmas ornaments and a tree, and then we gotta get gifts." As Ryan listed off all his upcoming engagements, Tim wanted to laugh. Each short finger stuck up to emphasize his busy holiday schedule.

Tim smirked. "I think you'll have plenty of time for all of that, but right now, it's time to shop for a costume. How'd you get here?" Tim glanced at the driveway, not seeing a vehicle.

"Daddy's at the barn with Mr. Josh. They had some business to talk about. So, will you come, please?" Tim didn't have it in him to turn Ryan down, especially in the quasi-begging way the boy had presented his case.

Finally, Tim gave in. "Sure. Just give me a minute to put on a decent shirt and shoes," Tim told the boy as he looked down at the holey T-shirt he was wearing. He'd been power washing the vinyl fence around the yard because Aunt Katie wanted it cleaned up before they started putting up Christmas lights on Thanksgiving weekend. It had been a warm October, and the weather was slated to be warm through November. The climate in Texas was different than what Tim experienced in Pittsburgh growing up.

Ryan nodded and followed Katie into the kitchen as Tim hurried to his room to change his shirt. He then noticed he was wearing old, dirty jeans, so he decided to change the rest of his clothes. As he was removing the T-shirt, he caught a whiff of himself and knew he didn't need to be quite so ripe, so a shower was definitely in order.

Once he'd grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom down the hall to shower, he glanced into the medicine cabinet mirror, noticing he'd forgotten to shave that morning before he started working. He had a decision to make—a little scruff, or a clean-shaven face? Why do you even give a shit?

After surveying the situation, Tim decided to clean up his jawline just a little, leaving the scruff in some sort of shape which might eventually become a goatee. He didn't hold out a lot of hope it would be a great one, but it was getting closer to winter, and maybe a little facial hair would keep him warmer when he worked in the barn? It was an idea, anyway.

He quickly showered before changing into clean jeans, a brown-and-white-checked, western shirt, and the new boots he'd bought when he first arrived at the farm. He combed his hair, noting he might need a haircut, but he felt like he looked good. Why did he think it mattered? That's a loaded question.

Tim walked into the kitchen to find Ryan with a glass of lemonade and a piece of the apple pie Aunt Katie had made earlier that day. "How's that pie? I asked for a slice for breakfast, but she said no," he told Ryan as he gave Aunt Katie a smile.

Ryan pulled a sly smile as he kneeled in the kitchen chair. "Maybe she likes me better than you, Timmy."

Aunt Katie's lilting laugh was a joy to hear, but at that moment, Tim didn't appreciate it. "He's got ya there, Timothy. Now, while Ryan finishes his pie, go down to the barn, and find Matthew. The two of you need to talk before y'all go shoppin'," she instructed in her sweetest voice.

Tim knew better than to argue with her, so he merely nodded. He left the house and headed to the barn where he saw Matt's King-Cab F-250 sitting out front. When he walked into the building, Matt was talking with Uncle Josh and Hank Sachs. Ethan, Hank's son, was standing there as well, and they were talking about Josie, the little jenny tied to a ring in the barn alley while Hank trimmed up her mane with electric clippers.

"I'm tellin' ya, Mr. Collins, she's as gentle as anything. She's low to the ground so he wouldn't get hurt if he fell off, but she's had trainin' somewhere along the way," Ethan told Matt.

"For a starter ride, you think she'd be good?" Matt asked the young man.

"I wish to heck I'd have had a ride like her to start. I was ridin' some rangy old nag who spooked at the least little sound.' Ethan chuckled at his own comment.

"Hey, that rangy old nag was my horse, and she only spooked ‘cause you thought you needed to wear spurs all the damn time. I never had to spur that mare one time when I rode her," Hank scolded, but he failed to hide his smirk.

They were all laughing when Tim made his presence known. He stood next to Matt and smiled at everyone. "Ryan's finishing his pie, and then he's ready to go." Tim turned to stare at the handsome cowboy. When the man grinned and winked at him, Tim's heart sped up.

"Okay. Josh, give me a price on that jenny. I'd like to keep her here until closer to Christmas. I need to get the boys to fix up a stall for her, and that'll take a little time. I'll pay ya board." Matt seemed set in his decision, and Tim knew Ryan would be over the moon.

Uncle Josh laughed. "She's fine here, son. We'll keep her for free. I sure wouldn't mind breedin' her some time. A lot of people love to ride mules, and I bet she'd throw a good foal if you're interested."

Matt chuckled and glanced at Tim. "I'll keep it in mind, Josh. Come on, Tim, we better go. We got an excited little boy who's dyin' to dress like a Ninja Turtle. I hope to goodness Walmart has somethin' left."

Uncle Josh winked at Tim, which was odd, but Matt turned to him and grinned, setting Tim's world right. This thing he had for the cowboy—it was going to be the death of him for sure.

The two men collected Ryan from Aunt Katie and after Tim settled him into the booster in the back seat of the big pickup, he climbed into the front passenger seat next to Matt, not sure what to talk about.

"Buckle your seatbelt, please. I don't plan to have an accident, but I wanna make sure you're safe." Matt's comment pushed Tim off balance. For a moment, he couldn't speak, so he nodded and buckled up.

Matt started the truck and glanced at him, a grin lighting up the cowboy's face and making Tim light-headed. "I think you should get yourself a costume, Timmy." The comment ended with a low chuckle from Matt, making Tim roll his eyes as the three of them headed down the driveway, Walmart bound.

"This is so cool," Ryan enthused when he came into the living room dressed as his favorite Ninja Turtle, Raphael. He walked over to Tim to take his hand and lead him around the room to greet the guests.

All the hands from the Circle C and Katydid were there with their families. The kids and many of the adults were dressed in costumes, and there was a Raphael-shaped pi?ata tied to a tree in the backyard, chock full of candy.

There were coolers with drinks of all kinds, and a table set up on the patio with snacks. Everyone brought candy bags for the kids, and Tim was pretty sure they hadn't missed not going trick-or-treating around town at all.

Aunt Katie and Miss Jeri put out a spread for the party, and everyone was having a ball. Tim was dressed as a carrot, which was the only costume in the adult section that he'd even consider wearing. There were orange tights, which he wore with trepidation, but at least the foam carrot shirt covered his junk. The worst part was a green beanie hat with long stalks of greenery attached. He knew when Ryan talked him into dressing up, he'd never be able to deny the kid anything again.

Aunt Katie was dressed as Annie Oakley and Uncle Josh was dressed as Buffalo Bill. They looked so cute together that Tim had to take a picture with his phone. Jeri and Marty were dressed as a couple from a reality television show.

The camo gear and fake beard on Marty were lost on Tim, but everyone at the party seemed to recognize the costumes, so he laughed along with the crowd before he took a picture of the couple.

Tim walked to a cooler and grabbed a bottle of beer, laughter ringing through the evening air behind him. He popped the cap on the bottle and turned to see a green ball walking into the room. For a minute, he was confused, but when Matt Collins removed his cowboy hat and stepped from behind the couch, Tim was shocked. The man was wearing green tights covered by a green ball for a costume, which was set off by the well-worn cowboy boots. It seemed to be uncharacteristic behavior for the man, according to the stunned expressions on everyone's faces.

The big cowboy walked over to Tim and smiled, extending his hand. "Hi, Carrot. I'm your pea."

Before Tim could comment, Josh walked up and grinned as he twirled the fake, handlebar mustache glued above his lip. "Ah, peas and carrots. I suspected somethin' of the sort." Without waiting for a response, he walked away leaving Tim to look at Matt Collins and wonder what the hell that was about.

Three hours later, Pea and Carrot were saying goodbye to the guests, making certain the kids had the trick-or-treat goody bags filled with homemade cookies and candy prepared by Miss Jeri earlier in the day. Ryan was still making his ninja moves as Aunt Katie recorded him on the new video camera she'd turned up with, much to Tim's surprise. He didn't even think they had a camera, much less a video camera.

Glancing at Matt—who looked so cute dressed as a pea—Tim wasn't sure what to think about the night. Matt was leaning against the wall, talking to Uncle Josh without a thought to the fact he was wearing green tights and cowboy boots. Tim couldn't resist taking a quick picture before walking to where they stood.

"How about we change into normal clothes so we can help clean up?" Tim could see Miss Jeri and Aunt Katie running around like crazy, and he knew there were still people hanging around to make it a quick job.

Uncle Josh reached up and ripped off the mustache, releasing a short yelp. " Damn! That hurt. I'm not lettin' Katie talk me into that crap again. Go change. I'll start cleanin' up that cooler on the deck." Josh grabbed his empty bottle and headed out to the deck where Marty was standing in his street clothes, puffing on a cigar.

Matt took Tim's hand, which surprised the younger man. When the cowboy led Tim back to the master bedroom where his clothes were folded and waiting on the bed, Tim couldn't hide the surprise on his face. He'd left his clothes in Ryan's bedroom when he'd changed.

"How'd my clothes—"

"I brought them in here earlier. We need to talk, okay? You can change first." Matt pointed to the bathroom.

Tim gathered his clothes, closing the bathroom door before turning to gaze into the mirror. His eyebrows were up near his hairline and didn't seem as if they'd ever come down. The night had been one surprise after another.

"How'd you let that kid talk you into dressing like a damn carrot? What the hell were you thinking?" Tim asked himself the question out loud as he pulled off the Velcro straps that held the costume together.

Once it was off, Tim slipped out of the tights, glad the boys had a little more room to move around. He quickly dressed in the long-sleeved, western shirt and jeans from earlier in the day before he walked out, socks in hand. His boots were still in the hallway tray.

"So, how much is left—" Tim stopped talking when he saw he was alone as he entered the kitchen. He glanced toward the back deck to see nobody there either. The great room was empty, and Tim suddenly felt he was in a science-fiction movie where he was the last man on earth.

Since he was alone, he started picking up orange cups and matching paper plates to carry into the kitchen. He found a trash can under the sink and took it with him to continue the cleanup.

Where had Ryan disappeared to? It was only nine, and Tim doubted the boy would be ready to settle down for the night, given the amount of candy he'd covertly consumed all evening.

Tim wasn't sure where everyone had gone, but he decided to make quick work of the mess before he went out to the little truck he'd… fuck! He remembered he'd ridden to the ranch with Matt and Ryan to help decorate after the trip to Walmart. As he looked out onto the driveway, he saw the cars and trucks were gone as well.

When Matt returned to the kitchen, he was dressed in a pair of worn jeans and a faded, teal T-shirt that happened to highlight his dark hair and bright blue eyes. For a moment, Tim was stuck in place. Matt Collins is so fucking handsome… He was snapped from his gawking when the man spoke.

"Um, Ryan went home with Momma and Daddy. I had a conversation with Momma last night, and I'm happy to say she was very supportive of me. Actually, Momma didn't seem too surprised, but that's a worry for another day.

"I talked to Josh this afternoon, and I asked him if he'd loan you out for a bit. You can still work for him from here because I have Wi-Fi—well, the guy told me I have it. I have a new computer I don't know how to work yet, but I hoped you could help me figure it out. I'd like to have you spend time here, helpin' me set up an operation like you did for Josh. He says it's helped him, and I'm sure you can see I need all the help I can get."

Matt seemed a little apprehensive to ask, but based on Tim's severe ass-chewing fit when the man hadn't been available to pick up his own son from school, it was really no surprise.

"Matt, I don't—"

"Please, Tim, give me a shot. I know I've been runnin' ya in circles, but I've finally got myself figured out. I'm a gay man in a business not exactly acceptin' of my orientation, but if I provide first-class stock, it shouldn't matter to the buyer who I choose to snuggle up with when I watch TV.

"I'm not gonna hide anymore. I just can't do it and be the man I need to be. I'd appreciate it if you'd help me out here with things I need regardin' the business, but more importantly, would you consider havin' dinner with me and Ryan? I mean, you and me are peas and carrots." Matt's face lit up at his own joke as he took Tim's hand.

Tim was completely stumped, but when Matt pulled him close and kissed him softly, Tim couldn't believe it was real. Against his better judgment, Tim was sucked back into Matt Collins' orbit.

The cowboy was amazing, but he wasn't without flaws. Tim knew it, but he was still diving in, headfirst. If Matt wanted to date him? Well, Tim couldn't find it inside himself to turn the man down.

Tim giggled and stared at the cowboy. "Peas and carrots, huh? Well, when you put it like that, Forrest , how can I say no? Dinner with you and Ryan sounds great. Let me know when and where. In the meantime, I need to get back to Katydid. Do I gotta walk?" Tim gave Matt a shy smile.

Matt grinned and leaned forward to nip Tim's neck. "I'll take ya home. We can work this as slow as you wanna, hon, but eventually, I'm gonna live up to the idea of the man you could love. I wanna be the man you expect me to be." Matt seemed steadfast in his admission, which touched his heart.

Tim's face flushed, though he wasn't sure why. He wrapped his arms around Matt's shoulders before he pulled the man down for another soft kiss. He quickly became the aggressor, however, sweeping his tongue over Matt's lips, and when he opened his mouth to suck Tim's tongue inside, it was like going to heaven.

Their tongues continued to wrestle in the sweet kiss, and Tim felt Matt draw his body closer, his hands finding purchase on Tim's ass. He felt Matt's hard cock against his stomach, and he was sure Matt felt his against his thigh. Tim wasn't sure where they were at the jumping-off point in a possible relationship, so he chose not to take things further.

He might have wiggled against the bull rider just to feel the sensation, but that was as far as he was going to go with the man at that moment.

"Let me take you home, sweetheart. I don't want us to go too fast into this. I got too much ridin' on this, Tim. You can leave the carrot here." Matt pointed to the costume hanging over the back of the couch with a wide grin. Tim was having a hard time catching his breath from the kisses and the clothing-covered contact.

Of course, the taller man's comment was so out of left field, Tim couldn't help laughing at the offhanded way Matt had dissolved the tension—which was totally sexual.

"You sure? I wouldn't want to peas you off." It was Tim's turn to tease. Matt laughed as he took Tim's hand and kissed it before the two headed for the front door.

"You're a piss riot, ya know." Matt led Tim out to his big pickup and opened the door, helping him inside to drive Tim home.

When they turned into the driveway at the Katydid, Matt turned off the headlights as he took the fork toward the barn, stopping and turning off the truck. He tuned the radio to a station to play softly in the background, staring at Tim with a sexy grin.

"So, how… I mean, I'm not sure how this works. We have a lot of shit on the floor, here. I know what I want, but I'm not sure how to get there," Matt stated quietly with only soft acoustic guitar sounds and their own breathing in the truck.

Tim exhaled, biding his time to respond. He knew the two of them needed to discuss how they'd go from strangers to lovers—if that was the way it was going to go—but Tim wasn't exactly sure how to get there because he'd never been in a relationship.

He could also see Matt wasn't exactly sure how to walk the walk either. It became clear that if Tim wanted there to be a chance for the two of them, he'd have to take the bull by the horns—so to speak.

After a minute, Tim finally had the words together. "Okay. First, we don't have to tell anyone about us until we figure out ourselves. You said you told your mother you're gay, but nobody else has to know until you're ready, Matt. Certainly, Ryan doesn't have to know. We can hang out platonically for a while, get to know each other better, see how it feels as you get ready for your new reality. I guess it'll take some time to become comfortable in your skin since you've only just accepted that you're gay. I know it took me some time when I figured it out."

Thankfully, Matt nodded, so Tim continued. "Second, the situation with working for you and working for Uncle Josh won't be that hard for me. Of course, I'll need to spend time at your place to figure out how you do business before I can gear the software to meet your needs.

"I mean, in your situation, automation will be much more productive for you than it is for Uncle Josh because you function on a much larger scale. His business really just needed something simple and easily maintained, which I was able to create pretty quickly, though I made sure it was secure and easily upgraded should he decide to expand." Tim knew he was rambling, but it was important to hammer out the business—or was he stalling?

"Uh, for you, I need a more in-depth plan, and after I spend time there and observe you guys in action and peg your business style, I can figure out what's required to make things run smoothly. After that, I'll be better able to design a computer system geared toward the types of challenges you face, hopefully, making things easier on all of you." When Tim finally reached the end of his convoluted explanation, he released a nervous sigh.

It was as pitch dark as Tim had ever seen because of a new moon. When Matt's hand touched his on the middle console, Tim grabbed it and twined their fingers together.

Mat squeezed Tim's hand before he spoke. "That's doable, but I guess I'm wonderin' how we figure out us, 'because I want there to be an us , Tim. I think about ya all the time, and I know Ryan loves ya."

There was a prickle up his spine, and he couldn't help himself. "You're not just doing this because you need help with Ryan, are you?" Immediately, guilt swamped him for asking the question.

Fortunately, Matt snickered. "I can see why you'd think such a thing, but no. I'm gonna take care of my boy. I got that cell phone like you told me, so he'll always be able to get me if he needs me. Can I get your number?"

Tim reached into his pocket for his phone, handing it to the man without comment. He watched as Matt programmed his information and called himself. "I'm new to texting, but I'd like to text you if that's okay. I know you love my boy, Tim. He's easy to love, but I know you don't think I am. I'm hopin' to change your mind." Matt leaned forward and nuzzled Tim's ear.

Tim shoved his phone into his pocket and turned his head to capture Matt's lips, pushing his tongue between the cowboy's lips. They twirled their tongues together and when Matt cradled the left side of Tim's face, pulling him closer, the younger man fell into the most glorious spiral he'd ever imagined.

Matt was the epitome of Tim's dream man, and anyone would have been just as gobsmacked by the man as Tim was in that moment.

Matt pulled away and stared into Tim's eyes, laughing quietly. "You're just like I always imagined the man of my dreams would be."

Tim giggled because the line was unbelievable and a little cheesy coming out of the man's mouth. "So, you like blonds?"

Matt reached up to run his hand through Tim's blond locks. "On you, they're great. It's more the inside of you that has my head spinnin', though you have the most amazin' eyes." With that, Matt kissed him again.

Tim was so lost in the kiss he almost forgot he was trying to be strong and not throw himself at the man like the slut he clearly wanted to be. He pulled away and placed his hand on Matt's face, stroking the soft stubble of his jaw.

"I had fun tonight. Can Ryan come over here sometimes? It's still warm enough to go for a ride after school, you know. I'll pick him up if you'll notify the office and give them my information."

"Actually, um, I'm buyin' Josie as a Christmas gift for Ryan, but I was hopin' maybe you'd let me bring Chester over to the ranch sometimes so you could ride with him over there. I'm gonna buy a horse for myself, but Josh is lookin' for an American Saddlebred because they're bigger than the quarter horses he has on the Katydid. He says I need a bigger horse.

"Miss Katie offered to help me find tack for Ryan to grow with, and I'd like it if you'd work with him on ridin'. He can't stop talking about riding Betsy and Chester, and when I asked Josh about the gelding, he said it was a good horse to have around when it came time to move cattle. Of course, he reminded me when y'all moved my cattle while my ass was in jail for bein' stupid."

Tim couldn't help but laugh at Matt's honest admission of the situation, which brought a chuckle from the cowboy, too.

Matt continued. "Anyway, he told me Chester's your horse, so maybe you wouldn't mind ridin' with Ryan at my place?"

Tim had to give it to the man—he was a slick talker. That was a cowboy trait Aunt Katie had always said to watch out for. That was how Uncle Josh won her heart.

"So, you're trying to kidnap my horse so I have to come to your house to take a ride, and you talked to my uncle about me helping you set up a ranch management system so I couldn't use my work at the farm as an excuse to say no? Matthew Collins, you could have asked me to go to McDonald's for a burger, and I'd have said yes. No need for covert operations with me, but now I'm definitely going to keep my eye on you. You're a schemer, I think, and you're teaching that great little boy the same thing." Tim winked to soften the blow from his accusatory term.

Matt laughed along. "Well, I guess I'm not a good one ‘cause you figured me out. I'm only askin' for a chance." The whisper in Matt's voice plucked a chord deep inside.

Only one thought came to mind. Who am I to say no? After all, I'm in love with the man.