9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Tim was sitting in the office at the Katydid, working on entering invoices into Uncle Josh's management system. He was a little behind because of the work he'd been doing at the Circle C when he had free time, especially since Terri, the part-time office manager Matt had working for him, was getting ready to go on maternity leave.

Matt hadn't been able to find anyone who was willing to take over the job temporarily, so Tim stepped in to help out as often as he could. He wasn't, however, willing to leave Aunt Katie and Uncle Josh in the lurch, either. They were the people who loved him the most, and he refused to let them down.

The office door opened, and that little straw cowboy hat Tim recognized was pushed up to reveal those beautiful blue eyes the boy shared with the man who had Tim wrapped around his finger. Matt was planning to come over to fix a shoe on Pally, one of the farm's working horses, so he wasn't surprised to find Ryan in the office.

His mind wandered back to the first date with the handsome bull rider and his son. It was at Tio's , a little Mexican place in town the previous weekend, and it had been on a loop through Tim's mind for two weeks.

They'd let Ryan pick the place for the date, and they'd all had a great time. There had been plenty of conversation about the inner workings at the ranch and stories about Ryan making new friends at school, including a girl named Gracie who wouldn't leave the boy alone.

In return, Tim had told them about growing up in Pittsburgh. He'd given them a few stories from his childhood before his father had turned all the hatred in his soul toward Tim. He'd been pretty sure Matt could tell he was glossing over some things, but the man had been kind enough not to mention it or push for more. Tim had appreciated the man's kindness greatly.

Later that night when the Collins' men dropped Tim off at the farm, Matt had walked him up to the front door. The house had been dark, and Ryan had fallen asleep in the back seat of the truck, so Matt had kissed Tim good night—very, very well.

Tim believed the man had to use some sort of lip treatment because he'd never kissed lips so soft in his life and being held in the man's arms was like nothing Tim had ever imagined. When Matt had finally released his hold, Tim had floated into the house and dreamed about the tall brunet all night.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Collins?" Tim noticed Ryan had grown a bit taller than the last time he'd seen him in the office at the farm.

It was a Saturday in early November. Tim was still trying to create the perfect ranch management system for the Circle C Ranch. It wasn't an easy operation to understand at first blush because Matt needed to be able to track so many components related to his breeding operation, and then the follow-up information about who bought the bulls and steers and what they did with them. Keeping such detailed records was important to his business model.

A rodeo company Matt knew from his bull riding days had contacted him about acquiring bulls. As he told Tim, for the Circle C to be considered as a stock provider, the ranch had to be able to show proof of animal health and fitness and the progress of the bloodlines.

Matt had breeding cows, but he purchased the semen of prize bulls for insemination to ensure top-notch stock. He'd established a remarkable breeding history in a damn short time, and the fact the bull rider had primitively tracked everything in a notebook and was able to keep it all straight definitely impressed Tim.

"I was hopin' you'd take me for a ride, but it's awful busy out there." Ryan hitched his thumb over his shoulder, pointing to the hallway of the barn.

Tim got up to see Uncle Josh had people in to inspect the barn, as well as observing Matt while he replaced Pally's left front shoe. Two of the boarders had moved from the area and taken their horses, so there were open stalls for new boarders.

Not surprisingly, the reputation of the farm was fantastic and had traveled primarily by word of mouth, so there was a waiting list for new boarders. Tim knew Uncle Josh was sizing up the potential boarders to see if they would fit in with the way he ran things at the Katydid. He would leave Uncle Josh alone to do it. Besides, he had a little boy who wanted to go for a horseback ride, and Josie still had her own personal stall in the barn.

"How about we try something new today? You've seen that jenny in the barn, right? Josie?" She was an adorable little roan donkey, and Ryan had helped Tim feed her a time or two. He'd pet the small animal, and she, in turn, would nuzzle his head, bringing a happy giggle from the boy. Tim was glad she was so damn gentle.

"Yeah. She's a cuddler." Ryan had a happy grin on his face when speaking of the donkey.

"How about we saddle her and Chester, and you and I take a ride down to the back of the pasture to ride the fences? You've done it a time or two, right?" The two of them had gone, riding double on Chester. It would be the first time they'd done it with Ryan on the jenny.

The boy's excited giggle made Tim's heart soar. "You think we can get away with it?" Ryan started out of the office to the hallway, holding the door open for Tim.

"You and me? We're partners in crime. Let's get to it." Tim's mood lifted considerably just being around the boy.

After Chester was saddled, Tim went to the tack room and picked up the kid saddle Uncle Josh had on hand. It had been Shane's, and he knew Uncle Josh must have thought a lot of Ryan to bring it out from its place of honor in the office.

Josh had asked Ethan to clean it up and put it in the tack room for Ryan to use when he came over to the farm. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it out.

Tim knew Matt was having a saddle made for the boy for Christmas to fit Josie, though it wasn't quite ready. He also knew Uncle Josh loved to see Ryan sitting on the old one while Tim led the boy around the pasture. It likely reminded Josh of leading Shane atop his horse when he was a boy. Tim was glad the memories were happy.

Once Josie was settled after being tacked up, Tim helped Ryan get into the saddle and stood next to them. "I'm gonna lead her for a bit to see if she's gonna act up. If she doesn't, I'll take off the lead, okay?" Tim handed over the reins as he snapped the red lead rope to the halter.

Matt had brought Ryan over to the farm a few times for Uncle Josh to give him riding lessons, with Ethan Sachs there to offer advice. They'd been the ones to introduce the little cowboy to the jenny while Tim was working at the Circle C, and Tim wished he'd been there to see it in person.

"I rode her before, Tim. She likes me." Ryan settled his cowboy hat forward, obviously taking his newfound status as a ‘cowboy' very seriously. Tim hid the smirk.

"I'm sure that's right, but for my own piece of mind, could I lead her for a bit?" The very last thing he wanted was for that little boy to get hurt. He was becoming more important to Tim every day, just like the boy's father.

The two adult men were progressing slowly in their romantic pursuit, with only a few kisses exchanged and some grinding together in the hallway of Matt's house one afternoon after Tim had fixed him lunch before Matt headed back to the barn. There was a carpenter building new stalls in the barn, and Matt believed he needed to be there to supervise.

" Come with me down to the barn," Matt whispered as he kissed from Tim's neck to his shoulder, holding the blond tightly in his strong arms. Tim felt Matt's hard cock against his stomach, and he tried not to concentrate on it because, without much effort, he was sure he'd make a mess in his jeans right there. He certainly didn't want to embarrass himself just as the bus stopped at the end of the drive to deliver Ryan.

" Matt, you know I can't. Ryan's due home any minute, and I've got a conference call scheduled with Dean Campbell at the MFA to establish a direct-order system for the ranch." Tim tilted his head so the taller man could continue to kiss and suck on his neck.

" Damn. Okay, but we're gonna take Ryan over to Momma's on Saturday night and we're gonna go out, just the two of us, okay?" Matt sounded—and felt—very firm with his plans.

Tim was breathless at the man's attention, but he was able to respond. "I'd love it. Pick a place, and I'm there." He whispered as he moved Matt back to his lips. Tim sucked the man's bottom lip into his mouth and moaned when Matt's tongue stroked his top lip, too.

"Timmy." Tim had zoned out, which wasn't really a surprise to him as he thought about the bull rider. He turned to see Ryan with his arms crossed in frustration as he led the boy around the upper pasture.

"Oh, sorry. Here, you keep walking her around while I get Chester. We'll get on the move in a few minutes. You need anything?"

"Nope. Just come on. I think Josie wants to go, but she's bored bein' here in this little pasture." Tim almost laughed at the little boy's comment, but it was probably true.

Tim nodded as he unclipped the lead rope before heading for the barn. Once inside, he walked Chester out of the stall he'd come to occupy. Since Uncle Josh gave the horse to Tim, he'd been elevated to inside stock. The old gelding certainly didn't hate it.

As Tim was hoisting the saddle up onto the horse's back, a young guy strolled into the barn, looking around. "You board here?"

The visitor was decked out in full cowboy gear, from a beat-up black felt hat to a pair of well-worn roping boots. He walked from stall to stall looking over the top of the gates at the horses inside. Tim stopped saddling Chester to walk over and meet the guy.

"I work here. Can I help you?" Tim carried a lead rope with him in the event things got tenuous, but he wasn't going to start any trouble without a reason. He would, however, defend himself and the farm against anyone who intended harm.

"I'm lookin' for a job. I heard the buzz around town that maybe Mr. Simmons needed a seasoned hand. I'm just up from Kentucky. Name's Mickey, uh, Michael Warren, but I go by Mickey. I worked at the Bar K for Jerry Kessler. He sent me in this direction."

The guy was damn good-looking. He was about six-foot tall with a slender, muscular build. Tim guessed he was about twenty-five, and he had a swagger about him that hinted he was no stranger to horses.

"How long have you been at the Bar, K and why'd you leave?" A little information up front would help Tim run a background check on the new cowboy before there was any thought of a job offer.

The other guys at the farm were solid, and Tim knew from Uncle Josh that nomadic cowboys could be trouble, so he was determined he'd vet any new hands before the offer of a job was extended.

Uncle Josh's operation wasn't large, but Tim knew his uncle was considering adding another barn to the property to expand his business, and if the guy was a decent hand, Tim was sure Uncle Josh wouldn't want the cowboy to get away.

Stevie and Carl only worked on Saturdays because they had school during the week. With Tim helping at the Circle C, there was enough work at Katydid for another full-time hand.

"I worked at the Bar K for three years before Mr. Kessler sold out. The new owner, well, he had some issues with me, personally, and I didn't want to stick around to see how it turned out. The bigoted types were never the kind of people I wanted to spend much time with, anyway." Clearly, Mickey was a no-nonsense kind of guy which Tim could respect.

Tim nodded, not sure where to go next with his questioning. Just as he was about to tell the man to let him find Uncle Josh, Ryan Collins wandered inside on Josie. "Timmy? We're gettin' bored again." The boy had a cross look on his face, reminding Tim of the older Collins' man when he was displeased.

"Sorry, Ryan. I'll be with you in a minute. Do you know where Uncle Josh is?" The little cowboy had been riding the upper pasture, and if Josh was around, Ryan probably would have seen him outside.

"I saw him goin' into the house with Daddy. You want me to ride up and get him?" Ryan was observing Mickey Warren with a squinted eye. Tim wanted to laugh at the little guy for giving the stink eye to the stranger, but he held it.

Mickey slowly ambled over to the boy and smiled. "Hello, cowboy. Name's Mickey. I like your donkey. She's a beaut." Mickey stroked the small animal on her neck to put her at ease, and the grin didn't fade from his face.

Of course, Ryan Collins was far worldlier than his age. "What can we do for ya?" Ryan pushed his cowboy hat to the back of his head to get a good look at the newcomer. He was the perfect picture of irritation, and Tim, once again, had to hold the laugh so he didn't upset the young boy.

"Well, sir, I'm lookin' for a job. Are you on the hirin' committee?" Mickey smiled.

Ryan looked at the two of them before he crossed his hands over the saddle horn, letting the reins rest on Josie's neck without him holding them. To the jenny's credit, she didn't move a muscle. "No, but I'll get the boss ," Ryan stated as he turned Josie out of the barn and headed up the gravel drive leading from the barn to the house.

"He your little brother or nephew?" Mickey walked over to Chester. He picked up the right front hoof and looked at it, gently placing it back on the floor as he brushed up the horse's leg to his shoulder.

It appeared the man knew his way around horseflesh, so that was another "pro" for him in Tim's opinion. "He's a friend of the family. Anyway, what brings you to Virginia? You got any family here?" Tim asked, getting back to the interview-style questioning he was intent to undertake.

"Got no family to speak of, as a matter of fact. Mr. Kessler told me about Mr. Simmons and what a good man he believed him to be, so I looked up the website for Katydid Farm at the library. It's a small operation, which is nice, but it's got a good reputation for prime horseflesh. It's my first pick of places in the area.

"I figure if I can get a job here, the boss might let me camp for a few days till I get myself a place to sleep." Mickey's explanation surprised Tim a little.

"It's damn near Thanksgiving, and we've been lucky with the weather, but I'd imagine it won't be so warm much longer." It was late fall in southern Virginia, and he didn't know many people who wanted to camp there.

"I've got a truck and a sleepin' bag. I just need a place to park, and I'm not particular," Mickey stated as he continued to inspect Chester's feet. "Good shoes." He put down the rear left leg of the gelding and patted it on the ass.

"Thanks. I appreciate someone who admires my handiwork." Tim turned to see Matt walking into the barn with Josie following closely behind. Ryan was on her back and had a grin on his face like the cat that ate the canary. Tim really wanted to laugh.

"You Mr. Simmons?" Mickey asked the bull rider.

Matt stopped next to Tim and smirked without looking at Mickey. "I thought you and Ryan were gonna ride?"

"We are, but Mickey came in as I was saddling Chester. He's looking for a job. I thought Ryan was going to get Uncle Josh to come down to meet with him." Tim cocked his eyebrow at Matt.

"Oh, Josh said he'll be ready to meet him in a few minutes, but I thought I'd see if everything was okay. You gonna be ready for tonight? I'm droppin' Ryan at Momma's at six. I'll pick you up at six-thirty, okay?" Matt said it loud enough for Mickey to hear… clearly.

Tim felt the flush of his face, and then, without warning, Matt placed his right hand on Tim's cheek, turning the younger man's head. "I don't deserve someone as handsome as you, but I'm not gonna push my luck by questionin' anything. Now, you two go ahead and ride for a while. Josh will be here directly, but I'll wait with the cowboy. I need to run home and meet Doc Grant for a bit to inseminate a dozen head of cows, but I'll be back to get Ryan at five, okay?" Matt spoke quietly, stepping into Tim's personal space.

"Okay. I'll make sure he's fine and have Aunt Katie feed him a snack before you pick him up. Make sure you leave Doc's invoice on the desk so I can pay it on Monday. Terri has her sonogram, so I agreed to work for her. Make sure the vet leaves me a list of the semen he used so I can update the database, and this time, make sure you know which cows get which semen. No guesswork." Tim's tone was scolding as he stared into those blue eyes that filled his dreams, but Matt only grinned.

"Got ya. Anything else, babe? You're gonna stay the night, right?" Matt's request was quiet, meant for Tim's ears only. Tim hadn't anticipated Matt would want him to stay that night, but then the bull rider had gone so far as to make sure Ryan was staying at his parents' place, so it should have been expected.

Tim's face and neck flushed again as he smiled at Matt, nodding in complete agreement. When Chester pawed at the floor, it snapped Tim out of the fog of love Matthew Collins often put him in when he was anywhere around.

Mickey, with a tender smile on his face, walked over to Tim and Matt and put his arms on both of their shoulders. "I knew there was somethin' special about this place. I've got a boyfriend back in Kentucky, and I told him if I found a place for both of us, I'd come get him. He's goin' to community college and worked at the Bar K part-time. Unfortunately, when Mr. Kessler sold out, Mr. Leslie didn't like queers, so we were both fired. I do, however, think I'm gonna like it here."

Much to Tim's surprise, Matt laughed and stuck out his hand as he pushed Mickey's arm from Tim's shoulder, wrapping his own around Tim's neck to draw him closer. "Matthew Collins. The boy is mine… well, this boy, too, I hope." He turned to Tim and grinned. Of course, Tim was irritated at the possessive show, but he smiled in return. He was a lovesick fool to be sure.

Matt and Mickey shook hands. "Nice to meet ya, Matt. You do the shoes on this gelding? Nice job. He has a cleft on his…"

Mickey discussed Chester's hooves with Matt as Tim turned to see Ryan smiling at him from the doorway. The little shit actually winked before he turned Josie out of the barn.

Tim knew he'd have to watch the kid. He had the potential to be dangerous—which only captured Tim's heart more.

Matt finished saddling Chester as he and Mickey talked about horses. It sounded more like a job interview than Tim believed he'd be able to give.

Once Chester was ready, Matt turned toward Tim. "Go ahead and take Ryan for a ride. He's been chompin' at the bit since he found out we were comin' over. I'll take Mickey up to the house to talk to Josh and Katie. I'll see ya later." Matt placed a gentle kiss on Tim's needy lips, surprising him, but then again, Matt Collins surprised him all the time.

As Tim climbed up on Chester, Mickey waved before he followed Matt out of the barn. "Nice to meet ya, Tim. Hopefully, I'll get to see ya again." Without waiting for a response, Mickey and Matt went in the direction of the house.

Tim hoped Mickey impressed Uncle Josh because he liked the guy. The tall, slim cowboy seemed decent, and it sounded like the pair might have things in common. At the end of the day, it appeared to him Mickey was another guy for Aunt Katie to mother. Tim had the feeling she'd welcome Michael Warren with open arms.