Chapter Six

After two hours of interviews and more sticky questions, they'd hired all three. The other two, Jim Belmont and Frankie McAllister, were skilled, smart, and ready to work in a "gay friendly" environment. In fact, Jim was gay, and Frankie had twin brothers that were gay, and were excited for them to visit him on a ranch that would be accepting.

That done, Dallas checked on the stables, checked on the hands exercising the horses and grabbed a microwave burrito for lunch, eating it on the run. As he chewed on it while heading across the flats to the corral again to get himself a horse, he let his mind wander.

The mountains rose around the ranch, like some natural fence that kept them safe and content. For people who hated being fenced in, wanting nothing but freedom, those mountains were their comfort. They reached for the sky, maybe that was it. Those, like the men who'd ridden and walked the area for thousands of years, reaching for the sky, they were religious.

No, not like the books and preachings the pastors threw out like Labor Day candy off a float. It was religious, a way to feel like the men were a part of something much bigger and greater than themselves. Big Sky Country, that was Montana, and it was, but it was big in a lot of ways.

The trees, the land, the lakes, even the creeks seemed bigger. There were rivers and creeks throughout the property, and each one overtook the mere mortal human that gazed upon it. The sound of creek water, sliding noisily over the shining, smooth stones was deafening. The wind through the trees as well, whistling a tune that everyone who loved the land could sing along to.

Dallas stopped in the field, far from the stables and bunkhouse, letting the wind blow his stress away while he closed his eyes, feeling the sun warm his face. Promotions, feelings for guys, new owners, all of it had gotten to him.

Jet, the veterinarian, was walking toward him when he opened his eyes. "Hey, Jet. How are ya?"

"I'm great. I love the new owners," he said once he got to Dallas. "Finally, no one is nitpicking at me constantly about how much it's costing him, how slow I am, and let's not mention the racial slurs."

"Yeah, Harrison was a racist old bastard. Like that hand we only had a few months, Gabe, he asked me why I was staying. Asked me if I was a fag, and if so, why keep it quiet."

"Like that didn't answer the question?"

"Yeah. Anyway, what's up?"

"Got two sick cows. Nothing big, but thought I'd tell the new manager that they will need meds. Have you and the others figured out how to separate them?"

For once, he had the answer. It felt good after so much being up in the air. "Yeah, they're all going to the little ranch for the guests on the resort. Nothing's really built for it yet, but there is that pole shed up there. I guess those two ladies will be our first contributions."

"I guess so. I've got them in the small corral right now. When they're out of immediate danger, let me know and we can set it up for them."

They walked together to the office and Jet came in, ready to let Dallas have his list of needs. Dallas found a notebook and started taking notes. "Okay, what do you need the most right now? We'll get everything eventually, but right now, we need to worry about the coming winter."

"It's going to snow the end of this month, or it's supposed to. Might as well start getting ready for that."

"How do you know?"

Jet winked at him. "The spirits, they tell me."

Dallas fell back in his chair and laughed. "You dick."

From his pocket, Jet produced a book, tossing it on the desk. Dallas picked it up to see it was a Farmer's Almanac. "Cute. What else does it say?"

"Hard winter, like all the old timers are predicting."

"Then why buy the book?"

Jet shrugged and said, "I like spending my money frivolously."

That was funny because the guy saved every dime like a hoarder. "Well, then, frivolously give me some."

"You just got a raise, just like me!"

He had gotten quite a large one. He still hadn't let that sink in, like it would change any minute.

He was busy for the next twenty minutes, writing down all the needs for the vet clinic. Jet confessed that Hunter Westmore was having his husband send the blueprints for their barn with the vet clinic inside and all the cool gadgets they'd invented for it, like an elevator that carried the cattle to the second level for surgeries and such.

"If they build that? No one's ever going to see me again. I'll never leave it."

"Make sure to tell them to put in a bunk for you."

"Right! A king-sized bunk with a mirror on the ceiling in case I ever get laid."

Dallas laughed and reminded him, "The place will be full to the brim with gay men, likely some fine gay men. I don't think you'll have any trouble."

"Yeah. That. It's gonna be weird, though, right? I'm no homophobic asshole, self-hating or anything, but fuck, surrounded by them? I don't know how to act if I'm not hiding in that proverbial closet. Could you even imagine Harrison if he would have discovered you and me were gay?"

"Out of the ranch, escorted by big guns, yeah. He was such a prick. He'd start his rants about fags, and I wanted to punch him so bad. Good thing he wasn't around a lot after I got here. I can't imagine living around him when he was young and into every single piece of the ranch business."

Jet agreed heartily. "The vet he used to use was the old guy in town. He still works but is mostly retired. I've helped him out, he's helped me, and even that old conservative dude hated Harrison. He didn't make a lot of friends around here."

"A prick is a prick." He looked down at the full page of requests and said, "Okay, I'll speak to the bosses today, see how fast we can get you the account for this. Jace told me you'd just have your own account for the ranch, but if that is a while coming, I'll have this stuff picked up for you or ordered, whichever."

"Thanks, Dallas."

On his way out, Jet bumped into Marius, and Marius could always be counted on. "Hey, Jet. Aren't you looking luscious today?"

"I sure am. Thanks," he said then moved away from him and out before Marius could say more. He was still looking back at Jet as he moved into the office. "My, ain't he pretty?"

"Is there any man you won't hit on?" Dallas asked, maybe a little too aggressively, but he was starting to really hate the guy.

"No, not really. I have a wide variety of types, my friend," he answered then plopped himself down in the chair in front of the desk with a shit-eating grin. "But gotta give it to you, you are one of the prettiest around here."

"Gee, thanks. I'm all a-flutter," he drawled. "What do you need?"

"Oh, right. The computers are in, but our computer expert isn't. He's not going to be here for a while. He and his new man, which just happens to be my cousin, they've decided to take a trip to Italy. Dex wants to show his guy the old country."

"Oh? Why don't you go with them?"

Sucking in his bottom lip as his eyes heated, Marius stared even more lasciviously at Dallas. "You are a wild cat, aren't you?"

Dallas couldn't help but stare back. Yes, the guy was a criminal asshole that was trying hard to get with Ruben, but he was hot. His dark eyes alone peered into Dallas's…they could suck him right in and keep him there.

"We're not getting the computers until this guy gets here?"

"No, no, the old computer nerd is coming to help for now. He's retiring but is loyal to the family."

"Old computer nerd. Nice, Dimples. So, when are we getting them?"

"He'll be here as soon as he can get away. When he does, he'll set up security on each of them, then add some of the programs the new nerd made up for them already. Be around the following day so he can teach the programs to you."

Dallas tensed, as he wasn't a computer guy. He knew how to use them to a point, but not much more than email and ordering things here and there. "Hmph. Well, they might need a new manager. I'm not good at that shit."

"Me neither, man, but Neil is good, and so is my cousin's new beau. I'm sure they can teach us what we need to know enough to get by with whatever role we're playing."

"And what is that, exactly? What is your role?"

He leaned up and lay his arms on the other side of the desk from Dallas, staring hard at him while a smirk played on his lips. "Do you really want to know, sweet jeans?"

As a matter of fact, no. He didn't. "You can go now. You've played messenger."

"You're trying so hard not to like me, blondie. I'm gonna get to you. I promise you that."

Dallas felt warmer than he should. The AC in the office was old and a simple window mounted thing, but it worked well enough that he shouldn't be sweating, but he was, and quite a lot. "You have this fantasy about yourself, don't you? That every man is dying to fuck you?"

"Sure," he said, shrugging like Dallas should just take that as fact. "I'm good in bed, I've been told. I'm not hard to look at, and let's not get into my sparkling personality."

"Sparkling, yeah, that's how I would describe it, sure."

"I knew you wanted me." He rose from the chair and adjusted his crotch. "See you soon, blondie."

As soon as Marius, AKA Dimples, left, Dallas could breathe again. But the hits kept coming. Ruben was the next one through the door and he didn't look happy. "What's up, Ruben?"

"Did Dimples know?"

"Know what?"

"The sheriff is back."

Dallas jumped to his feet and headed out with Ruben hurrying to keep up with Dallas's long, quick strides. The sheriff was in the same place as the last time he'd shown up at the ranch, right by the bunkhouse. Dallas came over to the car as Daily was walking around, looking in the door of the bunkhouse, taking pictures with his phone.

"Sheriff Daily, how are you?" He greeted as he walked up to the man and shook his hand.

"Yeah, not so good. There's another person missing from Redbud."

Dallas's heart fell, as he knew what was coming. "Oh? Who might that be?"

"Lady named Sondra Brooks. She worked the diner in Redbud for thirty-five years."

Dallas was at a loss. He'd been in the small diner that sat on the edge of the town, but only twice. He'd mostly stayed close to the ranch. "Never had the pleasure. She got any family? Someone that would know?"

"Had a sister, I'm told. No one knew her."

"Is that who called it in?"

"No. Her boss, the owner of the diner, called it in. He says the sister and her have been estranged for years and the sister might even be long dead, he couldn't remember. Where's your boss?"

He saw the SUV coming on the dirt road by the huge plume of dust being kicked up behind it. "I do believe they're coming now."

Daily spun around slowly to look and nodded. "Yessir, looks like it."

Relieved, Dallas was happy to hand the sheriff over, but once Dante, his bodyguard, and Hunter Westmore got out of the SUV, he knew he'd be expected to stay. Just then, Dimples sidled up beside him. "He's back again, huh?" He asked, nodding toward Daily as Daily walked to the men who'd just arrived.

"Yeah. Another missing person."

"Another one, huh? Well, this is getting to be a pattern. I'll just bet he thinks it's us."

"I'd lay wager to it, yeah."

Dallas stood with the others once they arrived, and Dante shocked him when he greeted the sheriff as smooth as the surface of Lake Winonca with no breeze to give it the slightest wave.

"The good Sheriff Daily, how are you? Have you found your wayward Mr. Harrison?"

"No, sure haven't."

"Shame, I'm sure, but as no one here has seen him, I don't see why you're back so soon."

Dante Carrillo was slick, his voice creamy and his eyes dancing with some inner joy that seemed to piss Daily off something fierce. "Well, there's someone else missin'."

"Oh, do tell."

That light never left Dante's eyes, and at first, Dallas thought he was just an uncaring jerk. Little did he know there was a method to Dante's madness. "A lady from town. Funny thing about it."

"I enjoy humor greatly, Sheriff Daily. I don't see the humor in a poor woman going missing however, so why don't you let me in on the joke?"

Daily's beady eyes just got smaller as he glared hatefully at Dante, causing Bruno, Dante's bodyguard, to tense and take a step toward him. Dante didn't see this, of course, but he must have known by the way Daily was eyeing the huge bodyguard. His hand came up, but he never looked back at Bruno. "No, Bruno, it's fine. This is our fine county law enforcement. We always cooperate with the law."

Bruno moved back the step he'd taken, and Dallas watched Daily deflate some, but not completely. His voice raised as he mused, "The funny thing about both of these is…nobody was missin' around here before you all came. Ain't that funny?"

"Oh, surely, it is. I wonder who could be trying to make it seem like we are the problem when we've only arrived such a short time ago? I hope you investigate that while you're looking for your missing constituents, Sheriff. Now, we have no problem in you looking around for them, but this is forty-one thousand acres. A lot of ground to cover for such a small department. Three of you, isn't there?"

"Yeah, but if I have to, I can get a small army out here with one phone call. If anyone else comes up missing, that's just what I plan to do."

Dante's smile was warm, but it didn't reach his eyes. Yes, they still danced brightly, but there was nothing but malice in them. "I'm sure you'll bring a warrant along with that army, Sheriff. Now, if you'll excuse me, I hate to be rude, but I've lots to do to get this place ready for our paying guests."

Daily looked around at the rest of us and announced, "Anyone has anything they need to tell me, I'm always around." He looked pointedly back at Dante. "Always."

After he left, those of us gathered looked to Dante for answers. Of course, we weren't even sure of the question. "No worries, my friends. He's all hot air. I've known worse than him my entire life. Please, go back to what you were doing. We have a resort to build!"