Loving the Broken Man (The Cowboys of Katydid Farm Book 3) Read online

  They spoke for a moment, and she nodded as she headed toward the house. Dan hurried off the porch to help her. "Miss Katie, you did too much, I can already tell," he told her as he took the bags from her while Tim helped Kayley out of the truck.

  Everyone followed Miss Katie into the house and down the hall to Kayley's room. "Daniel, did you call Zachary back?" she asked. He lowered his eyes and shook his head that, no, he hadn't called his brother.

  "Go call him while Kayley and I hang up these things. Timothy, we stopped at the house and picked up a lasagna I had in the freezer. Can you go get it and turn on the oven? Three-seventy-five, please," she ordered. Dan admired the fact she operated like a general going into battle. He damn sure wasn't going to challenge her.

  As he followed Tim down the hallway, he heard another vehicle pull into his driveway. It was a large, pearl-white SUV, and he smiled, knowing it was exactly who he needed. He watched Mickey go to the back of the vehicle and open the door, moving out of the shadow with Megan on his hip. Jase went to the back and moved forward with his duffle and a garment bag.

  "I'll be back," he told Tim as he hurried down the front steps in his bare feet, walking over to Jase.

  "Thank you for comin'," Dan whispered as he took the young man's duffle.

  Jase wrapped an arm around Dan's shoulders and hugged him before he released him. "I wouldn't be anywhere else, Danny. How's Kayley?"

  "I haven't exactly got up the nerve to tell her the truth, but maybe if you'd sit with me? I need to call my brother as well because when I called him this mornin' he was an ass. You'll stay, right?" Dan asked, nearly holding his breath for an answer.

  "Let's send Meg, Mickey, and Jon to the Katydid with Tim and Miss Katie. I can get dinner together, and you can talk to Kayley in private," Jase suggested, seemingly more mature than his years.

  "You sure?" Dan asked, unsure of where the two of them stood.

  "Definitely," Jase replied with a gentle smile.

  Jase went upstairs in search of Kayley as Dan went to the kitchen. "Y'all, I appreciate it you're here. I need to talk to Kayley, so maybe you wouldn't mind givin' us a little privacy? I'll be at the ranch in the mornin' to be sure the boys have everything under control. Jase can stay here and look after Kayley, okay?"

  Katie stepped forward first with a small smile. "Honey, I'll be over tomorrow to coordinate the food that'll be dropped off, okay? I'll help Jase with Kayley if he needs it. I'm not tryin' to crowd ya, but she might need a woman to talk to, okay?" she reasoned.

  Dan hugged her. "Thank you, Miss Katie. I don't know what I'd do without ya," he whispered before he released her. She kissed his cheek before she took her purse to leave, dragging Tim with her. He waved at Danny before they left out the front door.

  Dan turned to Mick and Jon, having a last-minute change of heart. "Stay for dinner, please? Miss Katie brought a lasagna. I think Kayley will like to have Megan around after I explain things to her." He glanced into the living room to see Megan napping on the couch.

  "If you're sure, we'll get things set for dinner, okay? You take your time, Danny," Mickey told him.

  He turned to Jon. "You have a chance to get the papers together?"

  "My associate, Riley Manning, will file them first thing on Monday morning, Dan. It's going to be all right," Jon assured.

  Danny nodded and walked up the stairs to Kayley's room where she and Jase were playing a board game with cherries Zach had given her for her birthday when he did a drive-by visit. "Who’s winning?" Dan asked with a smile.

  “Me,” Kayley announced. She was lying on her stomach on the bed while Jase was sitting on the floor. Dan sat on the corner of the bed near Jase, and took a breath, praying it would come out right.

  He turned to Kayley, seeing the braid over her shoulder she seemed to be so fond of. "Sweet Pea, I got somethin' to tell ya, and it's not a happy thing," he began before he closed his eyes, trying to fight the tears.

  "Gramma Dottie went to heaven to be with Mommy, didn't she?" Kayley asked as she looked up from the game, offering her bright smile.

  Dan felt like the breath had been pushed out of him. "Who told you?" he demanded, anger evident in his voice.

  She stood on the bed and walked over to him, sitting on his lap and hugging his neck. "Gramma told me yesterday. She asked me if I wanted her to tell Mommy anything, and I said to tell her I loved her and I wished I knew her," the little girl explained.

  Danny broke down, unable to hold the tears. He felt an arm around his neck, pulling him into a warm, muscular chest. He couldn't speak.

  "Why he's cryin'? Gramma said we should be happy she's not sick anymore," the child reasoned. Dan couldn't even acknowledge her.

  "Aw, Little Bit, I know, but sometimes, it's hard for us adults to let go. It's your Gramma, but it's Uncle Danny's mom. He'll really miss her. She didn't tell him like she told you she was ready to go be with your mommy, so it was a surprise for him," Dan heard being explained.

  "Oh! That's sad. What can we do?" Kayley asked. Dan was still paralyzed, but he felt the love surrounding him.

  "Well, Jon and Mickey are downstairs and Meggie's here, but I think she's taking a nap. Why don't you go check on them while I look after Danny?" Jase suggested.

  "Will he be okay?" she asked quietly as she hopped down from the bed.

  Danny sniffed and wiped his eyes. "I will, Sweet Pea. Go make sure everything's okay for dinner, and after I get cleaned up, Jase and I will be down, okay? I love ya, Kayley," he offered.

  She scrambled up onto his lap again and hugged him hard around his neck. "I love you, too, Uncle Danny. It'll be okay," she assured, which caused his tears to flow even harder.

  The three of them…Kayley, Jase, and Danny sat on the bed until Danny was able to get himself together. Jase took Kayley to get washed up before she went downstairs to check on the Warren-Wells family. Danny heard the squeal when Meggie found Kayley.

  "Babe, what can I do?" Jase asked.

  Danny took a deep breath and turned to look at the handsome young man. "Just be with me, okay? I don't want to pressure you into anything, but if you can just stand next to me until I get through this, I think I might make it out the other side," Dan told him.

  "You got it," the younger guy replied as he took Danny's hand and pulled him into a hug. The pressure of the long arms around him was enough to calm Dan. He hugged Jase back, grateful to feel the warmth of him through his clothes. It was definitely soothing.

  "You hungry? Miss Katie makes a great lasagna," Jase teased before he kissed Dan on the forehead and released him from his grasp.

  "Not really, but I guess I should eat," Danny responded.

  Jason Langston urged him down the stairs with a strong arm around his shoulders in support, and at that moment, Daniel Johnson knew he'd found the 'ying' to his 'yang'. In his heart, he knew it would work out between them somehow.

  It might take time, but he was definitely willing to wait. He was sure he'd found his home base, his grounding rod, and the fact he came in an eighteen-year-old package was a bit worrisome, but he'd have to adjust. Love happened when one least expected, and it was pretty damn spectacular when it did.

  Chapter Twelve

  "Thank ya, Stretch, for bein' there for me and Kayley, I don't know what we'd a done without ya," Danny told Jase as they sat on the back porch of Danny's home after the funeral. There'd been a reception that afternoon. After most of the guests had left, Jon and Mickey helped them clean up the mess before they went back to the Katydid.

  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 home 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 fantastic over th
e few days, and Jase knew once Danny got over his state of shock, he'd want to thank people for their kind acts. He 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 offered.

  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 he hit 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 aren't objecting. I really want her to like me because I think she could be a good reference for me to come back to Holloway," he offered.

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

  "Well, yeah. I mean, they've been really good to me. Terry and me, we play basketball and run together when he's around the farm, and Meggie, well, she's incredible," Jase explained.

  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 in love with you, Jason. If we moved to you, would you be willing to give us a try?

  "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," Danny confessed.

  Jase was immediately overwhelmed by the idea another person would actually 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? There's no rush," Danny backtracked.

  "You ready for bed?" Jase asked. When he took the beer from Danny's hand and dumped it on the grass by the back porch.

  "I, uh, I guess," Dan stated as he 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 then turned to Dan and took his hand. "Come on, babe. Let's go to bed."

  Jase led the sandy blonde 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 just 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 feel you next to me," he whispered.

  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?" he whispered, trying not to disturb the peace and quiet of the house.

  "Can we talk about that tomorrow? Tonight, I just wanna feel," Dan told him.

  "Tell me what you need, Danny," Jase whispered as he wrapped his arms around Danny Johnson and pulled him up against his body a little until their hard cocks were brushing against each other, sending a shockwave 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 actually seen Danny's body naked, 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 his body, Jase nearly lost is 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 gasped as they continued to press flesh to flesh. "Baby boy, I'm gonna cum," Dan whispered.

  "All over me," Jase responded as his tongue worked its way to Danny's neck. He took a deep breath, feeling like his life had just begun. As the two men lie together, he 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 asked. He was worried Danny might regret what had happened and give him the sweet good-bye, but Jase was prepared to fight it.

  "I'm not, 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 definitely 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?"

  Jase 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 before he offered, "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?" Danny asked.

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

  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? You can stay right here with me?" Dan offered with a smile.

  Jase thought about it for a minute before he nodded. "Yeah, I'll…well, 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," Dan demanded.

  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 then 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 feeling 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 of 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?" he whispered to himself as he decided 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," he heard whispered through the door. He laughed as he opened it, seeing Danny dancing a little bit.

  "Go," Jase told him quietly. 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. He 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.

  Jase was determined to go through Dan's burgeoning fridge and put expiry 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. He knew he'd truly missed the little blonde, and he knew he'd miss her when he went back to Wonderland.

  After he was dressed, he walked downstairs to hear the television. 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. He'd seen the man at the funeral home, though they hadn't been introduced properly. "Um, hi?" he greeted nervously.

  Kayley hopped up to scramble over to Jase, taking his hand. She was wearing pink and white pajamas with some sort 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," she introduced.

  "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 yesterday. Hell, if Mrs. Simmons hadn't tracked me down, I'd have missed the whole damn thing because Dan's a fucking ass. Where is Bitchy McCrabby?" Zach asked.

  Aside from the crack about Jase's age, he actually thought Zach was funny and he had a point, as Jase had witnessed when the confrontation occurred. "Look, I'm sure not going to get in the way of you and your brother, but it's a pleasure to meet you, and I'm sorry I didn't know how to get in touch with you 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 requested as the two men stood staring at each other.

  He watched Zach stomp a little, which made Kayley laugh. "Damnit, why'd you have to be nice? This would be so much easier if you weren’t nice.” Zach smiled at him and extended his hand, “It's a pleasure to meet you, Jase, is it?"