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

  Jase heard the shower upstairs, so he determined it was his place to play host. "Why don't we go into the kitchen. I smell the coffee already, but I know one of Mrs. Johnson's church friends brought over something called a breakfast casserole with instructions, so I'll put it in the oven," he offered as he took Kayley's hand and led her into the kitchen, happy the brother, Zach, followed.

  "Plates?" Jase asked as the little girl pulled over a small ladder.

  "I set the table, Jase," she informed.

  "Yes ma'am," he responded as he kissed the top of her head before he went to the fridge and moved things around, having to pull out a lot of food containers.

  Zach walked over and began perusing the offerings, laughing a little. "I'll take back to DC what won't fit in Dan's freezer."

  "Oh, you live in DC? What's that like?" Jase asked. He and Danny hadn't really talked about his family much, which was another thing they needed to get out of the way. It was funny how he fell in love with a man about whom he knew almost nothing, but he figured he could rectify it over e-mail during the months apart. It would also give him a chance to do some research regarding man sex so the next time he had Danny Johnson naked, he'd be able to do more than hump the guy.

  "It's okay. My girlfriend and I live in a row house on Capitol Hill. We both work for Senator Stanton from Virginia. I graduated with a degree in political science, thanks to Dan, mostly. He helped with my school when he could, and if it wasn't for him, I'd likely be stuck here in this half-assed town," Zach commented as Jase found the casserole he'd sought.

  He pulled off the instructions which were wrapped in plastic and turned on the oven to the dictated temperature. He then pulled out some juice and milk, placing them on the table. There were four place settings, thanks to Kayley's diligence, but a thought occurred to Jase. "Is your girlfriend with you? Where are you staying?"

  "Amy couldn't come because her parents were in from New York, and I stayed with a friend from high school because Dan wouldn't even talk to me at the cemetery after that shit at the chapel," Zach stated.

  "And, I'da thought you got the hint," they both heard from behind them. Jase turned to see Dan standing at the doorway looking none too happy.

  Zach turned to face him, marching forward and embracing his brother in a tight hug, as Jase was judging it. Both men began sobbing, so Jase picked up Kayley and left them to their privacy. They had some things to work out, and he hoped they would. Danny didn't have a mother, but he had a brother and a daughter, and they all needed each other.

  "How about we go get you dressed and fix your hair before breakfast?" Jase offered the little girl.

  "You can fix my hair?" she gasped with big eyes as he followed her upstairs.

  Jase laughed. "I learned from Mickey and Jon. What do you want? Pigtails? Ponytail? French braid?" he offered, having learned all of them from watching Mickey and Jon with Meggie. They'd both learned from Audrey Langley when she'd visited the farm a few times. Jase liked the woman and her teacher girlfriend, Gina. They were both very nice to him.

  He could see a triumphant smile on Kayley's face as she stated, "FINALLY." He left her alone to get dressed after they picked out her outfit for the day, which was a pair of denim shorts and a green t-shirt that she said matched the cowgirl boots Uncle Dan had bought her.

  She requested a high ponytail and showed him where the hair bands were kept in her bathroom, so he happily obliged because it was the easiest thing to do. After she was ready for the day, they made her bed and went downstairs because Jase believed the breakfast casserole was almost done.

  He was happy to see the Johnson brothers at the table, drinking coffee and smiling. It seemed the crisis was averted. It had been a tense weekend, but Jase felt he'd been able to help out, and it made his heart feel better for the family he hoped to call his own…someday.

  Chapter Thirteen

  After Kayley was settled in bed, Danny opened his e-mail, feeling his heart lurch. It was from Jase.

  From: Langston, Jason

  To: Johnson, Daniel

  Date: 02 July (12:20 PM EDT)

  Re: I MISS YOU!

  Danny –

  I really miss you, so this isn't easy for me to write. We won't be coming for the boys' birthdays. Mrs. Wells is coming this weekend and there's going to be a party, so I think we have to be here. I know I need to meet her because she's my boss, and she wants to make sure I understand how important the horses are to the farm.

  I'll come to Holloway as soon as I can get away, I swear, but I need to be here right now. I hope you understand, Danny.

  I love you,

  Jase

  Dan knew he had to be at the ranch for the holiday weekend because the boys' birthday party was coming up, and he'd promised to help with the celebration. He also hated the idea of breaking the news to Kayley that Jase, her new favorite person, wasn't coming to Holloway.

  He closed the e-mail, unsure of how to respond. After a lengthy contemplation, he decided to leave it till the morning. He turned off the lights in the living room after he closed his laptop, and he went to bed, making certain to set his alarm for six.

  The hands at the Circle C were doing a major clean-up in anticipation of the upcoming party, as was usual practice at that time of year, and Dan had to be there to supervise. There would be a cookout that evening with the employees and their families, so he was taking Kayley with him to work…likely still in her nightgown. He knew he could put her on the couch in the family room of the ranch house, and the boys would let her sleep. He remembered to pack her a little bag so she'd be ready for whatever the day brought, and as he looked at her as she slept, he felt a warmth in his soul. Life was full of surprises.

  Dan went to bed, wishing Jason Langston was next to him, but they'd agreed to give each other time. He decided he'd get up a little early and respond to Jase's e-mail the next morning, so he fell into a deep sleep. Of course, his dreams weren't of Jase, as he'd have wished. They were much more disturbing.

  "You fucking ass! You could have…you hung up on me," Zach yelled as the two of them stood in the chapel at Curtis Funeral Home.

  "You didn't bother to call or come home to check on Mom this whole time, so I didn't think ya gave a damn one way or the other. Besides, you knew she was sick as well as me, Zachary, so cussin' me out when I called ya at six in the mornin' to tell ya she died let me know how ya felt about hearin' from family. You damn well ain't gotta stay," Danny told his brother, knowing everyone was looking at them.

  He saw Jase take Kayley's hand to lead her out of the room as Mickey picked up Meggie and left. It was truly for the best. They didn't need to hear the awful things two brothers who were hurting because of a loss would say to each other.

  "You're such a fucking dick. She was my mother, too," Zach snapped back at him, not seeming to care about the fact Dan's friends and friends of his mother were staring at them.

  He took Zach by the lapel of his suit jacket to drag him into the sanctuary. He stopped next to their mother's casket and turned to his brother. The undertaker had done as best he could to make her look like the picture Dan had given him. The ravages of the disease were still evident on her very thin face, but there was a small, artificial smile that vaguely resembled how she'd smile when her children were around her. Danny took it into his heart.

  "There, Zach. That's what's left of our mother after cancer ate away at her. When did you come back to see her?" Dan snapped. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Jase next to him with a tender look on his face.

  "Danny, don't do this. There's no right or wrong, okay? You have a daughter to think about, so let it go," he whispered in Dan's ear. Dan felt the calm settle into his soul, immediately.

  He turned and kissed Jase on the cheek. "Thank you. You're just what I need."

  Dan then turned to his brother. "We'll get through this, and then we'll take a break from each other. Let's calm down, okay?"

  Dan opened his eyes, feeling the sting of the t
ears. Having that fight had been the hardest thing in the world, but when Zach showed up at the house on Saturday morning and the two of them talked it out with Jase's gentle prodding, Dan thanked his lucky stars. It could have been so much worse, but thankfully it didn't.

  He hated the fact Jase couldn't come to Holloway for the birthday party, but it was part of the job. They both had responsibilities, whether they liked them or not.

  He hopped up from the bed and did his morning business. He'd showered the night before, so after a quick shave, he dressed and went to Kayley's room to pack her things, including a swimsuit to take along. She'd be missing camp that day, but it was only half a day before the holiday, so he was sure she wouldn't miss much.

  After he had her things together, he went downstairs, started the coffee, and put away the clean dishes he'd washed from dinner the previous night. He hadn't heard from Jon Wells or his associate, Riley Someone, regarding filing the papers for the adoption, so he made a note to call Jon later and ask about it. He was yet to pay the man anything, and he wondered if that was halting progress. He didn't have much extra money, but he'd give the man everything he had to make things right for Kayley and him.

  He poured himself a travel mug of coffee, taking it and Kayley's little backpack out to the truck. It was set to be a hot day, so when he went back inside, he grabbed himself a clean set of clothes for the cookout that night after the workday was finished.

  He went up to Kayley's room to see her sitting on the side of the bed, trying to open her eyes. "Sweet Pea, don't wake up too much. You can sleep in the family room at the ranch for a couple hours. I got your stuff together for later," he whispered as he picked her up and carried her downstairs, locking up with one hand after she draped herself over him before she fell back to sleep. Once he had her secured in the booster in the back seat of his farm truck, he climbed in and shoved the key into the ignition.

  He stared at the little house he rented and wondered, again, if it was the best place for them. He'd given serious thought to moving them to Dillwyn to be near Jase, but he didn't have any job prospects there. He had a secure, steady job at the Circle C, but was it enough? The fact Jase was uncomfortable there had him rethinking everything.

  He'd noticed Matt giving Jase the eye at the funeral home during the wake, and it pissed him off because he'd watched Jase go out of his way to avoid Tim Moran at all costs. It was time to talk to his boss and figure out his future.

  Danny pulled up the long driveway of the Circle C, but instead of heading down to the barn, he stopped at the house. He gathered Kayley and her little backpack before he went in through the back door. He walked to the family room and put Kayley on the couch with a light throw over her, feeling the cool of the morning in the house.

  As he was about to go out the back door, he heard noise in the kitchen so he went inside to find Matt standing in front of their one-cup-at-a-time machine, seeming very impatient. "Hey, boss," Dan greeted.

  Matt glanced over his shoulder with a scowl. "You're early. You doin' okay?"

  Dan chuckled. "Better'n you. What's wrong?" He noticed the bull rider moving a little stiffly, and he could understand where the life Matt had led during his rodeo days could have racked up his body, but it was usually in the fall with the rain or in the cold of the winter when Matt complained.

  "Seems my husband is pissed at me and I've been relegated to sleepin' on the damn sectional downstairs. He told me not to use one of the spare rooms because he doesn't want them messed up before the weekend. I have no idea why, but he keeps tellin' me I gotta change my ways. I ask ya, Dan, how can I change my ways if I don't even know what sins I've committed?" Matt asked, seeming genuinely concerned.

  "He hinted at anything? That jealous streak you got, Matt? That pisses him off. Don't you trust your own husband?" he asked.

  He heard Matt sigh heavily. "Look, I don't expect you to understand this because you're a single guy, but when a younger, better-lookin' bull comes into the pasture, the older bull's gotta protect his territory. That's all I'm tryin' to do, okay?"

  Danny got pissed and walked over to his boss, fighting his instincts to bust the man in his mouth. "You talkin' about Jase? He doesn't wanna take anything that's yours, Matthew. You've lost your damn mind. That boy's in love with someone, and it ain't Tim Moran, I can promise ya that," he stated firmly.

  "I've told you that at least a dozen times, you damn fool," they heard behind them. It was definitely Tim Moran, and he didn't look happy at all.

  Matt and Dan both turned to look at Tim. "Oh, so who the hell is the kid after? I saw him watchin' you at the funeral home, Timmy. He seemed to want to know where the hell you were that whole time."

  Tim walked over to the refrigerator and began banging his head against it, which brought a laugh from Danny. "Please, God, remind me why I married this man," Tim chanted quietly.

  Dan cleared his throat. "First, Jase was watching out for Tim because he didn't want to be anywhere near him for fear of you beatin' the life outta him, Matt. He's a big guy, but he's not as big as you. Second, he's not a kid, okay? Yes, he's eighteen, but you've heard a lot more from Savannah Stanford about the shit he went through with his daddy than me. Hell, we're just tryin' to figure out how to spend some time together, and I've even contemplated movin' to Dillwyn to be closer to him because I hate bein' away from him," Danny stated loudly.

  He felt a tug on his jean's leg, looking down to see Kayley with a worried look on her face. "You woked me. What's wrong?" she asked as he picked her up, placing her on the counter next to him.

  "I'm sorry, Sweet Pea. I'm upset with Mr. Matt because he doesn't like Jase," Danny explained.

  He could see the fire in her eyes immediately, and he had to catch her before she jumped off the counter upon which Danny placed her. He put her on the floor and she immediately walked over to Matt Collins, pulling back her little fist and hitting him as high as she could reach which was right in the junk.

  Matt coughed, hard, and Tim doubled over laughing so hard Danny was worried about the man. He didn't dare laugh because he didn't want to be fired, and he needed to reprimand his daughter for her behavior, but he was really proud of her for sticking up for Jase.

  "You leave my Jase alone, Mr. Matt. He's my friend, and he loves me and Uncle Danny. I heard him say so. You tell him you're sorry if you were mean," the child ordered, causing Tim Moran to fall to his knees in laughter.

  Matt sat down on the floor against the cabinets as he looked up at little Kayley with her hands in fists as they were propped against her hips. Her face was cherry red in anger, and when Matt started laughing, it surprised Danny.

  "Yes, Ma'am. I'm very sorry if I was mean to Jason, and I'll call him to apologize if you'd like me to," he offered.

  "He's comin' for the party, so you tell him then," she demanded before she stormed away to God knew where.

  After she was out of earshot, Dan helped Matt up from the floor. "He's not comin' because they've got somethin' at Wonderland this weekend, but I haven't told her yet. Look, I thought it was as clear as a window pane, but Jase and I are seein' each other…well, so to speak. The distance is somethin' we're tryin' to figure out, but he ain't interested in Tim," Danny told his boss as he remembered the time he and Jase had been intimate and how it felt. It had been amazing, and Dan knew he wanted everything with the younger man. He knew he had to take his time, but he was confident they'd get there.

  "Shit, Dan, I had no idea. Tim tells me I spend a good percentage of time with my head up my ass, but I didn't believe him. I hate to say it, baby, but you're obviously right," Matt stated as he turned to Tim, picking him from the floor to put him on his feet.

  "Matty, I told you the boy…young man…isn't a problem. You and those assholes at the barn made him miserable, and either you're going to have to fix it with the hands, or you're going to lose Danny because I don't know how much longer he can go without Jase," Tim stated as he touched Dan's shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze.
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  Matt turned to Dan with a look of concern. "Give me some time, okay? We can figure this shit out. Also, if I was you, I'd get that girl into some sort of martial arts thing. She packs a hell of a punch. I think Timmy might have to come upstairs and kiss my owie," Matt teased as he turned to look at his husband.

  Danny laughed. "Go. I'll go to the barn, and Kayley's good for a little while with cartoons. I'll be back in an hour? That enough for an owie kiss?"

  Matt laughed. "Maybe two owie kisses. Turn the volume up a little on the television. Timmy can get loud."

  Danny just shook his head as he walked out of the house and pulled on his boots to head to the barn. He prayed the whole jealousy mess was behind them. Maybe…just maybe, he could get Jase to come back to the Circle C.

  With Kayley's adoption in the mix, if Riley Someone had indeed filed the papers, Jase couldn't live with him so it would be back to the Katydid for him, but he didn't have to sleep there every night. That had a lot of possibilities.

  Chapter Fourteen

  "It's nice to meet you, Jason," Allison Grainger Wells told him as he stood in the hallway of the barn, cleaning the bedding and crap out of the stalls on the third of July. She was a beautiful woman with striking features, Jase noticed, and she had a warm smile.

  When Mick told Jase the Wells' were coming out, Jase didn't have the heart to mention anything regarding the celebration at the Circle C for Rocky's and Ryan's birthdays. He'd heard Jon mention to Mickey they'd have to stay at Wonderland for the holiday because Ally and Ham were planning a party and quite a few clients would be in attendance, so Jon needed to be there to assist in entertaining.

  In support of the news, there had been a lot of activity around the place with deliveries of picnic tables and tents, so Jase knew he couldn't ask to leave. Besides the fact he didn't have a ride to get to Dillwyn, he didn't have any cash. He had a check for his wages, but he hadn't been able to get to a bank to deposit anything, so he was as broke as broke could be.