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

  He turned to look at the older man and felt his blood chill in his veins. "Oh, no, Mr. Collins! I'd never, ever do anything that would…I know you and Mr. Moran are happily married, Sir. Maybe it's best if I just move on," he offered as a knee-jerk reaction to the man's accusation, trying to hold in the tears he felt welling in his soul because he had such high hopes for his time in southern Virginia. He really didn't have any idea where he'd move on to, but he damn well wouldn't cause trouble in Holloway, Virginia.

  Matt didn't say anything as he turned the Gator around and headed back to the barn. By the time they'd reached the pasture nearest the large building where a few horses were grazing, Jase was unable to stop the flow of embarrassed tears. He knew he'd done something wrong to give Matt the impression he was interested in Tim. Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat…HE KNOWS! HE KNOWS I'M GAY AND HE THINKS I'LL TRY SOMETHING WITH HIS HUSBAND!

  He didn't look at the man as he wiped his eyes. "Look, Mr. Collins, I'm sorry if I gave you any reason at all to think I'm interested in your husband. He's a handsome man, to be sure, but I know he's taken. I'm not stupid, Sir. Maybe it's better if you get somebody to take me back to the bus station. I've got friends in South Carolina, so I can go there for a while," Jase lied.

  "Well, if you think that's best," Matt responded as he gunned the motor toward the large barn. When they skidded to a stop, Jase watched as Matt hopped out and went inside the barn, leaving him alone in the four-wheeler.

  'Get yourself together. You knew it was a risk coming here to strangers, so you shouldn't be surprised it didn't work out. Hell, things rarely work out on the first try, so learn from the mistakes…well, figure out the mistakes, and then learn from them. You'll be fine," Jase told himself.

  He climbed out of the vehicle and looked back over the fields, seeing a beautiful setting. There were cows and horses lazily grazing in the fields, and Jase was sure the sunsets were beautiful on top of the hill. It was a pity he'd never see them. When a small tan horse with a blonde mane and tail walked up to where Jase stood next to the four-wheeler, the horse nuzzled into Jase's arm as it made a soft sound.

  He opened his hand, as he would with a stray dog, and let the horse smell him before he reached up and stroked its nose. "How you doing? Clearly better than me. I wish I had time to get to know you, but it seems this isn't the right fit for me. You've got a nice home. You're…sniff…lucky," he whispered.

  A side door opened and Dan Johnson came out of it, laughing hysterically. He walked over to where Jase was standing with the small horse, petting it. "Geez, Pinky, go away. Damn, I guess you'll be able to mesmerize all the animals here at the Circle C. Well, let's get you outta the line of fire because World War III is about to commence," Dan told Jase, leaving the younger man completely confused.

  "What about this?" Jase asked, pointing to the Gator.

  "They'll move it. Come on, kid. Miss Katie puts out a helluva spread for lunch," Dan told him. Jase followed him, stepping into the mud on the way around the barn, and hoping it wasn't cow or horse shit. His Adidas would never be the same, and he had the feeling he wouldn't either.

  When the truck turned into the driveway of another ranch, Jase looked around, seeing it was only horses. There were no cattle to be seen, and he'd seen a sign at the edge of the property that read "Katydid Farm." He wasn't sure if the situation was going to be any better, but he hoped.

  "This is a horse farm. Josh and Katie Simmons are good people, and they're actually excited to meet you. They know the Colonel, and he vouched for ya personally, so you've got a good in. Hell, you're probably like Henry when it comes to horses. That stupid Shetland seemed to love ya, and he don't like nobody but Kayley and Megan when she comes to visit.

  "Anyway, kid, these people will take very good care of ya, and don't worry 'bout that mess over at Circle C. I'm pretty sure Tim will line out Matt in short order. Let's go in so I can introduce ya all proper and everything," Dan told him.

  Jase nodded and picked up his duffel from the back of the truck where it had remained while he got his quick tour of the Circle C. He wasn't sure what to expect from the second part of the job, but he hoped to hell things could be normal at the Katydid. It was a nice place and all the flowers were really pretty. He could tell it was cared for with a lot of pride.

  He let Dan lead him to a back porch where the two of them toed off shoes and boots before they knocked on the door. "Come in," Jase heard, and as Dan Johnson turned to him, he saw the man's beautiful smile.

  "Katie's a sweetheart, really. Just relax," he assured. Jase nodded and followed him inside, taking in a gorgeous kitchen. It had all of the appliances his mother had picked out in a catalog the two of them used for when they 'dreamed of better days', as they called it. His mother's dream was a fantastic kitchen like the one Jase was seeing in front of him. His dream had never been said out loud but it didn't stop him from wanting it…having someone who loved him and accepted him for the type of person he was, not trying to make him something else.

  The granite countertops and the center island with the small, vegetable sink was something he knew his mom wanted. Double ovens and a Viking range were another. Jase saw what appeared to be a double drawer dishwasher, a trash compactor, and a huge, Subzero refrigerator, all of which were also Virginia’s dreams. He was sure somewhere in the kitchen was a hidden freezer.

  "Miss Katie, this is Jason Langston. He's gonna be workin' here part-time and stayin' with y'all," Dan explained.

  He turned to Jase and smiled that bright smile where his eyes twinkled a little, making Jase's blood speed up a little before it started to move down south. Dan Johnson was fucking hot. "This is Miss Katie. I reckon Josh's at the barn, right?" Dan turned to ask the woman who appeared to be taking fried chicken out of a large iron skillet.

  She put down the tongs she was using and wiped her hands on an apron. "It's such a pleasure to meet ya, Jason," she informed as she pulled him into her shorter frame and hugged him. It almost felt as good as his mother's hugs.

  He gently wrapped his arms around her middle and hugged her in return. "Thank you, ma'am. It's nice to meet you. Thank you for letting me stay here," he stated quietly.

  Dan laughed at him for a second before he stepped forward to hug the nice lady. When he pulled away from the woman, he smiled. "This one," he stated as he nodded his head toward Jase, "caused quite a stir over at the ranch. Who does he look like?" Dan finished.

  Jase saw the woman take him in, finally settling on his eyes. When she gasped, he got very worried. "Oh, my God. What did Tim say? I'm…this is uncanny," she said with a smile.

  "All I'm gonna say is there's a cyclone brewin' over there, and I heard words bein' yelled I'm not at liberty to repeat to a lady, Miss Katie. So, what can the kid and I do to help ya get lunch on the table?" Dan asked.

  The woman looked at Jase with a smile, seeing the duffel still in his hands. He felt so ill at ease, he was ready to walk back to the bus station. "Danny, show him up to Tim's old room. Let him unpack his things while you help me set the table," Miss Katie ordered.

  With a nod, Dan walked over to him and put his hand on Jase's shoulder, who felt the shiver all the way to his balls. Feeling a man touch him would always set him off, he was learning. How to hide it from the nice lady in the kitchen was the great unknown.

  Jase had erections when he lived at home, of course, but they were dealt with in the shower after he was old enough to stop having wet dreams. He'd quickly learned to sleep on a towel so his sheets wouldn't be soiled because he couldn't imagine his mother washing them and asking what caused the stains.

  After she started working at the Post Office, he figured out the washing machine and began doing his own laundry, much to his mother's delighted surprise. He told her he'd learned in Home Ec, but he'd never taken the class. The lies he told to keep his sexuality undercover were as tall as Jack's beanstalk, he was certain.

  "This is where Tim used to sleep. Don't let your imagination get too far ahead of
ya at night, kid. You gotta work a day job," Dan joked, leaving Jase completely confused.

  He turned to Dan and decided to put an end to it. "Okay, first Mr. Collins accuses me of having intentions of breaking up his marriage, which I don't. Now you're accusing me of something I have no idea about. Tim Moran is a handsome man, I'll give you that, but he's not my type. Hell, you're more my type than Tim," he snapped as he opened his duffel after he'd placed it on the bed.

  When he didn't hear anything, he turned to see Dan Johnson had left the room. It wasn't that much of a surprise another of the cowboys had decided he wasn't worth getting to know. He decided he'd figure out where to go later that night. Surely there was somewhere he could start over…again?

  Chapter Five

  "How was your day, Uncle Danny?" Kayley asked as he plopped her into her booster in his truck. That was a very good question. As he thought about it, he knew his favorite moment was when Matt Collins stomped into the barn after he'd taken Jason out in a Gator to show him around the farm.

  "Well, no need to run a background check. The kid don't wanna stay. We can get him a ticket to wherever he wants to go, Timmy. I'll call the Colonel and explain this kinda work just ain't for the boy," Matt announced when he walked into the barn office where Dan and Tim were standing, looking out the window.

  When the Gator pulled up outside the barn, Dan and Tim walked to the side door off Charlie's stall and watched as the two of them drove up to the barn. Dan saw the boy was crying, and it tugged at his heart. He could easily see Matt Collins was eaten up with jealousy over the younger man, and he knew it was unnecessary.

  Dan was about ready to go out and punch his friend in the head for his stupidity because he knew there was no one on the planet who could ever take Tim's attention away from his husband, even though the kid bore a remarkable resemblance to the 'Matt Collins' Danny remembered from high school when they played football. He wasn't as muscled up, but he looked like Matt enough he was sure Marty Collins would look at Jeri with a cocked eyebrow.

  "Matthew Ryan, what did you say to that young man?" Tim demanded, hands in fists on his hips.

  Matt feigned his best innocent face and actually held up his hands. "Hey, I didn't say nothin'. He just decided this might not be for him," the bull rider lied.

  Danny could see it, and he knew Tim could see it, so when the shouting began, he hurried out of the barn and found the upset young man. It broke his heart, but he knew a sure way to fix all ills… take Jase to the Katydid.

  When Jase stated Dan was more his type than Tim, Dan was stunned but not enough he didn’t know he needed to get far away from the younger man so he quickly hot-footed it out of that bedroom. He told himself the kid made the statement because he was pissed off, not because he was remotely attracted to Dany.

  "It was okay. How was your day, Sweet Pea?" Dan asked as they turned down the street toward the little house Dan rented where he and Kayley called home.

  "I thought we was goin' for pizza and games," she reminded him of his promise from the morning, still wearing the crooked ponytail. It was then Dan had an idea.

  "How about we take a ride out to the Katydid. You wanna meet Jason? He's a nice guy, and he's a little worried 'bout stayin' in a new place. You think you'd be okay with explainin' to him how nice Miss Katie and Mr. Josh are? I tried to tell him, but I think he'd believe it more from you," Dan offered.

  Katie had told him they had an open invitation for supper, after all, and he knew the hands, Hank, Henry, Jared, and Charlie, put the horses to bed for the night before they left at four. He knew one of the mares had foaled earlier in the week with a colt from Charlie, Matt's prize stud horse. He hadn't told Kayley when it happened, but he was sure she'd want to see it…that was what he was telling himself anyway.

  Kayley finally agreed when he told her there was a surprise aside from just meeting Jase. After they got out of the Circle C truck, Danny looked around. Just as he'd assumed, the hands were gone, and Josh had Jason down at the barn where Lady was nursing her little foal. "Hey, Josh," Dan greeted as he walked into the barn with Kayley.

  Josh turned and smiled, holding his arms open for the girl. She didn't hesitate to run into them and allow him to whisk her up onto his hip. "How are ya, pretty girl? I ain't seen ya since your birthday a few weeks ago," Danny heard. He was sorry he hadn't brought her out to the farm since that celebration, and he was feeling a little guilty.

  When Jase walked over where Josh stood, Dan was surprised to see him stick out his hand and smile. "Hello, little lady. My name is Jase. What's yours?"

  "I'm Kayley Johnson. I wanted to come pick ya up with Uncle Dan this mornin', but he made me go to daycare. Ain't he pretty?" she told Jase as she pointed to the little colt suckling at his mother's teat.

  Josh laughed. "He's awful purdy, Kayley girl. How 'bout you name him?" Josh offered.

  Dan saw her look at him with awe in her eyes. "REALLY? I can name him?" Dan felt his heart beat a little quicker in gratitude.

  "Yep, but make it a good one. His sire is Ebony Prince Charles, and his dam is Lady Madeline White," Josh revealed. Dan didn't know the mare had a pedigree, but apparently, she did.

  "Oh, I'd like to call him Whitey. He has a white face," the girl observed, which caught Dan off guard. 'How the hell did I inherit a horse lover?'

  There was a squawk over the intercom. "SUPPER!"

  Josh turned to them and smiled. "Let's get to the house before we get in trouble. Jase, son, you'll learn not to be late for supper or you gotta do dishes."

  They all laughed and made their way to the house with Kayley holding Jase's hand. Dan smiled, seeing the two of them talking. The demon inside him watched the kid's ass move in those jeans, but he kept telling himself to lock it in the spank bank, not that he ever really turned the combination to open the spank bank.

  By the time he got Kayley in bed and cleaned up dishes after washing and folding laundry or dusting the place to make an attempt at housekeeping, he was too fucking exhausted to jerk off. It was sad for a twenty-seven-year-old to be too tired to jerk it, but it was that way most nights.

  Danny had somehow become the personal chauffeur for Jason Langston since the boy arrived in Holloway. Every fucking day when he picked him up at the Katydid, he wanted to pull off to the side of the road and have his way with the young man.

  He hadn't had a decent night's sleep since the boy walked out of the bus station, and Dan had become a miserable prick, as Zach had told him on the phone Sunday night.

  "What the fuck is wrong with you? That message on my answering machine was pretty shitty, Dan," his brother snapped at him when Dan answered the weekly call. Dan had left him a nasty message when he didn’t pick up, knowing Danny was supposed to have a discussion with their mother's doctor that day. When he felt overwhelmed, it was in his nature to lash out, and that meant Zach bore the wrath when he called back.

  "I'm not sure why you don't give a flyin' fuck anymore about Momma or Kayley. You just run off to the big city and you get all caught up in some pussy, forgettin' about your family and their needs. Well, you enjoy yourself. I guess I got this," he snapped before he hung up on his little brother.

  In Dan's defense, Zach had started the conversation by bragging about his new job and his new girlfriend, and it pissed off Dan because Zach had promised to be there to help care for their mother and their niece. Apparently, his word was worth bullshit.

  Dan honked the horn at six in the morning, pissed the kid wasn't sitting on the steps like he'd been every day he was required to work at the Circle C. Josh walked out of the house, looking none too happy, so Dan shut off the truck and hopped out.

  "What's wrong?" he asked.

  "He called and asked Tim if he could work from here. I'm not sure what's goin' on, but he doesn't exactly wanna go over to the Circle C. You noticed anything I should worry 'bout?" Josh asked.

  Dan shook his head. "He's new, so maybe it's just takin' a little time for him to get used to everybody. I
thought he did okay with everybody…well, maybe not Paulie. He was a prick when he met Jason," Dan remembered.

  "Who the fuck is this? Why do we have another hand?" Paulie asked, clearly not happy with the situation.

  "You don't need to worry about him, you just gotta do the jobs you're told to do. He's a coworker. You get back to work," Dan explained without any pretense of being nice. He hated Paulie, and when Mickey left and Paulie came back to the Circle C, Dan wasn't happy at all.

  "Well, let's just let him work from here for a few days. He seems to have the computer stuff down, and that's what I really need right now. I've got enough to keep him busy for a few days while y'all figure out your bullshit over at the ranch. I'll call Tim about it," Josh told him, leaving no room for argument.

  Dan hated the fact he wouldn't see Jason that morning and have his company on the ride to the Circle C. He hoped it wasn't so bad the boy would leave because he knew the others had been hard on Jase when he worked at the ranch.

  Danny, himself, loved talking to kid at lunch time, and he knew he'd miss giving him a ride back to the Katydid at the end of a long day. Some of the discussions gave him things to think about beyond the regular bullshit circling his brain and causing him distress and indigestion on many occasions.

  "Did you know a mare can foal until she's about twelve, but a stallion can continue to breed mares until he's about ready to die? Hell, it sounds like people," Jase joked after a day where he'd assisted Henry Sacks in gathering semen from Charlie at the Circle C. Danny wasn't a party to that part of the ranch, but it seemed Jason was eager to learn everything he could about the operation.

  "Well, let's hope we're that lucky," Dan stated absentmindedly.

  "Yeah, I guess we'd be lucky. Thank for the ride home, Dan," Jase told him before he hopped out of the truck that afternoon. Dan smiled as he drove to Mrs. Philips' house to pick up Kayley. For the rest of the evening, he thought about how eager Jase was to talk to him about horses, and he felt bad for dismissing the young man. He hoped to be more cordial to him the next time they were together.