The Wild Bunch 3 Casa (3 page)

Spark had the grace to look abashed. "I don't wanna break things up, put you in a bind or really change anything, boss. Yeah, Lou's a special guy, and I'll be spending some time up at his new ranch helping him get settled, but..."

Jason made himself laugh, as if it really wasn't important. "But, my butt. Nobody's indispensible, boys. We've got some new younger wranglers in the crew who're champing at the bit to move up to the special clients. Rainbow Ranch is bound to change some over time, but it'll go on, with or without your participation. You boys don't owe me anything you haven't repaid a hundred times over. You helped me realize my big dream here and you've all been good employees, loyal to a fault. Reckon it's time to chase your own dreams for a while. All I'm asking is to know for sure, so I can plan and start making some changes."

"I ain't quittin' yet, boss," Stace said. "But you're right. Miguel, Joe-Dan and Will are perfectly capable of playing host to the most discriminating guests. They're ready, willing and able. An' I can guarantee I'll be here to help them through their first few if they need advice and support."

"That goes for me, too," Spark put in. "Yeah, I expect Lou and I are going to hook up on a pretty permanent basis once he's worked some things out, but I'm not going to jump ship and leave y'all high and dry here."

Jason looked slowly from one to the other of them. "Okay, that's settled then. You two have been dancing around like you were walking on eggs the past few weeks until it started to get to me. I didn't realize I seemed like such a bad-ass you'd be scared to come clean and level with me. I'd been waiting, hoping you would, but I got tired of the tension, so I figured I'd bring it up and get stuff out in the open.

"For now, it's business as usual, except the two new guests arriving tomorrow will go with Will and Joe-Dan. You two get them prepped and briefed to uphold the Rainbow Ranch tradition, okay? That's all I'm asking of you."

Beaming, Spark and Stace nodded in unison. "You can count on us, boss. Anything we need to know about these new guests?"

Jason filled them in on what he knew, which was not a lot. Customarily, when special guests arrived, they were assigned one wrangler to be their personal host and companion. Sometimes they would select another early in their stay as Lou had with Spark, but usually they seemed happy to stick to the one they were paired with. All three of the head wranglers were adept at figuring out the specifics a guest desired, whether he actually requested anything or not. This was where the younger cowboys could use or need some help, but they'd catch on fast.

Less than half an hour after they had arrived for the morning meeting, the three cowboys rose to start their day's work. As Stace and Spark headed for the door, Casa hesitated. Once the other two were outside, he turned back toward Jason's desk.

"
¿Que paso?
" Jason asked, sliding easily into Casa's native border Spanish. "You going to be leaving me, too?"

Casa shook his head. The words he wanted to say would not come. He cleared his throat. "Not planning on it, boss. I guess it's wise never to say never, but I expect to be around a long time yet. I--er--I figured I should put in a good word for Miguel. He may be my cousin, but he's a damn good kid. Well, not a kid really. He's twenty-two. When you get another special guest in, give him a chance, okay? I'll be here to help him if he has any problems."

Jason nodded. "Sure. I wasn't planning to leave him out. I like what I've seen from him so far. He's good with the horses and has a pleasant way of dealing with folks, exactly like you do."

He paused a beat. "It's good to hear you expect to be here a while. I know Stace and Spark say they aren't leaving right away, but they'd be fools to let partners like they've found get away. This dude wrangling isn't something to make your life's work. Still, when they move on, one familiar face will be a comfort. Not that I want you to feel like your foot's in a bear trap. The right chance comes along, you go for it,
comprende?
"

Casa shrugged. "If and when. I'm not looking too hard. I like what I'm doing and like working for you." He wanted to say more, but didn't quite dare. When his gaze met Jason's steady hazel-gray eyes, something inside him gave a funny little twitch. He started to wonder again about things he had no business even imagining. Before he let anything slip, he turned smartly and headed out after his two buddies.

I'll be here as long as you'll have me, Jase. When it comes to hooking up on a long term basis, I 'spect anyone else would have a damned hard time coming close to filling your boots for me. I know I'm reaching too far to even dream, but...

For the first time, he admitted to himself in full how his earlier hero worship had now deepened into a bond that felt a lot more profound. Of course, his longings were in vain, but so long as no one knew, it wouldn't matter. He picked up his pace in hopes the other two hadn't noticed he hadn't come out right behind them.

If they did, they didn't mention it. The three went about their normal morning tasks, preparing for the new group of guests due to arrive the next day. Jason usually scheduled a couple of days between most departures and the next arrivals to allow time for the catch-up chores that did not always get done when the rooms and cabins were filled.

Besides the special guests, the ranch catered to couples and sometimes groups of friends who chose to enjoy a regular guest ranch vacation without the amorous adventures provided for the special guests. Almost all their visitors were gay, but not all of them chose to get the full package. Whatever they elected, no one was ever made to feel uncomfortable or less welcome.

Regular straight families were not among the patrons, although occasionally a gay couple with a child would bring it along. Jason made sure in advance they knew facilities to entertain kids were limited. He knew having a youngster around made everyone a little more circumspect, which did curtail some of the fun. They all tried to clean up their language and restrain the sly little gestures and double entendres that often flew thick and fast. Sex was a big component of the ambience. Somehow sex and cowboys seemed to make a natural and appealing combination, but not a PG-rated environment.

That afternoon, Casa and Spark worked together to change shoes on several of the horses. Casa pulled the old shoes off one horse, while Stace trimmed the hooves and tacked new ones on another. Casa jumped when his cell phone vibrated against his right hip where he wore it clipped on his belt. Dropping the Paint's leg, he fumbled for the phone. The short text on the screen snagged his total attention.
Need U N office.
The words came from Jason, of course. An icy chill snaked down Casa's spine, along with an immediate hunch something was wrong.

"Gotta go take care of somethin'," he said to Spark as he headed from the barn. "Be back to finish with old Splash in a bit." The red-and-white Paint had gained the name both for his splotchy coat pattern and his habit of ducking his head in the water trough and shaking it with wild abandon, splattering water everywhere.

Casa led the horse into a stall so he could relax until the cowboy returned. He hoped it would not be long. If it was, Spark had sense enough to see to the horse.

"Okey-dokie." Spark muttered his response around a mouthful of horseshoe nails. He did not even look up as Casa hurried past him.

When Casa got to the main house, he went straight to the office, skidding to a stop when he saw Jason on the floor. Clearly, the other man had slipped and fallen and now could not get up without some help. His right knee and ankle were both immobilized by the cast. He wore only a pair of cutoffs and moccasins since the weather had turned warm and he wasn't outdoors much these days.

"Hey, boss, you aren't supposed to work on the floor," Casa said. "What happened?"

Clearly embarrassed to be helpless, even briefly, Jason muttered a curse. "I was getting some paperwork out of the file cabinet, bottom drawer. Damn phone rang. When I turned around to go answer it, my lousy cast slipped on the tiles. I couldn't grab anything fast enough to keep on my fuckin' feet. Son of a bitch! Why did I have to do something so stupid?"

Casa wasn't sure if Jason referred to his current predicament or the initial arena accident, but his heart went out to the other man. It was no fun to be stove up, hurting and not able to manage your normal routine. He sensed how embarrassed and angry Jason felt and tried to handle the situation with as much calm panache as he could.

"Shit happens. You didn't hurt yourself any more, did you?"

Jason shook his head and snorted. "Only my pride. If you can give me a hand to get back on my feet, we can try to forget this happened."

Casa stooped, allowing his boss to put one arm over his shoulders. With his own arm around Jason's body, Casa straightened and lifted. Using his sound leg, the other man levered himself up. Once back on his feet, Jason swayed a few seconds, trying to regain his balance. The foot-square tiles that floored the office were shiny as glass and almost as slick. The metal heel bracket on the cast wanted to slide on them like the blade of a skate.

Keeping his arm around Jason's waist, Casa held him steady. All at once, a keen slash of awareness swept through him. As dark eyes met hazel, Casa saw Jason felt it, too. He'd already experienced a warm joy knowing Jason had chosen to call him instead of one of the others. The trust that choice implied meant a great deal. Now, standing intimately close, near enough to feel each other's suddenly accelerating heartbeats and quickened breath, that warmth escalated to a searing heat.

Casa lifted his free arm, brushed his fingertips along the lightly stubbled line of Jason's jaw. He looked into the clear steady eyes inches from his and saw the tangled emotions mirroring his own. Jason's lips quirked, one corner lifting in a crooked grin. Beneath Casa's other hand, the bare skin of Jason's back felt warm and inviting.

"Hey, is this a simple case of proximity and maybe goin' without too long...or something else?" Jason's words seemed to be meant as a joke, yet they still sounded intense, laden with meaning.

Against his hip, Casa felt the throb of Jason's cock through the layers of denim. His own had gone iron-hard in seconds and strained against his fly. Blood surging everywhere but his head left him dizzy. If he let go of Jason, he'd likely end up on that floor himself.

As Jason's question soaked in, Casa gulped. Was he ready to make a confession? Could he risk blurting the long-withheld words that crowded his throat? Once said they could not be recalled. In a flash, he decided against it. This wasn't the time. He wanted to be sure Jason knew sympathy or pity had absolutely nothing to do with this attraction. When the time was right, if it ever came, he'd spill it all, but not now, not here.

Risking letting go instead of acting on his powerful urges, Casa lowered his arm and stepped back. He concentrated grimly on keeping his own footing while he watched to be sure Jason was able to do the same.

After a moment, he had both his physical and mental balance back. "A touch of the hornies, I 'spect." He forced a chuckle. "We'll survive. You okay now? I left ole Splash with three shoes off and one still on. Best get back and take care of that if you're all right."

Jason nodded, took a cautious step toward his desk and then another. "Yep, I'll be a little more deliberate when I go to move from now on. Thanks." He paused. "I'd appreciate it if you'd keep this to yourself, okay?"

Casa nodded. "You bet." He waited to be sure Jason got to his desk without incident. Then he hiked back to the barn and resumed his farrier task.

Even concentrating on the job he could not quite tear his thoughts away from the sensations of Jason's strong body pressed against his side, the fierce current that had flowed for a short time between them. He might be crazy, but something told him Jason felt at least a hint of the powerful longing Casa had nurtured in secret for five years.

Wow. Oh man. What if...

He didn't dare think that notion through, but even the slightest trace of it sent a sizzle of raw energy along every nerve. Then he felt a stir of defiance.

Well, why not? Spark has his Italian Stallion and Stace got his Hollywood Hero, so why not someone for me?

But for that someone to be Jason? The thought both scared and elated him. After admiring and lusting after Jason from a distance for so long, it was hard to visualize a real connection, coming together to discover what Casa saw his two buddies had gained. He'd managed to tame the burgeoning hard-on before he got back to the barn, knowing Spark would give him all kinds of hell if he noticed and want to know what was going on. That was the last thing Casa wanted to deal with right now. Private dreams were simply that, private. That's what they needed to remain for the time being, too.

A couple of weeks later, the three cowboys again sat in the bunkhouse, chugging the daybreak dose of caffeine they needed to get going. Stace had returned late the prior evening from two days and nights in Las Cruces. Casa couldn't miss the satisfied grin the African American cowboy tried, without success, to suppress.

"Must've been good," Casa said, with a wink.

Stace didn't quite blush.

"Er, yup. I reckon it was." He took on a faraway stare for a breath and then brought his attention back to the present. "Coming back last night, I all at once got an idea. Let me run something by you guys and see what you think. You know how much Jared resembles Jason, right? We all noticed it when he was here last fall. I can't get him to say right out, although he kind of hinted. Still, I know they gotta be related somehow.

"I have this hunch something happened between them and they've been at odds for a long time, but neither one is happy about it. You remember how Jason took off when Jared came for his vacation, when me and him first got together. I'd like to get them face to face. Maybe they'd be able to work this out. I think they'd both feel a lot better without this bad blood between them, whatever it's about. You know what I'm saying?"