by A. M. Arthur
Avery counted twenty guests, which was the weekly limit. The investigation into the ghost town fire and subsequent press had been good for Clean Slate Ranch, maxing out every week for the last month. After yesterday’s press conference, they’d likely stay full until they shut down for a month around Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Not that Avery would be around to see their steady, increased business.
They joined the guests where they stood outside the corral, watching as Reyes demonstrated basic mounting and leading skills. Avery understood these things intellectually. Part of his research about the Old West included the history of the horses frequently used in different states and for different functions.
Reyes’s horse was a gorgeous brown mare, and she moved with ease around the large, circular corral. Once he dismounted, he was joined by two more hands who also had horses, which were assigned to twin boys who were about ten or eleven. The adorable pair was dressed in cowboy chaps and hats, and they could barely contain their excitement to ride the horses.
Avery was perfectly fine with a fence between him and the giant beasts. Even on set, he’d avoided getting too close to them.
“Once everyone meets their horses,” Colt said, “they’ll all go out on one of the trails. You wanna join them?”
“Absolutely not.”
Colt straightened from his casual lean against the corral, eyebrows up. “You’ve been around horses before.”
“Been around, yes. Ridden? No.”
“You’re shitting me.” All hints of his submissive pet were gone, replaced by a very determined Colt. He took Avery by the wrist and hauled him down to the barn. Avery made a good show of resisting, but he didn’t mean it. If anyone was going to get him into a saddle, it was his stubborn stallion.
They stopped in front of the stall where they’d mauled each other last night. “This is Duchess,” Colt said. “She’s the horse I prefer to ride when I go out.” He clucked his tongue, and Duchess turned to face them. Her big head came out of the stall, and Colt rubbed at her long forehead.
“She’s beautiful,” Avery said.
“Pet her. She’s super soft.”
Avery touched her smooth forehead, amazed that her short fur reminded him of velvet. “Hello, Duchess.”
“Once the guests are off on their adventure, I’ll tack her up and show you how to ride.”
“She’s awfully tall.”
Colt chuckled. “You can use the steps to mount her if you want.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Avery huffed, embarrassed at having to admit this. “I’m afraid of heights.”
“You are not.” Colt studied his perfectly serious face. “Are you kidding? How did I not know this?”
“We were only lovers for a few months, and we didn’t exactly spend a lot of time outdoors.”
“Your apartment was on the second floor.”
“Did you notice I always had my blinds shut?”
Colt opened and shut his mouth a few times, then crossed his arms and adopted the most adorable pout in the world. “I can’t believe you’re afraid of my horse.”
“I’m not afraid of Duchess.” Avery crossed his own arms and mimicked Colt’s stance. “I’m afraid of falling off her.”
“And that’s a common fear, even among experienced riders. I’ve seen Mack and Reyes get thrown, and it’s not even their fault. Horses startle or bolt.”
Avery glared. “You’re not helping your case.”
“All I’m saying is they fell and got a few bruises. If you want, I can get you a safety helmet. Sometimes parents want them for young riders, but we have larger sizes.”
“A helmet.” That…wasn’t a terrible idea. Not that Avery was particularly clumsy, and he could manage tall buildings as long as he didn’t look out a window, but Duchess was a moving creature who’d hold him high off the ground.
“Come on, professor.” Colt flashed him a toothy grin. “I told you I grew up around horses. I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”
Avery inhaled a deep, steadying breath, then exhaled slowly through his mouth. Colt was subtly challenging him, and Avery wasn’t one to back down. “Fine. I’ll ride your horse.”
“Awesome!” His excitement echoed down the long corridor that ran the length of the big barn. A few stalls down, a horse stamped its foot. “Sorry, Tude.”
“Tude?”
“Short for Attitude. She’s Mack’s horse. He worked with her when she first came to the rescue down the road. They’ve got a hive mind. It’s scary.”
Avery walked down to the stall.
A paint mare stuck her head out, her intelligent eyes seeming to say “You aren’t my human,” in an accusatory way.
“You look like you can handle a guy like Mack.”
Tude nickered.
“Here.” Colt held out a sugar cube. “She likes these.”
Avery put the cube on his palm the way Colt showed him, his stomach quivering with nerves. Horses didn’t have sharp teeth, but they had strong jaws from chewing through hay and grass daily. But Tude gently picked up the cube with a whisper of her silky lips. Avery chanced petting her, and she let him.
“Looks like Tude likes you,” Colt said. “She won’t take sugar from me.”
“We introverts need to stick together.”
“She’d probably let you ride her, but Mack’s on his way to the airport with Wes, and I’d never assume on his behalf. Not even when he still liked me.”
Avery pressed his shoulder against Colt’s, his heart aching for the flinch of misery Colt failed to hide. “He won’t hate you forever.”
“I know. We spoke today. Civilly. Almost like normal.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, he’s the one who told me you’d be my new roommate. He was kind of apologetic about it, but I assured him we’d made peace and wouldn’t kill each other in close quarters.”
Avery laughed, but he couldn’t help wondering if this newborn relationship was riding right toward disaster. “Yes, we are very much not fighting.”
“I didn’t tell him how not-fighting we are, but we did talk. About old times a bit. A little more about why I never told him or Reyes about you, even though I loved you as much as I did. And my idiot self had to go and bring up Geoff, and kind of ruined the moment.”
“But it’s a start. Hold on to that, Colt. Mack was given a hard truth to accept, but you’ll get your friend back.”
Colt glanced around, then pressed a quick kiss to Avery’s mouth. “Thank you for believing that. Mack’s my brother, and I already lost one family. I can’t lose him, too.”
Avery didn’t look around, because his pet was hurting and needed comfort. He pulled Colt into a tight hug and breathed in the scent of the man. “You need to start believing me when I tell you things, or you’re going to get a spanking.”
“Really? Because if that’s my punishment, then I’m not going to believe a word you say ever again.”
“Dork.” He goosed Colt and pulled back. “I take it back. I’m not riding your horse.”
One of the ranch hands walked by then, and he shot them both a funny look as he passed.
“Keep walking, Robin,” Colt yelled at his departing back.
Robin held his left hand up in a backward middle finger, then unlatched a stall door. He led out a pretty white horse freckled with black spots. As Robin and the horse passed by again, Robin said, “Blizzard and me saw nothing. Carry on.”
“Robin’s a solid guy,” Colt said after man and horse were a few feet farther down the barn. “He’s kind of made it his mission these last few weeks to get me to be sociable again.”
Avery frowned. “You not being sociable? Is the apocalypse nigh?”
“Hey, being shot changes a guy.”
He could have smacked himself upside the head for forgetting that
. “I’m sorry, Colt, I can’t imagine how you’re dealing with that.”
“Probably not dealing, to be honest. I try hard not to think about it, but nights are the worst. The dark reminds me of that night, and sometimes I have nightmares about being too slow and Mack getting killed. Wes, too, sometimes.”
“Fuck.” Avery gathered both of Colt’s hands and held them over his own heart. “I’m so sorry you’re suffering like this. Have you considered talking to a professional?”
“Sometimes. Feels weak, though, to have to talk about my feelings, you know?”
“That’s your father talking, not you.” Avery had helped Colt unpack so many of his own conflicted emotions over what it meant to be a man when your own father disapproved of you, but eighteen years of being told to “man up” and “boys don’t cry” couldn’t be undone in a few months. “It is not unmanly to seek help when you’re in crisis.”
“I know that, I really do. I’ll think about it, I promise.”
“Thank you. And maybe having someone with you at night will help with the nightmares and fear.”
Colt grinned. “Will you get in bed with me if I have one?”
“Maybe. Those bunks are a little small for two, though.”
“We can cuddle on the floor.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“You love it.”
I love you.
Avery wasn’t ready to say that again yet, especially given the shaky, ill-defined nature of this thing between them, so he changed the subject. “Introduce me to the horses that are left. If I’m riding Duchess, who are you riding?”
“Hmm…well, down here’s one of our newest riding mares.” Colt led him down two stalls. “Named her Groot, because of her coat, all those shades of brown.”
“A horse named Groot.” Avery laughed. “I can’t imagine anyone at the rescue is a fan of those movies?”
“Not a single one,” Colt replied, perfectly deadpan.
Avery petted Groot and gave her a sugar cube. “Are you going to ride Groot, then?”
“I just might, if Robin or Ernie don’t come and steal her from me for one of the guests.”
They walked the length of the barn, peeking into stalls and visiting with the remaining horses, until they’d reached the far end that opened into the corral. The guests were all riding in a slow circle led by Reyes, and Avery swallowed back his own fear of being astride one of those big horses. The two kids in the group looked confident and happy; if kids could do it, so could he.
After a few minutes, Robin opened the corral gate and Reyes led them out for a short trail ride. The longer rides would take place over the rest of the week, including the three offered overnight camping trips. Avery had never had the full guest experience at the ranch, but he’d read over their website once, including the weekly itinerary. He was impressed that the employees could do the same job over and over, perfectly scheduled, and never get bored.
Colt fetched Duchess and showed Avery how to properly tack a horse. Avery had seen it done dozens of times from a distance, but never close enough to actually touch the horse. The leather creaked so much it worried him a little, but Colt was confident in his buckles and ties, so Avery trusted him to do it right. Colt had, after all, grown up on a ranch.
Avery helped a bit in tacking Groot, but Colt did most of the work. Once their horses were prepared, Avery took a few deep breaths. He seriously considered using the steps to mount Duchess, but he might as well try it the old-fashioned way once. If he fell on his ass, it was the perfect excuse not to ride at all.
Colt executed a perfect mount and dismount of Groot first. “All right, left foot in the stirrup there,” he said. “Grab the pommel. Good. Want me to boost you up by the ass?”
Avery glared. “No unnecessary groping, Woods.”
“Fine, fine. Have at it, professor.”
Determined now, Avery pushed off hard with his right foot, pulled in the correct places, managed not to get his right leg up and over the saddle, and he slid back down, right into Colt’s arms.
“Well, that didn’t go as planned,” Avery said.
“I don’t know, I caught something fun.” Colt kissed his cheek, then helped him upright again. “I was serious about a boost, you know. It’s okay to ask for help.”
“Says the man still having nightmares.”
Colt frowned. “You’re not going to start riding me about that, are you?”
That particular turn of phrase put all kinds of naughty ideas in Avery’s mind. Ideas that needed to go away, because he wasn’t going to be able to comfortably ride a horse with an erection. “I won’t push you, no,” Avery replied. “And if you want to talk to me about it, you know I’ll listen.”
“I know, thank you. But my issues later. Right now, I’ve got to get you on that horse.”
“Fuck it, I’ll use the steps.”
No one was around, so Avery only blushed a little as he used the three-step platform to carefully ease himself astride Duchess. His thighs were spread uncomfortably far apart, and why weren’t saddles cushioned? He picked up the reins and kept them loose in his hands, thankful he was at least aware of how to operate a horse.
Colt swung up onto Groot with an ease that made Avery terribly jealous. “Ready for an adventure?”
“As I’ll ever be,” Avery replied. “Come on, girl.” He pushed his heels into Duchess’s flanks, and she lurched forward. Avery stifled a yelp and tried to relax his posture to roll with her plodding motions. It was probably a good thing he didn’t get motion sickness, because this was not the smoothest movement ever.
Colt and Groot rolled up beside him, Colt grinning at him like a loon. “I just popped your cherry again, professor.”
Avery squawked and looked around, but no one was close by. “Jesus, Colt.”
“You’re adorable when you blush.”
“Yes, well, stop distracting me while I’m on a two-thousand-pound animal.”
“Sorry, I’ll quit teasing until you’re back on solid ground.”
“Thank you.”
Colt led them toward one of the marked trails, and Avery managed to relax enough to enjoy the scenery. Most of his time was spent up at the ghost town site, so he’d never really explored the dude ranch and its thousands of acres of land. Gorgeous mountain views rose up in the distance, and all around them were rolling valleys, rows of trees and scrub bushes, and probably quite a bit of wildlife. He could see why Colt loved it here.
Avery quite liked it here, too, with its remote location and peaceful atmosphere. No one was in a rush, no one was rude for no reason, and he loved the fresh smell of nature, unmarred by gasoline fumes and exhaust. But as lovely as the ranch was, Los Angeles was still home. Avery had a job he loved, research he adored, all kinds of historical resources at his fingertips, and…well, he didn’t really have a life, per se, but he loved his job. His colleagues were pleasant to work with, and he wasn’t far from his parents in San Diego.
But he’d also become fond of Garrett itself, and its quaint, small-town charm. He truly hoped the renovated ghost town brought in much-needed tourist dollars and the little town stayed alive.
“You’re awfully quiet over there,” Colt said.
“Enjoying the views. You’re lucky to live in a place that’s so beautiful.”
Colt opened his mouth, then shut it, and Avery could imagine several variations of “you can live here, too, with me” that had probably danced through Colt’s head. Bless him for not uttering them, though. This was a job for Avery, not a complete upheaval of his life.
“So how are Violet and Mike?” Colt asked.
“They’re well, thank you. They’re heading to Vegas soon for a leather show.”
“Good for them. You think they’ll ever retire from demo-ing?”
Avery chuckled. “I doubt it. Violet loves traveling to
o much, and Mike is as besotted with her as the day they met. He’ll tour as long as she wants.”
“Because he’s her sub?”
“That’s part of it, sure, but it’s also just their dynamic, so yes, he does what she tells him to do. But she loves him and knows when she’s pushing, or if she’s not seeing to his needs properly.”
“Is that the kind of relationship you want?” Colt’s voice was so tentative that Avery studied the man harder, even as he bobbed along on his horse.
“No, it’s not,” Avery replied. They’d never really talked about this aspect of being in a relationship that included BDSM, because the sexual part had been so short lived. “BDSM is something that’s part of my life, but it’s not the totality of it. I highly respect couples who live in a twenty-four-hour D/s relationship, but that’s not what I want.”
“What is it you do want?”
“Honestly? Before I met you, I was content to be a single man who saw clients on the side. I had little interest in sex, much less a relationship.” That had all changed when he met Colt, as if the haunted young man who’d sought him out had flipped some kind of switch inside of Avery. Woken him up to things he’d never wanted before.
“Did that change after we broke up? You kind of dodged the whole ‘are you seeing someone?’ question a few months ago.”
Avery pondered that for a moment. “At first, I hated being alone, after having had someone. I tried dating a little, but I simply didn’t click with anyone else the way I clicked with you. There was no chemistry, no pull to couple up or have sex. So I gave up and re-adapted to the single life.”
Colt gaped at him, his eyes comically wide. “Shut the front door. You’re thirty-three years old, and you’ve only ever been with me?”
“So?” He always got defensive over this, especially with Violet, because whose business was it if Avery didn’t want to date? Or if he abhorred the idea of a casual hookup?
“I’m not judging you, professor, I promise. It’s just hard to imagine no one’s tried to sweep your gorgeous self off your feet.”
“Well, I do tend to get wrapped up in my work, and that leaves little time for showing off the goods. Plus, everyone in my department is either married or thirty years older than me.”
