Reining Him In

by Jena Wade

  Reining Him In

  Jena Wade

  Copyright © May 2018 by Jena Wade

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Image/art disclaimer: Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.

  Cover Design by Jena Wade

  Published in the United States of America

  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  www.thejenawade.com

  Warning

  This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Jena Wade’s e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

  Table of Contents

  Reining Him In

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  Other Titles by Jena Wade

  Jena Wade

  Reining Him In

  Perry Jameson begins his new job as a ranch manager at the Wright Stables with the goal of returning the place to its original glory. He throws all of his effort into building a home and establishing a career. Being seduced by the ranch owner's grandson could throw a serious wrench in the works.

  Cory Matthews is a world champion in horse reining. Well known for his arrogance and talent, he can train any horse to win, and he knows he's turned the sexy older hunk's head, but he can't seem to get Perry come around.

  The two men butt heads on more than one occasion, the way two stubborn, proud studs will do. Maybe looking past their differences to work together will give them a new perspective on each other. Maybe, just maybe, it'll help Cory rein Perry in.

  Chapter One

  Perry Jameson turned his truck and horse trailer down the winding path he assumed led to his destination. He’d seen the job posting for a ranch manager position online and made the four-hour drive with all his belongings and his horse, hoping he’d be hired on the spot. It was his only choice since he had put off looking for a new job after he’d been told the current ranch he was working at would no longer need him. He pushed those memories aside.

  He was overqualified for the position. That was for sure. He’d received a stable management degree in his younger days and since then had worked for the Rockin’ R as a trainer and manager. He’d managed the day-to-day operations for nearly six years and had grown the operation considerably in that time. When he’d first arrived at the Rockin’ R it was a little more than a riding stable. Perry had turned it into an all-out training facility. And now the owners were taking all the profits he’d made them and retiring. They’d sold the ranch right out from under his feet, without ever offering him the chance to buy, and kicked him to the curb. All because of one big misunderstanding between him and their homophobic son.

  As he made the long drive, he passed an old sign that read The Wright Stables: Boarding and Training Facility. If they were looking to make a good impression, the owners had fallen short. The cracked paint and crooked wooden letters on the sign didn’t send the right message for a place looking to board high-quality horses. Perry took note of many things that could be spruced up around the place, including a new paint job on what he assumed was a barn that held farm equipment, and quite a bit of maintenance on the fence and landscaping.

  The stables looked to be in good shape, probably built in the past few years. The pastures were lush and green, and there were plenty of horses of all breeds out in the afternoon sun. They all appeared healthy and well taken care of, which spoke volumes about the quality of the care they received. At least the owners were doing that right.

  Perry put the truck in Park and got out. He stretched his legs, realizing how cramped he’d felt on his drive. His mare, Spice, gave a loud whinny from inside the trailer, and he hustled to let her out. He hoped the owner wouldn’t mind if he let her get some air for a little while. She didn’t need to be cooped up in the trailer under the hot afternoon sun any longer.

  Once she was out of the trailer, Spice tried to make a beeline for the front yard, but Perry held the lead line tight. “Not here, girl. You can have some oats, but the lawn is off-limits.”

  A screen door shut and Perry turned toward the house. It was a white two-story home with an attached garage, which appeared to have a second story also. The house was well maintained, with decorative landscaping skirting the perimeter. The flowers were in full midsummer bloom and had obviously been taken care of.

  An older man, wearing faded blue jeans and a button-down Western shirt came down the front steps and smiled. “Can I help you?” His tone was polite, and he smiled as he spoke, as if he was glad to have someone to talk to.

  Go time. “Yes, sir. I’m here about the ranch manager position.”

  The man raised his brow and eyed Spice carefully. “Why don’t we put her in the arena, let her stretch her legs a bit, and we can talk.”

  Perry nodded and followed him toward the arena just outside the stable. There were a few sets of bleachers surrounding the fencing, as well as an announcement stand. The arena was large enough for most equestrian competitions. From what he’d heard through the grapevine about this place, Perry knew they mostly focused on reining and team penning at this ranch.

  “I’m Garrett Matthews by the way. I own the place.”

  “Perry Jameson. Pleased to meet you.” Perry unclipped the lead line from Spice’s halter as Garrett opened the gate, and Spice took off to investigate her new surroundings.

  “There’s a water trough in the corner, so she’ll be fine in here for a bit if you want to come with me to the office.”

  “Sure.”

  The office was located in the barn, which Perry admired as they walked through. Inside the office Perry appreciated the organization. Stacks of papers and file folders lay neatly on the desk, seemingly organized in a specific way. That would be a far cry from what Perry was used to. The owner of the Rockin’ R didn’t much care for filing cabinets and tended to leave all the paperwork on the desktop. That didn’t seem to be the case here.

  Garrett gestured for Perry to sit. “Tell me about yourself.”

  Perry cleared his throat. This was the part he dreaded. He wasn’t too good at talking, least of all about himself. “Well, I graduated with a degree in stable management from Michigan State University. Moved out here to Wisconsin and worked as a ranch hand at the Rockin’ R. Then, a few years ago, I was promoted to ranch manager. Been working there up until last week.”

  “Rockin’ R, huh?” Garrett raised one gray eyebrow. “Heard they were closing up shop after fifty years. Could hardly believe it.”

  “Yes, sir.” Perry tried to keep the irritation from his voice. No use crying over spilled milk. Or broken dreams.

  “You do any competitions?”

  “No, sir. Not at a professional level. I’ve trained plenty of ranch stock as cattle horses. Trained quite a few wild
mustangs, as well.”

  “That mare you have out there, she from the wild?”

  Perry nodded. “Captured in Nevada six years ago. I adopted her at one of the Bureau of Land Management auctions.” She was his pride and joy and his voice thrummed with it.

  Garrett nodded knowingly. “My grandson competes in the American Quarter Horse Association reining competitions. According to him, the only horses that are worth a damn are purebred.” Garrett held his gaze as he spoke, as if waiting for Perry to assert his stance on the statement.

  “Everyone’s entitled to their opinion.” Of course the grandson was wrong, but that wasn’t something Perry was going to point out.

  Garrett chuckled. “That’s a nice way to put it. C’mon, let me show you around the place.”

  Perry followed Garrett out of the office and into the stable area of the barn.

  “We’ve got twenty-five stalls, including two specifically designed for foaling mares. Right now, we’re close to full capacity. We have twenty horses boarded and another ten that we own to run cattle with. Not all of them are kept in stalls each night.”

  The pine-wood stalls looked like a picture straight out of a magazine. Not a speck of dust or stem of hay littered the freshly swept barn floor. Through the bars, he could see that they were large and well maintained. “Any broodmares?” Perry gazed around the stables. There were facilities for keeping breeding stock, but that didn’t necessarily mean they did.

  Garrett nodded. “Three. They make good workhorses too.” They turned down the hall that divided the barn. “Through here you can access the indoor arena. Cory had one built when he started competing. And it’s a great selling point for the boarders.”

  Perry had to stop once they stepped inside the arena. The space was massive, and exactly what you’d expect to find at a professional competition. The Wright Stables had worked hard to build an impressive facility for their needs. Too bad the ranch had obviously experienced some neglect in the past few years.

  Garrett clapped Perry on the shoulder and snapped him out of his thoughts. “C’mon. Let’s go, and I can show you the rest of the place.”

  Outside Garrett pointed out the separate paddocks, explaining which horses went where. Then they took the ATV for a trip around the fence line and Perry was able to see some of the farm ground that the ranch owned as well as the herd of cattle.

  “We keep a small herd of steers for cutting practice. A lot of our boarders have cutting horses and when Cory is around he likes to practice with the steers. A few times a year we also have team penning competition. The rest of the cattle we have are commercial cattle we sell at market.”

  Perry nodded. The cattle were in great shape, but he could see the hay field was overdue to be cut, and if they let it mature much more it wouldn’t do the animals any good.

  Garrett continued, “Once upon a time we used to run a youth camp that was quite popular. Kids would come from all around the state and learn to ride and care for horses. My wife and I ran the camp for about twenty-five years; then we just couldn’t keep up with it anymore. We’ve still got the cabins we used to house the kids in. One of the cabins has been renovated to serve as a home for the ranch manager. It has the best view of the ranch.

  “I’ve been looking for a good manager for the past two years. Cory is on the road competing, and I just can’t keep up with the work anymore.” The older man looked tired, and he grimaced as he spoke, as if ashamed to admit he wasn’t as young as he once was.

  “The place does seem to do a lot.”

  “Yes, we do. We cut our own hay. Most years we can get enough to feed the horses and cattle. Unless we have a rough year. Two years ago we even had a surplus. We have a ranch hand, Tre. He’s worked here for a few years. But he’s got his own land he farms, so he ain’t interested in doing any managing.”

  They were quiet for a moment and Perry took in the view of the land. The ranch was impressive. But if they kept on the path they were on it was likely to become run-down quickly. The place needed a face-lift and some organization. It might take a while before everything ran smoothly again, and it was possible he would face some opposition from Garrett or the boarders. Or the absent grandson.

  “There’s a lot of work to be done if you want this place to operate at its full potential again.”

  Garrett nodded. “I know it. Are you willing to do it?” The man’s gaze bore into Perry.

  “Yes, sir.” Perry was no stranger to hard work. The Rockin’ R hadn’t been in the greatest shape when he started there either. He took a deep breath. After the way things ended at his last job, he knew he’d better start this one off with complete honesty. “You should know that I’m gay, and if that’s going to be an issue, I’ll leave now. Will that be a problem?”

  The older man stared for a moment, his eyes slightly narrowed; then he shrugged. “Not to me. My grandson’s gay. Hope that won’t be a problem for you.”

  Surprise hit Perry. Who knew it would be that easy. “I don’t see why it would be.”

  “Well, that’s it then. The job’s yours if you want it. You can board your horse here free of charge and we have a small cabin on the property that will be all yours if you need a place to stay.”

  A bit startled at the change in topic, Perry didn’t dwell on his decision. He stuck out his hand. “I’ll take the job. And the room as well.”

  They shook hands and, just like that, Perry had a job and a place to live again.

  “I’ll take you there after we get your horse settled into one of the paddocks. When can you start work?”

  “Today. We’ve got some daylight left. No use in wasting any time. I have everything I own with me.”

  Garrett smiled and clapped Perry on the back. “Son, I think this is going to work out just fine.”

  * * * *

  Perry kicked open the door to the tack room where they kept all the riding equipment for the ranch. He’d just finished a long day of moving the cattle and administering vaccinations to the calves. It was the least favorite of all of his tasks on the farm.

  Tre came in behind him and leaned against the wall as Perry put his saddle and bridle in their designated spot.

  “Are we done for the day, boss?” Tre asked.

  Perry rolled his eyes and shot Tre a look. “How many times have I told you to quit calling me boss?” He and Tre had gotten along well in the few days that Perry had worked for the ranch. Tre had proved to be one hell of a worker.

  “It suits you.”

  With a sigh, Perry said, “Yeah, we’re done for the day.”

  Tre followed behind Perry as he exited the tack room. “Did you hear the news?”

  “What news?” Perry asked, operating more on autopilot than actual interest. He rubbed the back of his neck. A hot shower and a good night’s sleep sounded heavenly. He just needed to finish up the last of the chores and then he could relax.

  “Cory’s coming home next week.”

  Perry checked the locks on the stalls to make sure none of the horses would be getting loose overnight. “Who’s Cory?”

  Tre laughed. “You’re kidding, right? Cory is Garrett and Anne’s grandson. The one who competes in the reining events. He’s got some time off between now and finals, so he’s coming back here. I assumed Garrett or Anne would’ve told you.”

  Perry shrugged. “I think Anne might’ve mentioned it.” She was excited about something this morning; that was for sure. But Perry had been preoccupied with the busy day he had ahead of him and hadn’t paid much attention. Obviously that had been a mistake.

  “Anyway, Cory won’t get in the way of anything. Most of the time when he’s here he’s training one of his horses. He’ll be preparing for the finals, so we probably won’t see much of him.”

  “He doesn’t help out around the ranch?” What kind of grandson didn’t help with chores? Or any of the other responsibilities they had on the ranch?

  “Not since he was a teenager, at least not much. He’s pretty focu
sed on competing. He’s the reason we have the indoor arena and brand-new stalls. Apparently it was a gift from Cory, since Garrett lets him keep his horses here for free.”

  Interesting. Not that Perry had time to think about Cory and how he fit on the ranch. Perry wasn’t much for gossip, and he wasn’t going to go poking around in someone else’s business. As long as Cory stayed out of his way, they would get along fine.

  “Thanks for the heads-up. Tomorrow I want to get the weeds mowed down in the south pasture and get the arena tilled.”

  “Sounds good, boss. I’ll be here.”

  Perry ignored the title Tre had bestowed upon him and turned toward the barn exit. He waved good-bye over his shoulder.

  Fortunately, his first week on the job had gone well. It was tiring work, but it would be worth it in the end. He got along great with Tre and Garrett and had even spent some time after hours drinking a beer on the porch with them.

  He hoped he would have at least a cordial relationship with the grandson as well. Considering the issues he’d had with his previous boss’s son, a cordial relationship with Cory was all he could expect.

  * * * *

  The next day, Perry was bone tired. With each step his muscles ached and a headache throbbed behind his eyes. Since starting at the ranch he’d worked nonstop, anxious to get the place shipshape as soon as possible. Already some of the boarders had commented on the improvements. Despite the fact that they were at full capacity, they’d had a few calls about people interested in boarding there. He’d even lined up a few new clients to bring their horses for training at the end of the summer.

  He’d repainted the old sign by the road, reshingled half of the barn roof, and fixed a handful of other odds and ends that needed repair. He’d worked harder this week than he had in a long while, barely making it to bed each night for more than a few hours before he was up and at it again the next day. But it would all be worth it once the place was running smoothly again.