BLURB
The Barton farm, owned jointly by Harriet Barton and her second cousin, Eldridge Granger, needed a new farm hand. Dillon had died in Iowa’s first auto accident, so Eldridge sent his son, Freddy, to take Dillon’s place.
Carl, Harriet and Jacob’s son, was glad Dillon was gone, because he had abused Carl. He was also sad, because taking care of the house and his older parents was a full-time job for him. With Dillon no longer available, Carl was expected to do Dillon’s job plus his own.
Carl remembered Freddy as a fat and bratty little kid, always making life miserable for his cousin. The man who got out of the carriage was no longer fat, nor little, but still appeared to be ready to make Carl the target of his venom. He was also well-built, and one of the most attractive men Carl had ever seen.
The cousins sort things out between them, while Harriet and Jacob treat Freddy well, but constantly criticize Carl. That leads to a major blow-up, with Carl demanding respect. Jacob gives it to him, but Harriet just won’t let up.
Meanwhile, Carl and Freddy acknowledge their mutual attraction, and late at night sneak into the shower for sex. They take care not to let Jacob and Harriet know, but it’s difficult to keep from looking at each other, and difficult for that not to be noticed.
The family is settling into its new arrangement, Jacob, Harriet, Carl and Freddy, with Jacob and Harriet beginning to help with some of the chores. Then, Jacob has a heart attack. Freddy takes the family horse and races to the doctor in town, three miles away. When he returns, magic seems to happen. Jacob will recover, but it will take several months, and he is ordered not to go upstairs, where the bedrooms are.
Harriet claims the right to stay downstairs with Jacob, and tells the lovers to move into the larger bedroom with the big bed. She knows, and decides it doesn’t matter. Carl and Freddy take her up on the offer, and confess their love.
The story follows them for the next seven decades, living and loving in secret, with a few victories and many heartaches. They witness the Stonewall Riot on television news, and are ready to die happy, and vindicated.
Sold In The West
~ Bonus Story ~
A Historical Gay Menage Romance
One thing that is commonly known about the West is that it is hard to survive, even harder if you happen to be black, and even more still if you are young.
After working on the rails in the wilds of Utah, young Gin is sold off to a man with pockets as deep as the abyss. The man owns the bank and therefore owns the money and the trade. Slaves have been freed but that means nothing when you are rich.
After buying the young boy he auctions him off to start his new life on a ranch as a worker. Everyone knows that when you are out in the middle of nowhere, no one can hear you scream. Gin isn’t ready for this kind of life, but now he is thrown into the deep end until he can learn to swim.
* * *
Chapter 1
My family and I have been working here in Utah for as long as I can remember. If we’re not staking out the new railroads we’re working on the steam engines. We all sleep in tiny, run-down shacks with tattered rags hanging over the holes in the walls that we call windows. The men that run our work, I guess they’d be our bosses, they live in town.
I have been to town a few times with my Pa but he always has the same thing to me when I ask him if we can go, “Boy, the second you gots money to pay for somethin’, that’s when you can go to town.”
The times he took me were some of the best memories I had. He dragged me around running errands for Ma and I just followed along looking at all of the sights. I saw cowboys with their shining spurs and their sturdy horses with polished saddles. I saw the women that Pa called harlots and whores. They always had on the most colorful dresses.
When I got big enough for the men to put me to work, I started earning that money that Pa was talking about. The men didn’t pay us much, mostly because although we are free we are not looked highly upon.
Out on the tracks the men think they can beat us just like they used to when Pa’s Pa was a kid. I know they do it to everyone, but they only do it when no one can see you. I’ve seen some of the boys with the same cuts that I got. Sometimes even Pa has those cuts.
The first time I got my own money I asked Ma if I could go to town while Pa was out with his buddies. She let me go and I really should not have gone alone.
It was my first time out there alone and I was so excited. I went to a few shops, most of which I got kicked out of instantly. One shop let me in and even sold me a new pair of pants. The girl told me they were a new tough fabric that were resistant to tears and the harsh work I do outside.
I didn’t care that men and women were giving me sideways glances. I knew they were looking at me different. A boy of my age, walking through town with a smile on his face is sure to attract some unwanted attention.
With the last bit of my money I figured I would go to the saloon. When I walked in, all eyes were on me. It’s not unusual to see a boy my age or height walk into a saloon, in fact there were a few sitting at some of the tables having shots of whiskey. As soon as I heard them I knew I was in for some trouble.
“Look at this here nigger! Thinks he owns the place. Just waltzin’ on in here. Shouldn’t you be out on the tracks?”
My heart sank. A few men got up and I froze. They picked me up, claiming they were just going to take me home. They didn’t.
They pulled a burlap sack over my head and tied my hands together as well as my ankles. They dragged me behind a horse for a while until my head hit a rock and I blacked out. When I came to they had taken me out in the middle of nowhere. Then they beat me.
They laughed, called me a “nigger”, and even unzipped their pants and pissed on me. I couldn’t do anything but cry and take the abuse. I may be decently tall, but I am no match for four big well-fed townsfolk. One I might have been able to get away from, but not four.
Once they had their fun they took the last bit of my money and left me out in the tumbleweeds. I heard their horses gallop off into the distance. The ground beneath me was muddy and cold but I couldn’t bring myself to get up.
It wasn’t until the sky started to get bright that I stood up. They took me out so far that that I couldn’t see the town, the work camps, or even the railroad. I struggled for a while to remove my bonds but I managed to get free of them.
By the time the coyotes started hunting and howling at the moon I found my way home. Ma scolded me about worrying her and not being home on time. Pa scolded me and hit me over the head, saying that I missed a whole day of work and the rest of them had to pick up my slack. Then Ma started hitting me because I got my clothes dirty, even though I was wearing my new pants that I bought myself. They just kept coming up with more reasons to beat on me.
I could smell it on their breaths, the reason they were beating on me. Sadly, it’s also what they named me— Gin. Pa spent most of his money on the stuff and Ma drank most of it. Since I’m their only boy, I have to help bring home money for everything else, like food and clothes.
I managed to show up at the railroad everyday for a week until the men paid us again. Pa took my money and said that was punishment for scaring Ma like that. I don’t blame him for taking my money. It will feed us for another week assuming he doesn’t spend it all on more bottles.
The work we were doing just kept coming and I thought it was never going to end. I was wrong.
Sometimes men from town with their fancy round hats and waxed mustaches come by and look over everyone as though they’re buying cattle. One man seemed to have his eye on me. Pa told me that the man was Montgomery and that he owned the bank in town.
“Gin! Come here!”
I hear my name get called and run over. The boss is handed a bag of money from Montgomery. Then the boss gives my Pa a handful of money from the sack. Pa waves at me as Montgomery takes me over to his horse. Pa doesn’t even watch as I am taken away. He is too busy leafing through the money, counting it
and smiling at it.
I remember being taken to Montgomery’s house and being tied up like a dog in the kitchen. Then I remember him coming back into the kitchen, untying me, and giving me roasted potatoes and chicken. I ate as much as I could and he laughed, joking that I must not have been fed out there. Really I never had this much to myself. Then he offered me some whiskey which I gladly accepted. That’s when things got fuzzy.
My eyes open slowly and I can hear the creaking of a wagon moving across the dirt. I blink a few times to get my vision back and realize I’m in the back of a covered wagon. The flaps are drawn so I can’t see out.
My wrists are cold. I try to move them but they can’t go far. I hear rough metal clanking against metal. When I turn to look I see the thick iron shackles locked around my thin wrists. I’m covered in dirt and mud as though I had been dragged behind this wagon. There are crates stacked around me inside the wagon.
It is dark inside here so I know the sun is not up. I must be shackled to the bench up front. I don’t know who is up there or even how many. It could be one person, maybe two.
I try hard to remember what happened and all I can get are quick flashes that I can piece together. Montgomery had bought me from the boss men and from Pa. When he was taking me back to his house I remember him telling me that a strong young nigger like me could make a fine businessman someday. Although that is something that appealed to me, his laugh afterwards told me that he was joking.
Then I remember that fine chicken and potatoes he had made up for me. That’s when it at all faded. No, it wasn’t the food that made me fade. It was that whiskey. He put something in it to make me tired I bet.
I try hard to remember what I saw between supper and now. I remember hearing the saloon, but it was above me. I could hear the man on the piano and the poker players yelling and laughing. It was hard to open my eyes but there were others there with me. It was dark but some light came through the ceiling and the cracks around the doors.
I was chained up with a few other boys my age and a few girls that looked like they were right marrying age. All of us were tied up and scared. I remember trying to move but it was like being stuck in quicksand. Every time I tried to lift my arm or move my leg it felt weighted down.
When the music subsided above me I heard Montgomery talking, shouting. Then the men upstairs would cheer and it got really bright. The mustached man behind the bar swung open the door and came down to grab someone. They would be taken up the stairs into the light and then they were gone.
After a few boys and girls got taken I got pulled up there and was surely blinded by the light. I remember hearing people yelling and screaming and cheering. Then Montgomery said my name and people shouted numbers back until he shouted, “Sold!”
Someone bought me. I was sold just like a hog or a sack of flour. I can’t remember how much I was sold for or even who bought me.
The wagon stops and brings me out of my memories. I curl up against the back of the wagon, trying to be as small as possible.
Chapter 2
The flaps open on the back of the wagon and I see two men standing there. They are both tall and rather large. One is blonde and his eyes are like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I’ve seen people with brown eyes and sometimes there are pretty women with blue eyes, but he’s got eyes like the leaves up high on the trees. The other one is larger and beastlike. His face and arms are covered in hair and he has a sour look on his face.
The blonde one hops in the wagon and immediately comes towards me. I squirm and try to get father away but I can’t. He is finally close enough where he could grab me, but he grabs the shackles and unlocks them instead.
“Come on, Gin,” he says while hopping out of the wagon.
I stay huddled back there, breathing rapidly. I do not want to leave. I know what is in the wagon. I do not know what is out there.
“Out!” yells the beast man.
I leap out of the wagon and land on my hands and knees in the dirt. My denim pants are already covered in mud and my shirt is torn and dirty. I keep my gaze on their muddy boots as tears start dripping off the tip of my nose. I am terrified about what might happen.
Ma told me stories of boys and girls sold off to either brothels or other people. She told me about all the horrible things that happened to them. Then she would tell me that I had it easy and should be grateful that she and Pa treated me so well.
She told me how the brothel girls would be beaten and sold for pleasure. She told me that boys were used for labor and pleasure, but in the home so no one would be able to save them. Then Ma would tell me about all of the fierce beatings that would happen.
The beast man lifts the toe of his boot up under my chin until I am looking up at them. They both look like beasts from down here. I bite my lip to keep it from quivering. My arms and legs are trembling and I can’t stop it.
“Get up, Gin,” says the blonde one.
I keep my eyes on him, but I can still see the beast man’s gruff face out of the corner of my eye. I get to my feet then avert my gaze so I’m not looking either of them in the face. The blonde one pats me on the shoulder and I cringe.
“This is Briars Ranch. Get to know it,” he says.
I nod then look around briefly. There is a small house nearby that needs some repairs. There are window shutters hanging by only one hinge, a few holes in the roof, and some cracked slats on the side of the house.
Across a barren field is a barn in similar disrepair. There is a cow standing inside a pen that looks like it needs a good brushing and some decent food. Inside the pen is a tiny chicken coop that could only hold about six chickens comfortably. Sitting on top of it is a scraggly rooster that has seen better days.
I look back at the wagon where two horses are hitched. They look a bit thin but better taken care of than the rest of the ranch. Then I look back at them and see them sizing me up. My body starts to tremble as their eyes look me up and down. I can almost feel them on my skin.
“You’ll be helping us around here, Gin. I’m Jacob Briars and this is my older brother, Christian Briars,” Mister Jacob, the blonde one, says.
I stand there, trying not to look at them. He gave me their names and obviously they know mine, but that doesn’t really matter to me. I just don’t want to be here. Ma told me some pretty bad things and all I can think of is the worst.
Mister Christian pushes past Mister Jacob and starts to unhitch the horses. Mister Jacob then taps my shoulder and points me to the house. I start walking towards the little ranch house with Jacob right behind me. A few steps from the porch I hear a loud clang from the latch being dropped on the gate to the pens.
There is nowhere for me to run. There is one dirt road that leads in either direction away from the ranch. I don’t see any other houses or farms or buildings. Memories flood my mind from my first time in town. I might be able to outrun then for a short time. But the second they get on their horses, it is all over for me.
Mister Jacob pushes open the door to the house and it creaks like a wailing ghost. I step in and can immediately tell that these brothers have lived here alone for quite a while. There are cobwebs in all the corners and flies buzzing around everywhere. There are piles of old print papers here and there.
As we get to the kitchen I can smell a thick stew boiling on the range. I grimace as soon as I see the range itself. It definitely has not been cleaned in a long while. Ma didn’t clean her range often, but it never looked like this one.
“Table is over there. Get the stew served up,” Mister Jacob orders before stepping out.
I look around trying to find even a single bowl. There are some sitting in piles of moldering dishes, but I imagine I would surely be beaten for serving a stew in a mold-covered dish.
The smell as I approach the wash basin is horrid. I pull my shirt up over my nose so I can breathe. When I get to the wash basin I can’t believe my eyes. There are flies and maggots crawling around on everything. I turn away and gag for a moment
, doing my best not to throw up on their floor.
I take a deep breath, turn around, and look up in the cabinets. After opening the fourth one I manage to find two clean bowls and two spoons. I silently cheer inside my head. I don’t have to touch that basin and maybe I won’t be beat just yet.
In the stew pot there is already a large spoon for serving. I hear the door creak open and then I hear two sets of boots stomping across the floor into the dining area. I quickly scoop some of the stew in each bowl and bring it out to the table. I set a bowl down in front of each of them, followed by a spoon.
“Get yourself some and come sit down with us,” Mister Jacob says before shoving a spoonful of stew in his mouth.
I can’t believe what I just heard. Questions are running through my head that I want to ask but Mister Christian is staring at me with those deep eyes that remind me of Pa’s when he has been drinking and you can’t tell if he is just tired or angry. I back slowly into the kitchen and begin a new search for another bowl and spoon. It was a feat to find the previous two sets.
Eventually I find a clean setting and make it back to the table with my portion. As soon as I sit down Mister Jacob gets up with his bowl in hand. I get up from the chair with my hands out to take the bowl from him. He just holds up his hand to wave me off.
I nervously sit back down and hear him serve up another bowl. He comes back and sits at the table. Then Mister Christian slides his bowl over to me as I am lifting my first spoonful to my mouth. The broth barely touches my lips, I drop the spoon back in the bowl, and get up to serve another bowl of stew to Mister Christian.
I sit back down after serving him and he starts talking. His voice is deep and I’m still not sure if he is angry or if this is just how he talks.
To Love A Hitman Page 22
