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

by Sam E. Kraemer

  The woman was kind and really patient with kids because she was a substitute teacher before she started an in-home daycare limiting the total number of children to four at a time. Dan knew his niece could be a pain in the butt because she was so damn smart, but he didn't want the older woman to refuse to care for her in the afternoons after school because she was smart-alecky. He wouldn’t allow Kayley to be spoiled and take advantage of Mrs. Phillips.

  If he could get his niece on board to behave for her babysitter, he believed they stood a chance of securing their spot when school started. Never in Danny’s life did he think he’d have to worry about having a child to worry about and fuss over, but many things had occurred in his life he hadn’t expected.

  After Kayley was settled at Mrs. Philips' house, Dan made his way to US-460 to take the drive to Blacksburg to the bus station. He’d been asked to pick up the new hand, though he didn’t see how in the hell that fell under his job description at the Circle C. He hated going to the city, though Blacksburg could hardly be called a city in the general sense. It was, though, bigger than Holloway.

  It was a favor for Tim and Matt which Dan couldn't refuse because Matt had been damn good to him over the years. He’d hired Dan when nobody would even look at him because of the steel rod in his leg and the lack of expression with regard to how it got there. Matt never asked him what happened, just accepted him as the person he trusted to look after his cattle. For that alone, Danny Johnson would be forever grateful.

  He reached into the passenger seat to find the paper Tim had given him with the name "Langston" printed in large letters. Tim and Matt told him the guy was young and that they’d had spoken with the kid regarding his future at the Circle C, but nobody knew what he looked like.

  Danny had thought about it and prepared himself for the worst-case scenario, based on shit he’d see on television and even when he went to a mall or a restaurant, all he seemed to see were tattoos, piercings, and crazy colors of hair.

  God knew kids expressed themselves in ways Danny couldn't begin to imagine doing himself. His brother, Zach, had a tattoo of a skull on his back Dan hadn’t expect to ever see, so if his straight-laced brother had one, maybe it wasn't a stretch to think an eighteen-year-old kid might have a tattoo and more. He hadn't chosen to do anything of the sort to his body, but if others did, then it wasn't Dan’s place to object…he supposed.

  He watched the people who walked through the doors into the lobby of the bus station, not seeing anyone who looked like an eighteen-year-old young man. Finally, he saw a tall, slender guy with dark hair and a bright smile carrying out an Army duffel and a paisley print suitcase. He had an older black woman holding his arm as she walked with a cane, and they seemed to be happy to be in each other's company.

  Dan watched as another woman standing near him walked over to the pair and engaged the young man in a discussion. He stepped forward to listen because he was hoping the normal-looking kid was his pick-up.

  "Miss Esther, it was nice to meet you. I'll be working at the Circle C in Holloway, so if you need anything, please call me at the number I gave you and I'll do what I can," the young man told the older woman.

  She turned to him and smiled. "You're a one of a kind, Jase. You call me if you need anything as well. I'll be with Belinda, but she doesn't live that far outta town. Take care, baby," she told him as she kissed his cheek. The other woman took the bag and they walked away, leaving the young man alone.

  Danny surveyed the new ranch hand who walked through the exit of the bus terminal, giving him a cautious stare. He was a bit taken aback at the sight of the kid because he was extremely handsome in an oddly familiar way.

  When their eyes met, Danny Johnson felt his knees nearly buckle under him. The kid was absolutely stunning and it finally clicked in his mind…the young man was a skinnier, less muscular, version of Matthew Collins, his boss at the Circle C. Danny couldn't help the fact his cock chubbed up as he caught his breath. He wanted to turn and run…not walk…away, but he was doing a favor for his bosses so he had to get himself under control and take the guy back with him. There was no running away from it.

  He took a deep breath to clear his mind and reached for the young man's green duffel. "I'm Dan. You must be Jason. How was the trip up? Pretty shitty, I’d reckon? I mean, ridin’ a bus and all," he offered in a monotone voice which made an appearance when he was nervous.

  Dan was a bit perplexed when he saw an Army duffel in the kid's grip, but he didn't know the full story so he held his judgment. It had the boy's last name stenciled on the side, which wasn’t what he was expecting at all. The memories he didn't want to confront that morning surfaced and he pushed them down. The kid didn’t deserve his ire for something that happened to Danny years prior.

  "Nice to meet you, Dan. You can call me Jase," the boy told him. Danny didn't see anything to lead him to believe the young man was one of those goth kids he remembered from high school, so he sighed in relief.

  Danny nodded and headed toward the doorway out of the bus station, hoping the kid followed. He kept his mouth shut as they walked toward the farm truck Danny drove, and he didn’t hesitate to open the tailgate for the boy to toss in his gear. After they settled inside the cab, Dan turned on the radio to break the uncomfortable silence he was sure would follow.

  There was something about the boy that gave off a sadness Dan could recognize, for sure. He had the gloomiest look on his face Dan had ever seen, but there seemed to be a resolve of some sort that would peek through every once in a while. If Matt had hired him, Dan was sure the kid was okay. "So, you're not a soldier, right?" Dan finally asked, sure the boy was too young to be in the military.

  The boy chuckled quietly. "Not even close. My dad was career. I wasn't ever going to live up to his definition of a real man, so I split."

  Danny was surprised, but it wasn't all bad. Military life…well, it hadn't been kind to him. He could understand the kid's desire to get away, so he decided to ignore the comment and power forward. "So, you work as a hand on a ranch somewhere before?"

  When the boy all-out laughed, Dan turned to see what the fuck was so funny. "What's so goddamn funny?" he asked with a little more ‘snap’ in his voice than he wanted, considering he’d just met the guy about six minutes earlier. Finally, the kid quit laughing and turned to Dan, scrubbing his hands over his face before he removed the wool cap from his head. It was May and the wool cap seemed out of place.

  "I've barely seen a horse up close. Mr. Collins hired me because I'm friends with Savannah Stanford. His husband, Tim, told me I could help him catch up on the computer work at the Circle C and the Katydid. They told me I might be needed at the barn sometimes, and I said I'd be more than happy to help out," the boy explained.

  Danny was ready to break windows because Matt and Tim had sent him to pick up his own, personal slice of temptation. On top of it, Matt had lied to him and said the kid would be a horse hand. The boy was gorgeous and green as goat shit. He wouldn't be any more help on the ranch than tits on a bull.

  Oh, he'd definitely find a way to repay Matthew Collins for the deception. No doubt about it.

  "This is the Circle C Ranch where you’ll work some of the time. I actually think you're gonna live at the Katydid, thank God," Danny explained, whispering the end of the sentence.

  "Is this where Matthew Collins lives? I met him when he was in El Paso, and I was really impressed with him," the boy enthused, bringing a little laugh from Danny. He was sure the boy had a crush on his boss, and he couldn't wait to see how the bull rider would handle it…the hot, young kid focused on him while Tim watched. Dan knew Tim wouldn't take it lightly, and he couldn't wait to see the fireworks.

  "Yep. I'm pretty sure he's in the house, so let's go up so you can meet him…I guess meet up with him again," Dan teased, though the boy didn't seem to catch on.

  When the younger man followed him without question, Dan knew it was his opportunity to get back at his boss. He stopped the boy on the deck
to take off his sneakers as Dan slipped off his boots. "We'll have to get you boots. What size?" he asked.

  "I, uh, I wear a size twelve shoe, Sir. I've never had boots," the boy stated as he watched Dan, making him a little uncomfortable. He didn't know why, but those damn blue eyes were mesmerizing.

  "I'm Dan, not 'Sir', okay? I'll make sure somebody takes you to the Southern States to get you some boots. Let's go on in," Dan suggested.

  They went into the house and found the kitchen empty, which was a surprise. "Oh, I guess everybody's down at the barn. Let's go," he commanded as they walked back out to put on their shoes again. When Corky pounced on Dan, he laughed and pet the dog.

  "This is Corky. He's the ranch dog, and he's a pain in the ass," Dan explained as he ruffled the dog's head.

  The laugh that came from Jason Langston made Dan stop in his tracks, his cock had started to chub up again as he watched the young man petting the dog. 'He's a kid. He's younger than Zach. Get your mind out of the fuckin' gutter, you goddamn pervert.'

  He wanted to slap himself but he had to keep what little bit of control he had. "Come on," he demanded harshly. The young man didn't deserve his attitude, but it was the only way Dan could keep himself in check. It was necessary.

  After shoes were secured, they walked down to the barn and when they walked inside, Dan stopped and felt the boy run into this back. Matt and Tim were embracing in a deep, passionate kiss, and Danny was very worried about how the young man might react. Surprisingly, he gasped and turned his back. Dan wasn't sure what it meant, but he was worried. "Might as well get used to it. It happens all the time," Dan stated before he clapped his hands.

  He then turned to the perpetual horn dogs for whom he worked. "Don't make me get the hose after you two. We got a young, impressionable child here, so put it back in your pants," he pestered.

  Tim's giggle always brought a smile to Dan's face. "Sorry. He can't control himself," Matt announced, rather uncharacteristically in Dan's opinion, as the two pulled away from each other.

  Dan heard a low chuckle from behind him, and when he turned to look at the kid, he saw a beautiful smile on his face. The boy hurried forward and extended his hand. "Hi, I'm Jason Langston, but please call me Jase. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Moran." The kid was shaking Tim's hand pretty hard, and Dan noticed Matt wasn't exactly laughing…or even smiling. It was going to be even more entertaining than Dan had even guessed. The kid was going to put Matt, who would turn thirty at the end of the summer, through the paces. Dan couldn't wait to watch.

  Chapter Four

  When they walked into the large barn, Jase was definitely caught off guard at seeing two men…two extremely handsome men…kissing so passionately in the hallway. It was the first time he'd actually seen men kissing…in person anyway. The stuff he found on the internet at Savannah's house when he had an opportunity to browse didn't count because the most he could get was men kissing, and then they were just still photographs. The Stanfords had a smut filter on their internet access because of Robby, but what Jase got to see there was better than what he got to see at home, which was nothing.

  After Dan broke them apart, Jase was pleased to see the handsome blonde with the bright smile. He'd seen pictures of the couple on Savannah's phone when they'd visited at Christmas one year, but seeing Tim Moran in person was so much better. The man had beautiful hazel eyes and a bright smile that could make Jase hard if he wasn't careful.

  "Hi, I'm Jason Langston, but please call me Jase. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Moran." He was in awe of both men because they looked like they should be out of some sort of a gay fairytale, which made him chuckle a little.

  "Hey, Jase. It's nice to meet you in person," Tim introduced himself as he extended his hand to shake. Jase took it and felt how soft it was, feeling a breath expelled in surprise.

  He heard laughter and turned to see it wasn't coming from Matt Collins; the handsome bull rider had a cocked eyebrow in his direction, so he let go of Tim's hand and extended his to Matt. "Pleasure to see you again, Mr. Collins."

  He continued to hear the raucous laughter behind him, and he finally turned to see Dan leaning against a stall where a huge black horse was standing. The man was red in the face, and Jase wasn't sure what was so funny, so he stepped back a little, putting space between him and his future bosses.

  He saw Tim look around and laugh a little. "Let's go to the office, Jason."

  As they started down the barn hallway, Danny called, "HE PREFERS JASE!"

  Tim turned and flipped him off, which completely confused the younger man, but he followed without question. Once they were inside the nice barn office, Tim handed him some paperwork and a pen. "If you could fill this out, I'll run a background check, if that's okay. We run one on everybody who works here. Until next week, you, Danny, and Jerry are going to be running things. Matt will help, and Ryan and Rocky have chores after school. Oh, you'll meet them this afternoon.

  "You're going to live at the Katydid with my aunt and uncle because we, um, we don't have any room, right now," Tim told him with pink cheeks. Jase hadn't really considered the sleeping arrangements, but he wasn't picky about it. He was just grateful to have someone to sleep, and he didn't even care if it was inside. All he wanted was to be on his own.

  "Not a problem, Mr. Moran," he responded as he began filling out the paperwork.

  "I, uh, I don't have any experience, but I told you that, right?" Jase asked nervously as he reviewed the application.

  Tim laughed. "Don't worry about that part. Just fill out sections one, three, four, and sign section five. We know you don't have any experience, but that's okay. You want coffee or something?" Tim asked.

  Jase was concentrating on the questions, happily checking the 'no' boxes regarding if he'd been convicted of a felony, if he'd ever failed a drug test, or if he'd ever used any other name than Jason Langston. He'd remembered his social security number, and he'd listed Savannah Stanford as his emergency contact. He knew she'd get to his mother if necessary, so he felt he'd covered his bases. He read the last box, noting he would be immediately dismissed if any of his claims were found to be false. He went back to look it over again to ensure he hadn't missed anything before he signed and dated the paper at the bottom.

  "I asked if you wanted coffee or water," Tim reminded with a smirk.

  "Sorry. I get a little anal about things, sometimes. I wanted to make certain I filled out everything honestly. Um, water would be nice, if you don't mind," he responded, watching Tim's graceful, slender body move through the room. Matt Collins was a lucky man.

  After meeting with Tim in the office, Jase was directed to meet Matt outside the barn where the bull rider was waiting in a four-wheeler. "Hop in, kid. I'll give ya the lay of the land. Hang on," he ordered, hitting the gas and nearly throwing Jase out of the vehicle.

  As they took off through a pasture, Jase looked around, seeing a lot more cattle than he expected. They seemed to be divided into certain sections of land, and Jase undoubtedly got his exercise, opening and closing many, many gates along the way. Matt pointed out a large pen where a huge bull was butting its head against a hanging truck tire. "That's a rodeo bull. You come down here, feed and water him, and don't interact with him in any other way. Only Dan and me do anything more than feed and water him." Jase nodded, not quite sure what else he'd signed up for outside of the computer work he thought he was going to learn.

  "Do, um, do I get to use this, or do I walk down here?" Jase asked, a little worried about the prospect of walking through fields with wild beasts’ ready to attack. He didn’t know a rodeo bull from a kangaroo, but based on what he’d seen on the internet, neither animal was anything he wanted to encounter when he was alone and helpless.

  Matt's laugh was a bit of a surprise. "You can use this unless you know how to ride a horse. You just gotta go slow so you don't scare the animals by goin' too fast. One guy used to drive flat out through the fields and run the cattle for no reason. I
t just runs the weight of 'em and costs me money. I fired him.

  "Ryan and Rocky ride their horses, Mabel and Sam, to check the fences. This time of the year, the cattle are out on good pasture so mostly, you'll just check to be sure none are down or sick. It ain't calvin' time, so you don't gotta worry about anything like that, and you'll only be workin' here three days a week. The other three, you'll be at Katydid, and then you'll get Sunday's off. Part of your pay is room and board at the Katydid. Dan can take ya over to meet Katie and Josh before he goes home. They're good people, and they're lookin' forward to havin' ya stay with 'em," the bull rider explained.

  Jase remembered Matt saying he would be splitting his time between two sister operations, but it was finally hitting him he'd be living with strangers. He was starting to feel a little concerned, but when he thought about the Colonel, and how fondly he'd spoken of all of the family he'd met when the whole Stanford family had stayed at the Circle C. It made Jase wonder how many of the hands lived at the Circle C because they'd told Jase they had no room at the inn, as it were.

  "Okay, Mr. Collins. Anything else?" Jase asked as he heard the bull snort in the pen.

  "You'll learn how to fix fence, along with the computer stuff Tim needs ya to help with, so you'll need to make sure ya use plenty of sunscreen when you're outside. We've got caps and leather work gloves up in the barn office, so we'll make sure you get what you need to do your job.

  "On another note, I'll just add this as a matter of conversation…my husband is off limits. I saw ya lookin' at him and if I catch wind of ya tryin' anything…" the bull rider threatened, shocking Jase.