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

by Sam E. Kraemer

  It also gave him the idea to bring up something with regard to the situation with Matt and Tim. He hadn't really told Mickey what had happened that caused him to leave the Circle C in the first place. He didn't know how much anyone had told Mickey about Jase’s time there, so he decided it was time to take advantage of the quiet and ask about the bull rider and the computer whiz. "Can I ask you a question?"

  Mickey smiled as his bright green eyes looked up, reminding Jase how handsome the man was and how lucky Jon Wells was to have him for a partner. "Sure. Shoot," Mickey ordered.

  "Nobody ever asked me why I didn't want to work at the Circle C. What did they tell you?" he asked.

  He saw Mickey sigh. "Timmy told me it was because you weren't comfortable with the hands there. Miss Katie told me the hands didn't want to train ya because they were worried about who was gonna be fired since you'd been brought on board. I know how those guys are, trust me. I thought if I brought you here to train ya myself it might help grease the wheels if you decide you wanna go back. We do things very similar to how they do things at Katydid and Circle C, with regard to the horses.

  "If I teach you how to take care of the horses, it'll give them one less thing to hold against ya. I think you have potential, kiddo, and I don't wanna see that bunch of asses chase you off. You've taken to the horses and the work it takes to care for them quite easily, and I'm proud of ya," Mickey told him.

  Jase swallowed, hoping he wouldn't piss Mickey off. "That's kinda right, but the real reason is that Mr. Collins doesn't trust me there with Mr. Moran. My first day he took me out on a Gator and explained things to me regarding the ranch. Then, he threatened me to stay away from Mr. Moran. Every time I was there for work, he'd watch me like a hawk, and when Mr. Moran came into the office to talk to me, Mr. Collins would come busting in with a look on his face like he caught us doing something we shouldn't be doing. I'd never, ever, go after another man's husband…especially a man as big as Matt Collins, Mick."

  He watched Mickey's face for a few minutes to see a lot of different emotions flit across it but not one of anger…thankfully. Finally, Mickey started laughing, quickly falling off the leather desk chair in which he was sitting. Jase tried not to laugh, but Mickey was doubled over, pounding his fist on the floor, and it was comical to witness.

  Before Jase could ask what was so funny, Meg and Terry came into the office, both caught by surprise at their Poppy's figure rolling on the floor with tears coming out of his eyes as he continued to laugh.

  Meggie immediately looked worried and rushed over to where Mickey was still on the floor, kneeling next to him. "Poppy! Are you sick?" she asked as she brushed his reddish-brown hair off his face.

  "Oh, baby girl, I'm just having a good ol', gut bustin' laugh. I'm fine. Is Daddy at the house?" Mickey asked as he sat up. Jase looked up to see Terry giving his father a careful eye.

  "I'm fine, I swear. I just heard the funniest story I've ever heard in my life. Terry, son, will you help Jase bring in the horses and put 'em to bed for the night? I need to get up to the house and talk to your dad," Mickey explained as he picked Meg up and settled his old, crumpled cowboy hat on her head. Her giggle was contagious.

  That evening they went for a swim before dinner, which was served on the glass and iron table on the patio deck. It was Ursula's pepper, sausage, and polenta casserole, and it was set to become one of Jase's favorites.

  After everyone had eaten their fill, they started to clear the table. "Jase, wait," Mickey explained as Jon and the kids took the dirty plates inside.

  Jase sat back down and sipped his sweet tea, nervous for what Mickey wanted to talk about. He hoped he wasn't going to get his walking papers from his third job since he'd come to Virginia.

  "I called the Circle C today and spoke with Timmy. He and I are as good of friends as Dan and me. He explained what happened, and I want you to know it's not your fault. Matt's touchy about his age, and you look like he did when he was younger. Tim has made him see the light you're not a threat to their marriage, okay?

  "I hate it happened in the first place, but Matt's always been touchy about the fact Timmy's as intelligent as he is. He thinks a smarter guy could steal his husband, and he believed you to be that smarter guy because Savannah Stanford told them how smart you were in school when she was asking them about hiring you.

  "Don't you worry about that mess anymore, okay? Tim and Matt are working it out, and if the day comes and you wanna go back to either the Katydid or the Circle C, I can guarantee you things will be fine. No worries, okay?" Mickey assured.

  Jase exhaled. "Thanks, Mickey. I didn't get why Mr. Collins was so upset about me being around because I don't think we look anything alike, but if someone thinks we resemble each other, I'm flattered. I don't want to come between them any more than I'd want to come between you and Jon. I already have someone I'm interested in."

  He worried he'd said too much, but when Mickey smiled and placed his hand on Jase's arm, he felt relieved. "Yes, and I believe Danny is interested in you as well. Just give it time, okay? He just needs some time to adjust, I believe," Mickey stated.

  Jase nodded because he believed Mickey to be right. Danny Johnson just needed to adjust.

  A week later found Jase at the desk in the barn office again, trying to reconcile the feed bills with the spreadsheet Mickey had kept over the prior three months because he hadn't entered the data into the software program Tim had written specifically for them, telling Jase, "It's kind of a pain in the ass when I've got so much other shit to do. I'll gladly turn it over to your capable hands."

  It was late June, and things had been busy at Wonderland. Jase and Danny had e-mailed a few times, and Dan had called the farm once to talk to him. Jase's cell phone didn't get a good signal in Dillwyn, and when Mickey called Jase to the phone in the main house, he could tell Danny was embarrassed at having to call the land line, so the discussion didn't last very long.

  Living at the farm was better than Jase could have ever imagined. He had learned so much from Mickey in a short time, and Jon was a great guy who was becoming a good friend as well. Terry and Meggie were busy, but on weekends, they all hung out to swim and ride together, and it helped Jase not miss Kayley so much.

  He'd called Savannah to check in when he rode one of the four-wheelers up to a ridge at the farm where he got a decent cell signal, and he was happy to hear she and Andy were still together and getting excited about going off to college. The Stanford family was still at Ft. Bliss since the Colonel had been named Brigadier General and put in charge of the fort. Jase also learned his father had been transferred, and he felt a huge stab of guilt because he'd never called his mother to check on her as he'd promised.

  "What do you mean you don't know where they went?" Jase snapped at Savannah after she told him his mother and father had moved off-post because his father had been transferred to another base.

  "Don't get pissy with me, Jason Langston. I can't ask Daddy where your dad was transferred because all that shit is confidential. I only know they moved because Cass saw them packing a U-Haul, okay? I went to the Post Office and asked about your mother. They told me she'd resigned her job, but they wouldn't give me any more details," Savannah told him.

  It broke his heart because he hadn't given his mother any way to get in touch with him, and he hadn't called her at work as she'd suggested, but he'd have to suck it up. He was an adult, after all, and he'd just have to hope things were going well for them…well, at least for his mother because he hated his father. He didn't wish him dead, but Jase had determined he didn't really care what happened to Master Sergeant Langston. He only cared about his mother, and he hoped someday they'd be able to reunite.

  Jase shucked off the memory of the phone call and opened his private e-mail to see the messages he'd received from Dan, which made him smile. It had taken Danny a few weeks to set himself up with an account, and the wait had been excruciating for Jase. When he re-read the first e-mail, he smiled.

 
; From: Johnson, Daniel

  To: Langston, Jason

  Date: 10 June (10:00 AM, EDT)

  Subject: Checking in

  Jase-

  I finally got myself together enough to get an e-mail account. I bought a computer and had Tim set it up for me so I could get on-line. Other than sending this to you, I'm not sure why I should be on-line, but Kayley has shown me a few games which are pretty fun to play together.

  So, how are the horses? I asked Jon to look out for ya, so are they being good to you? I miss seeing your smile.

  I hope you'll answer me soon.

  I sure miss you.

  Dan

  Jase smiled and read the e-mail he'd sent in return, having decided not to be an ass about taking time to respond because he knew how much it had to take out of Danny to send the message in the first place.

  From: Langston, Jason

  To: Johnson, Daniel

  Date: 10 June (03:12 PM, EDT)

  Subject: Re(2): Checking in

  Hi, Danny-

  I was happy to hear from you. I was afraid I'd been dreaming about the conversation and the kiss that happened between us before you and Kayley left here. How is she? Tell her I miss her.

  I'm learning a lot here at the farm. Jon and Mickey are really great about showing me anything I want to learn, and they already treat me like a member of the family. Miss Ursula sneak’s food over to my apartment so I have stuff if I want a snack in the middle of the night. Mickey makes sure I understand what it takes to run a horse farm like Wonderland, and I've learned how to exercise the horses.

  I hope you and Kayley are both fine. Can you come visit anytime soon?

  I miss you, too,

  Jase

  Before he could open the next of Danny's e-mails to re-read, the phone rang, bringing him out of his lovesick trance. He looked at the caller ID, seeing it wasn't a number he recognized so he answered, "Wonderland Farm, Jase speaking."

  "Hi, Jase, it's Tim Moran," he heard, making him more nervous than anything. He hadn't spoken to anyone at the Circle C since he'd left, though he'd called Miss Katie a couple of times because she'd asked him to stay in touch. As far as he was concerned, they didn't want him at the Circle C, and he didn't want them either. Was the man calling to fuck things up for him with Mickey and Jon at Wonderland out of some sort of vendetta for Jase making Mr. Collins jealous?

  "Hi, Mr. Moran. What can I do for you?" Jase asked, nearly holding his breath.

  "Is Mickey around? I really need to talk to him," Tim Moran told him. He wanted to ask why, but he'd been taught by his mother not to nose into someone else's business.

  "He and Meggie are in the arena so she can ride Josie while Mick works with Blossom. Can I have him call you back?" Jase asked.

  He heard Tim exhale loudly, "Yes, please. Ask him to call me as soon as possible. It's about Danny."

  Jase nearly swallowed his tongue at that news. If it was about Danny, Jase really needed to know. "Is Danny okay?" he asked.

  "Not really. His mother passed this morning. Have Mickey call me," Tim dictated.

  "Sure, as soon as possible," Jase responded as he thought about it. He wanted to be with Danny, but if no one in Holloway knew about the relationship the two of them were trying to build, then it wasn't his place to tell Danny's private business. He needed to find Mickey and ask his advice, yet again.

  Jase hurried out of the barn and found Mickey and Meggie in the large, indoor arena. Mickey was leading Blossom, the little hinny from Josie and Chief, as Jase had been told. She'd be infertile, but she was still an impressive-looking animal. Chief was an appaloosa, so she had his coloring, along with her mother's dark mane and tail. Her ears were dark, but her face was shades of gray, making her appear to be fitted together from two different animals. It made her a "cutie" as Meggie described her.

  He looked to see Meg with her purple helmet riding around the arena on the outside rail with a bright smile on her face. Josie had recovered from her foot malady, and they'd hired another farrier who seemed to listen to Mickey when it came to the horses housed at the farm. Jase hadn't met Ham or Ally, but he was told it was because they were in the Hamptons with the Langley’s for the summer. Jon and Mickey had been invited to join them, but Jon was running the firm in his father's absence, and they couldn't disappear because of the pending adoption and the need to be available for the social worker.

  Jase raised his hand as Mickey and Blossom started walking toward the front gate of the arena. "Hey, Jase. What's up?" Mickey called to him as they closed the distance.

  Jase felt it wasn't something he could announce to the man with his daughter in earshot, so he walked through the gate, slowly approaching Mickey so as not to scare the donkeys. "Mr. Moran called and asked you to call him back. Seems Danny's mother has passed," he stated quietly as he stood next to Mickey, petting the small animal's nose as it nuzzled into this stomach.

  "Shit," Mickey stated under his breath as he turned to see where Meggie was in the arena.

  "Can you get her off Josie and have Megan help you settle both of them into their stalls for the night? I'll call Jonny at work and then call the boys at the Circle C. We'll need to pack for a few days, Jase. Do you have a suit?" Mickey asked, startling him.

  "No sir, I don't. Why would I need a suit?" he asked as he took the lead rope of the hinny.

  Mickey walked over to Josie and Meg, stopping them. "Baby, we need to go to the house and pack. Kayley's gramma passed away," Mickey told her.

  Jase watched the little girl dismount the animal and take off the riding helmet. "Oh, no. That's so sad, Poppy," she told Mickey.

  "I'm gonna go call Matt and Tim. Can you help Jase get the girls settled in their stalls for the night? I'll call Pete and make sure he and Todd come over to take care of things in the morning. After you're done, can you go to the house and start getting things together to take? No toys, okay? We'll have plenty of toys at the Katydid. I'll call Miss Katie. Just clothes, Meggie, okay? I think Ursula's at the house, so ask her if you get stuck. Can you do that? Remember jammies and underwear," he reminded as the little brunette nodded before she took Josie's lead and started walking toward the stalls with her.

  He then turned to Jase. "After you get things buttoned up down here, go to the house and start packing. Remember jammies and underwear," Mickey told him with a wink and a smile.

  Jase was a bit confused. "Why would I go? I didn't know the lady, and I think I'd be better here helping Todd and Pete," he suggested.

  "You care about Dan and Kayley, right?" Mickey asked harshly.

  "Of course, I do," Jase answered with as much sincerity as he had in his body.

  "They'll need friends, Jase, and you and Dan are good friends. Kayley loves you, and she'll need you there. Go pack your shit. We'll get what you don't have on the way," Mickey ordered.

  Jason was hesitant because he'd never had anyone he knew or was close to, die. It was a little bit scary to him and he wasn't sure how to handle it, but if Dan and Kayley needed him, he'd be there if he had to crawl. "Sure. I'll help Meggie and get my stuff together. What about Terry?"

  Jase and Terry had spent time together playing basketball on the driveway after chores were done then take a swim before bedtime. They'd gotten to know each other better while playing, and Jase believed the two of them were becoming good friends. It was very nice spending time with the boy, even if the kid had stomped his ass into the ground on the court.

  "Shit! He's on that camping thing. I'll try to…I'll see you at the house," Mickey called as he ran out of the arena, turning toward the barn doors nearest the house.

  Jase and Meg finished up with the horses and placed the tack in the large tack room. He sent her up to the house while he finished checking on the rest of the horses, ensuring they had feed and water for the night.

  After he was sure everything would be up to Mickey's standards, he went to the main house and up to Meg's room to help her pack up some of her things. Ursula showed up a few m
inutes later with a navy dress that appeared to be crisply pressed, relieving him of his duty.

  Jase then went to his apartment and sat down on the bed, his crappy cell phone in hand. He dialed Danny's number, surprised when it went through. "Hi, Jase," he heard, feeling his heart skip a beat.

  "I heard about your Mom, Danny. How are you? I mean, are you okay?" Jase asked.

  "Can you…are you able to get away? Can you come?" Dan asked him with a quiver in his voice.

  Jase held the phone away and cleared his throat. "Babe, I'll be here as soon as I can." He hoped he wasn't being presumptuous, but he felt like the endearment was appropriate.

  "Stay with me and Kayley, please? I appreciate everybody comin' to support me, but can you stay at the house?" Dan asked.

  "You bet I can. I'll get Mick and Jon to drop me off as soon as we get to town. You need anything?" he asked.

  Jase heard Dan sniff. "Just you." His voice was quiet, so Jase knew he needed to get to Danny as soon as possible. He was in pain, and Jase was prepared to help him through it as much as possible.

  At six o'clock that evening, they pulled into the driveway of Danny Johnson's modest home, seeing a few cars parked on the street. "That's Josh's truck and Tim's truck. Let's go inside," Mickey instructed. Jase released Meg from her booster, holding her in his arms as he hopped out of the back seat of Jon's new Escalade. Terry was going to stay at camp for the week, and that weekend, Ham and Ally were going to pick him up and stay at the farm with him so Ally could supervise Pete and Todd.

  Jase looked at Mickey with a bit of unease. "Come on. I'm right here. Nothing will happen, I promise. Hell, I don't think Matt's even here, Jase. Just concentrate on Dan and Kayley," the handsome cowboy reminded.

  He saw Jon walk around to the back of the SUV and open the tailgate, grabbing Jase's Army duffel before he closed the vehicle. "You're staying here, right?" the older man asked with a tender smile.

  "Yeah, I am. He asked me to stay, and I wanna help him with whatever he needs right now," Jase responded.

  "As I suspected. Come on," Jon suggested with a smile. Jase felt Mickey's hand on his shoulder and Meggie's arm around his neck, giving him the courage to walk into that house and be there to support the man he knew he loved. He was prepared to do whatever Dan needed.