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Jake laughed. "Good for you. What's on your mind? Hope you're not planning to rope me into the festivities."

Missy rolled her eyes and her nose crinkled. "No, you're safe. Something else." She looked back at the house, then up to the barn, her lower lip caught between her teeth. "It's about Travis."

Jake frowned, but not at Missy. Travis was new on the ranch, had only been there for a couple of weeks. So far he'd proven to be a good worker–strong, and willing to do what was asked of him.

"I just–I know it's none of my business," Missy said. "Lord, do I know it's none of my business. Just wanted to give you the heads up."

"About what?" Jake was confused. If it was anything to do with the ranch Missy would have told her father. If it was about the hands though..."He looking for a fight? Rubbing someone the wrong way?"

Missy shook her head impatiently. "That's just it. He's looking to rub someone the right way. The wrong someone."

Jake stared and she clicked her tongue, looking exasperated.

"He's been checking out your man, Jake. Just think you should...maybe tell him how things are. Keep an eye out."

Jake stifled a laugh before it could get out and insult her. "Okay," he said. "Appreciate your concern."

She nodded seriously and wished him a good day before disappearing into the house.

Jake shook his head and wandered off to tease Tor about his young admirer.

~*~*~

Autumn

They'd been sitting in the truck laughing their asses off for almost five minutes before Jake could see straight enough to drive.

"Jesus, I can't believe you did that," he said, pulling away from the bar. They'd just been kicked out of a private party, and Jake wasn't sure if Chris was going to speak to either of them again.

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"What?" Tor demanded, wiping his eyes. "Stag party. No women allowed. Didn't see why they should be allowed in the movies either." Tor collapsed back against the seat of the truck, laughing again, laughing until he was gasping for air. "Did you see the look on Tyler's face? Shit, think that boy might be queer."

Jake was just trying to drive in a lawful manner. "I can’t fucking believe that you took gay porn to a stag party."

"I can't believe they let me put the tapes in."

"I can't believe they let us live."

"Funny though."

"Fuck, yes."

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Chapter Thirty-four

Autumn

"This far enough?" Tor asked.

Jake shifted in the saddle, felt Tor's arm tighten around his waist as he held on. "Nope."

The sounds of the big dance were still floating in the air, happy and bright. The dance was just as good as it always was, and the first night of the party had been just as wild as it was the year before. Tor had met a nice, lonely cowboy for them to take down to the riverbed, and they’d spent the day recovering. Now they were headed out for some peace and quiet. Or maybe not so quiet.

It had been a good summer, spirits were high. So were most of the people, and Jake had grabbed Tor a little earlier then they'd planned. Escape came just before dark this year.

"Little music might be nice," Tor said mildly as they rode away from the ranch.

"Tor, can you hear people yelling?"

"Yeah, a bit. Don't think there'll be fights, though."

"Not my point," Jake said, grinning a little. "It we can hear them yelling, they'll hear you screaming."

This time it was Tor who shifted in the saddle. "Right. Get River to hurry up, will ya?'

~*~*~

Winter

Jake reckoned they looked like something out of an old movie. Both of them on horseback in full riding gear–from leather chaps to riding dusters, boots to hats–heading home in the driving rain. He was all in black, even his leather gloves, Tor in brown; would have been a romantic picture, he thought as water dripped from his brim, except it was damn wet and cold.

Tor and Lug moved easily beside him, River and Lug matching their pace to each other's with ease.

"How's the Boss?" Tor asked, raising his voice against the weather.

Jake shrugged. "Missy says he'll be fine. It was minor for a heart attack, and he'll be home in a few days."

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Tor shook his head, water spilling down his back. "Still," he said. "Second heart attack in a year. That ain't good."

"No, suppose it's not," Jake allowed.

Tor looked around them, at the drenched fields. Jake knew he was seeing them as they usually were, green and vibrant, not water logged.

"He'll be looking to sell up in a few years," Tor called to him.

Jake thought about it for a moment. "Missy and Chris–"

"Are talking about heading to Dallas or Austin."

"What?" Jake couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. "Why would they do that? They aren't city folk, Missy grew up here–"

"Chris doesn't think he's made to ranch. Wants to be in the suburbs. In any case, I don't see them keeping on here, even if they don't go to Texas. Maybe wind up in Little Rock."

"Oh." Jake wasn't sure what else to say.

They rode in silence for a few minutes, the rain picking up enough to stop idle conversation.

When the rain eased again Tor said, "Was thinking that when the time comes we could make an offer."

Jake stared at Tor, feeling like the entire conversation was something he had to be dreaming. "Us?"

"Well, yeah." Tor turned in the saddle to face him better. "I know I don't have as much saved as you, what with sending money to my mother and all, but think about it, Jake.

You practically run the place, it's your home–our home."

"I run the hands, not the ranch," Jake interrupted. His gut was starting to knot up. They'd talked about this, hadn't they? Years ago.

Tor raised one eyebrow, the effect diminished by his hat. "Okay, so you keep after the hands and I'll handle the business."

"No."

Tor's jaw twitched. "Listen. Think about it. Aside from being our own Bosses for a change, what happens if someone else buys the place? No guarantees we get to stay in the bunkhouse–hell, no guarantee one of us doesn't get fired because we share a bed."

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Jake looked through the rain, meeting Tor's eyes. No matter how he turned the idea over in his head he knew Tor was right about that. There would be no promises about anything if the Boss sold to someone with a closed mind.

But it didn't change the fact that the mere idea of buying the spread, taking on the extra work and heartache, made Jake's chest tighten. He just wasn't cut out for it, had never wanted it. He knew himself, knew that owning something that huge with people counting on him to keep it going…well, it would be enough to drive him to an early grave.

"No," he said, his voice low.

Tor searched his eyes for a moment. "Think about it, at least?"

"No."

With a quick motion Tor turned his head, a word lost to the wind and rain. "C'mon, Lug.

Let's get home and get dry."

Jake watched Tor nudge Lug into a canter, watched them move off into the rain and the growing dark.

"Damn."

~*~*~

"He wants you."

Jake looked up from his book and grinned at Tor. "Yeah, so he said. Said he wants you, too. Chatty little piece of work."

Tor just laughed and launched himself at the bed. He landed beside Jake, bouncing them both in the air. "What did you tell him?"

Jake shrugged one shoulder as he rolled over to pin Tor to the sheets. "Told him we don't play so close to home."

Tor quirked and eyebrow at him and leaned up to take a kiss. "We don't? The riverbed–"

"Is different, and you know it. Never with anyone who works here, and everyone knows who they were goin' home with. Kinda think Travis doesn’t get that part. Or worse, doesn’t much care."

Jake watched Tor's face as he pondered that–it took less than three seconds before Tor kissed him again, strong hands going to Jake's waist.

"Makes sense to me."

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“Yeah?”

Tor licked Jake’s neck. “Well, sure. If you don’t want him, and I don’t want him, then there’s no point in doing it. And if we did? Get messy, what with seeing him everyday.”

Jake nodded, sitting up to tug at Tor’s shirt. “What did he say to you?” he asked, curious.

“Said you’ve got a nice ass, and looked real strong. I told him yeah, you are. So he asked flat out if we play around.”

Jake nodded again, his hips moving a little as he dipped his head to bite one of Tor’s nipples. “Yeah, he told me he’d wouldn’t be adverse to a little action in the loft. You, me and him.”

Tor gasped, but Jake was fairly sure it was because of the mark he’d just started to suck up on Tor's chest.

“Forward, ain’t he?” Tor said, a little breathless.

“Yeah,” Jake agreed, forcing his hand between them to stroke Tor’s cock through his jeans. “Not like me.”

“Couldn’t be like you in a million years, Jake. No one could.”

It wasn’t until they were almost asleep that Jake realized he hadn’t seen that kind of hunger in Tor for ages. That he hadn’t even noticed it was missing.

~*~*~

Spring

Jake rode into the yard mad enough to spit, but in control enough not to let it show. He saw Tor heading up to the big barn and called out to him. "Tor! Get your ass over here!"

Okay, maybe not so in control of his temper.

Tor looked over and blinked, his shoulders tightening. Tor walked over to him, eyes flashing, but one hand coming up to rub River's flank as he approached.

"Don't talk to me like that," he said calmly.

"Don't fuck with the work teams, then," Jake shot back. "I've got reasons for sending people where I want them, and they're more important than who's going to be around here for you to have lunch with. Got that?"

Tor's eyes narrowed. "Wasn't that, and you know it. Travis had to–"

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"Travis and I talked it over already. What Travis doesn't seem to get is that I'm the Boss here. Not Bobby. Not you. I set the fucking teams and you don't go messing it up."

"Fine. Won't be messing with anything of yours, then." Tor turned and strode away, arms swinging.

"Goddamn right you won't," Jake said under his breath. He urged River to turn and took off at a canter, looking for the scattered remains of his team. Get things fixed around here if it drove him insane.

~*~*~

Jake woke up alone.

It was morning, he knew that much. And Tor hadn't come to bed, hadn't come back to say he was sorry, or to listen to Jake say it, or to even sort out how to fix it.

He found Tor in the kitchen, sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in front of him.

"You been here all night?" Jake asked, pulling out a chair.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Didn't see much point in going in. Didn't see the point in yellin' anymore, putting on a show for Elias and Kirk."

Didn't want to make up.

Jake thought about that for a bit. "You're still mad."

"Hell, yes. You said you'd book the time off, that you'd take care of it." His voice was low, quiet. Hoarse.

"And I said I was sorry. I am. I screwed up."

"You forgot. I asked you to make sure one simple thing would happen, and you forgot."

Jake kept his sigh inside. "We can trade off, I'm sure. We'll find someone to cover the days–it's only three, yeah? Shouldn't be too hard to get away. I'll ask Bobby if he wants some extra time, and I figure Kip will cover for me–"

"No."

Jake blinked. "Why not?"

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"I'll ask Bobby. But don't bother asking Kip. I don't want you to come with me anymore."

~*~*~

Summer

Tor always slammed the door when he stalked out during a fight, anger radiating off him in waves. Jake never did. Not that he didn't do his share of storming off, he just didn't slam the door. The rest was the same.

Jake wasn't really worried about Tor not coming back, he always did. He wasn't so much bothered by Tor walking out, either. If one of them didn't take off the fight would get worse, get nasty; turn into more than them having a bad day, tempers high, more than just a release of pressure and tension.

No, what scared the crap out of Jake was that he was getting used to the sound of that fucking door closing on him.

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Chapter Thirty-five

The voices were getting louder, the party gearing up to full throttle. Jake actually felt a little like throttling some of them, but they were just letting off steam, doing what they always did at the end of season dance. The tight feeling in his gut just meant that it was time to get River ready, find Tor, and head out.

Fourth time. The fourth year in a row that they'd spend the night out in the meadow, away from the party. If he could find Tor.

Jake went to the bunkhouse, dodging a few hands and their wives who were too far into drink to make much sense, and stopping to send two little ones back to their tents where their mommas were trying in vain to get them settled. The sun was long down, the kids had done their dancing with sparklers, and it was time for them to be sleeping. Time for him and Tor to get the hell out of Dodge.

He grabbed blankets and food, a couple of juice bottles, and started to leave the house. As an after thought he wandered back into their bedroom and picked up the latest tube of lube, staring at it in his hand like it was something he'd never seen before. Time was, he'd have grabbed it first thing. Now it was just a hope, or maybe a gesture in resignation, and when did he start thinking of sex with Tor as something that may or may not happen, or worse–something that he wasn't always eager for?

He went into the stables still thinking about it, but when the band started up, louder than before, he forced the thought from his mind and started packing the saddle bags, talking softly to River.

"Gonna go soon. Find Tor, and get out of here, yeah? Let that lot out there get the summer out of their systems and go watch the stars. Be nice for us all, right?"