Texas_Heat- (5 page)

Robbie knocked on the door and waited. He wasn't entirely sure what the protocol was here. Back on the station he had been one of twenty-six hands and there was a separate bunkhouse complex with a cook. Jack hadn't mentioned any other staff; it would seem apart from Jack and him there was only Riley and their daughter. There was a small area in his room with a burner and a sink, a small fridge, and a toaster oven. He would be more than happy to keep himself fed. Being at the owners' table was always difficult. He would have to be polite and mind his manners and after a hard day out on horseback that was sometimes hard to do. They in turn would have to be polite back, and act like they were happy to have a hired hand at their table. It was a lose-lose situation. Just tonight then probably. A 'welcome to the ranch' dinner. A shower, clean jeans, and a shave had been the right thing to do.

The door flew open like someone had yanked at it from the other side and suddenly Robbie was face-to-face with a laughing Riley.

"Come in," he said. Leaving the door, he disappeared and after a few moments' consideration of whether he could keep his boots on with a tiled floor he followed where Riley had gone. Straight into the kitchen and slap-bang in the middle of chaos. Hayley was on a chair helping Jack with something at the sink and Riley had joined them.

"We need more carrots," Riley said.
"And broccoli," Hayley added.
"More meat," Jack insisted.
"We don't need more meat. It's not good for you,

Pappa," Hayley remonstrated. Robbie bit back a laugh. How often had his mamma told him he needed to eat less meat and more greens.

"Help me, Robbie," Jack pleaded. "My fellow cowboy, tell me you eat meat with every meal."
"Sure do, sir… Jack."
"Jack has this saying," Riley started. "That if he had to take a pill…" Riley paused and then between laughs he and Hayley singsonged the remainder of the sentence,
"'I'd wrap it in bacon first'."
Jack shrugged and then Robbie saw him exchanging a broad grin with Riley.
"Well it's two-all now. So you can keep your greens on your plate and give all the meat to me and Robbie. Agreed, Robbie?"
Jack was talking to him. Asking him something that implied Robbie would be spending more dinners in this worn and cozy kitchen. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that.
"Agreed," he said.
Hayley clambered down and under the watchful eye of both Riley and Jack she came to a stop in front of Robbie who wasn't rightly sure he knew where to stand.
"Come sit down with me," she ordered. She settled into what he supposed was her seat at the large scarred and worn table. When they were both sitting she held out a hand. "Hayley Samuels," she said.
He shook her small hand.
"Robbie Curtis. We met at the wedding, didn't we?" Robbie asked.
"We did," Hayley answered. "It's Daddy's turn to cook tonight but Pappa always says there isn't enough meat in the stuff he makes."
"He does?" What else did you say to a slip of a girl with shiny eyes and the confidence of a kid much older than she looked.
When the men appeared finished with whatever they were cooking, some kind of meat in one pot with potatoes thing, they took chairs at the same table and Jack handed Robbie a beer. They passed the time with talk about the ranch and covered Riley's aims for his exploration company as Robbie listened and learned. These two men had something he had never experienced before. A love so deep that you could see it. In every gesture or touch or word Jack and Riley were what Robbie wished for and had never found. They were happy.
"Tell him what you do." Jack sounded so damned proud and Robbie waited expectantly for Riley to explain.
"I have a small team working on the auctions for exploration rights of undersea minerals in the western Gulf of Mexico. It's a fledgling consultancy and it deals mostly with ethical exploration for oil." Riley spoke as if he had rehearsed it and he said it all while clutching Jack's hand. That was interesting to see. Robbie guessed from that action that Riley needed Jack's support. Jack simply listened and nodded. They were good together. When Jack talked about his quarter horses it had been Riley this and Riley that.
Interesting.

"Can you cook?" Jack asked Robbie as the three men and Hayley cleared the huge crockpot of beef stew.
"I like to cook," Robbie answered. In fact he
loved
to cook but he didn't often get the chance. Either that or he was so engrossed in his job that he'd forget to eat let alone cook. He was ready to cook in his small kitchenette area but it wasn't the same as what he could create if he had a chance in this kitchen.
"Tell me I can add you to the rotation then?" Jack pleaded.
"Rotation?"
"We have a rotation for cooking and since you'll be eating here—"
"Maybe you should ask if he wants to eat with us?" Riley interrupted.
"Do you? Want to eat here with the family?"
Robbie didn't hesitate. He imagined other nights wouldn't be as laid back as tonight, and that there could sometimes be a lot of different tensions at play. There always was in any household. But he felt comfortable here.
"Of course. And I'll take my turn on the rotation."
"Can you cook chicken?" Hayley asked around a mouthful of potato. "'Cause Pappa can't and it tastes bad. Daddy burns it all the time."
"Fried chicken you mean?" Robbie asked. Hayley nodded vigorously. "One of my favorite dishes."
"Consider yourself rotation-ed," Jack said.
"What is Australia like? Is that where you learned to cook?" Hayley asked.
They had finished dinner and Robbie was just considering whether he should be leaving the kitchen and making his way back to his room. The question threw him. To start explaining would mean quite a bit longer sat at the table. Jack pushed a mug of coffee his way and lifted an eyebrow. Clearly he wanted to know as well.
Robbie began.

Riley excused himself and made his way to the small office area he and Jack shared. Moving aside the new copy of
Quarter Horse Monthly
he started his laptop and signed in. There were five e-mails, three of which he forwarded straight to Kathy for dealing with at a much later date—speculative e-mails that offered deals of a lifetime. Kathy was the expert at weeding those out.

An especially loud burst of laughter came from the kitchen and Riley smiled. It was good to hear Jack laughing and finally finding someone he felt comfortable with. Hayley walked into the room and climbed on his knee.

"I'm going to bed," she said. She hugged him close and he held tight to her in return. There was no school tomorrow so Hayley was using the agreed extra hour of wakefulness to her advantage. She was planning a day out with friends from school but Riley pushed down any worries he had whenever she was out of his sight. She was nine now, ten in September, and she needed friends and a life away from the ranch. School was good and it was more than Riley had ever experienced. It had been one tutor after another and he'd only really made friends, people like Eli, when he was at college. Even then they were friends made in an alcoholic, sexaholic haze. No wonder he never kept up with Eli after his friend had been 'encouraged' to leave the college.

"Robbie is gonna cook chicken tomorrow and you hafta make sure you pick me up in time from Sophie's."
"I will."
"Promise, Daddy?"
"I promise."
"I love you."
"I love you too, baby."
"Night." She kissed him on the cheek and cuddled closer. A quiet time like this when he could hold the miracle that was his daughter was very special to Riley. That random thought about a brother or sister for her filtered into his head. Gay couples all over were expanding their families one way or another. Surrogacy or adoption— either was a valid route. The idea of a baby on the ranch? Beth's baby had been fine here, she and Steve and the baby often visited, and Emily was walking now, under a watchful eye, around the fences and the horses even at her young age. Yet again Riley filed the thought away for one day talking to Jack. One day.
Hayley climbed down and disappeared out of the door with a wave. Riley would go in and check on her later. Make sure she had brushed her teeth, see if she had braided her long blonde hair, the usual daddy stuff. Then he would tell her he loved her again and she would tell him back.
The little things he cherished the most about being with his daughter made this one of the perfect times of the day.

Jack woke before dawn had even lightened the room. Today was the day that the three horses were being delivered for training. He knew he had slept maybe an hour out of the whole night and he knew why. He was scared and nervous all wrapped into one. This was a huge responsibility. He was being paid to do what he loved but with the added pressure of having to do it right. The owners expected way more than Jack had ever had to fulfill with his own horses. Solo-Cal and her offspring were bred for covering, not for action in the ring or the field. He only hoped he was good enough.

He eased himself out from under Riley, who had this habit of using his long arms to completely encompass Jack. Something Jack loved but that made it difficult to get up without Riley reacting and waking up. Gently he completed the extrication and sat on the edge of the bed. The room was cool outside of the covers and he could feel the hairs on his arms prickle and rise. Goose bumps at ass o'clock in the morning was one way to ensure he stayed awake for the duration.

"Stop worrying," Riley said. His voice was sleepy but firm.
Great.
Clearly his escapology act had actually woken Riley up.

"I can't."
"Come here." Riley pushed a hand under him and almost levered him from where he was to half lie over Riley. Jack wanted to relax badly but so many emotions warred inside him. Inhaling the Riley's scent, he forced himself to relax.
"I love you," he whispered. Riley wriggled a bit closer and his heat was a furnace but he was already dropping back to sleep and said nothing in return. He didn't need to. Jack knew how Riley felt.
Neil would be here in a little over three hours. Maybe if Jack pushed himself and relaxed every single muscle then he could sleep. Matching his breathing to Riley's he thought happy thoughts of Hayley and horses. His thoughts hooked on Hayley and the tiny scrap of girl that was so much a miniature Riley. He wondered what a daughter with his genes would look like. Would she have his blue eyes? Would she love horses like he did? What if it was a boy? What if they had a boy?
He slept.

Neil looked very official in a shirt and suit and he stood next to Jack with an air of confidence about him. Jack wished he felt as confident.

"They're taking a big chance on me," he confided. They watched as the horse transports approached and the tension inside Jack was now knotted beyond comfort.

"No, they're not. They know horses, you know horses." Neil made it sound so simple. Jack glanced at his whatever-relation-he-was-officially-kind-of-a-friend guy. He wished he had the same confidence today. This was such an odd feeling to be experiencing. He knew what he was doing, so why was he so damn nervous?

Jack looked over at his hand who was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and had probably had way more sleep than he had. Robbie had been a godsend. A hard worker and cheerfully confident in what he did, he had organized the stables for today, and Jack approved of everything he had done. So what if he had caught the guy staring at Riley. What gay man in his right mind wouldn't want to stare at Riley. Riley was beautiful, sexy, and fucking hot. He would be surprised if any sane gay man didn't at least want a taste of what Riley could offer.
God. I'm tired
, he thought.
Robbie does not want in my husband's pants.
Still, it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on that.
I will not let jealousy get in the way of today.

Yeah, I worry you stare at my husband and I know Riley likes cowboys
. Like he was going to say that. He was being freaking irrational.

"Nothing to be nervous about," Robbie said. "You know your shit."
Jack smiled at the simple statement. Between him and Robbie and Neil they could do this thing. They could expand the Double D. They could.
The trucks pulled up, one, two, three, in front of them. Each driver left room at the rear to offload the animals and finally the time for stepping up to the plate was here.
"Let's do this thing," Jack said.
The morning passed in a flurry of activity until finally three horses for training were in their respective stables waiting on Neil's assessment while Jack signed paperwork and did what he hated—schmoozed the owners. When Neil countersigned as chief veterinarian contact they left until finally it was Jack, Neil, and Robbie leaning on the stall doors and talking.
"All three are fine animals," Neil noted.
"They are," Robbie agreed.
"So we'll start tomorrow?" Jack said.
"In my experience the transfer will cause a few issues, so yeah, but gentle stuff," Robbie commented.
"Agreed." What Robbie said made sense. Out of the three, Daisy, Storm, and Catty, only Daisy was restless and irritable. The other two were calm and still. Jack climbed the stable door and stood by Daisy, just talking low and gentle. The scent of the horse was reassuring and he murmured soft words.
"It'll be fine little lady… you'll like it here…" On and on he chatted and stroked and settled the feisty roan. Alex brayed a disapproving warning from her stall. She'd probably be put out that Jack was spending time with new horses. His girls were possessive and loving. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Robbie join Alex in the stall on the other side and when Alex finally settled Jack knew one thing.
He had found the right man in Robbie.

Riley might have known Josiah wouldn't let things rest. Even after contracts were finalized he was causing trouble and the latest press release from Santone Corp was absolutely perfect evidence of that.

He was pacing and didn't stop even when Eli walked into his office and stared in amusement.
"What's wrong?" his friend asked.
"Nothing," Riley snapped.
"Okay."
"Shit. Fuck. Why would he do this?"
Eli stopped Riley's pacing only by physically standing in his way and when they collided it was enough to snap Riley out of his anger.
"Start from the beginning?"
"It doesn't matter. One of the partners in this deal has issued a press release and it got my back up more than you can think."
"What did it say?"
"Long story short, he's come over all 'I'm guiding the young Riley Hayes, son of Gerald Hayes, to stop him from making mistakes like his daddy'." Riley looked to Eli for a reaction. Eli had never actually met Gerald Hayes but Riley had told him enough to give his friend the idea that they didn't get on.
"Who's printed it?"
"Everyone."
"What does it mean for you? Will it undermine what you've done, or is it just embarrassing shit? Or can you just ignore it until it is yesterday's news?"
Riley sighed. This was just Josiah taking a pop at him in the hope of stirring something. All the anger and need to smack something disintegrated in a second and he perched on the edge of his desk.
"You're right."
"I am?"
"It's just embarrassing. And fuck, they didn't even get my surname right."
"Okay. So here's what you do. Contact the big presses with a release. Something about how you love learning from the old guys so you can see what you could do differently."
"That would be childish," Riley said.
"Damn right it would. Doesn't mean you have to do it… but you know you could."
"Since when did you get so wise, Eli? As I remember it, your advice at college was confined to sexual positions, pranks, and kinds of beer." Riley was joking but something twinged inside him when Eli's answering grin dimmed a little. Riley watched as his friend caught himself and replaced the nervous, thin-lipped smile with his trademark grin again. Something was in Eli's eyes, a flicker of pain, of hurt, and Riley wanted Eli to know he was here for him. How did he even say that when all he was working on was instinct?
"Shit happens," Eli quipped. "You promised me lunch?"
Riley grabbed his phone and led the way out of his office, passing Kathy with a nod and a "be back later". They walked a short distance from the office until they found a café and both ordered chicken salad. Hot days called for ice water and a beer.
"You never said what you were up to when you decided to leave college."
"You mean when I was kicked out?"
"You did crash the dean's car."
"It was an accident." Eli looked so damned serious but then his face broke into a grin. "Nice car. Shame it was totaled. Dad replaced it but it was the first in a long list of life lessons. Now you see me"—he gestured down at himself—"all responsible and grown up."
"I was sorry to hear about your dad."
"Ten for drug dealing you mean?" Eli wasn't expecting a response and Riley simply nodded. "Apparently he'd blown his inheritance, hence he's blown mine, blah blah, etcetera, and so on. We don't talk. In fact we stopped talking when I, in his words,
decided
to be gay when I was sixteen. Then we moved on to a simple financial relationship. Not nice."
"I remember you said that."
"I did?" Eli looked surprised. Clearly he didn't share that story around.
"You were drunk at the time."
"That explains my lack of discretion then. Of course it didn't help that Mom did the whole Playboy MILF spread." Eli shook his head in disbelief at what he was saying. Riley imagined his friend was still reeling from that one as well. "Then there was the cancer."
Riley was busy looking at the approaching waiter with their food and his arrival broke into the conversation. As soon as the guy left Riley simply ignored his food and looked at Eli. Cancer? He hadn't heard that right. Surely not Eli?
"Cancer? Your mom? Dad?"
Eli twisted his mouth in a parody of a smile then tapped his side. "No, me. In my kidney. It's rare for people under forty to get kidney cancer but leave it to me to be the one in a million. Had the diagnosis maybe a few months after I left college, moved back home, had the treatment. Instead of taking out all of the kidney, the surgeon just removed the tumor and the part of the kidney surrounding it. Lost my hair though with the chemo." He tapped his head. The hair there was thick and tamed and Riley couldn't actually picture Eli without hair.
"Shit. I'm sorry." Riley sat back in his seat, deflated.
Eli shrugged.
"It's done with now. The meds I was on made me tired and I hated that. I was trapped inside for such a long time. So when I was better, a few years back I suppose, I took my camera and left the house to get some air. Haven't looked back."
Riley extended his arm to touch Eli but hesitated. Eli may not want sympathy. Instead Eli grabbed his hand and held it. They gripped hands across the table and Riley felt regret swell inside him that he hadn't been there for his friend.
"Can it come back?" Riley asked.
Eli shook his head. "It can but I don't think about it. It's been a few years and everything is clear so far."
After releasing their mutual grip, Eli forked a huge pile of salad into his mouth and treated Riley to a view of mashed pasta and sauce on his tongue.
Riley sighed. "You'll never grow up, will you." Eli swallowed. "Nope."
Riley couldn't even begin to think about what he had just said. Eli was the same age as Riley, only a couple of months separated his July birthday from Eli's in September.
"I'm sorry, you know, for what happened at college," Riley offered finally. Might as well deal with the elephant in the room.
"You mean for that argument?" Eli pushed pasta to one side of his plate and then looked up directly at Riley.
"It was stupid and I've grown up a lot since then." Riley said this knowing it to be true. "I slept around with so many different people you were right to call me on it."
"Nah, I was just a kid who was jealous that you could sleep with all those different people. Anyway, how can I be angry for anything you did with anyone at college, including Lexie, when you have Hayley to show for it?"
Riley smiled at the mention of his daughter. The he sobered.
"If we hadn't argued I could have been there for you when you were ill." The words hung there. They had been good friends pushed apart by Eli trying to do the right thing and rein in Riley's catting around, and he couldn't regret his stupid reaction enough. "You wouldn't have got drunk and taken the car."
Both men sat quietly for a moment, each remembering the dean's car in the lake and the subsequent sending away of one Eli drunk-off-his-ass Martin. Eli laughed first. When Riley got past the whole thing of not believing Eli was laughing about what had happened, he joined in. Seeing his friend sitting on the bank watching over a hundred thousand dollars of Ferrari ass end up in lake mud was pretty fucking hysterical. Argument or not, Eli had certainly left the college with a bang.
"Tell me about this arranged marriage thing then," Eli asked. He had stopped laughing and the waiter had cleared the plates.
Riley took the opener for what it was—the chance for Eli to change the subject—and using as many funny stories as he could he gave Eli the whitewashed version of how he had met Jack and how he had fallen in love.
With a whole lot more laughing and no thinking the bad things that had happened to death.
That was a new experience for Riley.