Chapter 3
Chapter three
GENTRY
I whispered in Dusty’s ear, kissed down his cheek, and along his jaw. “You’re so handsome.” My hand rubbed his neck and worked down his chest. “Such a wonderful guy. I love that you are big, strong, and sweet.”
“Do you need some private time, Gentry? It sounds like you and that horse are lovers.”
I startled when I heard Martin Wilson behind me. Technically, he was my boss’s boss, but Martin was actually more like a friend.
“Nah. I think we are done here. He knows how I feel about him, and I will bring treats after dinner.” I kissed Dusty one more time.
Martin chuckled. He always gave me a hard time about Dusty. My horse was the most important thing in my life, and a big part of my small family.
When I was seventeen, I told my parents that I was gay.
A few days later, I overheard them talking about sending me to my uncle’s house.
In their opinion, because he was a preacher, he would know how to fix me.
I wouldn’t survive if they sent me there.
That night I snuck out of the house and went to Dusty’s house—he was my best friend and the boy I loved.
I climbed in his bedroom window, and we spent the night in his bed.
We enjoyed each other’s bodies in the way only teenagers could.
I recalled our conversation that night, we wanted to be together, but neither of us had money.
“I am sure my parents would let you stay with us if we told them the truth.” He had looked at me with so much pain in his eyes as he begged me to stay.
“I found a place where I can live and work. They have cows and horses. It would be perfect. You could come with me.” We lay there and discussed the options, and I promised I would talk to his parents in the morning.
At 3:00 a.m., I kissed Dusty on the temple, then climbed out of the window and headed to the bus station, where I boarded a bus for Alabama. It wasn’t that far from Savannah. I left him a note that explained I had to go because I was underage and my parents could legally take me from his house.
When I climbed on the bus, I planned to contact him as soon as I turned eighteen—it was only five months. My biggest regret was that I hadn’t told him I loved him. Dusty made me feel whole, and I couldn’t imagine a life where he wasn’t part of it.
On my eighteenth birthday, I went to his house. I hoped he had waited, but I would understand if he hadn’t. His birthday was three weeks away, and we could finally be together if we wanted to. I had checked with the ranch where I worked, and they would hire him, too.
When the door opened, someone I didn’t know answered. “I am here to see Dusty?!”
“That’s the young man who lived here before us. They moved a few months ago; they wanted to be closer to some of their relatives.”
I was confused. “Did they say what relative? What city?”
“I’m sorry, son, they didn’t. Florida maybe? Could have been Texas.” I thanked the stranger and returned to my truck.
There was no way I could drive, and I hoped the owner of the house didn’t call the cops, because my heart was crushed, and it was difficult to breathe.
I’d lost him.
In my truck, I sobbed. It never occurred to me that he would be gone, and I had no idea how we would find each other. I had left for Alabama, then moved to Missouri, and I didn’t know where he had gone. It was time for me to accept that I may not see him again, and that broke my heart.
When I returned to the ranch, I told my boss what happened—he was a good man.
When I showed up as a scared seventeen-year-old, his wife immediately brought me into their home, and she told John that they would protect me.
My new boss obviously did whatever his wife said.
After a month, I started calling her Mama, and I never did end up in the bunkhouse.
I looked for Dusty every chance I could, contacting old acquaintances and teachers.
During the day, I learned everything I could about ranch life and worked my way up to Barn Manager.
After six years, I looked for Dusty less often, I would date sometimes, and even hook up, but it never felt right.
I missed Dusty, and he still had my heart.
One afternoon, John found me as I sat alone in the feed barn. He joined me, then nudged me.
“Thinking about Dusty?” He knew me well.
“Yeah. I know I should let it go, but I can’t. Other than you and Mama, I have nobody. He was my person, and I lost him.” I knew I was pathetic as the words came out of my mouth.
“Gentry, come with me.” He said with no context.
I followed him to a stall in the barn where there was a foal but no mare.
He looked at me and smiled. “Gentry, this fella here lost his mama and feels alone in the world, even though he has people around him that care. Maybe you two could help each other. He was born last night and needs to be fed by hand to survive.”
“Yeah, I can do that for you. Not like I have anything else to do.”
I loved all the horses and felt bad for the foal. Taking care of one from birth sounded like a great distraction. That had become my entire life, distracting myself from the pain.
He smiled at me again. “How about you two make a family? You give him a name, then you can heal each other.”
Honestly, I wasn’t paying that much attention. I was getting an assignment for the ranch. “Sure, John, I am happy to help. Shouldn’t you name him since he belongs to the ranch?”
He sighed. “What I am trying to tell you is that he’s yours if you want him. I think you need to be together.”
“Really? I can’t take a whole horse from you.”
“How about you promise to take really good care of him for me, plus Mama thinks you deserve your own horse. And you know we do as she says.”
I laughed. “No, we don’t. Thank you. Tell Mama thank you too.” I hugged him tight. I couldn’t believe he gave me my own horse.
I named the roan foal Dusty, and from that night forward, the two of us were inseparable. When I started my day, I would open his stall door, and he would follow me through my chores like a dog.
A few years later, John broke his hip, and he needed to move to the city. Martin Wilson bought all the animals and offered jobs to anybody who wanted one. I took the job. Dusty and I moved to Circle W Ranch, where I had been living ever since. The Wilsons were just as wonderful as John and Mama.
I still searched for Dusty—the man, not the horse—but I hadn’t found him. Someday, I hoped to have him in my arms again, but as of now, I was thirty and lived with my heart attached to my first love.
Martin Wilson approached me as I fed peppermints to Dusty.
“I need you to do me a personal favor, Gentry.” That sounded serious. He had never asked me to do anything other than ranch work. “I am asking you specifically, because there are only a few men that I let hold my cocks, which means I trust you.”
I rubbed my eyes. Martin had to know the things he said, but sometimes I wondered.
He continued, completely ignoring the look on my face. “You do it so well, too. Not quite as good as my son, but I wouldn’t want anybody else handling the shafts that make me money.”
“Thanks?” I had no idea what to say about any of that because it sounded like I was some sort of pervert holding on to dicks. Even though I knew he was talking about gathering bull semen.
The fact that I was responsible for helping gather the product was a big deal.
His bull semen was valuable, very valuable, and collecting it was dangerous.
Martin trusted me, which was great, but it was only a few days ago that he announced to the cute farrier that I was an expert at making sure a hard dick would empty completely in the tight hole.
I was humiliated, and Martin looked smugly at me.
Now, I had no idea what he might be about to say.
“My son-in-law’s brother is a photographer, his name is Joe.” I vaguely recalled hearing about the young man who moved to Titanburg when Montgomery got married. “Joe needs to learn to ride and take pictures while on horseback. I want you to teach him.”
That sounded like something I could do and it would be fun.
“Do you have a horse with the temperament for that?” I asked.
He scrunched up his face. "My son suggested we use one of his mares. She is calm, and I think she would be perfect for him.”
I didn’t know the horse, but I knew his son was a solid horseman, so if he thought it would work, I trusted him. “When do you want me to start?”
“As soon as possible, hook up with him to make him feel good.”
And there it was.“Martin.” I tried to look annoyed, but didn’t pull it off well.
He snickered. “Will you do that for me?”
“Yes. I will make sure he is comfortable on horseback. Can you send me his contact information so we can schedule something?”
“He’s a good man and is like a son to me, so I expect you to treat him as such. Like my family, not as your family, that would be weird.” I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’ll take care of it, Martin.”
“Thanks, Gentry.” He headed out of the barn, then turned around. “Make sure you keep it in your pants unless you plan to be in his life. He’s damaged but would be a real catch.” Then he got on a 4-wheeler and rode off.
Was he setting me up with this guy? I wouldn’t put it past him. The idea of being with someone wasn’t terrible. I just wanted someone who fit with me, and only one person who had ever done that. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I assumed it was Joe’s contact information.
After the morning feeding, I checked with my boss to see what our week held. On Wednesday and Saturday, I helped to collect semen. On Sunday and Monday, I was off work. We went over everything else that needed to be done, then I was left to figure it out.
Before I saddled up Dusty, I sent a quick text.
GENTRY
Hi, this is Gentry. I work for Martin Wilson. I’ve been asked to teach you how to ride.