Chapter Five #3
“My father told your father to teach me about ranching, so I’m here to learn.
” Felix omitted the part about making a man out of him.
He didn’t want Joey to think he was someone who couldn’t do manly things.
He had never been a hugger, and his family were not touchers.
However, the warm feelings that came over him when Joey touched him made him feel good.
As if his presence mattered, Joey welcomed him.
Was this what having a friend felt like?
“C’mon.” Joey motioned for Felix to follow out the north doors of the barn. “This is where I’ll teach you roping.”
“Roping?” His stomach knotted at the thought of competing.
He’d never been interested in sports. His father did not encourage him to participate in competitive events, so Felix never did.
The family did not play games at home, so he never learned about the concepts of winning and losing.
In fact, he did not care about winning. Besides, roping sounded like something complicated.
He’d seen some boys at his school practice and could not understand how the rope knew where to go.
“I never roped before. I doubt I can learn that.”
“Don’t be crazy, Felix. Anyone can learn to rope.” Joey grabbed Felix’s hand and inspected his palm, running his fingers over the soft skin. “But you’ll need toughening up, cowboy.” Joey grinned, not letting go of Felix’s hand.
Felix felt a strange tingling when Joey touched him and pulled his hand away, pretending to inspect his own palm so Joey wouldn’t see the redness in his cheeks. “I’ll need gloves or something.”
“Hey.” Joey grabbed his shoulder. “Like I said, you’ll do fine. I won’t let you get hurt if that worries you.”
Felix looked up. “Thanks, Joey.” He didn’t want Joey to find out that being injured was not what worried him. Since Mr. Sterling mentioned Joey was good at roping, looking like a fool was his worry.
Back in the barn, they took currying brushes, combs, and picks and shared the task of currying Maybelle.
“Pa said you like to read.” Joey brushed one side of Maybelle while Felix inspected her hooves.
“Yes. Father encouraged me to do well in school, so I learned to enjoy books.” Felix picked a small stone from Maybelle’s left foreleg.
“I don’t read much, but Jacob and I used to enjoy a game of dominoes. Did you ever play dominoes, Felix?”
“I never played games, Joey.” Felix inspected the left rear hoof, but found nothing but a bit of loose dirt.
“I’ll show you sometime.” Joey moved around to brush Maybelle’s left side. “The game uses tiles with dots. You add up the dots, Felix. Can you do math?”
Felix didn’t find anything in Maybelle’s right hooves. “I’m great with math, Joey.”
Joey finished brushing Maybelle. “In that case, you'll like the game, Felix. Now, let’s put away these currying tools and see about supper.” He thumbed toward the house. “You ready?”
“Sure.” As they strolled toward the house, Felix was mesmerized by Joey’s voice as he pointed out the goat pen, chicken coop, and pig sty on the west side of the barn, all shaded by giant elm trees.
They strolled toward the house, and Joey motioned to the cistern beside the windmill and the garden.
About thirty yards out in a grove of trees was the dual outhouse.
From the road, Felix did not see the enormous expanse of the ranch.
The homestead had a family feel, and he wondered what it was like growing up here.
Joey nudged his shoulder, drawing him out of his thoughts. “So, any questions?”
“No. Your family has an amazing place, Joey.”
“You’ll be more amazed when you ride the ranch tomorrow. Riding Lightning on the wide-open prairie is one of my favorite things.”
“I’d love to do that, but I’m getting hungry right now. My mother didn’t serve supper until my father got home from the store. He didn’t close the store until 6:00, so we didn’t eat until 6:30.”
Joey grabbed the screen door handle and motioned for Felix to climb the steps first. “Ma feeds us around 5:30. That gives us time to check the horses before it gets dark.”
“How are my two men doing?” Mabel asked as they entered the kitchen.
“Fine, ma.” Joey led Felix to the sink. Joey turned on the single faucet, and water flowed into the basin. Felix grabbed the soap bar and dipped his hands into the cool water, then lathered up.
Joey bumped his shoulder and chuckled, “Let me have water too.”
Felix didn’t know what to do. Did friends clown around with each other? Taking a cue from Joey, he bumped him back. Joey laughed, and Felix got bold. “Getting kind of bossy, aren’t you?” He laughed and handed the soap to Joey.
Mabel came up behind them, jerked off their hats, and swatted them on the backside. “Proper gentlemen don’t wear hats in the house.” She reached over and hung the hats on the pegs by the door.
“Sorry, Mrs. Sterling.” Felix dipped his hands in the cool water to rinse off the soap.
“Yeah, ma. My fault. I got carried away with taking care of this new greenhorn cowboy.” He turned and grinned at Felix while rinsing his own hands.
She grabbed the towel from her shoulder and flung it over Felix’s shoulder. “You men, behave and share this towel, now.”
“Yes’m.” Felix used half the towel to dry his hands, then offered the other half to Joey. They hung the towel over the edge of the sink.
Joey pointed to a place at the table. “You sit over there.” He waggled his hand back and forth. “Ma and Pa always sit in these chairs, and I always sit here.” He pulled out his chair and sat.
“Everything smells so amazing.” Felix pulled out the chair and sat across from Joey as Mr. and Mrs. Sterling took their seats.
Mrs. Sterling passed the potatoes. “We grow our own vegetables. We store the surplus in the cool root cellar Grover dug for me a few years back. And the water from the cistern keeps the garden green and bountiful.”
“Fresh is always better.” Felix helped himself to the steaming bowl of black-eyed peas.
Grover nodded. “I agree, Felix. We keep a few chickens and ducks for eggs and meat. We slaughter a hog occasionally for ham, bacon, and pork. We smoke the meat before packing it in salt and hanging it in the root cellar. We keep a milk cow in a small pasture beyond the vegetable garden. Mabel takes care of the milking and makes butter and cheese as well. We eat well out here.” He speared a piece of ham and added it to his plate.
Felix snagged a ham slice, cut it, and shoved some hot, juicy meat into his mouth. He groaned as the salty flavors flooded his taste buds. “I never tasted ham this good, Mrs. Sterling.” He spoke as he chewed.
“Thank you, Felix. I’m glad you like it.”
Felix noticed Joey watching him as he chewed his bite of ham. He felt all tingly as their eyes locked, but took it to be excitement at having a new friend and discovering life on a ranch. His initial reluctance grew into delicious anticipation for the coming months with his temporary family.
That night, as Felix climbed into bed, he reached for the diary and pencil he brought.
He began with the evening his father scolded him for not wanting to marry Emmaline.
That seemed to be the start of this entire summer on the ranch idea of his father’s.
He licked the tip of his pencil and began to write.
A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
“Yes?” Felix closed the diary and put it in his lap.
“It’s me…Joey.” The door muted his voice.
“Come in, Joey.” Although not accustomed to people coming into his bedroom after hours, he liked that Joey felt comfortable enough to visit him.
Joey opened the door and stood in the doorway.
Dressed only in his drawers, the light from the kerosene lamp on Felix’s small bedside table cast a golden glow over Joey’s solid muscles and washboard stomach.
“Sorry to bother you, Felix. This is your first night, and I wanted to make sure you were comfortable. Do you need anything?”
Felix noticed the expression of caring on Joey’s face. Even in the muted light of the lamp, that ever-present sparkle filled Joey’s eyes. “Thanks for checking on me, Joey. I am about to turn down the lamp and go to sleep.”
“Okay. Well, I’m across the hall if you need anything. G’night, Felix.”
“Thanks, Joey. G’night.”
After Joey left, Felix discovered his arousal.
His father lectured him about the evils of self-pleasure, so he didn’t quite know what to do about it or why it happened.
He reached down and touched himself. A jolt of pleasure shot through his torso.
His father’s stern voice and unforgiving glare shot into his head, and the arousal subsided.
He turned down the kerosene lamp, rolled over, and dozed off thinking of Joey and his first day at Sterling Ranch.
Nothing in his life was this easy. What was he missing?