Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Felix clomped down the stairs. His stomach growled at the aroma of sausage and fried potatoes. He paused at the bottom of the stairs as a conversation between Joey, Ma, and Pa Sterling reached his ears..
“I’m glad you brought Felix here for the summer, Pa. I like having someone to help me with my chores. And Felix and I work well together. Since Jacob left, I’ve missed having someone else around.”
“You two are becoming fast friends,” Ma Sterling said. “But remember, Felix goes back to Blackfield at the end of the summer.”
Reality punched Felix in the stomach. Despite his fear that ranching wouldn’t work out for him, Felix enjoyed doing what Joey taught him and made a friend.
Leaving was something far in the future.
He still had much to learn with only a few days under his belt.
His father sent him here to become a man.
How is he considered a man if he isn't also a rancher?
While his father does expect him back at the store, he enjoys being on the ranch and likes Joey.
“Yes, Ma,” Joey said.
With a beaming smile, Felix walked into the kitchen. “Morning, everyone.”
“Morning, Felix.” Mabel hugged him. “Did you sleep okay, honey?”
He started to welcome the hugs. But Felix was never called honey. His mother didn’t call him endearing names. “I sleep better here than I ever did at home.”
“I’m glad, son.” Grover smiled. “Have a seat for breakfast.”
“What are you teaching me today, Joey?” Felix sat and gazed across the table at his best friend. Joey’s smile sagged, and the twinkle in his eyes left.
“I’m going to teach you to rope today.” Joey kept his gaze on his breakfast, pushing potatoes around on his plate with his fork.
“We’ll practice this morning on a wooden calf so you learn the art of throwing, then this afternoon, we’ll bring in a couple of goats, and you can practice on something moving. ”
“Joey.” Felix raised his voice.
Joey jerked, then met his gaze.
Felix smiled and winked, hoping to draw him out of his down mood. “Sounds like fun. I’m sure you are tops at roping.”
“I’m okay, I guess,” Joey said.
“Okay?” Grover huffed and turned to Felix. “I remember telling you that Joey won a couple of events at the last county rodeo. He’s one of the best ropers around.”
“Both our sons handle a rope well,” Mabel boasted. “I bet our third son is going to be an award winner too.” She smiled at Felix.
The veins in Felix’s face got a workout over the last few days. Heat flushed his cheeks at the third son comment. “Ma Sterling, you sure do make me feel welcome here.” Felix smiled.
“Son, part of becoming a man is learning how the world works.” Grover popped a bit of biscuit in his mouth, then spoke with it stuffed in his cheek. “It’s not always about rules and regulations or things you should or shouldn’t do. Sometimes it’s about people.”
“People?” Felix asked. He lifted a chunk of sausage to his mouth, and the spicy flavor invaded his tongue.
“Sure, son. Your relationships are as important as your knowledge.”
Felix swallowed. “I’m not sure I understand, Pa Sterling.” He eyed Joey.
“I doubt you realize it, but your presence changed him.” Grover thumbed at Joey. “He hasn't smiled this much since Jacob left.” Grover glanced at Joey. “Well, except for this morning.” His gaze returned to Felix. “You make him happy.”
“I do?” Felix’s eyes moved to Joey. “I did nothing except try to learn from him.”
“You made a difference in his life, Felix. That’s what I mean about people.
Out here, you are not following the rules your father set for you.
The restrictions of your home life do not bind you.
Your father wanted me to teach you to be a man, and part of your lesson is knowing you are free to learn all you can and be a part of this family. ”
Pa’s comments made Felix realize a weight lifted from his shoulders. He never considered having his own thoughts and feelings. It means abandoning his father’s ways, but as Pa Sterling pointed out, it was part of being a man.
Joey scooted his chair back from the table and stood. “You ready to go roping?” He headed for the back door as he talked, grabbing his hat from the rack and placing it on his head while pushing open the screen with the other hand.
“Sure.” Felix slurped down the last of his milk. He rose and grabbed his hat as he ran after Joey, who had already made it halfway to the barn.
* * *
“Hey, Joey.” Felix caught up to him. “What’s the matter? You act sad.”
“Aw, nothing.” Joey kept walking toward the barn, not looking at Felix.
Felix longed to put his arm around Joey’s shoulders and comfort him, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Despite Pa Sterling’s speech about people, Felix was still not accustomed to having a friend. After their talk last night, he didn’t want to scare Joey away.
“Joey, you said yesterday that friends…best friends in our case…can talk to each other about anything. I’m still learning to be a friend, but I can tell something is wrong.”
“It’s something I need to deal with myself, okay?” Irritation coated Joey’s words.
"Okay." Felix figured their conversation had affected Joey. He wondered what best friends did to help each other when one was troubled. He liked the friendly banter he and Joey shared and wanted more of it. How could he help Joey? He didn’t know, so he said the only thing he could think of. “I’m here if you need me.”
They walked into the barn, and Felix inhaled the pungent aroma of hay and horses that he liked. That aroma would always remind him of Sterling Ranch and of Joey. “What can I help with?”
“I’ll fetch a rope and the roping dummy. You meet me in the corral.” Joey ignored Felix’s offer of help and turned to the tack room.
Felix stopped to stroke Sparkle’s muzzle and whispered, “What’s wrong with Joey?” Sparkle shook his head as if he understood. After scratching Sparkle’s ear, Felix walked into the corral and waited for Joey. His heart ached for his friend.
Joey carried a wooden roping dummy to the other side of the corral.
To Felix, it resembled a sawhorse or at least pictures of a sawhorse, with a wooden head-shaped extension on one end, with horns, and a rope tail on the other.
Joey positioned the dummy and took the coiled rope from around it before sauntering back toward Felix.
“I forgot gloves.” Joey nodded toward the open barn door. “Would you grab a couple of pairs for us?”
“Sure.” Felix rushed to the tool stall to fetch the gloves. He wanted to please Joey and pull him out of his funk. His boots clomped in the loose dirt as he hurried back to Joey. He offered one pair in each hand, letting Joey pick. “Which pair do you want?”
“It don’t matter.” Joey coiled the lariat in his hands, not looking at Felix.
Felix extended the pair with less wear.
“Thanks,” The flat tone in Joey’s voice said everything. Something troubled him enough to make him sad.
Not knowing how to help, Felix tugged on his gloves. “What do I do?”
Joey handed the rope to Felix and then tugged on his gloves. He opened his hand for the rope, wordlessly expecting it.
Felix complied. “Did I do something wrong? You act like you’re upset with me.”
Joey shook his head. “I’m not upset with you. I have things to think about.”
“Okay.” He still shouldered the burden of Joey's troubles, regardless of Joey's denial. Maybe their talk last night didn’t turn out the way Joey wanted. He seemed fine until Ma Sterling mentioned Felix returning to Blackfield. Did Joey dread the end of summer?
Joey showed Felix how to hold the lariat and then demonstrated how to throw. Felix paid close attention, and when Joey handed the lariat to him, he mimicked Joey’s actions, missing the dummy the first three times he tried. At last, the loop caught on one of the horns. “Hey…I got it.” Felix beamed.
Joey forced a smile. “You sure did. Now keep working at it.”
Felix gathered the lariat and threw again. Joey coached him with simple directions of a few words. Neighbors five miles away could sense the tension flowing from Joey, but Felix focused on his roping.
They took a break for lunch and headed back to the house. Their walk lacked the cheerful banter they always shared. Instead, stone-cold silence chilled the air between them. At the house, Felix held the door for Joey. Joey walked in without a smile or a thank you.
They washed, then sat at the table in their usual places.
“How did the roping go, Felix?” Grover asked as Mabel placed platters of sliced ham, bread, and tomatoes on the table. A jar of homemade pickles and a bowl of homemade butter accompanied the sandwich meal.
“I think I did okay,” Felix said. “And Joey taught me well. By the end of the morning, I roped the dummy almost every time.”
“Sounds like you’re going to have competition, Joey,” Mabel said.
“Yeah, I guess,” Joey muttered, stuffing a pickle into his mouth to avoid conversation.
“You okay, son?” Grover asked.
Joey nodded and reached for a slice of bread.
Grover glanced at Mabel, and she shrugged. His eyes turned to Felix, and he shrugged, too.
Lunch turned into a somber affair as Joey’s mood settled over the table. Attempts at conversation with Joey received shrugs or one-word answers. The silent treatment tore Felix apart inside.
After lunch, Joey asked Felix to saddle Sparkle.
Felix practiced roping while sitting on his horse.
Then he practiced while Sparkle moved around.
Then Joey brought a goat from the pen, and Felix practiced roping a moving target.
He got the hang of it and did well by the time supper rolled around.
No word came out about Joey’s mood, friendship, or talk the night before. In fact, not many words at all.
Supper came and went, and the silent treatment continued.
* * *
That night, Felix sat in bed writing in his diary when the usual soft knock on the door occurred. Felix hopped out of bed and raced across the room to open the door. He grabbed Joey by the arm and dragged him into the room. He closed the door and pinned Joey’s shoulders against it with his hands.
“Joey, forgive me,” he muttered as he leaned in and gave Joey a quick kiss on the lips. “You’ve been driving me crazy all day,” he whispered.
Joey shivered as he stood looking at his best friend. “What happened to no touching?” Joey asked. He didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he wrapped Felix in a passionate kiss.
Felix pushed away from Joey but remained close. “This is wrong. It’s wrong. I’m sorry I started it.”
“It's not wrong, Felix. Why would you think it’s wrong?”
Felix eyed the floor. “I never liked anyone as much as I like you. But I think I shouldn’t, um, want you to touch me.”
Joey lifted Felix’s chin so their eyes locked. “You want me to touch you?”
“More than anything,” he said. “At night, my dick gets hard thinking of you. I can’t stand it anymore.”
“Felix, did you figure out why I stayed upset all day?”
“No…but seeing you in a bad mood made me so sad. I thought I did something wrong, but couldn’t figure out what.”
“You didn’t do anything except come to the ranch. This morning, Ma reminded me that you are leaving at the end of the summer. I don’t want you to leave, Felix. And it made me sad to think that one day you will go back to your father’s store, and I won’t have you as a friend anymore.”
“Just because I’m in town doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, Joey. It was no fun today when you stopped talking to me, but at least you stayed and helped me. We can’t keep summer from ending, but we can make the most of our time until then. And after that, we’ll figure out what happens next.”
“You’re right, and let’s start enjoying our time right now.” Joey untied his drawers and let them drop to the floor. “I want you to touch me, too.”
Felix eyed Joey’s hard dick. He touched it, and a clear liquid oozed from the slit.
“It’s leaking,” Felix said.
“Doesn’t yours leak?” Joey asked.
Felix shrugged and let his drawers drop to the floor. To his surprise, his dick leaked too.
“The leaking stuff is slick, Felix. Smear it around on mine.”
Felix put his thumb in the clear liquid and caressed the head of Joey’s dick with the slick substance.
“I’ll do yours the same way.”
As Joey did that, feelings of pleasure more intense than anything Felix had ever experienced flooded him. Felix gasped as Joey continued to stimulate him. He mimicked Joey’s actions, making Joey gasp as well.
“Joey, I think I’m about to shoot,” Felix muttered between gasps.
“Me too.”
Joey pulled Felix into a kiss as they both convulsed and squirted onto each other, groaning through the kiss.
Afterward, Felix pulled Joey into a hug. “I’m even more frightened now. You make me feel so amazing, and I like it so much.”
“Loosen up a little,” Joey gasped. ‘You’re hugging me so hard I can’t breathe. You make me feel amazing, too. I never felt this good before.”
Felix pulled back and gazed at Joey’s flushed face. “What are we going to do?” He tugged his lower lip between his teeth.
“Nothing we don’t want to do.” Joey leaned in for a quick kiss. “We’re best friends having a little fun.”
“Best friends.” Felix nodded.
Joey picked up his drawers and left the room, closing the door behind him.
With his drawers, Felix cleaned up himself and the floor. He crawled into bed naked and drifted off to sleep as visions of Joey’s flushed face led him into dreamland.