Aubrey
Upon seeing a horse up close and personal I had a few panic-filled moments wondering why I had so wanted to pet one.
They were huge. Some kind man—Gunner the trail boss and his dog whose name I forgot due to the massive beast staring at me as if he wished to feast on me, which was silly because horses don’t eat people, mares eat oats, as the old song goes—assured me that the pinto gelding was a darling who gave children rides every day.
“You don’t have to pet him if you don’t want,” Hoyt said for the tenth or fortieth time.
“Yes, yes I do. You like horses. You rode cows. I want to be part of your world.”
“Sounds like something a mermaid would sing,” Hoyt teased then with infinite care took my hand in his. “Also, just to clarify I rode bulls.”
“Yes, of course.” I knew that. Cows had udders.
Bulls had testicles. Silly me. “He has lovely eyes. So big and brown. Like yours, Hoyt.” Gunner coughed to hide a laugh.
Hoyt blustered a bit as he eased my hand closer to the horse’s long nose.
“I’m trying to be calm. Do I look calm? I read that animals can sense fear so it’s always wise to be collected and—oh his nose is so soft! ”
The dog, Remy, his name was I recalled after the nerves dissipated, sniffed at my left hand so I spent a good thirty minutes petting a horse and a dog. At the same time. Both were very good boys.
“Okay, we need to get to the main house before Jesse sends me another text,” Hoyt nudged gently.
With great regret and many thanks to Gunner I let Hoyt lead me from the barn, where a rusted-out pink horse trailer rested against one wall, to the big house. The ranch was vast, the scenery breathtaking. Big strapping men, giddy teens, and cats. Cats. I wondered if any of them had kittens…
“I’m nervous. And my lapel has horse hair on it.
I knew I should have brought a pet hair brush!
I bought one just for my suits after I brought Ruggerio inside.
Oh dear, what will your brother think of me showing up for pasta covered in horse hair.
This is a catastrophe!” Hoyt plucked my fingers from picking at the hairs on my lapels, gathered them together, and then pressed kisses to my knuckles.
“I haven’t washed my hands yet from petting animals! ”
“Sugar, I’ve kissed my share of horses, dogs, and few bulls—the bull kisses were not consensual as the bull rammed his head into my face—and I’m still alive and kicking.
No one here is going to worry over some horse hair.
Trust me on that. Now, no, hey, look at me.
Yeah, there’s them pretty eyes. Jesse and Lucas are going to adore you. Just like I do. No frets okay?”
I got lost in his gaze for a moment. When he dropped a kiss to my lips I could feel the anxiety floating off like dust motes on a summer wind. The sound of windchimes and happy bees moving about in the afternoon warmth slipped into my psyche.
“Hey, so, I hate to interrupt this romantic scene but the garlic bread just went into the oven.”
I jerked at the sound of Jesse’s voice rolling down the stairs to us. Hoyt rolled his eyes, turned his head, and flipped his brother off before kissing me one more time.
“Sorry! I should…we should control our libidos. There are teenagers running around and here we are kissing over a cold-bag holding the salad,” I moaned as I looked up at Jesse on the front porch, the windchimes to his left tinkling merrily.
“Those kids have seen and done way more than a kiss or two. You’re fine. Come on inside and we’ll get your salad dished out.”
Jesse clapped a hand on Hoyt’s broad shoulder after we climbed the steps. He offered me his hand to shake so I did, heartily, and handed over the refrigerated bag that held my salad.
“I added some chopped green pepper to make up for the radish loss,” I said then stepped inside a large, airy old farm house. The place had been lived in and well-loved for many years. My little cottage would fit inside it with ease. “This is a lovely home.”
“Thanks, it’s got some history. Lucas is fussing over the grated cheese in the kitchen. We’ll eat in the dining room if that’s okay?”
“Fine. Smells good.” Hoyt took my hand, his grip soft, and we followed Jesse and my salad into the kitchen. I’d never had a meal with a lover’s family before. I hoped my nerves wouldn’t engage my mouth too badly…
“…truly love this dish! It’s like lasagna but with rigatoni.
Cheesy anything is always a hit with me.
Did you raise the beef you used in the sauce?
We didn’t see any cows but Hoyt assures me we will before I leave.
We have to ride out on a UTV to see them.
Can you imagine that I have never petted a horse before today?
It’s outrageous isn’t it? I read about men on horses all the time.
Oh thank you but I’m trying to save a small spot for the apple pie. ”
“I’ll take his,” Hoyt said.
Lucas grinned as he spooned another helping onto Hoyt’s plate.
The dining room was nicely set up with a large table with several chairs.
Someone had snipped off some early wildflowers to fill a vase in the middle of the oaken table.
The food was delicious, the conversation mostly mine yet I couldn’t find a way to quieten my chatter.
“So, Hoyt tells us you got some chickens today,” Jesse said then poured more water into his glass.
“Yes!” I dabbed at my chin with my napkin. “Three hens. They’re settling in nicely. I wish my cat were as happy as Roberto, my rooster. Ruggerio is quite unhappy being indoors. Well, he’s also in a temper over having his tom-toms removed the other day.”
“Ruggerio. That’s an interesting name,” Lucas said as he rose to start clearing the dinner plates to herald that dessert was coming soon. Hoyt shoveled his pasta in so quickly I had to wonder if he were even chewing.
“Isn’t it just? It’s from a Renaissance epic poem by Ludavico Ariosto that continues the story of Charlamagne’s knight Orlando and his fellow paladins.
Have any of you ever read it?” All three seemed slightly worried as if I would call them out for not having read a poem written sometime in the early 1500s.
“Well, it’s quite the journey is all that I’ll say! ”
“I read some poetry the other day,” Lucas announced as he toted plates. I rose to help but Jesse placed a hand on my shoulder. “It was lying around on a bookshelf upstairs.”
“Oh who is the poet?” I asked, placing my napkin to my thigh.
“Phyllis Wheatley. Not sure who here had bought it but since we went to the reading and discovered how good Hoyt is we thought we would brush up a little.”
I beamed at Lucas. “What a wonderful thing to do! Hoyt is very gifted as was Phyllis Wheatley. She was one of the best known poets in the pre-19th century America. She was an enslaved women of tremendous talents who became a household name in literate circles. Her first book of poems was the first volume of poetry by an African American to be published in modern times.”
The three others exchanged a look. “Told you he would know about her,” Hoyt announced proudly.
I blushed to my roots.
I again went to rise and carry dirty dishes when Jesse waved me back down.
“You’re a guest,” Jesse said as he went to stand.
Hoyt stood. “Let me help with all this. You two visit. Get to know each other.”
And just like that Lucas and Hoyt were long gone and I was sitting with my napkin on my lap smiling awkwardly at Jesse Knox.
Suddenly me, of all people, ran out of words. Maybe I’d expelled them all during dinner and now the well was dry. There was a first time for everything.
“Hoyt seems really happy,” Jesse said as he leaned his forearms to the table.
“He enjoys a good meal,” I replied while fidgeting with the handle of my spoon.
“Well, yeah, there’s that too but I think it’s you who is making him happy. We’ve…well, him and I haven’t always been in communication but the few times we have since he was forced to leave here he’s been in a dark place.”
I nodded, saddened to hear that the melancholy I witnessed from time to time in Hoyt wasn’t just due to his most recent injury. “Now he seems less down. I’m trying not to push myself on him. Our past is murky.”
“He cares for you a great deal. Truly, when he speaks of you his eyes light up.”
“I could say the same thing about him when he talks about you. He likes you.” I felt my cheeks warm. “Not sure I would have seen you two becoming an item but it feels right.”
“Yes, yes it does.” I met his gaze with sincerity.
“He’s been a man alone for far too long.
He’s got a poet’s soul and a cowboy’s constitution.
He hurts easily but would never admit it.
I’m glad he has you, Lucas, and the ranch in his life.
And of course I’m tickled to be sharing what time we have before he leaves for the ring with him. ”
“You think he’ll got back to bull riding?” Jesse asked quietly.
I shrugged, pausing in our discussion to listen for Lucas and Hoyt talking in the kitchen. Their voices carried well so we had a moment or two for private talk.
“I think he thinks he wants to but I’m not sure his body should be exposed to that kind of punishment again.
He’ll be forty soon.” I held back saying that nothing would make me happier than to have Hoyt Knox in my bed forever.
A man had to follow his own path through life.
“I hope he finds that he has enough here to retire here. Maybe take the teens out on rides or whatever kind of work is available. I’m quite impressed with the stance this ranch has taken in terms of helping LGBTQ youth. ”
“Thank you. It’s a way of hopefully making up for some sins in the ranch’s past.”
“You’re doing good work here. Hoyt sees that. Perhaps he’ll linger.”
“Perhaps.” A short silence fell over us as the two men in the kitchen shared a laugh over something.