Dale and Brandt didn’t have an easy start in their relationship, but after nearly three years together, they’re in a really good place–and more in love than ever. They’ve had a change of scenery and are now proud owners of a large ranch in Colorado. Sometimes they argue about the small stuff, but it never lasts long and they always find their way through.
When an old friend from Texas arrives unexpectedly, jealousy rears its ugly head, and Brandt and Dale find themselves at odds. Can they help Evan through his rough patch, and keep their relationship firmly grounded in the process?
Author’s Note: For better enjoyment, this story is meant to be read after SURRENDER.
Trigger Warning: Mentions of off-page SA of a character.
Read a Sample:
Sweat ran down my brow and headed for my eyes. I wiped my forehead for the umpteenth time and continued rasping the horse’s hoof I was trimming. February in Colorado was cold, but damned if I wasn’t sweatin’ like a whore in church.
The horse licked at the back of my shirt, nosed me hard enough to almost make me lose my balance, then started licking at my clothes again. This one had a habit of play biting, so I tended to be a little more observant of his body language. He was getting antsy, and that was going to lead to trouble.
This gelding had come from another ranch and was only about two years old, so we needed to get a handle on this damned biting before he got any older. He was a good horse, but damn if he didn’t think making someone whoop in pain was funny.
Last time I trimmed him up he bit me right on the ass. Left a bruise that lasted for two goddamned weeks. He nosed me again and I growled. “Quit it, Bo!”
He whinnied, and it sounded like a laugh. I rolled my eyes and checked the hoof to make sure everything was even. I pulled the hoof jack over and put his foot down on it, checking it again to make sure there weren’t any jagged edges.
All good.
Nice and smooth.
“That bastard bite you yet?” Brandt asked as he walked into the barn. “Looks like he wants to.”
“Shut up.” I glanced back at him and saw that he was leading yet another horse into the barn for me. “How many more’ve I got to do? I’ve lost count.”
“Uh…” He glanced back outside. “Six more.”
Jesus H. Christmas.
I was going to be hunched over permanently if I didn’t get this shit over soon. I’d been trimming hooves for going on five hours straight. If I had six horses left, then I’d managed to trim up right at twenty horses, Bo included.
Another hour, hour and a half… and I’d be done. I was starving to death as it was. The sandwiches Brandt and I’d had for an early lunch had long worn off. I moved the hoof jack and put Bo’s foot down, shoved the rasp into the pocket of my chaps, and walked around to give Bo a nice, firm petting.
He nuzzled against me, blowing repeatedly. The gesture was nice, but not nice enough for me to forget that last bite of his. “If you’d have bit me, I’d have bit you back this time.”
Brandt laughed from where he leaned against the wall. “That sure cured Bitch from biting.”
Bitch.
She’d been here when we got here and had some terrible habits and behaviors. Biting was the worst, and she bit with each and every opportunity. Until she bit me while I was working with her. It’d hurt like fuck, pissed me off, and I bit her right on the ear. She never bit a damned soul after that.
I untied Bo and led him to the far door to release him to the paddock. He wandered out and by the time I turned around Brandt had the mare he’d brought in tied up in Bo’s place. I sat on a square bale of hay and stretched, and my back popped nine ways to Sunday.
“Remind me why we don’t have someone else do this?”
“Because you said you’d rather do it because then you’d know it was done right.” He walked over and sat beside me. “And because it saves us money.”
“We account for that, though… don’t we?” When he nodded, I shook my head. “Where’s the money going then, if we’re accounting for it but not using it?” “Set aside in case you ever decide to stop doing this on your own.”