Fields of Gold the Conclusion
Dedication: To my Angels, I love you with every beat of my heart.
Title: Fields of Gold - Part 2 of Conclusion
Authors: Deans Dark Dream and L
Pairings: Dean/Sam, Dean/Sam/Tay, Sky/Del
Rating: NC17
Warnings: Based on a RL love story. Slash, rimming, hummers, love.
Disclaimer: I don't own Dean, Sam, Cas or Adam.
Summary: Dean and Sam mend the tears in their relationship.
A/N: This has been quite an experience reliving all the memories that make up this story. I want to thank everyone for their heartfelt comments and feedback. This was not easy for me and all your support and encouragement helped me to finish the story. To the real life lovers whom this story is based upon, I love you both and you inspire me every day. Thank you for this opportunity to share your love with the world. Love is eternal. DDD
Fields of Gold
Conclusion
We were quiet for a bit, and then I asked him the question that had been on my mind.
"Why did you send Sky?"
He was silent for several steps, then squeezed my hand as he started to talk. "A couple reasons, I guess. I really didn't want you to be alone, but Max was tied up with Cas, and David's got his hands full with Levi, so Sky seemed like the logical choice. Plus, I know you like him. And……. I needed to get over being worried about him." I started to speak, but he shushed me with a raised hand. "I knew I didn't have anything to worry about, but I did anyway. Putting the two of you together for a few days forced me to deal with it. And now it's okay." He stopped walking and turned to me. "Did you have fun with him?"
"Yes."
"Do you love me any less because you spent that time with him?"
"I love you more."
He nodded once as if I'd proven his point, and began to walk again. "Then I'm a lucky man."
The following Wednesday I was working one of Chloe's horses in the arena when I happened to glance at the row of trailers in the next field. At any given time there are ten to fifteen trailers parked at Castlewood. What struck me immediately was the hole where Levi's trailer had been parked for the past two months. I pulled the horse to a quick halt.
"Son of a bitch!"
James was walking by with an armload of blankets and stopped to look at me. "What?"
"Levi's gone."
James nodded. "Yeah, he left early this morning for Amarillo."
"He barely lasted two months. David's gonna be devastated."
James frowned at me. "He didn't look too upset."
"He was here?"
James nodded slowly. "Yeah."
"Where'd he go?"
"They went together. Get a clue, Dean. They loaded up two horses, put some of David's painting stuff and the dog in the back of the truck, and took off about six this morning. Levi was singing that George Straight song about Amarillo on my mind as they pulled out."
Zane had decided not to compete in this year's reining, so none of us were going, and I’d forgotten that we'd met Levi there last year. Apparently, it was a yearly pilgrimage for him. Although I was a little miffed that they hadn't even said goodbye, I mentally wished them a safe trip as I got back to work.
Late the following Tuesday, I was holding horses for Tay when I heard an unfamiliar rig coming up the lane. A dirty, well-traveled F250 pulling a 3-horse slant trailer came slowly into view, kicking up little dust devils in the chilly breeze. The truck came to a halt on the far side of the yard, and both Tay and I stopped what we were doing to see who it was.
The driver's side door was pushed open by a black cowboy boot attached to a long denimed leg, and in that second I knew. The black Stetson that followed the boot confirmed my guess as Del stepped down from the cab, stretching his arms up over his head and yawning.
He glanced around the yard, and then grinned as he caught sight of us watching him. His dimple was still adorable, and as he ambled toward us, Tay said softly, “Oh, man.”
I was chuckling by now, happy to see Del again. It had been a year since we’d hooked up with him in Amarillo, and he looked as good now as he had then. I stepped out of the barn to meet him, and we grabbed each other up in a big hug.
“Great place you got here,” he said, looking around as we broke the hug.
“Yeah, it’s all right. Come on into the office for a minute, then I’ll show you around.”
He was admiring the trophies on my side table when Sky appeared in the doorway. Del glanced up at him and their eyes locked. Sky spoke first and I was surprised at the tension in his voice. I'd have thought he'd be thrilled to see Del.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
Del took his time answering, looking Sky up and down like a hungry wolf. “Wanted to surprise you.”
Sky looked anything but happy with the surprise. “Just passing through?”
Del had turned to lean against the wall with his hands in his front pockets. “Nope, I was plannin' on stayin' a while.” He hitched his chin at the window. “Brought all my belongin's.”
After another moment of the stare-down, Sky walked stiffly past him to look out the window. He was in profile to me and I could see his jaw muscles working as he gazed at the back of Del’s truck loaded with several boxes and some furniture. Del gave him a couple minutes, and then ambled slowly over to stand a couple feet behind him. He glanced at me before gently laying one big hand between Sky’s shoulder blades. Sky sucked in a breath, but didn’t pull away.
“I missed you, Sky,” Del said quietly.
“Got a funny way of showing it,” Sky responded in a tight voice.
I knew I should leave, but since Sam wasn’t there to drag me out of the room, I wasn’t about to miss this.
“I know.” Del bit his lower lip for a second. “I’m sorry. Movin’ away from home’s a big deal for me. Had to think on it for a while.” Another pause. “But I missed you. So here I am.”
Sky's eyes slid to me after Del said the same words to him that Sky had said to me a couple weeks ago. As we looked at each other, I smiled slightly, and he blinked once before turning back to the window.
Del moved his hand up to hold the back of Sky’s neck, squeezing and releasing slowly, and Sky closed his eyes for a moment before dropping his head slightly. Del took that as a positive sign and wrapped his other arm around Sky’s waist, stepping closer to hold him. After another few beats, Sky turned in his arms to grip Del's biceps, and they stared at each other from eight inches apart. Del brought his face slowly toward Sky’s, closing his eyes just before their lips met.
I did finally leave at that point, but only because a loud banging was coming from Del’s trailer. He planted a quick kiss on Sky’s mouth, and then dashed for the door, cursing as he ran.
“That damn stud colt of yours is gonna wreck my trailer.”
He and I hit the door at the same time, but he elbowed me aside and raced down the steps, hollering as he went.
“Hey, hey, hey! Knock it off, you knucklehead! Jesus Christ!”
The banging stopped as a horse whinnied high and long. Kahn answered from the stallion barn as Del yanked open the back door of the trailer. A big, bay Quarter horse butt was shifting back and forth, black tail switching, eager to get out. Del tapped him on the hip.
“Come on, now, you. Easy, easy.”
The horse backed out of the trailer, and turned toward us as Del grabbed his lead rope. It was the colt I’d bid on a year ago in Amarillo, and he was gorgeous. His nostrils flared as he lifted his head and scented the unfamiliar air. Then he neighed again, and, as before, Kahn answered.
“You got another stud on the place?” Del asked, tugging at the colt's rope to keep him still.
”Yeah, the one I rode last year in the GPs. Kahn.”
“Well, keep him away from this guy. He’s still all balls and no brains.”
"What'd you name him?" I asked, trying to get close enough to get a hand on the dancing colt.
"I called him 'knucklehead' the first couple months, till I got on him. Then I started calling him Lava cause of the molten way he moves and his temper."
I laughed, glad it was him and not me who'd been the first to get on this beautiful horse. "He's better now, I assume?"
"Yeah, some, but he's a handful. Got a place we can turn him loose? Been in that trailer most of the day."
We walked to the big arena, empty of riders, but full of jumps. Lava snorted as he looked around, prancing at the end of the lead. Del unbuckled the halter and backed away as Lava wheeled to the right and let fly with a hind foot right where Del's head would have been had he not moved. He circled the arena at a brisk canter, shying away from a jump now and then, bucking a little. He moved beautifully, his strides long and fluid, and I thought what a marvelous baby he'd produce when bred to Ginger.
We'd been watching him for a few minutes when Sky joined us. He climbed up on the fence next to Del, who settled a big hand on Sky's leg and grinned at him. Sky smiled back, studying Del's face as his smile widened.
"Fuck, I missed you, you asshole," he said.
Del pulled a face. "Me, too. I'm really sorry I didn't call for a while. I needed to know if it was you I was missin', or just the thought of gettin' laid somewhat regular. I got to say it was a bit of both."
Sky laughed, shaking his head as he punched Del in one brawny shoulder. They were a good looking couple. Del's muscular build and dark coloring were nicely offset by Sky's more slender body and golden blondness. Del flung his arm over Sky's shoulders and hugged him tight.
"Speakin' of gettin' laid, where we sleepin' tonight?"
Sky peered around Del to look at me. "Okay if he moves into the house, for a while at least?"
I shrugged. "Fine with me. I don't suppose Tay and Gabriel will care."
We watched Lava until he ran out of steam and trotted up to us looking for a carrot. Once he was bedded down in the western barn, and we had Del's trailer stored out in the field with the others, we headed back to my place for dinner.
Sam got a kick out of seeing Del again, and was eyeing him with more than mild interest as he stood at the island making salads.
"Forget it," I whispered to him as I reached for the loaf of French bread. "He can't wait to get Sky's pants off."
At that point, Del stood and stretched, tightening his shirt across his broad back. "You sure?" Sam asked wistfully.
Dinner was good, but they declined our invitation of coffee in the den. Del hadn't been able to keep his hands off Sky throughout the meal, and they hurried out the door to Sky's truck with barely a 'thank you.'
Sam laughed. "I can just image what they'll be up to in about twenty minutes." His eyes drifted down to my crotch for a second, then came up to meet my eyes. "Actually, that sounds like a hell of an idea. What d’ya think
Del settled right in to Jeff's house. He and Sky rearranged things at their end of the place so that they slept in the smaller bedroom and used the larger master suite as an office and family room, outfitted with a comfy couch and a huge TV.
Having left all his colt-starting customers behind in Loooziana, Del tagged along with Sky to work each day, and began to help with the Foundation horses. We were up to fourteen at the moment, more than Gabriel could keep up with, so Del worked on the roughest ones, getting them to the point where Gabriel could put the finishing touches on them. He was excellent with the tough cases, and by the time he'd been there two weeks, he was an integral part of the team.
One evening when they were over for dinner, I talked with him about what he wanted to do, thinking I might hire him, but he said he just wanted to kick back for a while and see how things went. Sky interpreted that comment as meaning that Del maybe wasn't serious about staying and got bitchy with everyone for a few days until they straightened it out. I'd never seen Sky so touchy, but then I'd never seen him in love either, and it was obvious that he wasn't completely sure about Del's intentions.
Stiva's first annual April Art Walk was a big success. Sam and Vincent had put a lot of thought into the setting; they’d created a circular paved walkway along the river bank, winding it through the trees, with wider spots here and there dotted with benches and small gazebos. A few short docks were built out into the water with tables out at the ends.
Food stations were interspersed amongst the artists' booths, starting with appetizers at the station nearest the entry to the walkway, and progressing through salads, to main courses and desserts. There were several bars, as well, serving a variety of wine, beer, and non-alcoholic drinks.
They did a trial run of the food service for friends and family two weeks before the event to fine-tune things, and it went pretty well. Since Sam was busy running around, I wandered along with my folks, introducing them to Paula and Jack when we ran into them at the bar on the first pier. Katie had taken a part time job at Stiva's and was working the salad station.
Most of the guys were there. Max and Cas had staked out a shady table toward the end of the Walk where they collected friends who passed by. When I came along a little after 4 pm, pretty much everyone was there, lounging around under the trees. Kelly had taken quite a liking to Del, and was sitting near him tossing bread to the ducks that stood in a quacking semi-circle around him.
It was a fun day, and the real deal two weeks later went off without a hitch. I drove by in the early afternoon as I made a trip to the feed store, and the place was packed. The additional parking that Sam had arranged was full, and people were hiking down the side of the road. When I went back just before 6 pm to see how Max and David were doing, it was even busier.
Since most of Max's work was a little too risqué for a family event like the Walk, he had framed many of the drawings and sketches that he'd done with David over the past year. Despite the fact that he had more commissions than he could handle drawing people's kids, dogs, and horses, he was surprisingly nervous about displaying his wares for the public.
"God, what if nobody buys anything?" he worried as I helped him one Sunday afternoon in David's studio. I was doing pretty well emotionally, but Sam was still careful of how I spent my spare time, and since he had to work today, he’d arranged for me to spend the day with Max. We were choosing frames for some of the larger nature scenes he'd done last summer. I was sorting through frames, trying them against the drawings, and Max was practically wringing his hands as he paced around the studio.
"Honey, relax. I guarantee you people will buy your stuff." I picked up a foot square colored pencil drawing of a scrub jay sitting in a mesquite. The dusky blue of the bird contrasted nicely with the yellow blooms of the bush, and the jay looked like he was about to take off. "Look at this. It's lovely, Max. They all are."
He studied the drawing critically for a moment, and then sighed dramatically. "I hope you're right."
I smiled to myself at how much he was taking this little art show to heart, but it was his first one, and I guessed I'd be nervous too.
I stopped walking as soon as I could see his booth, watching from a bend in the sidewalk. Max was making change for a woman and her young daughter. The girl was clutching a small drawing of Ginger in her hands and gazing at Max as if he'd hung the moon. As they walked away, Max smiled after them, and then ran his eyes over the crowd. They landed on me for a second, went on by, then came back quickly, and his delighted expression said it all.
"I'm almost sold out," he said as I came near, struggling unsuccessfully to suppress a huge grin. "They love the horse ones and the series I did by the creek."
He had only a few pieces left, one of which was a favorite of mine. It was a charcoal sketch of Eyeore standing next to the old hand pump behind the hay barn. He was half asleep, and a bird was sitting on his rump, plucking hairs from his fuzzy winter coat. It was a charming picture and I couldn't imagine why it hadn't sold, except that he'd had a lot of donkey drawings. I pulled out my wallet and tried to hand him some bills, but he was appalled that I'd try to pay him for it and thrust it into my hands with an apology.
"I didn't know you liked that one. Why didn't you say so? I'd have given it to you back when I first drew it."
"I like so many of them that I'd run out of wall space in heartbeat if I took them all. But since you still have this one, I want it."
David had done well also, selling several large oils. His sketch book was lying open on the table, and as I leafed through it I began to smile. Page after page of Levi looked back at me smiling at the viewer; looking partially away with his eyes downcast; asleep on the couch with one arm flung out to the side; laughing with his head thrown back; gazing quietly at me with his face half in shadow. I glanced up to find David watching me.
"These are amazing," I told him. "Just beautiful."
He shrugged. "He's a good subject, very expressive, and he just lives every moment like it's his last." He paused, and the smile died from his face. "I didn't think I could still feel like this. It's kinda scary."
I put the book down and hugged him. "But wonderful, too, huh?"
I spent some time doing a little early Christmas shopping, and was buying a silver bracelet for Sam when I heard a deep voice in my ear. "And who would you be buying that for, laddie?"
With a widening smile, I turned to meet Ryan's twinkling green eyes. "Hey. I didn't know you'd be here. You should've called."
We found a vacant bench and talked for an hour until Sam found us. He was eating an Italian ice and spooned a big bite into my mouth as he sat down, laughing as my face puckered from the lemony tartness. He was very nonchalant as he glanced around, which I knew meant he was thrilled with the day. We sat there as the crowd began to dwindle and the artists packed up. Finally Sam stood.
"Come up to the restaurant, we'll have dinner."
We ate a leisurely supper of appetizers, salad, and bread that hadn't been consumed during the Walk. Vincent joined us after he finished running the preliminary numbers for the day, and lifted his glass to me; I looked back at him with raised eyebrows.
"To Dean's brilliant idea. The Art Walk was a smashing success. We did triple what we do on a normal Sunday."
We all drank to that, and spent the next hour in pleasant conversation. Ryan was a well-read guy and I really enjoyed his company. Vincent excused himself to oversee the final clean-up, and the three of us left for home after convincing Ryan to spend the night again. We headed for the hot tub, with Sam stepping out of his shorts as we rounded the last bend. Ryan laughed as he flung them on a chair and climbed straight into the bubbly water. Sam shot him a look.
"My fucking feet are killing me," he moaned, holding them up to one of the jets. "I bet I walked fifty miles around that damn sidewalk today."
Ryan didn't hesitate in shedding his clothes, giving me my first look at his body. He had an average cock, but uncut, and a nice big set of low hanging nuts. We spent the next hour soaking and talking. Ryan had been married for a few years in his early twenties, and claimed it had been a good experience.
"Taught me a lot about what I really wanted and didn't want in a relationship." He paused, looking down into the water, "and it made me a better person to be with, more tolerant, more open with my feelings."
Never having been with a woman, I was pretty curious about his marriage. "Why did you split up?"
"It just got to a point where it wasn't fair to either of us to stay together. We're still really good friends. After our divorce, Sharon moved back home. She's a real estate agent in Southern California."
When we went our separate ways in the upstairs hall, Ryan pulled me into a hug. "I'm really glad you're doing better."
I turned to say something to him just as he leaned in to kiss my cheek and our mouths met unexpectedly. He pulled back abruptly with an apologetic look at Sam. "Sorry, I, uh….."
"No problem," Sam said as he quickly kissed a surprised Ryan, "long as I get one, too."
He herded me off down the hall, and when I glanced back as we turned into our room, Ryan was still standing there watching us.
At the end of April, Tay found me in the hay barn and told me he was moving back into his old apartment.
"Things not going well with Gabriel?" I asked him as I counted rows and stacks of alfalfa and orchard grass.
"I don't know if it's him or me, but there's just not much of a connection. We had a good time in bed for a while but that kinda played itself out. He’s a quiet guy. Ya never know what he’s thinkin’. I want someone I can talk to, someone….." He shook his head in frustration and shrugged. "Fuck, I don't know. I guess I want what you and Sam have." He was silent a moment, then, "You suppose that'll ever happen?"
"Ah, Tay, you gotta believe it will. Look at Max and Cas, how they met. They're an unlikely couple an orphan street hustler and an aristocrat, but their relationship is really good. Then there’s Sky and Del. That started out as a one-night thing in Amarillo. Took a while, but they ended up together."
I put down my clipboard and pulled him to me by the front of his shirt. He dropped his forehead down onto my shoulder and blew out a noisy breath as he tucked his thumbs into the back pockets of my jeans. He lightly squeezed my ass with his fingers as he spoke.
"I sure hope so. I'm tired of being by myself. With Del at the house now, him and Sky always playing around, well, it's depressing to watch. That's why I wanna move."
I thought for a quick minute before saying, "Why don't you live with us for a while. You can have the whole one end of the upstairs to yourself, and, if you want, you can join Sam and me now and then."
He pulled back abruptly to frown at me. "You serious?"
"You had a good time with us last summer, didn't you?"
"Yeah," he replied decisively. "I sure as hell did."
"Then come stay for a while. You can leave your furniture at the house, if you want."
"Well, thanks, Dean."
"Come on over for dinner and just stay."
We went our separate ways, and I gave Sam a quick call to let him know we'd have a house guest.
"Cool. How about we do the hot tub tonight?" Then as an afterthought, "He fucks, right?"
I told him I was pretty sure he did, and we hung up.
The hot tub was where we'd first fooled around with Tay, so I figured I knew what Sam had in mind. I got home before either of them and threw some left over lasagna in the oven to warm while I sliced a baguette for garlic bread. About five minutes later, Sam came through the door from the garage with a gleam in his eye and plunked down his briefcase. Then he stepped up behind me, clamped both hands firmly over my crotch, and planted a big, wet kiss on the side of my neck, growling as he chewed on me.
I'd given Tay a key, and he walked in just as I was giggling hysterically and struggling to get away from Sam's roaming hands and busy mouth. He stopped and watched with a big grin on his handsome face, laughing when I begged for help. I still had a butter knife in one hand and a slice of bread in the other, so I threw the bread at Tay and managed to duck out of Sam's grip.
We ate on the patio. It was a little cool, but the wine warmed us, along with thoughts of what was still to come. When Sam pushed his chair back and stood, Tay looked up at him inquiringly.
"Hot tub, anyone?" Sam asked, holding his glass aloft.
Tay and I jumped up and followed him down the path to the tub, lit only by the dim lights in the shrubbery. We stripped silently and slid into the water, each of us making a soft sound of pleasure as the warm water enveloped us. Sam was between Tay and me, with one hand on my leg and the other holding his wine glass. After we’d soaked for a bit, he drained his glass, sat it back away from the tub, and reached over to hold the back of Tay's neck.
"Come here," he said, tugging on Tay a little.
Tay's eyes caught mine for a second as he moved over to straddle Sam's legs, facing away from him. Sam's hands slid down Tay's body until they disappeared into the bubbles, making Tay catch his breath as they settled into his lap. I couldn't see what Sam was doing, but having been the recipient of many such hot tub crotch rubs, I could well imagine. Imagining was enough to stiffen me up, and I idly played with my cock as Tay leaned back against Sam's chest and moaned.
He must have been pretty excited just thinking about this evening cause it wasn't long before his brow furrowed in concentration. I stood and moved around in front of him, keeping one hand on my dick and tweaking Tay's nipples with the other. That did him in and he arched back against Sam, his mouth open as he grunted through what sounded like a great orgasm, wincing a couple times as Sam squeezed his nuts or something. I was smiling at him when he finally opened his eyes.
"Geez, when's the last time you got off?"
He rolled his eyes and grinned ruefully. "This morning."
I laughed at him, but Sam was ready to go upstairs and get serious, so we climbed out of the tub and walked up to the house, cocks bobbing as we trotted through the chilly night air. In our bedroom, Sam took the lead again, pushing Tay and me onto the bed, side by side on our bellies. He crawled up from our feet, one hand on each of us, his mouth going back and forth between us.
He was in heaven with two butts to work on, and kept Tay and me both happy by using his fingers and his tongue as he shifted from Tay’s ass to mine. Tay and I shifted a little until we could kiss and reach each other's dicks. Getting your ass rimmed by one hot guy while getting kissed and stroked by another is about as close to perfect as it gets, and I felt my brain shutting down as my body lit up.
I knew Sam wanted to fuck Tay, and wasn't surprised when he began to concentrate his efforts on that. I rolled over to watch him work two fingers into Tay's hole, his other hand kneading Tay's white, round ass. He really did have one of the most spectacular butts I'd ever seen, and I reached over to put my hand along side Sam's, feeling his fingers slide in and out of Tay. On one inward stroke, I added a finger of my own, getting a deep groan from Tay and a scorching look from Sam as he leaned down to kiss me hungrily.
Sam's cock was drizzling precum like a leaky faucet as he scooted closer and took aim. As he sank slowly in, Tay's closing fists scraped up folds of sheet, and he bared his teeth in a grimace. I ran a hand up his back to rub his neck.
"You okay?" I whispered. He just nodded.
Sam was breathing in short little pants by the time he ground his clipped pubes against Tay's ass. Tay had his head buried in his folded arms, moaning softly. I lay on my back, jerking off slowly, watching Sam's face as he began to move his hips in a steady rhythm. His eyes would close for a few strokes, and then he'd open them to look down at Tay or me before dropping them shut again as his head tipped back.
After a while, Sam tugged my leg to bring me closer. He lifted my ankle to his shoulder, sliding his hand down my leg until he could massage my nuts and poke a finger into me now and then. I reached under Tay to grab his cock, and once Sam saw that all of us were taken care of, he began to thrust more quickly.
Again Tay was the quick-draw king, erupting into my fist with a series of deep grunts. I finished him and then used the same hand on my own cock, staring up into Sam's face as he watched me. He plunged a finger into me, tickling my hot spot while he pumped quickly into Tay. We came within a few shots of each other, his finger jerking inside me as his body convulsed.
When he was done twitching, he pulled out of Tay and crashed onto the bed next to me, his still half-hard cock angled across his belly.
"Jeee-zuz," he groaned.
We took a quick shower and climbed back into bed, to sleep this time. Tay moved his clothes in the next day, and we settled into a comfortable routine. Sam and I spent most nights alone, but occasionally dragged Tay up the stairs with us. After the first few days, he relaxed and began to enjoy the little conveniences of having a housekeeper who made your meals and did your laundry.
"Shit, Dean, I'd have moved in a long time ago if I'd known it would be this good," he joked one Tuesday morning as we were lounging on the patio waiting for Maria to call us in to breakfast.
Less than a week after Tay moved in with us, Gabriel cornered me in the tack room and gave his notice. I tried to find out what the problem was, but he was no more talkative than he'd ever been, and simply said he was ready for a change. Considering his past, I was a little concerned about his future, but I knew it wasn't in my hands.
After he left, I sat and thought about things for a while, then tracked down Del, who was working a horse on the longe line in the round pen.
"Wanna get on the payroll yet?" I asked him as the horse trotted around.
"Doin' what?"
"Just what you're doing now, only more of it. Gabriel's leaving, so you'd be in charge of the rehab part of the Foundation. You and Sky would be running things."
I mentioned the salary and that got his attention. He whoa'd the horse, gathering up the longe line as he walked over to me.
"I'd need to hire another guy."
"No problem," I assured him.
"Well, he's already workin' for ya."
I frowned at him as the horse nibbled on my sleeve. "Who?"
"Kelly. He's great with the horses."
As far as I knew, Kelly cleaned stalls, polished tack, and washed out trailers. I knew he was good with his own horse, Rascal, but it hadn't occurred to me that he had a knack for bringing along the abused Foundation horses. That required the patience of a saint, a lot of psychology, and a good deal of perseverance not traits that come to mind when you think of a 16-year-old.
"Really? What's he been doing?"
My faint disapproval must have come through in my voice because Del hesitated for a moment before replying. "I had him help me with that skinny little roan that come in a couple weeks ago. I'm too heavy for her, so I put him on. He was real good with her, had her bendin' and listenin'. Let me use him for a bit and see what you think."
I agreed, knowing that Del and Kelly had hit it off and figuring they'd work well together. That turned out to be the case, and I added Kelly to the Foundation payroll at a hefty pay increase from his stable boy rate. He was thrilled both with the money and to be working with Del.
By the time June was half gone, I was feeling pretty damn good, good enough, in fact, to throw myself the birthday party I didn't have in January. I wanted to surround myself with my closest friends, so we planned a Saturday pool party for just us boys. The day dawned hot and got hotter, making it perfect weather for playing in the water.
Everyone was able to make it; Jesse and Ben came for the day, and Ryan drove out from Dallas. He'd become a good friend since we'd met in the aftermath of Adam's death, and he'd spent a few weekends at the house. He slept in the guest room next to Tay's, and on those nights, we all stayed in our own rooms. The first time the four of us had traipsed down to the hot tub after dinner and stripped, Ryan had done a double-take when he caught sight of Tay's fat cock. No one noticed but me, and during the evening, I caught him giving Tay the occasional speculative look.
Ryan was friendly and fun, but so far, he'd kept his hands to himself. He kissed me hello and goodbye, but they were brief kisses, nothing more than affectionate, and he barely hugged Sam and Tay. I wasn't sure if he felt somewhat inhibited because of his prior relationship with Adam, or if he was simply taking his time getting to know us.
He showed up driving a cherry red Mercedes, which I saw from the kitchen window as I was filling a tray with crackers. I walked out onto the porch to greet him, wolf-whistling at the car as he climbed out of it. He did an eye roll and then laughed at himself as he joined me in admiring the sleek car.
"And what is this?" I asked him with raised eyebrows and a big smile.
"Aww, I got a thing for these," he grinned, "and when I saw this one, I couldn't fucking resist. Is it just totally too much?"
"No, no, it's great! Beautiful color. How's it drive?"
"Mmm, like it's on rails. I love it."
"Well, then……."
By this time Sam was missing me, had spotted the car, and everyone was milling around it. We all agreed it was spectacular, and Ryan looked a little more comfortable with it by the time we went back out to the pool. It was a great day; everyone was relaxed and in a good mood. We ate, played in the water, lay around in the sun, ate some more, and finally did one last hot tub session after it got dark.
The dim light from the garden lamps cast soft shadows on our faces, and made the secluded hot tub area seem even more private than usual. We were all a bit quiet; maybe from an afternoon of sun and play, or maybe from something a little deeper. In any case, it was a while before anyone spoke, and then it was Tay. He was sitting next to me on the edge of the tub, his legs on one side of Sam, mine on the other.
"Well, my daddy stopped by the barn yesterday, and allowed as how having a queer kid might not kill him after all."
I swung my head to smile at him, and he grinned back at me. I was probably the only one there who knew how much it meant to Tay to be close to his father again. Ryan looked at him curiously.
"You just came out to him recently?"
"Hell, I just came out to myself recently."
He told Ryan the tale of the pre-nuptial blow job, our kiss on my wedding day, his first time giving head in this very hot tub. When he was finished, Ryan glanced at me.
“Thanks,” he said.
“For what?” I asked him.
“Sounds like you’re the reason Tay’s here today.”
“Ah, he would have figured it out.”
“Maybe not,” Ryan remarked. “Lotta guys don’t not without someone they’re comfortable with to get things started that first time.”
I glanced at Tay, who shrugged, then said, “That had a lot to do with it, I admit. I trusted Dean. I figured he wouldn’t tell anybody, and he probably wouldn’t kill me when I asked him to blow me.”
“I almost did,” I said, thinking back to that day and how pissed I’d been that he just assumed I’d leap at the chance, although I was dying to once I got over the surprise.
We talked some more about making that first connection, and told our own stories. For some, it was just a chance encounter in a bathroom or parking lot; others, it was a seduction by someone more experienced; and for some of us, it was a mutual thing between friends, like Tay and me.
The party broke up soon after that, and as the last set of tail lights disappeared around the bend in the lane, Tay said good night and went upstairs. Sam took my hand and we walked down the hall to the kitchen, collecting the odd glass along the way, and cleaned up a little. As I was wiping down the sink, Sam came up behind me and nuzzled the back of my neck. I put the sponge down and turned to him, holding his hips as he settled his crotch into mine.
He humped me slowly for a minute or so, then took my face in both his hands and pulled back to look at me. His eyes roamed over my features, lingering on my mouth before coming up to meet my gaze. As we looked at each other, I smiled at him, but he remained somber. After looking at me for a long time, he spoke softly.
"I love you, Dean. I know you know that, even though I don't say very often, but it doesn't begin to cover what you mean to me." He paused, running his thumb gently along my bottom lip before saying, "You are my heart beat."
It was such a stunning statement of how he felt about me that I was speechless. Our gaze held a bit longer, and then he kissed me lightly.
"Let's go up to bed, sweetheart."
I put my arm around his waist as he draped his over my shoulder, and as we stepped out of the kitchen, I reached over and flipped off the light.
We settled into bed with Sam hugging me back against him tight. This was my happy place where I felt loved and protected. We had the survived the storm of depression that had threatened to lay waste to our happiness. I knew there would be more storms in the years to come, in every couples life rain must fall. I also knew that we could survive them all together.
A/N: Thanks Dear Readers for all your comments and feedback on this story. I'm so glad you all decided to join me for the ride! Hugs to all of you! Love DDD
