Wayne Gray

I found Gay Authors through one of my readers. I'd been posting work on Nifty, and he encouraged me to check out GA. I did, and I particularly liked that authors can receive feedback here. That's not everything, but it is incredibly valuable to me. Knowing my work resonates with people helps me to keep writing it. And I guess I already answered the second part. I stay because I get feedback and can offer it to others. GA is a great venue for both reading and writing. As long as it stays that way, there will be demand for it.

Thanks for the nice comment and for taking the time to read the chapter. It's a big deal for someone who has never had it to feel safe and secure. And Taggert behaves like someone who has had to watch his back his whole life. Someone like that treats kindness as suspicious. They don't allow themselves to show weakness. They're a wall when it comes to emotion. And Ash has had to work through those obstacles. It has been slow going, but that's how these things go. Thanks again. More to come on Sunday.

I don't think he was talking about the branding.

You know, Taggert seems to believe he's too damaged. He's too hurt, too wounded, too closed off. But Ash has leaned into being what Taggert needs from him. And he's doing it. In the face of that, how can Taggert continue being an island? But you're right. Taggert is still pretty fragile. Less than he was, but it's still there. Yet, so far, Ash has seemed up to the task. Thanks for reading and for the comment.

These guys really don't care who someone is sleeping with. Can they work? Do they pull their share of the load? Are they decent people? That's all that matters to them. They can see these connections happening, and sure, they're mildly curious about what's going on, but that's it. And to Taggert, that's an amazing gift. He doesn't know how to hold it yet. But he's slowly coming to terms with this place, where what he is matters less than who he is. Thanks for reading and for the comment. I appreciate it.

This is a great compliment, concerning how deep and rich all of the characters feel. Each is the star of their own story, and I wanted to write them that way. I'm glad that came across. But they also work well together. They have to; it's just part of the gig. And that snippet should have felt overwhelming. That moment was for Taggert. We'll learn more about it down the line, but you'll need to be patient with the process. We already know Taggert doesn't trust easily. We know he has his reasons. So it'll take time. Thanks for reading and for the great comment. More to come on SUNDAY. I saw how you tried to move the posting date to Saturday. *tsk tsk*

Thanks for reading and commenting, Chris. Yes. There's a lot of implicit trust tied up in the simple act of sleeping beside someone. And Taggert did that with Ash. It's the first time he has done anything like that in... well, we'll find out. Tag has suffered a lot. But Ash seems like the kind of guy he can lean on, too. We'll get to see more of that soon.

Thank you, Dave. I do like to kiss... so, there's that. LOL But yeah. They were both READY. At least, physically they were. And the work by Ash made sure Taggert was ready mentally, too. That first scene, with Ash leaving the trailer after kissing Taggert, I tried to imagine what kind of willpower it took for a pent-up, horny, mid-20s guy to do that. And I'm not sure I could have done it. Haha. But Ash isn't me, luckily. And he left, just to be sure it'd be Taggert who finally chose, not him. And eventually, Tag woke up wrapped safely in Ash's arms. Warm and comfortable. And valued. That last part, in particular, seems new for Taggert. Yes, he has a lot to go. But... maybe he has turned a corner. We'll have to see. More to come on Sunday.

Thank you, Parker. Yep. It happened. Ash and Taggert are paired up. And, funny enough, Branford already assumed they were, even before the more physical moment they'd shared. The cowboys can see and feel it as it is, even before their night together. Of course, Taggert still has some pain to deal with, and that hasn't changed. Well... maybe it has. A little. He wasn't rejected afterward by Ash, and that counts for something.

Well, what Branford was saying was that Zane would never send his own son to spy on a rival ranch. Because Yoder is a big name in ranching in Oklahoma, and Zane takes pride in that. That's how Branford knew Taggert was there on his own. That Taggert was in some sort of trouble and probably needed help. And he just hired him, and he sat on that knowledge. He didn't tell anybody. Not even Bert, the owner. And that's why, when Bert realized who Taggert was while handing out the cash bonus, he said, "Let's talk after this," to Branford. LOL You ask a good question. Could Zane Yoder, a man in direct competition with Nasser Ranch and with a larger ranch himself, cause trouble for our crew? Oh, he certainly could. Just one example: he could take an intentional loss on beef to cause prices to fall in the state, and lean on cash on hand to make it through, betting that Nasser Ranch doesn't have the same cushion. And he's not above such things. It's just he hasn't been given a reason to do it. And he'd rather not lose money if he doesn't have to. Currently, he doesn't have to. Could that change if he had an axe to grind and found out where Taggert was? Anything is possible.

I like Branford. He's a fun character to write and experience. So I'm glad you called out that scene. Dale and Eric have something. What is it, exactly? Nobody knows what to call it, including them. But does that matter? It just is. And yes, Ash has been incredibly patient with Taggert. We'll see if he's tested yet again down the line. Because yes - the truth about Taggert will come. And there will be a few reactions to that. Yeah, I agree. Most guys who have problems with M4M relationships have some kind of insecurity at the root of their feelings. Even those using religion tend to use it as an excuse. Luckily, these guys all seem secure enough to just not care. Really, it starts with Branford. They watch him, and they follow his lead. And he shows them the way.

Thanks for reading and commenting, tim. you're right. When you've been hurt or betrayed in some way, trust is a tremendous thing. And Taggert certainly seems as if he has been hurt badly by someone. What happened between him and Ash needed to happen. Not necessarily the physical component, but the display of trust. Taggert needed someone he could confide in. And Ash repeatedly proved himself worthy of Tag's trust. Regardless, it still took a big leap by Taggert. But he did it.

Thanks for the nice comment. Yeah, in spite of everybody's issues and problems, the ranch still moves and demands work from the cowboys. And we get to see them doing it. They're all competent, and they care about what they do, otherwise they'd not do it. I like how you drew a parallel between Ash's patient work with the cattle and his approach with Taggert. You're not wrong. Ranch work may have prepared Ash for the patience he'd need with Tag. It does make for that slow burn you mentioned, because Taggert is not a simple guy with simple problems. But Ash does seem ready. And this chapter does prove he's making progress.

Thank you for reading and for the comment. Taggert is certainly bearing scars from something that happened. We have a pretty good idea now of what that might be, though some mystery still surrounds it. And you're right - to really heal, he probably needs to confront those responsible. Though, as you have observed, he's not alone anymore. We'll find out what that looks like.

Thanks for reading and commenting. And I'm glad the chapter could inspire some emotion. Yeah, we probably know what happened to Taggert. We don't necessarily know who did it. We don't know the circumstances. We don't know the justification, exactly. We suspect... but we don't know. But we will find out. 🤠

Oh, there's always an adjustment to make when something new begins. Are they through the toughest stuff yet? They've already done a lot of internal work with each other (Ash in particular), so perhaps they understand one another well enough to deal with whatever comes. But... there's always the external world and the pressures it exerts. And we'll have to see what kind of trials await our crew. Thanks for reading and commenting. More to come on Sunday.

You know, there are tells in this story. Big, obvious, and almost certain. But I want folks to keep an open mind about the why. There's an easy answer, and a more interesting, convoluted one. And then, both can be true at once, too. Good choice of quotes. Yes, it tells us a lot. But... it doesn't necessarily tell us the why. Not all of it. Thanks for reading and commenting. More coming.

Thanks for reading and commenting, kbois. They're both a bit quick on the draw. They've been frustrated for a while, so... probably inevitable. And yeah, Ash seems willing to deal with Taggert's insecurity and pace. Though even he has his limits. And that's why he pushed a little in that first scene. I do think they're progressing. One little step at a time.

Thank you. I'm glad you liked the chapter.

Chapter 11: Stay? They'd worked hard to make up for the time they'd spent on Terry's birthday lunch. Still, Branford had taken mercy on them. Only the most necessary tasks had been assigned, and the rest would wait. It was a worthwhile sacrifice in efficiency. Finished now with work, dinner, and showers, the trailer was quiet except for the faint hum of the little apartment refrigerator and the soft ticking sound the cooling metal roof made after a long, hot day. Outside, the ranc

I do too.💚

Well, I can't reveal that here! you just hang on to your theory, droughtq... I mean... tim. hehehe

Thanks, tim. 🙂 And yes! you told me about the Mennonite drug smuggling connection. That’s crazy. I honestly had no idea that was a thing until you revealed it. Truth really is stranger than fiction, sometimes!

Thanks for reading and commenting, Chris. Yes. We know more about Taggert now. The guy had kept a lot to himself, but now he’s slowly letting Ash in. In big part because of that patience you mentioned. Glad you enjoyed the dinner for Terry. I liked that scene, too. 🙂

Lonely spoon. I slept alone since I was a coughing mess of fevered manchild. 😢