Wayne Gray

They seem to be making progress. And even with Bert recognizing him, Taggert didn’t totally hunker down. Yeah, it threw him, but he’s still engaging with Ash. We’ll have to see what their new equilibrium is like after things settle. Thanks for commenting and reading. I appreciate it!

Yeah, we'll have to see what effect that revelation has on Taggert. He does seem a bit thrown by it, and Ash can tell. But he didn't completely shut down this time, either. So we'll have to see how things go in the next few days and weeks. Thanks for the comment and for reading, Chris. 🤠

You're absolutely right about horses and therapy. There are literally "Horse Therapy" businesses and side-hustles people run. Mental health practitioners sometimes prescribe these programs to certain clients. And you're right about horses knowing people. Missy is a fun girl. She has decided preferences for her humans. She tends to like smaller people overall, and the bigger someone is, the less she likes them. Hence... Branford (6'6" tall) doesn't ride Missy. Ever. LOL. The moment with Bert did change things. Are they truly for the worse, though? When Ash pushed a little, Taggert didn't shut down. He just asked for time. And to me, that's progress. Ah, Rupert. We know his type pretty well. We've all met and interacted with people like him. But... he's not mean-spirited. He simply knows Ash and Taggert are feeling shy about things, and he doesn't see a reason to be. So... he makes it plain that they don't really have to. Why doesn't he do this with Dale and Eric? Well, because they don't care. And he knows that. The fucker. LOL Isn't that funny? How insecurity manifests as focusing on what others are doing rather than on oneself. Yeah. When I was in the military during Don't Ask, Don't Tell, most guys who knew about me would just leave it alone. They genuinely didn't care. It was only a select few whom I already suspected of harboring gay leanings who tried stirring stuff up. Funny how that works. Thanks for reading and for the great comments. More to come.

Haha. Disaster after disaster! Well, this one is a bit more subtle, but not to Taggert. For a quiet chapter, there's a lot to process here. Mostly for Taggert, but for all of the guys, too. And there's more coming. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Sneaky is okay if it's something fun. That's the rule. 😛 And yes. This is a slow burner, for sure. But we're watching them circle closer every chapter. And that's fun, at least it is for me. You've nailed it with the comment about them not caring who loves who. They're watching Eric and Dale kid with each other about spooning and sleeping together. They're watching Ash and Taggert do this little, careful dance with one another. And Rupert is a sort of bellwether. "Yeah, we see you. And we don't care." He's a pain in the ass, but he's genuinely doing them a favor. That "Maybe later." conversation is coming. And... it's a big one. Just be patient - it may take a bit to get to it, but we will. And you can probably guess that Bert is going to have a conversation about their new cowboy with Branford. I mean, Branford hired the guy. So... Thanks for reading and for the great comment. There's more to come. I'll go back to my five-day schedule, so the next one will drop on Friday. See you then.

You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it. This was a fun one to write. This slow, careful, unwinding of Taggert's defenses. Though he runs face-first into Bert. And now, he's feeling that old fear again. Even with that, he didn't fully retreat from Ash there at the end. So maybe the progress he has made hasn't been undone. We'll see next time.

Rupert is actually doing something important. I mean, he's not really meaning to, but he is.

You've found some good passages to quote, made good observations, and asked some great questions. Keep hold of all of that as we move forward. Thanks for the insightful comments. Nicely done.

I published this one a day early. I hope folks enjoy it.

Chapter 9: What Horses Know The ranch woke slowly the next morning. Not because there wasn’t work to do; there was always work to do. Especially now. But exhaustion still lingered in everybody’s bones from the storm. Men migrated toward the kitchen in stages instead of all at once. Boots thumped more heavily than usual. Coffee disappeared almost as fast as Terry poured it. Outside, the world was battered but alive. The sun had finally returned properly, pale gold spilling acr

Haha. That pretty much sums it up. Thanks for reading, tim!

"Too hot." That's what it is.

Thanks for reading, tim!

Glad you liked it. If the roof had been torn off, the suction of the tornado would have pulled everything inside up into the funnel. Including our guys. The force of wind and all of the debris would have killed them in moments. So… good call on replacing that rail! Thanks for reading and for the comment. 🙂

Taggert is trying to claw back the original boundaries, but Ash isn't letting him do it. Not now. Not after that kiss. So now, they've got to find a new equilibrium of some kind. And we're watching that now. What do they look like after such an event? And of course, will Ash really be satisfied with something less than open honesty? And will Taggert keep being able to maintain distance? We'll find out. Thanks for the comment and for reading. More coming!

Great way to put how Taggert has so far approached life at Nasser Ranch, and how he is beginning to doubt that approach is required. I think you'll like watching Taggert's progression. And... some of the other guys' journeys, too. Thanks for commenting and reading. There's more coming on Monday.

Oh, it's not a week. It's only five days. I'm mean, but not THAT bad! Yeah. Taggert woke to find that he'd been taken care of by Ash. And he doesn't quite know how to hold that. A guy like him, who wonders at motivation, who questions everything, he can't find a reason why Ash would do that. Other than the fact that Ash cares. And Taggert is having a hard time processing that. Then, seeing the examples around him of men simply being who they are, that's really making him question things, too. And he's likely better for it. Taggert is in rough shape emotionally. We can see that. So can Ash. Up until now, Ash has been pretty patient with him. He did have a bit of a moment, cornering Taggert (Do you regret it?), but he was likely owed. I mean, the man kissed him. Ash deserves a little something after that. Thanks for reading, Dave. More to come. In LESS than a week!

Damn it, I had replied to Cane! I knew I did!

I thought for sure I'd already replied to this, but I guess not. Let's try again... LOL. Okay, that's a funny way to put it, but you're not wrong. And yes, Taggert has put up a huge wall around both his heart and, more importantly, his trust. It takes repeated examples for him to trust. You're right, though. The place he finds himself isn't threatening, and he's not sure what to do with that. Sadly, he wasn't prepared for decency. For being treated like a human being. And he's getting that, not just from Ash, but from them all. Thanks for the comment. More coming on Monday.

So... I never specifically call this out, but Cara and Terry are a pair. Which... explains some of his behavior in chapter seven when Cara volunteered to drive out to open the gate that'd been missed. It becomes a bit more apparent over time, but yeah. Cara is married to their cranky cook. So they snuggled up on their own mattress along with the guys. They were cold because they'd been wet from rain and wet clothes all day. It seeps into your body and bones, and it takes a while for the body to warm up again. It wasn't too cold in the building itself, but they were chilled nonetheless. You're not thick. You're just watching a story unfold chapter by chapter. Maybe you're right about Taggert. We'll see. Thanks for reading and for the comments. More to come.

The way Taggert behaves reminds a person of a creature that has been mistreated. I think you got that right, just from what we can say now, and based on what we've seen. Nicely put. And you're right about that clean-up. Without a visual inspection, they won't know which fences need repairing or if there are injured animals out in the fields. They've already put in a lot of work focusing on animals and fencing, but there's a lot more to go. They do get to take a break now, a little one, since they've determined the animals are all right. And they can certainly use a break, and Branford knows it. It's part of why he's such a good man to have in charge. He knows their capabilities and their limits. Yes. Ash just wants some communication. To Taggert, it may feel like pressure, and I guess it is of a sort. But... Ash doesn't seem to be asking much. We'll have to see if Taggert can meet him half-way. And that's coming. Thanks for commenting and for the read. I appreciate it.

Haha. That's a great way to put it. Love that. Taggert has absolutely thrown up walls around his heart and his trust. Something has taught him that giving either away is dangerous, and those walls, while cracking, are still there. But you're right. He keeps looking for danger, and he's not finding any. That's disarming. He has a way to go, but he's slowly getting there. Thanks for commenting and reading. Hopefully I'll see you here again on Monday.

Thanks, Chris. Taggert does have a past, and we're watching the fallout from that now. Will he be able to get over it? We'll have to see. The ranch did survive. We'll get a look at the damage soon, but yes, it does appear they survived relatively well thanks to all their preparation. More to come soon.

Thank you! It’s great that you took the time to comment on the work - I appreciate that. I hope you continue to enjoy the story!