Lone Wolf Ranch - 9. Chapter 9

Connor

Connor’s mind immediately focused on ‘Carol and I’. Why was Carol involved? Was she upset that he was so close to Danny? Was she upset they slept naked? Did she think Connor would touch the boy just because he’s gay? He felt trapped, and the panic was rising. Then he felt a small hand grip his, and Danny climbed into his lap. Connor felt much calmer as he put his arms around Danny and looked at Shamus.

“What did you want to talk about?” Connor asked calmly, trying to hide his fears.

Before Shamus could reply, Carol said, “I wanted to say how happy I am that we found each other. Danny needs a male role model, and I’m hoping it will be you. I think you’ve noticed; he’s become quite attached to you.”

Relief washed over Connor as he smiled and said, “I’m quite attached to him as well.”

Shamus said, “Carol and I talked. She’s aware of our dress code, as it were. It’s also her dress code, but we wanted to talk to you before subjecting you to a naked female adult. Maybe we’ll work up to it if you’re uncomfortable?”

Connor shrugged and replied, “Ma and Da weren’t naked all the time, but I’ve seen them both often enough. I’m fine with it if you are Carol.”

Shamus laughed and went on, “I’m glad that’s cleared up. The next issue has to do with Danny sleeping in your bed. If that’s going to continue, you’ll need to find time for yourself. Do I need to explain?”

Connor blushed as he said, “No. In fact, since we’re being open and honest, I need to tell you what happened.” He went on to tell them about the night he had the wet dream and about Danny’s reaction. He didn’t hold anything back, telling them all the embarrassing details. Then he asked, “Did I do anything wrong?”

Carol smiled as she said, “What happened is natural, and I think you handled it perfectly. When Danny’s your age, he might blush about it, or he might tease you about it, but you certainly didn’t harm him in any way. When it happens again, and it will happen again, answer his questions honestly.”

Danny jumped up and ran inside the trailer, saying he needed the toilet. A few minutes later, they heard, “Cawnew, I’m done.” Carol and Shamus laughed as Connor sighed and headed inside. He found that Danny had simply stripped and was sitting on the toilet naked. Once cleaned up, he bolted outside without dressing. Connor thought about it, then looked through the door. He decided to see how comfortable he would be with Carol, so he undressed and placed his folded clothes on the bench. He folded Danny’s discarded clothes and stacked them with his own. Then Connor took a deep breath and stepped out into the unknown.

On the way to his chair, he grabbed a soft drink. Connor sat, opened it, and pulled Danny onto his lap. Shamus and Carol continued as if nothing had changed. Shamus was grilling chicken while Carol was placing containers of food on the table. Connor realized that he was feeling perfectly comfortable.

Shamus smiled and said, “Not to make you uncomfortable, but you should keep a towel handy if you’re going to be like that. If someone happens to come by, you can cover up quickly. It’s also polite to cover up when you get excited if you follow me?”

Connor nodded and asked Danny to run and grab a few towels. When he returned, Danny asked, “Are you sleepin wif me Cawnew?”

Realizing he didn’t know the answer, Connor asked, “Shamus, where are we all sleeping?”

Carol answered, “Shamus and I talked about it. We thought you and Danny could take the queen bed that’s over the gooseneck. I’ll fold out the couch, and Shamus can fold down the benches in the dining area.”

Connor thought about the options and realized this was the best. If Carol and Danny were in the queen, Shamus would still be on one of the foldouts. And most likely, Danny would end up with Connor, so he said, “I won’t argue with that plan, but if either of you wants the big bed, just say so. Danny and I can fit on the couch foldout.”

When the chicken was ready, they sat at the table to eat. Connor was helping Danny cut his chicken when Shamus asked, “Connor, do you believe in ghosts?”

Confused, Connor said, “Um, I don’t know?” Shamus waited, so he added, “I mean, no, I don’t believe in ghosts, but I don’t disbelieve either. If I ever saw a ghost, then I would believe. Why?”

Shamus asked, “So you’re open to things you’ve never seen? You’re not a closed-minded person that sees the world as black and white, right?”

Connor explained, “I know enough to know that I don’t know everything. Do I believe in Bigfoot? Or the Loch Ness Monster? I don’t know if they’re real, but it seems unlikely. If you took me to Scotland and we saw Nessy, I would say I believe. Right now, I won’t say that I don’t believe, just that I don’t know. Does that make sense?”

Shamus nodded. His eyes roamed over the boy’s naked body, then he said, “You’ve changed since yesterday. I told you before that late puberty is common in our family, but I didn’t tell you how late or how common. We either go through it slowly and early, beginning at age 10, or it hits us hard and fast in our 14th summer. Your cousin Ronin will be 15 in September. Your other cousin Emmet turned 12 in April. They’re both about where you are. Ronin’s brothers, Rory and Regan, are 13 and will go through puberty next summer.”

Connor was stunned and said, “Wow. And I thought I had it bad.”

Shamus smiled as he said, “They all grew up on the ranch. They understand what to expect.”

They had finished eating during this conversation, and Connor was about to ask what believing in Bigfoot had to do with late puberty when he realized there was a 3-year-old lying over in his lap, asleep. He picked Danny up and carried him inside. Wetting a washcloth, Connor wiped the food from Danny’s face, his hands, his chest, his belly, his legs, and his groin. He laughed and shook his head, wondering if he had been such a messy eater, then he laid him on the bed and kissed his forehead. As he backed away, Connor marveled at how easily he had become so attached to the boy he had just met.

When he turned, he found a naked Carol folding down the other beds. As he had expected, her nudity didn’t concern him at all. He handed her the sheets, blankets, and pillows and helped her make the beds. When they were done, they went outside. Carol offered to clean up the dinner clutter while Shamus and Connor checked on the horses.

After putting fresh hay in each manger and clean water in each bucket, Shamus said, “Before you go to bed, you should probably relieve some pressure. Unless you want to wake Danny again?”

Connor blushed and said, “I did that yesterday.”

Shamus grinned and said, “As I said, you’re changing fast. For most boys, every few days is enough. For you, daily is a must. Even then, you’ll probably still have some wet dreams.” He winked and added, “I’ll leave you some privacy.”

Connor didn’t know what to think, but a certain part of his body was already reacting to what Shamus had suggested. He looked down and realized that he had been so focused on Carol’s reaction to his being naked that he hadn’t noticed the changes since last night. Connor was longer and thicker down there, and there was definitely hair where there had been none. He lifted his arms and found hair under them too.

Deciding to worry about that later, he wrapped his hand around his no longer little friend and quickly found the wanted relief. Most of it shot onto the ground, but there were a few drops on his finger. Curious, he brought his finger to his nose and sniffed. Smells like a swimming pool, he thought. Then, sticking his tongue out, he tasted it. ‘Not bad,’ he thought as he headed back to the living area.

Before he went in, Connor stopped and said his gratitude prayer. Then he quietly went inside and climbed into bed. As soon as he laid down, Danny rolled over in his sleep and cuddled up in Connor’s arms. He had a huge grin on his face as he fell asleep.

Connor’s dreams that night were different. Quite different. He became aware of a small hand petting the fur on his neck. He wagged his tail and nuzzled his nose against Danny’s belly, taking in his scent. Connor licked his lips, and Danny giggled as Connor’s tongue licked his belly. Connor froze. What was happening? He lifted his muzzle and licked Danny’s face, then pushed him down with his neck as they cuddled. It was only a dream, right?

Connor hadn’t set an alarm, but a week of waking at 4 AM to clean stalls had him conditioned. He panicked and quickly put his hand to his face to confirm that he had fingers and a nose rather than paws and a muzzle. He sighed, relieved, then laughed at himself and fell back to sleep. The next thing Connor knew, there was a 3-year-old scrambling over him to get to the toilet. He looked at his phone and saw that it was 7 AM. He considered going back to sleep, but his bladder had other ideas. Once he and Danny had finished their visit to the toilet, Connor suggested they check on the horses.

They had just filled the water buckets when Shamus joined them and said, “You boys go get dressed, then come back and help get the horses saddled. We’ll ride up to the main house to let my friends know we’re here. Then we’ll ride up to the lake for a swim and lunch.”

Connor was surprised at Danny’s stamina. The boy rode all morning, then spent two hours in the lake, splashing and laughing. After lunch, they all relaxed and napped in the sun to let the food digest. Connor woke to find Danny in his lap, snoozing. He tried to get up without disturbing the boy but heard, “I gotta pee.” He turned and motioned for Danny to follow. They headed to a tree, and both giggled as they crossed streams and tried to see who could pee farther. After that, they headed back to the lake for some more fun.

On the ride back to the camp, Shamus told everyone he wanted to be home before dark tomorrow, so he hoped to roll before ten. After a dinner of cheeseburgers, chips, and cole slaw, Connor carried a sleeping Danny off to bed.

Connor woke to find another mess on the sheets and Danny’s back. This time, he simply got up, grabbed a towel, cleaned off the sheets, Danny, and himself, and went back to sleep. He was jolted awake by Danny’s well-aimed knee. The boy was scrambling for the toilet and left Connor groaning and laughing as he watched the cute little butt rush out the door. Connor soon followed, then suggested that he and Danny should feed, water, and load the horses.

As they were finishing, Connor’s nose led them to the stove, where they found Shamus flipping pancakes. When asked, he told them Carol was packing and securing everything for the trip. Connor went inside, and with his help, they were ready to leave as soon as the after-breakfast cleanup was finished.

They were on the road by nine. Connor sat with Danny and watched movies on the DVD player when the boy was awake. When Danny was asleep, he sat up front with Shamus, and they talked about things at the ranch. Shamus told Connor about the family he had never met.

Connor’s great uncle Tiernan ran a nearby ranch that was part of the group of ranches that Shamus controlled. Tiernan’s grandsons, Aiden and Clinton, also had ranches under Shamus’ control. When asked about how all that was set up, Shamus said it was complicated, and Connor would learn it over time.

“You’ve got several cousins your age or close to. Ronin, Regan, and Rory are Aiden and Sarah’s boys. Clint and Wendy have Emmet and Katherine though you risk your life if you call her anything but Katty.” Shamus said. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, “I suppose we’ll have to go get Madison next spring.”

“Who’s Madison?”

Shamus smiled and replied, “Another cousin of yours. Her family still lives in upstate New York, but she should come to the ranch next spring.” When Connor started to ask why, Shamus added, “I’ll explain it when I explain why you have to inherit the ranch, ok?”

Connor nodded. He wondered why everything had to be so secretive, but he decided he wouldn’t let it bother him. Instead, he asked, “Tell me about the house?”

Shamus sighed and said, “Well, that’s another thing we should wait to discuss.”

Connor shook his head in frustration and snapped, “Is there anything you can tell me about that’s not top secret?”

Shamus looked at him, then smiled and said, “None of this is secret, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know in time. It’s just that there’s a lot to go over, and I don’t want to overload you. Can you understand that?”

Lowering his head, Conner nodded and said, “I’m sorry for snapping; it’s just frustrating.”

“I’ll tell you about the house. It will make more sense when we get there, but I don’t want you to think you can’t trust me, ok?”

“I trust you, Granda. I’m just frustrated. It seems like I only get answers to one question in ten.”

Shamus nodded, smiled, and said, “I’ll answer the other nine within the week. Can you accept that? For now, let me tell you about the house and why it’s complicated.”

He went on to explain that Shamus Fergus O’Faolan and Maggie O’Faolan brought their family to the area in 1832, long before most white settlers. They lived peacefully with the native tribes and watched with interest as the railroad came through. Shamus realized what it meant to a rancher to have the railroad so close. So, he and each of his children purchased fifty thousand acres from the railroad. Each of them also received several land grants. When combined, the family owned over nine hundred thousand acres. Unlike most of the large ranches in the area, which depended on lands leased from the state or federal government, Lone Wolf Ranch owned every acre they used.

The house Shamus lived in was built in 1912 to serve as the main residence for the manager of the ranch and his family, as well as the place for all gatherings of the extended family. While it was large, it was located near town, as the manager spent most of his time working with vendors and customers.

Shamus said, “I decided to move the main house a few years ago, and we had some issues that slowed us down. Right now, the new house is only a basement foundation. When I realized that you were turning fourteen this year, I put the construction on hold to await your input.”

Danny was awake, so Connor moved to the back and must have fallen asleep because when he looked up, they were approaching Havre. As they drove through town, Shamus pointed out the bank, the AA meeting house, and several other businesses he felt Connor should be familiar with. Soon they were headed south, out of town.

Shamus explained, “The house is seven miles south of town. The new house is thirty miles from town, as the crow flies, but it’s a 50-mile drive. There’s an airstrip at the new house. We own two small planes and several helicopters if we need to get to town quickly. Most of the purchasing, selling, and banking can be done online now, so there’s no need to live so close to town. You’ll come to value your privacy, Connor, trust me.”

When Shamus slowed and turned to drive through a large gateway, Connor saw a huge Victorian house about a mile from the road. Around it were several other buildings. One was obviously a stable. As they got closer, he saw a man that looked a lot like Shamus standing up from a rocking chair. With him were two couples that looked about the same age as Connor’s parents. Coming around the side of the house was a girl that he assumed was Katty. Standing by the stables were four boys.

Shamus backed the trailer close to the front of the stable. Carol parked by the truck and was getting Danny while Connor headed to the back of the trailer. By the time he got to the door, they had already opened the trailer and were leading Brandy, Waya, and Fenrir inside. One of the twins tried to lead Maʹiitsoh but was having no luck until Connor stepped up and took the lead rope. The younger boy just nodded and grabbed Mac Tíre’s rope, and followed.

Once the horses were settled in their stalls, Connor turned to find all four boys lined up and staring at him. After an uncomfortable minute, he cleared his throat, reached out to one of the twins, and said, “I’m Connor. Are you Rory or Regan?”

The boy hesitated, then took the offered hand and replied, “I’m Rory. Unless we’re naked, you can tell us apart by our boots and hats. I wear black; Regan wears brown.”

Connor grinned and shook his hand, then turned and offered his hand to Regan, asking, “And if you’re naked?”

Regan smirked and lifted his shirt as he said, “I had my appendix out, Rory didn’t. I got a scar,” pointing to the small scar on his belly.

Connor nodded as he looked at them both. Shamus wasn’t wrong. They were thirteen but could easily pass for ten. Shamus had said that puberty would hit them next summer. Connor then turned and offered his hand to a boy that looked his age. “Ronin?”

He shook his head and grinned, saying, “Nope, I’m Emmet. I’m the odd one out since I’m not…” Ronin elbowed him, and he quickly shut up.

Ronin glared at Connor, then offered his hand and said, “I’m Ronin. I guess I’ll have to teach you everything since you’re a city boy, huh?”

Connor shook his hand and said, “I would appreciate your help, yeah, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Before he could reply, a female voice came from behind him, saying, “Don’t worry about him, Connor. I’ll teach ya what ya need to know about ranching. I’m a better cowboy than these whelps anyway. Ain’t that right Ronin?”

Ronin stiffened and said, “Whatever, Katty. You know I’m better at ropin’ than you could ever hope to be.”

The twins both started giggling, and Rory leaned forward to whisper, “Katty and Ronin are always arguing about whose dick is bigger. Even tho she ain’t got one, my money’s on her.”

This caused Emmet and Connor to join in the giggling, and even Ronin and Katty stopped their arguing to laugh. When she stopped laughing, Katty offered Connor her hand, saying, “I hate to admit it, but he is better with a rope than me. We’ll all pitch in and teach you what you need to know, though.”

Shamus had parked the truck and trailer and now stuck his head in the stable to say, “All of you come introduce Connor to your parents”

They followed him to the house, where Carol was sitting on the porch steps talking to two women Connor assumed were his aunts.

The redhead smiled and said, “I’m Sarah. You’ve met my boys, I assume. The big blonde over there is their dad, Aiden.” When he heard his name, Aiden looked up and waved, then continued his conversation with the other two men.

The blond woman said, “I’m Wendy, Clint’s wife. I hope Katty hasn’t talked your ear off.”

Katty rolled her eyes, then pointed at the man with brown hair and a goatee, saying, “That’s my dad.”

Clint pulled himself away from his brother and came over. Connor offered his hand and said, “Nice to meet you, Uncle Clint. I’m Connor.”

Clint took the offered hand and said, “Nice to meet you, Connor, but I’m not your uncle. Just call me Clint. You’re cousins with everyone here except for Uncle Tiernan and Granda. Your mother’s father is…”

Shamus interrupted him, saying, “Y’all got calves to brand in the morning if I remember right?”

Everyone nodded, then Clint looked at Connor and asked, “Will you be coming with us to learn?”

Before he could reply, Shamus said, “Connor and I will be there, yes. Where are you starting?”

Everyone looked at Katty as she replied, “Pa’s got 97 cows with calves, and Uncle Aiden’s got 142. We planned on starting at our place. We’ll use the corral in Carson Coulee for ours. Aiden’s herd is grazing the cut hayfield out by the landfill. He and Pa are going take two portable corrals and set them up while we do our herd.”

Shamus nodded, then asked, “What about Tiernan’s and mine?”

Katty said, “We’ll get those on Tuesday. Between branding, tagging, castrating, vaccinating, and wellness checks on the cows, we’ll be all day with ours and Aiden’s. Tiernan’s got 172 pairs this year, and you’ve only got 123. Pa flew up yesterday to look at the grazing lands. He thinks Bear Paw can support 200 pairs, and Clear Creek can handle 250 pairs. We’ll cut ours, and Aiden’s down and put them on Bear Paw. Uncle Tiernan said to cut his to 150 and yours to 100. That will make Clear Creek work for yours and his.”

Shamus thought for a moment, looked at Tiernan, then said, “I’ll be taking Apollo and Mars to the slaughterhouse this fall. They’re both 4 years old now, and this will be their last season. Keep 4 of my calves as bulls. We’ll keep the best-looking 2 next spring.”

Katty nodded and said, “Yeah, we’ll be keeping 2 of ours and 2 of Clint’s as well. Uncle Tiernan’s bulls are only 2 and 3, so he’s good until next year.”

Ronin looked at Connor with a smirk and said, “You didn’t understand any of that, did ya?”

Grinning, Connor replied, “I know some baby bulls are gonna lose their balls, and a bunch of calves are gonna get some scars. I’m guessing Bear Paw and Clear Creek are the names of grazing areas? You’re going to sell off cow/calf pairs until Clint and Aiden’s herds add up to 200 pairs that you’ll drive to Bear Paw. Then you’ll sell off enough pairs so Uncle Tiernan and Granda’s herds add up to 250 pairs which you’ll drive to Clear Creek. And, I’m guessing that it’s best only to breed a bull for 4 or 5 years, so it’s time to replace the older ones?”

Katty and the twins looked impressed, but Ronin said, “Easy enough to figure out from readin’ a book. Should we plan on you ropin’, giving shots, brandin’, or just keepin’ the tally for us tomorrow?”

Before he could reply, Shamus said, “Connor and I will do the ropin for Clint’s herd. I’ll want to teach him how to brand and cut too, so we’ll let the twins rope Aiden’s calves. Wendy can keep tally, and Sarah will bring lunch. We’ll see how tomorrow goes before we divide labor for Tuesday.”

Carol spoke up, asking, “Is there anything you need me to do?”

Sarah replied, “I’ll come over after they leave. You and I can fix lunch here. Then we’ll go into town and do any shopping you need.”

Danny looked at Connor with a questioning expression. Connor nodded and said, “We’ll take you and Mac Tíre with us, buddy. If you’re tired, you can always go shopping with your mom after lunch.”

Everyone loaded into various vehicles, and soon it was just Shamus, Carol, Danny, and Connor. When he went to unpack the Durango, Carol told Connor that Sarah and Wendy had helped her, and everything was already put away. Shamus showed Connor to his bedroom and suggested he shower while Shamus helped Carol fix a light dinner. Of course, Danny had to shower with him, and they were soon back in the kitchen for a quick sandwich. Then it was off to bed.

Connor woke in the middle of the night, disoriented. Once he remembered where he was, he gently slid his arm from under Danny’s head and got up. He looked through the window and saw two wolves in the yard. These were not ones he had seen in any of his dreams. These looked smaller, younger. They were watching the front of the house, almost like they were waiting for something. Connor heard a noise behind him and turned to see a huge black wolf standing in his doorway.