Indiana Summer - 18. Groundwork

Disclaimer: This story includes sexual and romantic situations between consenting individuals. Allusions to illicit or illegal activity, sexual or otherwise, may be used for enhancement of the story line and not as promotion there of. Remember AIDS, HIV and other STDs are a very real threat; please always practice safe sex.

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Indiana Summer18: Groundwork.

As August got closer, I started to look for opportunities to talk to Billy’s folks about me staying fulltime.

I knew that I’d have to get them to agree before I talked to my dad about it and that the old man would be the hardest to convince.

Billy seemed to be thinking along the same line because he was doing everything he could to endear me to his dad.

Billy was taking every opportunity he could find to talk up what I did around the farm and how well I worked with the horses; which he claimed needed a lot of tending during the winter.

It was after one of Billy’s raves about my work that Annie cornered me in the kitchen.

“Oh boy, you and I need to have a word real fast.” She said as she pinned me with that look of hers that always made my insides squirm.

“Sure Annie, what’s up?” My voice squeaked and the way she smiled made it clear that she had me.

“I want to know what is going on. Billy has been practically worshiping the ground you walk on and you’ve been…well lets just say my vacuum cleaner sucks up less than you have been lately; especially to my husband. Now I’m not adverse to a little flattery but there is a limit.” She smiled as she spoke and I felt myself blush in embarrassment.

I knew that trying to lie to her would be pointless considering she already had me where she wanted me so I directed her into the dinning room so we could talk.

“I’ve been giving it a lot of thought the last month and I would really like to stay here, work on the farm and finish school. That’s why I’ve been kissing up so much to you and Mr. Templeton, and why Billy’s been raving about my work.

I know that it’s a long shot and that Mr. Templeton really doesn’t like me that much but I really think I could be of help around here. I’d be more than willing to get a job to help out with the extra expenses as well.” I told her quietly.

Annie sat quietly for a few minutes, thinking things over I guess. After about five minutes I didn’t think I was going to get a reaction and was going to keep talking but before I could she spoke up.

“What about you’re father, and your life back in California?” She asked curiously.

“I don’t really have a life back there; you know the circumstances that led me to being sent out here. As for my dad…I know that I’d have to get you guys to agree to let me stay before I asked him, otherwise he wouldn’t even consider it.” I explained and Annie nodded.

“Why do you want to stay here?” I knew she would ask me that so I had my answer all ready.

“I love my dad and my uncle but California hasn’t felt like home in a long time. It feels like home here. I have friends and a life here and I’m not ready to leave it behind now. I love it here.” I left out the fact that I was head over heels in love with her son; I knew that would’ve been a deal breaker.

Annie was quiet for a while again before she smiled at me.

“Well, that’s as good a reason as any. If you really want to stay here, then I’ll see what I can do about helping convince William to let you stay.” She replied with a smile.

Annie and I stood up and before I had gone more than a few steps, she stopped me and pulled me into a hug.

I froze for a second, both out of surprise and the fact that I hadn’t had a motherly hug in a while as my dad and my uncle were more of the one-arm man-hug type of guys.

After I got over the shock though, I was able to wrap my arms around her petite form and hug her back.

Annie pulled away after a second and patted me on my cheek before moving away. I stood there for a moment feeling a little bemused but after a second, I headed out to the barn to help Billy.

We had completed all the construction that we could, and that Annie would allow us to do, so Billy and I spent our time working on various chores and errands around the farm.

I found Billy methodically cleaning Elder’s tack. He had the saddle completely disassembled with the various parts spread neatly on the workbench with the seat resting over a sawhorse.

I watched as he ran his fingers over the leather before following it with a damp sponge. I knew that he was looking for patches of dirt, breaks or tears in the leather before moving the sponge over it.

Billy’s focus was absolute, I doubt I could’ve distracted him even if I stripped naked and jumped up on the saddle he was working on. After a few more moments of watching Billy’s Zen like focus, I moved over to the horse stalls to start cleaning them out.

Earlier I had offered to help him but he refused. Billy’s care and dedication to the horses, especially Elder, drove him to make sure that their tack was perfectly cleaned and cared for.

So in place of helping Billy clean the tack I took over the chores. I hated mucking out stalls but as I worked, I couldn’t help but smile. If everything worked out, I’d be doing stuff like this for the next year.

A year ago, I’d have never seen myself doing this kind of stuff, cleaning horse stalls, stacking hay and rebuilding a barn. Now though, I couldn’t imagine going back home and doing what I did before I left.

This seemed like life now; it’s what I wanted my life to be. I’d hate to admit it to him when the time came but my dad was right. Sending me out here for the summer had done me a lot of good.

It wasn’t just finding Billy either, it was meeting Sam, Chris and Walker and connecting to Julian. It was the work too, doing something honest and pure it helped me clear my mind of all the crap that had accumulated there and let me focus on what was actually important in life.

I didn’t like to acknowledge the little seed of doubt that was buried in my mind but even if my plan didn’t pan out and I wasn’t able to stay, I knew that the lessons I had learned in my short time here would stay with me for a long time.

Finished with Elder’s stall, I took a break and looked back at Billy. He had finished cleaning and oiling Elder’s saddle and reassembling it and the various other tacks at the workbench.

Billy would stay with me for a long time too. Forever if I was being honest. Despite what I told Billy, I knew that there was a big chance this would all blow up in my face. Even if it did though, I wouldn’t be gone for too long, I’d keep in touch with Billy and when I turned eighteen in February I’d be back for him.

Just as I was about to turn back to work on Speckle’s stall, Billy turned and smiled at me with that shy little half smile that always sent a tingle up my spine.

Abandoning the horse stalls for a few moments, I walked over and stood behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my chin on his shoulder.

“You smell good.” I mumbled against his neck as I nuzzled against the back of his ear.

“You like the smell of soap and sweat?” Billy asked as he leaned his head a bit more to the side, giving me better access to his neck.

“Yea, but I also like the smell of leather and oil too.” I whispered before nipping Billy on the neck.

Billy shuddered against me and dug his fingers into my arms. I had learned fast that Billy was very tactile, he loved to touch and be touched, and he had several very sensitive places spread over his body.

One very fun spot to mess with was the little patch of skin behind his ear; another one was the joint where his neck met his shoulders.

I soothed the little scrape on his neck with a swipe of my tongue, making him shudder again in the process, before sliding my hands under his shirt. I let my fingertips play on his stomach for a moment before sliding my hands to his sides.

“What do you say to a swim and a little rough housing after we get done with our work?” I asked huskily and Billy nodded.

“Good,” I told him before pressing a kiss to the back of his neck, “Now get back to work.” I whispered before turning back to work on the horse stalls.

“Asshole.” Billy muttered and I looked behind me to see him rearranging his hard cock through his jeans.

I smiled as I watched; I loved having that effect on Billy. Knowing that all it took was a few nips and touches to get him going reminded me just how new Billy was to all this. Not just sex but to intimacy as a whole. He had spent so much time walling himself off and not letting himself really feel anything positive that every new sensation was euphoric and knowing that I had helped lead to that made me feel….insanely happy.

***

I watched David work on the stalls for a few minutes before I turned back to working on the horse's tack. I usually did a complete disassemble and cleaning once a month but with the work on the barn, David, Candy, learning to accept being gay, David, the short period that I worked for Mr. Murphy and David, it kind of got pushed out of my mind.

Now though I had plenty of time and no distractions.

'Well, fewer distractions,' I thought as I looked over my shoulder to see David pulling his shirt off and stuffing it into his back pocket before going back to work.

It took me the rest of the morning to finish the saddles and tack. I would have to talk to dad about replacing Speckle’s reins and Shadow’s stirrups as the leather was starting to wear-out.

Luckily Elder’s tack was still in decent enough condition that nothing was in dire need of replacement. Given how bad a mood dad had been in lately he wouldn’t be happy about replacing it.

“Come on Billy, lunch time.” David said as he crept up behind me as I was putting up Speckle’s saddle.

I turned and stepped back against the wall as David crowded into my space. Instead of pushing him away, I hooked my index fingers in his belt loops and pulled him up against me.

“What if what I want to eat isn’t in the house?” I asked quietly and David shuddered against me.

“You got a dirty mind, Billy boy.” David whispered as he leaned forward and nudged his nose against mine.

I leaned in close and just barely brushed my lips against his before speaking.

“I was talking about Bar-B-Q ribs, what are you talking about?”

Confusion took over David’s face for a second before he smiled and bumped his forehead against mine.

“You’re an ass Billy Templeton.” He said with a smile.

“I learned from the best, David Baily.” I replied before pressing my lips against his in a quick kiss before ducking around him and running for the house.

David shouted something from behind me and I ran flat out for the house. Just as my feet hit the first step to the back porch I felt four fingers slide under the waistband of my jeans, nails scratching a bit as they did, and with a yank that sucked the air out of me, David pulled me back and spun me around.

With a jarring thud, I found myself flat on my back looking up at David, his face a mixture of concern and amusement.

“You Ok, Billy boy?” David asked me worriedly as he extended a hand to pull me up.

“Nothing busted but my pride, babe.” I replied, took his hand, and pulled him to the ground next to me.

“You asshole.” David roared as he rolled on top of, straddling my hips and pinning my arms to the ground.

“You said that already.” I told him before bucking my hips and rolling us sideways till I was on top.

David wasn’t having any of that though. He tossed me and the two us started rolling and wrestling around in the grass, pushing, shoving and a little groping if our hands landed in the right places.

It was more fun than it was sexual and we probably would’ve kept going a while longer if we hadn’t had a bunch of cold water thrown on us.

The second after the icy blast hit us, we both jumped up and looked around for the cause of it, and our eyes landed on my mom standing on the porch, an empty pot at her side.

“Now are you two done or do I need to go get the hose?” She asked with arched eyebrow.

“We were just playing around.” David whined and I had to laugh a bit at his tone, he sounded like a little kid chastised by his mother.

“Yea, yea, I know how that goes. First, it’s just playing but then I’m treating fat lips, bloody noses and black eyes. I don’t think so.” She smiled before turning and walking back to the house.

David looked bemused for a second before following. Just before we got in the door, he stepped up behind me and pressed close enough to me that I could feel his hard cock pressed against my butt.

“She forgot to mention hard-ons that could pound nails.” He whispered in my ear and I felt my ears burn as he moved around me and into the house.

‘Bastard.’ I thought silently as I followed.

***

I watched as Billy pulled himself out of the water to lie back on the grass. After all our chores completed for the day, we headed down to the river to cool off and play around before dinnertime.

I moved slowly through the water until I was standing between his legs, which were still dangling in the water. Billy was beautiful, stretched out in the sunshine, little droplets of water reflecting on his skin.

I leaned over, resting my hands in the grass and ran my tongue over his chest, collecting the little drops and tasting his skin. Swimming had washed away the sweat we had accumulated through the day, and instead left the heady, natural scent of body that I loved.

“You’re being naughty.” Billy rasped as I flicked my tongue over his nipple.

“What’s your point?” I asked as I moved lower, occasionally flicking my tongue over his flesh.

“Don’t really have one. Just felt like saying naughty.” Billy replied, as he slid his hands up my arms to my shoulders. He cradled my neck with both hands and pulled me up so we were eye to eye.

“You want to be naughty with me Billy?” I asked against his lips.

“I thought you’d never ask.” Billy smiled before leaning up and pressing his lips against mine.

We made out on the bank for a few moments before Billy pushed me off him.

“Come on; let’s get somewhere a little more private.” He said and stood up.

Billy walked over to the tree line and picked up the backpack we’d brought with us. After pulling it on, he slipped back in the water with me and wadded over to the far side of the river.

I followed him and once we were out of the water Billy lead the way through the trees till we came to a clearing barely big enough for the two of us. Billy tossed the back pack under a tree and pulled a blanket out of it and spread it on the ground

“You know all the little hiding spots around here don’t you Billy boy?” I asked as Billy reached out and pulled the drawstrings on my trunks, pulling the knot loose.

“I should, I was born and raised here. ‘Sides, it has its advantages don’t you think?” He replied as he pulled me close to him and slid his hands under waistband of my shorts, cupping my ass.

Instead of replying in words, I leaned into him, nipped at his Adam’s apple, wrapped my arms tight around his waist, and pulled him so he was flush against me.

Billy slipped his hands out of my shorts, grabbed the waistband, and pushed them down. Before I could return the favor, Billy latched on to my cock and started stroking me.

“I’ve been thinking about this all damn day long. You and your dirty talk and rubbing up against me had me hard all day.” Billy’s voice was hoarse and needy and made me shiver. Carefully, I pulled Billy’s hand off my cock and after kicking my trunks aside got down on my knees in front of him.

“Let me make it up to you then.” I told him quietly as I pulled his trunks off, letting his thick, uncut beauty pop out.

I wrapped my hand around it and stroked, pulling his foreskin back and forth over the head of his cock. Billy was leaking like a faucet and it was my turn to make him shiver as I slipped my tongue under the hood of his skin to collect the salty drops.

Billy’s legs continued to shake as I wrapped my lips around his cock and sucked properly, so much so that he rested his hands on my shoulders for support.

Billy’s neatly trimmed pubic hair tickled my nose as I took his cock all the way down. The heady, aroused musk sent a shiver down my spine and I couldn’t help the moan that tore its way up my throat, muffled by Billy’s cock.

Billy shook violently in response and gripped my shoulders tightly; his moans drown out any sound around us and were just as intoxicating, like the taste of his cock. I pulled off his cock, wrapped my hand around him, and pulled his foreskin up, milking thick drops of precum in the process. I pulled up harder, causing Billy to whimper loudly as I did, and worked my tongue under the hood to collect the salty fluid. Billy nearly screamed as I pressed my tongue harder against the head of his cock; squeezing my shoulders even harder as he did.
His legs were trembling so hard that I reluctantly let his heavy prick slip from between my lips and looked up at his face, the pupils of his normally bright blue eyes, blown wide and his chest heaving hard. Carefully I pulled his hands off my shoulders and tugged; Billy got the message and clumsily got down on his knees in front of me.

Before I could do or say anything, Billy leaned in and caught me up in an aggressive, possessive kiss. Billy’s tongue tasted just as good as his cock and I meshed my tongue against his enthusiastically.

Billy moaned in my mouth, grabbed my hips, and pulled me against him. Our pricks brushed together as they slid up and down between our stomachs and Billy held me tighter, our stomachs creating a tight, hot space, slick with sweat and precum that felt fucking good.

I finally had to break the kiss with Billy, the need for air got a little too strong to ignore, so I buried my face in the space where his neck and shoulder met; heaving breathes between lapping at the sweat that beaded up and rutting against Billy.

I was close, so damn close, but before I could tip over the edge Billy pulled back sharply. Before even the thought of formulating a protest hit my brain, Billy had his hands on my shoulders, guiding me to lie down on the blanket beneath us.

Wordlessly Billy lay down next to me, aligning our heads with each other groins. With a quick smile, Billy leaned over, suddenly with my cock engulfed in wet heat, and the rough brush of his tongue made me see spots.

Unwilling to let the farm boy have all the fun I resumed my assault on Billy’s cock. I gave it a hard squeeze before using my lips and tongue to slide his skin back over the head. I paused there, lapping at sensitive nerve endings of Billy’s cock, collecting the tangy precum and making Billy’s whole body shudder.

I didn’t want to torture Billy, much, so I stopped teasing and took him deeper. For a beginner, Billy was a fast learner, I wasn’t going to last long and I was determined to bring him off with me.

Hollowing my cheeks, I bobbed my head rapidly, using every trick I knew to bring Billy over the edge. I barely felt the cool air against my wet skin as Billy pulled off my cock, he replaced his mouth with his hand and whimpered and mumbled into my thigh.

“David…please…oh…oh shit…David!” Billy moaned out as a spasm wracked his whole body as he exploded against my tongue.

Billy’s excitement and the taste of his cum had pushed me so close, I thrust into Billy’s hand trying to find release. Before I could get there, Billy pulled his hand away and the wet heat of his mouth once again surrounding my cock. It only took few laps of Billy’s tongue before I was loosing it too. Billy pulled back till just the head of my cock was in his mouth and lapped his tongue against it as I came, eagerly drinking down every drop of my seed. Billy continued his ministrations, gently lapping and suckling on my cock; till it was too sensitive for me to take it anymore and I had to pull away.

Billy moved until we were lying face to face, he smiled at me as he let his right hand rove over my sweaty chest and stomach while he slipped his left arm under my head and pressed himself close to me.

I smiled and maneuvered around until I was on my side and tangled our legs together so that we were touching from our groins to our chests, using Billy’s arm for a pillow. I draped one arm over his waist, letting my hand ghost over the curve of his butt. I could still feel him trembling slightly as he pressed close to me, his nose nuzzling against my neck.

I knew I shouldn’t but the heat around us combined with the heady, natural scent that emanated from Billy was too much and I let myself drift off a bit.

***

David’s breathing evened out and deepened as we held each other close in the shadow’s of the trees. I didn’t worry about anyone finding us. I always made sure to take us to the most secluded, little known spots when there was a chance that sex might come up.

Even with all that, and as comfortable as I was feeling, I didn’t let myself doze. Instead, I turned my attention to the beautiful man curled around me. I loved the way David smelled, especially after sex. It was thick, heady, spicy and fucking HOT. I moved my head lower so my nose could brush the ridge of his under arm, where his scent was heavier. I stopped there, not wanting to go lower for fear of dislodging David and waking him.

Truth be told, I was a little worried that he would think my obsession with his scent was weird or disgusting so I kept it to myself. Instead, I turned my attention to the heat that was radiating from where David’s hand rested on my butt. David’s touch had been light and delicate but it was more than enough to make a certain part of my body itch with desire. A few months ago I could barely conceive even kissing another man, now I was fantasying about having David inside me; not just his fingers either; I wanted David’s cock inside me, filling me up, making me whole.

It was a fantasy that I had thought of and dreamed a lot since our camping trip. I knew it was too soon to be thinking about that but on the flip side neither of us was sure how much longer we really had together. I knew that David was worried that his plan wasn’t going to work, that he’d have to leave me, and I knew that he was trying to keep me from seeing just how much he worried.

The thing about keeping a secret for so long though, was that I was damn good at being able to tell when people were struggling to hold in their own. David was good but I saw the signs. Every time he talked about staying there was a little worry and hesitation in his voice and sometimes, when he looked at me, he got this wistful look on his face.

I hated it when he got that look. It was as if he was always gone and remembering the good times we had together. David had the right to worry; odds were that there was no way in hell that my dad was going to let him stay, even with my mom on our side.

It was because of that that I was trying to live in the moment instead of making plans to divide the chores or a check-in schedule for the horses when the snow got deep. I wanted David to stay, more than anything I’d ever wanted before, but I wasn’t pinning my hopes and dreams on it. Silently I was preparing myself for the worst. If David had to leave, it would hurt…more than I could even imagine, but I knew I could survive it.

I wouldn’t stay away from David for long though. Soon as I finished school, I’d be on my way out west to find him. Colorado was two states away from California but there was no guarantee that David would want to stay in California, and I might not even like Colorado once I got there. No matter how it went the two of us would work it out somehow.

David mumbled something in his sleep and ground against me slightly, his soft cock brushing mine. The sensation must have broken through whatever dream he was having because he did it again and again. I watched as his cock started to harden so I wrapped my hand around him and stroked. David moaned in his sleep and thrust into my hand. With a smile, I shimmed down the blanket till I could take him into my mouth. I thought it was a good way to wake up.

###

“You know that this is insane, right?” Despite his words, my uncle didn’t sound disapproving. He actually sounded kind of happy.

“Yea I know. Insanity aside though what do you think the chances are?” I asked him quietly as I looked over my shoulder. Annie was in the house and William was off somewhere. I didn’t know where Billy was but he wouldn’t care but I still worried about getting caught with my cell.

“You mean the chances of your dad letting you move some two thousand odd miles away to live on a farm for a year?” He wasn’t normally sarcastic but I guess this was a unique situation.

“Yea those odds; it’s not too farfetched. I mean he did send me out here for the summer.” I replied hopefully.

“Exactly David, for the summer; as punishment at that. I don’t think he meant for you to fall in love with the place.” Uncle Scott dropping the “L” bomb had me cringing. I hadn’t told him the other reason I wanted to stay in Indiana yet, only how much I was enjoying life on the farm.

I knew I needed to be honest with him if I really wanted him to help me with my dad but…hell, I didn’t want to.

“Well, I did…and this place isn’t the only thing.” I did my best to keep my voice from shaking as I spoke, but I couldn’t help but worry about what he was going to say.

“Yea, tell me something I don’t know Davy.” Even through the phone, I could tell he was smiling.

“You know?” I practically whispered the question but he heard me anyway.

“Of course I do David. I’ve known since June.” He replied with a laugh, leaving me confused.

“How the hell have you known since June, I didn’t even know in June?” I asked in confusion.

“Alright, well maybe I didn’t know you were so head over heels about him but I knew that you cared about him, a lot more than you would for a friend. I did however expect you to get to this point.” I chose not to act surprised by just how well he knew me.

“Yea, well, I guess I can’t argue with your intuition. Since you know the main reason why I want to stay…will you help me out?” I asked quietly.

Uncle Scott sighed and was quiet before he responded.

“This is insane David…but then again, love is very rarely rational. If you feel strongly about this guy and you’re really serious…then yea I’ll help you out. If you get the Templeton’s approval let me know and we’ll work something out with your dad.” I knew he probably still had misgivings, but I could tell he was smiling again.

“Thanks Uncle Scott. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you doing this.” I told him sincerely.

“Just be careful, David. Keep in touch and let me know how things are going. I have to run for now. I need to finish some paperwork. I love you, nephew.” Uncle Scott said and I could hear the smile in his voice.

“I will uncle. I love you, too.” After the call was over, I stood against the gate to the corral and just stared down at my phone. Little by little, my plan was coming together. I had two people that would pull for us, and two more obstacles to get through.

I didn’t think dad would be a problem, at least not after a lot of talking and convincing. Mr. Templeton though…I couldn’t tell him the same thing I told Uncle Scott or what I’d tell dad. Even though it was partially the truth I didn’t think that he would buy the whole “I feel like this is home” speech I’d given Annie either.

I wasn’t above kissing a little ass and doing a little begging but the amount I’d have to shell out to convince him to let me stay would be heavy; I didn’t know if I had that much groveling in me.

A sharp whistle behind me broke me out of my thoughts and I turned to see Billy hustling up to me with a big smile on his face.

“Hey Billy boy, what are you doing down here?” I asked as he drew closer.

“I could ask you the same thing, city slicker.” Billy replied leaned against the corral gate, his forearm pressed against mine.

“I…I was just thinking about some stuff. About what all I need to do to convince people to let me stay here.” I told him with a smile.

“Oh…I see.” Billy’s voice was shy and I saw his cheeks blush a bit.

“Yea, I figure the biggest obstacle is your dad. The best thing I can figure is that I’ll have to do a lot of begging and even more ass kissing.” Billy smirked at me as I spoke so I shoved my shoulder against his; Billy did an exaggerated windmill with his arms and landed theatrically in the dirt.

“Was that really necessary?” He asked with a look of shock in his eyes.

“Don’t act all put out. That was the fakest fall I’ve ever seen and I used to watch pro wrestling.” I smiled down at him and he gave me a confused look.

“Pro wrestling is fake?” I could have sworn that he was joking with me but the confusion was very real.

“It depends on which one you’re watching.” I replied as I held out a hand and pulled him back to his feet.

“MMA and UFC.” Billy replied, his tone made it plain that he was hoping that they were actually real.

“You’re probably safe with those. Just avoid the ones with the stupid character names.” I told him and he smiled in a relieved sort of way.

For a while, we leaned against the gate and watched the horses. Elder seemed to be in a bit of an anxious mood. He had barely eaten or drank at all and was constantly trotting around the ring, occasionally pushing Shadow or Speckle out of his way.

“I haven’t seen him like this in awhile, couple years actually.” I didn’t need to look at Billy to know that he was worried, his tone said it all.

“What caused it last time he was like this?” I asked as Elder shouldered past Shadow, causing the other horse to snort at him.

“The last time he was like this was just before dad and Seth had their last big fight. He doesn’t like conflict, it makes him twitchy. He always seems to get anxious before me and dad or mom and dad get into a big fight. I hope that he doesn’t think that something is coming on. Things have been going really well lately, I don’t want to think that something might be on the verge of screwing up.” Billy replied as he reached out to let his hand brush against Elders flank as he passed us.

The touch brought Elder up short and he turned and trotted directly up to Billy and me. Billy ran his hands up and down the sides of Elders neck; the horse seemed to calm down somewhat but Billy still looked worried.

I moved up to Billy’s side and put one arm around his shoulders and put the other hand on Elders neck.

“We’ll just have to bust our asses and make sure that there isn’t anything that your dad could possibly be pissed at. It can’t be too hard. We’ve already done all the construction he wanted done. All of the normal chores and work around is done WAY ahead of schedule with both of us working on it.” I told him quietly but Billy still looked worried.

“And what if something does go wrong? What if all this planning we’re doing ends up just blowing up in our faces?” Billy asked quietly as he pushed Elder away.

I moved behind him and put both arms around his waist and rested my chin on his shoulder. “Then we think of something else, make a new plan and...if nothing works and I do have to leave, then we’ll keep in touch with each other until I can come back for you.” I whispered and Billy looked over his shoulder at me and smiled.

“You won’t forget about me once you get back to the big city?” Billy asked playfully.

I turned to nuzzle into his neck and place a kiss just below his ear before I went on.

“Ain’t no way that I’ll be forgetting about you, Billy. I don’t even think amnesia could wipe you out of mind.” I told him quietly and felt his skin heat up as he blushed around his neck.

We took advantage of the fact that Mr. Templeton wasn’t around to hold on to each other. The whole stolen touches thing we had going on was a bit of a rush, the idea that we were sneaking around added a bit of excitement to our relationship but I had to admit that it would be nice if we could just be like this all the time.

After a while, Elder trotted up to us and snorted in my direction. I’d long since learned that this meant he wanted me to take my hands off his master. Obediently, (and wondering when the hell I started taking orders from a horse), I unwound my arms from around Billy and stepped away. Elder immediately nickered softly as I moved away and Billy reached out to him.

“You know, I never envisioned myself in a relationship where I had to split my boyfriends’ attention with a horse.” Billy smiled and gently scratched Elders jaw.

“He was here first, you know?” Billy replied as he tried to gently push the horse away, Elder though, wouldn’t move away. Billy stepped back out of contact with him and Elder tossed his head and snorted.

I watched as Billy looked Elder over with a curious look on his face. He seemed to take in everything about his horse but seemed to pay special attention to the way Elder shifted and pawed at the ground.

“Do you mind taking care of things here for a little while? I want to take him out and put him through his paces a bit, see if I can’t burn off some of his nervous energy.” Billy asked, with no small amount of concern.

“No, that’s fine; get him out of here before he gives himself a heart attack,” I meant it to be a joke but Billy’s worried expression seemed to deepen, “Wait a sec…that’s not a possibility is it?”

Billy gave me a wane smile and shook his head before answering me.

“It would take a lot more stress than this to give a horse a heart attack. It’s not healthy for them to be stressed for long periods of time. That’s why I try to keep them out of their stalls as much as possible and make sure they aren’t separated for long periods.” He replied as he reached for Elder’s halter and lead.

I left Shadow and Speckle in the corral, followed Billy back to the barn, and watched while he saddled Elder.

“Is there anything specific you want me to work on while you’re gone?” I asked him as he led Elder out of the barn and swung up on the saddle.

“Just the usual. Dad went to get some hay and straw but I dunno what time he’ll be back. Hopefully I’ll be back before him.” Billy replied worriedly.

I smiled up at him and put my hand on his knee.

“Don’t worry bout you’re old man. I’ll take care of him if he gets pissed. You just take care of this big lug.” I replied and moved to pat Elder’s neck.

Billy smiled again before turning away and urging Elder to go. I watched the two of them trot away till Billy pushed Elder into a gallop and I lost sight of them.

With nothing left to ogle at, I turned and headed back to the barn to work on the horse stalls. With the construction done, there wasn’t a lot of work to do on the farm anymore. Billy’s chores were relatively easy. We got up and took the horses down to the corral, fed and watered them, and scrubbed the troughs if they needed it.
Once they were out of the way, we mucked out the stalls and if they needed it, put down fresh straw as well. After that, we took care of any random chores usually that meant cleaning the barn. We also took care of any yard work that needed done, I never knew how much fun a riding lawn mower could be until I was tooling around on one with Billy yelling at me not to drive into the barn wall.

We’d always have lunch in the house with Annie and after that, we would usually knock off for a couple of hours and go for a ride down to the river or just wherever. In the evening when we brought the horses back to the barn Billy would always groom them. Once a week, or after a long ride, he would do a deep grooming but his nightly routine mostly consisted of a thorough brushing and making sure their hooves were in good condition.

Grooming, like cleaning horse tack, was something that Billy always did by him self. Slowly, though, he was starting to let me help. I think that maybe he was starting to look forward to me staying and had decided that I needed a better education in how to take care of the horses.

He still wouldn’t let me do the deep grooming, which included three different brushings, clipping and hoof care but he was letting me participate in the nightly brush down now. Even though I hadn’t been with the horses since they were foals, like Billy had, I was starting to see how he felt about them.
They weren’t just animals to him; it was like they were part of him; like they were his children. He was always careful to make sure that they were safe, healthy and happy. I felt kind of honored that he trusted me enough to the small things that he was.

With the stalls done, I wheeled the wheelbarrow out to the side of the barn just in time to see Mr. Templeton pull into the driveway in his old pick up. The trailer he was pulling behind it was stacked with the hay and straw bales that Billy had said he was going to get. I waited till he had maneuvered the trailer closer to the barn before walking over. I started un-loading the bales before he got out, hoping that if I looked busy he wouldn’t ask where Billy was.

I wasn’t that lucky. I had just sat the bale I was carrying down inside the door and turned to find him standing way too close for comfort. He smirked a bit as I stepped back and waited for it to hit.

“Where is Billy at?” He asked in what I would say; if I didn’t know any better at least, was a friendly tone.

The tone threw me off but he didn’t seem aggravated by my pause so I took a second to pull it together.

“Elder was acting anxious and fidgety so he asked me to take care of things so he could take him out and burn off some of the energy. I hope that’s ok, Sir.” I hated to tack on that Sir bit at the end but I didn’t know how much ass kissing it would take to get the old man to let me stay so I figured I might as well get a start on it.

Given that it was a little gratifying to see Mr. Templeton look surprised for a moment before wiping it away to a more neutral look.

“It’s not a problem, so long as you don’t mind boy.” He replied and it was hard for me to place his tone. I couldn’t figure out if he actually cared if I minded or not. I actually had a slight feeling that he was trying to catch me out or something.

“No Sir, I don’t mind. I know how much Elder means to him. Besides, I kind of like the work.” I added another Sir there in hopes that if I said it enough times, maybe I wouldn’t want to vomit every time I formed the word.

The old man was quiet for a few moments and the look he was giving me was starting to creep me out, it was a deep sort of look, like he was trying to read my mind or something. Just before I was about to make an excuse to get out from under his eye he smiled at me…actually fucking smiled at me.

“I’m glad you don’t mind, there’s always plenty of work to do around here. Just tell Billy when he gets back that I’ve got a couple of bags of horse feed in the bed of the truck. Some new stuff, I want to make sure it will work for the winter feeding.” He smiled through his entire statement and for some reason I found that creepier than when he was staring me down.

“Yes Sir, no problem.” I replied hastily and sidled around him to finish unloading the trailer.

He stayed and watched me for a second, that creepy smile still on his face, before he turned and walked up toward the house. I waited till I couldn’t hear his footsteps anymore and I chanced a glance at the porch to see him standing against the railing looking down at me, still with a slight smile on his face.

I fought back a shudder and went back to my work.

***

I pushed Elder hard for a while, harder than I usually did for a casual ride but not more than I knew he could take. After a while, when he seemed to calm down a bit I moved us through the trees and down to the river so he could get a drink and rest a bit. As I stood beside him, I felt a little guilt for leaving David at the house to do my work for me. I knew that dad was likely to be back soon and I didn’t want him to get in trouble for me not being there.

It wouldn’t be the first time innocent bystanders got caught in Dad’s crossfire. Elder must have picked up on my worry though because he stopped drinking and started pawing at the ground with his hooves again; I didn’t want him getting worked up again so after making sure he was ready I swung back up on the saddle and pointed him toward Walkers. It had been a few days since I saw him and Elder always seemed more relaxed when we had a destination instead of just wandering aimlessly. We were a bit further away than we usually were, having taken the long way through the woods after our gallop, but it still didn’t take us very long to push through the trees into Walkers back yard.

Like usual Walker was outside, if I didn’t know any better I’d say the man slept in a tree, today he was working on his motorcycle by the barn. I got down and walked Elder through the yard and as we got closer, I realized that Walker wasn’t dressed in anything but a pair of jeans cut off at the knee. Sunshine was pouring down on him; making the sweat on his muscles glisten and not for the first time, I had to take a sec to admire my friend.
Walker was too big and muscled for me but I had to admit he cut a helluva figure just then, squatting in the sunlight as he fiddled with something on the motor of his bike.

“You gonna do sometin’ ‘side’s gawk of me Billy?” Walker’s deep baritone shocked me out of my thoughts.

“If you’d put on some clothes I wouldn’t be so distracted.” I told him as he walked up to the porch and motioned for me to come up.

Walker quirked an eyebrow at me as he picked up a dirt spotted white tank top from the small table next to him and pulled it on. The thing was so tight though, he might as well have left it off.

“Better?” He rumbled with a small smile.

“Much,” I lied as I smiled and shook my head, “What are you doing today?” I asked as I leaned against the railing of the porch. I didn’t want to stay too long so I avoided sitting down and getting comfortable.

“Just working on that damn thing,” Walker said as he motioned to his back, “I’m loosing oil and I can’t figure out where.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out, there are only a limited number of places that it could be right?” I asked curiously, I didn’t know much about mechanics but I knew the basics.

“Yea, problem is though I’ve checked all those already.” Walker replied, looking both confused and annoyed.

“Well…then I don’t know what to tell you. Sorry.” I apologized and walker smiled at me.

“You’re useful, you know that, right?” Walker asked as he reached out to ruffle my hair.

“What can I say; I know horse, not hogs.” I smirked over at Walker who, before I could stop him, reached over and cuffed me upside the back of my head.

“Don’t ever use that word like that again. Some people can do it, you can’t.” Walker said sternly before smoothing down the hair on the back of my head that he had just mussed a moment before.

“Whatever you say Walker.” I replied with a smile, Walker just grinned.

“So what brings you down my way? Ain’t you got something at home to occupy your spare time?” Walker asked; the hint of suggestion in his voice made the back of my neck heat up. I hoped Walker couldn’t see it, I’d never hear the end of it if he had.

Rubbing the back of my neck in an attempt to disperse the heat I told Walker what had been going on with Elder and my decision to take him for a hard run in hopes of burning off his anxious energy.

“Did it work?” He asked as he glanced concernedly at Elder who stood placidly in the shade of the house.

“He seems to be doing well now. It could just be because we’re away from the house. It’s been a while since he was like this…and he’s only ever this bad when he feels something coming on.” I replied as I reached out and ran a hand down Elder’s long face.

“You give him too much credit Billy. He’s a horse, not a psychic.” Walker replied, half-joking, half-serious.

I just nodded absently in reply. I had long since given up trying to convince Walker and Sam of Elder’s capabilities and intelligence. I know a lot of people think that their pet is special but in Elder’s case, I believed it was actually true.

“I heard from a little birdie that you and David are working on a way for him to stay here permanently.” Walker tried to sound casual but there was more than a little curiosity and concern in his voice.

“Was it a Cardinal by any chance?” I asked as I worked my expression into serious curiosity. I had made the mistake of telling Sam about our plan the day after the last barn dance. I had hoped that Sam might be more supportive; I was wrong.

“She’s just worried that you guys might be moving a little fast Billy.” Walker said quietly, the worry in his voice was both genuine and grating to my nerves.

“Sam worries about me if I skin my elbow Walker. I love her like she was my own flesh and blood but Sam’s got to learn that I’m not that meek little boy she used to hover over and mother all the time anymore. We might be moving too fast and I might end of getting hurt, worse than I ever have before, but I don’t need her hovering over me and clucking like a mother hen. I need her to let me do this, and learn from it if I screw it up.” My reply may have been a bit more impassioned than was strictly needed but I had had this conversation with Sam a few too many times over the last couple of days.

“You should tell her that Billy.” Walker rumbled out quietly, sounding a little impressed actually.

“I already did…it didn’t go over too well.” It was true, last time Sam and I had it out over the subject I had told her almost word for word what I had just told Walker.

“I bet it was the mother hen part wasn’t it?” he asked with a small laugh.

I knew I shouldn’t but I had to smile a bit my self, her face had gotten as red as her hair at that comment.

“Yea that was it…it was the only time I’ve ever actually been afraid that she might hit me.” I said as I turned back to Walker, who was laughing openly now.

Walker sobered from his laughing fit fast and pinned me with a stern look.

“I just want you to know Billy that I don’t think the same way she does. I can see all of Sam’s points but really…I think this is a good idea. I see a lot of love between the two of you and I’d be more than happy to have David around for awhile longer.” As he spoke, Walker reached out and laid his hand on my shoulder.

Walker’s statement was simple but it still left me choked up. After Sam’s negative reaction to everything, it was so good to have someone who was on our side. I understood that Sam was just trying to do what was best for me, it’s what she had been doing for years now, but I wasn’t that person anymore, at least I was trying not to be.

After a minute, I managed to get past the lump in my throat and was able to speak again.

“What do you think I should do about Sam?” I asked quietly, if anyone could give me some insight, it would be Walker.

Walker leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs out in front of him. He rested his hands in his lap and twiddled his thumbs for a few minutes before he spoke.

“Nothing,” Walker replied with a shrug, “There really ain’t anything you can do about her. You said it once yourself, Sam is mean as a bull and twice as stubborn.
On the flip, side she’s more protective than any mother hen God ever made. Those two things combined, plus your history with Sam, they don’t bode well for you in this situation. Sam is only going to calm down when she sees that things are going to work out between the two of you.”

As much as I wished I could deny it, I knew that Walker was right. In a way, I had created this mess with Sam and now I had to live with it.

“On a different note, though, Chris wanted me to ask if you and David would be interested in going out with the two of us.” Walker’s question completely threw my mind off Sam, and once I figured out what he was asking I blushed hard.

“You mean like a double date?” I asked once I had control over my voice again.

“Yep Chris knows this bar over in Green haven that has an under twenty one place in the basement. I guess the owner is a friend of his dad, anyway, it’s supposed to be really laid back kind of place, very open and accepting if you get my drift.” Walker winked at me as he spoke and the heat on my neck told me I was blushing again.

“You sure it’s safe?” I asked, worried that someone from school that we knew might be there.

“Positive, Chris works there a couple nights a week, DJing or working behind the bar, they make virgin mix drinks, he says, and he’s never seen a single person we know there. Think of the possibilities bud.” Walker winked at me again but this time there was a lot more suggestion in the action than there had been before.

There were a lot of possibilities. David and I had been together a lot…we’d done a lot of things too…but this was different, different even from being together around Walker, and Chris and Sam and Julian. It would be…it would be real, like the two of us, an actual couple on an actual date.

“I’ll pitch the idea to him, I don’t know how we’d get approval for it from my dad but we could probably work something out between the two of us. Right now though I probably should be getting home, Dad’ll be back soon; if he ain’t already and I don’t want David getting into something because of me being gone.” I told him, and Walker nodded to me.

After one more goodbye, I climbed up onto the saddle and guided Elder back the way we had come.

‘Me and David on an actual date, what a freaking trip that’d be.’ I thought as I rode back to the house. It could be fun, I mean, how our relationship now was great. We may have been sneaking around behind my folk’s backs but when we were together, we were open and free and just together, but going out on an actual date, even with Walker and Chris.

“What do you think boy, think we can come up with something convincing to get dad to let us go out for a night with the guys?” I asked as I leaned forward and patted Elder on the neck.

Elder tossed his head back and nickered softly, I took that to be his way of saying we probably could. I patted his neck again before straightening up and urging him faster along the path, hoping that I could get home before dad.

Given how well Elder and I knew the woods it didn’t take us long to get home but it wasn’t fast enough, my heart sank a little bit as I saw dad’s truck was sitting in the drive along with mine and David was no where in sight.

“Come on boy, let’s go and see how much trouble we’re in…or how much we got David into.” I murmured to Elder as I urged him into a light trot down the cornfield.

We got to the barn to find it empty so I got down and relieved Elder of his tack and even though I was anxious to find David, I wiped Elder down and led him over to his stall.

“You wait here for a bit and I’ll take you back down to the corral with the others ok? I just want to make sure that David didn’t get his ass busted for covering for me.” I told him but Elder was too bust munching on some hay in the feedbag that was hanging in his stall.

With Elder taken care of, I headed up to the house. David wasn’t on the back porch or in the kitchen. I moved into the dinning room hoping to find him there but stopped short when I saw that dad was sitting at the dinning room table going through the mail.

“How was your ride? The horse feeling any better?” Dad asked in a flat tone without looking up from the pile of envelopes.

Dad’s question caught me by surprise; he’d never asked me how a ride had gone before and hadn’t shown the slightest bit of interest in Elder in years.

“It went well. Elder seems a lot calmer than before. I guess he was just feeling pent up.” I replied after the shock wore off.

Dad nodded and sat the mail aside before getting up and walking over to me. He put his hand on my shoulder and looked me dead in the eye for a moment before he spoke.

“Good. Next time try to wait till your work’s done before you go out again. It ain’t fair to leave city boy with all the work. You understand me?” It hit home to me once again just how hard my dad’s eyes were, even now with his tone even and bordering on polite, it did nothing to soften his eyes.

“Yes sir. I understand.” I replied quietly as I nodded my head in agreement.

“Good. Now city boy is upstairs. You two need to finish getting the hay and straw unloaded so I can get down to the Murphy’s to help Jack take some of his apples off.” Dad replied before letting his hand fall from my shoulder and walked past me.

Curiosity sparked up in me and I turned to talk to my dad again before he left.

“Hey dad…I was wondering if Mr. Murphy has decided on whether or not he’s going to have me come back to work for him.” I didn’t really want to go but when I showed up last week to go back to work for him he said he wouldn’t need me for a while and sent me home. I don’t know why I cared but for some reason it just felt fishy.

Dad froze for a second and I saw his back stiffen for an instant before he relaxed and answered me.

“No he ain’t said anything yet. I’m sure you’ll be the first to know if he needs you.” Dad replied and left the house before I could say anything else.

After I was sure that he was gone, I damn near ran up the stairs to my bedroom to find David kicked back on his bed in nothing but his socks and boxer briefs. He smiled at me as I looked him over, one arm behind his head and the other draped over his chest.

“Knocking off early?” I asked, the unexpected sight of him nearly naked pushed my worries that dad had gotten on to him out of my head.

“Naa, I’m just taking a break while I waited for you to get home.” David replied as he got up and moved over to me.

I reached behind me and pushed the door closed as he came close and once he was close enough I rested my hands on his bare hips.

“And you’re in your skivvies why?” David smiled when I used the word skivvies; he does that a lot when I use “hillbilly” words, as he likes to call them.

“Well I wanted to lie down but my clothes were dirty and sweaty and I didn’t want to get the bed clothes dirty since your mom just washed them so I took them off. You want me to put them back on?” He asked as he leaned close to me till his chest was pressed against mine.

“If I had it my way you wouldn’t be wearing nothing, ever again, but I do need you to. We need to unload the trailer so dad can take off again. Maybe after he’s gone I’ll take them off for you.” I said as I leaned in and brushed the tip of my nose against his.

David chuckled and brushed his lips against mine as he slid his hands under the back of my shirt.

I let David have his fun for a few minutes before I pushed him away; after all, I’d be stupid not to enjoy the warm touch to my back or the way David had started to nuzzle my neck.

“Come on, let’s get our work finished. After we’re done you can strip down again…I might even join you.” I told him as I pushed him back toward his bed.

“I thought you were going to do it for me?” David smirked as he pulled on his shirt.

“I will, if you’re lucky. Now, hurry up. I’ll meet you outside.” I told him as he made a bit of a show out of putting his jeans back on.

I looked around for my dad once I was back outside but didn’t see him anywhere. After making sure he wasn’t in the barn, I went to the pull behind and started unloading it, separating hay from the straw as I went.

I turned around and damn near knocked David over, he had managed to sneak up behind me.

“That’s a good way to give someone a heart attack.” I told him as I heaved the bale over to the hay pile.

“I’ve caused your heart rate to jack up higher than what that little scare could have done and you’re still breathing.” David replied heatedly.

“Yea, well, prolonged stress can do that to a person.” I replied once the heat in my cheeks went down.

“Stress…is that what they call it these days?” David asked as he picked up a straw bale and moved it over to the straw pile.

“Bout time you got it right.” I decided to put a stop to the innuendos before one of us got carried away.

“I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks; killjoy.” David smirked, letting me know that he knew what I had done.

After we got the bales sorted out, we started to take them into the barn.

“You on top or bottom?” David asked, his face perfectly straight despite the fact that my face shot straight to crimson.

“What?” I managed to sputter out.

David turned and gave me a confused look before his face broke into a wide smile.

“I meant for tossing the bales, Billy, jeez, get your mind out of the gutter.” He smiled so wide as he spoke I was worried his face might split in two…not that it stopped me from being even more embarrassed than I had been.

“My mind wouldn’t be in the gutter if you’d talk more plainly.” I replied as David climbed the ladder up to the hayloft. I guess he had decided he was going to be on top.

‘Wow, that is so not the image I need right now.’ I thought to myself as a much different image presented itself to my mind.

“Stop thinking about it and toss me a bale already.” David called down to me, the chipper tone made me want to smack him upside the head.

“You’re enjoying this too much.” I groused as I tossed the first bale up to him.

David didn’t reply till after he had caught and stored the bale properly.

“Oh you have no idea how much I’m enjoying this.” He winked at me over the railing.

***

Even with me constantly dropping sexual innuendos at Billy, it didn’t take us long to finish up with the hay and straw. Once it was all up, except for the two bales we’d be putting down in the stalls, Billy climbed up so we could move everything around to make it neater.

I knew it was mean of me, not to mention a little bit dangerous given I wasn’t sure where Mr. Templeton was, but I couldn’t help messing with Billy a little bit more. So I pulled off my shirt as we moved stuff around and did my best to brush up against any bare bit of his skin that I could.

By the time we were done, I could tell Billy was getting frustrated with me. Especially when he pushed me up against the wall and slammed his lips against mine. Billy was wild; it was a deep, dirty, wet kiss that left both of us breathing hard when billy finally pulled away.

“You…are a damn…tease.” Billy managed to get out between pants for air.

“I can’t help it, babe,” I told him as I pulled his shirt off and pulled him against me till our sweat slicked and our slightly heaving chests were pressed together, “I’ve been thinking about you all fucking day.”

Billy smiled at me and after wrapping his arms tight around my waist; he leaned in and started nuzzling against my neck.

“I’ve been thinking about you too,” He whispered between little kisses and licks at my neck and shoulder, “Wanting a moment like this all day. It seem like our last trip down to the river was a hundred years ago.”

I let my head rest back against the wall to give Billy more room to explore and play as I thought over what he said. He was right, had just been down to the river for some alone time the day before, it seemed like the more time alone we got, though, the more we wanted it.

‘Duh dumbass, I wonder why.’ I thought distractedly; and it was the last thought I had for a while as Billy chose that moment to bite down on my shoulder, just hard enough to cause a spike of pain without leaving a bruise.

I glared at him and he just smirked back in return, so I pushed him down onto one of the hay bales and straddled his hips. I was intent on teaching him a lesson but before I could do anything, a sharp whistle tore through the air followed by Mr. Templeton’s voice.

“Where you two at?” At the sound of his Dad’s voice, Billy’s eyes went wide and I scrambled off him and tossed his shirt to him.

“Up here, dad.” He called as he pulled his shirt on.

“What are you doing up there?” His dad asked as he started to climb down the ladder.

“Me and David were re-arranging the hay and straw.” Billy replied as I pulled on my own shirt and walked over to the loft railing. I leaned over and nodded at him in agreement.

“Yea, well, I got some horse feed in the bed of the truck I need you to unload. New stuff I want to add to their diet for the winter.” I felt the bottom of my stomach drop out as he spoke, I had been so caught up screwing with Billy I had forgotten about the horse feed.

“Sorry Sir,” I called before starting to climb down the ladder, “I got side tracked unloading and sorting out the bales.” I finished once I was on the ground.

Instead of getting shitty like I had expected him to, the old man just nodded his head and led the way out of the barn. Billy and I sent each other worried glances as we followed him out. It seems he was just as confused about his dad’s behavior as I was.

Once we had the two bags of horse feed unloaded I decided to take a chance of Mr. Templeton’s good mood and start laying the groundwork for my asking to stay.

“Mr. Templeton I…I was wondering if you ever needed some extra help around here during the fall and winter?” I asked nervously as he walked over to the driver side of his truck.

He turned to look at me and not for the first time that day I had no chance of reading his face. After a moment, though, he nodded slightly and spoke up.

“There’s always work to be done around here. Why?” He asked his tone as inscrutable as his face.

I swallowed hard and probably would have chickened out if I hadn’t felt Billy hovering behind him. Knowing he was back there reminded me why I was doing this.

“Because if you’d agree to it, I wouldn’t mind staying on…living and working here to earn my keep. I’ve got a small savings account back home that I could tap into to help with added expenses and if my dad agreed, then I’m sure he’d be willing to contribute too…being here has kept me out of trouble after all.” I don’t know how I managed to get it all out without tripping over the words but I managed to communicate all of the important stuff.

The old man cocked his head to one side and sort of looked me up an down, as if he was trying to figure out if I was for or not. After a few seconds, though, he turned and climbed up into his truck. I figured his silence was my answer so I turned to head back into the barn but before I could take even a step, he called out to me.

“We’ll discuss this more at dinner.”

I turned around so fast at his words that I damn near tripped over my own feet. He wasn’t looking at me but instead fired up his truck and started to carefully back out of the driveway.

“Thank you!” I called out loudly at he reached the road, I dunno if he heard me or not as he didn’t make and motion to show that he had; it didn’t matter though, he hadn’t said no.

Soon as he was out of sight though, Billy threw his arms around my waist and spun me around, my feet leaving the ground as he did.

“He didn’t say no.” Billy echoed my thoughts as he sat me down.

Not caring who saw at the moment, I wrapped my arms around Billy and held onto him tight.

“Yea, babe…He didn’t say no.” I mumbled against his neck as he held onto me.

‘He didn’t say yes either.’

************************************************************************

I want to thank Rush for her work in editing, without her I would be nowhere. As always, I love to get your thoughts and opinions so feel free to email me at allenarcane88@yahoo.com, drop me a PM, write me a review or visit the discussion forum.

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