Page 23 of For the Love of the Bull Rider

“I rode her before, Tim. She likes me.” Ryan settled his cowboy hat forward, obviously taking his newfound status as a ‘cowboy’ very seriously. Tim hid the smirk.

“I’m sure that’s right, but for myownpiece of mind, could I lead her for a bit?” The very last thing he wanted was for that little boy to get hurt. He was becoming more important to Tim every day, just like the boy’s father.

The two adult men were progressing slowly in their romantic pursuit, with only a few kisses exchanged and some grinding together in the hallway of Matt’s house one afternoon after Tim had fixed him lunch before Matt headed back to the barn. There was a carpenter building new stalls in the barn, and Matt believed he needed to be there to supervise.

“Come with me down to the barn,” Matt whispered as he kissed from Tim’s neck to his shoulder, holding the blond tightly in his strong arms. Tim felt Matt’s hard cock against his stomach, and he tried not to concentrate on it because, without much effort, he was sure he’d make a mess in his jeans right there. He certainly didn’t want to embarrass himself just as the bus stopped at the end of the drive to deliver Ryan.

“Matt, you know I can’t. Ryan’s due home any minute, and I’ve got a conference call scheduled with Dean Campbell at the MFA to establish a direct-order system for the ranch.” Tim tilted his head so the taller man could continue to kiss and suck on his neck.

“Damn. Okay, but we’re gonna take Ryan over to Momma’s on Saturday night and we’re gonna go out, just the two of us, okay?” Matt sounded—and felt—very firm with his plans.

Tim was breathless at the man’s attention, but he was able to respond. “I’d love it. Pick a place, and I’m there.” He whispered as he moved Matt back to his lips. Tim sucked the man’s bottom lip into his mouth and moaned when Matt’s tongue stroked his top lip, too.

“Timmy.” Tim had zoned out, which wasn’t really a surprise to him as he thought about the bull rider. He turned to see Ryan with his arms crossed in frustration as he led the boy around the upper pasture.

“Oh, sorry. Here, you keep walking her around while I get Chester. We’ll get on the move in a few minutes. You need anything?”

“Nope. Just come on. I think Josie wants to go, but she’s bored bein’ here in this little pasture.” Tim almost laughed at the little boy’s comment, but it was probably true.

Tim nodded as he unclipped the lead rope before heading for the barn. Once inside, he walked Chester out of the stall he’d come to occupy. Since Uncle Josh gave the horse to Tim, he’d been elevated to inside stock. The old gelding certainly didn’t hate it.

As Tim was hoisting the saddle up onto the horse’s back, a young guy strolled into the barn, looking around. “You board here?”

The visitor was decked out in full cowboy gear, from a beat-up black felt hat to a pair of well-worn roping boots. He walkedfrom stall to stall looking over the top of the gates at the horses inside. Tim stopped saddling Chester to walk over and meet the guy.

“I work here. Can I help you?” Tim carried a lead rope with him in the event things got tenuous, but he wasn’t going to start any trouble without a reason. He would, however, defend himself and the farm against anyone who intended harm.

“I’m lookin’ for a job. I heard the buzz around town that maybe Mr. Simmons needed a seasoned hand. I’m just up from Kentucky. Name’s Mickey, uh, Michael Warren, but I go by Mickey. I worked at the Bar K for Jerry Kessler. He sent me in this direction.”

The guy was damn good-looking. He was about six-foot tall with a slender, muscular build. Tim guessed he was about twenty-five, and he had a swagger about him that hinted he was no stranger to horses.

“How long have you been at the Bar, K and why’d you leave?” A little information up front would help Tim run a background check on the new cowboy before there was any thought of a job offer.

The other guys at the farm were solid, and Tim knew from Uncle Josh that nomadic cowboys could be trouble, so he was determined he’d vet any new hands before the offer of a job was extended.

Uncle Josh’s operation wasn’t large, but Tim knew his uncle was considering adding another barn to the property to expand his business, and if the guy was a decent hand, Tim was sure Uncle Josh wouldn’t want the cowboy to get away.

Stevie and Carl only worked on Saturdays because they had school during the week. With Tim helping at the Circle C, there was enough work at Katydid for another full-time hand.

“I worked at the Bar K for three years before Mr. Kessler sold out. The new owner, well, he had some issues with me,personally, and I didn’t want to stick around to see how it turned out. The bigoted types were never the kind of people I wanted to spend much time with, anyway.” Clearly, Mickey was a no-nonsense kind of guy which Tim could respect.

Tim nodded, not sure where to go next with his questioning. Just as he was about to tell the man to let him find Uncle Josh, Ryan Collins wandered inside on Josie. “Timmy? We’re gettin’ bored again.” The boy had a cross look on his face, reminding Tim of the older Collins’ man when he was displeased.

“Sorry, Ryan. I’ll be with you in a minute. Do you know where Uncle Josh is?” The little cowboy had been riding the upper pasture, and if Josh was around, Ryan probably would have seen him outside.

“I saw him goin’ into the house with Daddy. You want me to ride up and get him?” Ryan was observing Mickey Warren with a squinted eye. Tim wanted to laugh at the little guy for giving the stink eye to the stranger, but he held it.

Mickey slowly ambled over to the boy and smiled. “Hello, cowboy. Name’s Mickey. I like your donkey. She’s a beaut.” Mickey stroked the small animal on her neck to put her at ease, and the grin didn’t fade from his face.

Of course, Ryan Collins was far worldlier than his age. “What can we do for ya?” Ryan pushed his cowboy hat to the back of his head to get a good look at the newcomer. He was the perfect picture of irritation, and Tim, once again, had to hold the laugh so he didn’t upset the young boy.

“Well, sir, I’m lookin’ for a job. Are you on the hirin’ committee?” Mickey smiled.

Ryan looked at the two of them before he crossed his hands over the saddle horn, letting the reins rest on Josie’s neck without him holding them. To the jenny’s credit, she didn’t move a muscle. “No, but I’ll get theboss,” Ryan stated as he turnedJosie out of the barn and headed up the gravel drive leading from the barn to the house.

“He your little brother or nephew?” Mickey walked over to Chester. He picked up the right front hoof and looked at it, gently placing it back on the floor as he brushed up the horse’s leg to his shoulder.

It appeared the man knew his way around horseflesh, so that was another “pro” for him in Tim’s opinion. “He’s a friend of the family. Anyway, what brings you to Virginia? You got any family here?” Tim asked, getting back to the interview-style questioning he was intent to undertake.

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