Page 260 of The Texas Sterling Collection
Mabel came up behind them, jerked off their hats, and swatted them on the backside. “Proper gentlemen don’t wear hats in the house.” She reached over and hung the hats on the pegs by the door.
“Sorry, Mrs. Sterling.” Felix dipped his hands in the cool water to rinse off the soap.
“Yeah, ma. My fault. I got carried away with taking care of this new greenhorn cowboy.” He turned and grinned at Felix while rinsing his own hands.
She grabbed the towel from her shoulder and flung it over Felix’s shoulder. “You men, behave and share this towel, now.”
“Yes’m.” Felix used half the towel to dry his hands, then offered the other half to Joey. They hung the towel over the edge of the sink.
Joey pointed to a place at the table. “You sit over there.” He waggled his hand back and forth. “Ma and Pa always sit in these chairs, and I always sit here.” He pulled out his chair and sat.
“Everything smells so amazing.” Felix pulled out the chair and sat across from Joey as Mr. and Mrs. Sterling took their seats.
Mrs. Sterling passed the potatoes. “We grow our own vegetables. We store the surplus in the cool root cellar Grover dug for me a few years back. And the water from the cistern keeps the garden green and bountiful.”
“Fresh is always better.” Felix helped himself to the steaming bowl of black-eyed peas.
Grover nodded. “I agree, Felix. We keep a few chickens and ducks for eggs and meat. We slaughter a hog occasionally for ham, bacon, and pork. We smoke the meat before packing it in salt and hanging it in the root cellar. We keep a milk cow in a small pasture beyond the vegetable garden. Mabel takes care of the milking and makes butter and cheese as well. We eat well out here.” He speared a piece of ham and added it to his plate.
Felix snagged a ham slice, cut it, and shoved some hot, juicy meat into his mouth. He groaned as the salty flavors flooded his taste buds. “I never tasted ham this good, Mrs. Sterling.” He spoke as he chewed.
“Thank you, Felix. I’m glad you like it.”
Felix noticed Joey watching him as he chewed his bite of ham. He felt all tingly as their eyes locked, but took it to be excitement at having a new friend and discovering life on a ranch. His initial reluctance grew into delicious anticipation for the coming months with his temporary family.
That night, as Felix climbed into bed, he reached for the diary and pencil he brought. He began with the evening his father scolded him for not wanting to marry Emmaline. That seemed to be the start of this entire summer on the ranch idea of his father’s. He licked the tip of his pencil and began to write. A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
“Yes?” Felix closed the diary and put it in his lap.
“It’s me…Joey.” The door muted his voice.
“Come in, Joey.” Although not accustomed to people coming into his bedroom after hours, he liked that Joey felt comfortable enough to visit him.
Joey opened the door and stood in the doorway. Dressed only in his drawers, the light from the kerosene lamp on Felix’s small bedside table cast a golden glow over Joey’s solid muscles and washboard stomach. “Sorry to bother you, Felix. This is your first night, and I wanted to make sure you were comfortable. Do you need anything?”
Felix noticed the expression of caring on Joey’s face. Even in the muted light of the lamp, that ever-present sparkle filled Joey’s eyes. “Thanks for checking on me, Joey. I am about to turn down the lamp and go to sleep.”
“Okay. Well, I’m across the hall if you need anything. G’night, Felix.”
“Thanks, Joey. G’night.”
After Joey left, Felix discovered his arousal. His father lectured him about the evils of self-pleasure, so he didn’t quite know what to do about it or why it happened. He reached down and touched himself. A jolt of pleasure shot through his torso. His father’s stern voice and unforgiving glare shot into his head, and the arousal subsided. He turned down the kerosene lamp, rolled over, and dozed off thinking of Joey and his first day at Sterling Ranch. Nothing in his life was this easy. What was he missing?
Chapter Six
Chirping birds penetrated the fog of sleep, and Felix cracked open his eyes. Where did the birds come from? Cheerful birds. Were they inside? He studied the wall. Not his wall. He bolted upright. His eyes darted around the room. Then it hit him. Sterling Ranch. He yawned, stretched, rubbed his eyes, and climbed out of bed. At the window, he parted the billowing curtains. The cool morning breeze grazed his skin. Goosebumps traveled down his stomach and legs as he gazed out the window. The two large oak trees housed the birds, chirping a happy song about the new day. Between the trees, he spied the sun peeking over a distant mesa, bathing the ranch in rich, yellow light.
A distant voice sounded outside, and he figured it was Joey taking care of the animals. He poured water into the basin and splashed the cold liquid on his face. He considered a shave but decided against it. Since Joey’s handsome face sported stubble, why not his? Handsome face? What was he thinking? He remembered asking his father about a man who had been in the store, and Felix referred to the man as handsome. The scowl on his father’s face was his first clue to his erroneous thinking, or at least the error of his speaking. The second clue was his father’s stern voice admonishing him for thinking of another man as anything but rugged. Sighing, he grabbed a spare handkerchief from his bag, wet it in the basin, and washed under his arms and between his legs. He wet the cloth again, squeezed out the water, hung it on the rail over the basin, and reached for his boxers and socks, both of which were well aired overnight. He dressed and headed downstairs, his boots echoing on the wooden stairs.
In the kitchen, Grover’s deep, resonant voice greeted him. “Good morning, Felix. The outhouse is out the back door and down the path. You’ll have no trouble finding it in the morning light.”
“Thanks, Mr. Sterling.” Felix crossed the kitchen to the open back door. “Morning, Mrs. Sterling.”
“Mornin', Felix.”
The hinges squeaked as he nudged the screen door open and clomped down the steps. The door banged shut behind him. The well-worn trail led him toward the outhouse. Ambling down the path, he took a lungful of the fresh, cool morning air. Life on a ranch seemed relaxing and pleasant. After all, he was roughing it. The left door squealed as he pulled it open. He had used an outhouse at school. Still, he grimaced as he tugged down his pants and placed his butt in the oval opening cut into the flat surface. A mail-order catalog lay next to him, with several pages torn out. He figured out what it was for besides passing the time.
He finished, returned to the kitchen, and washed his hands before turning toward the table. Mabel reached for Felix and hugged him. “Did you sleep okay?”
