Page 268 of The Texas Sterling Collection
Felix grinned at Grover. “Well, after a cowboy calls you his best friend, what are you gonna do?”
Grover laughed. “I’m glad you two are getting along. Keep an eye out for snakes.” Grover turned and headed out of the barn.
“Thanks, Pa,” Felix watched Pa Sterling amble toward the house.
Grover waved a hand in the air as he walked.
They mounted up and rode out onto the ranch. Felix breathed in the fresh air and noticed Joey doing the same thing. He admired Joey's striking profile. The well-worn cowboy hat enhanced his handsomeness. Felix chastised himself for admiring, and focused on the rolling meadow they trotted through.
Joey glanced at Felix. “I’m sorry about my comments yesterday in the loft. Can we still be friends?”
“Of course. What you said surprised me, that's all.” Felix glanced at Joey. “You are the only friend I have. I’m still getting used to the wholefriendthing.”
“Friends should be able to talk about anything. You can talk to me, Felix. Even your deepest secrets. I promise I won’t laugh or run away.”
“Thanks, Joey.” Felix pondered those words. “I talk only with my sister about certain things. She and I get along well and can discuss things I would never talk to my father about.”
“That is what I meant when I mentioned certain things you don’t discuss with your folks. I would never talk to my pa about playing with my dick.”
Felix thought about their conversation, and curiosity got the best of him. “Joey, what does one do when he plays with his dick?” Felix felt stupid about many things. His father kept a tight tether on him, so he hadn't explored the natural world. Only the world his father allowed him to see. But his father wanted him to learn to be a man this summer. Did all men play with their dicks?
“When we get to the spring, I’ll show you,” Joey smiled.
And for the first time, Felix didn’t make himself think of Emmaline Crabtree. His heart beat faster with eager anticipation.
They arrived at the south fence near the entrance to the ranch. Joey talked about growing up on the ranch and his brother Jacob as they rode along the fence. Felix shared about growing up in town, his sisters and brother, and his parents. They found a couple of loose wires as they continued around the east fence line. Joey showed Felix how to mend the fence, then they continued toward the spring.
“We’ll do the rest of the fence another day,” Joey said. “Unless a storm might cause damage, we only check fences once a month.”
They arrived at the spring and let the horses drink while Joey got the lunch sack from his saddlebags. Felix tethered the horses to a tree branch, and the two best friends sat on the gurgling pool's edge and ate lunch.
Finished with the sandwiches, they leaned down and palmed up water from the spring to drink, slurping the cool water until they had their fill. They sat back to rest, reclined on the bank, booted feet crossed at the ankles, resting on their elbows. Felix sat up and tugged off his hat to let the breeze cool his head. He got up the nerve to ask Joey, “Are you going to show me how to play with my dick?”
Joey grinned at Felix and nodded. “You bet. But before I do, I need to ask you some questions. Are you uncomfortable being naked in front of me?”
“Yes,” Felix nodded. “I’ve never been naked in front of another person. Father says it's unnatural.”
Joey sat up and shifted his position until he faced Felix, knees bent, and legs crossed. “I can’t show you how to play with your dick unless we’re naked. Can you do that for me, your best friend?”
Felix took in a deep breath, uncertainty clawing at his gut. “If you go first, it will be easier.” His stomach tied in knots, and his palms sweated. He focused on the water and avoided Joey.
“Felix, watch me.” Joey stood and unbuttoned his shirt. “I promise you will feel good.”
Felix looked up at Joey as the shirt slipped off his shoulders and fell to the ground. Felix felt the urge to touch his bare, muscled chest. The same chest he admired when Joey came to his door that first night. But he kept his seat. “I’m watching.”
Joey tugged his boots off, then his socks, and hung them on his boots.
Felix found his bare feet arousing. He looked up at Joey’s face. “Can I touch your foot, Joey?”
Joey nodded. “You can touch whatever you want, Felix.”
He reached out and stroked Joey’s foot with his fingertips. The same sensations he experienced when they shook hands on his first day on the ranch flowed through his arm.
Joey unbuckled his belt, and Felix looked up when the clank of the buckle caught his attention. He watched as Joey undid the buttons on his fly one at a time, a bulge showing as he did.
Joey shoved his trousers down his thighs until they fell to the ground, pooling at his feet. Felix noticed Joey’s tented drawers. He stepped out of the trousers, picked them up, folded them, and laid them on a rock.
He untied his drawers and let them fall to the ground. Felix stared at Joey’s hard dick, sticking straight up.
