Page 92 of The Texas Sterling Collection
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” Rod gave Wyl a quick kiss. “You know how to ease my fears.” Rod stepped back and grabbed Wyl’s hand, dragging him toward the kitchen. “Help me fix lunch?”
“You bet.”
After lunch, they settled back in the office. Rod began taking over the ranch's business operations after retiring from the college at the end of May. So far, he has learned the basics of banking, investments, personnel and payroll, maintenance and upkeep costs, and what made the ranch tick. Now he was learning the finer details of oil royalties, government regulations, tax filings, ranch value, contracted services, and livestock records. It was a complex business, and it would definitely keep Rod busy.
Chapter Four
The following day, Wyl woke to find Rod trembling, covers clutched in his fists, his fear-filled eyes staring at the ceiling.
He sat up. “What’s the matter, babe?” Wyl wiped the wetness from Rod’s cheek.
“Please hold me.” Rod rolled and snuggled up to Wyl. “I went to sleep without a problem, but in the middle of the night, I woke up worrying about Shifty and Mitzi and Dusty and Stella and Alfonso and the ranch, and what the fuck have I done? Everything came back to haunt me. I lay awake most of the night, panicked at the thought of losing you and hurting the ranch. The drama I dealt with while on campus gave me fits, but this Shifty thing combined with Mitzi’s latest scheme beats everything.” Rod’s voice shook.
Wyl surrounded Rod with strong arms and kissed away the salty tears. “Babe, people like us who have money are often targets. The less fortunate, and in our case, ex-in-laws, think they can take advantage. They come up with many reasons why they think we will gladly fork over cash. It doesn’t work that way. Blackmail and extortion are crimes, and the law is on our side. Nobody can separate us, and nobody can take away our ranch.”
“I wish I had your balls.” Rod’s trembling eased, and he gazed at Wyl’s face. “I thought I could face anything, but everything piled up, and I just went to pieces.”
Wyl tightened his embrace, sighed, and whispered, “My balls belong to you. You’ve handled my balls more than anyone in the world.”
“And beautiful balls they are,” Rod’s trembling stopped. “Just hold me when I get worried.”
“I’ll hold you even when you’re not worried.” Wyl cradled Rod’s head in the crook of his neck. “You’re my big, strong cowboy, and I love you.” He paused for a moment, stroking Rod with his fingertips. “Remember when you stood up to Dusty? I fled before he threatened you, but from what you told me, you fought for what you believed in. You did that again when Shifty came into the office with an attitude. You stood up to him and didn’t take any shit. Even when I disappeared for two weeks, you handled and defended the situation involving the false rumor on campus. You are stronger than you realize. Don’t let them win.”
“You’re right. I let my worries get out of hand. You always know what to say.”
“Let’s get out of bed and see what challenges we face today.” Wyl hoped nothing new would come up, but he hadn’t expected the things they encountered over the past few days. The situation, both with Shifty and with Mitzi, affected Rod more than he realized.
They showered and washed each other, then dried off and dressed for the day. After breakfast, Rod cleaned the kitchen, and Wyl went to the phone.
“I’ll call Jack and see if Shifty riled things up last night. Felipe said Shifty had no friends, so I doubt he found any sympathy in that seedy bar he frequents. The gun threat bothers me, but I bet Felipe asked the hands to keep an eye out. If they spot him, we’ll know.”
“I hope you’re right.” Rod wiped the counter and the breakfast bar as he finished cleaning.
“I don’t know what Mitzi has planned,” Wyl said. “But you can bet the Blackfield Daily News won’t cooperate with her. Still, she’s a scheming bitch who probably won’t stop until she either gets what she wants or goes to jail trying.”
“I’m betting on the jail thing, but would she be that stupid?” The hiss of running water in the kitchen sink punctuated Rod’s words. “And then there is Stella. I don’t think I ever told you about the trouble Stella gave me. She swore she would stop me from turning you gay.”
“Turning me gay?” Wyl chuckled and shook his head. “The minute we kissed, you owned me.” He noticed the message light blinking on the answering machine and pressed the play button.
Mitzi’s tinny voice blared, “I’m giving you two husbands one more chance to listen to me before I go to the newspaper. I don’t need to name names to get them to print a story. It’s your funeral.”
Wyl pressed the delete button, hoping Rod didn’t overhear. The angst Wyl just calmed out of Rod would increase if he heard her voice.
“Who called?” Rod asked from the kitchen.
“Wrong number,” Wyl lied to protect his husband but still felt guilty. He dialed the Sheriff.
* * *
“Jack Johnson,” Jack answered.
“Jack, Wyl Sterling here.”
“Hey, Wyl. What’s up?”
“I called to check on the Anderson situation.” Wyl huffed out a breath. Guys like Shifty blamed everyone else for their problems and always looked for ways to get even. He kept his uneasiness about Shifty to himself. No sense in adding fuel to Rod’s angst. “Any activity we should know about?”
“Shifty showed up at Rusty’s Saloon as expected,” Jack said. “I talked with the bartender, and he said Shifty tried to get a few of the guys riled up about him losing his job and Blackfield having what he called faggots.”
