Page 6 of Jewel in the Rough

To Teagan, Benny appeared tentative as he reached out a hand to stroked Hedy’s flank. The milk cow snuffled, then turned her black and white head to look at Benny.

“Such a beautiful girl, I bet yours is the very best milk.”

Teagan supervised Benny as he stroked and petted the cow for a few minutes and acknowledged that he seemed to gain confidence fairly quickly. Teagan also couldn’t help but notice what the guy was wearing; skinny jeans, fashionable boots—or knock-offs—topped off with a worn, oversized, Venice beach sweatshirt. No way was he gonna last here.

“Okay, girlfriend, I’m gonna do this thing and then the big man in charge says you can go outside. Whaddya say? Are you gonna make this easy on me?”

Hedy snorted and Teagan held his breath, waiting for her signature hoof lift as Benny pulled the milking stool over and pushed the bucket underneath her teats.

“I have to admit, Ms. Hedy, yours are the first woman’s, um, nipples? Teats, I guess,” Benny’s shoulders waggled, “that I’ve ever willingly touched, but they seem very nice. And I have expertise with body parts that are this, um, shape, so maybe that gives me an advantage.”

When Teagan barked out a laugh, Hedy shot him a baleful glance—at least as baleful as cows get. But really, Benny was just going to out himself and compare Hedy’s parts to a dick? Benny then muttered something else that Teagan missed and began a rhythmic squeezing motion that, yes, was suggestive. Low and behold, moments later, milk began streaming into the bucket. Benny gasped with pleasure and Teagan’s mouth dropped open. This was not happening.

Of all the cows, Hedy was the moodiest and least happy about change. When Teagan first returned to take over the dairy, she’d been the most frustrating to deal with.

“You are such an amazing cow, I am so impressed,” Benny cooed. “This right here is going to be the main ingredient in the next hit flavor of ice cream Jewel Creamery releases. I tell you, girl, you have it made. You are a star.”

Teagan moved closer, keeping an eye on the liquid in the bucket as Benny continued to milk and praise Hedy. When he estimated it was about three gallons, Teagan spoke.

“That’s good, you can stop now.”

Benny glanced quickly over his shoulder at Teagan, a huge grin illuminating his face. His hands slowed to a stop, and with care, he pulled the full bucket away from Hedy’s hooves.

“I’ll put that in the cooler, you go open the gate for her.”

Picking up the bucket, Teagan limped across the barn to the cooler. Behind him, he heard Benny talking to Hedy again.

“Go on outside now, and eat all the grass you want, you glorious ruminant. Go be glamorous with the rest of the girls.”

Hedy lumbered out to the pasture, Benny pulled the gate shut, and Teagan didn’t have to tell him to latch it again.

“Did I pass your test?”

“Mm. Help me clean up the equipment. Then I’ll show you around the rest of the property and the house.”

Teagan refused to be charmed by this stranger Ciara had hired. He’d had enough of charmers living in LA. All the pretty men he could handle. Teagan hadn’t been out; regardless of what TV said, it was fucking dangerous for a city cop to come out as gay. Instead, the rare times he wanted male companionship, Teagan had visited West Hollywood.

And frankly, the field trips hadn’t been worth it. After one or two trips, followed by an embarrassing discussion with his best friend, Teagan came to the conclusion that he was likely demisexual. It had been a relief to realize there was nothing wrong with him, but it had put the nail in the coffin of any chance he had for a relationship. He wasn’t coming out while he was on the force, and he’d never ask someone to stay in the closet for him.

All of which was moot now that he was back living on Piedras, where the sheriff was openly gay andmarried. It boggled Teagan’s mind. But he still didn’t need a partner, and he wasn’t interested in marriage.

“Alrighty, Mr. Friendly,” Benny said, interrupting his thoughts. “Lead the way.”

Teagan showed Benny around the dairy, gesturing across various fences at the twenty acres of land he and Ciara owned, and all the time wondering why he was making the effort. Benny Brambilla was not farm material, even if he hadn’t fucked up milking one cow. The big test would come in the morning when all five of them were pissy and demanding. And in a few days it would be extra-hell because Ciara’s crew would be working in the creamery, as she called it, concocting all sorts of ridiculous flavors of ice cream and generally interfering with Teagan’s peace and quiet.

Benny’s voice broke through his internal grousing. “It’s beautiful here.”

Teagan glanced around, trying, and failing, to see the farm with new eyes. “I suppose.”

Benny frowned and squinted at him. “Are you always like this? Are you the human equivalent of Eeyore?” Benny made a slow circle, his arms outstretched. “This is beautiful. Look at all the trees and wildflowers! Check out the way the sunlight is angling through the tree trunks over there, it’s so cool and mysterious. There is so much opportunity here. I bet—if you wanted to—you and Ciara could offer tours of the farm, especially in the summertime. There are so many tourists on the island dying to part with their cash. The tours could be free, but you then could have an exclusive flavor of ice cream they could only get here.”

Puzzled. That was the word for how Teagan suddenly felt. Benny Brambillapuzzledhim. Teagan mostly saw the farm as a chore, something he’d fallen into after the shooting and his dad’s death. At Benny’s words, he forced himself to look around again toreallysee the bright green pastures and the wildflowers surrounded by protective evergreens. There were cedars, Doug firs, hemlocks, and pines—one of the trees harbored the remnants of a tree house Teagan and Ciara had built years ago.

“And,” Benny stopped moving to flash a bright grin at Teagan, which did something to his insides that he chose to ignore, “you need goats.”

That stopped his musing. No way would there ever be goats. One herd of animals was enough.

“Why the fuck should I have goats? The cows are enough fucking trouble.”

---