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“Are you worried hiring Wyatt was a bad decision?” Hugo asked. “Because of his inexperience?”
“Some, yeah. I’d be lying if I said no. He’s adamant about wanting this life, so I’m gonna give him a chance. I just don’t want the kid to get hurt, you know?”
“Oh, I know. I saw him try to mount Juno today, remember?”
“Lucky you.” He bumped his knee against Hugo’s. “I just hope I didn’t impulsively hire him because I’m worried about Dad. What if someone better qualified applies tomorrow?”
“Then you look at your budget and figure out if you can afford them both. Plus, Wyatt’s got an eight-week probation so if he doesn’t work out you can fire him and find someone who’s better. It’s a stop-gap right now, Brand, just like that tarp on Ramie’s roof. And who knows? Maybe Wyatt will surprise you and be really good with a little bit of training. Stranger things have happened.”
“True. When did you get so optimistic?”
“Last year when I gave up a job I loved on a dude ranch to move back here and try to win your affections. And it worked, too. I got a job I love, a man I love, and a family who supports us both. May not be blood, but your family is everything to me. Just like you.”
One of Hugo’s main goals last year when he left California for Texas was to be with Brand, but another had been to try to reconnect with his mother. That hadn’t gone well, and Hugo had no contact with his mom or stepdad, or the abusive older stepbrother currently cooling his heels in state prison for aggravated assault. The Woods family was Hugo’s family now, exactly as he always should have been.
Brand leaned over and kissed Hugo gently on the mouth. “You’re everything to me too, babe.” Brutus whined softly, as if understanding their conversation, and Brand scratched his chin. “You too, pup. You three are my whole life.”
“Your whole life that isn’t devoted to this ranch, you mean.” Hugo bumped his knee in return. “And that’s not a criticism at all, you know that. Woods Ranch is your legacy, and you have put all of yourself into making it succeed despite the odds. And I’m with you, Brand, no matter what happens.”
“Thanks. Sometimes I feel like I’m wandering around in the dark, and other days I can see everything so clearly. Today was one of those murky days, I think.”
“Well, it did start out with bad news but I think it worked out. Honestly, I admire you for taking a chance on Wyatt. The kid’s as likely to fall off a horse as successfully ride one, but he’s passionate about this life. You just need to help him rein in that passion and use it in a way that won’t get him hurt.”
“I’ll do my best. I was thinking of pairing him up with Jackson. He’s been here the longest, been in the life for...hell, I don’t even know how long. He grew up on a farm and has been ranching most of his adult life. There’s a few years in there he never told me about, but he doesn’t owe me his life story. We’ve all got secrets we don’t like talking about.”
Hugo quirked an eyebrow at him. “What secrets do you still have that I don’t know about?”
Only one thing that Brand had buried so deeply in his memory he simply didn’t talk about it anymore. There was no point, but one day he’d share it with Hugo. Probably. Nothing about the kid he’d never met affected their lives in the present. A kid he hoped was doing amazing things with their life. College or trade school or some other path, he didn’t care as long as they were happy. Healthy. Safe.
“The secret of how I make my homemade chili taste so much better than yours,” Brand teased.
“Okay, those are fighting words, Woods. You know my chili is superior.”
“Am I gonna have to wrestle you into admitting mine’s the best?”
“Yup.” Hugo punched him lightly in the shoulder before sprinting back into the bunkhouse.
On a bark of genuine, amused laughter, Brand chased his boyfriend inside.
Chapter Six
Jackson genuinely thought his luck had turned in a positive direction these past few years. He’d worked at Woods Ranch without any issues or injuries, lucked into a cheap and private place to live with wide-open skies, and up until last summer had an easy way to scratch his itch when he wanted some physical relief.
Still having two out of three things was pretty damned good in his book. The third was why he’d been at Blue Tavern two nights ago, looking for somebody to fuck or fuck him. Brand had usually topped when they fucked around, so someone to fuck had been at the forefront of Jackson’s mind, until “Wilson” invited himself into Jackson’s personal space. And now he was ten kinds of glad he hadn’t fucked the kid, or working with him would have been even more awkward than it was going to be.
No more fucking around with coworkers.
Well, no more fucking around in the carnal sense, anyway. He was still determined to figure out what Wyatt’s game was. Using a fake name when you were hunting for a hookup wasn’t unheard of (Jackson had never done it but to each his own), but Wyatt landing at Woods Ranch irritated him—and not just because the kid was still intensely fuckable and appealing.
He parked near the barn right at eight thirty, not at all surprised to see Wyatt’s car already there. He also spotted Rem’s pickup next to Brand’s. Dog leaped out of the cab and trotted up to the main house’s porch to greet Brutus for the day. No Michael or Rosco, which left an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Not that he expected Brand to partner Wyatt up with Michael, since he’d only been back in the life for half a year. Hugo was his only hope.
Hoping to get started on his chore list unnoticed, Jackson slipped into the barn and stashed his lunch in the break room fridge. He turned and jumped, not expecting to see Rem and Wyatt standing in the doorway. “Dammit, Rem, you’re gonna give me a heart attack,” Jackson snapped. “Don’t sneak around like a thief.”
Rem scuffed his boots on the hard-packed earth. “Sorry, man, didn’t mean to. Brand said you met Wyatt yesterday, so I guess I don’t have to introduce you.”
“Yeah, we met. You training him today?”
“Nope. Brand told me to tell you that you get to mentor him today. Tacking and riding, while I handle your other chores.”
