Wade has insisted Darnell get on a horse despite the younger man’s fear. The rancher  may have an ulterior motive! Given the climate of the times, they are both dancing around the attraction they are feeling.

***

After he had Lady combed smooth and free of any burrs or grass, Wade spread a saddle pad on her back and then settled the saddle on top of it. With the deftness of long practice, he tightened the cinch, waited a few seconds, and tugged the latigo just a bit tighter. Then he took off the halter and put a bridle on the mare, easing the bit into her mouth and being careful when he tucked her ears through the headstall.

When he turned, Darnell had backed off several steps. “No, I’m not going to get on her!” Darnell said. “I can’t climb that high.”

For an instant, Wade frowned, but he was determined. With a tone he’d use on Ben when the boy got stubborn, he made his words a command. “Yes, you are. And yes, you can. I’m not going to have anyone on my ranch who can’t deal with the tamest horse I have. Come here.”

He saw the hesitation in Darnell’s face, great reluctance, and finally an uncertain capitulation.

“Okay. I’ll trust you.” The other man came back to the mare’s side, He put his left hand on the saddle horn, only having to reach up a little bit. “How?”

“Lift your left foot, and put it in the stirrup. Then give a small bounce, and swing up, getting your other leg across the mare’s back. It’s easy as pie.”

Darnell drew a deep breath, cautiously lifted his left leg, and slid his foot into the stirrup. Wade almost flinched at the way the leather oxford Darnell wore went in much too far–he could easily get a foot caught. Not only a hat, but a pair of boots, too. While Wade pondered wardrobe, Darnell managed to lift himself up and slide into the saddle. He gripped the horn with both hands, still sheet-white, but after a few seconds, a smile began to slip across his face, and a bit of color returned.

“Wow! Man, oh man. I never thought I’d ever do this. I’m really on a horse.”

“You damn sure are.” Unthinking, Wade slapped a hand down on Darnell’s left thigh.

Darnell jumped so hard, Lady threw her head up in surprise. The way the other man moved in the saddle, Wade would bet he’d developed a raging hard-on in seconds. Looking up at Darnell’s face, he read a rainbow of emotions. There was fear and shock but also a wild sort of hope painted there. He reached automatically to soothe the mare, but the words he spoke were for Darnell.

“Easy, easy. It’s all right. You’re all right. I think we’ve both been feeling some of the same things. I know I’m scared and worried, but also wanting and needing. It’s not anywhere I’ve ever been before, and I’m not sure what to do. We’ll take it all very slow, the horse stuff, and the rest of it. No, I’m not going to run you off. Maybe I should, but I don’t think I can.”

Darnell did not reply, but his eyes told Wade he was taking in every word.

“If I made you leave, I reckon Ben would get on his pony and go after you. Winnie would throw a tantrum that would make branding calves look like a quiet picnic. And it would leave a hole bigger than that new mine up on Greenhorn Peak in my life. No, you’re going to stay–no matter what.”

With a convulsive swallow, Darnell finally spoke. “You knew, you saw? I tried to hide it every way I could. I guess I’m still hung up a little over the way everyone says what a sin it is, lusting for another man. I can’t help it, though. I figured I’d just have to live with it and keep it hidden as much as I could.”

“I have some of the same misgivings, but damn it, I’m not going to let someone else’s rules control my life. That’s one reason I like living out in a remote place. It was hell for Winifred, I guess, but I loved it from the time I came to help my uncle right after high school. Like I said, we’ll take this all slow and just see where it leads, okay?”

Looking down at his hands, still locked on the saddle horn, Darnell nodded, once and then again. “That will work, I guess,” he said, speaking so low Wade could barely hear him. Then, in a stronger tone, “I love the kids, and I think they like me. I like the work I’m doing, like doing it for you and for them. If you want me to stay, there isn’t anywhere else I want to go.”

“Good. Do you want to get down now, or can you wait while I get my horse and then go for a ride? We won’t go far because you’ll be stiff and get sore in a hurry, but while you’re up there…”

“I–I’ll go. I don’t have to do anything until it’s time to fix dinner.”

Wade resisted another thigh slap or anything else he might have felt a desire to do. Still, he saddled his second favorite horse, a tawny gelding called Buck, in record time. When he got back, Lady had not moved. Darnell hadn’t either. Wade reached down and picked up the trailing reins.

He glanced back to see if Darnell was still petrified with fear or simply waiting. The easterner seemed to have relaxed his posture a bit, although he still gripped the saddle horn. Perhaps at least part of the fear was gone. New ones may have replaced it, but that was all right. He offered a grin. “This time, I’ll lead her, but you’ll be doing the driving yourself next time.”

Darnell grinned back and nodded. “Okay.”

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After he had Lady combed smooth and free of any burrs or grass, Wade spread a saddle pad on her back and then settled the saddle on top of it. With the deftness of long practice, he tightened the cinch, waited a few seconds, and tugged the latigo just a bit tighter. Then he took off the halter and put a bridle on the mare, easing the bit into her mouth and being careful when he tucked her ears through the headstall.

When he turned, Darnell had backed off several steps. “No, I’m not going to get on her!” Darnell said. “I can’t climb that high.”

For an instant, Wade frowned, but he was determined. With a tone he’d use on Ben when the boy got stubborn, he made his words a command. “Yes, you are. And yes, you can. I’m not going to have anyone on my ranch who can’t deal with the tamest horse I have. Come here.”

He saw the hesitation in Darnell’s face, great reluctance, and finally an uncertain capitulation.

“Okay. I’ll trust you.” The other man came back to the mare’s side, He put his left hand on the saddle horn, only having to reach up a little bit. “How?”

“Lift your left foot, and put it in the stirrup. Then give a small bounce, and swing up, getting your other leg across the mare’s back. It’s easy as pie.”

Darnell drew a deep breath, cautiously lifted his left leg, and slid his foot into the stirrup. Wade almost flinched at the way the leather oxford Darnell wore went in much too far–he could easily get a foot caught. Not only a hat, but a pair of boots, too. While Wade pondered wardrobe. Darnell managed to lift himself up and slide into the saddle. He gripped the horn with both hands, still sheet-white, but after a few seconds, a smile began to slip across his face, and a bit of color returned.

“Wow! Man, oh man. I never thought I’d ever do this. I’m really on a horse.”

“You damn sure are.” Unthinking, Wade slapped a hand down on Darnell’s left thigh.

Darnell jumped so hard, Lady threw her head up in surprise. The way the other man moved in the saddle, Wade would bet he’d developed a raging hard-on in seconds. Looking up at Darnell’s face, he read a rainbow of emotions. There was fear and shock but also a wild sort of hope painted there. He reached automatically to soothe the mare, but the words he spoke were for Darnell.

“Easy, easy. It’s all right. You’re all right. I think we’ve both been feeling some of the same things. I know I’m scared and worried, but also wanting and needing. It’s not anywhere I’ve ever been before, and I’m not sure what to do. We’ll take it all very slow, the horse stuff, and the rest of it. No, I’m not going to run you off. Maybe I should, but I don’t think I can.”

Darnell did not reply, but his eyes told Wade he was taking in every word.

“If I made you leave, I reckon Ben would get on his pony and go after you. Winnie would throw a tantrum that would make branding calves look like a quiet picnic. And it would leave a hole bigger than that new mine up on Greenhorn Peak in my life. No, you’re going to stay–no matter what.”

With a convulsive swallow, Darnell finally spoke. “You knew, you saw? I tried to hide it every way I could. I guess I’m still hung up a little over the way everyone says what a sin it is, lusting for another man. I can’t help it, though. I figured I’d just have to live with it and keep it hidden as much as I could.”

“I have some of the same misgivings, but damn it, I’m not going to let someone else’s rules control my life. That’s one reason I like living out in a remote place. It was hell for Winifred, I guess, but I loved it from the time I came to help my uncle right after high school. Like I said, we’ll take this all slow and just see where it leads, okay?”

Looking down at his hands, still locked on the saddle horn, Darnell nodded, once and then again. “That will work, I guess,” he said, speaking so low Wade could barely hear him. Then, in a stronger tone, “I love the kids, and I think they like me. I like the work I’m doing, like doing it for you and for them. If you want me to stay, there isn’t anywhere else I want to go.”

“Good. Do you want to get down now, or can you wait while I get my horse and then go for a ride? We won’t go far because you’ll be stiff and get sore in a hurry, but while you’re up there…”

“I–I’ll go. I don’t have to do anything until it’s time to fix dinner.”

Wade resisted another thigh slap or anything else he might have felt a desire to do. Still, he saddled his second favorite horse, a tawny gelding called Buck, in record time. When he got back, Lady had not moved. Darnell hadn’t either. Wade reached down and picked up the trailing reins.

He glanced back to see if Darnell was still petrified with fear or simply waiting. The easterner seemed to have relaxed his posture a bit, although he still gripped the saddle horn. Perhaps at least part of the fear was gone. New ones may have replaced it, but that was all right. He offered a grin. “This time, I’ll lead her, but you’ll be doing the driving yourself next time.”

Darnell grinned back and nodded. “Okay.”

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