Vetting the Cowboy Read online

  “That rider looks like Jed.”

  “It is. Three or four years back. Last time he competed.” Parker chuckled. “He said he was getting too old, but Royce says Charles nagged him into retiring from competition. Said he was tired of having to sit with his eyes closed and fingers crossed every time Jed got on a bronco.”

  “That I believe.” Jordan grinned. “Charles is a force to be reckoned with, despite the fact he’s got to be half a foot shorter than Jed.” He traced the walls with an interested gaze. “Is there one of you? Reckon there’d have to be.”

  “Oh yeah. In the dining room. C’mon, I’ll show you.” There were two prints. One of Parker astride a bucking horse liked he owned it, the second of him being thrown backward off the bronco. “Son of a gun just had to have that one done,” Parker said wryly.

  Jordan grinned. “The look on your face is priceless.”

  “Yeah, well I don’t have to tell you what it feels like when you know your ass is gonna hit the ground hard.” He joined in Jordan’s deep chuckle. “So, you’ve given up the circuit?”

  “Yep. After breaking a leg in two places, thigh and calf. The doctors said I’d have to be real careful in future so I figured I needed to do something else. Can’t afford the hospital bills, for one thing. Jed says you run a good business here and if you’d have me, I’d be happy to work for you.”

  Parker nodded, liking Jordan’s straightforward approach. “Let me show you the stables and you can say hello to a couple of the men there. How are you dealing with people? Mostly gay guys, a few women and the occasional straight couple.”

  Jordan shrugged. “I haven’t had to deal too much with the public. Some groupies at times, but I don’t encourage it.”

  “Well, you’ll get a pretty diverse crowd here. Like I said, most of our guests are gay, some of the hands, too.”

  “No problem there. I’m bi. Though, to be honest, I prefer guys, but I don’t fool around where I work, so your boys are safe with me.”

  Parker laughed and clapped Jordan on the shoulder. He figured one or two of the ‘boys’ might be disappointed to hear that, but he kept that thought to himself. They walked outside toward the stable. “Jed said you were in Fresno last he heard.”

  “Yeah, lived there a few years, but it was time to get out.”

  There’s a story there, Parker thought, but it had never been his habit to pry—something Royce had kidded him about over the years. ‘How can we get juicy gossip if you don’t ask the right questions?’ he’d complain. “Corral and pasture are down yonder,” Parker said, pointing. “The riding trails start here in the ranch and wind around through the Double R. Jed and Aaron are okay with it, long’s nobody does anything foolish. Of course, Aaron bein’ Royce’s dad gives us more leeway than most.”

  They had reached the stable and Parker introduced Jordan to the two men working in the stalls. “Jordan, this is Bob Jennings, one of our original team, and Gerardo Gonzalez.” Jordan shook hands with the older man and the shy Mexican boy.

  “You a new hire?” Bob asked, peering up at Jordan. “We could sure use you right now.”

  “Well, I’m hoping to be,” Jordan told him. “That’s up to Mr. Jones, of course.”

  “Parker. We don’t stand on formality here, Jordan. C’mon, we’ll take a look at the horses in the corral.”

  Jordan had the feeling that Parker would hire him, but he didn’t want to count his chickens too soon. Life had been a bitch recently, and he wasn’t about to take anything for granted. Parker was a nice guy, or so it seemed, but for sure he’d want to see Jordan ride and interact not only with the horses but with the other men, too. One of those men was leading a horse around the corral. A tall, young blond guy who smiled and waved as they approached. Cute. I might not touch, but nothin’ wrong with looking…

  “Hey, Boss, just checking out Misty’s gait. She was limping earlier, but I can’t see anything wrong with any of her hooves.”

  “Could be a strained tendon,” Jordan said quietly, to Parker.

  “Let’s take a look.” Parker gestured that they should enter the corral. “Seth, this is Jordan Hendricks, come to check us out, see if he’d like to work on our ranch.”

  Jordan chuckled at Parker’s words and held out his hand to Seth. “Good to meet you.”

  “Likewise.” Seth gazed at him as if he was trying to remember where they’d met before. “Oh, I got it. Jordan Hendricks…I’ve seen your name in Rodeo Rider magazine. You were on the circuit for a time.”

  “I was. I quit it earlier this year, so I’m lookin’ for a job, preferably with horses.”

  “Well, you’ve come to the right place,” Seth said, “if you’re up for teaching a bunch of wannabe cowboys how to ride a horse, and rope a steer…a very small steer.”

  Jordan liked Seth’s easy-going nature and smile. “I’m always up for a challenge.” He glanced down at Parker who was on his knees, running his hands up and down the horse’s legs from hoof to elbow.

  “Can’t feel anything wrong. Take her round again, Seth. Jordan and me’ll take a looksee.”

  Jordan had a hard time keeping his eyes on Misty’s gait. Seth’s muscular ass encased in his well-worn, light blue jeans was way too much of a distraction. He grimaced. He’d been celibate for so long he reckoned he’d have forgotten how to do it should the occasion ever arise. Or was it like riding a bike, except more fun?

  “Yeah,” Parker was saying and dragged Jordan’s attention back to the matter in hand. “Her gait is definitely off. You better call Mike, Seth. No point in messing about trying to guess what’s wrong. Call in the expert.”

  “Mike?” Jordan asked.

  “Our veterinarian…and Seth’s husband. Came to us a year ago, not knowing a whole lot about horses. Now, since our regular vet, Doc Walker, retired, he’s our go-to man.”

  “Oh.” Jordan quickly averted his gaze from Seth’s fine butt.

  “Take her back to the stable after you’ve called Mike.”

  “Right, Boss,” Seth replied cheerfully.

  Jordan looked beyond the corral at the sound of a horse’s whinny. Three riders were headed their way, and Jordan stifled a gasp. The lead horse was being ridden by another example of hot-looking manhood. Shit, are all the hands here gonna be Adonises? Parker fell into an easy conversation with the three men and it became clear that the lead rider was the trainer and the other two his charges for the day.

  Parker gestured for Jordan to join them. “Jordan, this is Clint Hanson. Clint, Jordan Hendricks.”

  Clint leaned down from his saddle to shake Jordan’s hand. “Good to meet you, Jordan. Coming on board?”

  Jordan glanced at Parker, unsure of his reply, but the ranch owner met his gaze with a nod of his head. “We’re still in the showing-you-around stage, but I think Jordan likes what he sees, so far.”

  You have no idea…

  One of the riders behind Clint urged his horse forward. “If he does, I’ll be reserving another stay here real soon.”

  Well, now… Jordan grinned up at the young blond whose stare was unashamedly raking over Jordan’s body. “That’s a hella reference.”

  Clint chuckled. “Wesley, you have to stop bein’ so hard to get. C’mon now, back to the stables and I’ll show you how to take care of your horse after a ride.”

  Wesley gave Jordan a flirty smile as he followed Clint while his companion rolled his eyes at Jordan, but in a good-natured way. “That guy is a character,” Jordan remarked, watching the three head toward the stables.

  “He’s tame compared to some of the guys we’ve had here,” Parker said, his smile a little forced. “We encourage camaraderie between the trainers and the guests. We want them to feel comfortable and have a good time. But some have taken advantage of that and we’ve had a couple of awkward incidents. So, one of our employee rules is this, and it’s set in stone—no fooling around with the guests, even if they come on to you, and you are attracted to them. Most of them are here for a week, tops, s
o it shouldn’t be hard to avoid the come-ons and the innuendo.”

  “I got it. To be honest, that’s not something I’m looking for in any job.”

  “Right. And if you have the need to blow off some steam, there’s a couple of bars in Sacramento the guys go to occasionally. Okay, next…” He strode off with Jordan hot on his heels. “I don’t know what you have set up for living accommodations, but we have a bunkhouse with four single rooms. Again, some of the guys prefer to have their own place nearby. Seth lives with his hubby, of course, and Clint with his fiancée, Sherry, who just happens to work for Royce. There is one room available right now, if you want it.”

  “That’d be good,” Jordan said. “I spent the night in a motel in Denton, and it’s not the greatest.”

  “Okay, we’ll walk over there and I can show you where the guests stay. We have four cabins. All of them have a king-size bed and a pullout, plus kitchen and bathroom. There’s an empty one we can check out. If you’re ever giving a tour, you should know what to expect.”

  Jordan glanced at Parker as they walked up the steps of one of the cabins. “You’re making it sound like I have the job, already.”

  “Well, you still have to meet with Royce, but he usually agrees with my pick.” He unlocked the door and stepped inside.

  “Oh wow,” Jordan enthused. “This is really great.” He looked around the spacious room, decorated in warm tones of beige and brown. The floor was wood-plank with a couple of scatter rugs, one by the bed, the other in front of the sofa.

  “The kitchen’s fully equipped and the bathroom has a hot tub and walk-in shower.”

  Jordan peeked into the bathroom and whistled with appreciation. “Nice. My room have a hot tub?”

  Parker chuckled. “Not quite. A regular tub and shower’s all you get.”

  “I’ll take it,” Jordan said, laughing. “Your guests don’t have much to complain about here.”

  “Mostly, you’re right, but there’s always somebody with some bitchin’ they can’t hold back.” He peered at his watch. “Royce should be home anytime now, so let’s go wait for him at the house.”

  Jordan felt good as he followed Parker back to the house. It looked like Jed’s recommendation had panned out for him. Not that he wasn’t qualified, but it was always nice to have someone else sing his praises rather than come across as arrogant. He knew he could do this job. For the most part he liked people, and difficult ones he was sure he could handle. Flirty ones too.

  When they entered the house, a tall man with blond hair was standing in the kitchen, peering into the refrigerator. He grinned at them both. “Aha, the new boy on the block.” He held out his hand. “Royce Chandler.”

  Jordan gripped the outstretched hand and introduced himself. He’d heard from Jed that Royce was a charmer and he could see it in the man’s air of self-confidence, ready smile and warm but not too overly firm handshake.

  “So, has Parker been good to you?” He paused to kiss his husband on the cheek. “He can be a bit of a tyrant at times.”

  “No, sir. No sign of bein’ a tyrant.”

  “Okay, rule one, no calling me sir. It’s Royce. Like a beer?”

  “Please, uh, Royce.”

  “That’s it.” Royce opened the refrigerator and pulled out a couple of beers. “How ’bout you, my husband?”

  Parker grinned. “Please, sir.”

  “Watch it,” Royce growled, handing Parker a bottle. “So, Jordan, what d’you think of our little spread?”

  “I like it.”

  “Enough to work here?”

  “You bet. If you’d offer me the job, I’d say, yes.”

  “Then come on through to my office and we can start filling out our employment contract. I’ll just need your driver’s license and social security number. You have somewhere to stay?”

  “I told him he can bunk here,” Parker said, following them into Royce’s office.

  “I stayed in a motel in Denton last night, but I’d rather stay here.”

  “Done.” Royce sat at his desk and signaled that Jordan should take the seat opposite him. “Okay, you came highly recommended by our friend Jed Miller, and he should know what he’s talking about. It looks like Parker wants you on board, so I’d like to officially offer you the position. It’s twenty dollars an hour for up to eight hours a day. We do pay overtime should it be necessary and we provide you with health benefits. We charge a minimal amount for your room and board, and you get one day off per week, your choice.”

  Jordan nodded. It was more than he’d expected. This kind of job in this kind of environment was a rarity. The money wasn’t bad, and the health benefits and a room to stay in were definite bonuses.

  “Okay, Jordan?” Royce was regarding him keenly. “If you’re all right with what I’ve just told you, you can sign here.” He pushed a contract form over to Jordan, the place for his signature highlighted in yellow.

  Jordan gave the printed words a cursory look then signed his name. He mentally blew a sigh of relief when he handed the contract back to Royce. Jordan had been counting on this interview going well and he shook Royce’s hand gladly to seal the deal. Maybe this new start would help erase the wretchedness of the past three years.

  “So tomorrow, Parker will assign you to two of our guests. They’re arriving later today.” Royce chuckled. “They described themselves as greenhorns, so go easy on them. Parker will show you how we treat the guests on their first day here. Okay, Jordan, welcome to the Seven Plus Ranch. Glad to have you as part of our team.”

  They stood and walked outside together. “Why don’t I show you the room you can have,” Parker said, “and you can get your gear stowed away.”

  “Everything I own is in the back of the Jeep. I was traveling light.”

  “I’ll give you a hand moving it in.”

  Royce clapped Jordan on the shoulder. “I’ll leave you guys to it. Stop by around seven, Jordan, and have dinner with us. Parker grills up a mean steak, if you feel like it.”

  “My mouth’s already watering at the thought,” Jordan said, grinning.

  “Seven it is, then.”

  Parker helped Jordan unload the Jeep. He paused to admire the saddle among Jordan’s belongings. “That’s a beauty, Jordan.”

  “Thanks. Spoils of the circuit. It cost me a bundle, but I wouldn’t part with it for twice what I paid.”

  “Yeah…” Parker ran his fingers over the intricate leatherwork. “A beauty. Nice to see it so well taken care of. You know…” He paused as if remembering. “Few years back I helped Jed unload his stuff. Like you, he was travelin’ light… Now he’s the foreman over the Double R and married to an attorney. Life can be full of surprises sometimes.”

  Jordan nodded. Chances of that working out so well for him were close to zero, but he wasn’t about to share that with Parker, a guy who was giving him the break he needed. He hefted the saddle into his arms and Parker pulled out two suitcases. He led Jordan past the cabins and Jordan was surprised when he spotted a pool and spa up ahead. Man, they have everything here to make this place the perfect resort…

  “I didn’t expect to see a pool on the grounds.”

  “Royce’s idea. It went in about six months ago. I have to say, though, it’s popular with the guests, ’specially when the temperature goes up. Here we are.” They stopped at a one-story adobe building. Parker unlocked the door and Jordan followed him inside. “This is what Royce calls the common room. Somewhere for you to relax with the other guys if you want company or just want to get out of your room.”

  Jordan took in the comfortable-looking couches and easy chairs spread around the room, and the big-screen TV in the corner. A pool table stood in the other corner. “Very nice. You play pool?”

  “Oh, yeah, when I can get the time. The rooms are down here…”

  It was bigger than Jordan had anticipated and furnished way better than the motel room he’d checked out of this morning. “Man, this is really nice,” he said, surveying the b
rightly colored comforter on the bed and the big leather recliner.

  “All Royce’s doing,” Parker told him. “He said he wanted the men to feel at home at the end of the day. Bathroom’s over there. Tim’s in the room next to you, Bob and Stu down the hall there. Bob you’ve met, and you’ll meet the other guys soon enough. Okay, I’ll leave you to it. Don’t forget, seven at the house.”

  “Looking forward to it. Thanks, Parker, for the job, and this…” He gestured around the room. “It’s more than I expected.”

  “Glad to have you aboard.” They shook hands again, then Parker headed for the door. “Later.”

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  About the Author

  J.P. Bowie was born in Scotland and toured British theatres in numerous musical shows including Stephen Sondheim’s Company.

  He emigrated to the States and worked in Las Vegas, Nevada for the magicians Siegfried and Roy as their Head of Wardrobe at the Mirage Hotel. He is currently living with his husband in sunny San Diego, California.

  J.P. Bowie loves to hear from readers. You can find his contact information, website details and author profile page at https://www.pride-publishing.com