A STRAY FOR KEEPS

J. D. Walker

See you next month, Tim,” Fred Jenkins said as he handed over the receipt for my purchases. He was the owner of the only supply store for forty miles.

“‘Bye now,” I replied as I walked out the door.

The sun was low in the sky, spreading pretty colors all over as twilight slowly took hold of the heavens. It was something I loved, almost as much as the mountains around me.

I ambled along, admiring the view above me when suddenly I tripped over something on the pavement, which nearly made me drop the feed bags on my shoulders. I could almost hear the voice of my dearly departed mother saying, “Boy, your head’s always in the clouds.” God, I missed her.

When I got my balance back, I turned around to see what had caused me to stumble. A pair of long, lean, and dusty jeans-clad legs were in the middle of the pavement. The legs belonged to a very shabby-looking man who sat on the ground, leaning against the dirty wall near the boarded-up store to his left.

His dusty black cowboy hat was pulled down low over his face, but I could make out a strong, firm jawline with several days’ worth of beard growth on it. A ragged old backpack was on the ground beside him. Concerned, I walked toward him and put my bags down nearby.

“Hey, cowboy.” A weak groan was the response. Alarm bells went off in my head.

Pushing my brown hat up on my forehead, I stooped next to the man and reached a hand out to touch him, but he jerked away, a small cry of pain escaping him.

“Whoa, there. Didn’t mean to startle you,” I said, backing off a little bit.

The man slowly pushed his own hat up, wincing as he did so. Tired brown eyes looked up at me and my heart stopped. The man before me was even prettier than the sunset on the horizon. And that was saying something.

He was bruised something awful, though. I dragged my eyes away from his defeated gaze and black eye turning purple, to inspect the arms at his sides. Black and blue, all over, it seemed. His hands looked like he’d been in a fight, and scrapes covered what I could see of his knuckles. Guess he gave as good as he got, whatever the tussle had been about, if that was the reason for his present condition. Good for him, but, Jesus.

“What happened, man?”

The stranger removed his hat, and I saw a full head of dark- brown hair, the strands sweaty and a mess. I made a snap decision.

“Scratch that. I don’t care. You need to get cleaned up, and a place to rest for a while, I’m thinking.” I looked him dead in the eye.

“You ever kill anybody?”

Startled, the man slowly shook his head.

“Steal anything?”

In the fading light, I saw a blush steal up his cheeks. He slowly nodded.

“Was it because you were desperate?”

Nod.

“Got any family?”

Shake.

“Were you roughed up here in town?”

Shake.

“On the way here?”

Nod.

“Mind being around gay cowboys?” I thought I’d make it clear right off the bat what he’d be getting into, if he came with me.

Shake. The blush came back again in full force. All righty then.

“Okay. I own a ranch some miles down the road. Nothing fancy, just a few horses and cows, and a sizable garden for fresh vegetables. Not really in it for the money, since I already have a job as a consultant online. I just love the land, and the scenery. Got a couple guys working for me who live there, too. Got a big enough house for ten people. It’s a safe place, and we don’t mind company. We’re real friendly and laid back. You interested?”

The tired stranger gave me a look that said, This is too good to be true. After a minute or two, though, he nodded. I stood up and stepped back to give him room to get up off the ground. It was painful to watch him move, because he was obviously hurting. I wanted to leave his pride intact, so I let him do it on his own.

Finally, after bracing himself against the wall, the man stood, the old backpack in one hand and his hat in the other. We were the same height, which had me thinking all kinds of wicked things that he wasn’t in any shape to handle, even if he was interested. He put his hat back on and waited for my next move.

I picked up the bags of feed and led the way to Lodi, my faithful pickup truck. I put the sacks in the back and unlocked the doors so my soon-to-be guest could get in. Once we were buckled up, I started the truck and headed out onto the road for the long trip back home.

“You got a name?” I asked, five minutes later. I was curious as to what he would sound like. He cleared his throat.

“Daniel Tiberius Crane.” Oh now, that voice was something else, pulling at me down low in my belly. Though hesitant and scratchy, the timber was soothing to my ear.

“That’s a mouthful, isn’t it? Timothy Montagne, at your service. Call me Tim.” He gave me a slight nod, and that’s all we said for the rest of the trip.

By the time I pulled up at the ranch, it was nightfall. The lights were bright on the front porch.

“Hey, Tim.” Out the window, I saw Jet—all five feet ten inches of him—walk to the back of the truck to get the sacks of feed. I got out and closed the door behind me.

“Jet.” I walked up to him and wrapped an arm around his trim waistline, kissing him lightly on the mouth. He turned it into a mini make-out session that curled my toes. Damn, he was good at that.

When I could catch my breath, I cleared my throat and said, “We have a guest for a while. This is Daniel.” The man in question had slowly gotten out on his side of the truck, and now swayed slightly, dead on his feet. That he barely responded to the intimate exchange between Jet and me was telling, except for his slightly raised eyebrows.

After taking a good look at him, Jet left my side, ignored the feed bags, and sauntered over to Daniel to shake his hand. Daniel flinched a little, but he recovered and shook it.

“Nice to meet you,” Jet said.

“Likewise,” Daniel replied.

“All right, Jet. Why don’t you put away the feed and we’ll see you at the dinner table in a little bit, okay?”

“Sure thing, babe.”

With that, I escorted Daniel inside the rambling house. I took my hat off and placed it on one of the hooks on the wall near the front door. Daniel did the same. As I walked with him toward the sleeping area, I pointed out things of interest in my home—his now, too, for as long as he needed it. There was the usual in the way of furniture in the front room. The kitchen to the left was modern and huge. Beside it was a small office where I worked on the computer most days. A long hallway led to the back of the house. Bedrooms were on either side. Mine was at the very end.

The whole time, I watched Daniel out of the corner of my eye. He didn’t say much, just took it all in. I figured he needed a little time to himself before dinner.

“Hey, why don’t you take a nice hot shower and get situated? I’ll have some painkillers waiting for you at the dinner table. Any room on the lefthand side of the hallway is yours. Got three bathrooms down there, too. Just pick one. Dinner in a bit, okay?”

“Thanks,” he said, in a low voice. With an effort, his eyes met mine. “I don’t even know what to…just…thank you.” That said, he moved carefully down the hall, his dusty boots clacking with every step against the wood floors. Exhausted as he was, Daniel was still a sight to behold, all lean, firm lines, tight ass, narrow waist. I needed to remind myself that he was here to heal, not be manhandled by me, unless that’s what he wanted, later on.

I strolled back toward the kitchen, where Roscoe—house manager, cook, and Man Friday—was putting the finishing touches on a great-smelling stew. He was about my height, and built like a barn.

“Something smells good, honey,” I said as I walked up to him and patted him on the ass. I wasn’t kidding when I said we were real friendly on this ranch.

“I know what you want, and you can’t have any until it’s ready,” Roscoe said, stirring the huge pot on the stove.

“Now how do you know what I want? I might surprise you,” I teased, running a finger up and down the crease of his ass through the tight jeans he wore. I grabbed a firm cheek and squeezed. Roscoe smirked as he pushed back into my hand, briefly.

“No surprise there, cowboy. And the answer’s still no.”

“You’re so mean to me,” I groused, stepping away to set the table.

“You say that all the time, but I’m still here, so—”

“Can I help it if I love having you around, and not just because you’re a good cook?”

“Trying to sweet talk me won’t work, either. Tell me about the new guy.” I pulled out cutlery for four people and was about to give him the story when Ret walked in.

“What’s the story on our guest?” he asked as he grabbed bowls from one of the cabinets near the refrigerator.

“I was just about to tell Roscoe. I was on my way back to the truck from the store when I tripped over this guy’s legs.”

“You were staring at the sunset again, weren’t you?” Roscoe cut in. I stuck my tongue out at him.

“He was just sittin’ there on the sidewalk, leaning against a wall. Man looked like he hadn’t got a friend in the world.”

“So you picked up another stray.” Jet took a bag of rolls and a stick of butter out of the refrigerator and placed them on the table. Then he grabbed a six-pack of beer.

“I couldn’t help it. You don’t mind do you?”

“Hell no! Roscoe and I were strays of a kind, too, at one point. And we always help people in need. It’s what we do. And if he decides to stay, well—”

“Ditto,” Roscoe concurred.

“Thought so. He’s bruised up pretty good, but I think he might be hurting worse on the inside. We gotta help him heal, best way we know how. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Fifteen minutes later, the stew was done and ready to be served when Daniel walked into the kitchen. Apparently, he had at least a change of clothing in his backpack. He wore an old white T-shirt that molded to his firm chest, and sweatpants, his lovely feet bare. Daniel’s hair was wet and combed. Guess he had some toiletries with him, too. He definitely cleaned up well, though he still looked like the walking wounded. Definitely needs some loving care, this one.

“Have a seat, Daniel.”

“Thanks,” he replied quietly. “And you can call me Danny, if you like.” He sat in the chair next to Ret. I placed a bottle of painkillers beside his bowl, along with a bottle of water. He gave me a tired smile as a thank-you. Roscoe introduced himself and they shook hands across the table. Danny wasn’t as skittish as before about being touched. That was an improvement, at least.

“All right, folks. Dig in,” I said. That’s as close to a prayer as we ever got in this household.

While we ate, Ret gave us an update on the ranch in general. Then Roscoe mentioned the need for some household supplies. I’d have to make a run into town again soon. While I listened with one ear, I observed Danny as he scarfed down the food at an alarming rate. Seemed he hadn’t eaten in a while. He ate heartily, consuming at least two steaming bowls of stew and four rolls slathered with butter. Good thing Roscoe always made enough food for a herd.

Throughout the meal, the three of us—Ret, Roscoe, and I—would sometimes feed each other, and touch affectionately. Danny watched the interplay with amusement, but didn’t say anything.

After a few complimentary burps to the cook, we all leaned back in our chairs as we drank our beer and water. Roscoe looked over at Danny.

“Have we scared you off yet?” he asked with a friendly grin.

“Hardly,” Danny replied. “Were you trying to?”

“Nah. Just being ourselves. We’ve had people stay over who thought we were looney. They weren’t here long. I can see you’re a bird of a very pink feather.”

Danny snorted, water spraying everywhere. After he wiped his nose and mouth, he said, “I don’t advertise, but yeah.”

“Good to know,” Ret said with a leer.

“Ret.” I gave him a warning glance. He just shrugged and blew me a kiss.

Now that we had eaten, and Danny had relaxed around us, I was curious to see if he was ready to talk about how he’d ended up bruised and dusty on a sidewalk in town.

“You wanna tell us what happened to you, Danny?”

The relaxed smile he’d worn disappeared, and now he stared down at the bottle in his hand instead of us. I hadn’t meant to upset him, so I tried another tack.

“Hey, Roscoe? Tell Danny here how you ended up at this ranch.” Danny looked up at me, then Roscoe, a little less tense now that the attention was away from him. Good call on my part, I guess.

“Oh god. I was a train wreck.” Roscoe placed his beer bottle on the table and leaned on his elbows, rubbing his face with his hands. Ret, who sat on his left, leaned in to kiss his cheek.

“It’s okay, honey. We’re here for you, always.”

“I know, baby. Thank you.” He grabbed Ret’s chin and gave him a quick, hard kiss on the mouth.

“So,” Roscoe continued, “a few years ago, I was working in a five-star restaurant. Had a great job, boyfriend, the works. One day, I get home late—nothing unusual about that since I always worked long hours—and I find a note on the refrigerator from Brad. Says he’s found somebody else who’ll put his needs first, give him the attention he deserves. Guess he got tired of my work schedule, though he’d known what was up from the get-go. Now, I was real cut up about it, having given ten years of my life to that ungrateful bastard. I even hired a PI to find him, since he left town, and I was worried. In the end, the whole thing messed me up so bad, I lost my job, my house, and I became a drifter.

“A year ago, I happened to be hitchhiking on the road ten miles from here, when Tim, he sees me walking and picks me up in Lodi. Asks me where I’m going. I say nowhere. Takes me back to this place, finds out I can cook, and that’s the end of it. He and Ret helped me through some tough times and drew me into their circle. I was real lucky he found me.” Roscoe reached out a hand to cover mine on the table. I pulled his hand to my mouth and kissed the back of it.

“Your boyfriend left you because you weren’t around to fawn over him every waking minute? Sounds like a selfish prick to me,” Danny said. I looked at him, surprised that he had contributed anything at all to the conversation.

“I agree with you, but it took me a long time to believe that,” Roscoe said.

“I, on the other hand was hired by Tim to take care of the ranch some years ago.” Ret gave me a sly smile. “He looked like a stray when he came into town, wandering around the feed store, trying to figure out what to buy for horses and cows. He’d just bought this place from a couple looking to retire to Florida, and didn’t know the first thing about ranching. I thought he was earnest, clueless, and cute. I needed a new place to be, and greenhorn here needed a keeper.”

“I wasn’t that bad,” I complained.

“Yeah, sweetie, you were. But we love you all the same,” Ret teased.

“I’m not feeling much love at the moment, son.”

“I’ll make it up to you soon, don’t you worry.” Ret gave me a wicked smile and licked his lips.

“Ignore him,” I said to Danny. “He’s just showing out ’cause we got company.” Danny looked up at each of us in turn, then took a deep breath.

“I…listening to you all makes me…” Danny just sighed and shook his head.

“Makes you what, hon?” I prodded.

“I haven’t had anything like this—camaraderie, I guess, in a long time. I’ve lived in homeless shelters and halfway houses for years, worked odd jobs when I could. The last place I stayed, I got into a fight with a couple of guys over some dumb shit, and I decided I was tired of it all. I started walking. Got some rides along the way, paid with blow jobs. The last ride I got, guy tossed me out while I was sleeping as the pickup truck moved down the road near the town where Tim found me.”

“Jesus, man,” Roscoe said, aghast.

“Yup,” Danny replied, and gulped down the rest of his water.

“I know you have bruises on your face and arms. Anywhere else? Do you need a hospital?” I should have thought of that before.

“No, no. Just some down time. Once I’m feeling better, maybe I can do something around the ranch, pay you back for all you’ve done for me.”

“Don’t you worry about that,” I said. “You have a safe place to heal, if you want it. Take all the time you need, right guys?”

“Absolutely!” from Ret.

“Hell yeah!” from Roscoe.

“See? We want you here.” I smiled and said, “And it helps that you like men, since we get real affectionate around here sometimes, day or night, inside the house or in the barn. Just a warning.”

That surprised a laugh out of Danny, and it made him look relaxed and carefree underneath all that wear and tear, just for a little while. “I think I can handle it. I’ve seen a lot of things in my time. There isn’t much that surprises me anymore. I even worked at a gay strip club—once.” Roscoe and Ret whistled and hooted and hollered until I told them to shut it.

“Don’t mind them. They forget their home training at the first hint of sex,” I said.

“Nothing I can’t handle, though sex for me won’t be anytime soon. I like to watch, though,” he added, with a wink. Little Timmy perked up at that.

“Do you now?” I queried.

“Indeed I do. All three of you can have your way with each other wherever and whenever. I’m content to just enjoy the show.”

“Hear that, boys?” I said. “He wants a show! Best clean up and get the dishes done, quick.” With that, Ret, Roscoe, and I got the kitchen spotless in no time while I urged Danny to go sit in the recliner in the front room after handing him another bottle of water. I loved that particular chair—had lots of fun in it, too. I sat there often when I wanted to watch Ret and Roscoe together, light to dark, blond to coal-black hair, wiry to sturdy and solid.

I shooed Ret and Roscoe to the living room, while I ran to the bathroom to wash up real quick and pull on an old T-shirt and sweatpants. I grabbed a couple wet washcloths to bring with me. When I got back, Ret and Roscoe were already on the couch making out, and Danny had the recliner all the way back, the beer held on his belly with one hand while the other was behind his head. His eyes were glued to my lovers. I placed the rags on the small table next to the couch.

Ret gave Roscoe one last kiss and stood up. “I promised I’d make it up to you, didn’t I?” he said, referring to earlier in the kitchen.

“Yes you did. On your knees, boy.” Ret assumed the position in front of the couch, while Roscoe sat behind him, his legs on either side of Ret’s body. Roscoe leaned forward and massaged Ret’s neck and shoulders while I moved to stand in front of them.

“Good boy,” I said, running my hand through his hair. “Pull my cock out.” Ret pulled the waistband down enough so my already hard rod sprang up to wave at him. I held my dick with one hand while I guided Ret’s head with the other.

“Suck me, boy.” Ret took the head of my cock in his mouth and licked the tip. Applying wonderful suction, he moved up and down my throbbing length until I had to hold him steady so I could fuck his wet, hot hole. In the meantime, Roscoe moved his hands all over Ret’s chest, and played with the man’s nipples. Too soon, the pressure built beyond my ability to stop it, and I came on a shout, spurting down Ret’s throat. Ret kept swallowing my load until I was done. Keeping my feet—barely—I ran a hand through Ret’s sweaty hair as a thank-you.

“You did good, son. Real good.” With a sigh, Ret sank back onto his ankles. “Told you I would.” I put my sated dick back inside my sweats and stepped back.

“How do you want to fuck him, Roscoe?”

“On my lap.”

“Okay. Lose the pants, hon.” Roscoe got up and stepped to the side to take off his jeans—he’d gone commando—and then sat back down in the same spot on the couch. Ret got up briefly to take off his own pants and got back on his knees in front of me.

“On your hands and knees, facing Roscoe.” Once that was done, Roscoe moved forward enough that his cock bobbed in front of Ret’s face.

“Get him good and wet, boy, while I work on your hole back here.”

“My pleasure,” Ret said. As soon as Ret started sucking Roscoe’s cock, I got on my knees behind Ret and slobbered at his hole. His taste was like nothing else, and his hole strangled my tongue in the best way possible as I fucked it. I could hear his moans as I worked him over, his ass wiggling and pushing back to get me in as far as possible. I held his asscheeks in my hands so I could keep him steady. Roscoe kept telling Ret how good his mouth felt on him.

After a few minutes, I moved back and wiped my mouth. “He’s ready for you, Roscoe.” I slapped Ret’s ass, giving him permission to move and squat over Roscoe’s lap, knees on either side of his legs on the couch, and back to Roscoe’s chest. Ret’s cock was so hard it almost touched his chest. Roscoe’s dick was already leaking at the tip, and tapped hello at Ret’s hole.

Slowly, with Roscoe’s hands to guide his hips, Ret impaled himself on his lover’s cock, bit by bit. His face showed the burn and ecstasy he experienced. Ret liked penetration a little dry so he could feel everything. Once seated on Roscoe’s lap, Ret leaned back against Roscoe’s chest, eyes closed as he caught his breath. Roscoe turned Ret’s head just a little so he could feed on the man’s lips. So beautiful, my men together.

Ret started to move, rotating his hips on Roscoe’s lap. Both men groaned in unison, focused on their mutual pleasure. I kneeled in front of them so I could pump Ret’s cock—now wet with his own juices—and kissed each man, one at a time. Soon, their rhythm got hard and fast, then choppy, and both men came, Ret with a loud moan and Roscoe with a hitch in his shout.

My hand became slippery with Ret’s spend, and I lifted my hand so I could share the cum with both men, who licked it clean. We shared kisses, the three of us, and then I stood and helped Ret off Roscoe’s lap. He winced a little when Roscoe’s cock popped out of his ass, but then he smiled.

“Jesus, it’s always so good with you two,” he said, snuggling into my arms.

“Same here,” I said.

Roscoe caressed Ret’s ass, then reached over and grabbed a rag to hand to me. He got one for himself and cleaned up, tucking himself back in when he was done. I wiped Ret’s ass and then reached between us to clean his cock.

“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life,” Danny said. I jumped a little, having forgotten he was even there in the room with us.

I turned a little, Ret still in my arms. “It was our pleasure, believe me,” I said.

“You must really care for each other a lot. That’s so rare,” he said, sounding wistful.

“It may be, but the three of us, we have more than enough love to share with anyone who needs it, and that includes you.”

“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve that offer, but I’m thankful for it. Maybe one day, I can be that for you all, too.”

“No rush, cowboy. We’re not going anywhere. And neither are you.” After that touching moment, Danny yawned, and Ret farted.

“God, Ret. Way to ruin a moment,” Roscoe griped, waving his hand in the air to dispel the fumes.

“You still love me anyway,” Ret replied as he moved away from me and grabbed his pants.

To Danny I said, “To bed with you.” Danny got up and grabbed his empty water bottle. I took it from him and shooed him down the hall. “Get some rest, sleep as long as you like.”

“Thanks, Tim. In fact, thanks, all of you. Good night.” He waved and walked away.

Ret and Roscoe stood beside me as we watched him disappear down the hall.

“That went well,” Ret said.

“Yeah. I hope he’ll stay,” Roscoe added. “I’d like a crack at that ass.”

“God, can you be any more uncouth?” I said.

“It’s why you keep me around, right?”

“Maybe.” I walked between my two men, an arm around each waist, and thought how I was the luckiest man in the world.