Chapter Fourteen

Phillip finished his shower and dried off. A soak in the tub would have to wait until later. His bedroom only had a shower and once all the guests arrived, he’d have to use the tub in the bunkhouse to soak in. Manuel had told him the one there was large and had jets. Rush took good care of his hands and from what Phillip could see, that was true. Which only made him more determined to get hired on.

Manuel seemed to like him and so did Rush. But that didn’t mean they would hire him now, not in the middle of the slow season. They had a hand already, so they didn’t need him. But maybe if they said they’d hire him in the spring, he’d hang around Spring Lake doing odd jobs or something until then.

But from the time he’d spent today, he knew deep in his heart, this was what he was born to do.

He dressed in a clean pair of jeans and one of his nicer shirts, a western style plaid, put on his good boots and went down to the kitchen to see if he could help. His knee only twinged as he took the stairs—he’d barely used it while riding, another good point for being a ranch hand. Most of the day was spent in the saddle, not on his feet like at the garage.

He hadn’t noticed it before, but a bare Christmas tree stood in a corner of the living area. It hadn’t been there at lunch or he’d have remembered. Had to be Brian who’d set it up.

Brian and Rush were in the kitchen, locked in an embrace, forehead touching forehead, whispering to each other. Phillip came up short and cleared his throat to let them know he was there.

They stepped apart without rushing and faced him, arms still around each other’s waists. Brian was in his uniform. Rush had changed into jeans and a nice shirt.

“Hey. Feeling okay?” Brian asked. “How’s your butt?”

“Sore, but I’ll manage.” Phillip rubbed one cheek. “I know it wasn’t a full day, what with Rush letting us finish early since it’s Christmas Eve, but I think I did okay.” He looked to Rush for confirmation.

“You did great.” Rush smiled at him. “Better than most tenderfoots.”

“Hell, I’m not sure I could take an entire day in the saddle.” Brian shook his head. “You’re a better cowboy than me, for damn sure.” He laughed and gave Rush a peck on the cheek.

“I just noticed the tree.” Phillip pointed to the living room.

“Brian put it up. Tonight, after the meal, thought we’d decorate it. Not Christmas without a tree, right?” Rush grinned. “He got the ornaments out of the shed, too.”

Phillip backed up and took another look. Several boxes were stacked up next to the tree. “Cool.” It’d been years since he’d decorated a tree. That last Christmas before he’d left home at sixteen, money had been tight, but he’d insisted his mom cough up the money for a small tree. They’d decorated it with popcorn strings and construction paper ornaments. There hadn’t been much under the tree that year, or any year that he could remember. His mom was not Susie-homemaker by any stretch.

“Figured with everyone just getting off work, best to not do anything too intensive,” Rush added. “I want everyone to just relax while they’re here.”

“When’s everyone else arriving?” Phillip wanted to be sure to pull his weight around here, not just sit on his ass expecting to be waited on. “Can I help with anything?”

“Sure. Jack and Edward should be coming over soon. Mitchell and Sammi will be here closer to dinner time. They’re coming after work from Houston, so it’s a bit of a drive.”

“Can’t wait to meet them.” Phillip rubbed his hands on his thighs. “I can’t believe I’m sharing the holiday with a bunch of gay guys.” He paused. “Since I came out, I never been any place where I could make friends or meet people like me. You know, that didn’t involve anonymous bathroom sex.” He looked at Rush and Brian. “That’s why I thought Houston might be a good place to go. From what I hear, it’s pretty open and accepting there.”

Brian nodded. “It is. There’s a lot of acceptance there, especially in some areas of the city. But there’s also a sort of fast and loose lifestyle. Lots of bars, parties. Someone…naïve might get into some trouble there, if he’s not careful.”

Phillip chuckled. “Spring Lake is pretty slow, but I still managed to get my ass beat. I can’t see how Houston would be much worse.”

“It can be in a lot of ways, Phillip,” Brian warned, then lightened up. “Hey, I hate that you got hurt here, but glad I got to meet you.”

“Yep, we’re happy to have you join us, Phillip.” Rush tilted his head toward the kitchen. “It’s buffet style tonight. Nothing fancy. Mostly casseroles and crockpot food. But with Sammi cooking, who knows?”

“Sammi?” Phillip had heard the name a few times. “He’s with Mitchell, right?”

“Yep. And he’s worked as a grill cook and is currently in culinary school. I’m sure whatever he cooks will be tasty.” Rush lifted one of the crockpots and put it in the center of the dining table, along with a large spoon to dish out whatever was in there. It smelled heavenly to Phillip. “Grab the pot on the stove. I have a serving dish on the counter. Can you transfer it and bring it over here?”

“Sure.” Phillip got to work and in a few minutes, he had the dish filled with chunks of chicken, vegetables and dumplings on the table, sitting right in the middle of the long red runner. He went back to grab another serving spoon just as the doorbell rang.

“Come on in!” Brian yelled. “Look, I can’t stay, I’m on duty. Babe, I’ll see you around midnight.” He kissed Rush—nothing too erotic, but Phillip longed to have someone he could kiss too. Maybe hanging out with these couples wasn’t such a good idea.

Brian opened the front door. “Hey, boss man! Edward! Gotta jet. I’m due at work in thirty.” He shook hands with the taller of the two men, hugged the smaller guy, then left, closing the door behind him.

Rush hurried over. “Jack! Edward! So glad you made it. Here let me take that from you. Hi, Winston.”

Phillip stepped up. “I’ll get it, Rush. You say hi to your friends.”

He went up to a slender, dark-haired man, in his early thirties, handsome as fuck, and who, for a second, seemed familiar. He held out his hands for the casserole dish he carried. “Hi, I’m Phillip. I’m crashing the party.”

A white bulldog sat at Edward’s feet, gazing back and forth between all the men.

Edward narrowed his eyes at Phillip, as if trying to place him. A tickle of warning ran down Phillip’s spine. “I know you.” He glared and the twist of his mouth looked as if he’d tasted something bad. “You’re that guy from the garage. The homophobe who treated me like dirt. What the hell are you doing here?” His voice rose to a near-screech.

Rush stepped forward. “What’s going on?”

Jack put his arm around Edward. “Babe, this is the guy from the garage? The one who threatened you?” Edward nodded.

Phillip backed up, hands out. “No! That wasn’t me! I worked there, sure, but that was Jimmy, the mechanic.” He shook his head. “I worked the counter. I tried to get him to go away, remember?”

Edward, still vibrating with anger, narrowed his eyes at Phillip.

That’s it, Rush is going to ask me to leave. Fear filled Phillip as his dreams crashed around him. This was so fucked-up. What were the chances of running into this man and here of all places?

Jack looked as if he wanted to pummel him, but Edward put his hand on Jack’s chest. “Wait. I do remember what happened.” His shoulders went down and his gaze softened. “That other guy, the one covered in grease. Jimmy. He’s the one who threatened me. You were sort of…trying to defuse the situation.” He titled his head. “So, you’re gay?”

“Yes.” Phillip nodded as if his head was barely attached.

“And he works at the garage? What is he doing here?” Jack glanced at Rush.

Rush exhaled. “Okay. Let me explain as best as I can, Jack. Brian met Phillip on a call out to that bar on the edge of town. Phillip had been beaten up by some guy he thought was gay, but wasn’t. Turns out, Phillip got outed, lost his job and his home, so Brian thought he’d invite him out to the ranch for a few days to help him get his head on, decide what to do about things.”

“Is that true?” Edward asked.

“Yeah. The guy came by the garage, outed me in front of everyone, including Jimmy, and then the manager fired me.”

“Because you’re gay?”

“Yeah. It’s a Christian garage.” He shrugged. “Said it was bad for the garage’s reputation and shit. They let me live in a trailer behind the place, but he put me out of that, too. Brian’s a nice guy, taking me in. He didn’t have to, you know. Rush, too. I was going to…well, I’m not sure what I was going to do. Probably leave Spring Lake.”

“Is that how you got the black eye?” Jack relaxed a bit too.

“Yep. Guy hit me and then kicked the shit out of me. I didn’t get a chance to…defend myself or nothing. But losing my job and a place to stay hurt worse.”

“Did you file a police report?” Jack asked.

“I did. With Brian.”

Edward shifted the dish to one hand and stuck out the other hand. “Okay. If Brian and Rush say you’re welcome, you’re welcome. Let’s start this over. Hi. I’m Edward. This is Jack. And this is Winston.” Edward nodded at the dog. After shaking, he handed Phillip the dish. “Here. It’s still warm, so no need to reheat.” He took off his jacket and hung it up, then turned to take his partner’s coat.

For Phillip, all the tension in the room dissipated. The fear of being turned out faded.

“Hi, Jack. I’d shake but—” Phillip shrugged, then added, “Hi, Winston. I’d pet you but—” He took the dish to the table and placed it at the end.

“Hey, you’re funny!” Edward chuckled. “Sorry about that scene. I can get a bit dramatic.”

“A bit?” Jack snorted. “Did anyone make dessert? I wasn’t sure, so I picked up some pies. They’re in the car. Edward insisted on driving.” He rolled his eyes.

“You just hate giving up control, don’t you?” Edward dug his elbow into Jack’s ribs.

“Yes, dear,” Jack deadpanned.

Phillip snickered. I think I’m going to like these guys. I hope they like me.

“Sounds great!” Rush motioned them to the living room. “We’ll eat as soon as the others get here. In the meantime, anyone want a drink?”

Jack stepped up to the makeshift bar. “I’ll take a whiskey.” He held up two fingers.

“Rough day?” Rush poured out the drink.

“Not really. But when I got home?” He shook his head. “You have no idea what it takes to get this one moving in one direction.” He took a sip, closed his eyes and sighed.

Edward said sweetly, “That’s not what you were saying when I was on my knees blowing you earlier.”

Jack choked and spit-sprayed whiskey in an arc. “Edward! That’s not true.” He wiped his mouth off on his sleeve.

“You’re right. That’s not what you said while you were fucking me.” Edward cocked his hip and winked.

Jack groaned. “TMI, you brat.”

Rush burst out laughing. Even Phillip had to smother his laughter, but it was pretty damn funny. Oh, Edward was a handful, he could see that. Jack must be some sort of man to handle him.

He wondered how Estaban would handle him, if they ever got together. His mind wandered until—

“Phillip! You want a drink?” Rush tapped the top of the counter with his finger.

“Sorry. Woolgathering. A beer okay?” He shrugged.

“Got Corona, Shiner Bock and PBR.”

Oh, man. “A Shiner would be awesome.” Phillip hadn’t even thought about having a beer or two.

“You old enough to drink, son?” Rush got serious. “Might need to see some ID.”

For a moment, Phillip reached for his wallet, then Rush laughed. “Aw, just kidding. Brian told me you’re twenty-three. That’s legal enough for me.” He reached down into an ice chest, pulled out a beer and opened it.

Phillip took it and brought it to his lips. The taste of dark beer flowed over his tongue and down his throat. “Man, that’s good and cold!”’

“And, Edward, for you and Sammi, Brian picked up some of those fancy frozen drinks.” Rush winked. “Piña colada, margarita or daquiri?”

“Ooh!” Edward rubbed his hands together. “Piña colada. I can pretend I’m on an island cruise surrounded by men who appreciate me.” He glared at Jack as Rush handed him the drink. “Thanks!”

Jack groaned. “I appreciate you, baby. I do. I’m just not sure how much these guys want to hear about…”

“Our a-mazing sex life?” Edward’s eyes sparkled.

Jack shot back the rest of his drink. “Edward.”

Rush chuckled. “No worries, Jack. I’ll forget I heard that.”

“Thanks.” Jack tapped his glass and Rush poured another shot.

Phillip liked that Rush thought about his guests and didn’t make anyone feel…well, not like they were…he didn’t know what. And that he’d stood up for him when it looked like things were going to turn ugly. How Jack had stepped in to protect Edward, kind of like how Estaban had done for him. What would it be like to know someone cared enough about him to have his back? If Edward had said the word, Jack would have leveled Phillip, but once things had been cleared up, both men had let it go and accepted him there.

These were good people, people he’d be proud to call friends. Of course, he might not be around long enough to get there. Best to keep his distance and not get too comfortable.

The doorbell rang again. “I’ll get it!” Phillip went to the door and opened it, praying he didn’t know the other guys. No drama would be nice about now.

“Happy holidays! Come on in. I’m Phillip.” He waved his arm, inviting them in, getting into the spirit of the holidays.

“Well, hello, Phillip.” A young man, bundled in a military style jacket, with a swath of long black bangs hanging over half his face, stepped in carrying a large tote bag. “I’m Sammi, with an ‘i’. This is Mitchell, my boyfriend. I don’t think we’ve met before. Wow, that eye looks painful.”

“Not anymore. And no, we haven’t met before. I’m sort of crashing the party.” He held out his hands. “Can I take that? Do you need help with anything?”

Edward came up and greeted Sammi with a kiss on the cheek. He turned to the handsome man with him. “You’re looking good, Mitchell.” He winked at him and the guy chuckled.

“Edward, how are you?” Mitchell leaned in for a kiss too. “Hi, Rush.” He waved. “And it’s Phillip?” He shook hands with Phillip. “Look, if you really want to help, Sammi’s got a metric ton of food in the back of the car. I’m sure between you, Edward and Sammi, you can make short work of it.”

“We’ll get it inside along with Jack’s pies.” Phillip opened the door and led the way to one of the cars. Sammi and Edward brought up the rear, arms linked and their heads together. A wave of worry came over Phillip. Were they talking about him? Was Edward filling Sammi in about who he was? About his limp? He’d crashed their party, even though Rush and Brian had invited him, and for some reason, they’d neglected to tell anyone else he’d be here. It was all types of awkward.

Maybe he wasn’t really wanted, after all? Maybe it’d been one of those invitations you were supposed to turn down? He groaned inside.

Sammi came up to him, touched his shoulder and spoke soft and low. “Don’t worry. The guys want you here. We know you tried to help Edward. And no one cares about your limp.”

Phillip stopped dead and stared at him. “What?”

Edward rolled his eyes and shook his finger. “Don’t do that, Sammi. It’s rude to read people’s minds.”

“Read minds? What are you talking about?” Phillip looked from one to the other.

“Sammi can’t help himself, honey.” Edward glared at Sammi. “Think of it as a party trick.”

“It’s not a trick.” Sammi frowned. “But I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have listened in.”

“If it’s not a trick, what is it?” Phillip tried to make sense of what he was hearing.

Sammi hit the remote for the car and the trunk popped open. “Let’s get this stuff inside. That’s for tonight.” He pointed to a tray covered with plastic wrap. “The rest is for tomorrow. We can get it after dinner. It’s cold enough to keep for a while.”

“Sure.” Phillip edged toward the trunk. “You didn’t answer my question, Sammi. How did you know what I was thinking?”

Sammi huffed and leaned against the car. “Look, for as long as I can remember, I’ve been able to hear people’s thoughts. Not really read their minds and not always clearly. Most of the time it’s all a jumble of noise, but every now and then certain voices come through to me.”

“And my voice came through?” He picked up the tray. From the weight of it, had to be a casserole. He stepped back so Edward could grab another dish.

“Yeah, it did. Please don’t worry. We’re fine with you being here. The more the merrier!” Sammi smiled at him, then tossed his bangs and gave Phillip a considering look. “I’m thinking…there’s something special about you.”

“Me?” Phillip coughed. “Nothing special about me. I’m just…”

“Drifting through life?” Sammi put his hand on Phillip’s arm.

Phillip stared at Sammi. “Yeah.” He shook his head. “Man, that’s weird.”

“I told him to keep his mind to himself.” Edward huffed. “No one listens to me.”

Sammi laughed. “Jack does. Especially when you talk dirty to him.”

“Sammi! Just tell all my secrets.” Edward giggled. “When he gets going, my man is all sorts of nasty.” He gave an exaggerated shiver.

“TMI!” Phillip laughed.

“Hey, you guys need help?” a voice called from the porch. Rush.

They all ducked, then laughed again. “Busted.” Edward sighed. “Let’s get this stuff and go inside.” He leaned closer to Phillip and Sammi, then lowered his voice. “We can get the pies next. Jack’s looking forward to the apple crumble.”

They brought all the food in, made another trip, got the pies and emptied the trunk. Then dinner was served and everyone filled their plates.

Phillip watched from the other side of the table as the guys found places to eat. As he waited until everyone had taken a seat, he puttered around in the kitchen trying to stay out of the way and fade into the background. These were not his friends and despite their welcome, he felt like a third wheel.

When the last of them sat down, Phillip took the remaining seat. It would have been Brian’s if he’d stayed. Phillip concentrated on eating and listening to the conversations around him.

Could what Sammi had said be true? Could he hear people’s thoughts? Like a power? Like his power of influencing?

If that was true, man, he wanted to talk to Sammi. He’d never met anyone who was…weird like him.

He glanced up and looked around the table.

Sammi sat next to Mitchell, who was talking about something to do with oil, but Sammi’s gaze homed in on Phillip.

A small nod and a rapid smile from Sammi, then he leaned over to Mitchell to say something.

Weird.

But interesting.

 

* * * *

 

After dinner, they gathered around the living room. Large couches and comfortable plush chairs meant to hold a big man were set around the room, focusing on the massive fireplace. Everyone was full and an air of peace settled over them.

Phillip had never been in such a welcoming home, much less around so many gay men who weren’t on the prowl. The couples sat together, with only Rush and Phillip in the chairs. On a loveseat, Sammi sat cradled in Mitchell’s lap as if he belonged there. Edward snuggled under Jack’s arm on a couch.

Phillip offered to untangle the lights before they decorated the tree, so he levered himself down to the floor, sitting cross-legged. He didn’t feel as if he’d earned a spot among them, no matter how Rush encouraged him. He made excuses about being sore, which Rush thankfully accepted.

Once they’d fixed up the tree, Phillip decided it was time to make himself scarce and give the friends time alone. He made his excuses and headed upstairs to bed.

Once undressed and under the covers, he picked up his phone and brought up the text conversation with Estaban. He reread it, taking his time, hearing Estaban’s voice in his head. Had he mistaken flirting for concern? Could he have missed Estaban’s attempts to reach out to him?

It was after ten. No texts tonight. He put the phone on the side table and rolled over. What would it feel like if Estaban had been with him here tonight, acting as if they were a couple, like the others? With kisses and holding hands and sitting so close together he could feel him breathe.

Wonderful. It would have felt wonderful.

Beggars can’t be choosers. And of all the people he knew, he was a beggar. Had been most of his life. He’d just let the dice fall, accepted what little he had, whatever came his way, like that job at the garage and the dinky trailer. As if that was all he was worth or deserved.

Maybe it was time to stop begging and ask for what he wanted.

A job as a cowboy and a home here on the ranch.

Estaban in his arms and in his bed.

Yeah, I’ll get right on that.