Finding Absolution (2 page)

Jon took the food out of the microwave ten seconds before the timer went off. He set the plate in front of his grandpa. “What would you like to drink?”

“Tea’ll do,” Bill answered.

“Would you like to go with me?” Jon asked as he refilled Bill’s glass.

“No. It’d just remind me of better times.” Bill picked up a fork and moved the food around his plate. “I’m not very hungry. I think I’ll save this for later.”

Shit.
Jon kissed the top of Bill’s head. “I miss her, too.”

Bill nodded as he pushed his plate towards the centre of the table. “Go on, you’d best hurry if you’re gonna make it in time.”

Jon hated to leave his grandpa alone when the old man was feeling low, but he hadn’t been away from the farm except to pick up supplies since before winter. Cattle Valley Days was the one time of year he had an excuse to make the forty-minute drive.

Leaving his grandpa to his memories, Jon climbed the back staircase to his room on the second floor. He discarded his dirty work clothes and tossed them into the hamper. Since his grandpa used a wheelchair to get around, they’d set his quarters up in the old cook’s room downstairs, leaving the entire second floor to Jon.

Naked, he walked down the hall to the bathroom. He wouldn’t have time for the kind of shower he usually enjoyed, but he would definitely make time for a thorough cleaning. A slut definitely wasn’t a term he’d use for himself, but for at least one week a year, he was free to live the life he would’ve had if his grandpa hadn’t had his stroke.

Once he was squeaky clean, Jon returned to his bedroom. He retrieved his secret box out of the closet and set it on the mattress. With the lid opened, he ran his hands over the soft satin, silk and polyester panties inside. When a bit of lace caught on one of his callouses, he pulled back.

If he had his way, he’d wear the sexy panties every day, but the hard work he put in each day was better suited to boring cotton. He wondered which of his panties Guy would like the best. It wasn’t as if he’d ever get a chance with the athlete, but in his mind, all men had to live up to Guy’s perfection. Selecting a pair of bright red silk boy shorts, Jon slipped them on. He sighed as the material caressed his cock and balls.

Jon stepped over to the full-length mirror that had once belonged to his grandma, and stared at his reflection. ‘Sexy’ was the word that came to mind. It turned him on to wear the feminine article of clothing under his Wranglers and pearl-snap plaid shirts.

Grinning, he flexed his muscles. He may have beenmight be shorter and leaner than some men, but his body was rock hard and artfully defined after the hours he put in on the farm. His taste in underwear had nothing to do with the need to feel like a woman any more than his desire for men did. It was simply the way he was, and although he’d never confessed his love of soft underwear, he had a sneaky suspicion his grandpa knew he was gay. It wasn’t something they’d ever discussed, but his grandparents had raised him since the age of eight, so—how could they not have known?

He dressed quickly before running a quick brush through his hair. Selecting his straw Stetson, Jon settled it on his head and took a last look in the mirror. “Wish me luck,” he whispered to his reflection before leaving his room.

* * * *

“Do ya mind if we stop in town before going up to the lodge?” Quade asked.

“Makes no difference to me as long as I can get something to eat in the next hour or so,” Van answered. The flight hadn’t been too bad, but the food they’d served in first class had sucked. So far, the scenery was decent, though. He hadn’t expected so many rolling hills and mountains, but then he knew very little about Wyoming.

Kai reached across the console and ruffled Quade’s hair. “I’m sure we can grab something at O’Brien’s.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Quade grinned.

Van returned his attention to the landscape. It was a few minutes after eight and the sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, giving the entire valley a pink cast. Lights in the distance caught his eye. “Is that the town up ahead?”

Quade shook his head. “That’s the rodeo grounds. They’ll be doing preliminaries about now.”

“Would you mind dropping me off before you head to town? I assume they have hotdogs and shit.” Van pulled an elastic band out of the side pocket of his carry-on and gathered his hair at the nape of his neck.

“I don’t mind at all. I used to go to all six nights of the rodeo, but I didn’t want to push it on either of you,” Quade replied. He lifted Kai’s hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Feel like watching some cowboys, love?” He grinned. “They sell the best funnel cakes west of the Mississippi.”

“Sold!” Kai declared.

Van glanced down at his shorts and sandals. “Pull over for a minute so I can change.”

Quade eased the rented SUV to the side of the blacktop. “There’s not a dress code.”

“Yeah, well, I’m going to stick out enough as it is.” Van got out of the vehicle and opened the rear door. He unzipped his suitcase and felt for the one pair of jeans he’d packed. Soft, faded denim brushed his hand and he grabbed them. “Gotcha.”

Socks were easy, those he always stored in a side pocket. For the first time in his life, he wished he owned a pair of cowboy boots, but boots in Oahu would get him stared at as much as sandals in Wyoming. He retrieved a pair of athletic shoes and decided they would have to do. Moving to the side of the SUV, he wasted no time stripping out of his shorts, and within a minute he was climbing back into the vehicle. “Okay.”

Kai glanced over his shoulder at Van and shook his head. “You’re taking this seriously.”

“No, but I don’t want to look like an ass either.” Van moved his seat back as far as it would go and pulled on his socks and sneakers. He refused to feel guilty about changing. He’d promised himself he’d make the most of the week and by God that was exactly what he’d do.

A good-looking man at the front gate started to laugh when he spotted Quade. He came over to the SUV and leaned against the open window. “What the hell’d the cat drag in?”

Quade reached out and shook the man’s hand. “How’re you doing, Rio?”

“Fine and dandy.”

“How’s that ornery partner of yours doing?” Quade asked.

Rio chuckled. “Which one?”

“The tiny one who cares more about looking good than doing good,” Quade answered.

“Nate’s doing a better job than you ever did, you sonofabitch.” He looked around Quade to Kai. “Good to have you back in town. Saw your name in the paper here a while back. Sounds like the surfin’s agreeing with you.”

“It’s been a good year.” Kai gestured to Van. “This is my coach, Van Duggins. We finally talked him into coming inland with us.”

Rio stuck his arm through the window, barely missing Quade’s face, and reached towards Van. “Welcome to Cattle Valley.”

Van shook Rio’s hand. “Thank you. I’m looking forward to checking out the rodeo. I’ve never been to one before.”

“Then you’re in for a real treat.” A horn honked behind the SUV, drawing Rio’s attention. “Yeah, yeah, hold your horses.” He slapped Quade on the shoulder. “Give me a call in the morning. Maybe you can squeeze me in for a little fishing while you’re here.”

“Sounds good.” Quade put the SUV into gear and drove away. “Rio’s partner, Nate, is the mayor and his other partner, Ryan, is the sheriff,” he explained as they found a parking place in a big field.

Van had heard both men talk about the threesome, but he still didn’t believe it was possible for three men to fall in love. Fuck, maybe, but not the kind of everlasting love needed to make a relationship work. He got out of the SUV and stretched his arms over his head. “I think I’ll take a stroll and see what they have to eat before I sit my ass in those bleachers.”

Quade wrapped his arm around Kai’s waist. “I’ve got my phone if you need to find us later.”

Van headed to the circular area of food wagons. He passed by the sweets——cotton candy and snow cones weren’t going to fill him up. The smell of smoked meat caught his attention and he followed his nose to a tent set up in front of a big metal smoker. He crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the menu board. Ribs sounded damn good, but from the looks of it, all the tables were taken. He settled on two smoked sausages and a beer.

After paying for his food, Van looked for a place to rest his beer while he ate. He manoeuvred his way through the crowd to the big stock trailers. Using one of the wheel wells, he set down his red cup.

The first bite of the sausage made him groan aloud.
Damn.
He should’ve bought three. A sip of beer washed the bite down perfectly and before he knew it, he’d eaten both and had drained his cup. Van licked his fingers and headed back for another beer. He’d wait a while before eating anything else in case he found something that caught his eye.

He decided to check out the animals. The hours of sitting on a plane would stiffen his body up in a heartbeat if he didn’t get some exercise. It wasn’t that he was old—forty-six wasn’t
that
bad. He was just beaten up from years on a surfboard.

Van stopped next to a pen of bulls and marvelled at their size. He’d gone online before the trip to find out what was involved in a rodeo so he could follow the competitions with some sense of what was going on. However, the bulls on his thirteen-inch laptop hadn’t looked nearly as big and mean as the ones he was standing in front of.

“Don’t get too close,” a man warned, moving to stand beside Van.

“No worries there.” Van glanced at the man. “You ride?”

The man shook his head. “Used to.” He held out his hand. “Shep Black,” he introduced himself. “Those’re my bulls.”

Van shook Shep’s hand. “Van Duggins,” he returned. “Nice to meet you.”

Shep grinned. “You’re Kai’s coach.”

Van was impressed. “I’m surprised you know that.”

“Quade’s one of my oldest friends. After he took up with Kai, I started following competition results.” Shep looked around. “They here?”

“Yeah.” Van nodded towards the arena. “Up the grandstand, I imagine.”

“I think I’ll track them down.” Shep held out his hand once more. “It was nice to meet you.”

“You, too.”

“By the way, the nastiest bulls are kept over there in individual pens.” Shep smiled. “Just don’t get too close.”

Van laughed. “No need to worry about that, I’ve never been stupid.”
Weak, indulgent and a coward, maybe, but never stupid.

Shep slapped Van’s shoulder as he took off towards the grandstand.

Van turned his attention to the pens Shep had pointed out. He was passing by an open-sided hay barn when he heard a loud groan. Afraid that someone was hurt, he decided to investigate.

“Ouch. Not so hard, you’re gonna rip ‘em.”

“Stop fighting me, you little bitch,” another man replied. It was clear from his slurred speech that he’d had a few too many glasses of beer.

A loud slap followed by a cry of pain prompted Van into action. “What’s going on in here?”

A cowboy looked over his shoulder at Van. “None of your business,” the man slurred, his head lolling to the side in his drunken state.

Van tried to look around the asshole to the man on the ground. The guy’s eyes were full of fear. “I believe it is,” he said. He pointed to the handsome man. “I think he’s had enough.”

The cowboy snickered. “I said, mind your business! Jon’s been begging for it all evening.” He glanced down at the man trapped under him. “I was promised ass, and I’m not leaving until I find out what’s hidden underneath these girly panties.”

Jon narrowed his eyes and swung out, striking the cowboy on the chin. “Fuck you, Guy!”

The blow knocked the cowboy off balance, but before Jon could get out from under him, the cowboy managed to land another punch to the side of Jon’s face.

Van balled his hands into fists. It had been years since he’d been in a fight, but no way in hell would he allow the asshole to lay another hand on Jon. “Take off while you still can,” he warned, taking a step forward. He pulled out his cellphone. “What’s it going to be?”

The big cowboy stood and stuffed his cock back into his jeans. “I don’t want trouble with Ryan.” He pointed at Jon as he walked away. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

Van knew from Kai that Ryan Blackfeather was the sheriff, and from what he’d heard, the cowboy was right to be worried. He knelt beside Jon. Although he more than appreciated the view, he felt pervy ogling. That said, he doubted he’d ever forget those sexy panties. “Are you okay?”

Jon tried to get his feet under him. “Yeah, just help me up.”

Van grabbed Jon under the armpits and easily hoisted him to his feet.

“Thanks,” Jon mumbled. He bent to pull up his jeans and almost fell over again. “Shit.”

“Hang on.” Van knelt and untwisted Jon’s jeans from his boots. The position put him at eye level with Jon’s gorgeously wrapped cock. He silently cursed himself as he pulled Jon’s jeans up. “I’ll leave the zipping to you.”

Jon reached down and carefully fastened his jeans. “I’m so sorry.”

Van got to his feet. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.” He tilted Jon’s chin up and to the left. “You’re going to have quite a bruise. Who the hell was that guy?”

“Guy,” Jon answered.

“Yeah, that guy who was just here. What’s his name?” Van reiterated.

“Guy. Guy Hoisington.” Jon shook his head. “I’ve had a crush on him for years, but he’s never given me the time of day. I should’ve known when he picked me up earlier that it wouldn’t end well. Nothing ever does for me.”

Van wrapped a supportive arm around Jon’s waist and led him to one of the bales of hay. “Here, sit down for a minute.”

Jon dropped to the bale. “Fuck, now he’s going to tell everyone to stay away from me.”

“I doubt it. You’d be perfectly justified in filing a complaint with the police for what he did.” Van picked up another bale and carried it over to sit next to Jon. “Why would you be worried about what that fucker thinks or says?”

“Because it’s Guy. He’s an Olympic Gold Medallist in downhill skiing, and he owns the lodge up on the mountain. He’s, like…famous.” Jon glanced up at Van. “I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”