Texas Pride

Kitt wrapped his arms around Austin and stared at him for several long moments, not saying a word. He felt exactly the same way, except he had ten plus years of fantasizing about Austin to compare with.

“I need to go. Mike’ll be here soon.” Kitt pulled free of Austin’s hold.

“Hold up, kiss me goodbye.” Kitt couldn’t resist the sexy man leaning against him. He bent in thoroughly kissing Austin again. It was only under protest that Kitt moved away.

“I gotta go,” Kitt said purposefully moving to the back door.

“Be careful going home.” Austin followed him to the back door, still completely nude. Kitt opened the door and looked out making sure the barn and surrounding area were quiet before he turned back to Austin.

“Bye,” Kitt muttered and reached out for a quick sweet kiss.

“Think about me,” Austin said.

“I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem.” Kitt finally pulled the door open and stepped out on the porch. It was still completely dark outside, the moon was gone and the sun nowhere ready to rise. Nothing guided his path.

“That’s the right answer,” Austin said quietly as he watched Kitt make his way to the four-wheeler.

Chapter 9

Kitt sat on his front porch, looking out over the pond. The moon cast a perfect glow on his little log cabin. His place was small, nothing more than a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room, but he loved it out here. It couldn’t have been any more perfect for him. Kitt built the cabin almost completely on his own, way before his father died.

He was eight miles from the main house, and about nine miles from the highway. He’d worn a pretty decent trail leading from the main road up to the cabin, but the idea of Sean driving his Fisker, navigating it over the rugged terrain, made Kitt chuckle. Too bad it hadn’t been full daylight outside so he could have watched that little ride pop and bounce off the ruts and holes along the way.

Both the horse barn and cattle barn sat between his cabin and the main house. His front porch looked out over the pond, and on clear evenings like this, he could see the moon’s glow perfectly on the water. It acted as a beacon to his animals. On a recent aggravated whim, Kitt planted trees along the new fence line in order to help block anything to do with his new neighbor. After the last few days, he knew the attempt was futile; nothing would ever rid him of the memory of the super hot Austin Grainger.

Kitt twirled the empty long neck with his finger against the arm of his chair. He needed another beer, but instead of making the trek to his refrigerator in the house, he kicked back in the recliner lawn chair. He wasn’t inclined to move at all. After a solid week of no sleep and long hard days, Kitt broke free this afternoon a few hours early. He came home, napped for about three hours, showered, and then he cheated. He went back to the main house, fixed an oversized plate of food and gave a random excuse as to why he couldn’t stay. Now, he just sat outside waiting for Austin who seemed to be running a little late from the schedule they’d been on.

His cattle were on the move, coming to the pond. They surrounded the house while moving forward. Kitt watched them closely. He couldn’t help but do it. His herd sizes were growing fast. His cattle were breeding and multiplying well. Against the advice of just about every old timer in the area, he hadn’t sold a female for the last two years. He was also making sure his females stayed healthy and strong, carrying their young through full term. His herd count was close to double already.

Kitt would have to sell some in the spring. Financially, he had no choice, but only a few hundred head would go to sale. The organic way Kitt fed them would fetch a pretty high price, and he’d already signed the contracts to move them out come selling season. Surely, the hay and cattle sales would sustain their cash flow through next year’s long hot summer.

He told people he placed the log cabin out here to help keep an eye on things, but it was the solitude that drew him out this far. He’d hidden for so long, he’d become accustomed to keeping to himself. But since he and Austin started their deal a few days ago, every night Austin had been over or vice versa. Kitt found he enjoyed the camaraderie and companionship they shared. They were becoming buddies, and it was all completely new to him.

When Kitt was in college, things were easier, but even then, no one in the agriculture program knew about his sexual preference. He had never fully shared his day to day life with anyone. Off campus access to so many gay men was great. Houston wasn’t that many miles from Texas A&M, and gay bars populated the area by the hundreds. Kitt never got lonely, but to find someone in the same world he lived, changed everything.

He and Austin shared more than just sex. Austin lived a life even more hidden than Kitt’s. Neither wanted to breech those walls, so in return they were becoming fast friends. Austin easily talked to Kitt about his day. Kitt did the same, and they shared the same sense of humor and political views. They argued over religion, both supporting their view points, but neither got offended when the other rolled their eyes scoffing off a thought. Most of their talking came after making love. Kitt liked that part the most.

“Whoa, Kitt Kelly, hold your horses. It’s sex, not making love. It’s sex. Just sex. Only sex,” Kitt said out loud to himself.

So many memories of his past crept into his thoughts tonight. It would be natural to think about his father. It was a buried hurt for Kitt to know his dad never really forgave him for not coming back and working this land. He’d needed Kitt here, apparently worse than Kitt knew. The ranch was failing badly, but it failed because his dad was an old man set in the old school ways of farming. He needed Kitt’s brawn, but hadn’t wanted his brain, which in Kitt’s estimation was what he truly had needed the most.