Cattle Valley - Volume Six
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Slap your spurs on and get ready for a wild ride!
Eye of the Beholder: For a year, Bo Lawson has tried to get closer to his boss, Rance Benning, but the stubborn man refuses to be swayed. Could it be Bo's HIV status?
Rance noticed Bo the first day he laid eyes on him. Since that time, he's done anything and everything to stay away from the dangerous looking gardener with the chiseled six-pack and tight-fitting jeans.
When one of the ranch's prize bulls disappears, Rance and Bo are thrust together to help find the one ton money-maker. Every minute with Bo threatens the secret Rance won't tell anyone, least of all this dangerously sexy man.
Cattle Valley Days: Saddle up, Cattle Valley residents. It's time for the annual Cattle Valley Days, which means one thing. Cowboys, lots and lots of chapped cowboy butts.
We'll be checking in with some of your favourite couples from the past as well as meeting a few new residents. Our old friends from the Good-Time Boys will also be dropping by for the annual rodeo festivities.
Reader Advisory: This book is best read in sequence as part of a series.
See the book trailer for this story here
General Release Date: 7th September 2009
Eye of the Beholder
“Watch out!” a familiar voice screamed.
Working on the hay rake, Bo barely had time to turn around before the bull was on him. In a split second decision, he tried to wedge himself between the tines of the rake before the bull had a chance to plough into him and impale him on the steel rods.
Bo screamed as one of the yellow tines plunged into his side, preventing him from hiding further. He covered his head and braced himself for impact. The charging bull didn’t stop until he slammed into the machine, mere inches from where Bo stood. The resulting impact not only drove the tine further into Bo’s body, but impaled the bull’s face as well. The one ton bull pulled back, releasing the tine from his face and tossed his head from side to side, splattering blood all over Bo.
Rance and two of the cowboys finally managed to get lassos around Zero Tolerance’s head, but even with three men, they were no match for the strength of the bull.
Trying to remove himself from the rake, Bo felt his flesh begin to rip. “Fuck!” he screamed, his hand immediately going to his side.
Knowing he couldn’t go anywhere without injuring himself further, he had no choice but to stand by and watch the three cowboys try to get the prize rodeo bull under control. One thing he could do was call for backup. Moving as little as possible, Bo extracted his cell phone from its holster on his belt and called the main house. Even the slightest movement seemed to drive the tine in deeper. By the time Shep came on the line, Bo was panting through the pain.
“Shep.”
“It’s Bo. We’re gonna need some help out in the east pasture. Zero Tolerance is injured and going nuts. Rance, Buddy and Steve are trying to control him, but they seem to be losing the fight. And call Jeb. If he’s in the area, we may be able to save the damned bull.”
“We’ll be right there.”
“Oh, and you might want to bring some rubber gloves from the box in the barn. I’m bleeding like a stuck pig, and I’m gonna need some help getting loose from the hay rake.”
“Shit. Should I call an ambulance?”
Bo took a deep breath. His lungs seemed to be fine, but no telling what other internal injuries he may have sustained. Being HIV positive, infections of any kind were always a worry. The blood he could feel running down his side couldn’t be good either. “Yeah, I think you’d better. Make sure you give ’em the heads-up on my condition though.”
“Will do, hang in there, buddy.”
Bo let the phone fall from his bloody hand onto the pasture below. Goddammit. He’d been doing so well, not even a single sniffle in the fifteen months he’d been employed.
Reaching down, Bo ripped his T-shirt down the side to get a better look at his injury. Trying to bend down enough to look at the wound, he nearly lost an eye on another of the tines. Sighing, he came to the conclusion he’d be better off just standing as still as possible. He took the tail of the ruined T-shirt and held it against the wound.
Shep, Jeremy and Jim pulled up in the pickup. Shep was the first to jump out, tranquilizer gun in his hand. “Stand back,” he ordered.
“Wait,” Rance yelled. “He’s lost a lot of blood. You could kill him.”
Shep looked from Rance to Bo. “Better him than Bo and from the looks of it, if we don’t get Bo some help that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”
As soon as Shep fired the tranquilizer dart into the bull, Rance passed his rope off to Jimmy and rushed over to Bo.
“Don’t touch me,” Bo warned. “I think Shep brought gloves.”
Before Rance could turn around, Shep was there, handing out latex gloves to everyone. Gloves on, Shep and Rance approached. Bo knew he looked worse than he was.
“A lot of this belongs to the bull,” he explained, gesturing to his blood-splattered face. “My problem’s down here on my side. One of the tines seems to be caught on something.”
Rance moved to the back of the hay rake and tried to get a better view of what they were dealing with. “I think we’re gonna have to disconnect the tine from the machine, then let the doctors remove it from you.”
Bo gulped in air, trying his best to overcome the sudden wave of nausea. With his blood continuing to flow at a steady pace from the wound, he knew he wasn’t going to remain conscious for much longer. If he were to pass out before Rance worked the tine loose, there was no telling what kind of damage his internal organs would suffer. “Hurry, I don’t think I’m gonna last.”
“That’s enough of that,” Rance yelled as he grabbed the tool box and dug around until he found what he needed.
Motioning Shep over, Bo leaned against him. Whispering so Rance wouldn’t hear, he spoke in Shep’s ear. “I hate to ask you this, but I need you to make sure I stay up on my feet. My vision’s starting to get pretty spotty.”
Shep wrapped both arms around Bo’s chest as Rance worked furiously to free the tine while trying not to move it. Bo laid his head on Shep’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Boss.”
“Not your fault. But you owe it to Rance to make it out of this alive, so fight like hell.”
“If I don’t, tell him...”
“Got it!” Rance yelled. “Get him the hell out of there.”
Shep carefully helped Bo move far enough away from the rake to lay him in the soft grass. As Bo struggled to hold onto consciousness, he heard the ambulance’s siren. Realising the paramedics would know what to do, Bo allowed himself to close his eyes.
Excerpt From: Cattle Valley Days
Rio tossed the underwear into the hamper and returned to finish the movie he and Ryan had started. “He’s in another one of his moods,” he grumbled.
Ryan lifted his head and placed it back on Rio’s lap. “Cut him some slack. I remember how pissy Quade used to get this time of year.”
The long black hair fanning over the edge of the sofa begged for attention. Rio began running his fingers through the thick silk. “If I’d known, I would’ve put up more of a fight when he wanted to do this mayor crap.”
Ryan gazed up into Rio’s eyes. “Nate’s gratefully shared everything with us since he came into our lives. This is something he wanted for himself. Give him that, will ya?”
His lover always had a way of slapping his hands without coming out and yelling at him. “I just miss him.”
“We both do, but we’ll get him back after next week. Right now he needs our understanding, not our criticism.”
Rio wanted to argue, but knew it would be futile. He returned his attention back to the movie. Life without Nate being, well...Nate, sucked. He hadn’t realised how much he depended on his little metrosexual until he wasn’t there.
The movie lost its appeal, and Rio turned off the television.
“Hey. I was watching that,” Ryan protested, pinching Rio’s thigh.
“Sorry. I thought maybe we could go upstairs.”
“Okay, but you really coulda asked first.” Ryan sat up and swung his legs over the wide leather sofa.
Rio stood and pulled his tattooed man into his arms. “I’m a thoughtless ass sometimes, but you love me anyway.”
Ryan nipped Rio’s chin. “You’re right on both counts.”
They turned off the lights and headed upstairs. Walking into their bedroom, Rio was surprised to find the bed empty. “Fuck!”
“Oh, this will not do at all,” Ryan growled, turning to stalk out of the room.
Rio followed as Ryan threw open the guestroom door and turned on the light. He threw the covers from Nate’s nude body and picked him up. Nate was dead to the world and didn’t even stir as he was carried into the master suite.
Working quickly, Rio had the bed turned down and his clothes off in no time. He loved it when Ryan got this way, all commanding and sheriffy.
Ryan laid Nate on the opposite side of the bed and started stripping. “I don’t give a shit if he’s too tired to fuck, but I’ll be damned if I’ll have him anywhere but in my bed.”
Spread out on his back, with his feet firmly planted on the mattress, Rio let his legs fall open in invitation. “I got what you need right here, Sheriff Blackfeather.”
Ryan licked his lips as his hand began to stroke his cock. “You feel like being my prisoner, do ya?”
Wow. How long had it been since Ryan had looked at him with such unbridled lust in his eyes? “Yes. Use me, Lawman. Teach me a lesson.”
With a wicked gleam in his eyes, Ryan turned and rifled around in the dresser drawer, finally pulling out a pair of handcuffs. “Turn over.”
Rio’s eyes went wide. Kinky motherfucker. He did as ordered and stretched his arms towards the spindled headboard. The cold metal clicked into place, and Rio started to worry. What the hell have I gotten myself into?
He felt the bed dip a second before a large hand slapped him on the ass.
“Ow! What the fuck?” he asked, trying to look over his shoulder.
“Shut up. Prisoners speak when I tell them to speak.” A slick finger shoved its way inside Rio’s ass. He flinched, not expecting the sudden intrusion.
“Got any contraband in here?” Ryan asked, adding another finger.
“I don’t think so, but you might keep looking just in case I forgot something,” Rio moaned. He felt the pad of Ryan’s finger rub against his prostate and groaned. His cock was soaking the bed sheets with copious amounts of pre-cum. Usually, when Ryan got him this riled up, Nate was there to slurp the dripping liquid into his hot little mouth.
“Fuck me already, Sheriff.”
He received a harder slap to his ass. “You want this? I don’t think you can handle it. You look like a big candy-assed thug to me.”
Rio shoved his ass back as far as he could. “Please fuck me.”
Yeah, he was begging, but what the hell. He needed, and needed now.
After another round of Beat-Rio’s-Ass, Ryan entered him without his usual gentle nature. Rio almost swallowed his tongue at the sudden invasion. Spots appeared in his line of vision, and he had to take deep breaths to keep from passing out as Ryan assaulted his ass like never before.
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