Riding and Regrets (9 page)

This morning, Jody didn’t say a quick goodbye and leave. Instead, he sauntered up to Noel and looked him over with a hungry gaze.

Noel’s entire body lit up under that look, need coiling in his groin and flaring out to his bloodstream. “Jody?” he croaked, clenching his fists to keep from reaching for the man.

“You look tired,” Jody said softly. “Good, don’t get me wrong, but you got circles.” Jody thumbed the skin under Noel’s left eye. “You having problems sleeping? I’m guessing you’re not sick, or else you wouldn’t be up here around a bunch of kids.”

Noel touched the same spot Jody had. “Not sleeping so well. It’s— It’ll pass. I’ll sleep tonight.” Even if he had to buy some over-the-counter sleeping pills to do so. No one wanted to have the man they were interested in pointing out dark circles under their eyes.

“Ah, about that, er, about tonight.” Jody licked his lips and Noel forgot about his circles.

“What about it?”

Jody swallowed once, then did it again. Noel was so distracted by the bob of his Adam’s apple that he almost didn’t hear Jody’s next words.

“I was wondering if you have any plans.”

Noel thought he must have heard wrong. He darted a look around the room then settled his gaze on Jody’s. “Like for a date?” Then he remembered their agreement. “I mean, not a date, but—”

“Kind of a date, yeah,” Jody said, stopping him from rambling on anymore. “Will—he’s one of my bosses—he said if I wanted to invite you out to the ranch for dinner, we could do that, then sit with Prissy until bedtime, maybe watch movies or talk, and they’d watch her when she went to sleep.” Jody blushed even darker than he had been doing earlier. “If you want. I understand if you’ve decided I ain’t worth the trouble.”

Noel actually had to press a hand to his chest, his heart was beating so fast. “You’re worth the trouble,” he said, though he wished he could have kept that to himself. They were just supposed to be fuck buddies, after all.

Jody rose up on his toes and brushed his lips over Noel’s, just a quick, innocent kiss that shouldn’t have stirred Noel’s cock up like it did. “That’s a yes, right? You’ll come?”

Noel nodded. “It’s a yes. If you want, I can bring Prissy out. Save you a trip.”

“But you get off earlier than I pick her up,” Jody pointed out.

“Yeah, that’s true. She likes playing with the other kids, though, and I can run to Aunt Gertie’s and shower, then come back and get Prissy.” He was eager, so eager for their date to happen. That it wasn’t just getting together to fuck should have been a cause for concern, after all Noel’s vows to stay single. There was just something about Jody that called to him. Noel wanted more than a fuck, if he could get it.

Jody considered the offer for a few seconds. “Are you sure? It’s no trouble for me to come back.”

“And it’s less trouble for me to bring her out. I like Prissy. She’s fun, and she is cute like her daddy.” Noel winked and Jody ducked his head. “Aw, don’t be embarrassed. I think you’re more than cute, Jody.” Noel bent enough to whisper close to Jody’s ear. “I think you are the sexiest man I’ve seen in a long time.”

Noel would have said more, would have maybe added a kiss of his own, but he heard Gertie’s office door open. He moved back a step and turned to wave at his aunt. “Hey, woman, what’s up?”

“Coffee. One cup ain’t gonna do it for me today. Can you run to the diner? The pot here is broken. What I did to deserve this kind of Hades…” She turned and went right back into her office.

“I’d better go,” Jody said, his cheeks still pink. “I’ll, um, I’ll see you later, then. Thanks.”

He was endearingly awkward, and Noel might have fallen just a little bit in love with him right at that moment. Jody darted out of the daycare and Noel stood there smiling like a loon until he was able to shake himself out of his happy daze. He had plans to make and coffee to get.

He hadn’t felt so much hope in a long time.

Noel fetched the coffee for Gertie and got himself a big cup of it, too. He needed to be functioning on all cylinders for tonight. And he needed to decide what to wear. Nothing fancy, because he’d stick out on a ranch enough as it was already.

It’s a gay ranch, though. Gay-friendly. Whatever. I could wear whatever I want and it ought to be okay.
He’d still go for subdued. No sense in coming across like a slut when he was hoping for something more meaningful with Jody.

He needed to really think about what he wanted, what he hoped for. Noel sat behind his little desk and started doodling on the Post-It pad. Was he ready to be involved-involved with someone who had a child? Prissy already knew who he was, and there was maybe, just maybe, a tiny bit of attachment forming there. On his part, at least.

But was he considering an actual commitment if he and Jody were more than fuck buddies? Was he mature enough for that?

Did he want it?

Was he ready to be tied down, to have a child depend on him?

Sweat beaded on Noel’s brow. He definitely had a lot to think about, and he needed to figure it out, soon.

Chapter Seven

“You look fine, stop fretting.” Frankie pushed Jody’s shoulder. “Seriously, stop it. You’re worse than a chick.”

Jody looked at Frankie. “Sexist, dude. You preen more than I do.”

“Yup.” Frankie puffed his chest up then raised his chin. “But I know I am F-I-N-E fine regardless.” Then he dropped the airs. “I’m glad you’re not all hung up on me dumping you. I know it was shitty, but I never claimed to be more than a flighty fucker anyway.”

Jody was surprised to find that he wasn’t hurt anymore. Frankie was right. Jody actually felt sorry for him, not that he’d ever say so. “Nah, we’re good. You gonna keep seeing that guy in Junction?”

Frankie snorted. “Please. He was just a fuck. Wasn’t him I went to hook up with the second time anyway. Turns out his ex was interested in getting a piece of this, too.” Frankie slapped his ass.

Jody was slightly horrified by that statement. He tried not to be a judgmental asshole, but he did have a question. “How come we never did that?”

“That what?” Frankie asked, but Jody could tell by his devilish look that Frankie knew what he meant. “You gotta say it, and you probably can’t, and that’s why. I’m not some Svengali—goddamn, I hope that’s the right word. Mama used to say it when she talked about my sperm donor— Anyway.” Frankie laughed, sounding self-conscious. “I don’t deflower anyone, even if I was your first with hand jobs and blow jobs. Anal is something else, and I’m not willing to pop anyone’s cherry.”

Jody opened up his mouth to argue, but Frankie went on talking.

“And that means letting you fuck me, too. Guys can get really stupid over the first person they fuck or the first person that fucks them, and, man, I don’t want that clingy, needy shit.” Frankie started counting on his fingers. “Aw, geez. I gotta go put money in the cuss jar. I’m gonna try some self-hypnosis to see if that helps me quit cussing.” And Frankie strolled off as if they’d not been having a serious conversation, one Jody wasn’t sure was finished.

It’s finished on Frankie’s part.
Jody turned back to the mirror. He gave himself a once-over, feeling naked without his cowboy hat on, but there was dinner coming up and no one wore their hats for that. Drake would pop anyone on the head with a wooden spoon if they forgot and left their hat on.

Jody knew that from personal experience.

Frankie was standing in the doorway, his back to Jody while he talked to Duke. Jody was a little leery of Duke, though he tried not to show it. Duke had yet to get back to the nicer guy he’d been. Granted, he wasn’t fist-winging mean, but he was snarly and Jody was beginning to think that maybe it was going to be a permanent state for the man. Brain injuries, concussions—he’d heard a lot about how they could screw someone up. He’d had one, once.

He frowned as he saw the edge of a dark bruise showing just above the back of Frankie’s shirt collar. “Frankie?”

“I was talking,” Duke snapped, turning steely grey eyes on Jody.

Jody held up his hands, which he’d done before with Duke back in the barn, not that it’d done any good. “Sorry, man. I just wondered about the bruise he has.”

Duke stopped glaring at him and glared at Frankie. He muttered a low curse word while Frankie remained silent.

Jody wished he’d kept his mouth shut. Now that he’d already spoken, he wondered if maybe Frankie was into some kinky shit and liked being bruised up.

Or it could simply be that Frankie had walked into something. Jody should have asked him about it in private, judging by the unhappy look Frankie shot him as Duke led Frankie off.

“So much for good intentions.” Jody couldn’t shake the idea that something weird was going on with Frankie. He’d have to pry later.

He left the bunkhouse, eager to see Prissy and Noel both. At the big house, he waited on the porch, sitting in the porch swing. When Noel pulled up in his little car, Jody was up like a shot and bounding down the step right afterwards.

“Hey, Prissy,” he crooned as soon as he got the door open.

“Daddy!” she exclaimed, smiling so big and prettily that it made Jody’s heart ache with a fierce wave of love. “I bwought Noel!”

“You did, you smart girl.” Jody got her out of the car seat. “Thanks, Noel. For bringing her and all.”

Noel started working on getting the car seat out. “Not a problem. She’s so much fun to talk to.”

“Noel taught me a skinny-mawinky-dink song,” Prissy said proudly. “It has arm dances to it, like the mean bunny one.”

Jody kissed her plump cheek. “Well, good, because we needed more songs in our repertoire.”

“Our what?” Prissy asked, her red eyebrows pulling together as she frowned.

Jody searched for a quick explanation. “We needed more songs to sing. I only know the bunny one, besides some country and pop songs. You can teach me how to do the skinny song.”

“I will!” And Prissy didn’t wait, starting right then so that Jody couldn’t even tell Noel how sexy he looked in his black jeans and button-up grey shirt. The colour made his green eyes appear even brighter and purer than usual.

Jody gestured at Noel to follow him. Prissy stumbled on the lyrics and Noel began to sing with her, his voice a warm, rich tenor, deeper than his speaking voice.

“Oh, I know that song!” Will said excitedly, running into the hallway. “Can I sing, too?”

“Say no,” someone shouted out from the living room. Jody thought it might have been Troy, but he wasn’t sure.

“You be quiet,” Will hollered, twisting his upper body around and glaring back from where that shout had come. “I have a lovely singing voice.”

There was more than one person laughing in response to that, but Prissy was already saying yes, then Will belted out the lyrics at the top of his lungs.

Prissy loved it, giggling and clapping. Jody twirled her in his arms, spinning them both around. He was happy, deep down to his soul in that moment, surrounded by people he liked, one he loved and another he was growing very fond of at a rapid pace.

When he stopped the spinning, Jody let Prissy get down. She bounded over to Will, who scooped her up, and together they kept warbling the one about loving you in the morning and in the afternoon and underneath the moon.

“I used to love that song when I was a kid,” Noel said from behind him. Jody turned and offered him a smile. Noel returned it and gently touched Jody’s hand. “Aunt Gertie sang it to me every night before bed. She was the only good adult in my life. I’m glad to see Prissy has a whole ranch full of protectors.”

“She does.” Jody took a deep breath then decided it was dare to be brave or keep cowering time. Reaching out and taking Noel’s hand in his was one of the hardest things he had ever done, but when Noel gripped his in return, and shared a warm look with Jody, it was so worth the effort he’d extended.

“I want to talk to you alone, about this,” Jody forced himself to say. He’d already reached for Noel physically—now he needed to try it on another level. “Maybe we could be m-more.” He felt like an idiot, stuttering at the end, but he was so nervous that it was a miracle his knees weren’t knocking together.

Noel gave the barest of nods but didn’t speak. Jody didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Dinner went well, with Noel fitting in seamlessly. He talked to everyone, including Frankie, which surprised Jody. Even Duke seemed to like Noel, and that scowl he’d been wearing more often than not faded away, leaving Duke looking like himself for the first time since he’d been hurt.

Once Prissy was snuggled up on the couch between Will and Troy, her eyelids drooping, Jody began to experience anticipation on a different level. It wasn’t just that he wanted to talk to Noel. He wanted to have sex with him, too.

“Do you ride?” he asked Noel quietly.

“I have. Wait. You mean horses, right?”

Jody had to seal his lips tight against a snicker.

Noel looked pleased with himself. “Well, I’ve ridden those, too.”

Jody was going to find a way to get him back for teasing.

Carlos grunted and gestured to Prissy. Jody saw that she was asleep.

“We’ll watch this princess movie, then let her have the couch,” Will whispered. “Go on and have fun.”

Jody stood and so did Noel. He murmured a thank you and pointed to his phone. He was a little nervous about leaving Prissy, not because he thought she’d come to any harm with the three men, but because he was already so used to having her with him at night.

Will made shooing motions, and Jody nodded before leaving. Once he and Noel were on the porch, Jody couldn’t wait any longer. He wanted another kiss, a real one like Noel had given him the other night.

Noel read him like a well-loved book. Jody was in his arms and being walked backwards until he was leaning against the house. Noel thrust his tongue in eagerly, his mouth slanted perfectly over Jody’s.

Jody grabbed onto him, fingers curled around Noel’s biceps.

Noel pressed close, rubbing the bulge of his erection against Jody’s lower belly. Jody whimpered into the consuming kiss and tilted his head to the side to give more of himself to Noel.

Jody hadn’t ever felt anything like the things he did with Noel. It was as if every cell in his body had come fully to life for the first time, sparking bright and hot waves of liquid lust that flowed through him.