Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 16:37:38 -0700
From: qwb <qwb@san.rr.com>
Subject: Stonegate Stables, chapter 12

>From chapter 11...
Alejandro and Tommy were just putting the
finishing touches on a change to our large
sign.  One of the lower lines now read: Sean
Flanagan Owner/Operator.  A bit premature
perhaps, since poor William wasn't even in the
ground yet, but it filled me with a sense of
pride and ownership, and eased a bit of the
ache of knowing William was gone.  I got out of
the car and walked over to them, putting an arm
around each of their shoulders, admiring their
handiwork. My chest tightened and my voice
wobbled a little when I spoke, but I didn't
care.  It was an emotional day.

"Thank you," I said, pulling them close to me.
"I really needed that."  We gazed in silence at
the sign for a few minutes, then I hugged them
again, got back in the car and drove slowly up
the long lane, looking at the beautiful old
stone buildings, the miles of sparkling white
fences, as if I'd never seen them before  --
and it all belonged to me.


Stonegate Stables

Chapter 12       August

And I'll never find love again
Like the kind you give
Like the kind you
send
'Cause you're one in
a million One in a
million .  .  .  to
me. - Trixter


     We had a wonderful summer.  Vincent and I just
got better and better. There was so much more to
living with someone than I had imagined when I
asked him to move in.  Some of it was silly stuff,
like clothes.  Turns out we wore pretty much the
same size everything, which expanded both of our
wardrobes tremendously, but gave Maria fits trying
to keep it all straight. When she first started
doing our joint laundry, she'd sort it by what she
knew to be my clothes, but after while, when I
started wandering around the house in one of
Vincent's shirts or him in my shorts, she got
confused and finally gave up entirely.  She hung
all shirts in one closet, all pants in another and
did the same in the two big dressers - a drawer for
socks, one for underwear, another for t-shirts.  It
turned out to be a great system and shaved some
time off getting dressed in the morning.  That
extra five minutes is all you need for a quick blow
job or two.
     We fell into an easy pattern of getting ready
in the morning, rolling out of bed early to run,
showering together, eating a quick breakfast on the
patio, then a goodbye kiss as he went out the front
door to his car and I ran down to the barn to
saddle Zena.
 We usually checked in with each other during the
                      day to
finalize dinner plans or social invitations, like
the one from Wade and Cody a few weeks after the
pool party.  I hadn't realized it, but Wade hadn't
fucked around with Vincent since before he and Cody
got together four years ago, and Cody had never
been with him.  Turns out Cody had been somewhat
taken by Vincent at the birthday party and wanted
to get together with us.
     I called Vincent.  "Hey, stud, we've been
invited to Wade and Cody's for an evening of
'socializing'."  I emphasized the last word and he
was silent for a moment.
     "Yeah?  Whaddaya think?"
I tried to gauge his interest from his voice, but
                              couldn't read him
one way or the other.  "I'm up for it if you are.
They're fun to be with and apparently Cody liked
what he saw of you at the pool party."
     "He saw all of me."
     "Yes, I believe that was exactly his point," I
     said dryly. He chuckled.  "Yeah, yeah, okay.
     When?"
     "Saturday."  We talked another couple of
minutes, and then I called Wade back with a yes.
He told me to make Cody's day by letting him know
when he showed up at the barn.  I kept an eye out
for him and when I saw his truck pull in, I angled
over to intercept him on the way to the south barn.
He looked good slouching along in his old Wranglers
and a beat up pair of Tony Lamas with a straw hat
shading his face.
     "Hey, cowboy.  We're on for Saturday."
"Awright." he said, looking at me out of the corner
of his eye. "Y'okay with that?"

"Sure.  Why wouldn't I be?" I cocked an eyebrow at
                       him.

     "Well, ya'll only been together couple months.
Sometimes it takes a spell for the honeymoon to
wear off."

   "We've been together eight years, one way or
                     another.
Anyway, it'll be fun.  Vincent's hot in bed."

     "Yeah, you been lookin' mighty satisfied
lately.  Figured it must be his doin'."  I followed
him into the tack room and wasn't surprised when he
curled a hand around the back of my neck and pulled
me to him for a wet, lusty kiss.  "Ah been missin'
you."  He kissed me again, ran his hand down from
my neck to pinch my left nipple lightly, and turned
to get his roping saddle off the rack.

 I haltered Queenie for him, put her in the cross
                       ties,
adjusted my dick, and went off to ride one of
Maddy's new jumpers, a five-year-old with plenty of
ability, but a short attention span.  We worked
over three foot fences until he began to get the
idea that I was the one calling the shots. My cell
phone rang as I was handing him off to one of the
boys.

"Sean!"  Amanda sounded frantic and I wondered if
something had happened to one of the horses she was
campaigning this season.

  "Amanda!"  I hollered back at her.  "Something
                      wrong?"

     "Goddamn right something's wrong!" Amanda Pate
Colson had married into one of Houston's oldest oil
families and remade herself from a girl from the
wrong side of the tracks into a society belle.  She
had the clothes, the hair, the car, and the house,
but she also still had the mouth she'd grown up
with and she cursed like a sailor.

     "Simon broke his motherfucking leg!"  Simon
was her rider, the guy who currently had her horses
standing 3rd and 6th on the circuit.  Top notch
riders don't grow on trees so this was a disaster.

     "Jesus, what happened?"

     "He fell off the cocksucking horse, what
else?"

   I smothered a laugh and gave up, figuring I
                            could get the details
later.  "Okay, so you want me to try to find you
someone else? Let me call --"

      "No!"  She cut me off.  "I want you!"
I was speechless for a moment.  "Me?  Amanda, I
haven't ridden competitively in years."

"I don't care.  You know the horses and you ride
                              all the time. You
used to be great.  And you owe me half a season.
Pleeease?"

     I closed my eyes for a second and imagined
galloping around the arena, soaring over 6 foot
spreads like I had wings. I had loved riding
jumpers for a living and was surprised by how much
I wanted to say yes, but I had Vincent now, the
stable to run, too much to do.

     "Sean?"

"Yeah, yeah.  Let me make a few calls.  If I can't
                       find
you someone really good, I'll think about it."

     "Thank you!  I knew you'd do it."

"I'm not doing anything yet.  I'll call you when I
                       know
something."

     It was all I could think about the rest of the
day.
Amanda was offering me another chance.  The season
was about 3/4 over and Simon's leg wouldn't heal
that quickly.  That meant seven or eight events,
all over the country, unless I could find her
someone else, but the chances of that were slim.
Thanks to Vincent's insistence that I continue my
shoulder exercises, it was stronger than ever and I
had no doubt that it would hold up for a few months
of competitive riding.  It meant lots of traveling,
being away from Stonegate and Vincent for long
weekends.  But, God, I really wanted to do it.

     Vincent found me on the patio, staring off at
the distant tree line with a forgotten glass of
wine dangling from one hand.  "Earth to Sean.
Hello."

I glanced up with a start.  "Sorry, I was thinking.
                               Hi, babe." I
stood and hugged him, enjoying the feel of his hard
body pressing into mine.

 "About what?"  He sat down next to me, taking my
                             free hand in his.

     I blew out a breath.  "An offer Amanda made

me."  I told him about it, gazing out across the

pasture as I spoke, not looking at him until I

finished.  He was watching me closely, his dark

eyes roaming over my face.

     "Don't call around.  Do it.  Call her back and

say yes." He squeezed my hand for emphasis.

     "Are you sure?  I'd be gone a lot."

     "She has a jet, right?"

     "Yes .  .  .  "

"Good.  Take me along.  I haven't traveled much and
                        I'd
get to see you ride.  But no crashing, I don't want
to go through that again."

     "Jesus, neither do I.  You really wanna go?"
     "Sure, why wouldn't I?  We'd be together, I'd
get to see some more of the country, and I'd get to
watch you do something you love, second only to
me."  He smiled as he spoke.  It was true; it had
been taken away from me and I'd never looked back
because it had been too painful.  I hadn't even
watched the handful of events that were televised
each year.
     I looked at him.  "I really want to do it."
 "I know you do, baby.  You should see your face
                             when you talk about
it.  Call her."  He let go of my hand and pushed it
toward the cell on my
belt.  I watched him as the call connected and he
smiled when he heard Amanda whoop at the other end.
When I flipped my phone shut, he stood. "Come on,
I'm hungry."

 We ate and went down to the jungle pool to float
                      around
'til bed time. "When's the next event and what do
you have to do to get ready?" he asked.

     "Early September.  Luckily there's a three
week break right now.  I need all new clothes, I
guess.  New boots and hard hat.  All my old stuff
got used up around the barn over the years.  I'll
have to see if my saddle is okay.  Polish my spurs.
I'll need to start riding another couple hours a
day. That shouldn't be a problem with Maddy's new
horses here now. I'll have to get Tommy more dialed
in to run the stable while I'm gone, and maybe hire
another trainer."

  "Isn't this what Adam does?   You'll be riding
                            against him, right?"

"Huh, yeah.  I hadn't even thought of that.
That'll be weird."

     Later in bed he asked me the thing that I'd
been asking myself since Amanda's call.  "Do you
think you're competitive? With the people riding
now, I mean?"

     I rolled to my back and stared at the ceiling
with a sigh. "I think so.  I was pretty damn good
before I got hurt and the game hasn't changed a
whole lot in seven years.  I guess maybe my
reactions might be a little slower but I have a lot
more experience now.  I don't know."  I rolled back
to him.  "Will you still love me even if I don't
win?"

     He climbed onto me, pinning me with his full
weight.  "I will always love you, even if you're a
loser."

I laughed and bucked hard, trying to unload him but
                        he
hung on and our struggle became rough foreplay when
he grabbed my wrists and held on tight as he forced
his leg between mine, shoving his stiff penis down
between my legs and stroking hard beneath my balls.
As the sensations became more intense, I quit
fighting against him and fought instead to get my
leg out from under his so I could raise it.  When
he let go of my arms I      reached down and
grabbed his ass in both hands, pulling him
tight against me.  We thrust quickly until he
pushed off me and turned around, throwing a leg
over me so that his cock dropped
into my waiting mouth.  He pulled my legs back,
sucked my balls for a moment, then ran his tongue
down to my asshole and dove in.  I shoved a pillow
behind my head and followed suit.
     I used to get distracted 69ing, slacking off
on my end of things when it got to feeling too
good, but over the years, I learned to channel what
I was feeling into what I was doing, and now it's
one of my favorite things, especially with Vincent.
I closed my eyes and tuned into the motions of his
tongue, the long glides, the short hard thrusts,
the sounds. Now and then he'd bite me and my cock
lurched hard with each nip.  Some time later, he
pulled away from me, re-positioned himself, grabbed
my ankles and pushed his dick into me abruptly
enough to make me gasp.  He slowed the minute he
was in, watching me closely.  I pulled him down and
kissed him roughly, biting his lip and shoving my
tongue down his throat.  He began to pump quickly,
his balls banging into my ass with every thrust.  I
continued to ravage his mouth as I grabbed my dick
and started stroking hard.  We both finished
quickly, me a little ahead of him.  As I tugged a
3rd shot out of my tingling nuts, Vincent took
several short strokes just barely inside me,
groaning with each one, and I felt his cock throb
as he climaxed.
   He dropped down onto me, still twitching, and
                      sighed
deeply.
"Goddamn, that was good.  I wonder why some times
are so much stronger than others.  If we could
bottle it, we'd be millionaires."

 "Honey, we already are millionaires," I reminded
                       him.

     "You might be.  I'm just a meatball chef."

     I lay there for a second, then pushed him off
me and sat up.  We had never discussed money and
I'd been meaning to tell him something, but was
unsure how he'd take it.  "No, you're a
millionaire, too.  As of last Friday."

He stared at me, then narrowed his eyes.  "What did
                     you do?"

     "Several things.  I had Martin revise my will;
you're a major beneficiary now, along with my folks
and a few other people.  I opened a joint checking
account for us with a starting balance of $50k.
All the paperwork and the checks are in your
office.  I also had him add you to the Stonegate
bank accounts.  You have to sign some forms and
signature cards." I paused for effect.  "And I had
Wade transfer a million dollars worth of stocks
into your name, with your parents as
beneficiaries."

     "Jesus, Sean.  Why?"

     "Well, I have a lot more money than you and I
don't want it to be an issue between us, so I just
made the playing field a little more level."

"Our relationship isn't about money." His voice was
beginning to sound angry.

     "Relax, for Christ's sake.  I know it's not.
But I wanted to do it. It's one of the few things I
can do for you that can have a real impact on your
life.  It's for my peace of mind, too.  Money can
be a real problem in a relationship, especially
when there's a big difference in who has it and who
doesn't.  I don't care what the fuck you do with
it.  You can give it all
to charity if you want.  Please take it in the
spirit I meant it." I tipped his chin up so that
he met my eyes.  "Please." We looked at each
other for a long moment, me willing him to
understand, and him looking first defiant, then
bewildered. Finally his face dissolved into a
reluctant smile.
     "I'm really a millionaire?"
     "Yup.  Wanna go look at the papers?"  His
smile got wider, so I pulled him off the bed and
down the hall to his desk, where I handed him the
stock transfer confirmation with his name as the
account holder.  He looked it over, his smile a
toothy grin now.
 "Fuck!"  He looked at me.  "I don't know what to
                             say.  `Thank you'
doesn't quite seem to cover it, somehow."

I laughed at him.  "You're welcome.  And one more
                              thing, I got the
hots for a new car, so I thought we'd go shopping
Saturday. Whaddaya say? Ready to trade in that pile
you're driving?"

 His eyes lit up.  "Oh, God, I saw a black BMW the
                       other
day that made my dick hard.  Really?"

     "Yes, baby, really.  Come on."  We crawled
back into bed and I fell asleep to the sight of
Vincent staring at the ceiling with a big smile on
his face.

     We spent Saturday doing the car dealerships,
coming away with a black BMW M convertible for
Vincent and a dark grey Lexus SC 430 for me.  I
figured the owner of a stable as upscale as
Stonegate couldn't drive around in a beater pick up
anymore.  We stopped for lunch on the way back,
admiring our new rides in the parking lot of the
restaurant.  Vincent hadn't quit grinning since we
drove away from the dealership and could barely
stand to go in and eat.  We switched cars for the
rest of the drive so we could see how our own
looked rolling down the road.  We spent the
afternoon playing in the pool and wandering into
the garage every now and
then to grin like teenagers at our cool new cars.

   In the late afternoon, we went inside to get
                    cleaned up
for our evening with Cody and Wade.  Vincent was
lathering up his crotch in the shower when I
climbed in with him.  "I'll do that," I said,
taking the razor from him.  I sat on the bench and
carefully shaved from the base of his dick on back,
leaving a tidy patch above his cock.  That was the
first time I had shaved him and it was hot; I was
hard the whole time.
Evidently he thought so too, trading places with me
eagerly.
He started to play but I stopped him, wanting to
save it for tonight.

     Wade hollered from the back yard when he heard
us pull in. They met us at the gate and I hugged
them both.  Vincent hugged Wade, then turned to
Cody who stepped close to him, leaned in and kissed
him on the mouth.

 Wade laughed and rolled his eyes.  "God, Cody,
                             don't be shy." Cody
smiled but didn't take his eyes off Vincent for a
moment.

We got beers and sat around watching Cody grill
                              steaks.  Dinner was
leisurely as we chatted.  Our shopping trip came up
so we all
trooped out front to inspect Vincent's Beemer while
he tried not to smile too much. You'd think he'd
designed the damn thing himself, but I knew he was
just thrilled.  The restaurants turned a decent
profit but he would never have splurged on a car
like this.  I loved seeing how happy he was with
it.
     After dinner, we played in the pool for a
while.  Cody was the first to lose his suit,
tossing it out onto the concrete, then swimming
over to Vincent and helping him off with his.  I
watched Vincent's face as Cody grabbed the edge of
the pool on either side of him.  He smiled as Cody
closed in, opening his mouth to Cody's tongue, and
through the blue shimmer of the water I saw
Vincent's hand close around Cody's hard cock,
making my own dick lurch as if he'd grabbed me.  As
they deepened the kiss, Vincent's eyes dropped
closed, as I had watched them do so many times when
he kissed me.
 I looked away to find Wade watching me and I gave
                            him a half smile.
He reached down a hand to haul me out of the pool,
wrapped a brawny arm around my shoulders and pulled
me down onto a chaise, out of the line of sight to
Cody and Vincent.  He pushed me flat and lay half
on me, one huge thigh between mine, studying my
face for a moment before kissing me hungrily.  It
took a minute, but the affectionate warmth of him
eased me and I began to return the kiss, sucking
his tongue into my mouth. Wade's big hand worked
its way slowly across my chest, thumbing my nipple
to hardness, tugging it gently until I broke the
kiss to arch my head back with a groan and grind my
dick up into his leg.  His cock hardened against my
hip as he returned the pressure and I reached for
him, running the heel of my hand firmly down his
erection until I had a handful of balls.  Wade
exhaled with an 'uggghhh' against my neck and
rolled his pelvis into my hand several times before
glancing over his shoulder.

     Cody had maneuvered Vincent over to the pool
steps and was hanging onto his knees with Vincent's
cock down his throat. Wade sat up, pulling me with
him and gave me a little push.  I went to them and
sat behind Vincent, rubbing his chest and hugging
him to me so I could stroke my stiff prick up his
back. He wrapped his arms around my legs and leaned
back into me while I watched Cody blow him.  I put
a hand on Cody's head, sliding my fingers through
his wet, wavy hair; feeling him move up and down on
Vincent.  My earlier mood was gone.  I knew Cody
and Wade were as committed to each other as Vincent
and I were. This evening was for fun; our lives
together were for keeps.
At that moment, Vincent tipped his head back to
kiss me, moaning into my mouth as he came in Cody's
fist.

     After that we took it inside and soon Cody was
bent over the back of the couch as Vincent knelt
behind him, giving him the full treatment.  If Cody
could have managed to open his eyes, he would have
seen Wade sucking me slowly on the couch. Wade is a
big guy, all mounds of muscle, and sex
with him a lot different than it is with Vincent,
who is smaller and wiry. I always feel a little
overwhelmed by Wade; not in a negative sense, but
there's just so much of him.  I can barely get my
arms around his shoulders and his meaty ass fills
my spread hands.  By the time Vincent stood up and
slid his cock into an almost delirious Cody, Wade
was lifting my ass into his lap to do the same to
me.  Wade had a dick the size of Vincent's so I was
enjoying myself and had to assume Cody was as well.
He groaned harshly as Vincent entered him, then
reached down to take my dick in one hand, stroking
slowly.

     Group sex is a lot different than just the two
of you; not
just more things to play with, but the whole
experience.  I probably think about it too much,
but I find it really exciting as a change of pace.
Unfamiliar moans, exciting new smells, different
ways of being touched than what you're used to.
Knowing Vincent was nearby, but not with me, was
also arousing, despite my moment in the pool.  I
know some people have a hard time with that
concept, but we know where our hearts are and who
they belong to, no matter who we're with, and the
sight of him doing Cody contributed as much to my
rock hard erection as did Wade's cock sucking
techniques.  Anyway, it all usually adds up to a
ball buster of a first orgasm for me and tonight
was no exception.

     Vincent grinned at me for a quick second, then
ducked his head, tilted his hips, and got serious
about making Cody suffer.  I could tell from the
look of concentration on Vincent's face and the
almost painful intensity on Cody's, that Cody's
prostate was getting a workout.  Cody trembled
repeatedly as he got closer, hanging onto the back
of the couch with a death grip.  Vincent angled
down a little more, changed to short quick thrusts,
and that was the end of Cody.  He came in long
ropey streams of cum, impressive as any porn star,
crying out with each burst.  Vincent stuck with him
until Cody collapsed over the back of the couch,
then he slid free and walked around to put one knee
on the cushion behind Wade.

     He poured some lube over Wade's ass, buried a
finger briefly, then worked his way in quickly.
Wade stopped moving in me while he adjusted to
Vincent's presence.  Vincent stroked quickly a few
times to get things working, then Wade resumed
fucking me.  Wade moved between us, into me, back
onto Vincent. It took us a moment to get the rhythm
going but once it was right, Wade began a constant
sound that started as a low moan but worked up to a
mid-range 'ahh - ahh - ahh' that got higher as he
got closer.  I've never been the middle guy in a
chain fuck, but being on the receiving end was
great.  Vincent starting moving harder, forcing
Wade down onto me and in deeper.  I was getting
fucked by Wade, but I knew that every time he
plowed into me, Vincent was the driving force.  It
was wildly arousing and I had to fight like crazy
to hold off 'til we were all ready.

     After what seemed like forever, Wade reached
his limit, pulled out of me and grabbed our cocks
in one huge fist.  He had a good touch and I
started to shoot immediately, arching back into the
pillows as I unloaded in several big spurts, which
all landed well up my stomach and felt like a
gallon's worth.  Vincent kept pumping until Wade
was finished, pulled out and stepped next to me so
that he could come on my stomach, which he did with
bared teeth, growling his way through it, his face
twisted with the intensity of his orgasm.  Cody was
still hanging over the back of the couch with a
bird's eye view and grinned at us as we panted and
gasped.  We cleaned up a little, then jumped in the
pool for another hour.

     This time Wade took Cody's hand and mine and
led us back into the house; I grabbed Vincent on
the way by and he slid a hand down my ass to goose
me, grinning when I gave a little shriek and hopped
out of his reach. Inside I pushed Wade down on the
couch and knelt on the floor between his feet,
taking his hardening dick into my mouth.  Cody lay
down on his back on the floor and slid under me to
do the same.  Vincent climbed onto the couch with
Wade, kissing him and rubbing his nipples while he
kept the other hand on my head, ruffling softly
through my hair as I blew Wade. After a bit,
Vincent pushed me off him and took over.  Cody was
still
sucking me so I pulled out for a quick second,
turned around above him and sunk my mouth down onto
his cock.  It didn't take us long, especially when
Vincent reached down from the couch and poked a
slick finger up my ass. Cody and I came pretty
close together, sucked each other dry, and
collapsed on the floor.
 When Wade got close, Vincent straddled him,
                             wrapping both his
                             hands
around their cocks, holding them together as he
thrust in and out of his grip, fucking his hands
and Wade's cock.  Wade lasted about six strokes in
Vincent's fists, then erupted in a geyser of cum,
groaning deep in his big chest and gripping
Vincent's thighs with white knuckles.  Vincent let
himself go as soon as Wade started to shoot,
pumping his way through a short but hard climax
that left him shaking.  He stood up, laughing
weakly and wobbled back a couple steps, bending
over to put his hands on his knees, breathing hard.
"That's three. I'm finished."  A drop of sweat fell
from his chin as I got up and went to him.  He
straightened and wrapped his arms around me, still
trembling a little.

     When we staggered out the door a while later,
there were weary but sincere hugs and kisses all
around.  We drove home, showered quickly, and
passed out.
     In the morning I reached half heartedly for
Vincent, not the least bit put out when he mumbled,
"I don't think I can."
I laughed and rolled over for another hour.  With
the Gran Prix right around the corner, I needed my
beauty sleep anyway.

     Monday afternoon I began talking with every
Stonegate employee, one by one, getting a feel for
them and the jobs they did, evaluating them with an
owner's eye.  I asked their thoughts on how we did
things, their suggestions for improvements.  There
were some good ideas and I made a lot of notes that
week, in preparation for the day Martin told me the
transfer was complete.

     I wanted to expand our range of operations and
use the four barns more efficiently.  The main
barn, which held twentyfour horses, was almost
always full.  The south barn had stalls for twelve
horses; it currently held only three of Cody's
horses, plus Zena and Barney.  The 12-stall mare
motel was for pregnant mares but Stonegate wasn't a
breeding facility any longer so it could become a
general purpose barn.  We had a few stallions but
they didn't need a 6-stall barn to themselves.

I didn't care for the lack of tolerance one riding
discipline typically had for another, the way the
dressage people had looked down on Cody when he
first moved in here, and I wanted to add some
western stuff to our curriculum.  I thought Cody
might be agreeable to doing some reining seminars,
and since William's house was now empty, maybe have
people stay for long weekends.  It was big enough
for eight people at two to a room. I'd just need
another cook/housekeeper and made a note to check
with Maria about that.

     Cody's daddy, Davis, was a hugely popular
rodeo figure who would draw great crowds if we
could get him here a couple times a year.  Team
penning and roping were also possibilities since we
already had the steers and chutes.  We'd need more
bleachers around all the arenas, a larger
designated area to park truck/trailer rigs for
people who brought their own horses, and some sort
of meeting room with kitchen facilities.

Sam wanted to host a series of horse care seminars,
                             everything from
recognizing the early stages of colic to emergency
techniques. The local horse folks still called on
her now and then when something happened that they
couldn't cope with.  Teresa had an idea for a
workshop to help backyard horse owners use their
money more wisely, tricks we used around Stonegate
to get more bang for our buck.

     I was toying with the idea of building a show
facility, a nice place
for one day or weekend shows.  Other than ShowPark,
which was huge, there weren't any other really nice
places.  There were a few small ones with ratty
barns, no place to eat, and rocky arenas; so it
seemed there was a need for a good show facility.
Stonegate was down a _ mile lane from the main road
so we had a big chunk of land out front that would
be perfect.

     I also wanted to have a big open house after
the change of ownership was final and we'd had a
chance to spruce things up a bit.  All the wood on
the buildings and fences was due for painting or
staining; the concrete barn floors needed to be
stripped, scrubbed and sealed again; trees needed
to be trimmed, pastures re-seeded; etc, etc, etc.
I planned to make it a big event with a sit-down
brunch for prospective clients and have Vincent
cater it.  I was just full of ideas.

     I called Alejandro and Tommy in to discuss
getting started on the clean-up part and they were
excited about the open house, catching some of my
enthusiasm in making Stonegate better.  Teresa
reported that the bank accounts were in great
shape, clients paying on time, no deadbeats at the
moment.  We weren't a cheap barn - it cost the
better part of two thousand dollars a month to keep
a horse here on a full training schedule, and that
didn't include vet or farrier bills.  Zena and
Barney didn't pay rent but everyone else did, so
our gross income was healthy, and I knew I could
trim expenses here and there.  Teresa had managed
to secure a better deal on hay after the moldy
alfalfa fiasco and we could probably get the per
bale price down even lower with more horses to
feed.

   One place I wasn't willing to skimp was wages so
                            I got a current
payroll list from Teresa and went over it
carefully.  We had twelve employees - Tommy,
Alejandro, Teresa, and Sam, plus six guys and two
girls who worked jointly for Tommy and Alejandro,
rotating through all the various tasks every six
months so that everyone knew how to cover for
everyone else, if necessary. Each employee had two
days a week off, working one weekend a month, again
on a rotating schedule.

By Wednesday, I felt pretty confidant that I could
                       make
some positive changes in the way we did things that
would benefit everyone and liven things up a
little.  Knowing I could do whatever I wanted was
very liberating.  William had always agreed to my
ideas, but I'd still had to run things by him and
get his approval.  Now, as sole owner, if I wanted
to, I could paint all the buildings pink, and make
Daisy Dukes and wife beaters the official Stonegate
uniform, but luckily for all of us, the stuff I
wanted to do made a lot more sense.

  I went home to Vincent that night content with
                       life.


     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Warm thanks to David, my trusty editor.

Enjoying Stonegate Stables?  Shoot me an email and
let me know.
qwb@san.rr.com