Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2003 15:10:09 EST
From: Tulsadriller7@aol.com
Subject: Tales from the Ranch, Chapter 26/?

Disclaimer:  The following story is a work of fiction.  If you
are offended by descriptions of homosexual acts or man/man
relations, please exit this page.

TALES FROM THE RANCH
Copyrightc 2003 by Tulsa Driller 7.  All rights reserved.

This is a story of men who have two common interests.  You will
see that they love the land where they live and work, but it is
also the story of young men who love other men and their coming
of age in a culture of prejudice and misunderstanding.  It is a
story, which deals with difficult and often disturbing issues
but, nonetheless, issues which must be confronted in today's
world.

This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives of any
specific person or persons.  Any similarity to actual persons or
events is entirely coincidental.  This work is copyrightedc by
the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the
specific written permission of the author.  It is assigned to the
Nifty Archives under the terms of their submission agreement but
it may not be copied or archived on any other site without the
written permission of the author.

PLEASE:  In a perfect world AIDS doesn't exist.  My characters
have unprotected sex.  I hope you use proper precautions because
I'd like you to be around the read the last chapter of this
story.

Tales from the Ranch
Chapter 26:  Getting Ready for the Honeymoon
     It was Tuesday afternoon before Dale had a chance to walk to
the construction site to look at the progress on the new crew
quarters.  He was stunned.  The basement floor had been poured
the afternoon before and the men who worked for Ray Evans were
walking around on it.  The center beam was in place, bolted to
the steel poles set in the concrete floor and about half of the
floor joists were in place.
     The stem walls had been given a coat of waterproofing, then
covered with hot tar.  River gravel had been used for back
filling to within a couple feet of the ground, then dirt had been
shoved in to level the ground around the house.
     Two men from the lumberyard were unloading plywood to be
used for sheeting the floor and side walls as they were put up.
Dale had heard the sound of hammers pounding and saws running
since the previous afternoon, but had no idea things would move
so quickly, although both Craig and Ray had told him so.
     A trailer containing a complete workshop had been parked
next to the house.  Both a table saw and radial-arm saw had been
unloaded and set up, although most of the sawing was done with
Skil saws at this point.
     Ray saw Dale standing, looking on and waved a greeting, then
the two men walked toward each other.
     "You really don't fool around, do you?" Dale said.
     "No, I have 8 men here for the next three days and no bad
weather in sight.  We may be putting the roof on when you get
back from your trip," Ray told him.
     "I'm impressed.  The place changes size every time I see it.
First the excavation looked huge, and then when you put the forms
up, it didn't.  Now it does, again."
     "When we start framing the inside and outside walls, it will
change again," Ray replied.  "Then when we start hanging
sheetrock, it will take on a different feeling again as the rooms
are defined. instead of being able to see through the walls."
     About that time Dale's cell phone vibrated to life.
     "Dale Richards," he answered.
     It was Michael Russo.  "Dale, one of the tractors quit
running and I can't get it started."
     "Did you check the fuel filter?" he asked.
     "Yes, but there was only a little water in the filter bowl."
     "It doesn't take much," Dale told him.  "I'll be up there in
a few minutes."
     After he broke the connection he told Ray that he had a
problem with one of the tractors.  They shook hands and Dale
headed for his Blazer to make the ten-minute drive to the field.
     It turned out to be a simple repair; actually the main fuel
line from the tank had gotten clogged.  Dale disconnected it,
blew it out and reassembled it.  The tractor started right up on
the first try.
     "I'm embarrassed that I called you.  I didn't think it would
be something simple like this," Michael told him.
     "Don't worry about it.  I was able to discern that the fuel
filter wasn't getting any fuel so it either had to be a clogged
line or a fuel pump problem.  I started with the easiest, the
fuel line.  Bingo."
     Michael thanked him profusely and got back on the tractor to
resume plowing.
     As Dale was driving away, he thought that the cell phones
had already paid for themselves, along with leaving a pickup in
the field where they were working.  Otherwise, someone would be
shuttling back and forth from the ranch to this field to see to
it that the guys ate and had plenty of water to drink.  If they
hadn't had the cell phones, Michael could have lost two or three
hours before getting help.
     * * * * *
     Phyllis Richmond talked to her attorney the first thing
after she got up on Wednesday.  Actually it was almost noon.  She
had really tied one on after she arrived home the afternoon
before.
     Courtney Millard had handled problems Phyllis had created
before so he wasn't surprised.  In fact, he had already heard
about her arrest the day before.  Attorneys were a fairly tight
group and he had heard a version of the story the night before
when he and his wife went to their Country Club for dinner.
     "Courtney," whined Phyllis when he came on the line.
     "Hello, Phyllis.  What have you done now to get yourself
into this mess?" he questioned.  He really didn't like her very
well.  She never asked for advice until a problem arose - most
could have been avoided if she talked to him first.  However, she
was a maverick, frequently running over people, and then wondered
why people avoided her.
     He had already talked to Gus Douglas, although Phyllis
hadn't called him, but he knew he would be hearing from her and
that she would demand that he act immediately.
     "I don't know what's going on," she said in a tiny voice,
not quite contrite, but maybe she really didn't.
     "Phyllis, I've taken the liberty of finding out what's going
on.  The charges are simple.  First you have been defrauding
buyers and sellers by giving each different paperwork.  The
second is that you have been pocketing money that is listed on
the contracts as "Miscellaneous Closing Expenses" and third is
that you are lucky that's all they are charging you with.  It
seems that you've lost your real estate license and."
     She wailed, "Oh, what am I going to do. that's my only
source of income?"
     "What you are going to do is to plead guilty and offer to
make restitution at your hearing.  I think I can get you off on
probation and possibly reduced charges, but your license will be
suspended for a period of time that will be up to the judge and
the Williamsport Realty Board."
     Phyllis started crying, almost keening.  Courtney Millard
didn't feel sorry for her.  If she didn't run over customers and
stick her nose in where it didn't belong, this probably wouldn't
have happened.
     "Phyllis, let me ask you this.  Did Dale Richards list his
house with you?"
     "No, he listed it with the Regency agency."
     "How did you get involved?"
     "I've found houses before when Don Albrecht was buying
rental property to fix up and either rent or sell."
     "Did he call you about this property?  How did he find out
it was for sale?"
     "No, I saw it was a new listing and called him."
     "Was it on multi-list?"
     "No, it was a Regency exclusive, but we all help each other
sell properties."
     Courtney's thought was 'yeah, but you would throw a fit if
someone tried to horn in on your deals.'
     "So you just stuck your foot in the door and sold it out
from under Regency?" he asked.
     More whining.  "No, not exactly.  It wasn't a desirable
piece of property and it might not have sold as quickly without
my finding a buyer for it."
     'Yeah, right,' thought Courtney.
     "Let me do some checking on this and I'll get back to you a
little later."
     Phyllis wasn't happy because her problem wasn't solved
immediately, but she did thank Courtney Millard before she hung
up.  Almost a first for her.
     Since it didn't seem that there would be any litigation on
this, except for the charges against Phyllis, he felt free to
call Don Albrecht to get some answers to questions he had.
     Don was just getting ready to go to lunch, but took the
call.  Although he and Craig hadn't gotten the contract for
designing an expansion to Courtney's office, he held no grudge.
     "Hello Courtney," Don said.  "What can I do for you?"
     "Don, I'm Phyllis Richmond's attorney.  Since there is no
litigation except for charges against her, I was wondering if you
could answer some questions for me about this deal?"
     "Sure, what do you need to know?"
     "Did you have a contract with her to look for property for
you to buy - specifically the house Dale Richards is selling?"
     "No.  Actually I've only had one deal with her.  She had the
listing on the house my wife and I bought about two years ago.  I
mentioned that when I got established, I wanted to buy property
to fix up and either sell or rent.  Not too long after that she
called me about a house that was for sale.  It wasn't on multi-
list and the other realtor wasn't too happy because she inserted
herself into the deal.  However, the place had been on the market
for quite a while and she was able to get a good deal for me."
     "Who was the other realtor?"
     "Regency."
     'Bingo,' thought Courtney.
     "Then about six months later she called with another 'find',
as she put it.  Again, she hadn't gotten permission from the
other realtor, but she was able to work a good deal for me."
     "And. the realtor?" asked Courtney.
     "Regency.  I never made the connection until today."
     'No wonder those people hate her,' Courtney thought.
     "She's letting the other realtor do all the work, then she's
jumping in and simply taking over, isn't she?" asked Don.
     "I really shouldn't answer that question, but yes, she is."
     "Oh, wow.  This is the third deal of mine that she's just
walked in and edged the other people out. and two of those had
problems with the contract and they had to be rewritten."
     "Do you have the contracts?" Courtney asked.
     "No, but Wes Owen and Gus Douglas do.  I gave the contracts
to them."
     "Thanks, Don, for taking the time to talk to me.  You've
given me better insight to this whole sequence of events."
     "Don't mention it.  I guess you know that Gus is meeting
with Dale and me to draw up a new contract?"
     "I know one will have to be written."
     "What about the checks I gave to Phyllis to close this
deal?"
     "I can't answer that because I don't really know what is
going on there.  I think each of us needs to call Gus Douglas
because he set all this up."
     "Well, it's my understanding that this whole deal is null
and void, but I wrote checks to the title company and the
Register of Deeds and I assume they have been deposited," Don
said.
     "Talk to Gus.  This part of it is his deal.  My concern is
what is going to happen to Phyllis."
     "Thanks, Courtney.  If I can do anything for you in the
future, please give me a call."
     "Will do, Don.  Thanks for your help in sorting this out."
     They broke the connection.  'Boy, what a load of trouble
this redheaded bitch had caused,' Courtney thought.
     * * * * *
     Jason and Kevin were thrilled with their new dogs.  They
were both big fluffy balls of fur that had bright eyes and an
active tongue.  It was just as if the pups couldn't taste their
new masters enough.  It must have been some kind of bonding
thing.
     Marty told the boys on the way home about the way he and
Chris had housebroken Sandy.
     "The best way to do this is really simple.  Feed them, take
them outdoors and when they take care of their business, give
them a lot of praise, then give them a treat.  It doesn't take
very long for them to realize what's expected of them and Collies
are among the smartest of the dogs."
     "Is that all there is to it?" Jason asked.
     "No, but that's the basis.  Same thing.  Take them outside
several times during the day.  When they take care of business,
praise them and reward them.  They are going to be in a cage when
you guys are gone and they will have a blanket in there to lie
on.  Most dogs will not mess where they have to sleep, so they
will be ready to go out when you let them out.
     "That's pretty easy," Kevin said.
     "Your Mom, Mrs. Wood and I will help out during the day,
seeing to it that they are let out, but when you are home they
are your responsibility until they are housebroken.  You just
need to watch them that they don't chew on furniture."
     "What about staying in our room?" Kevin asked.
     "Not a problem, make sure they are in their cage so they
can't damage the rug.  When you're sure they are housebroken,
then they can stay out of the cage."
     "Dad, what kind of cage are we talking about?" Jason wanted
to know.
     "We're going to stop at Wal-Mart and pick up a carrier
that's large enough for them to both fit in.  That way they can
play with each other.  We'll help you take it up and down the
stairs, if need be."
     "Thanks, Dad," Kevin said.
     "Boys, a dog is to be enjoyed.  They are smart and anxious
to please you, so treat them right and they will be loyal to you
forever."
     ". like Sandy," Kevin said.
     "Yes, exactly like Sandy," Jason added.
     Marty agreed.
     * * * * *
     When they got home, at Marty's insistence, they spent some
time on the lawn and each got treats that Marty had brought
outside for them.  He had also purchased some chew toys and
gotten new collars for them.  The boys could pick out the next
ones as they grew.
     Chris and Mrs. Wood came outside to see the new dogs and
being curious, the dogs were excited, as two more people were
willing to give them attention.
     "Mom, Mrs. Wood!!! What do you think?" Jason asked.
     "I can see they are going to be beautiful dogs with good
markings as they get older," Chris replied.
     "Have you named them, yet?" Mrs. Wood asked.
     Jason said, "I've been thinking about names and I like
Brandy for mine."
     "Me, too," said Kevin.  "Can I name this one Ginger, like
her mother?"
     "Those are good names," Mrs. Wood told them.
     Marty and Chris agreed.
     * * * * *
     Tuesday afternoon Dale was working in the office when the
boys burst in, each with their new dog in their arms.
     "What have we here?" Dale said, greeting them.
     "Dale, we each have a puppy now," Kevin said, bursting with
pride.
     "I named this one Brandy." Jason said.
     "And. mine is Ginger.  That's her mother's name, too."
     "They are just beautiful," Dale said petting one, then the
other, getting licked.
     He took turns holding each, praising the boys for their
choices.
     Kevin outlined the plans for housebreaking the puppies and
Dale thought that made sense.
     "You know, guys, I never really had a dog when I was growing
up.  I always wanted one, but had to share one of the neighbor's
dogs with him.  That poor dog didn't get treated very well and
would sleep on our porch more often than it was at home, but
grandma wouldn't allow me to feed it.  She was afraid it would be
at our house permanently."
     "Maybe you and Craig can get a puppy," Kevin said.
     "Yeah," Jason agreed.  "Those kennels have lots of dogs.  Do
you think Craig would let you have one?"
     Dale had to laugh at that one.  As much as he'd like to have
a dog, he didn't think a 5th floor condo unit was the place to
keep one.
     "Maybe someday we'll have a yard and I can get one then," he
answered.
     "You can play with ours as much as you want," Kevin told
him.
     "Thanks, guys, I appreciate that.  If you need help with
them, let me know.  Are you going to teach them some tricks?"
     "You mean like 'roll over' and fetch?" Kevin asked.
     "Those would be good ones to start with, but there are all
kinds of things they can learn and with two it might be a lot of
fun to work with them."
     "You don't mean like those 'Stupid Pet Tricks' they have on
TV?" Jason asked.
     "Well, not exactly, but I'm sure we can figure something out
for them to learn," Dale answered.
     Dale loved the pups.  They were at the stage where they
weren't entirely coordinated and were curious about everything.
     "We wanted you to see them.  We're on our way to see grandma
and grandpa.  They haven't seen Brandy and Ginger yet," Jason
said.
     "They are great dogs.  You guys made good choices.  It will
fun watching them become adult dogs," Dale said.
     "We'll be back after a bit to do our evening chores, but we
were afraid you were about ready to leave to go home," Kevin
said.
     "I'm not too far from it.  Thanks again for bringing the
dogs out so I could see them.  Have fun with them," he answered.
     * * * * *
     Just after the boys left to go to their grandparents' house,
Michael, Pat and John arrived in the ranch pickup.
     Dale had them sign their time sheets, and then reminded them
that he would be gone on Friday and Monday and that he would be
gone part of the next weekend for the horse show in Waco.
     "Gonna do anything special?" John asked.
     "Yes, I'm going to Ft. Worth for a Builder's Trade Show with
a friend, then we're going to explore that town and Dallas."
     "Neat," Michael replied.  "There's a lot to do in both
towns."
     "So I've been told," Dale said.  "I've never been to either
place."
     Pat had a hard time believing that, but didn't say anything.
     "Well, Ft. Worth is where the city meets the country and
Dallas is where the city is," John laughed.
     Michael agreed.  "He's right.  Ft. Worth is a lot different
than Dallas for being so close to each other.  In fact, I'm not
sure you can really tell when you leave one and are in the
other."
     "I can," Pat said.  Their city limits don't even touch.
There are a lot of smaller towns between them."
     "Regardless, it's a lot different that going to Austin,"
John said.
     Dale was ready to leave and picked up some things he wanted
to take home with him.
     "See you fellows in the morning," he said.  "Have a good
evening."
     They parted ways after telling Dale goodbye and got in
Michael's car to ride back to their motel.
     * * * * *
     Dale was home about his usual time of 5:45 and Craig was
putting some groceries away.
     "Hi Stud," Craig greeted him, with a gleam in his eye.
     Dale gave him a kiss, then said, "Hi yourself.  I'm sure
glad to be home with you."
     "Hard day?" Craig questioned.
     "No, just a lot going on and, like yesterday, a lot of
running around and errands to do.  No wonder Mort was never at
the ranch.  I now understand why."
     "What's Mort doing these days?  Is he around much?"
     "Oh yeah, I generally see him for a couple of hours each
morning and we talk about what's going on.  He offers a few
suggestions about things, but nothing has come up that's out of
the ordinary.  He either spends time with Lee and Sam or out and
about the ranch checking on how the cattle and horses are doing."
     "He must think you are doing okay, or he'd be with you all
the time."
     "Actually, about the only thing I'm doing different right
now is seeing the invoices that Sam Jealso and Lee Baker have
already approved.  We're moving some cattle and horses from one
area to another to better utilize some land that's better suited
for grazing than farming and I've got the guys plowing and
working ground on three sections we've just acquired.  That will
be good land for wheat, beans and hay.  In the spring we'll put
down seed for prairie grass in the new pastures to try to make
for better grazing."
     Craig laughed.  "You've lost me, but it all sounds good."
     "Say, I was down at the construction site mid-afternoon.
They aren't wasting any time.  Ray has 8 men working with him and
said they might be putting the roof on when I got back to work
next Tuesday."
     "I can believe it.  He called me this afternoon with a
question about a couple of measurements, then told me they would
be framing walls on the first floor tomorrow.  They will have
that done in short order and may have the second floor pretty
well completed by Thursday evening.  He's probably right about
the roof."
     "I'll walk down tomorrow to see what they are doing."
     "It will shape up pretty quickly now because you will be
able to see where windows are going.  It won't take them long to
run electrical wiring because there are no special circuits and
they can insulate the place in a day, too, but that won't happen
until the roof is on.  They'll have it to the point of being
weatherproof in pretty short order"
     By this time Craig was through putting groceries away.
     "Are you fixing dinner?" Dale questioned with a smile on his
face.
     "No, you are."
     "What are we having?" Dale questioned.
     "I picked up some good ground beef, there are a couple of
rib-eye steaks and some chicken thighs.  You can freeze whatever
you don't fix," Craig answered, emphasizing 'you'.
     "Well, sounds like you have a choice of two possible
'specialties of the house,' a good steak, baked potato and tossed
salad... or spaghetti with meat sauce and a tossed salad."
     "I was thinking somewhat along the same lines," Craig smiled
back.
     "Well, which is it going to be?" Dale questioned.  "Your
choice."
     "We had Italian at noon yesterday, although it was pizza.
Let's do the steaks and trimmings."
     "You got it," Dale said.  "Let me go change clothes and then
WE can start dinner preparations."
     Dale started for their bedroom, then turned around with a
big grin on his face.  Craig thought it was going to be an
invitation to join him and started to move toward him.
     "Jason and Kevin have two new Collie puppies," he told
Craig.  "They brought them out to the office so I could see them
and play with them.  They sure are cute."
     "Sounds like Marty moved quickly on this." Craig started to
say.
     "Yeah, he did.  And, it's probably for the best that they
have something to occupy the time they spent with Sandy.  I know
she wasn't much trouble, but they had to feed and groom her
everyday.  These two pups will give them a lot to do, especially
with housebreaking and teaching them tricks."
     "How old are they?" Craig asked.
     "Two different litters.  One, Brandy, I think, is 11 weeks
old and Ginger is 10 weeks old.  They are really cute, at the age
where they aren't quite coordinated in their movements."
     "I'll have to make sure I see them the next time I'm out to
look at the construction."
     "I got tickled at the boys.  I told them I'd never had a dog
of my own and they asked if I thought you would let me have one,"
Dale laughed, teasing Craig.
     "Do you want a dog?"  Craig was intrigued with the idea
     "Not in an apartment on the 5th floor," Dale answered.
     "If, someday, we have a house with a fenced yard, you'll
have a dog.  I'll see to it," Craig said, wrapping his arms
around Dale.  He had just started to give Dale a kiss when the
telephone rang.  Craig answered on the kitchen extension.  It was
Paula Hunter, who has handling Dale's sale.  Craig waved Dale
over and handed him the receiver, whispering, "Your garage sale."
     "Hello," Dale said, not knowing which of the women were on
the telephone.
     "Dale, this is Paula Hunter."
     "Hi, how's the sale coming along?" he asked.
     "We're at the point where almost everything is on tables.
Can you come over here either this evening or tomorrow?  I know
we should have called you before, but we had something else come
up and didn't get started on this as soon as we had planned."
     "Not a problem.  Are you still set to start on Thursday?" he
asked.
     "Yes, and that's the reason we need you to look things over.
I've found a couple of things that you may want to hang on to,
but it's up to you.  It's easy to overlook things when packing to
move."
     Dale looked at Craig.  "Can we go over to my house right
now?" he whispered.
     Craig nodded his head, realizing that they were needed to
look over the sale items.
     "We can leave right now, if that's okay with you," Dale told
her.
     "That's fine, we're going to be here for a couple of hours
yet," Paula replied.
     "Okay, we'll see you in about 15 minutes."
     The said their goodbyes and each hung up.
     * * * * *
     The only thing of importance as far as Dale was concerned
were seven John Deere farm implement toys that were made out of
metal.  "These are in good shape and are collectors' items,"
Carole told them.  I can probably get about $75 each for these,
but we thought maybe they might have some good memories for you."
     Dale was surprised.  He hadn't seen them for years and had
forgotten about them.  He had received them from his grandparents
and mother for Christmas and birthday presents starting when he
was probably about 6 years old.
     "Certainly, I want them.  Where did you find them?" he
asked.
     "They were in a cabinet in the basement, wrapped in
newspaper."
     Dale then remembered he had wrapped them up years ago and
put them away, himself.
     Meanwhile, Craig was looking over the tables of sale items
and found a couple of old comic books.  They each had a price of
$45 on them.  He held them up.
     "More things for collectors," Carole said.
     "Do you have any idea what the value of the sale is,
assuming you could sell everything the first day?" Dale asked.
     Carole had a pretty fair idea.  "Probably about $9,000, but
being realistic about it, you can expect it to actually go for
about $5,500, less our commission of 25%."
     Dale was pleased at that.  He really didn't think the stuff
was worth more than a couple of thousand.
     He and Craig looked over the tables and Dale finally
selected some tea towels he remembered his mother struggling to
embroidery when he had been a little boy.  She had finally
completed the project and there were seven of them, one for each
day of the week, done in cross-stitch, each towel neater than the
one before.
     They thanked the women, reminding them that they were
leaving town on Thursday night and wouldn't return until Monday
evening.
     "We'll probably have everything hauled out and be cleaning
up, if we're not already finished, then," Paula said.
     Dale gave them his cell phone number and made sure they had
both their house and Craig's office numbers.
     * * * * *
     Michael, Pat and John were all in a good mood as they
started toward Williamsport and their living quarters.
     "Hey, John!  Do you want to go out to eat with Pat and me
this evening?"
     John wanted to, but Nolan was going to spend the evening and
night with him.  He was to pick Nolan up at 6:15, then they
planned to grab a burger up the street and go back to John's room
for more fun and games.  He and Nolan really liked each other,
although he couldn't tell if it was just a sexual urge or if they
were really developing feelings for each other.
     "Gee, I'd really like to, but I promised a friend that I'd
eat with him tonight," not wanting to divulge more information.
     Michael immediately picked up on that.  He still wanted to
ask John about the person who seemed to be staying in his room
most nights, but hated to confront him in front of Pat.  He
really wanted to experience more sexual things with John, but Pat
only wanted to have sex with Michael.  They had taken turns
sucking each other once after Pat had come back from San Angelo.
Then they were back to just kissing and masturbating each other.
     Michael wanted more action and he was determined to get it -
but how?
     * * * * *
     John stripped his clothing off as soon as he was in his room
and barely allowed the shower to warm up before he was soaping up
and cleaning the day's sweat and grime off his body.  He paid
particular attention to his foreskin, cleaning under the glans
after exposing it.  It felt good and he started to stiffen.
     'Down boy,' he told his cock.  'You'll being having fun a
little bit later.'
     He hurriedly finished his shower and grabbed the bath towel
he'd used that morning to dry himself.  He glanced at the clock
beside the bed.  He only had 10 minutes before he was supposed to
pick Nolan up.  It didn't take him long to pull on boxers, socks,
athletic shoes, shorts and a polo shirt.  He ran a comb through
his thick, short hair and was ready to leave.
     Meanwhile Michael and Pat were getting cleaned up.  Michael
stripped and went through the shower first and Pat was ready to
crawl in as soon as Michael was out of the tub enclosure.
     "What's wrong with John?" Pat asked as Michael was drying
himself.  "He hasn't wanted to go out with us all last week."
     "I don't know for sure, but I think he's seeing someone."
     "Oh, is she pretty?" Pat asked.
     "I don't think it's a girl," John said, thinking that since
Pat had asked the question, they might as well be honest about
this.  Pat should know that it was okay for guys to like each
other and have sex without feeling guilty about it.
     "No shit!?" Pat questioned.
     "Pat, you are old enough to know that guys do it with each
other.  You and I have sex with each other, although you don't
seem to want to call it that.  We sucked each other off once and
you enjoyed it as much as I did.  Do you feel guilty about us
giving each other pleasure?"
     Pat got embarrassed and Michael could tell that he was
uncomfortable talking about this with him.
     "I. un. I."  Pat lapsed into silence, thinking.
     "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, but I like
what we've done with each other and I'd like to do it again.  It
makes me feel good and I think you feel good, too, don't you?"
     "I. yeah. I do, but I don't want to be called a queer.  My
folks would kill me if they found out about this."
     "I know what you mean.  When I was in high school the guys
teased one kid all the time about being queer.  He was smaller
than the rest of us and didn't go out for athletics.  He got good
grades and a scholarship to SMU, but you know what?  I really
don't think he was queer.  But he knew better than fight with the
others about it because that would have just made it worse."
     Michael continued, "I've read some books and there really
isn't any stereotype as to what a queer person looks or acts
like.  And. by the way. I think the accepted term is 'gay' rather
than 'queer'.  Queer just sounds so. wrong, I guess."
     "I like to look at you and play around, but I'm scared to
death that somebody is going to find out and make trouble for
us," Pat said.
     "If we restrict our activities to our room and neither of us
talks about it to anyone else, how are they going to find out?"
John asked.
     "I don't know. I'm just confused about the whole thing."
     "Do you want to date girls?" Michael asked him.
     "No!. definitely not!!!  I just can't imagine doing anything
sexual with them.  Yuck!"
     "Well?" Michael said.
     "Well." Pat said.  "At least I know what kind of parts a guy
has and I know what to do with them.  I don't know that about
women, and I don't think I want to know, either."
     "And, you can't get a boy pregnant, either.  That's a
benefit of having sex with me," Michael giggled.
     Pat had to think about that one.  He knew that he enjoyed
playing around with Michael and that he had absolutely no
interest in girls, but his biggest problem was that his parents
might find out and that would be a traumatic experience for him,
although they lived 200 miles away.
     By this time they were dressed, so decided to get something
to eat.  Michael suggested they try the College Inn out close to
the Western Junior College campus.  He had been there once and
remembered that they had the coldest beer he'd ever drank and
huge shredded ham or beef sandwiches.  Pat said that he would
drive.
     They went inside and it took a full minute for their eyes to
adjust to the darker room, then they headed toward a booth close
to the pool tables in case they wanted to play later.  John and
Nolan Nichols had just gotten there and were sitting in the booth
next to where they were headed.
     'Was this going to be an awkward moment?' thought John since
he'd turned down an invitation to eat with Michael and Pat.
     "Hi guys," he said brightly.  "Would you like to join us?"
He really hoped they didn't, but felt he needed to be polite and
make the inquiry.
     "Sure," Michael said, and started to sit down.
     "Wait a minute.  If you are going to join us, let me trade
seats.  Uhnn. this is my friend Nolan.  Nolan this is Michael and
Pat.  They work at the ranch with me."
     John switched sides of the table, then Pat scooted in,
followed by Michael.
     "Nice to meet you guys," said Nolan.  "I go to Western Juco.
and I knew John last year when we were both students."
     It was a little awkward sitting there, but Michael couldn't
help but think that Nolan was the person he'd seen leaving John's
room the previous week.  He intended to work the conversation
around to where he could find out.  He decided to be blunt.
     "Is this a gay bar?" he asked.
     Pat about fell through the floor and John didn't know what
to think.  Nolan didn't have a problem about it.
     "I guess it is now that you and Pat have joined us," Nolan
said, smirking.
     It was a Kodak moment.  The look of Pat's face told plenty.
Embarrassment, disbelief, denial, wanting to disappear and not
knowing what to say.
     John burst out laughing.  The cards were on the table.
Nolan had dealt them and there was nothing that could be done,
except to make a bid or pass to complete the first hand.
     "I. I." Pat started to say, then shut up.  He couldn't think
clearly.  He was like a deer caught in the headlights of an
approaching car.
     Michael wasn't much better off, but at least he wasn't in a
state of denial.  He and John had experienced wonderful sex with
each other and he and Pat, of course, had done things with each
other also, including sucking each other off.
     "Guess you've got me," Michael said.  He felt safe admitting
it since everyone at the table knew for sure except Nolan.
     John wasn't going to let this moment pass.  He now had a
boyfriend and whatever Michael and Pat might be doing with each
other - or not - wasn't his concern anymore.
     "Look, I don't know what you guys are into, or what you are
doing with each other, but I like other guys and I've found a guy
who likes me.  Whatever any of us are doing with each other, it
all stays at this table, agreed?" John asked.
     They each agreed and bumped fists with each other
     John stood up.  "Nolan and I are going to have a pitcher of
beer and then a sandwich.  Do you guys want to share a pitcher
with us, or get your own?"
     Pat had recovered from his earlier shock.  "I think, after
all the confessions, that Michael and I can probably drink one by
ourselves."  Michael assented and stood up to go to the bar with
John.
     As they were waiting for their pitchers to be drawn, Michael
leaned over to speak softly to John.  "Thanks for helping get all
this out front where we can talk about it.  Pat's scared to death
that someone is going to find out about him, so we both would
appreciate it if you don't tell anybody else."
     "I didn't expect it to resolve itself the way it did, but
Nolan can be a little forward at times.  He'll agree that we need
to keep this among ourselves, because the students on campus may
not appreciate our being open about this.  After all, he still
has a year to go to school here," John explained.
     "I don't want anyone at the ranch to find out, either.  We'd
probably be fired immediately if Dale found out," Michael said.
     "Yeah, I just can't imagine him condoning guys being into
other guys."
     "I agree, he can be fun to be around, but I sense that he's
pretty straight-arrow when it comes to guys being gay," Michael
agreed.
     About this time the bartender set two pitchers of beer on
the counter, along with two iced mugs for each.  They each paid
for a pitcher, and then made their way back to the booth, telling
the bartender they would order sandwiches in a few minutes.
     In the meantime, Nolan and Pat were having a very private,
hushed conversation.
     "Is it that obvious that I'm queer. I mean gay?" Pat
ventured.
     "No, not in the least, but I know that John and Michael have
had some fun together and I'm sorry, but I just assumed that you
and Michael were, too."
     Pat whispered, "We are, but I don't want anyone to know
about me.  My folks would disown me if they had any idea."
     "You secret is safe with all of us. and Pat, welcome to the
club."  Nolan stuck his hand out for Pat to shake, which he did.
Pat felt a little better about what had just been revealed.
     The four had a great time the rest of the evening and after
eating sandwiches, shared two more pitchers of beer while playing
pool for about an hour.  They really enjoyed being together and
the fact that they were gay was not discussed the rest of the
evening - until they got back to their rooms at the Starlight
motel.
     This time Pat wasn't so uptight about his liking other men
and he and Michael engaged in uninhibited sex, like they had the
one time before.  Both were relaxed and took their time bringing
the other to a roaring climax almost at the same time.
     Nolan and John had no sexual hang-ups to overcome.  They
both wanted to try a little of everything they had either heard
or read about.  And they did, with Nolan spending the night in
John's room.  After a quick shower the next morning, John took
Nolan back to his dorm.
     * * * * *
     Wednesday passed quickly.  John, Michael and Pat were still
plowing and working the ground on the three new sections the Bar-
W had acquired.  This job of working a little over 1,800 acres
would take them until the next week, as wheat and clover hay
would be planted in the newly prepared ground.
     Craig was out at the ranch late on Wednesday afternoon to
look at the construction project.  He was impressed as Ray and
his crew were even further along than he thought they might be.
One crew was putting up floor joists for the second floor while
the other was sheeting the outside walls with plywood.  You could
tell where windows and doors were going to be.  Two of the men
were building stairways to the basement and second floor.  It was
quickly taking shape.
     He happened to encounter Dale, who had just returned from
taking a tank of diesel fuel to the area where his men were
working so their tractors could be filled.  They greeted each
other, wanting to kiss, but knowing they shouldn't.  One never
knew what eyes might be watching from somewhere.
     "Don't forget that we have cooking class tonight," Craig
reminded Dale.
     "It's on the calendar, but thanks for reminding me.  It
seems like I've been on the "go" all day and I'm not sure I'm
accomplishing anything."
     "Do you have a few minutes?  I'd like to see the new
puppies," Craig said.
     "Do you have the time?" Dale laughed, making reference to
their mind-blowing sex a couple of days before.
     "Do you have the place?" Craig teased back.
     "Just wait until I get you home." Dale was enjoying sparring
with his lover.
     "I'll hold you to it," Craig said with his usual grin.
     "Oh gee, I sure hope so," Dale said, enjoying this.
     "I guess we could play 'verbal tag' all afternoon and
neither of us would get anything done.  By the way, Don has a new
contract that Wes Owen and Gus Douglas drew up.  It's ready to be
signed and notarized and you can have your check."
     "I'll give him a call and see if we can take care of
business yet this afternoon or tomorrow morning," Dale replied.
     "Let's go see the puppies," Craig insisted.
     They made their way to the ranch house and entered the
enclosed porch off the kitchen.  The dogs were in a large
carrying cage and Dale let them out, grabbing one and Craig
getting the other.  Dale picked up a handful of treats and they
carried the pups out and put them on the grass.  Of course, they
wanted to play instead of taking care of their business, but one
of them, Ginger, Dale thought, needed to take care of her
business.  The other sniffed and did the same.
     Dale handed Craig a treat and they each praised the pups and
then fed them the goodie.  The pups didn't know whether to play
with each other or the big people who had rescued them from their
cage.  They liked the people because they scratched their ears
and played great games with them.
     "They are beautiful," Craig said.  We had a Schnauzer when I
was growing up, but after it died, Mom said, 'no more'.  I was
ready to go to college and the dog really was mine, so the folks
wanted their freedom from taking care of another dog."
     Dale told about the fact that their neighbor's dog spent
most of his time at their house, but his grandma wouldn't allow
Dale to feed him.  Craig thought it was too bad.  Every boy
needed a dog for a pal.
     Although they would have liked to play with the pups some
more, they each had tasks, which needed to be accomplished yet
that afternoon.  Reluctantly, they put the pups back in their
cage and left to go back to the barn/office.
     Craig was getting in his car when he asked, "What time will
you be home?"
     "Should be around 5:45.  Let me call Don right now and see
when we can finish up the sale of my house."
     Craig repeated the number, although Dale had it on his speed-
dial.  After all it was Craig's number, too.
     Don came on the line and Dale asked him about the contract.
     "It's all ready for you to sign.  I saved $1,400 and you get
that much more.  They just split the commission Phyllis would
have gotten and we each benefited by the same amount."
     "What about getting the papers notarized?" Dale asked,
remembering that the contract had already been notarized when
Phyllis presented it for his signature two days earlier.
     "Sherry can take care of that for us.  Wes Owen and Gus
Douglas wrote up the contract, so I think you will find
everything is in order."
     "How about if I run into town now?" Dale asked, anxious to
get this deal closed and out of the way.
     "That's fine, we'll be here," Don replied.
     "See you in a few minutes.  Goodbye," Dale told him.  He
broke the connection.
     Craig had heard the conversation.  He asked Dale, "Is it
ready to sign?"
     "Yeah, I'm going to take care of it now before he changes
his mind," Dale laughed.
     "Good.  I have his original check to you.  It's in my car,
stamped and framed.  I want us to be there together when I show
it to him."
     Dale walked to Craig's car with him to look at it.  They
both had a good laugh over the joke and Craig couldn't wait for
Don to see it.
     * * * * *
     Phyllis Richmond was able to get off more or less with
getting her hands slapped.  She agreed to forfeit her Real Estate
License for six months, but there was one thing that was even
more important than her making restitution, which totaled less
than $4,000.  Upon investigation into her sales over the last
three years, she hadn't had a single original deal of her own,
except for the house Don and his wife bought from her.  She had
simply waded in on the listings of other realtors, finding buyers
for the properties they regarded as exclusive.  With the help of
Wes Owen, the other realtors in town asked to enjoin her from
selling their properties, unless they were on multi-list, which
only a few of the realtors used.
     So, after six months she was going to have to find her own
listings or not sell real estate.
     * * * * *
     Dale and Craig arrived at Craig's office at the same time,
parking beside the other.  True to his word, the contract was in
order.  They signed it, Sherry notarized it and Dale received his
check, which he was going to deposit at the Bank of Commerce.
Craig teased him about taking it to the Republic of Texas Bank.
     "No," Dale said emphatically, "they arrest you for
depositing Don's checks there."
     While the three men and Sherry were laughing about that,
Craig pulled the framed check out of a paper sack and handed it
to Don.
     He went into hysterics, laughing until his sides ached.
When he was able to regain control, he wiped the tears from his
eyes.  "That is the funniest thing I've ever seen."  Then he
looked at Craig.  "I'll get you for this. just watch your
backside!!!"
     It took several minutes for calmness to return because every
time one of them looked at one of the others, they would burst
out laughing again.
     "Where are you going to hang this?" Don laughed.
     "Probably in the restroom, above the toilet," Craig said.
     This caused a new round of laugher.
     * * * * *
     Cooking class went well that evening.  'Mister Andrew', as
he was nicknamed by Dale and Craig, seemed to be a little more
human this evening.  The menu for this class was two oriental
stir-fry dishes and it took more time to prepare the vegetables
and slice and dice beef and chicken than it did to actually cook
them.
     They prepared egg-drop soup, an Americanized tossed salad
with a sesame oil dressing, and the two stir-fry entrees.  One
was Chicken and Asparagus with fermented black beans and garlic
and the other was Tomato-Pepper Beef, which had green peppers,
tomato wedges, thinly sliced celery, shaved ginger slices and
onions in it.
     The instructor wanted them to learn the stir-fry technique
because of the quick cooking of small pieces of meat and
vegetables.  However, he stressed the fact that the preparation
took much longer than one would think.  They all agreed, but upon
tasting the meal, everyone declared it was worth it.
     Dessert was homemade almond cookies.  Andrew had already
prepared the dough which was largely made out of lard, flour,
sugar, ground almonds, an egg, baking powder and salt, with
yellow food color and almond extract.  They were delicious,
nothing like what was in a box bought at the grocery store.
     Dale and Craig again shared workspace with Louis and Jerry
and enjoyed bantering back and forth with them while everyone
worked.  Craig noticed that the other four men didn't interact at
all.
     At the end of the evening, Andrew gave each a sheet
containing the recipes they had prepared, along with the cooking
and preparation notes.
     Louis and Jerry invited Dale and Craig to join them for
dessert at The Soda Fountain, which was an old drug store that
had been completely taken over by the old soda fountain that had
been there.  The shop had authentic malts and shakes, sundaes,
fountain drinks and cakes from their own bakery.  It was hard to
say 'no' but they explained that they needed to start laying
clothing out for their upcoming weekend trip.
     The two couples said their goodbyes outside Wyler's
Department Store and went their separate ways.
     * * * * *
     As Dale and Craig were on their way home, Craig reached for
Dale's right hand and squeezed it.  "Just think, tomorrow night
at this time we'll be getting close to Ft. Worth."
     "How far is it?" Dale asked.
     "Close to 210 miles from Williamsport," Craig replied.  I
usually go north to Lampasas, then cut across to Killeen and
catch I-35 at Temple.  It's faster than going to Austin and a lot
less traffic, too."
     "I'll have to trust you on this, I've never been there
before."
     "I know.  And. we're going to have a great time.  But, you
know what?"
     "What?" asked Dale.
     "I'm always glad to come back to Williamsport after having
been to my parents house and visiting Ft. Worth and Dallas.  That
whole area just has too many people and too much traffic."
     "You're a country kid, just like me."  Dale was grinning,
but Craig couldn't really tell except when they passed under a
streetlight.
     "You got that right.  I love to go visit, but this is home
for me now."
     Dale swung his Blazer into the parking space next to Craig's
car.  "We're taking your car, right?" asked Dale.
     "It doesn't make any difference, except I can write the
mileage off if I take my car.  I'm not sure about taking your
vehicle."
     "Marty and Morris told me to drive it like my own, because I
was 'on call' and needed it to get home in case of an emergency.
Since we're going to be together, let's take your car.  I'd
rather you drive anyway, since the cities will be strange to me."
     "And I want you to be able to look at the sights, not worry
about traffic," Craig told him.
     "Sounds good to me.  Let's go upstairs!" Dale said, getting
out.
     They took the elevator to the 5th floor and entered their
condo unit.
     "Are you sure that other people live here?" Dale asked.
     "Yeah. let's see."  Craig was mentally counting.  "There are
ten units and I think there should be 19 people in the building.
Why?"
     "Except for the first week when I was leaving one morning,
I've not seen anybody else.  Not even our neighbor on this
floor."
     "She's never at home.  I think she spends most of her time
in Austin.  Her company was supposed to open a branch here, but
something happened and they haven't, yet."
     There are a couple of young families, several married
couples and the rest are older women who have lost their
husbands."
     Dale gathered Craig in his arms and kissed him, receiving
the same.  "Do we qualify as a 'married couple'?" he asked.
     "I don't know about the others, but I think I could say that
I'm more happily married than they may be."  Craig turned to face
Dale and put both arms around his neck, reaching up for another
kiss.
     "I know I am," Dale replied, seeking the same from Craig.
     Dale reached down and cupped Craig's lengthening cock in his
hand.
     "Please, I'm saving myself for my wedding night," Craig
teased.
     "Wedding night, my ass!  You only get one of those and you
had yours about 3 weeks ago!"  Dale acted like he was put out
about the whole thing.
     Craig pretended to pout.  "How about my honeymoon, then?"
     "Well, maybe, but I thought that's what we'd been doing
since I moved in."  Dale was enjoying this repartee.
     "Hon, the rest of my life with you is going to be a
honeymoon," Craig said, then proceeded to swab out Dale's mouth.
The kiss was eagerly returned.
     When Craig could break the kiss, he gasped for breath.
"Wow, we may not make it to Ft. Worth tomorrow night!
     "We could just stay home and pretend we're in Ft. Worth,"
Dale teased, knowing they were both looking forward to the trip.
     "Like this?" Dale said, gathering Craig up and carrying him
into the bedroom like he had the other morning.
     "Whee - yow!" Craig laughed.  "Ride me, cowboy!!" he said as
Dale dropped him on the bed.
     "I intend to," Dale said, starting to strip Craig's clothes
off.
     Craig managed to get Dale's belt loose and his shirt
unbuttoned as Dale was pulling his shirt off.  It seemed to take
forever for them to get undressed.  It was like playing "kiss
strip poker" - a long, deep kiss and somebody lost an article of
clothing.  Except that nobody was keeping score.
     Finally, they were naked.  Dale dashed into the bathroom for
a couple of towels while Craig tossed the covers off the bed,
then reached in the drawer, laying out a tube of lube.
     Neither was shy when it came to expressing their love for
each other in a sexual way.  First one, then the other seemed to
take the lead, driving the other to new heights of passion and
joy, then backing off to allow the other to do the same.  It was
a smorgasbord of sexual delights, mouths, tongues, nipples, cocks
made slick with precum, fingers, ears and finally assholes.  They
were on top, side-by-side, mouth to cock, on the bottom.  This
seemed to be the most intense session yet.  They both loved it -
and each other.
     Dale found Craig's pucker and started a gentle massage,
which Craig urged on, trying to impale himself on Dale's index
finger.  Dale wet it with saliva, then slipped it in where Craig
wanted it.  At the same time, he grabbed the lube with his other
hand and withdrew his finger enough to put the nozzle next to it
and started working a generous amount of KY inside.  Craig was
bucking, breathing hard and making the 'Craig noises' that Dale
liked to hear.
     "Aahh. Ughmnn. Eerrgh." were some of the noises - and Dale
loved to hear them.
     As Craig opened up, Dale realized that each time they had
anal sex; the one being fucked seemed to open faster and wider.
'Hmmm, were they both ass-sluts?' he wondered.  He knew that
Craig liked to have him inside him and he liked to have Craig
inside him, too.  It made for a very versatile sexual
relationship and opened all kinds of possibilities for each - to
give and receive.
     Craig seemed to be going into a sexual frenzy with Dale's
ministrations to his asshole.  That was fine.  He was hot himself
and he thought Craig was ready for the entree - a big tube steak.
He moved Craig slightly, putting a pillow under his lower back,
and then putting his legs on his shoulders.  He had just barely
lubed himself and touched Craig's ass with his cock, when Craig
wiggled himself into position and seemed to almost swallow Dale
in one swift bite.  He loved to watch his cock disappear into his
lover's sex cavity, the one that he alone had the key to open.
     His already stiff dick seemed to grow a little more and
become more rigid.  Craig started his chant, tossing his head
from side to side.  "Fuck me. give it to me. bust my ass. Ride
me!!!  Com'on cowboy, ride me. make my asshole twitch. do it!!!"
all the while digging his heels into the small of Dale's back and
trying to make themselves as one.  Dale had never seen Craig so
wound up.  Sex got better each time and this certainly was
turning Dale on as never before, too.
     Craig was making more noises and Dale wasn't doing anything
except provide the fuck tool and watch the scene that was
unfolding before him.  He finally lowered himself so they could
kiss as Craig continued.
     Suddenly Dale felt the same sensation as the other day.
Something seemed to give way in the bottom of Craig's ass and it
seemed that Dale's big cock moved inside another inch or so.
More Craig noises.  Dale wished he had this on videotape for them
to study later.  He wondered what a sex therapist would think of
this.  He also had a fleeting thought of wondering if straight
people had sex that was this good.  He didn't know anything about
straight sex, but he couldn't imagine it being any better than
this.
     Their mouths were locked together and they were both making
noises by this time.  All of a sudden Dale felt Craig's sphincter
start to twitch, then Craig started firing great gobs of cum
between their stomachs and chests.  Although Dale didn't think he
was that close, he didn't have any control over his own cock.  It
stiffened even more, if possible, and it felt like a gallon of
cum was trying to get through a thin tube - all at once.  It was
almost painful, but still the best sensation he could imagine.
     They couldn't get enough of each other, lying there, joined
together by Dale's cock, coming down from the peak of their
sexual mountain.  Little after-shocks seemed to rock their boat
from time to time.  Soon Dale could feel his cock start to
soften.  He tried to will it back to hardness, but his brain
wasn't making the connection.  He could tell that Craig had lost
his hardness, too, and his ass twitched a couple of times,
expelling Dale's dick, but seemingly draining any residue of cum
that might remain.
     'WOW!!!' Dale thought.  There were not words to describe
what had just happened.  Craig had to will himself to stay awake.
He was drained both physically and emotionally.
     "How about a shower?" Dale asked.
     Craig seemed to purr, then stretched and held out his hand
to Dale, who stood up and pulled Craig to him.
     "You are amazing," he told Craig.
     "What do you think you are?" he asked Dale, leaning in for
another kiss.
     "I don't know, but I think you did all the work.  I just
provided the pole for you to slide up and down on.  In fact, I
thought you were a fireman," Dale teased him.
     By this time they were in the shower and Dale was adjusting
the water temperature, then they turned on all four showerheads.
     Absolute bliss.  Being careful not to get their hair wet,
they washed each other, recovering from the wonderful feeling
each had just experienced.
     As they dried themselves, Dale said, "Was that practice for
our honeymoon trip?"
     "If that was just practice, I don't think I could stand the
program," Craig said.
     They enjoyed a good laugh together.
     * * * * *
     The next morning Dale had a chance to talk to Jason and
Kevin as they were waiting for the school bus.
     "I showed Craig your new pups yesterday afternoon.  He loved
them."
     "Is he gonna let you have a dog?" Kevin asked.
     "I'm sure he probably would, but Kev, we have to be
realistic.  We live on the 5th floor of The Carriage House and I
just don't think that's a very good place for a dog to live."
     "That's too bad," Kevin said.  Both boys looked sorry.
     "Maybe someday we'll live in a house and can have a fenced
yard.  That would be an ideal place for a dog - where it could
have a place to exercise and be outdoors.
     Jason got right to the point.  "Then you and Craig are gonna
have to find another place to live."
     Dale laughed.  "I'll tell him what you said."
     * * * * *
     Michael, John and Pat arrived at the ranch that morning,
back to all three riding together, this time in John's car.  Dale
realized that they had been arriving in two different vehicles
the past few days.  He hoped that if there had been a problem,
that it was solved.  All three seemed to be in a good mood.
     "I should be here when you guys quit for the evening, but if
I'm not, I'll leave your time sheets out for you to sign.  Leave
them on my desk for Mort to sign.  I'll also leave out new sheets
for next week."
     "Thanks, Dale," Michael said.
     Ray's crew must have arrived before Dale got to work.  He'd
heard saws and hammering when he got there.
     "Hey, you've got a few extra minutes.  Why don't you guys
walk down to the new crew quarters and look at your new home."
     Dale walked down with them.  He was amazed at the change
since he'd seen the building last.  None of the others had seen
it since it was just a hole in the ground.  The outside walls of
the 1st floor were sheathed in plywood and windows had been cut
out.  The stairs were in place, joists for the second floor were
in place and they were decking out the floor.  Two teams were
starting to frame the outside walls of the second floor.
     Ray saw the men looking on, waved, and then climbed down his
ladder to come talk to them.
     Dale greeted him, then introduced John, Michael and Pat,
telling Ray that they would be living there when the house was
completed.
     Ray, of course, was impressed with the three field hands,
especially John and Michael, although he wouldn't have kicked Pat
out of bed, either.  He made a mental note to ask Dale about the
three young men.
     Dale warned the men about staying out of the building since
     they weren't wearing hard hats.
     "Not a problem," said Ray.  "We've been here since 6 a.m.,
so it's time for a coffee break, anyway."  He wanted to check
these guys out a little more closely.
     "Break time!" he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth.
     It was as if it had been choreographed; the men simply
dropped their tools in front of them and disappeared from sight,
coming back into vision where their coolers and thermos bottles
were stored.
     Ray was set to play "host" and proceeded to show the men
their new home.  All the while, he was trying to figure out a way
to get better acquainted with John and Michael - and maybe Pat,
but only if all else failed.
     Since all of the men, including Dale, were novices in the
world of being gay, none had a clue as to the fact that Ray was
making a play for whomever would pay any attention to him, namely
John, Michael and Pat, since Dale obviously (in Ray's knowledge)
wasn't available.
     Ray took them in through the kitchen door, showed them the
rough-in of where the sink, refrigerator and stove were going to
be, then took them to the basement, pointing our the laundry
area, "family room", storage and where they might possible put
exercise equipment.
     Then it was back upstairs, to see the bathroom and bedroom.
He took them up the stairs to point out where the two upstairs
bedrooms and bathrooms were going to be.
     The three Bar-W crewmembers were impressed, asking a few
questions of Ray, but mainly wanting to know when it was going to
be completed.
     "I wouldn't make any plans to move in much before
Thanksgiving.  The framing and roofing will go quickly and be
finished next week, but it will take time to put on the siding,
insulate, run electrical wiring and hang sheetrock.  Then we have
to finish the sheetrock, paint, lay flooring, put kitchen
cabinets in place, plumbing, fixtures in the bathrooms. there's a
lot to be done.
     "I've watched them build houses before," said Michael.  "It
seems like they make a lot of progress for a couple of days, then
nothing happens, then a lot of progress again."
     "You're right," said Ray.  "We seem to take a long time
preparing for something to happen, then it happens, then we seem
to go slow again.  The cycle keeps repeating itself."
     Dale looked at his watch.  It was time for the men to be in
the field, working the ground.  He caught John's eye and pointed
to his watch.
     "We've got to get to work," John said.  "It's been a
pleasure meeting you and I think you do fine work."
     The other two assented, telling Ray goodbye and following
Dale and John to the office to get ice, cold water and their
coolers.
     They got in their pickup, telling Dale they would see them
later in the day.
     "Call me if you have any problems at all," Dale said.
"Otherwise, I should see you this evening."
     * * * * *
     Marty and Chris slowly awoke this morning.  Their usual time
for making love was bedtime, but that hadn't taken place during
this week so far.  Chris laid there, her fingers working their
way through the thick, blond pelt on Marty's chest.  She loved
the feel of the hair, sometimes a little bristly and sometimes
silky smooth.  She wondered why it felt different from time to
time.
     Her hand wandered to the south, to cup Marty's balls and
tickle him on the underside of them.
     He immediately came to, searching for her mouth with his.
Although both had a slight case of "morning mouth" it disappeared
as soon as their passion started to overtake the actions.
     Chris had sensitive nipples.  Marty rubbed them and Chris
did the same to him.  They might as well have had a direct line
between them.
     They enjoyed a very leisurely foreplay before Marty decided
that Chris was wet enough that he could enter her.  Using one,
two and then three fingers, he soon had her withering on the bed,
then he rolled on top and mounted her.  They were rubbing each
other all over their bodies, pinching nipples and kissing with
passionate action on each other.
     Marty could tell that Chris was about to have an orgasm,
usually her first of several.  He pushed himself deeper, but
tried to relax so he didn't follow her.  This felt good and he
wanted to make it last so he could trigger his wife again and
again.
     They usually got a little noisy while having sex.  This was
one of the reasons why their bedroom suite was at the opposite
end of the hall from Jason and Kevin's rooms.
     Chris could usually get off from feeling Marty's thick blond
fur rub over her body.  Besides the visual stimulation was as
good as the physical contact.  Marty was a good lover, bringing
Chris to a climax 5 times before trying to satisfy himself.  As
he started moving more urgently, he triggered Chris again.
Number six.  Then, with a long, hard thrust, he started cumming.
The deep, almost violent thrust caused Chris to have her seventh
orgasm.  She wondered if it could get any better than this.
     Marty, for some reason, wondered what sex was like between
Dale and Craig.
     * * * * *
     Dale ate lunch with Mrs. Wood and Chris.  They talked about
his trip to Ft. Worth and Dallas with Craig.  Chris suggested
several things they shouldn't miss, getting Dale a sheet of paper
so he could write them down.
     Of course, he had to play with the pups a little before
returning to his office.  The pups seemed to have grown in just
two days time.  He loved the way they tumbled over each other and
him, seemingly not coordinated in their movements.  One moment
they acted like a puppy and the next as if they were an adult
dog.
     * * * * *
     Craig went home at noon to finish packing for them, as
neither had felt up to laying out clothes and putting them in
suitcases after their marathon sexcapade the night before.  Craig
thought about his good feelings the night before and was
immediately hard.  Of course, he wasn't about to do anything
about it.  He wanted to be horny all afternoon, and then maybe
they could screw their brains out tonight in the hotel.  He hoped
that his request for a suite on an upper floor would be honored.
     It didn't take him long to get everything together for their
trip.  Mrs. Hopkins was there to do laundry and clean.  Craig had
left her a note to wash and dry clothing before washing sheets
and towels.  It was a good move on his part as everything was
ready for him to choose, and then place in a suitcase.  Although
Dale looked great in anything he wore, Craig wanted to make sure
he had something to wear to fit any activity they might be doing,
be it a museum, gay bar or a nice restaurant for dinner.
     * * * * *
     Dale's day went quickly.  There was a lot to keep him
occupied.  First of all, his daily meeting with Mort lasted most
of the afternoon.  It was mostly to talk about the horse show,
but also about crops and pending sales of cattle to meatpacking
plants.  Mort had made notes and Dale wrote in the margins, on
the front and back of the paper.  He was surprised that he
understood everything Mort was telling him.
     Mort, in turn, was pleased that Dale's questions indicated
he understood everything, too.
     * * * * *
     Finally it was about 5:15 and the guys came in from the
fields.  After being assured that they had enough to keep them
busy on Friday and Monday, Dale had them sign their timesheets
and made sure that Mort would be there in time to hand out
payroll checks the next afternoon.  He faxed the timesheets to
Morris Johnsmore's office so payroll checks could be prepared on
Friday.
     The day at the ranch was completed and Dale told Mort, John,
Michael and Patrick goodbye.  They left in three vehicles.
     * * * * *
     Dale stopped at the bank, picking up $500 cash.  He hadn't
discussed this with Craig, but he also had two personal credit
cards he could use, too.  He had no idea what this weekend might
cost them, but knew he should be able to cover his share.  He was
ready for their big adventure.
     Arriving home, Craig greeted him, then had him look over the
clothing he had laid out and packed for the two of them.  There
was a bag for shoes and Dale noticed that each had a pair of
dress shoes, beside what they were going to wear as well as their
best western boots.  While Craig was out of the room, Dale
quickly got the package from Mercier Jewelry out of a dresser
drawer and stuffed it in the jacket pocket of his new sport coat.
Then he remembered his ring, his half of their new rings and laid
it out to put on when he dressed.
     Craig had already been through the shower, so he finished
packing the suitcases and garment bags while Dale took a quick
shower.  He wasn't sweaty by any means, but the hot shower seemed
to revive his senses and make him feel refreshed.
     Dale quickly dressed like Craig, in chinos, polo shirt and
brown loafers and was ready to help Craig carry luggage to their
car.  Craig had already made the first trip, having arranged the
two suitcases in the trunk, along with the vanity case.  The
garment bags could hang in the backseat.  He came back into the
apartment just as Dale was ready to gather up the two garment
bags.
     "I didn't get a proper 'welcome home kiss'," Craig said.
     "Is this for here, or carry out?" Dale teased.
     "What's the difference?"
     "If it's for here, I'll give it to you now.  If it's 'carry
out' you get some now, some down the road every few miles and
some in Ft. Worth."
     "I'd be dumb not to take the 'carry out'," Craig teased.
     "That's what I think," Dale agreed, gathering Craig into his
arms for a dick-twitching, mind-bending kiss.
     When they broke apart, both were more than slightly hard.
They loved it.
     "Thanks, lover," Craig said.
     "No, thank you.  I'm looking forward to 4 days where we can
enjoy each other."
     "You got it, let's get started," Craig said, pulling out his
key ring to lock the door as they left their unit.
     They hung the bags in place and Craig got behind the wheel
as Dale was buckling himself in.
     "It's about 6:15.  I thought we might get a bite to eat as
we go through Killeen.  It's about an hour from here.  Then
another 140 miles on to Ft. Worth."
     "Sounds fine to me," Dale said.  "If you want help driving,
let me know, but I'd rather not drive in Ft. Worth at night since
I don't know where I'm going."
     "Oh, I'm a good navigator, but I think I'll let you drive
after we eat, then we can trade after you've driven about an hour
or so."
     "Sounds fine to me."
     Craig turned on to US-281 and headed north at the edge of
Williamsport.  They were on their way to the big cities to
celebrate their love for each other.  They drove in silence for a
few miles, holding hands and both thinking how lucky they were.
     In no time at all, Craig made a right turn on US-190 at
Lampasas and they were headed toward Killeen.  It took them about
a half hour to get to the area where the University of Central
Texas was located.  There were dozens of restaurants to choose
from, but Craig was thinking in terms of a place where they could
sit down and be waited on.
     "Is IHOP okay with you?" he questioned.
     "Hey, that would be good," Dale replied, giving Craig's hand
a squeeze.
     "There's one coming up here in about a mile."  He got off
the freeway at the appropriate point and the driveway was only a
couple of blocks down the service road.
     The host seated them and Dale noticed that the dining room
wasn't too busy where they were in the non-smoking section.  The
waitress was there to take their order before they hardly had
time to open the menu.
     "Give us a minute to look at the menu, but you can bring me
a glass of iced-tea," Craig told her.
     Dale told her to bring two.
     They each decided on a large salad, Dale ordering the one
with beef Fajita meat and Craig ordered the one with fried
chicken.
     "You were awfully quiet on the trip up here," Craig said.
     Dale's eyes were twinkling and he gave him one of his 1000-
watt smiles.  Craig knew he was going to hear something funny.
He loved it when Dale teased him.
     "Just thinking about losing my virginity tonight," he said
with a perfectly straight face.
     Craig had just taken a drink of iced-tea and had a hard time
keeping it from spewing it all over them.  Then when he finally
swallowed, some of it went down the wrong pipe and some into his
nose.  Dale watched in fascination, having a hard time to keep
from laughing, too.
     Craig turned red, was coughing, had tears in his eyes, was
trying to laugh and was having a hard time getting his breath.
Dale wished he had a camera.
     The host suddenly appeared, wanting to know if Craig was
okay, thinking he might have to perform the Heimlich maneuver.
Dale finally laughed at that question.  "No, I think he's fine,
just swallowed some tea wrong."
     Craig was still trying to get his breath and finally
regained control of himself.  The host, seeing that he was okay,
wasted no time getting away from their table.  No one else in the
room seemed to be paying any attention.
     "I'm going to get you for that," Craig teased, still having
trouble talking.
     "Oh, I hope so," Dale teased back, his eyes still twinkling.
     Craig loved it and thought the line about Dale's virginity
was the greatest he'd heard.  He finally got himself under
control as their meals arrived.
     Dale wasn't sure how they got off on the subject, but soon
they were talking about designing and building a house for them
to live in.  They both had all kinds of ideas; where it should be
located, one floor or two, how many bedrooms, kitchen, fenced
yard, garage space.  They were still discussing it as they
finished their salads, paid the bill and got back in Craig's car,
this time with Dale driving.
     They still had to go about 15 miles before the exit onto I-
35.  They talked about the ideal house all the way to the rest
area just before Mansfield, south of Ft. Worth.  Dale pulled off
so they could pee, then switch drivers.
     Craig drove the remaining 15 or so miles into the center of
the city and pulled under the canopy at the Hilton Hotel.  A
porter came out to greet them and Craig popped the trunk lid as
he got out.  Dale noticed that Craig replaced the key ring with
one containing only car keys.  He started to get the garment bag
hanging behind his seat, but realized that Craig wasn't carrying
any bags.  This was a new experience for Dale, as he'd only
stayed in a motel in San Antonio on a high school trip. and that
was an 'el-cheapo' so the kids could afford it.
     They followed the porter inside and Dale noticed Craig gave
him several bills, then walked to the registration desk, giving
his name to the clerk on duty.
     "I'm here for the Builder's Trade Show," he reminded him.
     He immediately went to another file, and then typed on his
computer.  "Oh yes, Mr. Bastian and Mr. Richards."  At the
appropriate time, Craig produced a credit card, signed a card and
was given two electronic keys.  A bellhop appeared, seemingly out
of nowhere.
     "Please take our guests to Room 2207," the clerk told him.
     They followed the bellhop into the elevator where he punched
the floor and the doors closed.
     "Are you gentlemen here for the Builder's Trade Show?" he
asked, his perfect white teeth enhancing his smile.
     "Yes, that and a little vacation time," Craig answered.
     The elevator ride was swift and Dale actually got a funny
feeling in his stomach as they rose, then had to yawn a couple of
times to allow his ears to adjust.
     As they started down the hall, Craig handed the young man
his electronic key.
     He stopped in front of a door, inserted the card into the
slot, then opened the door.  Dim lighting illuminated the room.
After they got inside, Dale realized this was more than just a
hotel room.  They were in a sitting room with a love seat, 2
comfortable chairs with a coffee table in the center.  In one
corner was a writing desk.  A door was open on a large cabinet
and Dale could see a TV screen and a VCR.  In one corner was a
wet bar with microwave and a small refrigerator.  The next room
was a huge bath with whirlpool and a steam bath in the shower.
Then on the other side of that was a large bedroom with a King-
sized bed, two easy chairs and another TV set.
     What really impressed Dale was the view.  They really
weren't on top of the world, there were several buildings around
them that were taller, but the view was fantastic.  He hadn't
noticed that Craig had seen to the storage of their luggage and
had tipped the bellhop, sending him on his way.
     The next thing he was aware of was Craig walking up behind
him, putting his arms around his chest, squeezing him and saying,
"I love you."
     Dale melted into Craig's arms, turning around and nuzzling
his neck, then exchanging a passionate kiss.
     "Still worried about losing your virginity?" Craig giggled.
     "Uhnn hmm," Dale agreed, chuckling.
     "Dr. Bastian has just the thing for 'honeymoon jitters',"
Craig said, pulling away.  He walked back into the sitting room,
beckoning Dale to follow him.
     He opened the door of the bar refrigerator and extracted a
bottle of champagne.  There were two flute glasses sitting on the
counter.  Craig made swift work of opening the bottle and pouring
each a glass of the amber bubbly.
     "To you, the man I love, my partner and mate," Craig said
raising his glass to Dale.
     "And to the man who has made me happier than I deserve to
be.  To my love."
     They touched the rims of their glasses, exchanged a kiss and
drank of the liquid.
     But mostly, they stood there in the comfort of each other's
arms.
     * * * * *
     (to be continued)
     * * * * *
Author's Note:  This is my first attempt at gay fiction, and the
only way I can learn whether or not I should continue is from my
readers' feedback.  I would appreciate your comments, criticism,
suggestions, and anything else that you would care to say.  All
Email will be answered.  If you wish to receive e-mail
notification of subsequent postings, please let me know by
sending your request to the following e-mail address:
TulsaDriller7@aol.com

Thanks for the overwhelming response to previous chapters.  I
have received positive replies from all over the world.  My
special thanks for proofreading help to Paul Daventon, who has
taken time to help me catch obvious errors.