and Charlie handed it to him.
"Yer askin' to share him. And the answer is
still no."
"I like lookin' at him, Charlie. Ain't no
harm lookin'."
"No. Ain't no harm." Charlie heard Roman's
voice raise in anger. "Damnit! Here we go." Charlie hopped to his
feet and raced down the hall.
"…Phil!" Roman shouted into the phone, "Just
help me track down these fuckers! I swear I do not want you
shadowing me!"
Charlie saw Roman grab his stomach in pain.
He snatched the phone out of Roman's hand and said to Phil, "Hey,
it's Charlie again. Look, can you not piss him off?" Charlie rubbed
Roman's shoulder, trying to soothe him.
Sitting on the chair, Roman wrapped his arms
around Charlie's hips and pressed his face into Charlie's
stomach.
Phil said, "Charlie, you know I have to keep
an eye on him."
"No. Ya don't. I'm here. Butch is here. Ya
don't."
"Are you kidding me? You change too. Roman
just told me that. So, Butch is supposed to watch both of you?"
"Yeah. He can. He does. Phil, all yer doin'
is gettin' Roman to a point of fury. I have to intervene."
"Well, Charlie, I have my orders, and I'm
afraid they take precedence. I'll see you when you arrive in
Heber."
The line disconnected and Charlie looked at
the phone and shut it completely off, setting it on the desk. "You
okay?" He caressed Roman's hair, hugging him.
Roman moaned softly and pressed his face into
Charlie's body.
"Okay, baby. Okay." Charlie held Roman tight.
"You jus' keep workin' on findin' that cult. Okay? We'll figure it
out. Don't you fret."
"Why…" Roman moaned. "Why is this happening
again?"
"I wish I knew." Charlie glanced over his
shoulder and found Butch at the doorway of the den. Butch's
expression of sympathy went right to Charlie's heart. He gave Butch
a soft smile.
Butch reached out and touched Charlie. "I got
yer back, Charlie."
Roman raised his head, his eyes watery from
the battle inside him.
"And yers." Butch smiled at Roman.
"You want me to be on your back," Roman said.
Charlie couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, don't
you worry, Roman. No one is top dog around here no more but
you."
Butch cracked a smile and blushed.
Roman looked at Charlie, and they smiled at
each other.
Chapter 6
Once Roman finished working on the computer,
Charlie headed outdoors to feed the chickens and make sure there
was water for the horses to drink.
Several cars were parked in their drive and
Charlie spotted Butch on his painted horse, sitting high in his
western saddle. When Butch saw Charlie, he walked Scout over to him
to talk to him. Scout snorted in reluctance but Butch forced the
spotted horse to move close enough to talk to Charlie. "We gotta
few walk-ins, wantin' a ride on the trails in the snow."
"Okay." Charlie nodded, seeing Scout shift
and show the whites of his eyes as if Charlie was about to pounce.
"Did they say how they found us?"
"Couple of gals who board their horse here
mentioned we don't mind takin' a few people out for an hour or so
on the trails."
"You good?" Charlie asked, walking closer to
Scout. Scout lurched sideways, avoiding Charlie.
Butch gained control of his horse and shook
his head. "I'm good. Yer not." Butch looked over his shoulder at
three young women who were sitting on small, passive horses that
the ranch rented out for public rides. "Get lost before you cause
them horses to bolt."
Charlie backed up slightly, and waved in
greeting to the women who were bundled up in heavy coats and winter
hats, appearing excited to ride in the snow.
Butch said, "See ya in an hour. Ya think you
two can stay out of trouble that long?"
"I hope so." Charlie was unnerved the horses
were reacting badly to him. Previously the small herd had let him
do anything, including helping one mare give birth to a foal.
The day workers had left and Charlie walked
to the paddock where the rest of the horses remained. He adjusted
the brim of his cowboy hat and used a shovel handle to break the
ice on the surface of the trough of water. Once he had,
"Yer askin' to share him. And the answer is
still no."
"I like lookin' at him, Charlie. Ain't no
harm lookin'."
"No. Ain't no harm." Charlie heard Roman's
voice raise in anger. "Damnit! Here we go." Charlie hopped to his
feet and raced down the hall.
"…Phil!" Roman shouted into the phone, "Just
help me track down these fuckers! I swear I do not want you
shadowing me!"
Charlie saw Roman grab his stomach in pain.
He snatched the phone out of Roman's hand and said to Phil, "Hey,
it's Charlie again. Look, can you not piss him off?" Charlie rubbed
Roman's shoulder, trying to soothe him.
Sitting on the chair, Roman wrapped his arms
around Charlie's hips and pressed his face into Charlie's
stomach.
Phil said, "Charlie, you know I have to keep
an eye on him."
"No. Ya don't. I'm here. Butch is here. Ya
don't."
"Are you kidding me? You change too. Roman
just told me that. So, Butch is supposed to watch both of you?"
"Yeah. He can. He does. Phil, all yer doin'
is gettin' Roman to a point of fury. I have to intervene."
"Well, Charlie, I have my orders, and I'm
afraid they take precedence. I'll see you when you arrive in
Heber."
The line disconnected and Charlie looked at
the phone and shut it completely off, setting it on the desk. "You
okay?" He caressed Roman's hair, hugging him.
Roman moaned softly and pressed his face into
Charlie's body.
"Okay, baby. Okay." Charlie held Roman tight.
"You jus' keep workin' on findin' that cult. Okay? We'll figure it
out. Don't you fret."
"Why…" Roman moaned. "Why is this happening
again?"
"I wish I knew." Charlie glanced over his
shoulder and found Butch at the doorway of the den. Butch's
expression of sympathy went right to Charlie's heart. He gave Butch
a soft smile.
Butch reached out and touched Charlie. "I got
yer back, Charlie."
Roman raised his head, his eyes watery from
the battle inside him.
"And yers." Butch smiled at Roman.
"You want me to be on your back," Roman said.
Charlie couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, don't
you worry, Roman. No one is top dog around here no more but
you."
Butch cracked a smile and blushed.
Roman looked at Charlie, and they smiled at
each other.
Chapter 6
Once Roman finished working on the computer,
Charlie headed outdoors to feed the chickens and make sure there
was water for the horses to drink.
Several cars were parked in their drive and
Charlie spotted Butch on his painted horse, sitting high in his
western saddle. When Butch saw Charlie, he walked Scout over to him
to talk to him. Scout snorted in reluctance but Butch forced the
spotted horse to move close enough to talk to Charlie. "We gotta
few walk-ins, wantin' a ride on the trails in the snow."
"Okay." Charlie nodded, seeing Scout shift
and show the whites of his eyes as if Charlie was about to pounce.
"Did they say how they found us?"
"Couple of gals who board their horse here
mentioned we don't mind takin' a few people out for an hour or so
on the trails."
"You good?" Charlie asked, walking closer to
Scout. Scout lurched sideways, avoiding Charlie.
Butch gained control of his horse and shook
his head. "I'm good. Yer not." Butch looked over his shoulder at
three young women who were sitting on small, passive horses that
the ranch rented out for public rides. "Get lost before you cause
them horses to bolt."
Charlie backed up slightly, and waved in
greeting to the women who were bundled up in heavy coats and winter
hats, appearing excited to ride in the snow.
Butch said, "See ya in an hour. Ya think you
two can stay out of trouble that long?"
"I hope so." Charlie was unnerved the horses
were reacting badly to him. Previously the small herd had let him
do anything, including helping one mare give birth to a foal.
The day workers had left and Charlie walked
to the paddock where the rest of the horses remained. He adjusted
the brim of his cowboy hat and used a shovel handle to break the
ice on the surface of the trough of water. Once he had,
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