though he didn’t have too many illusions about how smart he’d been. Add in the confusion about being gay and he’d probably acted even more like an idiot.
“Thanks for coming out here to the Circle G,” Cody said laconically. “Bunk house is behind you. You can pick a room and stow your gear, or you can stay in town if you prefer. There’s a cheap motel and a couple places to eat. If you want to stay here, we’ll give you all the grub you can handle. My mom’s an excellent cook.”
“Do we have to pay extra for it?”
There was always one, Johnny thought. One guy who thought he was trouble with a capital T and set out to prove it every chance he got. The kid was already giving him and Travis the hairy eyeball. Johnny hoped he wasn’t an idiot skinhead.
“Nope. Part of the service. The bunkhouse is sitting there empty anyway, and my mom’s never happier than when she’s feeding up a bunch of hungry cowboys.”
Johnny noticed the quiet one seemed to perk up at being called a cowboy instead of a greenhorn.
“That there is the main house,” Cody continued, pointing at the white house. “That’s where we’ll be eating in the kitchen. Mom will ring the triangle when the chow’s ready. We’ll get started in the corral tomorrow at ten sharp. If you want to go into town, I’ll have someone give you a lift. So, what’re your names?”
The cocky one took charge, pointing at himself and then going down the line as he said their names. “Bobby Blue Chandler, top rider. Aubrey Matthews, Tommy Benson, Zane Winslow. We want to know what the program is.”
The quiet one with close-cropped black hair, Zane, seemed as though he hadn’t signed up for a tour guide, Johnny noticed, and the expression on Aubrey’s face when Bobby Blue named himself top rider made him figure they’d be breaking up a fight at some point.
RJ was as imperturbable as always with the ever-present toothpick hanging out of his mouth, but Travis rolled his eyes like the clown he was. Luckily he was behind the boys where they couldn’t see, but Johnny was standing right beside Cody, so he had to work to keep his thoughts from showing on his face. The hostile, sneaky glances from Bobby Blue were something he was used to, and Travis probably was too. It aggravated him and he had to hand it to Cody for keeping it so businesslike.
“Tomorrow morning after breakfast, we’ll meet up at that ring.” Cody pointed it out. “We’ll see what you got and what you need to learn. Then we’ll go to work. Two hours in the morning, four in the afternoon. After supper if you want to ask about anything, well, me and my men will be around.”
The sneer on Bobby Blue’s face said he’d never heard of anyone but Cody and he didn’t care what any of them might have to say to him, especially Travis or Johnny. Actually, Johnny wouldn’t have put a cent on the chances of Bobby Blue even listening to Cody. He seemed to think he knew it all already. He wondered how Sam had managed to strong-arm Bobby Blue into coming.
“So it’s your opinion we got to listen to,” Bobby Blue said.
Aubrey punched him in the arm. “Shut up and get your bag, cowgirl.”
“Fuck you! I ain’t no girl. And I ain’t paying if I don’t get my money’s worth.”
“Great, they’re off again,” Tommy observed.
Quietly, Zane picked up his duffle without commenting and went to the bunkhouse.
Travis was there to open the door for him. “That one’s the best bed,” he said, pointing at the last room.
“Thanks.” Zane went inside.
Tommy disappeared inside before Bobby Blue and Aubrey jammed into the doorway, jostling for position.
Cody was shaking with laughter as the boys vanished. Travis shut the door behind them and dusted off his hands.
“I bet he’s ornery enough to squat on his spurs if you told him not to,” Johnny said.
“I don’t know. He reminds me of me when I was younger.” Cody grinned.
“That Bobby Blue is all hat and no cows,” Travis
“Thanks for coming out here to the Circle G,” Cody said laconically. “Bunk house is behind you. You can pick a room and stow your gear, or you can stay in town if you prefer. There’s a cheap motel and a couple places to eat. If you want to stay here, we’ll give you all the grub you can handle. My mom’s an excellent cook.”
“Do we have to pay extra for it?”
There was always one, Johnny thought. One guy who thought he was trouble with a capital T and set out to prove it every chance he got. The kid was already giving him and Travis the hairy eyeball. Johnny hoped he wasn’t an idiot skinhead.
“Nope. Part of the service. The bunkhouse is sitting there empty anyway, and my mom’s never happier than when she’s feeding up a bunch of hungry cowboys.”
Johnny noticed the quiet one seemed to perk up at being called a cowboy instead of a greenhorn.
“That there is the main house,” Cody continued, pointing at the white house. “That’s where we’ll be eating in the kitchen. Mom will ring the triangle when the chow’s ready. We’ll get started in the corral tomorrow at ten sharp. If you want to go into town, I’ll have someone give you a lift. So, what’re your names?”
The cocky one took charge, pointing at himself and then going down the line as he said their names. “Bobby Blue Chandler, top rider. Aubrey Matthews, Tommy Benson, Zane Winslow. We want to know what the program is.”
The quiet one with close-cropped black hair, Zane, seemed as though he hadn’t signed up for a tour guide, Johnny noticed, and the expression on Aubrey’s face when Bobby Blue named himself top rider made him figure they’d be breaking up a fight at some point.
RJ was as imperturbable as always with the ever-present toothpick hanging out of his mouth, but Travis rolled his eyes like the clown he was. Luckily he was behind the boys where they couldn’t see, but Johnny was standing right beside Cody, so he had to work to keep his thoughts from showing on his face. The hostile, sneaky glances from Bobby Blue were something he was used to, and Travis probably was too. It aggravated him and he had to hand it to Cody for keeping it so businesslike.
“Tomorrow morning after breakfast, we’ll meet up at that ring.” Cody pointed it out. “We’ll see what you got and what you need to learn. Then we’ll go to work. Two hours in the morning, four in the afternoon. After supper if you want to ask about anything, well, me and my men will be around.”
The sneer on Bobby Blue’s face said he’d never heard of anyone but Cody and he didn’t care what any of them might have to say to him, especially Travis or Johnny. Actually, Johnny wouldn’t have put a cent on the chances of Bobby Blue even listening to Cody. He seemed to think he knew it all already. He wondered how Sam had managed to strong-arm Bobby Blue into coming.
“So it’s your opinion we got to listen to,” Bobby Blue said.
Aubrey punched him in the arm. “Shut up and get your bag, cowgirl.”
“Fuck you! I ain’t no girl. And I ain’t paying if I don’t get my money’s worth.”
“Great, they’re off again,” Tommy observed.
Quietly, Zane picked up his duffle without commenting and went to the bunkhouse.
Travis was there to open the door for him. “That one’s the best bed,” he said, pointing at the last room.
“Thanks.” Zane went inside.
Tommy disappeared inside before Bobby Blue and Aubrey jammed into the doorway, jostling for position.
Cody was shaking with laughter as the boys vanished. Travis shut the door behind them and dusted off his hands.
“I bet he’s ornery enough to squat on his spurs if you told him not to,” Johnny said.
“I don’t know. He reminds me of me when I was younger.” Cody grinned.
“That Bobby Blue is all hat and no cows,” Travis
Similar Books
