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Once we were in the stable, I could see how nervous Tommy was. He was rubbing his hands together and making glances back at me, every time I moved my head, he tried to catch my eye and ask the same type of question about what to expect while riding.

“I told you,” I said, opening Belle’s stable. “It’ll hurt a little, but you’ll get used to it. There’s some cushion in the saddle, but it won’t take away all the aches.” Belle rubbed her nose against the side of my head as I walked inside her warm stable.

“Ok, ok,” he said, softly back to himself. “Another question, do the horses not get cold?”

“Yeah, and no,” I said, slowly pulling away the blanket I had over her back. “The stable is always warm and they’ve always got blankets on them during winter to make sure they stay warm.”

“And—”

“No more questions,” I told him. “Just listen.” I explained to him that we weren’t going to be doing any strenuous. This was hardly going to be a cross country ride. Neither him, or the horses could handle that type of stress or effort, plus, the snow out there in some parts of the land was considered dangerous for the horses to trot through. I didn’t know if any of the information I told Tommy was going in, but he was nodding and still nervous two-stepping side to side.

“I don’t have that great upper body strength,” he said. “Most of my hand action is reserved for drawing, and—”

“Relax, you’ll still be able to masturbate,” I laughed to myself as I encouraged Belle out of the stable. She was the least fussy of all the horses, and Tommy needed to bond with her while I prepared the other two. “You want to help me dress her.”

He was beet red, either the stable was too warm, or he was blushing. “That’s not what I was worried about,” he mumbled.

Belle gave a little dance with her hoofs whacking against the ground. He flinched. “Another note, the most important one actually. Never stand behind a horse. Ever. Even Belle.”

Tommy pressed himself a little further back against the wall where all the saddles and equipment were. “I don’t think I have insurance to cover that,” I said.

“Relax, this place is insured up to the eyeballs, but nothing is going to happen to you,” he said. “I’ve just gotta tell you all this.” The fear painted across his face was the same fear I’d seen before. It was always the worst case scenario. And bless him, I just wanted to grab one of the large horse blankets and weigh him down with it like a hug, but without crossing a boundary. “Ok, you wanna come away from that board. Belle’s stuff is the pink.” And this time I winked at him, and I wanted him to see it.

“Uh. Oh.” Easily flustered further, he turned around to see all the light pink attire; stable, pad, the girth, the bridle, and the reins. “And you need help with this as well?”

I didn’t know if he needed an actual response from me, but he was going to help.

Belle was dressed relatively easy and quick, even if Tommy was a little too nervous to get too close to her now that she wasn’t in her stable. As I went to deal with Scout, I handed him a brush for Belle’s mane and told him to go to town. She loved being brushed.

I dressed Scout alone while Tommy got acquainted with Belle better. His hands no longer shaking when he went to stroke her, and even removing his gloves to feel her. He was going to enjoy it once he got on it, everyone always did. The only factor that paused me to question it all was the snow outside and the barely visible path we’d follow around the land to get them exercised.

“If this place got any signal, I’d have watched a video or two,” he remarked. “But I guess I’ll stick to learning the old fashion way.”

“Hey, you’ve checked feeding chickens, and milking goats off your list, riding a horse is next, and then who knows, maybe I can help you cut wood better,” I said. “Or building a better blanket fort.” I’d seen the crayons and pages spilling out of it earlier. I didn’t want to consider it a sign to who he was, because I’d been wrong about it before, and if I was wrong now, it would make for an awkward twenty days.

“I’m an expert at building blanket forts,” he said. “And I wouldn’t want to ruin the reputation you’ve got by even asking you to help me build one.”

I took the front of my cowboy hat and pinched it slightly as I nodded to him. “I wouldn’t want to show you up, but in the summer, I’m always out building shelters and huts to stay in overnight.” I knew this land as if I was part of it. I’d never leave it, my veins ran like tree roots in the ground from a great pine.

Thunder was the last one ready. I didn’t get him ready to ride, but I added his bridle and a rein so that I could keep some form of physical hold on him while I was on Scout.

Winter was the worst time of year for the horses. They needed more warmth, more food, and they couldn’t go out as often because of the snow, and they required a little extra time to be warmed up.

After hoisting Tommy up on the back of Belle, he groaned a little, something about needing to readjust. Belle knew a newbie, but she wasn’t like Thunder who would test you on the back. I used the rein to walk her around the open stable area with Tommy on back, getting used to the sensation. He continued to make little noises with each and every step that jostled him.

“You’ll get used to it,” I said.

I wasn’t sure if he did, but after a lap around the barn to warm the horses up and give Tommy some more direction on the control over the horse through the rein, we were ready to head out on a short trot around the larger plot of land.

Thunder was equipped with out water skins and snack items, just in case something happened that took us far off course, but it was fairly uneventful, except for Tommy’s constant comments on wondering whether or not he’d decimated his balls.

The path we followed was a footpath through the snow that didn’t keep too much of the snowfall on it due to the salt content in the soil. It was like a waxed leaf wicking away any liquid.

Going around in one giant loop took almost an hour. And the moment the large red barn was seen in the horizon, Tommy made a slight squeal, making Belle pause to neigh at him. Her version of cussing him out.

“When you’re back, you’re gonna want to run yourself a bath,” I told him.

“Oh god. I should’ve put the heater on before I left,” he groaned.

“I did that for you while you were getting dressed.” I knew he was going to need it. “Also, this isn’t. hotel, I’m not going to be coming in and doing that for you all the time. Or restocking your blankets. What you’ve got, you’ll only get the one of.”

Behind me, he made a noise, hopefully an agreement to the terms which I hadn’t set out on our first encounter. In the past, people who’d stayed at the ranch assumed I was a maid as well. I only cleaned up after myself and the animals, although some people could’ve fallen under that latter category.

“What was that you said?” I asked.

“I said thank you. ”

I glanced back to see the scarf around his neck and partially obscuring his mouth. “You don’t have to thank me, I’m just making sure you don’t lose a limb out here.”

“Has anyone lost a limb while you’ve been with them?” he asked.

As we’d already discussed, nobody had lost a limb or even sustained a major incident. Minor scrapes and bruises had been occurred, especially where the goats and chickens came into question.

Overall, he was pretty good on the horse. He made a lot of suspect noises, which was to be expected with the amount of wiggling he was doing on the saddle. His balls had to have been hurting after a while. It wasn’t until we got back to the stable, when he came in last and refused to leave the back of Belle.

“Come on now,” I said, “what are you doing? We need to get wipe the snow off them.”

“I can’t.”

“We you gotta.”

He shook his head, hands firmly tugging on the reins. “I don’t think I can move my legs. My thighs are—are stuck in this position.”

It took about another five minutes where I went around, pulling his feet from the stirrups and forcing him to move like one of those wooden artist block figures.

“Is this what they mean when they say walking like a cowboy?” he asked, his legs parted abnormally.

“Just need to get yourself a Stetson and you’ll be calling yourself a cowboy.” A smirk filled my face. “But it’s nothing a hot bath won’t fix. And maybe some rubber duckies.”

He giggled and snorted. “You have them here?”

I was throwing out all the hints I could possible to get information on him. I didn’t know if he was a little, or little-adjacent. He was gay, assumed single, and right in front of me. Maybe Mick sent him my way because he thought we were a match. He had always been a braggart when it came to romance, and throwing it in my face with his Christmas cards of his family.

“If not, I could probably fish some out of a cupboard somewhere,” I told him. “Assuming you’re being serious.”

Suddenly, more animated, he jumped around, wiggling out of the so-called cowboy stance. “What about bubble bath? I didn’t bring any.”

“I could find some of that too,” I said. “But you’ll have to help me out with drying these horses off. Don’t worry, just do the front legs, I’ll take care of the back.” None of the horses seemed too bothered by the cold, or anything they’d stood on, which was a bonus. I hated it when they picked up a rock in their hoof. It was awful having to scrape it out.

Tommy continued to complain about the pain in his thighs.

“If you keep talking about it, I’m gonna have to look,” I said. “You know, just to make sure you aren’t carrying around huge bruises. The last thing I need is to call June up to grab a bucket load of ointment from the pharmacy.”

“You have a phone?” he asked, his eyes turning big. “You didn’t mention a phone. Can I—”

“It’s a landline,” I said. “So, as long as it’s a number, you can use it.”

“Serious?” he squealed. “I’ve got to catch my friends up back home. They probably think I’ve been murdered or something.”

Kicking up a cough in my throat, I nearly choked. “Jeez. I hope not. The last thing my quiet month on the ranch needs is a SWAT van plowing up the drive.”

“It’s just a phrase,” he laughed. “Some of my friends don’t even know I’m out of state.”

“Well, as long as all parties know that the ranch isn’t open for business, and that you’re safe, albeit a little bruises, then it’ll be A-ok with me.”

From what had been an idea of him going back to his cabin, turned into a question of the amenities at the main house, and me inviting him to take his bath there since I knew we had both bubble bath and rubber duckies around. I didn’t know what it was about him that caught me in a spiral of spending more time together. I should’ve been avoiding him and reading my books, but I needed my own slice of what those books offered.

We finished off in the barn, an earlier stop to milk the goats and spread out some feed for the animals because securing them inside for the evening. Tommy whined about his thighs until we were back at the house where he threw himself on the large sofa and laid there.

“I don’t think I can move,” he said.

“You’re gonna have to take your boots off,” I told him. “Otherwise, you’re gonna be heading off back to your cabin for the evening.”

His playful eyes connected with mine, sassy remarks and comments formulating behind them. “What are you making for dinner?”

I snapped my fingers at him. “Boots off.”

Trying to heave himself forward, he groaned again, louder, almost rolling off the edge of the sofa. “If you haven’t already realized, my legs have had quite the journey. I’m not sure I’ll ever walk again.”

“Don’t wish such awful things upon me,” I said, removing my hat and placing it on the hook by the door.

“On you? What about me?”

“No, you’re right. I’d send you to live with June until your flight home.” I knew his game, being playful back with him. “I’m sure she won’t mind driving up to collect you. But again, she also has a no boots on in the house policy.” I’d never been to her house, but I assumed as much.

Tommy had gotten himself in a state of exhaustion, unable to lean forward because of the coat, and unable to stand because of his thighs. He pouted and looked at me, and I fell right for it.

Since I was out of my coat and boots, I did the decent thing and dipped to a knee in front of him where I untied his boots. “Don’t get used to it,” I said.

“You’re a lifesaver,” he said.

I know I’d told him not to get used to him, but I’d tied his shoes twice already, and now, I was untying them. He might’ve argued I’d tied them on too tight, and it would’ve been a fair call. “You’re gonna have to go to the bathroom and see how your legs are doing under those layers,” I told him. “Assuming you can stand. Please, for any higher power you believe in that your legs still work.”

He stood on shaky legs, giving himself the upright leverage to take off his coat. “I still want to use your phone.”

“After you’ve seen to your legs,” I told him.

Leading Tommy to the bathroom, he gasped at every corner we turned in the house. It was a thing of beauty to behold, and I’d been around to help build it too. It was a compliment from him, without him directly knowing.

“I might have to only take baths here,” he said.

It was a very modern bathroom, a parallel to the rustic house style. Glass and silver and white tile with gold accented fixtures.

“Again, a one-time deal,” I said. Just like that one-time deal for dinner, then lunch, now the bath. I guess one-time deal didn’t have the same meaning anymore.