Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 121083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
It was a slow drive. The tractor topped out at thirty miles an hour. The men followed behind him. It couldn’t have been much past six in the morning, and as Kitt pulled off the road making a wide turn into the driveway, his phone rang.
“This is an awfully long bathroom break. You left me sleeping, and I was so hopin’ for a little good morning sex this morning,” Austin said with a distinct whine in his tired voice. “Where are you? I can come to you, do you, and then leave before anyone sees me.” The last part was said on a deep yawn. The engine to the tractor churned so loud Kitt turned the speaker on and the volume up as loud as it would go, and he still needed to shove the phone inside his ear to hear.
“I got a call. Lady’s just beginnin’ to foal, and I’m already pullin’ into the Henderson’s to start cuttin’. Hold on.” Kitt yelled into the phone over the sound of the engine. He pulled to the far right of the Henderson’s property line and came to stop, letting the tractor idle. He watched in his rear view mirror as the men lined up beside him positioning themselves to work behind him as he cut. One ran forward to get the gate opened for his entry. Every so often, a movement caused Austin’s scent to drift up and an involuntary smile formed without him even realizing it was there.
“I’m back,” Kitt said, again shoving the phone in his ear to hear.
“Is she okay? Does it mess up your day?” Austin asked.
“I think I have to watch her tonight. Jose stayed behind with her. Today’s gonna be longer without him out here, but I need him to keep an eye on her,” Kitt said. He saw everyone behind him waiting for him to start, but he missed Austin and loved knowing he was talking to him right now while still lying in his bed.
“Anything I can do to help? Mike can come over so Jose can help you today,” Austin offered.
“Nah, Jose knows her as well as I do. She needs someone she knows and who knows her. Jose’s just a worker. He can outwork anybody, but I’m staffed up. Actually, overly staffed. It should be fine,” he said. “I’ll call if I can’t get it done. I gotta go.”
“I’ll be thinking about my missed opportunity. I should have jumped you last night when I had the chance,” Austin said.
“Stay longer and get some rest. You need it.” Kitt was just as unwilling to end the call as Austin seemed to be. They sat there a minute quietly, not saying goodbye.
“I might do that. I can smell your cologne all over these pillows. I might have to take one of these home with me,” Austin finally said.
Kitt didn’t respond. He’d been smelling Austin on himself all morning. He mentally weighed whether to say it out loud or not, but decided to keep quiet, not able to find the very simple words to say.
“I love it when you get quiet, Kitt. I’m beginning to understand it happens when I unnerve you…and that feels really good.”
“I’ll talk to you later,” Kitt said simply.
“Goodbye, be careful today. Let me know if you need us.”
“Bye.” Kitt forced himself to drop the phone in the cup holder next to the coffee. His eyes darted up to the rearview mirror, and he rolled his eyes at the blush on his cheeks and the smile on his face. His cock throbbed in his Wranglers. Dear God, did he have it bad. Kitt picked up the coffee cup and carefully took a drink, and then smelled the cologne lingering on his shirt.
“Damn, it’s gonna be a long day!” Kitt positioned the tractor and adjusted himself in the seat as he pulled forward starting to cut the miles of overgrown hay in front of him.
~~~~~~
“You’re in love.” Seth declared as Austin came through the back door. “You’ve been making fun of me for the last forty-eight hours, and here you’re grinning, whistling, acting like life couldn’t get any better in this aloneness. In the desert. Texas is a dust bowl, so not the heaven you’ve made it out to be.” Seth sprawled out on the sofa with the television on and the laptop in his lap. It was noonish, and Seth already looked bored as hell.
“As per normal, you have no idea what you’re talkin’ about.” Austin quipped, walking through the house, deciding Kitt should be the first one to hear he carried that emotion, not anyone else.
He’d stayed at Kitt’s most of the morning. Made himself breakfast and just stayed in Kitt’s stuff until he forced himself out. He only did a little bit of pillaging through Kitt’s belongings, and only because he found an interesting stash of his photos and movies hidden in the bottom drawer of Kitt’s night stand. At some point, Austin would definitely be getting some kind of explanation about those. Of course, it would have to come after he figured out how to say he’d seen them under the stacks of hunting and fishing magazines, and still buried further under the accounting folders of the farm.
“It’s either love, or a long night of great sex confusing itself as love,” Seth said, watching Austin closely. After a second, his eyes narrowed, and he bent his head to the side to watch Austin closer as he made his way to the coffee pot.
“I didn’t have sex at all last night. I slept until about ten this morning and just hung out alone until a little while ago. Ever think I need a break from your love sick ass? I haven’t spent this much time with you in years. And now I remember why…” Austin waggled his brows at Seth and poured himself a cup of coffee.
“Huh. You’re already starting to get your accent back.” That caused Seth to put the laptop down and turn completely around, eyes fully trained on Austin. “How’d I miss this?”