Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 10:36:29 EST
From: Tulsadriller7@aol.com
Subject: Tales from the Ranch, Chapter 31/?

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 31: Parents
     Greg was very curious as to what was going on.  Dale and
Craig had arrived at his restaurant with a young stud in tow and
had introduced him as THEIR SON, Joey!!  What was this all about?
     His first thought was that this was Dale's son, since they
looked so much alike.  But that just wasn't possible as he
thought back a little and remembered Dale was a year behind him
in high school, so that had to make him about 24 now.  This kid
had to be in high school.  He could be a brother, but he didn't
remember Dale having a father when he was growing up.
     There were some other guests who came in just after Dale's
party that he had to seat, but he was right back at their table
with menus and a big questioning smile on his face.
     "Hi fellows, how are you this evening?" he asked as he
handed each a menu.
     "Oh, we're just great," Dale said, knowing very well what
Greg wanted to know.
     "Joey, what would you like to drink?  We have Coke, Sprite,
Root Beer and Dr. Pepper on tap," Greg said, smiling.  This kid
was gorgeous.
     "A large Coke for me," Joey answered.
     "One draft Coke, coming up."  As Greg left the table, Joey
realized that he hadn't asked Dale and Craig what they wanted to
drink, however Greg was right back with glasses of wine for them
and a Coke for him.
     "Gentlemen?" Greg said, making a big production of getting
out his pad and pencil to take their order and stood there
smiling.
     "Joey, this place has the best pizza you've ever eaten.
Craig and I are going to have pizza and an Italian salad.  What
would you like?" Dale asked.
     "Cool.  Sounds good to me," Joey replied.
     "Greg, I guess a large deluxe pizza and three salads," Craig
said.
     "Got it," Greg said and disappeared in the direction of the
kitchen.
     Soon, one of the servers arrived at their table with salad
plates, silver and breadsticks with a large cup of Marinara
Sauce.  Greg was waiting on other customers, but soon was back
with a large bowl of salad, setting it on the table so they could
serve themselves.
     "Okay, guys, what's going on?" he questioned.
     "Joey, this is Greg, who is a friend of ours and the owner
of this great restaurant."
     "I'm pleased to meet you, Joey, and I hope you enjoy your
meal," Greg told him, then looked back and forth between Dale and
Craig, again with a question in his eyes.
     "Joey is my half-brother and lives in Houston.  Our father
is quite ill so Joey may be coming to Williamsport to live with
Craig and me.  He's spending a few days here to get acquainted
with us and the city and decide if he really wants us to become
his parents."
     The men were passing the salad bowl around the table,
helping themselves.
     "I'm sorry to hear about your father, Dale and Joey.  But, I
can assure you, Joey, that Dale and Craig are great guys and
should be swell parents if you decide to move here," Greg said.
     "Thanks," Dale and Craig answered, almost in unison.
     "The pizza should be ready in about 15 minutes.  If you want
more salad, let me or Freddie know," he said as he left to wait
on other customers.
     "He's nice," Joey said.
     "Yes, he's become a good friend," Dale said.  "And
everything on the menu is good, too."
     As they ate, the conversation was about what they were going
to do the next day.
     "I have to spend some time in the office, probably drawing
and redrawing plans, depending on Don and Warren Collins and the
tenants for the shopping center, but I also need to go to the Bar-
W to check the progress on the construction," Craig told them.
     "I'm taking Joey to the ranch with me in the morning.  I
need to check the progress on the new fields and get the guys
started on a couple of other fields where we've had cattle
grazing.  I'm sure there is a load of paperwork, but I thought
maybe we could saddle up a couple of horses and ride up the river
to the pool where we like to picnic and swim.  Then we can ride
up to the horse operation, as I need to talk to Lee.  Remember,
the people from the Lazy-Z are coming tomorrow to buy 150 mares."
     "Yeah, I remember Martin telling us about that at breakfast
on Sunday," Craig said.
     "Why don't you see if we can either borrow Tom and Eddie's
bikes or see about renting a couple for a few days and we can
ride around town with Joey tomorrow evening?" Dale asked.
     "Don't forget we have cooking class tomorrow night, too,"
Craig said.
     "Yes, and choir practice is at 7:00 p.m.," Dale answered.
"This week is busy.  Maybe we'd better plan our bike tour on
Thursday evening."
     Craig asked Joey, "Joe said you used to sing in the junior
choir, do you still sing?"
     "I've been in mixed chorus, but my class schedule wouldn't
allow it this year."
     "Our church has a good men and boys' choir and our
choirmaster has invited you to attend rehearsal tomorrow evening.
If you want to join the choir, that's fine, as it's a way to meet
other boys your age," Craig said.
     "Neat.  I like to sing," Joey said.
     Greg picked up their salad plates after checking to see if
they were through.  Freddie, the helper, brought dinner plates
and shortly afterward, served their pizza.  True to what Dale and
Craig said, the pizza was delicious and all three of them dug in.
     "This is the best pizza I've ever eaten," Joey said, between
bites.
     "It's good and will fill you up pretty quickly," Craig told
him.
     "Then on Thursday, we need to visit the school and talk to
them about a possible enrollment and class schedule, to see what
courses are available and what we need to do," Dale said.
     "How far is it to school from where you. I mean we. live?"
Joey asked.
     Dale was pleased that Joey was already thinking in terms of
living with them.
     "About five blocks.  There are two high schools; I guess
they call them upper schools now, here in Williamsport.  There's
about 800 kids in each school, so the classes are not as large as
in Houston," Dale told him.
     "I'm in the 9th grade, not high school," Joey said.
     "Our schools are structured a little differently, so we have
a four-year high school in Williamsport.  You will be a freshman
in Davy Crockett High School instead of 9th grade in middle
school," Craig said.
     "Cool," was the reply.
     The three men seemed to inhale the pizza and Craig was
beginning to wonder if Joey was going to get enough to eat, but
he noticed he slowed down on his third piece.  Dale and Craig
each ate two pieces, then split a third between them.
     "Did you get enough to eat, Joey?" Craig questioned.
     "Yeah, that was good," replied Joey.
     "We didn't talk about what you like to eat.  You know, what
you like for breakfast and what things you like and don't like,"
Dale asked him.
     "I like orange juice and milk in the morning and I usually
either eat toast and eggs or sometimes frozen waffles."
     "That's no problem," Dale said.  "How do you like your eggs
fixed?"
     "Sometimes I scramble them in the microwave and other times
I toast bread and butter it, then break an egg in the middle.
Thirty-five seconds in the microwave and I have a poached egg,
but you have to watch the air bubbles in the whites 'cause they
can explode, so you have to ready to push the stop button."
     "I didn't know you could do that," Craig said.
     "I did, but never think to do it," Dale told them.
     "Did you say you're taking a cooking class?" Joey asked.
     "Yeah, Craig and I don't cook very much, but we want to
learn."
     "That's neat.  I know how to fix some things.  My Dad used
to have to work overtime a lot, so he taught me how to fix a pot
roast with potatoes and carrots and even how to make oven-fried
chicken."
     "That sounds good," Craig said.  "Maybe we can all learn
from each other."
     "We fix a lot of things in a crock pot.  It's real easy, you
just put everything in of a morning, then let it cook all day and
it's ready to eat when you get home.  There's a cookbook for that
stuff in the kitchen," Joey told them.
     "Well, make sure you bring it with you," Dale said.
     That made Joey very proud, to think that he was contributing
something to help all of them.
     "Now, what things don't you like to eat?" Craig asked.
     Joey thought for a moment.  "Coleslaw, sushi, greens - my
aunt fixes those, yuk - cooked turnips. and fish sticks."
     Both Craig and Dale laughed.
     "I don't think we have anything to worry about," Dale said.
     "Joey, we can fix basic things, but we're taking a cook
course to become better acquainted with handling food and what
you're supposed to do when the recipe says 'chop, dice or mince'
and things like that.  We're just wanting to get more comfortable
in the kitchen and make use of the appliances and tools we have
to work with," Craig told him.
     "I think I need to start bringing milk and eggs home from
the Bar-W," Dale told them.  "Joey, milk fresh from the cow
tastes a lot better than the grocery-store milk."
     They were through eating and waiting for a check.  Craig was
determined that Greg was not going to buy their meal this
evening.  Greg came to the table to clear it and Craig asked for
a check.
     Greg started to tell him no, but Craig got right to the
point.
     "Greg, we are not going to allow you to treat us every time
we come here.  We like the food and enjoy visiting with you, but
we just simply feel uncomfortable with you feeding us all the
time.  We need to reach a happy medium or we'll go elsewhere to
eat."
     Greg enjoyed having them come to the restaurant, but
realized that they were right.  He shouldn't allow them to be his
guests each time they came through the front door.  He pulled his
ticket book out of his apron pocket and totaled it, handing it to
Dale.
     "You guys are right.  I enjoy having you come in here, but I
realize that it puts you in an embarrassing spot, so let me treat
you from time to time and we can still be good friends," Greg
said.
     "That's what we want.  We'd rather come here for the good
food, than a free meal, so as long as you don't do it too often,
we'll be happy," Craig told him.
     All of them shook hands and Greg told Joey that he hoped he
would be back with Dale and Craig - and soon.
     When they got in Dale's Blazer, Joey immediately asked about
the deal of paying for meals.
     "Greg doesn't have a chance to entertain people at home, and
being Italian, he and his parents like to treat their friends
when they come here to eat.  That's okay - some of the time - but
we don't want to feel like we're mooching if he won't allow us to
pay for what we eat," Dale said.
     Joey thought about what Dale had just said.  "I understand,
you feel like you're coming here just to get free food?"
     "That's about it," Craig replied.  "We like to eat here, but
it's just not right to be a freeloader.  There's times we'd like
to order something more expensive and it's not right to expect
him to pick up the tab for us."
     Joey knew what they were saying and admired them for it.
     "Now, young man, we need to get you home and get you settled
in so you can go to bed and get up to go to work with me in the
morning," Dale told him.
     "Neat," Joey replied.
     Privately, Craig hoped he wouldn't get tired of hearing,
'Neat, Cool, Awesome and Far Out'.  He hoped they could expand
Joey's vocabulary of adjectives, but realized he and Dale were of
a different generation.  It made him feel old to be considered as
a parent to a teenage boy.
      Dale drove through the downtown area, taking them a little
out of the most direct route home.  He and Craig pointed out
several of the more interesting business buildings including the
Cattleman's Hotel and gave him a brief history of each.
     They arrived back at the condo and went in.  Mitsy had been
asleep on Joey's bed as they had left a couple of items of his
clothing laying on top of it, hoping she would take the hint that
this was her new place to sleep.  She greeted them as soon as
they were in the living room.
     Dale went with Joey to show Mitsy the way to the yard so she
could take care of her needs.  They walked down the stairs so she
could find her way to the yard by herself instead of waiting for
someone to take her in the elevator.  She made quick work of
finding the right place behind a flowerbed.  One of the other
neighbors had a dog, so they would each mark and remark their
territory from then on.
     While waiting, Dale asked Joey, "What do you think of
Williamsport so far?"
     "It's a lot different than Houston.  Here you can be
anywhere in town in 10 minutes and you can't get past more than
two or three stoplights in the same time in Houston."
     "You will find that the people here are friendly and
helpful, but it's also a small town and some people make it their
business to know all about everyone else, and it isn't always for
the best, so you do have to watch out where you go and who your
friends are," Dale told him.
     "It's kind of like my neighborhood at home in Houston.  A
lot of people keep track of where you're seen and who you hang
with."
     "That's right.  Just think of it as an expanded
neighborhood.  A lot of people have lived here their whole life
and know most of the people here.  They know what they do - and
sometimes embellish the stories, too, so just be careful who you
give information to, and how much.  There are still a lot of
people around who remember my mother as a poor unwed, pregnant
girl and scorn me for what happened to her 25 or so years ago.
There are those who would like me to never forget her
indiscretion and think I'm trash because of it."
     "No," Joey said.  He was upset at hearing that statement.
     "Believe it," Dale said.  "However, those people are few and
far between now and the others, if they've heard the story, don't
let it bother them.  I just want you to know that there are a few
people here who might give you a rough time if they find out who
you are, so if they do give you a bad time, find out who they are
and we'll deal with them.  Okay?" he asked.
     "Sure.  I know what you mean because we had some neighbors
for a while that held it against my Dad about why my Mom left.
Funny thing is that they didn't know the real reason."
     Dale put his arm around Joey's shoulder and gave him a
squeeze.  "I just don't want you hurt and Craig and I both love
you just as much as if we were your real parents.  I think the
three of us will be good for each other.
     "Thanks. Dad," Joey said, hugging Dale to his side.
     Joey whistled for Mitsy and she bounded up the stairs ahead
of them, going to the right door to be let in.  She was patiently
waiting when the two men got to their door.
     Craig was in the kitchen, setting up the coffeepot, then
showed Joey where the juice, sweet rolls, bread and eggs were.
"Dale and I usually just have juice, coffee and a sweet roll or
bagel of a morning.  It's kind of a 'help yourself' operation
here as we usually have juice while shaving, then get our first
mug of coffee before showering.  It's cool enough to drink when
we're finished.  We usually get dressed and have a second mug of
coffee with whatever we eat.
     "I'll come home and let Mitsy out at noon so you and Dale
don't have to worry about her tomorrow.  It's usually pretty easy
for me to get away during the day to do that," Craig told them.
     "We can eat lunch at the ranch tomorrow," Dale said.  "That
would be a good time for Joey to meet some of the people at the
Bar-W, assuming they are around."
     By the time they talked about the daily routine for
Wednesday, it was after 10 p.m. and everyone was tired.
     "I usually leave here about 7:35 or so to go to the ranch,
so you need to be ready to leave when I do," Dale said.  "Allow
yourself time to take Mitsy outside, after you get up," he
reminded Joey.
     Dale and Craig headed to their bedroom and Joey and Mitsy to
his new room.  Joey decided to leave his door open since he was
in a strange place.  Dale and Craig left their door open, also.
They were both tired and cuddling would probably be the only
thing that happened tonight.
     * * * * *
     Dale awoke at his usual time before the alarm rang.  He went
to the bathroom, then shut the door and slipped back in bed with
his lover, who came to when Dale snuggled up and put his arm
around him.  They used their quiet time together to enjoy the
presence of the other, trailing their fingers over the other's
body, exchanging kisses and whispering endearments to each other.
     Finally, it was time to get up and start the day.  Craig
headed to the kitchen to start the coffeepot in its brewing
cycle.  After he got to the kitchen he remembered they had a
third person in the house and he wasn't wearing any clothes.  He
was also semi-hard.
     Dale wondered if Joey had set the alarm and had gotten up.
He pulled on his boxers from the day before, going to Joey's
room.
     Joey must have either gone back to sleep or mis-set the
alarm because he was still asleep, lying on his back with the
bedding down to his navel.  Dale noticed that the boy had quite a
bit of hair on his chest and around his belly button.  He
remembered that he also had a respectable amount of hair on his
own chest when he was a freshman in high school.
     Dale knocked on the door.  "Joey. Joey. it's time for you to
get up.  We need to get things underway."
     Joey had slept well and woke up immediately, wondering why
he hadn't heard the alarm clock, not realizing he'd set it for
6:45 p.m. instead of 6:45 a.m.
     "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to make you late," he said.
     "We're not late, it's just now time for you to be getting up
and I was just checking that you had," Dale explained.
     Even though Joey didn't have his contacts in, he could
plainly see Dale's near-naked body and mentally compared himself
with his older half-brother, one of his new Dads.  He also had a
thought, wondering what Dale and Craig might have done after they
went to bed.
     "Okay, Bud," Dale continued.  "Rise and shine.  See you in a
few minutes."
     Dale returned to their bedroom and Joey piled out, then
played with Mitsy for a few minutes before going to the bathroom
to relieve himself and shave prior to his morning shower.
     Dale and Craig were already in the kitchen when Joey came in
to get his juice and milk.  He was wearing Levis and athletic
shoes.  He hadn't put a shirt on yet.  "What kind of shirt should
I wear?" he asked.
     "Whatever you're comfortable with, a t-shirt, polo shirt or
cloth shirt," Dale answered.
     Craig couldn't help but admire Joey's - his new son -
partially clad body.  He couldn't help but wonder if he was
seeing Dale as he was at 14 years old.
     "Do you have any cowboy boots?" Dale asked him.
     "No, I guess I'm probably one of the few Texans who don't.
I outgrew mine about two years ago and we just never replaced
them," he answered Dale.
     "Not a problem.  We'll get you some while you're here,
although what you are wearing is okay.  If we're out in the
fields, they are a little more protection than those shoes and if
you're on horseback, they fit in the stirrups better because the
heels keep your feet from going in too far."
     Joey helped himself to juice and asked for a little coffee,
putting milk and sugar in the cup, too.  He ate one of the
remaining sweet rolls and turned down the other one.  Dale
reminded himself that he needed to get some milk from the ranch
and was sure there were extra containers in the milk barn.
     Joey took Mitsy outside and they were back very shortly.
     When he and Joey were ready to leave, Dale kissed Craig
without being embarrassed and Joey didn't pay any attention, like
he was used to it.
     "I'll see you about 8:30," Craig said.
     "Okay, I'm anxious to see how Ray's people are coming
along," Dale said.
     * * * * *
     Dale explained the street system to Joey as they drove to
the edge of town and on out the highway to the Bar-W.
     As he turned into the driveway, Jason and Kevin had almost
reached the highway.  Dale stopped and they got out so he could
introduce the three young men.  Dale explained that Joey was his
half-brother and he would probably be living with him and Craig.
     After the greetings were exchanged, Kevin reminded Dale that
he should take Joey to see their new pups.
     "Dad and Mom said that next week we could probably let them
stay out of the cage when we're home," Jason said.
     "Great.  Joey has a dog.  She's a Sheltie and is named
Mitsy," Dale told them.
     "How old is she?" Kevin asked.
     "She's three," Joey replied.
     About that time they heard the school bus approaching, so
the boys had to hurry to get to the road to be picked up.
     As they got back in the Blazer, Joey said, "They seem like
nice guys.  How old did you say they were?"
     "Jason's about 11« and Kevin is 9«," Dale said."
     "They seem like neat boys," Joey said.
     "Yes, and they act a lot older than they are," Dale replied.
     Dale pointed to some of the buildings and the two houses
where the Williamson family lived, promising to take him to see
the new crew quarters when Craig arrived.
     About that time, almost on schedule, Pat, Michael and John
arrived, this time in Pat's car.  When they came into the barn,
Dale introduced Joey, without using a last time.
     "This is my half-brother, Joey, and he will be moving to
Williamsport soon to live with me."
     The three men shook hands and introduced themselves in turn.
     Dale found out that they were through working the ground
they had been working on and the three had pitched in together to
clean out the barns the evening before.
     "Do you want some time off this week since you worked some
of Saturday and Sunday?" Dale asked.
     None of the three did.  "Well, I guess you are ready to
start plowing three more sections of ground this week."  Dale
showed them the map of the ranch and pointed out the fields he
wanted worked.  They had moved the tractors back to the ranch and
the plows had been cleaned up before being stored, so they were
ready to go to work.  They didn't have to go out on the highway
to move equipment to the fields, but that left them without a
pickup in the field with them.
     "Joey, do you know how to drive?" Dale asked.
     "No, not really.  I don't know if I'm going to get to
because they are trying to raise the age for driving to 21 in
Houston."
     "Well, this is Williamsport and you can get a learners
permit at fourteen, so we'll take care of that this week, too,"
Dale said.
     "Awesome!!" Joey almost shouted.
     Turning to the three men, Dale said, "Craig will be here
after a bit to look at the house, so I'll get him to help me
bring your pickup out to where you are working."
     Thanking him, the three men signed their time sheets, then
got on their tractors, hooked up the plows they would be pulling
and set out of the fields.
     "Those are serious farm implements," Joey said.
     "Yes, and very expensive, too," Dale agreed.
     Dale called Mrs. Wood to tell her that he would be eating
lunch at the ranch house today and would have a guest with him.
     Dale had just separated invoices and receipts into piles
when Craig drove in.
     The three started toward the new house, Dale explaining the
purpose of the structure.
     He was really surprised.  It appeared that all of the
sheetrock was in place and the crews had already filled nail and
screw holes with sheetrock mud.  In fact, they had sanded the old
mud from yesterday and were starting to apply the second coat to
finish the seams.
     Dale walked Joey through the house while Craig visited with
Ray, who had come down from the second floor.  He was wearing
special stilts that made him about 18-inches taller.  That way he
could work on the ceiling and high places without having to use a
ladder and be continually moving it.
     When they came back up from the basement, Joey noticed the
leg extensions Ray was wearing and, of course, wanted to know all
about them.
     Dale and Craig introduced Joey to Ray as Dale's half-brother
and their new son.
     Ray had to give Dale and Craig static about being too young
to have a child Joey's age.  "If these guys give you any trouble,
Joey, let me know and I'll report them to the authorities."
     The four of them had a good laugh about that.
     As they walked back to the barn, Dale asked Craig, "Do you
have an extra fifteen minutes?  I need to take a pickup to the
field for the guys to have."
     "Sure."
     "Take that first one and follow us.  It won't take very
long."  Dale loaded the things they would need for the day; their
cooler, water jugs and tool boxes.
     Dale opted to take the road and cut across another field.
It was further, but quicker than having to stop and open and
close gates along the way.
     The men were just starting to plow when the arrived at the
field.  They had decided to work this field differently and all
three were plowing, one behind the other.  In one pass, they were
turning a 40-foot width of ground.  Joey and Craig were both
impressed and Joey had all kinds of questions about the tractors
and plows.
     "Tell you what," Dale said, "I'll show you how to drive one
of the tractors and you can plow a row and see how you get
along."
     "Wow!!  Really??!!"  Joey was ecstatic at the idea.
     "Sure, it's pretty easy," Dale told him.
     They got back in the Blazer and Dale drove to the ranch
office.  Craig left to go to his office and Dale decided that
they might as well saddle up the horses so they could ride
upstream by the river, then go to the horse section of the ranch.
     Marty was just backing his car out of the garage as Dale and
Joey left the office.  Marty spotted them and drove over, getting
out of his car to talk to Dale and meet Joey.  He, too, was
astounded at how much they looked alike.
     "This is my half-brother, Joey," he told Marty.
     "I'm pleased to meet you, Joey, welcome to the Bar-W Ranch.
I hope that Dale will take you on a tour so you can see part of
this big place."
     "We're just getting ready to saddle up a couple of horses
and ride up the river about 5 miles, then cut across to see Lee.
Do you know what time the Lazy-Z people are to be here?"
     "Supposed to be about 10 o'clock."
     "Good, that will allow Joey to see how they handle horses,"
Dale said.
     "Is everything okay?" Marty asked Dale.
     "Yeah, can we talk in your car?" Dale asked him.
     "Sure," he said as they got in.
     "Joey, I need to talk to Marty for about five minutes.  Will
you excuse us?"
     "Sure."
     Dale quickly explained what was going on with Joe and the
fact that he would be bringing Joey to Williamsport to live with
him and Craig, and that he would have custody, in effect the two
of them being Joey's new Dads.
     "That's great.  I know it's a lot of responsibility, but you
fellow will be great in the role.  He's lucky you agreed to take
him because the alternative foster home isn't pretty for any
child."
     "Thanks.  Anyway, I wanted you to know that we are scheduled
to take Joey back to Houston on Sunday, but they're expecting Joe
to decline pretty quickly and we may have to take out of here in
a hurry in a couple of days."
     "Don't worry about it.  Just keep Mort and me informed as to
what's going on.  There isn't anything here that Mort can't do in
your place," Marty said.
     "Thanks, Marty, I really appreciate this."
     "Don't worry about it.  I'll see you up at Lee's operation
after a while," he said as Dale got out of the car.
     * * * * *
     Dale took Joey to the corral.  Of course, the horses seeing
the two men approach, went into the barn to get their treat.
Dale showed Joey how he gave them carrots and rubbed their noses
and scratched their ears, just as you would do for a dog.
     He decided that Molly, who belonged to Chris, would be a
good one for Joey to ride and separated Tony out for himself,
leading them out onto the floor of the tack room.  Dale showed
Joey how to put the bridle on them, getting the bit in the right
place before tightening the straps.  He got two saddle blankets
and threw them over the horses' back before setting the saddles
in place.  Joey helped cinch the girdle around and tighten it so
the saddle wouldn't slip.  He was in awe of the horses and how
gentle they seemed to be.  About the only exposure he'd had to a
horse up to this point was seeing them in a western or the TV
broadcast of a rodeo.
     They led the horses out of the barn, Dale showing Joey how
to open and close the gates.  As soon as they were through the
second gate, he helped Joey into the saddle, making sure he was
comfortable and that his feet were in the right place.
     Mounting his own horse, he showed Joey how to handle the
horses and the sounds, knee and leg motions the horses were used
to responding to.  They rode slowly for about a half mile, Joey
getting used to balancing himself in the saddle and building his
self-confidence.  Joey had a smile on his face that easily
reached from ear to ear.
     Dale started Tony moving at a faster pace and they rode that
way until Dale had to dismount at the end of the field to open
and close another gate.
     "How do you like riding a horse so far?" Dale asked.
     "It's great.  Really, really neat!" Joey answered.
     Dale explained about how the ranch was organized and run.
At one point about 3 miles into their ride, they could see the
men plowing the recently vacated pastures that had been used for
grazing cattle.
     The next section took them through a large herd of steers
who largely ignored the horses, although a couple of times
several seemed to get spooked and ran for a little ways.  Dale
explained that they didn't brand cattle anymore since they had
fences to keep them in, but that each had a tattoo in their ear
to identify them in the herd records.
     The next gate took them to the river and they followed the
trail along the bank for about three miles, Dale pointing out the
campground the Boy Scouts used.
     Finally they got to the point where the trail narrowed and
they had to ride single file.  Joey was really impressed, as he'd
never seen country like this except in pictures on a travelogue
on TV.  They finally arrived at the area where Dale and Craig had
picnicked.  They stopped there and Dale helped Joey dismount.
     "We come out here sometimes and bring a picnic lunch and
swim, but the water is generally pretty cold because part of the
stream is fed by cold springs," Dale said.
     Joey went over to the edge of the rock, leaned down and
dipped his hand in.
     "Wow, that's really cold.  I wouldn't wanna swim in there."
     "It's okay in the summer when it's really hot, but generally
not after the middle of September," Dale said.
     They got back on their horses and carefully made their way
on up the river for about another mile.  The terrain was starting
to get pretty rough and Dale decided that an inexperienced rider
like Joey had gone about as far as he should go.
     They turned back and about two miles beyond the swimming
hole, Dale took a different trail, which would save them about
five miles to their destination.  There were more gates to open
and close and he allowed Joey to help with them.  He might as
well learn.
     About a mile before their destination they started seeing
large herds of horses.  Joey was really impressed.  Again, he had
only seen something like this on television.  When they arrived
at the headquarters that Lee Baker maintained, there were five
large trailers in the area, waiting to back up to load horses.
     Lee was dealing with the men from the Lazy-Z.  When Dale and
Joey rode up, he motioned for Dale to join them.  Dale told Joey
to get off his horse and hold the reins for both horses.
     Dale was introduced to the foreman and owner of the Lazy-Z.
They chatted briefly before the men went to work selecting the
horses they wanted to purchase.  Telling the men goodbye, he and
Joey mounted their horses and started back to the ranch house.
     He explained to Joey that none of those horses were broken
for riding and were high-spirited and could be spooked easily.
Since they were on level ground, Dale decided they could let
their horses run and explained to Joey what they were going to
do.  For Joey, that was one of the greatest thrills he'd had.
They rode that way for a couple of miles when Dale reined Tony
back to a slow trot and was able to get Joey to slow Molly down
to match the pace he'd set.
     "That's the greatest!!"  Joey was exuberant.
     "These are good horses and they aren't ridden as often as
they should be.  They like exercise just like you and I do," Dale
told him.
     "Can I come back out here and ride again?" Joey asked.
     "Sure, Jason and Kevin like to ride, too, so maybe Craig and
I can bring you out on Saturday and we'll have another
adventure."
     When they got back to the horse corral, Dale showed Joey
what had to be done; the leather had to be wiped down and the
horses needed to be rubbed down and combed, too.  Together they
made short work of the task, and then fed the two horses they had
ridden before putting them back in the corral.
     "Thanks, Dal. Da. d.  Which do you want me to call you?"
Joey asked.
     "Whichever you are most comfortable with.  Since we are
brothers, you could call me Dale and since I'm going to be your
guardian you could call me Dad if you want me to adopt you.  And
if we do that, you don't have to change your last name, but it's
up to you and that's something that we don't have to decide until
you think you want to do it."
     "What about Craig?" he asked.
     "That's between you and Craig, but I think whatever you
decide to call us, it should either be Dale and Craig, or call
both of us Dad.  It's not fair to call one of us by name and the
other Dad, so you decide what you are comfortable with and we'll
all be happy."
     "Okay, I understand."
     Then Joey changed the subject.
     "What's going to happen to Joe, my father?" Joey asked.
     "It's not a good outlook.  Just before we went to the
hospital yesterday they put a catheter in him so he can urinate
without having to use the toilet or a bedpan.  His liver and
kidneys are not able to cleanse the poison out of his blood and a
person's blood has to be healthy for them to live.  They can keep
him comfortable with medication for pain, but I'm afraid that his
system is going to gradually shut down and he'll go into a coma,
be asleep, and then die quietly."
     Joey had tears in his eyes.  He hugged Dale.  "Thanks, Mr.
McCormick really didn't want to tell me what was going to happen,
but I thought it might be like you just told me.  Do you think
he'll still be alive when we go back to Houston on Sunday?" he
asked.
     "I don't know.  If he suddenly turns worse, they are
supposed to call me and we'll go to Houston immediately, unless
you don't want to be there when the time comes.  It's up to you,"
Dale said.
     "I don't know.  Part of me wants to be there to hold his
hand and part of me doesn't."
     "Joey, you need to think about this because you can't feel
guilty if you don't go and then later decide that you should have
been there.  Nobody is going to think less of you if you aren't
there.  I kind of have the idea that your aunt doesn't want to be
there, either."
     "She doesn't, because she said it would remind her that
she's going to die, too," Joey said, in resignation.
     "I was with my mother when she died.  She was in a coma and
had been for several days and I have no idea if she knew I was
there or not, but I'm glad I was.  I think it helped me deal with
her death better knowing that I was holding her hand when the end
came."
     "Then that's what I want to do, is be there for him when the
time comes," Joey said with a catch in his voice.
     "Okay, Bud, I'll do my best to see that you are."
     They exchanged hugs and Dale gave him a peck on the cheek,
which was returned.
     * * * * *
     It was getting to be time for lunch, so Dale took Joey to
the barn where the office was so they could wash up and get rid
of as much of the smell of horse sweat as they could.  Then they
headed to the house.
     Dale was looking forward to seeing the puppies again as he
hadn't seen them since last Friday.  As soon as they went in the
backdoor, the pups recognized they had company, so Dale opened
the cage after telling Joey to hold the door open so they could
go outside.
     The pups immediately headed for the grass and took care of
their necessary duties.  Dale had grabbed treats for each and
gave Joey some to give them, telling him to praise them when
giving them the snack.  He couldn't get over how much they had
grown in just 5 days.  One could see signs of their permanent
coats starting to grow.  Soon they would lose the "puppy fluff"
they now had.  Dale went back inside to check with Mrs. Wood, who
told him they still had about 10 minutes before lunch would be
ready.  Dale grabbed two balls and a couple of "tugga-toys" so
they could play some more.
     Joey was having a great time playing with the pups.  They
reminded him of when Mitsy was a puppy and everything was rough
and tumble with her.  These dogs were still at an age where they
were both graceful and clumsy and did each with ease.  They each
tossed balls, encouraging the pups to bring them back after
fetching them.  When they tired of that, they had a great time
playing tug-o-war with them.
     Finally it was time to put them back in their cage.  Dale
took Joey into the kitchen and showed him where a half-bath was
so he could wash his hands, then Dale did the same.  It was
Chris, Mrs. Wood, Dale and Joey for lunch today, so Dale
introduced Joey as his half-brother.  Chris gave him a hug and
said, "Joey, welcome to the family.  You are as much a part of it
as Dale and Craig are."
     Joey was a little baffled by the greeting, as he didn't
expect that kind of welcome.
     They sat at the table, joining hands and Chris asked a
simple blessing.  All said "Amen" and started to eat their salad.
     Conversation at the table centered on Joey's probable move
to Williamsport.  They talked about the differences between
Houston and Williamsport, which were considerable.  Chris was
pleased to know that Joey was going to attend choir rehearsal
this evening and also that he was a First-Class Boy Scout.  When
Dale told her that he had been on the Honor Roll all through
middle school, both she and Mrs. Wood were impressed.
     The chicken potpie was delicious and served with green beans
and Harvard Beets.  Joey ate with gusto and Dale realized that he
hadn't had much breakfast and that he and Craig needed to see to
it that they had more in the house in the way of breakfast and
snack items.
     Mrs. Wood had baked a cake the day before and that ended the
meal, with Joey taking a second piece.
     "Thank you, Mrs. Wood and Mrs. Williamson," Joey said as
they got up from the table.  Dale was pleased that he had good
manners.
     "You are very welcome, Joey.  You are welcome to eat here
with Dale whenever you can," Chris said.
     "It was nice meeting you, Joey, and come back again," Mrs.
Wood told him.
     Dale and Joey left the kitchen to go outside.  The pups set
up a clamor as they passed their cage.  But, they didn't have
time to play with the dogs again.
     * * * * *
     Craig arrived at his office about 9:15.  Don was just
putting some sketches on the computer desk for Craig to make some
alterations on the shopping center plans.  They weren't too far
from putting some preliminary cost figures together.
     "Well, if it isn't my traveling partner," Don teased.
     Craig knew he was being kidded, so decided to give it back.
     "Yeah, just came by to pick up my payroll check so we can
head to our cruise ship.  I suppose you want all that stuff done
before we leave?"
     They both laughed, then Don was serious.
     "What's going on in Houston?"
     Craig ran through the story, then ended up telling Don and
he and Dale were going to be parents.
     Don's jaw dropped, then he got a big smile on his face.  "I
suppose that you're going to try to tell me that this was an
immaculate conception?  Which of you turned up pregnant?"  He
doubled over in laughter.
     Craig was laughing, too.  "No, essentially Dale is the only
relative and his father asked him to take Joey and care for him,
so Joey calls us his two 'New Dads'."
     "Wow.  I just never thought about doing something like that.
Are you both going to adopt him?"
     "No, at least I don't think so.  I think this is really a
custody issue unless Joey would decide that he wanted Dale to be
his adoptive father," Craig said.  Regardless of what happens,
Dale is his legal guardian.
     "Boy, that's a big step for the two of you, especially since
you're still getting used to living with each other and working
through putting your relationship on firm ground."
     "Yeah, and this may also speed up any thoughts we have about
either building a new home or finding one to refurbish.  Raising
a teenage boy and a dog in a 5th floor apartment isn't the best
situation for all of us," Craig said.
     "I can find you a real estate agent," Don laughed, Craig
joining in.
     "Do you think she'll try to sell real estate again?"
     "I don't know, after what has happened, who would trust any
deal she put together?" Don said.
     "Well, regardless, he has a house in Houston that has to be
emptied and sold.  Joey has to decide what he wants to keep and
we need to arrange a sale like Dale had for his house here,"
Craig said.
     "How soon is all of this going to happen?" Don asked.
     "Joe probably won't last much past the weekend and maybe not
that long.  He's refused any treatment or dialysis and the liver
and kidneys aren't cleansing his blood, so not long."
     "Boy, that's got to be tough on Dale, having his father pop
up all of a sudden after not hearing anything at all for a number
of years," Don said.
     "When we walked into his hospital room on Monday afternoon,
it was only the second time Dale had seen him," Craig said.
     "Well, good luck.  Are you going back to Houston with them?"
     "I don't know.  Our plans are to take Joey back on Sunday
afternoon, but they are supposed to call if Joe's condition
worsens.  We're going to have to move Joey here, but there are a
lot of loose ends we have to clean up ourselves, too."
     "Well, aside for making corrections on plans on the
computer, I can handle about anything else that needs to be done
here, so don't worry about missing work," Don said.
     "Thanks, pal.  Dale and I - and Joey - thank you from the
bottom of our hearts."
     * * * * *
     Craig called one of the bicycle shops and found out that
they could rent 10-speed bicycles for a reasonable amount and the
rent would be applied toward the purchase price.
     At noon, he went home for lunch, picking up a burger and
fries from Burger King on the way.  Mitsy was glad to see him and
he followed her downstairs to make sure she stayed close to the
building.  She went back up the stairs without any urging.  Craig
happened to think that they might have to arrange for someone to
look after her when they went back to Houston, unless they took
her with them.
     After he returned to the office, he spent the rest of the
afternoon revising drawings for Warren Collins' project.
     * * * * *
     Dale had errands to do in Williamsport after he finished
approving invoices for payment.  Joey had brought a couple of
schoolbooks with him, so read further in his history book while
Dale was working.
     Dale loaded several things in the back of his Blazer to take
them to the welding shop to be repaired.  There were repaired
items to pick up, also.  He and Joey set off for town, with Dale
pointing out various buildings they had not seen before.
     He realized that the gas tank was getting close to empty on
his vehicle so stopped at the Texaco Station where RJ Barton
worked.  As he was filling the tank, he realized that he needed
to ask Morris Johnsmore about how to handle reimbursing the Bar-W
for his trip to Houston, especially since there were going to be
more of them.
     RJ greeted Dale as he walked through the door to pay for the
gas.
     "Hi Dale, how goes it?"
     "Really well," he answered, handing him the credit card with
both the Bar-W Ranch and his names on it.
     RJ could see that someone else was in the vehicle, but
couldn't tell who it was.  He figured it was someone who worked
for the Bar-W.
     There were several people in the convenience store, so they
couldn't visit, but RJ did manage to ask quietly if he would see
he and Craig at the Dignity/Integrity meeting on Sunday night.
     Dale had to think a minute.  "No, I don't think so.  We need
to go to Houston on Sunday afternoon and I know we won't be back
in time."
     "Not if you're going in the afternoon," he smiled.
     "We'll let Fr. George know we won't be there when we see him
on Sunday morning," Dale said.  "See you later," he waved as he
exited the store.
     The next stop was the welding shop.  One of the men unloaded
the heavier items out of the Blazer, Dale carrying the light
stuff.  There were more things to go back than the items he'd
brought in and the two men loaded them.  Dale signed the ticket
and put it in the folder for the accountants.
     He happened to think about Joey needing boots, so the third
stop was at the Farm Supply Store where they carried several
brands of work and western boots.
     "Come on, let's see about finding some boots to fit you,"
Dale told Joey as he parked in the lot.
     "I don't have that much money with me," Joey started to say.
     "Did I ask if you did?" Dale smiled and hugged his
shoulders.
     "No, guess not," Joey said, obviously pleased that Dale
hugged him.
     "Do you know what size you wear?"
     "Not for sure.  I think these are a size 9, but my dress
shoes are a 9« C."
     "Your feet are almost as big as mine, but you probably
should try a size 10 medium width to begin with, then we can work
from there."
     This was a self-service department, although you could get
the assistance of a clerk if you went looking for one.
Everything they had was on the shelves where customers could get
to them and the boxes were arranged by style, then size.
     The first western style boot Dale saw in that size was black
with red and white stitching.  Dale took the box off the shelf.
"Here, try these," he told Joey.
     "I'd rather have brown ones like you're wearing," he told
Dale.
     "That's fine, but try these for size first, then we'll see
what size you need and I'll see if we can find some brown ones."
     "Okay.  Sorry, I didn't mean to sound whiney," Joey said.
     "I didn't think you did, so don't worry about it," Dale
answered.
     Dale picked up a pair of boot hooks and handed them to Joey
so he could try the boots.  They went on with ease and Joey
walked around a little bit.
     "How do those feel?" Dale questioned.
     "They slip a little on the heel, but the soles are pretty
stiff," Joey said.
     "Okay," Dale said, leaning down to check if the ball of his
foot was in the correct place and if there was enough toe room.
He also pinched the leather over the instep.  The book was tight
enough, apparently without being too tight.
     Dale stood up and looked for a brown boot on display, then
checked the boxes.  Sure enough the size they needed was there.
Although there were bootjacks around the area, Dale had him sit
down and helped him pull the boots off.  He put the black boots
away while Joey put the brown ones on.  These fit even better
than the black ones, probably because they were Dan Post instead
of Justin brand.  Dale bent down to check the fit and they seemed
to be okay.
     "How do you like these?" he questioned.
     "They feel good and they look a lot like the ones you are
wearing," Joey answered.
     "They are the same brand."  Dale pulled the leg of his Levis
up and the stitching was almost identical.
     "Cool, these are okay," Joey told him.
     "Do you want to wear them or wear your athletic shoes?" Dale
asked.
     "I'll wear these, if that's okay?" he said.
     "Sure.  Do you have boot hooks at home? . and a bootjack?"
Dale asked.
     "Yeah, maybe two of each, 'cause I think my Dad has some,
too."
     "Okay, for the time being you can use mine or Craig's if you
need to and we'll make sure to get yours when we go back to
Houston."
     By this time they were at the counter.  Joey handed the box
to the cashier and Dale handed her his personal MasterCard.
     As Dale signed the receipt, the cashier checked the contents
of the box, then put security tape around it so it couldn't be
opened without a knife.
     "Thanks, Da. Dad," Joey said as they got back in the Blazer.
     "You're welcome.  We'll spray them with Mink Oil to help
waterproof them when we get home.  After they dry all night,
they'll be ready for you to wear tomorrow."
     The next stop was Morris Johnsmore's office.
     * * * * *
     Bret Jenkins, Sr. had been working on the Bar-W expense
reports for the Central Texas Horse Show in Waco and everything
seemed to be in order until he looked at the report Dale had
turned in.  He happened to notice both Dale and Craig's names on
the billing from the Holiday Inn.  He saw red.  This was a
mystery.  He had seen Dale in their office when Dale picked up a
new credit card and Dale certainly didn't look like a fag, so he
had convinced himself that he really wasn't.
     Then here was a motel bill with both Dale's name and a Craig
Bastian.  What was the meaning of this?  Had he been wrong to
change his mind about Dale?  He thought so.  He wanted to ask
Morris Johnsmore about it, but the last time he had complained to
Morris, he thought he was going to get fired.  Of course, he had
created a scene and made accusations about his church supporting
homosexuality.
     'Well, this bears watching,' he thought.
     * * * * *
     As he was parking at the accountant's office, Dale happened
to think that he needed to talk to Morris about including Joey on
his group health plan.
     "Come on in with me, Joey," Dale said.  "I need to leave
this folder of bills so they can be paid and I also need to find
out about getting you covered on my health insurance plan.  I
didn't discuss this with anybody in Houston, but we'll start here
to get some answers."
     They went into the office and were greeted by Amanda, the
secretary-receptionist.  Bret heard her call Dale by name, so he
gathered some papers together to take them to the copy machine.
Actually he didn't need anything copied, he just needed an excuse
to be where he could see what was going on.
     "Hello, Amanda.  This is my son, Joey, and we need to talk
to Morris about getting him covered on my group health plan."
     Joey looked up at Dale with a grin.
     "Certainly, Dale.  I don't think he's busy, but let me
check."  She got up from her desk and went down the hall to see
if Morris could talk to Dale and Joey.
     Bret was all confused again.  Here was Dale, that really
masculine looking man and he had a teenage boy with him who he
introduced as his son and they certainly looked enough alike to
be father and son.  But Dale wasn't old enough to have a son that
age.  What was going on?  He'd heard Rev. Jimmy Bob Jones say
that sometimes men who were faggots recruited young boys and
turned them into faggots, too.  They supposedly did terrible
things to them, against their will.  This didn't make any sense
to him at all.
     Dale was aware of Bret standing at the copy machine, holding
a sheaf of papers in his hand, staring at them.  He turned
around.  "How are you today?  It's Bret, isn't it?"
     "Uunnmm." was all he could say.  He wasn't even sure if Dale
had told him hello.
     About that time Amanda saved the day by appearing in the
doorway, telling Dale and Joey to follow her.
     Dale had a funny feeling about Bret, as he always seemed to
stand and stare at him when he came to Morris' office.  He
wondered if Bret was a closet homosexual.
     Morris stood to greet Dale, who introduced Joey.  Morris
waved them to the chairs in front of his desk.
     What can I do for you?  Amanda said you needed health
insurance coverage for Joey."
     "Yes," Dale told him without going into a lot of detail.
"Joey is actually my half-brother, but our father is quite ill
and not expected to live, so he has signed over custodial rights
to me and later we'll determine if Joey wants me to adopt him.
No one has said anything about Joey being covered under a group
plan of his fathers, but I need to know if he's eligible under my
plan."
     "Sure he is," Morris said.  "We can fill out the paperwork
and enrollment card right now and get it in process."  He pulled
out a folder and extracted a card and sheet of paper from it,
laying them in front of him.
     He started through some questions, which Joey answered;
information that Dale didn't yet know, such as birth date,
height, weight, illnesses, and other information common to
insurance plans.  When he was finished, he had Dale sign the
application card and told him they should have a new wallet card
for both of them in about 10 days, but that coverage was
immediate.
     Dale thanked Morris and both of them shook his hand as they
left his office.
     * * * * *
     Meanwhile Bret had been grilling Amanda about Dale, wanting
to know how old he was and some other information that really was
confidential.
     "What do you need to know for?" Amanda questioned him.
     "I'm all confused.  The rumor around town is that he's a
faggot, yet he doesn't look like one and now he brings that young
boy in here and introduces him as his son.  He can't possibly be
old enough to have a son that age, yet they look alike.  Do you
think he's found a boy to recruit to be a faggot, too?"
     Amanda didn't know if she should laugh or get mad.  "Bret,
you are absolutely out in orbit on this 'faggot' business, aren't
you?  Can't you get over this?"
     "Well, it doesn't make any sense.  Dale went with the Bar-W
people to this horse show in Waco last weekend and there was
another man registered in the room with him."
     "So, that doesn't prove anything.  A lot of people share
hotel rooms and single people can share them just as well as ones
who are married.  You are way out of line and you'd better not
let Mr. Johnsmore hear you again because he doesn't tolerate your
thinking very well."
     About this time Dale and Joey came down the hall and back
out into the reception area.
     "Thanks Amanda.  Good to see you again, Bret.  Tell your son
that I said hello."  Dale flashed his 1000-watt smile and Bret
was speechless.  He couldn't think of anything to say, so just
stood there and stared at Dale.
     Amanda was enjoying this.  "Goodbye, Dale and Joey.  Hope to
see you again soon."
     After they left, Bret was still standing there, holding the
papers.  She wondered if he'd made his copies.
     "Earth to Bret, Earth to Bret," Amanda teased, waving her
arms in front of her.  It worked.  Bret quit staring and walked
back to his office.  He was confused all the more.
     * * * * *
     By this time it was after 4:15.  Dale didn't really feel
like he'd accomplished a lot today, but thought he'd had some
quality time with Joey.  He was impressed with the teen, as their
father had instilled good manners in him.  He was thinking about
Joe when his thoughts were interrupted.
     "Do you like your job?" Joey asked.
     "I certainly do.  We have good people working on the ranch
and the owners are very appreciative of the people that work for
them and do their best to treat them fairly.  It makes everyone
try harder to do their job right."
     "I think it would be neat to have a job like yours where you
get to boss people around, ride a horse whenever you want and
don't have to be under somebody's thumb all the time," Joey said.
     Dale laughed.  "I know it looks easy, but there are a lot of
decisions to be made everyday and today is one of the rare days
that I've actually had time for myself and to show you around a
little bit."
     He drove on past the driveway to the ranch and on up the
road about 4 miles to the horse headquarters.  There was one
horse trailer being loaded and the other four were gone.  Dale
figured that they could probably get about 20 horses in each
trailer, so figured that three of them would be back tomorrow to
load out the rest.  The horses were restless and skittish as this
was their first time in the confined quarters of a corral and
certainly in a horse trailer.  However, the loading was going
easy and the ranch hands were not pressing the horses by abusing
them.  Lee would never have tolerated that.
     Joey was impressed with the beautiful horses and wanted to
be near them, but Dale made him stay back several feet from the
fence just in case one got too wild and couldn't be controlled
quickly.  They observed the loading for a little bit, and then
left in the Blazer.
     Dale drove to the field where the three men were plowing.
They had accomplished a lot and would probably be finished with
this field early in the morning.  They were just making their
turns at the end of the field.  Michael was driving the lead
tractor with John and Pat following close behind.  Dale hailed
Pat to stop.
     "I promised Joey that I'd let him drive the tractor and plow
for a little bit, so we'll use your tractor and probably won't go
more than 300 feet."
     Pat was surprised, but remembered the first time he'd been
allowed to drive a tractor and he wasn't as old at the time as
Joey was.
     He took the tractor out of gear and set the brake so they
could make their switch, climbing down off the seat.  Dale helped
Joey into the seat; then stood to his side, bracing himself
against the fender for support.  He quickly talked Joey through
the routine to start the tractor moving and explained how to
steer so the tire followed in the last trench the previous
tractor made.
     The tractor had what could be called an automatic
transmission.  Actually it was a hydrostatic drive, although you
still had to shift it to the range you wanted to use, and in this
case it was a 12-bottom plow, pulling a lot of weight because the
ground was packed from cattle grazing and was being plowed deeper
than usual.
     Finally, they were set and Dale told Joey to release the
brakes, then let the clutch out slowly while applying more engine
power.  The tractor started moving, at first very slowly, then a
little faster as the diesel engine revved up.
     "Watch where the front wheels are," he shouted, then grabbed
the steering wheel to make a slight correction to the right.
     Joey was a quick learner and for someone who had never been
on a farm before he seemed to fit right in.  Dale was wondering
if he could use him in the field next summer when school was out.
     After they had gone about 300 feet, the rough distance of a
city block, Dale yelled at Joey to apply the brake, then push in
the clutch.  The tractor came to a stop and Dale powered the
engine down.  After the brakes were set, he helped Joey out of
the seat and to the ground.
     "Thanks, Pat," Dale said, giving him a pat on the back as he
started to climb up on the tractor.
     "You did well, Joey, come here and look."  There was only
one little area where the tire wasn't following in the right
place and you could see where the slight correction had been
made.
     "Can you plant stuff when the ground is like this?" Joey
questioned.
     "No, we have to run a disk-harrow over it to break up the
clods and level the ground.  You'll get to see them using that on
Friday.  Then we can drill wheat next week."
     They walked back to Dale's vehicle on solid, unplowed
ground.  All the while Joey was chattering away.  "This is the
best day I've ever had.  Thanks for bringing me out here to see
and do all the neat stuff."
     "Joey, you are welcome.  Maybe next summer, if you want to,
we can find some work out here for you to do and you can be paid
for it, too."
     "Oh wow, that would be the greatest!" he said, hardly able
to contain his excitement.
     They arrived back at the barn/office and Dale parked in
front.  They went into the office and Dale laid out the
timesheets for each to sign.  He took Joey into the part of the
barn where the cattle stall was.  Jason was milking Star.  Joey
was transfixed.  He knew that milk came from cows, but had never
thought beyond that concept.  It was something that just
happened.  Here was Jason; sitting on a stool, pulling on this
cow's teats and filling a bucket with milk.
     "Hey Joey!  You wanna try this?" Jason asked.
     "Go ahead," Dale urged him.  "You can get your own milk for
breakfast in the morning."
     Joey was a little "cowed" (no pun intended) by the concept,
but was willing to give it a try.  Jason demonstrated the milking
technique that worked for him, then got up so Joey could sit on
the stool.  Dale crouched down beside him to help.
     The cow's teats felt strange in his hands, and the action of
pulling and opening and closing his hand to get milk was an
erotic feeling for him.  Dale worked with him a little bit and
then finally he was able to get a small stream of milk, but not
like Jason had been getting.
     "Keep trying, you're doing fine.  Don't squeeze your fingers
down so quickly."  Then the milk started flowing more forcefully
and he could tell the bucket was filling up.  Dale allowed him to
work for about three minutes, then said, "Okay, we don't want to
take Jason's job away from him, do we?"
     "No. Thanks Jason, thanks Dale for showing me how to milk a
cow."
     "Okay," Jason said.
     "Has Kevin gathered the eggs yet?" Dale asked.
     "I don't think so, he went to feed the horses first."
     "Wait until we come back before you filter the milk and
separate it.  I want Joey to see how it's done."
     "Okay, Dale.  See you in a minute."
     "Come on, Joey, you can help Kevin gather the eggs."  Dale
was clearly enjoying Joey's reaction to milking the cow and now,
to find out about the source for eggs.  They arrived at the hen
house as Kevin was entering the door.
     "Kevin," Dale called.  "Is it okay if Joey helps you gather
the eggs?"
     "Sure, come on, Joey."
     He explained about the eggs.  Most of the nests were empty
and maybe had one or two eggs in them.  The difficult part was
when a hen was on the nest and didn't want to move so they could
take what she was guarding.  Kevin explained that they had
several "sitting hens" that would stay on the nests and try to
hatch the eggs they were sitting on.  Kevin picked a couple of
those hens off their nests to make sure they got all the eggs.
There was a lot of flapping around and squawking when he did
that.
     Tonight's harvest was 22 eggs, about the usual number.
     Joey carried the eggs back to the milk barn after Kevin
showed him how to feed and water the chickens.
     Dale showed him how to wash the eggs and fill the egg
cartons, and then put one containing a dozen eggs out for them to
take home.
     Jason showed Joey how he filtered the milk through a cloth
strainer, then ran it through the electrically spun separator.
"This separates the milk from the cream.  Sometimes, when Mrs.
Wood is going to make butter, she's asks us not to run the milk
through the separator, or if we have, then she pours the milk and
cream back together before she churns it."
     Joey, of course, knew about various kinds of milk you could
buy in the grocery and had seen cartons of cream, buttermilk,
butter and sour cream in the grocery, but didn't realize they all
came from the same source. and he'd just helped get milk from
that source.
     Dale got a mug off the shelf in the cabinet, then opened one
of the cans of milk, showing Joey how the remaining cream rose to
the top of the can.  He dipped a ladle into the can and filled
the mug about halfway, then handed it to Joey.  "See if you want
some of this milk to take home to drink.  It's different than you
will ever find in the grocery store."
     Joey tentatively took a sip, then smiled.  He drained the
mug and truly had a milk mustache when the cup was empty.
"That's good.  You're right, it doesn't taste the same."
     "Do you want to take some home?" he asked.
     "Sure."
     Dale took one of the gallon containers out of the cooler to
take with them.
     They thanked Jason and Kevin and went back to the office.
     Michael, John and Pat had signed their timesheets and
already left for their rooms.
     Dale and Joey started for town.  They still had a busy
evening to go.
     * * * * *
     Craig talked to Paul Rathborne, the organist/choirmaster at
St. James, explaining that Joey would be interested in
auditioning for the choir, but that he and Dale had a schedule
conflict as they had to be somewhere at 6:30.
     "Don't worry about that.  I'll be at the church by 6 to
practice and get ready for the choir, so just come in the side
door and bring him to the choir loft.  I'll audition him and take
him to your place after we're finished with rehearsal."
     "Thanks, Paul.  I'll take him to the church a little after 6
o'clock and make sure he finds you."
     He called Dale on his cell phone, knowing they should be on
their way home and suggested that Dale pick up something from one
of the fast food restaurants for Joey.  He hated to do that, but
he and Dale would eat at the cooking class and he didn't think
Joey should have to wait to eat late.
     He had just let Mitsy out to go downstairs when Dale parked
his Blazer next to Craig's car.  She was glad to see them, but
was ready to go back upstairs as they got out of the car.  Joey
fed her as soon as they got inside the apartment, and then ate
his own sandwich and French fries.
     Craig greeted Dale with a kiss and hurriedly explained that
he would take Joey to choir and would meet him at Wyler's at 6:30
or shortly afterward.
     Dale suggested that Joey take a shower and put his "horse-
smelling clothes" in a bag so they didn't make the other dirty
clothes smell.  He did the same with his own Levis and boxers.
Actually the clothes weren't that bad, but it would make the
laundry easier to deodorize if they were separated.
     Dale was just getting out of the shower when Craig stuck his
head in the door to tell him they were leaving and would see him
later.
     "Don't forget to give Joey a key so he can get in when Paul
brings him home," he reminded Craig.
     "Thanks for thinking of that.  I remembered earlier, but
forgot."  He retrieved another key from the dresser to give to
Joey.
     Dale made short work of drying his hair, then putting on
some casual clothes for their cooking class.  He hoped that Louis
and Jerry wouldn't invite them out after they were through.  He
and Craig would simply tell them they had company.  It was the
truth and saved a whole bunch of explaining of a situation they
didn't need to know about.
     He still had about 10 minutes or so before he had to leave,
so he looked through the mail on the kitchen counter.  Three
bills for him, two of which were final bills for the electric and
water at his old house, two for Craig and a telephone bill and
electric bill for their apartment.  He wondered if he needed to
put more money in their household account.  He wasn't even sure
where the checkbook was for that account.  That wasn't any
problem except that if he wrote a personal check for something
needed for the house, then they had to figure out what to do
about it.  Maybe they should just put all the money in one
account and both write checks.
     While he was thinking about it, he needed to do something
with the money he'd gotten from selling his Mustang, the house
and the sale of the furnishings.
     That brought up another thought.  If Joey was going to be
living with them, did they need to find a better place to live?
There certainly was nothing wrong with this place, but he had
always lived in a house and so had Craig, who had indicated they
might want a place that was designed for them.  Certainly, Dale
would be more than willing to help pay for that.
     And. Joe had mentioned that Dale might want to sell his
house and build a house for the three of them to live in.  Was
that fair to Joey?  In four years he would be in college, and
although both Joe and the attorney had said that Joey would have
plenty of money, was it right for Dale and Craig to reap the
benefits of his hard work to provide Joey with a place to live
for as little as four years and maybe a few more?
     He and Craig needed to sit down and have a long talk.  Joe's
death and Joey's moving in with them had just set all kinds of
wheels into motion to change their lives.
     * * * * *
     (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.